* – indicates new to team
AVG – Batting Average
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves
1. Boston Red Sox
After winning the award for best offseason, Boston now looks for the one in October.
2. New York Yankees
Their lineup still commands respect as well as their pen, but the starting pitching remains a weakness.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
They need breakout years from others not named Bautista.
4. Baltimore Orioles
Will having Buck Showalter for a full season result in a winning record?
5. Tampa Bay Rays
The offseason upheaval has left the Rays to lean on Longoria even more.
Player to Watch: P Jonathan Papelbon Boston Red Sox
You could argue that he is the most successful closer the Red Sox have had. He’s saved at least 35 games since 2006. He was nearly unhittable in their championship season of 2007. But after blowing a save in game 3 of the 2009 divisional series against the Angels, he has hit a snag. Last year his ERA rose two runs from the previous season (1.85 – 3.90). There was talk of trading Papelbon in the offseason since he was heading into a contract year. There weren’t any better options so the Red Sox are giving him another shot. They did sign Bobby Jenks who has experience and a ring with the Chicago White Sox as their closer. Should Papelbon struggle again they will not hesitate to give Jenks a chance. Papelbon is a competitor at the highest level. It remains to be seen that he won’t have a bounce back season, but there are higher expectations this season with the moves they made to shore up the lineup. The time is now for Papelbon to regain his once dominant form.
Best Acquisitions: LF Carl Crawford & 1B Adrian Gonzalez Boston Red Sox
Boston acquired the patient power hitter Gonzalez from San Diego and less than a week later they sign the speedy Crawford at the winter meetings. On paper it makes the Red Sox the favorites to win the AL East. They took away Tampa Bay’s best player in Crawford and they solidified the middle of their lineup with Gonzalez. Another reason to like these moves is that both players stay relatively healthy. Crawford has had only one injury plagued season. Gonzalez has played in at least 160 games the last four seasons. If the rest of Boston’s lineup can return to health, Crawford and Gonzalez will greatly improve Boston’s chances of returning to the postseason.
New Kid on the Block: P Jeremy Hellickson Tampa Bay Rays
He like former first round pick David Price are highly touted prospects who will be mainstays in the Rays rotation. Hellickson was auditioning in the bullpen in September, but there’s no question he is going to be a starter. Being the Rays fifth starter this year puts him in a perfect position to succeed. Tampa Bay decided to trade away their most consistent starter Matt Garza to the Cubs to give Hellickson his opportunity to start. The Rays believe he is ready. They know they won’t get the kind of results they received from Price, but they eventually invision a Price – Hellickson combination at the top of their rotation for a long time.
Red Sox Lineup
1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury
.192 AVG 0 HR 5 RBI
2. 2B Dustin Pedroia
.288 AVG 12 HR 41 RBI
3. LF Carl Crawford*
.307 AVG 19 HR 90 RBI
4. 1B Adrian Gonzalez*
.298 AVG 31 HR 101 RBI
5. 3B Kevin Youkilis
.307 AVG 19 HR 62 RBI
6. DH David Ortiz
.270 AVG 32 HR 102 RBI
7. RF J.D. Drew
.255 AVG 22 HR 68 RBI
8. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
.167 AVG 0 HR 2 RBI
9. SS Marco Scutaro
.275 AVG 11 HR 56 RBI
Health is an important part of every team. It’s especially true for Boston. Ellsbury, Pedroia and Youkilis all missed significant time last season. With Crawford aboard, Ellsbury should have less pressure to succeed this year, but he will have to return to form as one of the best leadoff hitters. Pedroia wasn’t on his way to a MVP season, but he was certainly going to help them compete for a playoff spot. When he’s right, Pedroia is one of the best hitters in the game. Crawford can play anywhere in the lineup and still produce at an All-Star level. What remains to be seen is if his power numbers will grow playing full time in Fenway. Gonzalez is sure to produce monstrous numbers playing at Fenway for half his games. Playing all those years in Petco Park he was still able to hit at least 30 HR and drive in over 100 runs. Youkilis is probably the most patient hitter in the game. He will be the third baseman full time now that Gonzalez is aboard. Youkilis actually prefers playing third, but he is an above average defender. Ortiz was off to another rough start last year, but did end up having a productive year. How many he will be able to have is the question. Drew can still hit and playing in a short field in Fenway will help hide his defensive lapses, but the Red Sox only care that he still produces at the major league level. Saltalamacchia is a better hitter now than Varitek, but Boston figures to play Varitek late in games as a defensive replacement. Scutaro was exactly what the Red Sox expected from him when they signed him. The weren’t expecting him to be the full time starter at shortstop, but he should get the majority of the playing time with Lowrie recovering from injury.
