* – indicates new to team
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. Minnesota Twins
Clear favorites with Mauer, Morneau and Cuddyer in lineup.
2. Chicago White Sox
Will they respond to Ozzie’s tirade(s) this year?
3. Detroit Tigers
A good lineup that has only one starter they can count on (Justin Verlander).
4. Cleveland Indians
Who’s next on the trade block for the rebuilding Tribe?
5. Kansas City Royals
A fire sale is imminent, but there is hope in P Zach Greinke and 1B Billy Butler.

Player to Watch: C Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
Johnny Bench is considered to be the best all around catcher of all time. Others would argue that Carlton Fisk was the best. Mike Piazza gets some consideration too. Next in line now for this generation is Joe Mauer. Already a winner of two batting titles, which is rare for a catcher. 2009 AL MVP and a two time gold glove winner. The Twins were wise to give him an extension before the end of this season (8 yrs. 184 million). Now the best all around catcher of this generation will stay in a small market which only helps the parody in baseball. Everyone will be watching him and the Twins now that he has that new contract. Will the Twins regret paying him that much? Will Mauer ever live up to the contract? Those outsiders that are skeptical will get their answers this season. Mauer is coming off his best season so far and he is still in his prime (27 years old). It isn’t even a case of Mauer being the only guy they can count on. 1B Justin Morneau is a former MVP for the Twins and they have a deep lineup around him. Look for Mauer to be in MVP form this year and the next and the next.
Manager on the Hot Seat: Trey Hillman Kansas City Royals
It comes as no surprise to most that the Royals manager will be on the hot seat. Since their World Series victory in 1985 the Royals have had only five winning seasons. That just counts finishing the year with a record above .500 winning percentage. Once again everything started looking good when Hillman took over in ’08. The Royals finished the season on a good note and won 75 games. The following year they got off to a great start, but once the summer months began they plummeted to a 65-97 record. That will not be tolerated again in Kansas City. Now ownership seems to care more about their bottom line, than the team it puts out there. They have a good GM in Dayton Moore. Moore spent many seasons in Atlanta and has seen how a team is supposed to build a winner, from within. He has put emphasis on scouting since his arrival rather than free agency. Hillman was Moore’s hire though and if ownership wants to make a change, they might go after Moore as well. Anything but a last place finish will be a good season for the Hillman and Moore.
Trade Bait: CF Grady Sizemore Cleveland Indians
The injury bug came after Sizmemore last season. He still managed to have an okay year, but his batting average took a dive (.248). The Indians will be batting him second this year, normally he lead off since his arrival in the majors. The last two seasons Indians fans have seen Cleveland’s best players being sent off to help other teams reach the postseason. C.C. Sabathia in ’08 helped the Milwaukee Brewers clinch the NL Wild Card. Then saw him return to the American League helping the Yankees win their 27th title. Last year the Indians dealt former Cy Young winner Cliff Lee to the Phillies and watched him help Philadelphia get to its second consecutive World Series. Indians fans are very disturbed and rightfully so that GM Mark Shapiro is trading away these players to save money rather than baseball reasons. Time will tell how the prospects the Indians received will pan out, but there are rumblings already about Sizemore’s tenure in Cleveland. Will Shapiro deal him if the Indians are out of contention? The history says yes.

Twins Lineup

CF Denard Span
.311 AVG 8 HR 68 RBI
2B Orlando Hudson*
.283 AVG 9 HR 62 RBI
C Joe Mauer
.365 AVG 28 HR 96 RBI
1B Justin Morneau
.274 AVG 30 HR 100 RBI
RF Michael Cuddyer
.276 AVG 32 HR 94 RBI
DH Jason Kubel
.300 AVG 28 HR 103 RBI
LF Delmon Young
.284 AVG 12 HR 60 RBI
SS J.J. Hardy*
.229 AVG 11 HR 47 RBI
3B Brendan Harris
.261 AVG 6 HR 37 RBI

