American League capsules
Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008
Listed in order of finish last year East
BOSTON RED SOX 2007 96-66, first place, World Series champions MANAGER Terry Francona (fifth season ) HE’S HERE 1 B Sean Casey, RHP Bartolo Colon, RHP David Aardsma HE’S OUTTA HERE 1 B-OF Eric Hinske, INF Royce Clayton PROJECTED LINEUP CF Jacoby Ellsbury (. 353, 3 HR, 18 RBI ), 2 B Dustin Pedroia (. 317, 8, 50 ), DH David Ortiz (. 332, 35, 117, 52 doubles ), LF Manny Ramirez (. 296, 20, 88 ), 3 B Mike Lowell (. 324, 21, 120 ), RF J. D. Drew (. 270, 11, 64 ), 1 B Kevin Youkilis (. 288, 16, 83 ), C Jason Varitek (. 255, 17, 68 ), SS Julio Lugo (. 237, 8, 73 ) ROTATION RH Josh Beckett (20-7, 3. 27 ERA ), RH Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-12, 4. 40 ), LH Jon Lester (4-0, 4. 57 ), RH Tim Wakefield (17-12, 4. 76 ), RH Clay Buchholz (3-1, 1. 59 ) or RH Bartolo Colon (6-8, 6. 34 with Los Angeles Angels ). RH Curt Schilling (9-8, 3. 87, starts season on 60-day disabled list ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Jonathan Papelbon (1-3, 1. 85 ERA, 37 / 40 saves ), LH Hideki Okajima (3-2, 2. 22 ), RH Mike Timlin (2-1, 3. 42 ), RH Manny Delcarmen (0-0, 2. 05 ), RH Julian Tavarez (7-11, 5. 15 ), RH Kyle Snyder (2-3, 3. 81 ), LH Javier Lopez (2-1, 3. 10 ), RH Bryan Corey (6-8, 3. 69 at Class AAA Pawtucket ) or RH David Aardsma (2-1, 6. 40 with Chicago White Sox ) BOTTOM LINE The World Series winners two of the past four seasons stood pat and have several key young players who gained experience. They bid for LHP Johan Santana but weren’t willing to part with some of those youngsters. Two of them, Lester and Ellsbury, made major contributions in the World Series. Lowell, the Series MVP, took less money than he could have made elsewhere to stay in Boston with a new three-year contract. Pedroia, a fiery competitor who toned down some of his personality as a rookie, is more vocal now and a spark plug in the dugout. Ramirez and Ortiz are back to supply the power in the middle of a tough lineup.
NEW YORK YANKEES 2007 94-68, second place, wild card MANAGER Joe Girardi (first season ) HE’S HERE RHP LaTroy Hawkins, 1 B-3 B Morgan Ensberg, LHP Billy Traber, RHP Jonathan Albaladejo, OF-1 B Jason Lane HE’S OUTTA HERE Manager Joe Torre, RHP Roger Clemens, RHP Luis Vizcaino, 1 B Doug Mientkiewicz, INF Andy Phillips, LHP Ron Villone, RHP Tyler Clippard PROJECTED LINEUP LF-DH Johnny Damon (. 270, 12 HR, 63 RBI, SS Derek Jeter (. 322, 12, 73, 102 runs, 18 errors ), RF Bobby Abreu (. 283, 16, 101, 123 runs, 40 doubles, 84 walks ), 3 B Alex Rodriguez (. 314, major league-best 54 HR, 156 and 143 runs, 95 walks,. 422 on-base percentage ), C Jorge Posada (. 338, 20, 90, 42 doubles,. 426 onbase percentage ), DHLF Hideki Matsui (. 285, 25, 103 ), 1 B-DH Jason Giambi (. 236, 14, 39 ) or Shelley Duncan (. 257, 7, 17 ) or Morgan Ensberg (. 230, 12, 39 with Houston and San Diego ), 2 B Robinson Cano (. 306, 19, 97, 41 doubles ), CF Melky Cabrera (. 273, 8, 73 ) ROTATION RH Chien-Ming Wang (19-7, 3. 70 ERA ), LH Andy Pettitte (15-9, 4. 05 ), RH Phil Hughes (5-3, 4. 46 ), RH Mike Mussina (11-10, 5. 15 ), RH Ian Kennedy (1-0, 1. 89 in 3 late-season starts ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Mariano Rivera (3-4, 3. 15 ERA, 30 / 34 saves ), RH Joba Chamberlain (2-0, 0. 