Bench
OF Mike Cameron
.259 AVG 4 HR 15 RBI
C Jason Varitek
.232 AVG 7 HR 16 RBI
INF Jed Lowrie
.287 AVG 9 HR 24 RBI
Cameron is still an elite center fielder, but his bat speed took a step back last year. Injuries are apart of the game, but it was a bit surprising seeing Cameron miss significant time. Varitek will still see playing time, but more as a defensive replacement. Lowrie is a good hitter, but injuries have slowed his progress to becoming a full time starter. He should see plenty of time with Scutaro’s age and Pedroia coming off an injury plagued season.
Rotation
1. Jon Lester
19-9 3.25 ERA
2. John Lackey
14-11 4.40 ERA
3. Clay Buchholz
17-7 2.33 ERA
4. Josh Beckett
6-6 5.78 ERA
5. Daisuke Matsuzaka
9-6 4.69 ERA
Besides the injury woes of the Red Sox lineup, there was also a lack of production from some key members of the pitching staff. Lester wasn’t one of them. He is now the bona fide ace going forward after another stellar season. Lackey struggled in his first season in Boston. He is a good pitcher who should make the proper adjustments and get back to his winning ways. Buchholz is getting closer to the point where Lester is. The Red Sox were pleased to see Buchholz play to his potential which should help motivate Beckett and Matsuzaka bounce back. Beckett should be better and has to be for Boston to be successful. Matsuzaka hasn’t lived up to the money the Red Sox invested in him. There was talk of seeing if they could trade him in the offseason, but that quickly was quashed by the Boston front office. The Red Sox championship aspirations rest with the starters.
Setup
Bobby Jenks*
1-3 4.44 ERA
Closer
Jonathan Papelbon
37 SV 3.90 ERA
The Red Sox bullpen was still good, but definitely could’ve been better. Papelbon needs to be better and lower his ERA by at least a run. Jenks is Boston’s insurance policy in case Papelbon’s struggles don’t go away when the season starts or should he be injured. Boston also has Daniel Bard, who might be given an opportunity to close from time to time. The Red Sox starters have more pressure on them to succeed, but Papelbon is on a short leash.
Yankees Lineup
1. SS Derek Jeter
.270 AVG 10 HR 67 RBI
2. RF Nick Swisher
.288 AVG 29 HR 89 RBI
3. 1B Mark Teixeira
.256 AVG 33 HR 108 RBI
4. 3B Alex Rodriguez
.270 AVG 30 HR 125 RBI
5. 2B Robinson Cano
.319 AVG 29 HR 109 RBI
6. DH Jorge Posada
.248 AVG 18 HR 57 RBI
7. CF Curtis Granderson
.247 AVG 24 HR 67 RBI
8. C Russell Martin*
.248 AVG 5 HR 26 RBI
9. LF Brett Gardner
.277 AVG 5 HR 47 RBI
After an offseason to forget, Jeter would like to prove all his doubters wrong. He will be the newest member of the 3,000 hit club this year, but the Yankees would like to win a championship too. Swisher had a career year playing in New York last season. He’s always been a patient hitter, but he took that to another level last year. Expect more of the same from Swisher. Teixeira still hit at least 30 HR and drove in 100 runs, but his batting average was a career worst last year. The Yankees would like to see their 160 million dollar first baseman get his average up around the .280 mark this year. A-Rod was struggling with injuries last year, but going into this year he is injury free and that is a scary thought. If he is at or near his MVP level the Yankees will be tough to keep quiet. Cano was being talked about as the MVP of the American League last year. The Yankees weren’t lying when they said he was going to be their best hitter when he arrived in the major leagues. Going forward he easily could break all of Jeter’s records if he stays in New York. Posada will see some time as the starting catcher this year, but most of his playing time will be as the DH. His bat is what’s keeping him around in New York. Granderson had an okay first season in New York. He is a tough competitor and knows he can do better. Martin should be a stable force on the defensive side. He won’t be asked to do a lot as a hitter, but he does a good job handling a pitching staff. Gardner by seasons end should be the leadoff hitter. His speed is too valuable to have at the bottom of the lineup.