This lineup potentially could have six of its regulars hit at least 20 HR this year. Now their new ballpark (Target Field) is not the hitters paradise that the Metrodome was, but there is no reason to think they can hit on grass. They played road games on the grass and it resulted in 38 wins. Span is coming into his own as a great leadoff hitter. One of the most underrated players in the game today. He can hit, field, steal bases and is slowly becoming a team leader as well. He won’t hit for power, but has an excellent batters IQ that manager Ron Gardenhire covets. They let Orlando Cabrera go after his energy at veteran leadership helped get the Twins into the postseason last year, but they replaced him with a guy who is just as flamboyant in Orlando Hudson. And I mean that in a good way. It loosens everyone up. Cabrera did that at shortstop and Hudson will do that as the second baseman. Getting up there in age, but has a good eye and sound defensively. Excellent addition for this team, who always finds a way to fill holes. What else can be said about Mauer that hasn’t been already. The only thing I guess would be that he missed the first month last year and still was able to put up the numbers he did and win the MVP. That should do it. Morneau went down late last year and at the worst possible time. He was on fire at the plate when he had the stress fracture in his back. Completely recovered and ready to get the Twins competing for a World Series. What’s to stop them from believing it can happen? Cuddyer filled in beautifully for Morneau as the cleanup hitter. Cuddyer will move back one spot and is expected to continue his offensive surge at the new ballpark. Kubel is living up to the promise of being the power hitter the Twins envisioned when they drafted him. He can still play the field at one of the corner outfield spots, but they will try to keep him fresh and away from injury so his bat can stay in the lineup. Young had a quiet season and that’s good considering his temper troubles in the past. A great talent that hasn’t lived up to potential yet, but he is in the perfect environment to let loose of that potential. Hardy was acquired from the Brewers in a trade for CF Carlos Gomez. Hardy will not be put in a spot where he will have to produce like he was in Milwaukee, but the Twins do expect big things out of him. Great range at short, but he was brought in to provide a boost offensively. Harris is a better hitter than Punto, but both will split time at third base. Harris has the ability to play second as well, but will see most of his time at third.

Bench

INF Nick Punto
.228 AVG 1 HR 38 RBI
INF Alexi Casilla
.202 AVG 0 HR 17 RBI
1B/DH Jim Thome*
.249 AVG 23 HR 77 RBI

Punto will see the most playing time off the bench. A good defender, but has always been an up and down hitter. He’s only hit above .280 twice in his career (’06 & ’08). Gardenhire is still a fan of Punto for his versatility and his no nonsense style on the field. Casilla will provide more depth in case of injury and can be a great pinch runner (20 SB combined AAA & majors) for the Twins. However, isn’t considered a full time starter because of his bat which is why the Twins acquired Hardy instead of starting Casilla. Thome will be strictly used as a DH/pinch hitter. No longer can play first, but the future Hall of Famer has a lot of home runs to his resume (564). The Twins aren’t really taking a gamble bringing him in since they are so deep in the lineup, but when they give Kubel a day off, they won’t be missing that much punch in the order.

Rotation

Scott Baker
15-9 4.37 ERA
Nick Blackburn
11-11 4.03 ERA
Carl Pavano
14-12 5.10 ERA
Kevin Slowey
10-3 4.86 ERA
Francisco Liriano
5-13 5.80 ERA

