The final installment of my three-piece series previewing each team in the majors is up at Roto Times -- check out my previews of the AL and NL Western Divisions:
New guys: In a somewhat puzzling and short-sighted decision, the Diamondbacks gave Eric Byrnes and Jeff DaVanon a pair of one-year contracts instead of just opening the center field job to competition. There's no doubt that Byrnes can do enough to hold down the job the whole year, but he lacks the long-term potential of Carlos Quentin, who's ready for a big-league promotion, as well as Chris Young, a nice prospect acquired from the White Sox that's about to take his first stab at Triple-A. The Diamondbacks were very busy on the trade market this winter, picking up Orlando Hudson and Miguel Batista from the Blue Jays, Johnny Estrada from the Braves and Orlando Hernandez from the White Sox. Be wary of spending too much for either of those pitchers, but Hudson and Estrada could come through with surprising seasons.
Sleepers: Just in case Jose Valverde struggles to stay healthy in his first full season as Arizona's closer, you might want to stash away 26-year-old Brandon Medders, who posted a 1.78 ERA (1.05 WHIP) with 31 strikeouts in 30 innings last year. Medders has battled a sore shoulder this spring, but it doesn't look serious, and he could emerge as one of the club's top setup men this year.
That's just but a small sample -- you can read the full article over at Roto Times.
Western Divisions Preview [Roto Times]