38, 1 save ), RH Kyle Farnsworth (2-1, 4. 80 ), RH LaTroy Hawkins (2-5, 3. 42 with Colorado ), LH Billy Traber (2-2, 4. 76 with Washington ), RH Jeff Karstens (1-4, 11. 05 in 7 games ) BOTTOM LINE The $ 200 million Yankees are looking for their 27 th World Series title and first since 2000. They’ve pledged patience with those talented youngsters and lost their status as heavy favorites, but missing the playoffs would still be unacceptable. Senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner has assumed a much larger and more public role lately, and he has much of the same demanding bluster as his father, longtime owner George Steinbrenner. The top teams in the rugged American League keep getting better, though, and a trip to the postseason is no longer a sure thing. New York has earned 13 consecutive playoff berths, but was knocked out in the first round the past three years. This season, there’s no proven lefty in the bullpen, and the defense could be a weakness besides Cabrera. The lineup remains loaded, however, after New York brought back all its key free agents and picked up Abreu’s $ 16 million option during a whirlwind off-season.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS 2007 83-79, third place MANAGER John Gibbons (fifth season ) HE’S HERE 3 B Scott Rolen, SS David Eckstein, OF Shannon Stewart, INF Marco Scutaro, OF Buck Coats, RHP Randy Wells, RHP Shawn Camp, RHP Lance Carter, LHP John Parrish HE’S OUTTA HERE 3 B Troy Glaus, RHP Josh Towers, OF Reed Johnson, RHP Ty Taubenheim, INF Ray Olmedo, LHP Joe Kennedy PROJECTED LINEUP SS David Eckstein (. 309, 3 HR, 31 RBI,. 356 on-base percentage with St. Louis ), RF Alex Rios (. 297, 24, 85, 43 doubles ), CF Vernon Wells (. 245, 16, 80 ), 3 B Scott Rolen (. 265, 8, 58 with St. Louis; will start season on disabled list ), DH Frank Thomas (. 277, 26, 95 ), LF Matt Stairs (. 289, 21, 64 ) and Shannon Stewart (. 290, 12, 48 with Oakland ), 1 B Lyle Overbay (. 240, 10, 44 ), 2 B Aaron Hill (. 291, 17, 78, 47 doubles ), C Gregg Zaun (. 242, 10, 52 ) ROTATION RH Roy Halladay (16-7, 3. 71 ERA ), RH A. J. Burnett (10-8, 3. 75 ), RH Dustin Mc-Gowan (12-10, 4. 08 ), RH Shaun Marcum (12-6, 4. 13 ), RH Jesse Litsch (7-9, 3. 81 ) KEY RELIEVERS LH B. J. Ryan (0-2, 12. 46 ERA, 3 / 5 saves in 5 games before injury ), RH Jeremy Accardo (4-4, 2. 14, 30 / 35 saves ), RH Brandon League (0-0, 6. 17 ), LH Scott Downs (4-2, 2. 17 ), LH Brian Tallet (2-4, 3. 47 ), LH John Parrish (2-2, 5. 71 with Baltimore ), RH Brian Wolfe (3-1, 2. 98 ) BOTTOM LINE Hobbled by injuries and held back by punchless bats, the Blue Jays discovered a surprise strength in 2007 — their talented young arms. If McGowan, Marcum and Litsch can pitch as well or better this year and the hitters return to form, Toronto has the talent to make the playoff race in the AL East an interesting one. General Manager J. P. Ricciardi hopes newcomers and former World Series winners Rolen and Eckstein will inject a sense of urgency that has been sorely lacking in Toronto’s clubhouse. Now entering his seventh season, Ricciardi has yet to deliver a playoff team. Both he and Gibbons could pay the price if the Blue Jays can’t stay in the race into September. BALTIMORE ORIOLES 2007 69-93, fourth place MANAGER Dave Trembley (first full season ) HE’S HERE OF Adam Jones, LHP George Sherrill, OF Luke Scott, RHP Matt Albers, RHP Dennis Sarfate, RHP Greg Aquino, RHP Lance Cormier, C Guillermo Quiroz, RHP Randor Bierd HE’S OUTTA HERE LHP Erik Bedard, SS Miguel Tejada, CF Corey Patterson, RHP Todd Williams, RHP Rob Bell, C J. R. House, RHP