Setup

Matt Guerrier
5-1 2.36 ERA

Closer

Jon Rauch
7-3 3.60 ERA

This is the only weak link to the success of 2010 Minnesota Twins. They are very thankful that they play in the weather conditions now because it would be a launching pad for opposing hitter back at the Metrodome with this staff. Baker is a strikeout pitcher, but gets hammered way too much to be considered a top tier starter. Being the most experienced starter next to Carl Pavano, Baker is the default number one guy for the Twins. Blackburn was fantastic down the stretch (2-2 3.60 ERA in Sept/Oct) for the Twins even though his record doesn’t show it. Him and Slowey are the future 1-2 guys in the rotation and are getting great experience these last two years. Pavano was a brilliant addition in August for the Twins. Kept his ERA under 5.00 in Minnesota and was winning games for them (5-4 in 12 starts). He accepted arbitration from them in the offseason and the Twins gladly obliged in keeping the veteran presence for their staff. Lets see if Pavano can resurrect his career in Minnesota an entire year. Slowey is quick worker and doesn’t walk many batters (15 in 59 innings). Being slowed up by injury down the stretch hurt the Twins, but if Slowey can produce for an entire season like he did in 16 starts, the staff will be just fine. Liriano was dubbed the new Johan Santana when he arrived in ’06 until the dreaded elbow ligament replacement surgery (Tommy John) sidelined him for the entire ’07 season. More arm trouble sidelined him in ’08 and he never seemed to recover his confidence in ’09. The Twins are still taking a precautionary approach with him in the hopes being the fifth starter will lessen the burden on Liriano and his arm.
It was a definite strength having Joe Nathan as your closer. With him lost for all of the 2010 season puts a damper on expectations. Thankfully they do have a deep pen in which to try and replace Nathan in house. Otherwise they could make a deal for someone. Heath Bell is a name that will come up often this year in San Diego. Regardless, the Twins will go with what they have. Rauch will get the first opportunity to close. He has the most experience (26 career saves). A tall hard throwing righthander that doesn’t mess around on the mound and goes after hitters. Pat Neshek is another option, but the side winding righthander missed all of last season and it wouldn’t be fair to put him in as the closer right away. Jesse Crain could close some games, but with only 2 career saves he was better suited as a setup guy. Guerrier is the only other candidate to close after Rauch. Guerrier throws strikes and gets guy to chase bad pitches, but is not a strikeout guy. Closers typically like to go with the strikeout, but manager Ron Gardenhire knows what he’s doing. A great manager that will have tremendous pressure to win for the first time in his tenure at Minnesota.

White Sox Lineup

LF Juan Pierre*
.308 AVG 0 HR 31 RBI
2B Gordon Beckham
.270 AVG 14 HR 63 RBI
RF Carlos Quentin
.236 AVG 21 HR 56 RBI
1B Paul Konerko
.277 AVG 28 HR 88 RBI
CF Alex Rios
.247 AVG 17 HR 71 RBI
C A.J. Perzynski
.300 AVG 13 HR 49 RBI
DH Andruw Jones*
.214 AVG 17 HR 43 RBI
3B Mark Teahen*
.271 AVG 12 HR 50 RBI
SS Alexei Ramirez
.277 AVG 15 HR 68 RBI

Chicago is going with a veteran heavy lineup that is more reliable on the playing the basics than trying to hit it out of the ballpark every game. Pierre was acquired from the Dodgers to provide excellent base stealing and small ball for manager Ozzie Guillen. Not the greatest at taking walks, but Pierre is better than most in the leadoff spot at making contact and keeping the defense on their toes. Beckham had a great year. A solid defender who can play either second, short or third, but will settle in at second. His bat was exactly what the White Sox had expected and more. Look for Beckham to bet competing for batting titles in his career. Quentin and Konerko provide the power that Chicago has always had since Guillen has been manager. After having a breakout year in ’08 (.288 AVG 36 HR 100 RBI), Quentin struggled with injuries and just couldn’t seem to get into a rhythm at the plate. Chicago will need him to get back to his breakout form of ’08 this year to keep up with the Twins. Konerko is the consequent professional who will be finishing his career in Chicago. Not the greatest contact hitter, but with him in the middle of the order, the White Sox don’t have to worry about who is going to be the guy getting the big hit for them in a tight game. Problem is Konerko is 34 now and they have to start thinking of a replacement to play first base for them soon. Rios was acquired on waivers and his contract came with him. It was a gamble, but Rios is too talented to go into another slump like last year. His struggles at the plate didn’t affect his fielding, but he regressed when he arrived in Chicago. They hope he can get acclimated in spring training and put the ’09 season behind him. No one likes Pierzynski outside of the White Sox clubhouse. Chicago is the perfect town for a character like A.J. Plays the game hard and is always keeping his head up when playing defense and even offense. One of the few clutch hitting catchers in the game today. Jones somewhat resurrected his career in Texas last year, but his average was still awful. He will be splitting time with fellow veteran Mark Kotsay in the DH spot. Jones can still play the field, but not in an everyday aspect anymore. Teahen was a top prospect for the Royals, but could not get in a groove in Kansas City. A change of scenery should be helpful for him, but Chicago isn’t going to be holding their breathe. A solid defender, Teahen could also play first and either corner outfield spot for the White Sox. Ramirez plays good defense at short, but his bat is by far the most troublesome part of his game. Great potential, but he tries to swing hard and pull every pitch he sees, but is better suited to swing for the gaps. The power will come, but he is trying to be Alfonso Soriano when he should just be Alexei Ramirez.

