Halifax Mooseheads Pre-season Preview

The Halifax Mooseheads hit rock bottom last season, failing to reach 60 wins and earning the dubious distinction of being the 2nd cellar dweller in TBA history. However, the off-season allowed the Mooseheads to completely rebuild their roster, and while they may be poised to make a push for the playoffs this season, they have built a core of players that will help this team contend well into the future.

The off-season began by shipping off aging starter Tim Hudson to Washington in exchange for Brandon Morrow. While Hudson provided stellar numbers last season, he is not part of the long-term plans for the Mooseheads, and Halifax is excited to add a young power arm in Morrow. While Roy Halladay and Jose Bautista's names were bounced around the hot-stove, both players remain in Halifax.

The number 1 overall pick in the draft was not on the trading block, but just before the deadline, Halifax was presented with an offer it couldn't refuse. Adam Jones, Jacoby Ellsbury, the 4th overall pick in the draft (eventually traded up to 3rd to acquire Stephen Strasburg) and the 11th overall pick in the draft (which became SS Starlin Castro) were enough to pry away the rights to Jason Heyward.

In the 1st round of the draft, the Mooseheads were able to acquire a potential superstar starting pitcher in Strasburg, a budding all-star in Starlin Castro and a very solid 1B prospect in Ike Davis. Add in Jones, Ellsbury, Morrow and 2nd round pick Chris Sale, and the Mooseheads quickly became a lot younger with a lot of potential great players.

While the puzzle is by no means complete, the Mooseheads added several key pieces and are significantly closer to their goal of building a sustainable contender. The Mooseheads are expecting to play respectable baseball this season, and may even surprise a few. Hopefully Roy Halladay pitches in the TBA up to his potential and the new additions fit in with the team concept well. And now, position by position:

CATCHER: The Mooseheads go into the season with only two catchers: Geovany Soto and Jonathan Lucroy. Soto had a great season, rebounding from a disastrous 2009 with a high OBP and will be a factor in the lineup. Lucroy is still a young catcher who plays capable defense and has the potential to be a capable hitter and not be a liability in the lineup.

1st BASE: The Mooseheads used the #12 overall pick to grab Ike Davis at first base. Mark Kotsay and Mark Teahen will provide some veteran bench depth for the rookie. Davis had a solid rookie season and while he's never expected to be a truly elite player, he does project to provide good defense and be a good, if occasionally great, bat in the lineup.

2nd BASE: Aaron Hill took a big step backwards last year, though a lot of that was bad luck. His BABIP was the lowest in the major leagues by 30 points for those with enough qualified ABs. He still hit 26 home runs and will provide some pop, but the Mooseheads are looking for Hill to rebound more for next season and going forward.

3rd BASE: Aramis Ramirez and Chase Headley will platoon at 3rd base this year, with A-Ram getting the bulk of the playing time. Both had off years offensively, and neither are defensive stalwarts. This is a position that will be needing an upgrade going forward, but Ramirez's bat, while not stellar, still provides some thump.

SHORTSTOP: The Mooseheads were overjoyed that Starlin Castro fell to them at 11th overall in the draft. Castro is still very young and projects to be a very good short stop. The Mooseheads still have Alex Gonzalez though rumour out of Halifax is that he will be shopped aggressively at the deadline. While Gonzalez is still here though, he does provide great defense and some pop in his bat.

OUTFIELD: The outfield is a definite strength for this team, but also one that is still very young. Adam Jones will patrol centre field and offers good defense with a very good bat. Jose Bautista is coming off a 54 home run season, and while he is expected to regress a bit, is a formidable presence in the middle of the order. Julio Borbon will play left field and while he still has room to improve, provides a solid average and great speed. Adam Lind will not see time in the outfield and will DH. Though coming off a year like Aaron Hill where he struggled to hit for average, the power is still there and he is expected to rebound.

STARTING PITCHING: The Mooseheads are lead again by Roy Halladay. Doc has been a horse in terms of ability to pitch lots of innings, but has been a disaster so far in Halifax. The Mooseheads are confident that this is the year he finally breaks through. Behind him are a mix of young and veteran arms. Brett Anderson had an injury shortened sophomore campaign and continues to develop into a formidable arm. Brett Cecil had 15-wins and is emerging as a very solid back of the rotation starter. Brandon Morrow, acquired from Washington, is a power arm with lots of potential who will help now, and likely even more in the future. Jonathon Niese had a successful season and continues to grow into a quality pitcher. The gem of the draft for the Mooseheads is Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg has the stuff to be one of the best pitchers ever. While coming off of Tommy John surgery is no sure thing, the potential he offers is staggering and the hope is that he will one day supplant Halladay as the ace of the rotation. Livan Hernandez is still on the staff, coming off a very successful season with over 200 innings pitched. He is very likely to be moved at the deadline as though he will help this year, he does not fit into the team's long term plans. Carlos Carrasco, Alex Sanabia and Jesse Litsch are sleepers that could blossom into potential rotation keepers.

BULLPEN: The Mooseheads bullpen is deep and strong, but lacking a premiere level closer. Chris Sale will assume the closer duties, but will start the season on the DL to protect his limited innings potential for this season. Mike Adams will serve as the primary set-up man and fill in at closer when needed. His 1.76 ERA over 70 innings makes him a dominant late-inning option. Shawn Camp and Scott Downs offer lots of innings and are capable of being dominant late in the game. With David Purcey, Jose Contreras, Casey Janssen, and David Hernandez rounding out the pen, there are no glaring weak arms. If this team can get a lead going into the final three innings, they have the pen to slam the door most of the time.

OVERALL: This team will be good, but is still a season away from great. Some players need to rebound while some of the younger ones need to continue to develop. This should be a team that is competitive and exciting, and is hopefully the beginning of a long-run at and/or near the top of the league.