Post-Gazette national baseball writer Paul Meyer breaks down the 2006 division races in the American League and offers his predictions(in order):

San Francisco Giants

2005: 75-87, third place, seven games behind.

Manager: Felipe Alou, fourth season.

Key newcomers: RHP Matt Morris, LHP Steve Kline, OF Steve Finley, INF Jose Vizcaino, 1B Mark Sweeney.

Key departures: 3B Edgardo Alfonzo, RHP Brett Tomko, 1B J.T. Snow, LHP Kirk Rueter, LHP Scott Eyre.

Possible batting order: CF Randy Winn (.306, 20, 63), SS Omar Vizquel (.271, 3, 45), 3B Pedro Feliz (.250, 20, 81), LF Barry Bonds (.286, 5, 10), RF Moises Alou (.321, 19, 63), 1B Lance Niekro (.252, 12, 46), 2B Ray Durham (.290, 12, 62), C Mike Matheny (.242, 13, 59).

Rotation: RHP Jason Schmidt (12-7, 4.40), RHP Matt Morris (14-10, 4.11), LHP Noah Lowry (13-13, 3.78), RHP Matt Cain (2-1, 2.33), RHP Brad Hennessey (5-8, 4.64).

Closer: RHP Armando Benitez (19 saves, 4.50).

Should finish: First. This is a team AARP would love. Barry Bonds, whether he's playing or not, turns 42 in July. Steve Finley is 41. And Moises Alou turns 40 in July. By the stretch run, the Giants' outfield will be a combined 123 years old. You've got to figure a few line drives are going to find their way through the "geezer gaps." Much of the attention on this team -- outside of the birthday cake candle suppliers -- will be focused on Bonds, his pursuit of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron in the home run chase and how his troublesome right knee holds up. The Giants hope Bonds can appear in 120 games, but who knows? Heck, he might just retire if he gets in a mood. Or he might play out the schedule if he gets in that mood. The signing of free agent Matt Morris adds a lot to a rotation that is young except for Jason Schmidt, who's 67-28 in 130 starts for the Giants. San Francisco needs a solid year from its bullpen, which last year struggled after an injury to closer Armando Benitez. The Giants led the major leagues with 28 blown saves. Had they had a reliable closer last season, they easily could have won this sad-sack division.

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Los Angeles Dodgers

2005: 71-91, fourth place, 11 games behind.

Manager: Grady Little, first season.

Key newcomers: General manager Ned Colletti, SS Rafael Furcal, C Sandy Alomar Jr., 3B Bill Mueller, 1B Nomar Garciaparra, OF Kenny Lofton, RHP Brett Tomko, RHP Jae Sao, RHP Danys Baez.

Key departures: Manager Jim Tracy, OF Milton Bradley, RHP Jeff Weaver, RHP Duaner Sanchez.

Possible batting order: SS Rafael Furcal (.322, 5, 27), CF Kenny Lofton (.335, 2, 36), 1B Nomar Garciaparra (.283, 9, 30), 2B Jeff Kent (.289, 29, 105), RF J.D. Drew (.286, 15, 36), 3B Bill Mueller (.295, 10, 62), LF Jose Cruz Jr. (.251, 18, 50), C Dioner Navarro (.273, 3, 14).

Rotation: RHP Derek Lowe (12-15, 3.61), RHP Brady Penny (7-9, 3.90), RHP Brett Tomko (8-15, 4.48), LHP Odalis Perez (7-8, 4.56), RHP Jae Seo (8-2, 2.59).

Closer: RHP Eric Gagne (8 saves, 2.70).

Should finish: Second. This team was in turmoil not only during the season but after it, too. Manager Jim Tracy and general manager Paul DePodesta didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, and DePodesta was quick to approve Tracy's departure, which could have been orchestrated well before the season actually ended. Not long after, DePodesta was fired, leaving the Dodgers without a general manager as the winter meetings neared. New general manager Ned Colletti, formerly a top aide to San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean, did a nice job overhauling the Dodgers in a short time. What will help the Dodgers the most, though, is a healthy Eric Gagne. Arguably the best closer in baseball, the right-hander pitched in only 14 games because of elbow surgery. In 2004, Gagne had 45 saves and a 2.19 earned run average. Rafael Furcal, who knows a thing or two about winning divisions, brings much-needed speed with him from Atlanta. The Dodgers were 15th in the league with 58 stolen bases last season, only 12 more than Furcal had with the Braves.

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San Diego Padres

2005: 82-80, first place, lost to St. Louis Cardinals in division series in three games.

Manager: Bruce Bochy, 12th season.

Key newcomers: CF Mike Cameron, C Mike Piazza, 3B Vinny Castilla, INF Bobby Hill, 2B Mark Bellhorn, RHP Chris Young, LHP Shawn Estes, RHP Chan Ho Park.

Key departures: 3B Sean Burroughs, RHP Adam Eaton, RHP Brian Lawrence, OF Xavier Nady, OF Damian Jackson, 2B Mark Loretta, 1B Mark Sweeney, C Ramon Hernandez, 1B Robert Fick, 3B Joe Randa.

Possible batting order: LF Dave Roberts (.275, 8, 38), SS Khalil Greene (.250, 15, 70), RF Brian Giles (.301, 15, 83), C Mike Piazza (.251, 19, 62), 1B Ryan Klesko (.248, 18, 58), CF Mike Cameron (.273, 12, 39), 3B Vinny Castilla (.253, 12, 66), 2B Mark Bellhorn (.210, 8, 30).