Bench

INF/OF Mark Kotsay
.278 AVG 4 HR 23 RBI
INF Omar Vizquel*
.266 AVG 1 HR 14 RBI
INF Jayson Nix
.224 AVG 12 HR 32 RBI

Kotsay will split with Jones at the DH spot and play first base to give Konerko a day off. Injuries have prevented him from playing his original position of center field, but his bat has enough life to catch up to a major league fastball. Vizquel is a favorite of Ozzie Guillen. Great hands and glove still plus he can provide some depth for Guillen playing second and even third for his team. Nix has some pop in his bat, but is too inconsistent to be an everyday player. A super utility player at this point Nix is a average fielder who can fill in anywhere for Guillen’s defense.

Rotation

Jake Peavy
9-6 3.45 ERA
Mark Buehrle
13-10 3.84 ERA
Gavin Floyd
11-11 4.06 ERA
John Danks
13-11 3.77 ERA
Freddy Garcia
3-4 4.34 ERA

Setup

Matt Thornton
6-3 2.74 ERA

Closer

Bobby Jenks
29 SV 3.71 ERA

One thing that you will always see with the White Sox is great pitching. This year will be no different. Peavy in just three starts for Chicago last year went 3-0 with 1.35 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched. Imagine what that will translate to in a full season for them. There should be no trouble for Peavy pitching in a new league. Buehrle had a terrific bounce back year for the White Sox. A perfect game thrown and an ERA under 4.00 was a good sign for them heading into 2010. The workhorse of the staff will be counted on to pitch another 200+ innings for the 10th consecutive season. Floyd has tremendous stuff as does Danks. They are the future 1-2 punch for the rotation, but Ozzie wants to see more consistency out of them. Both can pile up a lot of strikeouts, but it’s in every other start. Floyd is hurler while Danks is more finesse. Having Peavy and Buehrle around will greatly help their development to eventually supplant them. Garcia is the darkhorse. If he can return to his former All-Star form or even half, it will greatly help the White Sox at the back end of the staff. Ozzie still believes that he has something left in the tank, but only Garcia can answer that for both of them. As long as he’s healthy, Garcia can still get batters out (37 K in 56 innings).
Ozzie has always loved his bullpen since being the manager in Chicago. Last year was the first time Ozzie truly hated his pen. Jenks struggled at certain stretches of the season. Injuries were prevalent from top to bottom. Ozzie had to constantly mix and match who would setup and be middle relief. This year should be more stable. Thornton was the only one Ozzie could count on every time. Striking out 87 batters in 70 appearances will put you on Ozzie’s good side. Thornton will be the primary setup to Jenks, but J.J. Putz who was hurt most of last year with the Mets will be added to the pen as a setup/closer in waiting should Jenks struggle. Jenks is a no nonsense closer who was getting hit almost every time on the mound. His splitter was flat most of the ’09 season and Ozzie was stuck because he had no one else to replace him outright. This year he does in Putz, but the move looks to only motivate Jenks to return to his old self and help the White Sox compete with the Twins and the AL Wild Card.