Victor Santos PROJECTED LINEUP 2 B Brian Roberts (. 290, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 103 runs, 50 stolen bases ), 3 B Melvin Mora (. 274, 14, 58 ), RF Nick Markakis (. 300, 23, 112 ), 1 B Kevin Millar (. 254, 17, 63 ), DH Aubrey Huff (. 280, 15, 72 ), C Ramon Hernandez (. 258, 9, 62 ), LF Luke Scott (. 255, 18, 64 ), CF Adam Jones (. 314, 24, 84 with Class AAA Tacoma ), SS Luis Hernandez (. 290, 1, 7 ) ROTATION RH Jeremy Guthrie (7-5, 3. 70 ERA ), LH Adam Loewen (2-0, 3. 56 ), RH Daniel Cabrera (9-18, 5. 55 ), RH Steve Trachsel (6-8, 4. 48 ), RH Matt Albers (4-11, 5. 86 ) KEY RELIEVERS LH George Sherrill (2-0, 2. 36 ERA, 3 saves with Seattle ), LH Jamie Walker (3-2, 3. 23 ), RH Chad Bradford (4-7, 3. 34 ), RH Dennis Sarfate (1-0, 1. 08 in 7 games with Houston ) BOTTOM LINE This is a rebuilding year for the Orioles, who no longer can pretend they have a shot at making some noise in the AL East. Their rotation is young, their cleanup hitter lacks power and they’ve got inexperience in center field, left field, shortstop and at the helm. Trembley will enter his first full year as a major league manager with little hope of ending Baltimore’s franchise-record run of 10 consecutive losing seasons.
TAMPA BAY RAYS 2007 66-96, fifth place MANAGER Joe Maddon (third season ) HE’S HERE RHP Matt Garza, SS Jason Bartlett, RHP Troy Percival, 3 B Willy Aybar, DH-RF Cliff Floyd, LHP Trever Miller HE’S OUTTA HERE RF Delmon Young, CF Elijah Dukes, INF Brendan Harris, RHP Jay Witasick, LHP Jeff Ridgway, RHP Shawn Camp PROJECTED LINEUP 2 B Akinori Iwamura (. 285, 7 HR, 34 RBI ), LF Carl Crawford (. 315, 11, 80, 50 stolen bases ), CF B. J. Upton (. 300, 24, 82 ), 1 B Carlos Pena (. 282, 46, 121 ), DH Cliff Floyd (. 284, 9, 45 with Chicago Cubs ), RF Jonny Gomes (. 244, 17, 49 ), 3 B Willy Aybar (missed last season with Atlanta due to injured right wrist and personal matter ), C Dioner Navarro (. 227, 9, 44 ), SS Jason Bartlett (. 265, 5, 43 with Minnesota ) ROTATION LH Scott Kazmir (13-9, 3. 48 ERA ), RH James Shields (12-8, 3. 85 ), RH Matt Garza (5-7, 3. 69 with Minnesota ), RH Edwin Jackson (5-15, 5. 76 ) or RH Jason Hammel (3-5, 6. 14 ) or RH Andy Sonnanstine (6-10, 5. 85 ) or LH J. P. Howell (1-6, 7. 59 ) or RH Jeff Niemann (12-6, 3. 98 at Class AAA Durham ). KEY RELIEVERS RH Troy Percival (3-0, 1. 80 ERA with St. Louis ), RH Al Reyes (2-4, 4. 90, 26 / 30 saves ), RH Dan Wheeler (0-5, 5. 76 ), LH Trever Miller (0-0, 4. 86 with Houston ), RH Scott Dohmann (3-0, 3. 31 ), RH Gary Glover (6-5, 4. 89 ) BOTTOM LINE Thanks to a deep farm system, the Rays have finally assembled enough talent on the major league level to have reasonable expectations of escaping the AL East cellar. The departures of Young and Dukes makes for better harmony in the clubhouse, the addition of Garza and Bartlett figure to improve the starting pitching and defense, and Aybar was acquired to hold down third base until management decides top prospect Evan Longoria is ready for the majors. Still, the prospect for success hinges on how the young starting rotation and overhauled bullpen hold up. Central