Rotation: RHP Jake Peavy (13-7, 2.88), RHP Chris Young (12-7, 4.26), LHP Shawn Estes (7-8, 4.80), RHP Woody Williams (9-12, 4.85), RHP Chan Ho Park (12-8, 5.74).

Closer: RHP Trevor Hoffman (43 saves, 2.97).

Should finish: Third. The Padres made a bunch of changes during the winter in an effort to improve a team that won this division last season by staggering to an 82-80 record -- the worst for a team that reached the postseason. Somehow the Padres went 22-6 in May. That gave them enough of a cushion to hang on. Brian Giles, 35, is the leader of an offense that doesn't produce much. Giles continues to show great plate discipline. He led the major leagues with 119 walks last season. That's one reason the Padres tied for fifth in the National League in on-base percentage (.333), but the rest of their offensive numbers more fit a team that finished, well, just two games over .500. The Padres aren't exactly spring chickens, either . Closer Trevor Hoffman, who needs 43 saves to become the all-time leader, is 38. Vinny Castilla also is 38. Mike Piazza is 37. The Padres have restructured their rotation behind ace Jake Peavy. Former Pirates prospect Chris Young, the 6-foot-10 Princeton graduate, comes over from Texas, where he averaged 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Another former Ranger, Chan Ho Park, wants to prove his time with Texas was a fluke -- albeit a long-lived one.

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Arizona Diamondbacks

2005: 77-85, second place, five behind.

Manager: Bob Melvin, second season.

Key newcomers: C Johnny Estrada, 2B Damion Easley, RHP Orlando Hernandez, RHP Miguel Batista, 2B Orlando Hudson, OF Eric Byrnes.

Key departures: 3B Troy Glaus, RHP Javier Vazquez, SS Royce Clayton.

Possible batting order: SS Craig Counsell (.256, 9, 42), CF Eric Byrnes (.226, 10, 40), 3B Chad Tracy (.308, 27, 72), LF Luis Gonzalez (.271, 24, 79), RF Shawn Green (.286, 22, 73), 1B Conor Jackson (.200, 2, 8), C Johnny Estrada (.261, 4, 39), 2B Orlando Hudson (.271, 10, 63).

Rotation: RHP Brandon Webb (14-12, 3.54), RHP Russ Ortiz (5-11, 6.89), RHP Miguel Batista (5-8, 4.10), RHP Orlando Hernandez (9-9, 5.12), RHP Claudio Vargas (9-9, 5.24).

Closer: RHP Jose Valverde (15 saves, 2.44).

Should finish: Fourth: This club could surprise, though. And in this division that won't take much. Conor Jackson is a Rookie of the Year candidate. And if outfielder Chris Young shows well in Class AAA early on, he could join the team around midseason. New general manager Josh Byrnes, from the Theo Epstein school, unloaded some veteran players upon his arrival from Boston and seems youth oriented. Byrnes did keep Luis Gonzalez, one of the truly good people in baseball, but the 38-year-old can't have a whole lot left. The rotation behind Brandon Webb could be shaky. And the bullpen, which last season had the worst earned run average in the league (5.50), needs to regroup. This team, though, is a long way from the 2004 misfits that lost 111 games.

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Colorado Rockies

2005: 67-95, fifth place, 15 games behind.

Manager: Clint Hurdle, fifth season.

Key newcomers: RHP Josh Fogg, RHP Jose Mesa, LHP Ray King, OF Eli Marrero.

Key departures: OF Larry Bigbie, 2B Aaron Miles.

Possible batting order: CF Cory Sullivan (.294, 4, 30), SS Clint Barmes (.289, 10, 46), 1B Todd Helton (.320, 20, 79), LF Matt Holliday (.307, 19, 87), 3B Garrett Atkins (.287, 13, 89), RF Brad Hawpe (.262, 9, 47), 2B Luis Gonzalez (.292, 9, 44), C Yorvit Torrealba (.234, 3, 15).

Rotation: RHP Jason Jennings (5-9, 6.02), RHP Aaron Cook (7-2, 3.67), LHP Jeff Francis (14-12, 5.68), RHP Byung-Hyun Kim (5-12, 4.86), RHP Josh Fogg (6-11, 5.05).

Closer: LHP Brian Fuentes (31 saves, 2.91).

Should finish: Fifth. This team played 19 rookies last season and went through a lot of pitchers (a club-record 27). The Rockies, who have had just one winning season in the past eight (82-80 in 2000), again will focus on developing youngsters at the big-league level and hope they don't get off to the same stinky start they did in 2005 (15-35). Jeff Francis, a star in the making, had a baffling rookie season. He was 8-4 with a 4.88 earned run average in 15 starts at hitter-friendly Coors Field. In 18 road starts, he was 6-8, 6.40. Two former Pirates should be on the Colorado pitching staff. Jose Mesa, who turns 40 in May, should provide support for closer Brian Fuentes, who converted 31 of 33 save opportunities last season. And Josh Fogg could land the fifth starter's job in a rotation that doesn't intimidate anybody. Veteran Todd Helton, who hit .383 after July 1, sparked a late-season surge . Colorado was 30-28 in its final 58 games. Heck, if they play like that for this entire season, they could win the West.