Tigers Lineup

CF Austin Jackson*
.300 AVG 4 HR 65 RBI (AAA stats)
LF Johnny Damon*
.282 AVG 24 HR 82 RBI
RF Magglio Ordonez
.310 AVG 9 HR 50 RBI
1B Miguel Cabrera
.324 AVG 34 HR 103 RBI
DH Carlos Guillen
.242 AVG 11 HR 41 RBI
3B Brandon Inge
.230 AVG 27 HR 84 RBI
2B Scott Sizemore
.308 AVG 8 HR 33 RBI (AAA stats)
C Gerald Laird
.225 AVG 4 HR 33 RBI
SS Adam Everett
.238 AVG 3 HR 44 RBI

It will be interesting to see how the top of the order takes shape this season in Detroit. Jackson was acquired from the Yankees for Curtis Granderson and Johnny Damon was signed just before spring training. Jackson is everything Granderson is except Granderson had more power and Jackson makes better contact. Jackson will be counted on to be the contact player in the leadoff spot and steal 30+ bases. Damon really wanted to stay in New York, but Detroit was still in contact with him when it was apparent the Yankees didn’t want Damon anymore. Damon rewarded them with his service and what Detroit hopes is a postseason berth. Damon is not the basestealer he used to be, but can still hit for average. Don’t expect the same kind of power numbers from him though. That was all Yankee Stadium there (17 were hit at Yankee Stadium). Comerica Park is a pitchers haven. Ordonez was in some kind of funk last year. There is no doubt he can still hit by looking at his average, but what happened to the home runs and RBIs? If Detroit wants to compete this year they will need a better year from Ordonez. He was an integral part of their success in ’06 getting to the World Series, but they can’t have another ’09 season in Detroit from Magglio. Cabrera has not disappointed on the field with his consistent production, but he was off the field with his alcohol problems. He says he’s clean and got the help he needed and it bodes well for the Tigers this year. If Cabrera is right, there is no telling how much higher his numbers will go for the foreseeable future in Detroit. Guillen no longer has a position, but his bat will keep him in the lineup. Ideally they would like to move Guillen down a spot or two in the lineup, but the Tigers will either need to make a trade or hope Guillen can produce as the protection for Cabrera. Inge got off to a great start, but fizzled when the All-Star break came. The Tigers would love to see Inge bat over .250 and still hit 25+ HR this year. He’s only done that once and that was in the ’06 season (.253 AVG 27 HR). Sizemore was ready to show what he could do judging by his stats in AAA Toledo last year. That is why the Tigers let Placido Polanco go in free agency to the Phillies. Had Damon not been signed Sizemore probably would be batting second for manager Jim Leyland this season. With that aside Sizemore doesn’t have as much pressure to produce had he been higher in the order. Laird and Everett are here more for their defense than their bats. Laird can hit, but is strong suit is handling the pitching staff. Everett makes decent contact, but has never hit higher than .273 in a full season. Great range for the Tigers at shortstop though and is never one to complain about his hitting struggles.

Bench

INF Ramon Santiago
.267 AVG 7 HR 35 RBI
INF/OF Ryan Raburn
.291 AVG 16 HR 45 RBI
C Alex Avila
.279 AVG 5 HR 14 RBI

Leyland has great depth for his infield and outfield. Santiago can be plugged in anywhere except first on the infield. Great range and hands, but his real importance is his bat. Santiago is great in bunting situations and playing small ball. Leyland loves it since his days managing in the National League. Raburn is the same way. The super utility guy that can play anywhere and can hit as well. Leyland loves Raburn’s ability and his attitude. Ready to play knowing that he won’t always be in the lineup. Avila is the catcher in waiting for the Tigers. His bat looks to be ready, but he will need to work on his fundamentals behind the plate as Leyland expects that from all his catchers.

