1st—Boston Red Sox: A fantastic offseason for the Red Sox has given good reason for the Fenway faithful to be optimistic. Additions Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez give the lineup the punch that it needs to win the AL East. Crawford provides the game changing speed at the top of the lineup in the form of 47 stolen bases last season, while Gonzalez provides the power. Even playing home games in the pitcher friendly Petco Park, Gonzalez averaged over 35 home runs the past three seasons to go along with a career .284 batting average. The question for Boston is whether or not Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka can bounce back from sub par seasons. If they can, the Red Sox will be World Series contenders, but if not the back of their rotation might prove to be their Achilles heel.
2nd—New York Yankees: While the Red Sox had a great offseason, the Yankees had an abysmal one. After striking out in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, they weren’t able to address their weak starting rotation and Andy Pettitte’s retirement did nothing to help. While CC Sabathia is a bonafide ace and Phil Hughes showed tremendous growth in an 18 win campaign, the rest of the rotation is shaky. Burnett had the worst season of his career, and Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia are question marks. Nova is young, 24, but struggled at times in the minor leagues last season, and Garcia, 34, is past his prime. That being said, the Yankees lineup is still deserving of the name the Bronx Bombers and should keep them in the playoff hunt for most of the season.
3rd—Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays’ offseason was filled with departures. Carl Crawford, Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano, and Joaquin Benoit were all major contributors for the Rays last season and none are returning. Still a young team, the Rays are hoping player development, the addition of Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, and superstar pitcher David Price will help keep them afloat in the AL East, but the reality will likely be different. The Rays simply lost too many important pieces to be contenders this year and their bullpen, which lost its closer and setup man, looks shaky at best. With a young pitching staff on innings limits, the weak bullpen could prove very costly.
4th—Toronto Blue Jays: Alex Anthopolous has had a short but busy tenure as the Blue Jays’ GM. In his first offseason he traded Roy Halladay and in his second he dealt Shaun Marcum and signed Jose Bautista to a long-term deal. These moves have left the Blue Jays with a farm system that is brimming with young talent and a future that looks very bright. Kyle Drabek and Brett Lawrie, the prizes of the Halladay and Marcum deals respectively, have impressed the Blue Jays brass this spring and will likely spend most of the season at the big league level. If Bautista can follow up his breakout 54 home run campaign with another 35+ home runs and Adam Lind and Aaron Hill bounce back, the Blue Jays will likely finish above .500 again, and maybe even flirt with a playoff spot for the first few months.
5th—Baltimore Orioles: Orioles fans beware, another cellar-dwelling finish and a 14th straight sub .500 finish is likely in the cards. While the Orioles were very active this offseason, adding Vladimir Guerrero, Mark Reynolds, Derek Lee, Justin Duchscherer and others, their lineup is still not strong enough to carry a young and inexperienced pitching staff. They’re much improved over the 66 win Orioles of 2010, but this division is simply too tough. One player to watch is Brian Matusz, coming into his second full season. He has future ace written all over him and will soon be leading the O’s staff.