CLEVELAND INDIANS 2007 96-66, first place MANAGER Eric Wedge (sixth season ) HE’S HERE RHP Masa Kobayashi, INF Jamey Carroll, RHP Jorge Julio HE’S OUTTA HERE OF Kenny Lofton, OF Trot Nixon, RHP Jason Davis, INF Luis Rivas, INF Chris Gomez PROJECTED LINEUP CF Grady Sizemore (. 277, 24 HR, 78 RBI,. 390 on-base percentage, 118 runs, 101 walks, 33 stolen bases ), 3 B Casey Blake (. 270, 18, 78 ), DH Travis Hafner (. 267, 24, 100 ), C Victor Martinez (. 301, 25, 114 ), 1 B Ryan Garko (. 289, 21, 61, 20 hits-by-pitch ), LF Jason Michaels (. 270, 7, 39, 1 error ) or David Dellucci (. 230, 4, 20 in 56 games due to injury ), SS Jhonny Peralta (. 270, 21, 72 ), RF Franklin Gutierrez (. 266, 13, 36 ), 2 B Asdrubal Cabrera (. 283, 3, 22 in 45 games ) ROTATION LH C. C. Sabathia (19-7, 3. 21 ERA, AL-high 241 innings, won Cy Young Award ), RH Fausto Carmona (19-8, 3. 06 ), RH Jake Westbrook (6-9, 4. 32 ), LH Cliff Lee (5-8, 6. 29 ), RH Paul Byrd (15-8, 4. 59 ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Joe Borowski (4-5, 5. 07 ERA, AL-high 45 / 53 saves ), RH Rafael Betancourt (5-1, 1. 47 ), LH Rafael Perez (1-2, 1. 78 ), RH Masa Kobayashi (27 saves for Chiba Lotte last season and 227 career saves in Japan ), RH Jorge Julio (0-5, 5. 23 with Florida and Colorado ), LH Craig Breslow (spent last season in minors with Boston ) BOTTOM LINE Although they claim to have moved on, the pain of last October still lingers for the Indians, who were arguably baseball’s second-best team behind Boston. Sabathia’s decision to suspend negotiations on a contract extension until after the season — when he’s eligible for free agency — has Cleveland fans fearing that this season could be their last, best chance to end a 60-year World Series title drought. If the Indians are too far behind Detroit in July, GM Mark Shapiro might have to consider trading Sabathia for the future.
DETROIT TIGERS 2007 88-74, second place MANAGER Jim Leyland (third season ) HE’S HERE 3 B Miguel Cabrera, SS Edgar Renteria, LHP Dontrelle Willis, OF Jacque Jones HE’S OUTTA HERE 1 B Sean Casey, INF Omar Infante, LHP Andrew Miller, OF Cameron Maybin, LHP Tim Byrdak PROJECTED LINEUP CF Curtis Granderson (. 302, 23 HR, 74 RBI, 141 strikeouts ), 2 B Placido Polanco (. 341, 9, 67 ), DH Gary Sheffield (. 265, 25, 75 ), RF Magglio Ordonez (. 363, 28, 139 ), 3 B Miguel Cabrera (. 320, 34, 119 with Florida ), 1 B Carlos Guillen (. 296, 21, 102 ), SS Edgar Renteria (. 332, 12, 57 with Atlanta ), C Ivan Rodriguez (. 281, 11, 63 ), LF Jacque Jones (. 285, 5, 66 with Chicago Cubs ) ROTATION RH Justin Verlander (18-6, 3. 66 ERA, 183 strikeouts ), LH Kenny Rogers (3-4, 4. 43 ), RH Jeremy Bonderman (11-9, 5. 01 ), LH Dontrelle Willis (10-15, 5. 17 with Florida ), LH Nate Robertson (9-13, 4. 76 ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Todd Jones (1-4, 4. 26 ERA, 38 / 44 saves ), RH Jason Grilli (5-3, 4. 74 ), RH Zach Miner (3-4, 3. 02 ), RH Denny Bautista (2-1, 12. 46, 9 games with Rockies ), LH Bobby Seay (3-0, 2. 33 ) BOTTOM LINE If the Tigers don’t make the playoffs — no easy feat in the AL — they and their fans will consider the season a failure. They appear to have the best lineup in baseball with the additions of Cabrera, Renteria and Jones. Their rotation looks capable, led by Verlander. The bullpen, however, will likely be under pressure until it proves doubters wrong.