Rotation

Justin Verlander
19-9 3.45 ERA
Rick Porcello
14-9 3.96 ERA
Max Scherzer*
9-11 4.12 ERA
Jeremy Bonderman
0-1 8.71 ERA
Dontrelle Willis
1-4 7.49 ERA

Setup

Joel Zumaya
3-3 4.94 ERA

Closer

Jose Valverde*
25 SV 2.33 ERA

This is probably the hardest throwing pitching staff in baseball. Aside from Willis, everyone else throws in the mid 90s. Verlander is going to be competing for Cy Young awards the rest of his career. Greinke was getting a lot of attention and rightfully so in Kansas City. Verlander was quietly striking out 269 batters and pitching 240 innings. Another year like that and he will get more consideration. Porcello had a good year even though he gave up more hits than innings pithced (176 to 170 2/3). However he should great presence on the mound which is key for young pitchers coming into the big leagues. Look for 10-15 wins out of Porcello in 2010. Scherzer was in the Granderson deal coming from Arizona. A powerful arm, Scherzer is capable of 200+ strikeouts, but is prone to big innings. The Tigers will work on his mechanics a bit, but there is great potential in having Verlander and Scherzer being the 1-2 combo for many years to come. Bonderman has battled through injuries almost all of his career, but he can still throw in the mid 90s and has a devastating slider when healthy. With the acquisition of Scherzer that will help Bonderman with less expectations to help now being the fourth starter. Willis has been a mystery since being acquired with Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins. Nothing seemed to be going right and Willis was actually regressing when it came to pitching. Command will be the key with him. If he can’t keep the fifth spot the Tigers have Armando Galarraga (6-10) to take over, but the Tigers would like to have that all important lefthander in the rotation.
Zumaya since his call up in the ’06 season has struggled to stay healthy. Throwing as hard as he does puts a strain on his arm. Detroit has to be careful to bring him along slowly and not overwork him. With Valverde they have a proven closer, but Zumaya will eventually be in that spot, but he must be able to stay healthy to get it. Valverde wants to be in a pennant race and will get his chance with Detroit. They play in a winnable division and might compete for the AL Wild Card as well. Valverde could save 40+ games for the Tigers if they are in close games and are winning them too. Jim Leyland has his work cut out for him this year in what could be his final run in Motown.

Indians Lineup

SS Asdrubal Cabrera
.308 AVG 6 HR 68 RBI
CF Grady Sizemore
.248 AVG 18 HR 64 RBI
RF Shin-Soo Choo
.300 AVG 20 HR 86 RBI
DH Travis Hafner
.272 AVG 16 HR 49 RBI
1B Russell Branyan*
.251 AVG 31 HR 76 RBI
3B Jhonny Peralta
.254 AVG 11 HR 83 RBI
LF Matt LaPorta
.254 AVG 7 HR 21 RBI
2B Luis Valbuena
.250 AVG 10 HR 31 RBI
C Lou Marson
.246 AVG 0 HR 4 RBI

The Indians are not shying away from the fact that they’re in full rebuild mode now. New manager Manny Acta is looking to get a hold on this rebuilding team better than in Washington. He has some good pieces, but will GM Mark Shapiro continue to sell off those players to save money? Cabrera is not an ideal leadoff hitter, but he makes contact and can steal some bases. He’s a natural at shortstop with great range and a strong arm. Sizemore is being dropped one spot in the order to account for the lack of hitters the Indians have. Injured for most of the ’09 season he will be looking to get back to his All-Star form. He should be good for his normal production of 25+ HR and 100+ RBI in 2010. Choo had a great season. He made it look so easy in Cleveland last year being their best hitter. A gap hitter (38 doubles) who has the potential to get 30 HR and steal 30 bases also. If Hafner is healthy he can hit with the best of them. Shoulder problems have shortened his last two seasons, but he is healthy this year. Will he ever return to the form of ’04-’06 when he was considered the best DH in the game? Branyan was signed to provide protection in the lineup behind Choo and Hafner. If Hafner should get hurt Branyan would be the primary DH. He lead the Mariners in HR, but suffered a back injury to end the ’09 season. Cleveland knew of it when they signed him and hope it won’t be an issue entering the 2010 season. Peralta is a gifted hitter, but he can never get it all together. He hasn’t been able to come close to his breakout ’05 season in which he batted .292 hit 24 HR and drove in 78 runs. A perfect blend. Peralta is the full time third baseman now and that should help knowing his defense won’t affect his play at the plate. LaPorta was the main piece acquired from Milwaukee for C.C. Sabathia in ’08. If Branyan is going on the DL LaPorta will play at first, but can play left if needed. Cleveland would love to see him break in with his bat like Ryan Braun did for the Brewers when he got his chance. Valbuena has some pop, but is better known for his defense and that will help with the Indians with their 18th ranked fielding unit. Marson is a defensive wizard behind the plate, but some in the organization don’t see him being the everyday catcher. Prospect Carlos Santana will get his chance this year and his bat seems ready (.290 AVG 23 HR 97 RBI at AA Akron).

