The Major League Baseball season gets underway on April 4. But before all the fireworks, the seventh-inning stretches, the awe-strucking homers, the captivating steals, hustle plays, and pitching performances commence, we preview all 30 teams by division. Next up, the American League East.
Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 81-81 (4th in AL East)
Missed Postseason
Manager John Farrell's first season in charge saw the Blue Jays earn 81 wins. An inconsistent season cost them a postseason berth, but the Jays believe they have finally gotten better with the addition of experienced players as they look to contend for the AL East this season. And they hope a 'new', retro logo will mean more wins.
Jose Bautista remains the hottest bat in the Toronto lineup, leading the league with 43 homers. J.P. Arencibia's emergence was also remarkable, as he broke the team record for most homers for a catcher in a season with 23. Other bats to watch will be Yunel Escobar, Brett Lawrie, Edwin Encarnacion, and Adam Lind plus new additions Ben Francisco and Omar Vizquel.
Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow will anchor the Jays rotation, with Sergio Santos and Francisco Cordero will act as closer and setup man respectively. The rise of Romero last season keyed Toronto's resurgence, and should continue to be the focus as he enters the season as Toronto's ace. Other main rotation pitchers will be Casey Janssen and Dustin McGowan, both of whom were injured for most of last season. The Jays hope that the addition of experience will be a big key towards contention in the AL East.
Baltimore Orioles
Record: 69-93 (5th in AL East)
Missed Postseason
The cartoon bird is back on the caps, as are the orange jerseys. The question is, can the Fighting Showalters revive the Spirit of '83 to Camden Yards?
The O's, despite their mediocre record, nevertheless saw two players excel on the glove, as Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters won Gold Gloves for outfielder and catcher respectively. Both are also good at bat, but the O's need more offense despite their excellent defensive work. Even though Robert Andino, Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy played well at bat, the O's still have no other player averaging beyond .270 batting average. The loss of DH Vladimir Guerrero will hurt them offensively, though Wilson Betemit was a decent pickup.
They dumped Jeremy Guthrie and his 16 losses to the Rockies, so the O's rotation will be reshuffled this season. Possible candidates include Jake Arrieta, Tommy Hunter, Alfredo Simon, Zach Britton, Brian Matusz and Jason Hammel. The closer spot will be a toss-up between Kevin Gregg, Jim Johnson and Darren O'Day. If the O's pitching hold up, they may have a decent chance to have at least 81 wins this season.
Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 91-71 (2nd in AL East; Won AL Wildcard)
Lost 3-1 to the Rangers in the Division Series
On the final night of the regular season, the Rays won the AL Wildcard by beating the Yankees 8-7 in the 12th on Evan Longoria's walk-off homer. They benefited from Boston's 4-3 loss in Baltimore the same night, also a walk-off win for the O's. However their momentum was halted by the Rangers in the ALDS. So what's next for Joe Maddon and his crew?
Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton, Matt Joyce, Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist remain the heart of the Rays lineup, as their bats continue to produce stellar numbers. They will have a new catcher duo, as Robinson Chirinos and Jose Molina replace John Jaso and Kelly Shoppach. The return of Carlos Pena should be a huge help for the Rays, as he was a prolific two-way player.
Matt Moore emerged in Game 1 of the ALDS, but will he be worth the five years and $14M he signed on, or will he be just a one-hit wonder? Aside from Moore, other key rotation pitchers will be 2011 AL ROY Jeremy Hellickson, David Price and James Shields. Kyle Farnsworth remains stellar at closing games, and should continue to do so. The Rays have the right pieces, but will it translate to another AL East title or Wildcard slot?
Boston Red Sox
Record: 90-72 (3rd in AL East)
Missed Postseason
The Red Sox led the AL East for much of 2011, but a woeful September doomed them, capped by the Rays' comeback win over the Yankees and the Sox's devastating loss to the O's on the final day. Once the offseason began, Theo Epstein took over the Cubs, Terry Francona and Bobby Valentine were 'traded' for each other between the Red Sox and ESPN, beloved closer Jonathan Papelbon decided to close games at Citizens Bank Park, and Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek hung up their cleats. It is a new dawn for Red Sox Nation, indeed.
The core of the lineup will be Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia. All have been excellent at bat last season, and it won't be a problem this year. But Carl Crawford was far from prolific, and the Sox only hope that Crawford will regain the power than made him a star in Tampa Bay. Cody Ross was a nice addition, but is he a good fit? And who will fill Jason Varitek's shoes? Will it be Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ryan Lavarnway or Kelly Shoppach? The offense remains strong, but is it strong enough?
The Red Sox fell from contention due to a battered bullpen. The loss of Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz hurt the starting rotation, which had only two consistent starters in Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. Andrew Bailey will be a nice replacement for Papelbon, but who will be the new setup man now that Daniel Bard will be in the starting rotation? They only hope that Matt Albers and Alfredo Aceves fill the void. The Red Sox only hope that a healthy bullpen will be the key towards returning to the postseason.
New York Yankees
Record: 97-65 (AL East Champions)
Lost 3-2 to the Tigers in the Division Series
The Yankees hung tough in the AL East for much of the season, before clinching the AL East title and the AL's best record in September. However, they were no match for the Tigers' pitching staff, who eliminated them in five games of the ALDS. So has time finally caught up with the aging Bronx Bombers?
The retirement of catcher Jorge Posada left the Yankees with only two members of the Core Four: Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Even though Andy Pettitte came out of retirement, his position at the bullpen is uncertain. The Yankees' rotation will have mainstays CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, and new additions Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda, with the possible heirs to Rivera include Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano, and David Robertson. They have reloaded their pitching staff, but will it be good enough?
The Yankees lineup remains formidable, but they haven't had a consistent DH since Hideki Matsui left. Is Raul Ibanez the man for the job, or will it be Andruw Jones? Robinson Cano remains a dangerous hitter, while Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner provide speedy baserunning. Russell Martin now has a chance to shine at catcher. But will the aging Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez turn back the clock, or will age finally catch up with them? Luckily Eduardo Nunez is groomed as the heir, and should stay put for a while. If the Yankees lineup continue to be strong, they may well be in the World Seriec conversation this year.
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