Bench
OF/DH Andruw Jones
.230 AVG 19 HR 48 RBI
C Francisco Cervelli
.271 AVG 0 HR 38 RBI
INF Eric Chavez*
.234 AVG 1 HR 10 RBI
Jones can still produce decent power numbers at this stage in his career. He probably won’t see much time in center field, but as the DH and the occasional start in left or right is doable. Cervelli is a good hitter, but doesn’t offer much in the power department. His defense was overlooked. Chavez is looking to make a comeback from a multitude of injuries during his career in Oakland. The former All-Star third baseman should see plenty of time as a pinch hitter and giving Rodriguez and Teixeira a day off.
Rotation
1. C.C. Sabathia
21-7 3.18 ERA
2. Phil Hughes
18-8 4.19 ERA
3. A.J. Burnett
10-15 5.26 ERA
4. Ivan Nova
12-3 2.86 ERA (AAA stats)
5. Freddy Garcia*
12-6 4.64 ERA
Sabathia and Hughes were the lone bright spots last year. As was Andy Pettitte, but he decided to retire in the offseason. New York hopes they won’t have to try and convince him to change his mind if Burnett has another disastrous season. Sabathia is earning his 180 million dollars since signing with the Yankees. His first season resulted in a championship and his second was competing for a Cy Young award. His third figures to be similar. Hughes had an All-Star season for the Yankees. It won’t be his last, but New York isn’t sure he can handle the same workload year in and year out. Burnett has to regain his 2009 form. For some reason his mechanics were off all year long and when he tried to change, they got worse. He is better than his 2010 season showed. Nova is another potential number two starter for the Yankees. He won’t see a big workload this year, but don’t be surprised if he puts up numbers similar to Phil Hughes very soon. Garcia won the fifth spot in spring training. He has recovered nicely from shoulder problems a few years ago. He is an innings eater and competes every fifth day. Former AL Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon will also see some time as a starter too if someone should be hurt or if Burnett struggles again.
Setup
Rafael Soriano*
3-2 1.73 ERA
Closer
Mariano Rivera
33 SV 1.80 ERA
The Yankees didn’t want to sign Soriano, but they figured it couldn’t hurt having a replacement ready in case the unthinkable happens and Rivera gets hurt. Rivera will retire at some point. Soriano is signed to a three year deal which in at least one of those years he will be the closer. Until then he and Rivera form the best 8th and 9th inning duos in baseball. New York might have some issues with some of the starting spots, but if the bats continue to produce they will be able to win games with these two at the end of the game.
Blue Jays Lineup
1. CF Rajai Davis*
.284 AVG 5 HR 52 RBI
2. SS Yunel Escobar
.256 AVG 4 HR 35 RBI
3. RF Jose Bautista
.260 AVG 54 HR 124 RBI
4. 1B Adam Lind
.237 AVG 23 HR 72 RBI
5. 2B Aaron Hill
.205 AVG 26 HR 68 RBI
6. LF Travis Snider
.255 AVG 14 HR 32 RBI
7. 3B Edwin Encarnacion
.244 AVG 21 HR 51 RBI
8. DH Juan Rivera*
.252 AVG 15 HR 52 RBI
9. C J.P. Arencibia
.301 AVG 32 HR 85 RBI (AAA stats)
The Blue Jays were missing one piece to their lineup last year and that was a leadoff hitter. Toronto now has a legitimate leadoff hitter in Davis to set up the rest of their power hitting lineup. He can steal, field and is turning into a good hitter. Escobar fell out of favor in Atlanta last and was dealt at the trade deadline to Toronto. He took off, hitting all his home runs with the Blue Jays and was a stellar defender. In a full season he should put up good numbers in a good hitting lineup. Bautista’s power numbers are probably a one year phenomenon. He has become a great hitter with Toronto and that is a testament to his work ethic throughout his career. If Lind can bounce back after a subpar 2010 campaign, the middle of the Blue Jays order will be formidable with the likes of Boston and New York. Along with Lind, Hill needs to return to his All-Star form. His batting average was a career low and Toronto thinks that it is only a one year wonder. Snider is starting to capitalize on his potential. He will be a full time starter this year with the departure of Vernon Wells to the Angels. Encarnacion has always been a good hitter, but he has struggled to stay healthy since breaking into the big leagues. He will likely see a good portion of his playing time at DH to keep his bat in the lineup. Rivera is a good hitter, but his fielding is suspect. Toronto will be a good place for him to be a pinch hitter and play at DH too. Arencibia had one of the best major league debuts in the history of the game last year. After that, he fell back to earth. Toronto still believes that he can be their catcher of the future and will be better disciplined at the plate. His minor league numbers show that he can.