Bench

3B Andy Marte
.232 AVG 6 HR 25 RBI
OF Austin Kearns*
.195 AVG 3 HR 17 RBI
C Mike Redmond*
.237 AVG 0 HR 7 RBI

Manny Acta will have some good options and the important part is that they are veterans. Marte is the primary backup at third and first. His bat was always thought to be the next big thing, but he has never put it together to be a full time starter. Kearns is looking to get back into a rotation and this will be his best chance. He can get time at DH and the corner outfield spots. He must improve upon his career batting average though (.256). Redmond is the veteran presence who will help defensively and mentor the young catchers Marson and Santana.

Rotation

Jake Westbrook
1-2 3.12 ERA (2008 stats)
Fausto Carmona
5-12 6.32 ERA
Justin Masterson
4-10 4.52 ERA
Mitch Talbot*
0-0 11.17 ERA (2008 stats)
David Huff
11-8 5.61 ERA

Setup

Rafael Perez
4-3 7.31 ERA

Closer

Chris Perez
1-2 4.26 ERA

Who will be the one to step up for Cleveland when there isn’t any high expectations this year? Westbrook missed all of the ’09 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Strictly a sinker ball pitcher it will be a great thing if he returns to form as the ace of Cleveland’s staff. Carmona has fallen off the map in Cleveland’s rotation. After having a 19 win ’07 season he has 13 wins combined the last two seasons. The Indians aren’t expecting a lot, but they would like to see Carmona find the strike zone when he’s pitching. Masterson was acquired from Boston in the Victor Martinez trade at the deadline last year. Good mechanics, but he was brought up in the bullpen in Boston. Will his stuff translate to the starting staff? Talbot is a mystery as he’s bounced around and is getting a chance on a thin staff in need of help, any if necessary. Huff was the most consistent starter and now he is the fifth starter. Not a good sign if your an Indians fan going into 2010.
Kerry Wood will miss at least the first two months of the season which doesn’t bode well for a bullpen in need of stability at the back end. Rafael and Chris Perez (no relation) will be the ones to hopefully hold down the fort until Wood’s return. Rafael is the hard throwing lefty most teams covet. He broke onto the scene in ’07, but hitters started to get to him in ’08 and couldn’t get them out in ’09. Chris was acquired for Mark DeRosa before the deadline from the Cardinals. Chris is a hard throwing righty who doesn’t have the experience, but does have the stuff to handle it for a while. Manny Acta will struggle in his first year with Cleveland, but it will be up to the organization to keep things intact leading into his second and maybe his third year with them.

Royals Lineup

LF Scott Podsednik*
.304 AVG 7 HR 48 RBI
RF David DeJesus
.281 AVG 13 HR 71 RBI
2B Alberto Callaspo
.300 AVG 11 HR 73 RBI
1B Billy Butler
.301 AVG 21 HR 93 RBI
DH Jose Guillen
.242 AVG 9 HR 40 RBI
3B Alex Gordon
.232 AVG 6 HR 22 RBI
CF Rick Ankiel*
.231 AVG 11 HR 38 RBI
C Jason Kendall*
.241 AVG 2 HR 43 RBI
SS Yuniesky Betancourt
.245 AVG 6 HR 49 RBI