MINNESOTA TWINS 2007 79-83, third place MANAGER Ron Gardenhire (seventh season ) HE’S HERE OF Delmon Young, RHP Livan Hernandez, 3 B Mike Lamb, SS Adam Everett, INF Brendan Harris, CF Carlos Gomez, CF Jason Pridie, RHP Phil Humber, OF Craig Monroe HE’S OUTTA HERE LHP Johan Santana, CF Torii Hunter, RHP Carlos Silva, SS Jason Bartlett, RHP Matt Garza, OF Lew Ford, OF Rondell White, OF Jason Tyner, INF Luis Rodriguez PROJECTED LINEUP CF Carlos Gomez (. 232, 2 HR, 12 RBI with New York Mets ), C Joe Mauer (. 293, 7, 60,. 382 on-base percentage ), RF Michael Cuddyer (. 276, 16, 81 ), 1 B Justin Morneau (. 271, 31, 111 ), LF Delmon Young (. 288, 13, 93 with Tampa Bay ), DH Jason Kubel (. 273, 13, 65 ), 3 B Mike Lamb (. 289, 11, 40 with Houston ), 2 B Brendan Harris (. 286, 12, 59 with Tampa Bay ), SS Adam Everett (. 232, 2, 15 in 66 games with Houston ) ROTATION RH Livan Hernandez (11-11, 4. 93 ERA with Arizona ), RH Scott Baker (9-9, 4. 26 ), RH Boof Bonser (8-12, 5. 10 ), LH Francisco Liriano (missed last season following elbow surgery ), RH Kevin Slowey (4-1, 4. 73 in 13 games ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Joe Nathan (4-2, 1. 88 ERA, 37 / 41 saves, ), RH Matt Guerrier (2-4, 2. 35 ), RH Pat Neshek (7-2, 2. 94 ), LH Dennys Reyes (2-1, 3. 99 ), RH Juan Rincon (3-3, 5. 1 ), RH Jesse Crain (1-2, 5. 51 in 18 games before shoulder injury ) BOTTOM LINE The Twins were in the news as much as any team in baseball this winter, which culminated with the long-awaited trade of two-time Cy Young Award winner Santana to the New York Mets. He leaves a huge hole in a rotation that will welcome 2006 All-Star Liriano back, provided he’s strong enough after his elbow ligament replacement procedure nearly 17 months ago. Even with a healthy Liriano, starting pitching will be a major question for Minnesota. The offense will sorely miss Hunter’s bat in the middle of the lineup, but the additions of Young, Lamb and Harris, plus Monroe off the bench, should provide some pop. The Twins have their work cut out for them in the powerful AL Central.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2007 72-90, fourth place MANAGER Ozzie Guillen (fifth season ) HE’S HERE SS Orlando Cabrera, OF Nick Swisher, RHP Scott Linebrink, RHP Octavio Dotel, OF Carlos Quentin, INF-OF Alexei Ramirez HE’S OUTTA HERE RHP Jon Garland, OF Scott Podsednik PROJECTED LINEUP CF Jerry Owens (. 267, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 32 stolen bases ), LF Nick Swisher (. 262, 22, 78 with Oakland ), 1 B Paul Konerko (. 259, 31, 90 ), DH Jim Thome (. 275, 35, 96 ), RF Jermaine Dye (. 254, 28, 78 ), C A. J. Pierzynski (. 263, 14, 50 ), 3 B Joe Crede (. 216, 4, 22 ), SS Orlando Cabrera (. 301, 8, 86 with Los Angeles Angels ), 2 B Juan Uribe (. 234, 20, 68 ) ROTATION LH Mark Buehrle (10-9, 3. 63 ERA ), RH Javier Vazquez (15-8, 3. 74 ), LH John Danks (6-13, 5. 50 ), RH Jose Contreras (10-17, 5. 57 ), RH Gavin Floyd (1-5, 5. 27 ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Bobby Jenks (3-5, 2. 77, 40 / 46 saves ), RH Octavio Dotel (2-1, 4. 11 with Kansas City and Atlanta ), RH Scott Linebrink (5-6, 3. 71 with San Diego and Milwaukee ), LH Matt Thornton (4-4, 4. 79 ), LH Boone Logan (2-1, 4. 97 ), RH Mike Mac-Dougal (2-5, 6. 80 ) BOTTOM LINE The White Sox struck out going for Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Aaron Rowand and Kosuke Fukudome in the offseason. Instead of splashy moves, they retooled. They acquired Swisher, who will probably be used in left if the White Sox are comfortable with Owens playing center and leading off. Otherwise, Swisher might play center. The bullpen got a makeover, which was no surprise after it went 19-25 with a 5. 49 ERA and 23 blown saves. By adding Linebrink and Dotel, the White Sox think they have a bridge between the starters and Jenks, an All-Star closer. But the key question is this: Was last season an aberration or an indication ?
