[cknox0723]

It may be a hollow thanks compared to what could be, but Montrealers can rejoice that baseball will continue for their beloved Expos in this universe. Unofrtunately, it'll be full of the same woes that have plagued the Expositions in recent years, with an apparent lack of talent confining them to the lower echelon of the division. A stark reminder of that is the franchise's record four selections in the annual Rule 5 Draft, and most startling is that a raw youngster like 22 year old Jeffrey Allison has the inside track to the fifth starter's spot. But beyond a decent front three composed of former Tejanos Ryan Drese and Ricardo Rodriguez and a pickup at the trade deadline last year, Frankie Butto, the alternatives just aren't very appealing. Darrell Rasner and his 1-8 career record in 15 starts? Scott Elarton, of the 5.14 career ERA? In the words of Bill James, "Pass."

You wouldn't expect the bullpen to be a small-market club's calling card, but thanks to...wait for it...former Rule 5 pick Brady Raggio and flamethrowers Kyle Farnsworth, Luis Ayala, and Jeremy Fikac, that's just what Montreal has. The screwballer Raggio, plucked from the Arizona system two years ago, has more than tripled his career innings total with an out-of-the-ordinary resurgence in his mid-30's, but he's proved up to the challenge with ERA's of 3.15 and 2.81 since coming north. He saved 14 ballgames last year and will have a chance to double that this year. For the sake of Raul Gonzalez, I hope he gets that Proven Closer (TM) tag.

I'm surprised once again, this time just seeing a passable lineup from the bunch up north, but I guess they fell just one game short of .500 last year for a good reason. All of the "familiar" Montreal names are still around, with Jose Vidro and Orlando Cabrera forming a talented pivot duo, and Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge ("Sledgehammer") more than capably filling two of the outfield spots. First sacker Vic Diaz socked 52 doubles last year to go along with a .300 average, and if his hacking ways are less agreeable this year, stathead favorite Hee Seop Choi is still around. Third base, left field, and catcher, even with Jorge Posada having signed a cushy free-agent deal, are holes, but you can't win 'em all with a $45 million payroll, as the Hose well know.

Upon first taking a glance at this ballclub, with a low payroll and a whole bunch of Rule 5 picks, I would've tabbed them for 60 or 65 wins without a second thought. But that, as they say, is what makes all this work worth it. Well, I don't know who says that; I guess I do. Anyway, yes, the back of their rotation and bottom of their lineup suck, but Montreal has more than a few real ballplayers. And I certainly can't discount a bunch of angry Canadians. They'll be hard-pressed to sneak above .500 in what will certainly be a crowded National League East field, but they've got a fan from some hundreds of miles away; that is, until they play the Pale Hose.