Bench
INF John McDonald
.250 AVG 6 HR 23 RBI
C Jose Molina
.246 AVG 6 HR 12 RBI
OF Scott Podsednik*
.297 AVG 6 HR 51 RBI
McDonald is a super utility defender for Toronto’s infield. He hasn’t always been the best hitter, but when there are injuries he can fill in for extended periods. Molina is a sound defensive catcher and will be a good tutor to Arencibia. Molina’s work with the pitching has gone unnoticed in some circles, but most know how important he is to a ball club. Podsednik should see playing time if Snider and/or Rivera struggle. He can steal many bases and is pretty good at tracking down fly balls.
Rotation
1. Ricky Romero
14-9 3.73 ERA
2. Brandon Morrow
10-7 4.49 ERA
3. Brett Cecil
15-7 4.22 ERA
4. Kyle Drabek
14-9 2.94 ERA (AA stats)
5. Jo-Jo Reyes
2-6 4.99 ERA (AA and AAA stats)
If there was a bona fide ace, the Blue Jays starting pitching might be good enough to compete with Boston and New York for the division title. Romero is slowly becoming that ace with his consistent performance. The hard throwing lefthander is among the most durable pitcher Toronto has and doesn’t go on many long losing streaks. Morrow nearly had a no-hitter last year. He has the best stuff on the staff, but he has trouble staying healthy. Cecil had a good year, but Toronto would like to see him be more consistent. Cecil can be a top of the rotation pitcher, but has to improve his ERA. Drabek is getting his chance to prove his worth this season. He was the major piece acquired from Philadelphia for Roy Halladay. His numbers have been fantastic in the minors, but what remains to be seen is if he should still be there another year. Toronto is probably doing the right thing, but waiting one more year might give Toronto a better return on their investment. Reyes has had good numbers in the minor leagues with Atlanta, but he hasn’t turned that into progress at the major league level.
Setup
Jason Frasor
3-4 3.68 ERA
Closer
Jon Rauch*
21 SV 3.12 ERA
Toronto’s bullpen took a hit when Kevin Gregg left as a free agent to Baltimore. To solve that problem they acquired three closers, who along with Frasor will be competing for the position. Rauch is the default closer because Frank Francisco and Octavio Dotel will be placed on the 15 day DL to start the season. Rauch had a good year closing in Minnesota for the injured Joe Nathan, but he is better suited as the setup man. Frasor can close, but was to inconsistent to hold down the job. Toronto does have a deep bullpen when Francisco and Dotel are healthy, but who will be the full time closer remains to be seen.