KANSAS CITY ROYALS 2007 69-93, fifth place MANAGER Trey Hillman (first season ) HE’S HERE OF Jose Guillen, INF Alberto Callaspo, LHP Ron Mahay, C Miguel Olivo, RHP Yasuhiko Yabuta, RHP Brett Tomko, RHP Ramon Ramirez, RHP Hideo Nomo HE’S OUTTA HERE Manager Buddy Bell, RHP David Riske, OF Emil Brown, DH Mike Sweeney, OF Reggie Sanders, LHP Odalis Perez, OF-1 B Justin Huber PROJECTED LINEUP CF David DeJesus (. 260, 7 HR, 58 RBI, 101 runs ), 2 B Mark Grudzielanek (. 302, 6, 51 ), LF Mark Teahen (. 285, 7, 60 ), RF Jose Guillen (. 290, 23, 99 with Seattle ), 3 B Alex Gordon, (. 247, 15, 60 ), DH Billy Butler (. 292, 8, 52 ), 1 B Ross Gload, (. 288, 7, 51 ), C John Buck (. 222, 18, 48 ), SS Tony Pena Jr. (. 267, 2, 47 ) ROTATION RH Gil Meche (9-13, 3. 67 ERA ), RH Brian Bannister (12-9, 3. 87 ), RH Zack Greinke, (7-7, 3. 69 ), John Bale (1-1, 4. 05 ), RH Brett Tomko (2-11, 5. 80 with Los Angeles Dodgers; 2-1, 4. 61 with San Diego ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Joakim Soria (2-3, 2. 48 ERA, 17 / 21 saves ), RH Yasuhiko Yabuta (4-6, 2. 73 in Japan ), LH Jimmy Gobble (4-1, 3. 02 ), LH Ron Mahay (2-0, 2. 77 with Texas; 1-0, 2. 25 with Atlanta ), RH Ramon Ramirez (2-2, 8. 31 with Colorado ) BOTTOM LINE The big change for the Royals is Bell being replaced by Hillman, the only manager in the major leagues who didn’t play or coach in the bigs. Hillman was a huge success during a five-year stint managing in Japan and remains extremely popular there. But the question is whether he can repeat those achievements in America and bring along the Royals’ young players. Hillman, who proved in spring training that he won’t put up with laziness or inattention to detail, has a very young club that might be receptive to his message of taking care of the little things. Breakthrough seasons by Butler, Gordon, Teahen and DeJesus could enable this team to avoid a fifth consecutive last-place finish. West
LOS ANGELES ANGELS 2007 94-68, first place MANAGER Mike Scioscia (ninth season ) HE’S HERE CF Torii Hunter, RHP Jon Garland HE’S OUTTA HERE SS Orlando Cabrera, RHP Bartolo Colon, RHP Greg Jones, RHP Chris Resop, INF Dallas McPherson, OF Tommy Murphy, OF Nick Gorneault PROJECTED LINEUP 3 B Chone Figgins (. 330, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 41 stolen bases ), DH-LF Gary Matthews Jr. (. 252, 18, 72 ), LF-DH Garret Anderson (. 297, 16, 80 ), RF Vladimir Guerrero (. 324, 27, 125 ), CF Torii Hunter (. 287, 28, 107 with Minnesota ), 2 B Howie Kendrick (. 322, 5, 39 ), 1 B Casey Kotchman (. 296, 11, 68 ), C Mike Napoli (. 247, 10, 34 ) or Jeff Mathis (. 211, 4, 23 ), SS Maicer Izturis (. 289, 6, 51 ) or Erick Aybar (. 237, 1, 19 ) ROTATION RH John Lackey (19-9, AL-best 3. 01 ERA; likely to miss at least a month with strained right triceps ), RH Jered Weaver (13-7, 3. 91 ), RH Jon Garland (10-13, 4. 23 with Chicago White Sox ), RH Ervin Santana (7-14, 5. 76 ), LH Joe Saunders (8-5, 4. 44 ) or RH Dustin Moseley (4-3, 4. 40 ); RH Kelvim Escobar (18-7, 3. 40; out indefinitely with shoulder injury ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Francisco Rodriguez (5-2, 2. 81 ERA, 40 / 46 saves ), RH Scot Shields (4-5, 3. 