NL South - Hush Puppy!! Is this party over???

Austin Shiner Bocks - brettm1220 - 30-12 - 2,2,1,1,1,3 - a World Series Ring in year 5 then missing the playoffs - will the real Shiner Bocks please stand up (or did they consume too much of their name sake after the WS and could not stand up). 99M for player salary, 12 coaching, and 17 training does not leave much for scouting and recruiting. The Shiner bocks are playing in the here and now. The ML players on average are young and expensive - and may be getting more so. The Shiner Bocks need to keep them all or keep paying up in the Free Agent market because there is very little in the minors to promote or trade. But for now they are a solid club that appears to have a lock on the NL South. Baring an injury or 3 - then it could get interesting.
Prediction: 1st in the South at 100-62 but not going to the WS.


New Orleans Mardi Gras - bobkordecki - 20-22 - 3,3,2,4,2,1 - 123M in player salary!! and 11M in training & coaching - not much going into the minor league system - New Orleans is living in the here and now in spades. They may also be living in the past. Several quality starters over 30 could use more training than they are getting. They have had significant drops in their abilities. All of them have at least one more year to go on their contract which will compound the issue for New Orleans. A trade to a high training $$ team for a prospect could help both teams involved. If things remain unchanged Mardi Gras will be quickly followed by Ash Wednesday. The fall off in abilities is already resulting in a fall off in team performance. Prediction: 77-85 and out of the playoffs


Tampa Bay Rum Runners - jerichokings - 18-24 - 1,1,3,WC,3,WC - 4 playoffs and no appearances in the league championships - Tampa has been close, but not close enough - 85M but only 11M in training - 20 for prospects - is Tampa in a rebuilding mold?? Doesn't seem right with most of the players under 30. Offense is solid as is the defense (except for catcher) but so far the pitching has been ugly. Losing a #2 starter doesn't help but that was recent and only means that the pitching has gone from bad to worse. When scouting the pitching it seems they should be pitching better - has it been the competition? Is this an "off year". Or is the weakness at catcher showing up in the pitchers performance. Should Jerichoking go after a defensive catcher?? I think Tampa is better than the first quarter has shown - but not good enough to challenge for a division of WC, Prediction: 80-82 and outside looking in.


Jackson Jackelopes - BrianCampos - 16-26 - 4,4,4,3,4,4 - The salary is down from 99M to 60M, training is up from 11M to 19M and scouting is maxed for the draft. BrianCampos is remodeling and building for the future. There are a half a dozen players at the ML level that belong the rest do not and 16-26 is overacheiving. There are a couple of over 30 MLers that could help a challenger that are probably available for a prospect. There is help in the minors but most of it is 2-3 years away. BrianCampos is doing what is necessary but this year is scortched earth - Prediction: 50 - 112