A lot of new faces for this team and it includes injured players as well. Podsednik brings instant speed to the top of the order. He got back on track with the White Sox last year and will bring a stable force to get some runs for the Royals who will need all they can get. DeJesus is their most consistent hitter. A better fit at the second slot he will be the table setter for their big bats. Callaspo will find his way into the lineup either at second or third. The lone bright spot along with Billy Butler for Kansas City last year, Callaspo will be counted on to provide constant hits and be a dependable weapon for manager Trey Hillman. Butler had arrived last year as a proven big league hitter. He has the potential to have a .320 AVG 30 HR 100 RBI season if the Royals are healthy and can get more runners on base in front of him. Guillen was absent for most of last year and has lost a few steps to play the outfield. His bat is still formidable, but he can’t be counted on to provide for this team that is starting to get younger rather than count on veterans at key positions. Gordon is still struggling to get into the groove in the majors. Injuries have set him back some, but this is a big year for him to prove his worth as a former number one pick. Ankiel after having a breakout year in ’08 for the Cardinals had a major setback last season. He is running out of options and this will be his last chance to really settle in as a big league hitter. Where else is gonna go if he can’t make it with the Royals? This will be Kendall’s fourth stop as the catching mentor for a young pitching staff. No power, but is a crafty hitter that will take off when he’s on his game. Betancourt is a fantastic defensive shortstop, but has shown no signs of coming around at the plate. If they have to, they can put Callaspo at short, but that isn’t he strong suit defensively.

Bench

INF/OF Willie Bloomquist
.265 AVG 4 HR 29 RBI
C Brayan Pena
.273 AVG 6 HR 18 RBI
2B Chris Getz*
.261 AVG 2 HR 31 RBI

Bloomquist isn’t the best hitter, but in spurts can get the job done. A great utility player that a lot of contenders covet. He can split time with Betancourt at short and play the hot corner should Gordon fail. Pena is the future catcher. His bat is ready, but Kendall was brought in to man the defensive game and mentor Pena into that role. Getz was acquired for Mark Teahen from the White Sox. Getz is a contact guy that plays a good second base. Callaspo will move around the infield at times and that’s when Getz will get playing time, but only against right handed pitchers.

Rotation

Zack Greinke
16-8 2.16 ERA
Gil Meche
6-10 5.09 ERA
Brian Bannister
7-12 4.73 ERA
Luke Hochevar
7-13 6.55 ERA
Kyle Davies
8-9 5.27 ERA

Setup

Robinson Tejeda
4-2 3.54 ERA

Closer

Joakim Soria
30 SV 2.21 ERA

It starts with Greinke and it ends with Soria. Perhaps the best ace/closer combo no one has heard of. They should now thanks to Greinke winning the AL Cy Young last year. If Greinke played on any other team he would have won 23 games at least. That’s how good he has become in such a short time which will make the 2010 season all the more interesting to see for the Royals pitching staff. Meche was a great acquisition for them even though they did overpay to get him. He’s always had nagging injuries that keep him out for a couple of starts, but if the Royals want to finish above fifth place they will need Meche to stay healthy. Bannister was a great find in ’07, but the last two have shown why he wasn’t as sought after as some thought. A 3.87 ERA that skyrocketed to 5.76 and 4.73 the last two seasons respectively. They need the steady Bannister to hold them together in the middle. Hochevar has started to come into his own in Kansas City, but the problem is he plays in Kansas City. The Royals haven’t given him enough run support in his starts, but he also hasn’t done his part in keeping them in games. A former first round pick in Hochevar that needs to get it together in a hurry. Davies was a favorite of GM Dayton Moore from his days in Atlanta. Davies has okay stuff, but would probably be better served in the bullpen. However a lack of depth has him being the fifth starter.
Tejeda was a starter when he was brought up in the Phillies system. It never panned out, but he showed excellent command being in the bullpen for the Royals. He throws strikes and has decent speed on his fastball. There isn’t a lot of depth to go in front of the closer, but the Royals have plenty of young arms ready to fill in during the season. Soria has saved 89 games for the Royals in his three seasons in Kansas City. It’s amazing that the Royals have held on to him for as long as they have. Doesn’t have an overpowering fastball, but his out pitch is a devastating splitter. The Royals strength is in Greinke, Soria and Butler. If those three continue to perform up to par, they will be in good shape for the next manager and management to take over in Kansas City.