86 ), RH Justin Speier (2-3, 2. 88 ), LH Darren Oliver (3-1, 3. 78 ) BOTTOM LINE The Angels are rich in outfielders, with Guerrero, Hunter, Anderson and Matthews, and that might present Scioscia with some juggling problems. Hunter, one of the best fielders in the business, will usually be in center, Matthews’ former spot. Scioscia plans to keep all four in the batting order by rotating them at designated hitter. Along with the wealth in the outfield, the team has an abundance of solid starting pitchers — and might need all of them. On paper, the Angels have good pitching, hitting and fielding, and Scioscia’s emphasis on aggressive base-running is a plus. They should know by late October if all that is enough, owner Arte Moreno says.
SEATTLE MARINERS 2007 88-74, second place MANAGER John McLaren (first full season ) HE’S HERE LHP Erik Bedard, RHP Carlos Silva, RF Brad Wilkerson, INF Miguel Cairo, RHP R. A. Dickey HE’S OUTTA HERE RF Jose Guillen, RHP Jeff Weaver, LHP Horacio Ranmirez, 1 B-OF Ben Broussard, LHP George Sherrill, OF Adam Jones PROJECTED LINEUP CF Ichiro Suzuki (. 351, 6 HR, 68 RBI, 238 hits, 111 runs, 37 stolen bases ), DH Jose Vidro (. 314, 6, 59 ), LF Raul Ibanez (. 291, 21, 105 ), 3 B Adrian Beltre (. 276, 26, 99, 41 doubles ), 1 B Richie Sexson (. 205, 21, 63 ), RF Brad Wilkerson (. 234, 20, 62 with Texas ), C Kenji Johjima (. 287, 14, 61 ), 2 B Jose Lopez (. 252, 11, 62 ), SS Yuniesky Betancourt (. 289, 9, 67 ) ROTATION LH Erik Bedard (13-5, 3. 16 ERA, 221 strikeouts with Baltimore ), RH Felix Hernandez (14-7, 3. 92 ), RH Carlos Silva (13-14, 4. 19 with Minnesota ), LH Jarrod Washburn (10-15, 4. 32 ), RH Miguel Batista (16-11, 4. 29 ) KEY RELIEVERS RH J. J. Putz (6-1, 1. 38 ERA, 40 / 42 saves ), RH Brandon Morrow (3-4, 4. 12 ), RH Mark Lowe (missed all but 4 games last season after 2 elbow operations ), LH Arthur Rhodes (missed last season after elbow surgery ) BOTTOM LINE It’s playoffs or bust for the first time in seven years in Seattle. The Mariners have spent spring training sending unveiled messages to the Los Angeles Angels that this is a new AL West. Their bravado comes from upping their already gaudy payroll above $ 115 million to get Bedard, for five players, to be their new ace and sign Silva for the middle of what they think is baseball’s best rotation. The oft-booed Sexson must improve his career-worst power numbers in a contract season. He’s the key to a power-thin lineup that needs to give the rotation enough offense to overtake the Angels.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS 2007 76-86, third place MANAGER Bob Geren (second season ) HE’S HERE OF Carlos Gonzalez, OF Emil Brown, LHP Dana Eveland, OF Ryan Sweeney, RHP Keith Foulke HE’S OUTTA HERE RHP Dan Haren, OF Nick Swisher, OF Mark Kotsay, DH Mike Piazza, OF Shannon Stewart, INF Marco Scutaro, RHP Colby Lewis PROJECTED LINEUP RF Travis Buck (. 288, 7 HR, 34 RBI ), 2 B Mark Ellis (. 276, 19, 76 ), 3 B Eric Chavez (. 240, 15, 46 ), DH Mike Sweeney (. 260, 7, 38 ), 1 B Daric Barton (. 347, 4, 8 ), LF Jack Cust (. 256, 26, 82, 105 BBs ) or Emil Brown (. 257, 6, 62 ), SS Bobby Crosby (. 226, 8, 31 ), CF Carlos Gonzalez (. 