Orioles Lineup
1. 2B Brian Roberts
.283 AVG 4 HR 15 RBI
2. RF Nick Markakis
.297 AVG 12 HR 60 RBI
3. 1B Derrek Lee*
.260 AVG 19 HR 80 RBI
4. DH Vladimir Guerrero*
.300 AVG 29 HR 115 RBI
5. LF Luke Scott
.284 AVG 27 HR 72 RBI
6. 3B Mark Reynolds*
.198 AVG 32 HR 85 RBI
7. CF Adam Jones
.284 AVG 19 HR 69 RBI
8. C Matt Wieters
.249 AVG 11 HR 55 RBI
9. SS J.J. Hardy*
.268 AVG 6 HR 38 RBI
Baltimore made some moves to improve their lineup, but those moves have to coincide with their core for the future. Roberts has to be apart of the lineup the entire year in order for the Orioles to be competitive. He does so much for them. Most of it doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. Markakis has the makings to be an All-Star during his career. For him last year was a down year, but he still managed to produce with hardly any protection around him. That won’t be a problem this year with Lee and Guerrero behind him. Lee is a gold glove first baseman and still can drive in runs. He won’t be able to consistently put up All-Star numbers, but his defense will greatly help the pitching staff. Guerrero proved last year that he can still produce. He did slow down after the All-Star break, but if the Orioles can get similar numbers from him this year, they will be pleased. Scott was their best power hitter last year. He will see more playing time in the field this year. He’s not the best fielder, but with the short field at Camden Yards it won’t be a problem. Reynolds figures to be apart of the Orioles future. His strikeout totals are a concern, but his power numbers override that problem. Jones has to do better. He is a gold glove caliber center fielder, but his bat is what made him an All-Star. Wieters was asked a lot of last year, but this year he will be given time to develop at the plate. He did show his skills behind the plate with his ability to handle a young pitching staff. Hardy is a major defensive upgrade at shortstop. He isn’t expected to make noise with his bat, but he is capable of 20+ HR.
Bench
OF Nolan Reimold
.207 AVG 3 HR 14 RBI
OF Felix Pie
.274 AVG 5 HR 31 RBI
INF Cesar Izturis
.230 AVG 1 HR 28 RBI
Reimold is better than his 2010 season. He was given time to refine his approach in the minors, but this is an important year for him if he is to find a spot going forward. Pie was slated to be a starter, but with the arrival of Guerrero that put Scott in the outfield. Pie is a speedster who has decent pop. He will still see plenty of playing time throughout the year. Izturis is still a good defender, but his bat has dropped off quite a bit. What remains is whether he will see more time at second base this time around.
Rotation
1. Jeremy Guthrie
11-14 3.83 ERA
2. Brian Matusz
10-12 4.30 ERA
3. Jake Arrieta
6-6 4.66 ERA
4. Brad Bergesen
8-12 4.98 ERA
5. Justin Duchscherer*
2-1 2.89 ERA
Guthrie was the default number one last year and is again this year. He responded well with the responsibility last year. This should be the same as the Orioles are bringing along a couple of youngsters to eventually take the top spots. Matusz is one of those youngsters. He has great stuff and is potentially an ace in the making for the Orioles. Arrieta had a good tryout period for Baltimore. The Orioles will give him a full time gig this year after his strong outing late last summer. Bergesen will be slated lower in the order this year. He was asked a lot of last year, but Baltimore still has high expectations for him going forward. Duchscherer has the potential to get 10-15 wins every season and finish with an ERA around 3.00. However, he hasn’t been healthy for a full season since 2006 and that was as a reliever for Oakland. Baltimore isn’t taking a huge risk, since he’s only signed on for one year. The Orioles figure if they can get at least three quarters of a season out of him they will be better for it keeping some of the youngsters in the minors a little longer.
Setup
Koji Uehara
1-2 2.86 ERA
Closer
Kevin Greeg*
37 SV 3.51 ERA
Baltimore had a problem right from the start last year in the ninth inning. Mike Gonzalez was a disaster and the Orioles made due with what they had. Uehara was good saving 13 games for Baltimore. He isn’t seen as the long term solution though. Alfredo Simon figured to get the job this year after saving 17 games last year, but with his legal troubles in his native country of the Dominican Republic, the Orioles had to make a move. They signed Gregg to take the closers role this year. He did a great job for Toronto last year and that is good enough for Baltimore. The Orioles have plenty of capable arms to setup Gregg, but the Orioles now have the comfort of a capable closer in the ninth inning.
