Montreal Expos

Arrivals and Departures | Spring Training Schedule | Regular Season Schedule | Team Page
2001 Finish: 68-94, 5th place, NL East, 20 GB	2001 Payroll: $34,774,500 (28th)

Projected Lineup CF Peter Bergeron 2B Jose Vidro RF Vladimir Guerrero LF Jose Canseco 1B Lee Stevens SS Orlando Cabrera 3B Fernando Tatis C Michael Barrett Projected Rotation RHP Javier Vazquez RHP Tony Armas Jr. RHP Carl Pavano RHP Tomo Ohka RHP Masato Yoshii CL Scott Strickland

By Doug Furnad, CNNSI.com

The Montreal Expos of 2002 have a lot on their minds. First, they were targeted for contraction, then spared at the last minute. Then they were were sold just days before spring training began. And this will most probably be their last year north of the border. Ok, so that last one will probably not bother the players too much.

The Expos will spend this season as a shadow franchise, run by major league baseball, though with independent officers handling the on-the-field business. Frank Robinson takes to the dugout to manage, while Omar Minaya comes over from the Mets to be the general manager.

On the field, Montreal will look an awful lot like they did at the end of last season. After all, with contraction looming, the team wasn't able to make too many moves in the offseason.

Perennial All-Star Vladimir Guerrero returns, but he must now go on without mentor Felipe Alou for the whole season. Jose Vidro and Orlando Cabrera make up one of the best keystone combinations in baseball.

Fernando Tatis knows all about injuries. He played just 137 games over the past two seasons, but he is still just 27 years old, and when healthy, can be a force.

The fun this spring will be watching the old-timers games. Minaya signed, Jose Canseco, Osvaldo Fernandez and Felix Jose, and they all have a shot at jobs this spring. Canseco is the most intriguing of the bunch -- just 38 homers away from 500 in his career. But he must make it for the first time in the National League. The 37-year-old Canseco has never been accused of having a gold glove, which will make every fly ball an adventure.

The pitching staff, however, is no joke. Javier Vazquez is one of the best young pitchers in baseball. Vazquez had a breakout year in 2001, winning 16 games. Expect similar progress from Tony Armas Jr. this year. Armas is just 21, but has already shown he can handle the majors. He went 9-14 in 2001, but once he learns the strike zone (91 BB in 196 2/3 IP) he may reverse those numbers.

The rest of the rotation has the chance to be mediocre, at best, and hopes to stop short of being as big a joke as this offseason was.

Up for grabs: Brad Wilkerson has first shot at left field. A short audition in 2001 didn’t go well (.205 in 47 games), but he deserves another chance. Also in the mix, Canseco, Johnson, Jose, and maybe Frank Robinson himself will run out there for a few games.

Spring Chicken: RHP Zach Day was acquired when the Expos decided that they were tired of waiting for Milton Bradley to pass go. Day, 23, pitched just seven games above Class AA last season, but with a dearth of quality starters at the back of the rotation, a good spring could land Day an opening-day job.

Arrivals
Pos.	Player	From	Via
OF	Glen Barker	Astros	Free Agency
OF	Jose Canseco	White Sox	Free Agency
OF	Endy Chavez	Mets	Waivers
RHP	Osvaldo Fernandez	Reds	Free Agency
OF	Lance Johnson	Korea	Free Agency
OF	Felix Jose	Korea	Free Agency
OF	Lyle Mouton	Marlins	Free Agency
LHP	Ed Vosberg	Phillies	Free Agency
Departures
Pos.	Player	To	Via
OF	Rob Ducey	TBA	Free Agency
RHP	Hideki Irabu	Rangers	Free Agency
3B	Ryan Minor	Mariners	Waivers
RHP	Bob Scanlan	TBA	Free Agency
RHP	Mike Thurman	Yankees	Free Agency
C	Chris Widger	Yankees	Free Agency

Montreal Expos Spring Training Schedule
Home games at Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter, Fla.
Date	Opponent	Time	Site
Feb. 28	Baltimore	7:05 p.m.	at Fort Lauderdale
March 1	N.Y. Mets	7:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 2	St. Louis	1:05 p.m.	at Jupiter
March 3	St. Louis	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 4	Florida	1:05 p.m.	at Viera
March 5	Florida	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 6	Philadelphia	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 7	N.Y. Mets	7:10 p.m.	at Port St. Lucie
March 8	Florida	1:05 p.m.	at Viera
March 9	St. Louis (ss)	12:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 9	Los Angeles (ss)	7:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 10	Baltimore	1:05 p.m.	at Fort Lauderdale
March 11	Baltimore	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 12	Los Angeles	1:05 p.m.	at Vero Beach
March 13	Boston	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 14	St. Louis (ss)	12:05 p.m.	at Jupiter
March 14	Baltimore (ss)	7:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 15	Cleveland	1:05 p.m.	Winter Haven
March 16	Atlanta	1:05 p.m.	at Disney
March 17	N.Y. Mets	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 19	N.Y. Mets	1:10 p.m.	at Port St. Lucie
March 20	Florida	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 21	Tampa Bay	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 22	Los Angeles	7:05 p.m.	Vero Beach
March 23	N.Y. Mets	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 24	Boston	1:05 p.m.	at Fort Myers
March 25	St. Louis	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 26	Baltimore	1:05 p.m.	at Fort Lauderdale
March 27	Los Angeles	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
March 28	St. Louis	1:05 p.m.	at Jupiter
March 29	Florida	1:05 p.m.	at Viera
March 30	Florida	1:05 p.m.	Jupiter
ss - split squad      All times local.