288, 17, 86 in minors ), C Kurt Suzuki (. 249, 7, 39 ) ROTATION RH Joe Blanton (14-10, 3. 95 ERA ), RH Rich Harden (1-2, 2. 45 ), RH Justin Duchscherer (3-3, 4. 96 in 17 relief appearances ), LH Lenny DiNardo (8-10, 4. 11 ), RH Chad Gaudin (11-13, 4. 42 ) or LH Dana Eveland (1-0, 14. 40 in 5 innings pitched ) KEY RELIEVERS RH Huston Street (5-2, 2. 88 ERA, 16 / 21 saves ), LH Alan Embree (1-2, 3. 97, 17 / 21 saves ), RH Keith Foulke (3-1, 4. 35 in 2006 ) BOTTOM LINE For the first time in about a decade, the A’s go into a season without a realistic chance to compete for a playoff bid. The rotation is full of questions, from the health of Harden and Gaudin (off-season hip and foot surgery ) to the adjustment for Duchscherer to a starting role after he spent the past four seasons in the bullpen. There’s also the chance that Beane could trade Blanton to a contender to add even more prospects. The team’s results this season will depend heavily on the health of the pitchers and Chavez and Crosby, whose injuries last season helped contribute to Oakland’s first losing season since 1998. Chavez already missed the season-opening trip to Japan as he recovers from off-season back surgery.
TEXAS RANGERS 2007 75-87, fourth place MANAGER Ron Washington (second season ) HE’S HERE OF Milton Bradley, 1 B Ben Broussard, RHP Kazuo Fukumori, CF Josh Hamilton, RHP Jason Jennings, LHP Eddie Guardado HE’S OUTTA HERE DH Sammy Sosa, OF Brad Wilkerson, RHP Akinori Otsuka, RHP Edinson Volquez, INF Jerry Hairston PROJECTED LINEUP 2 B Ian Kinsler (. 263, 20 HR, 61 RBI, 96 runs ), SS Michael Young (. 315, 9, 94 ), CF Josh Hamilton (. 292, 19, 47 with Cincinnati ), 3 B Hank Blalock (. 293, 10, 33 ), DH Milton Bradley (. 306, 13, 37 with Oakland and San Diego ), LF David Murphy (. 340, 2, 14 ), RF Marlon Byrd (. 307, 10, 70 ), C Gerald Laird (. 224, 9, 47 ), 1 B Ben Broussard (. 275, 7, 29 with Seattle ) ROTATION RH Kevin Millwood (10-14, 5. 16 ERA ), RH Vicente Padilla (6-10, 5. 76 ), RH Jason Jennings (2-9, 6. 45 with Houston ), LH Kason Gabbard (6-1, 4. 64 with Boston and Texas ), RH Luis Mendoza (1-0, 2. 25 ). RH Brandon McCarthy (5-10, 4. 87, starting season on disabled list ) KEY RELIEVERS LH C. J. Wilson (2-1, 3. 03 ERA, 12 / 14 saves ), LH Eddie Guardado (0-0, 7. 24 in 15 appearances for Cincinnati after elbow surgery ), RH Joaquin Benoit (7-4, 2. 85, 6 saves ), RH Kazuo Fukumori (4-2, 4. 75, 17 saves in Japan ), RH Wes Littleton (3-2, 4. 31, 2 saves ), RH Robinson Tejeda (5-9, 6. 61 ), RH Josh Rupe (missed 2007 with elbow injury ) BOTTOM LINE The three spots that Washington considered needs were filled in the off-season: center field (Hamilton ), right field (Bradley ) and first base (Broussard ). Jennings, a Dallas native, was added to the rotation after being hampered last season by elbow problems, as were Guardado and Fukumori. Guardado provides a much-needed veteran presence in a bullpen missing RHP Eric Gagne and Otsuka. The Rangers went 29-28 after the trade deadline and the departures of 1 B Mark Teixeira, CF Kenny Lofton, LHP Ron Mahay and Gagne. They will have to keep improving to escape the AL West basement.
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