Rays Lineup
1. 2B Ben Zobrist
.238 AVG 10 HR 75 RBI
2. LF Johnny Damon*
.271 AVG 8 HR 51 RBI
3. 3B Evan Longoria
.294 AVG 22 HR 104 RBI
4. DH Manny Ramirez*
.298 AVG 9 HR 42 RBI
5. RF Matt Joyce
.241 AVG 10 HR 40 RBI
6. CF B.J. Upton
.237 AVG 18 HR 62 RBI
7. 1B Dan Johnson
.198 AVG 7 HR 23 RBI
8. SS Reid Brignac
.256 AVG 8 HR 45 RBI
9. C John Jaso
.263 AVG 5 HR 44 RBI
There are some new faces, but Tampa Bay sure will miss the old ones. Zobrist will be given the chance to be the leadoff hitter. Newly signed outfielder Damon will get penciled in as the leadoff hitter too, but Zobrist should do better because of his bat. His .238 average isn’t the norm for this former All-Star. Damon isn’t as fast or as good a fielder anymore, but the Rays are encouraged by his plate discipline. That should give Longoria and Ramirez plenty of chances to drive in runs. Longoria is the face of the franchise now with the departure of Crawford. He is the real deal and is a gold glove defender at third base. Ramirez had the worst year of his career last season. Tampa Bay doesn’t expect him to produce All-Star like numbers, but a 20+ HR season would be nice. Joyce and Upton will be tasked with protecting Longoria and Ramirez. Joyce has big power potential, but injuries have slowed his progress during his major league career. Upton hasn’t been able to capitalize off his postseason performance of 2008. He has still managed to average at least 40 stolen bases in every one of those seasons, but his bat has been wildly inconsistent. Johnson is being tasked with the near impossible. Replace the bat of Carlos Pena. It shouldn’t be hard to do better than Pena’s average, but it will be nearly impossible to replace Pena’s HR and RBI totals. Brignac and Jaso are the newest full time starters to come from the Rays system. Brignac has long been touted for his defense, but his bat will have to come full circle. Jaso is a solid defender and his bat is slowly coming into form. He also has pretty good speed for a catcher.
Bench
OF Desmond Jennings
.278 AVG 3 HR 36 RBI (AAA stats)
INF/OF Sean Rodriguez
.251 AVG 9 HR 40 RBI
C Kelly Shoppach
.196 AVG 5 HR 17 RBI
Jennings is the eventual replacement for Carl Crawford. It probably won’t be this year though. He isn’t there yet with his bat, but his speed is ready for a major league tryout. Rodriguez has turned out to be a pretty good utility player since being acquired from the Angels. He was seen as a full time second baseman, but Tampa Bay tried him out at a few positions in the minors and it paid off. He will get plenty of at bats. Shoppach is being seen strictly as a defensive specialist. Jaso probably won’t play in over 130 games this year so Shoppach should still see plenty of starts.
Rotation
1. David Price
19-6 2.72 ERA
2. James Shields
13-15 5.18 ERA
3. Jeff Niemann
12-8 4.39 ERA
4. Wade Davis
12-10 4.07 ERA
5. Jeremy Hellickson
4-0 3.47 ERA
The lone bright spot for Tampa Bay is that they have a top of the line pitcher in Price. He was second in the AL Cy Young voting last year and might have won if not for the sluggish end to the season. You can easily pencil him in for those kinds of numbers the rest of his career. Shields has seen his ERA rise steadily throughout his career. He is a competitor and that helps him get through some rough outings, but Boston and New York are starting to pound him. Niemann has been fine tuning his craft for a while and he might have found it last year. The former top prospect for Tampa Bay might finally settle in to a top spot in the rotation. Davis was good last year. The Rays would like to see him pitch deeper into his starts, but the future is bright for him. Hellickson isn’t expected to produce Price like numbers his rookie year, but they would like to see some progress as he settles into the rotation.
Setup
Joel Peralta*
1-0 2.02 ERA
Closer
Kyle Farnsworth*
3-2 3.34 ERA
This is the one area where the Rays had the most upheaval. They lost 7 relievers, including their closer Rafael Soriano and their setup man Joaquin Benoit. The make shift bullpen signed Farnsworth and Peralta to help them have a legitimate back end to the pen. Peralta had a career year in Washington. That is the NL East is far different from the AL East. Farnsworth is another story. He hasn’t saved a game since 2008 and his career high was 16 in 2005 with Detroit and Atlanta. The Rays hope he can stay consistent so they don’t have to shake up what is a work in progress.
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