American League
East Preview '04
by Daniel Paulling
March 14, 2004
Over the past five seasons, the AL East has finished
in the same order: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays,
Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Could that be the case again
this season?
My pick for order of finish is the order in which the teams are listed
below.
New York Yankees
Who they lost: Roger Clemens, rhp (Signed with Astros), Nick Johnson,
1b (Traded to Expos), Andy Pettitte, lhp (Signed with Astros), Jeff Weaver,
rhp (Traded to Dodgers), Chris Hammond, lhp (Traded to Oakland), David
Wells, lhp (Signed by Padres), Jeff Nelson, rhp (Signed by Rangers), Alfonso
Soriano, 2b (Traded to Rangers)
Who they gained: Tom Gordon, p (Signed from White Sox), Paul Quantrill,
rhp (Signed from Dodgers), Javier Vasquez, rhp (Traded from Expos), Kevin
Brown, rhp (Traded from Dodgers), Gary Sheffield, of (Signed from Braves),
Kenny Lofton, of (Signed from Giants), Alex Rodriguez, 3b (Traded from
Rangers)
What to expect: The New York Yankees will be led by a pitching staff
featuring Mike Mussina, Javier Vazquez, and Kevin Brown. If those three
pitchers match expectations, something difficult to do in New York, they
should match up with any starting three in the Major Leagues. The bullpen
has been drastically improved from last season and should be able to hold
more leads. The offense should produce more runs than last season, but
when they take the field, George Steinbrenner and Joe Torre will be holding
their respective breaths. This team will not feature many Gold Glovers.
Strengths: The Yankees have what should be the best offense in
the league, as well as the strongest bullpen in the league. They also
have an owner who wants to win at all costs.
Weaknesses: The Yankees’ defense is definitely a weakness,
with many players with range factors below the league average. The turmoil
surrounding A-Rod and Jeter, as well as the Boss and his team when they
do not win could also be a factor.
Boston Red Sox
Who they lost: Casey Fossum, p (Traded to Diamondbacks), Brandon
Lyon, p (Traded to Diamondbacks), Jeff Suppan, rhp (Signed with Cardinals),
Todd Walker, 2b (Signed with Cubs)
Who they gained: Curt Schilling, p (Traded from Diamondbacks),
Keith Foulke, rhp (Signed from A's), Mark Bellhorn, if (Traded from Rockies),
Pokey Reese, 2b (Signed from Pittsburgh), Ellis Burks, dh (Signed from
Indians)
What to expect: Another second place finish is what to expect for
the Red Sox. Their staff is greatly strengthened with the acquisitions
of Keith Foulke and Curt Schilling, but many offensive players had career
years, or right near it, last season. This team could win the Wild Card
and compete deep into October.
Strengths: The Boston Red Sox have a great pitching staff and good
offense. Their defense is better than the Yankees’ defense and very
strong up the middle. Also many players are having contract years.
Weaknesses: Many players are having contract years, so there will
be a lot of turmoil about who will be back next season. Also their owner,
while willing to spend to win, cannot match George Steinbrenner. Of course
the Curse of the Bambino could be a factor.
Toronto Blue Jays
Who they lost: Kelvim Escobar, rhp (Signed with Angels), Bobby
Kielty, of (Traded to Oakland), Mike Bordick, ss (Retired), Cory Lidle,
rhp (Signed with Reds), Cliff Politte, rhp (Signed with White Sox), Tom
Wilson, C (Picked up by Padres)
Who they gained: Pat Hentgen, p (Signed from Baltimore), Ted Lilly,
p (Traded from A's), Chi-Hung Chen, lhp (Signed from Taiwan), Kerry Ligtenberg,
rhp (Signed from Baltimore), Miguel Batista, rhp (Signed from Diamondbacks),
Justin Speier, rhp (Traded from Rockies), Terry Adams, rhp (Signed from
Phillies)
What to expect: The Blue Jays have seriously revamped their starting
rotation by adding Ted Lilly, Pat Hentgen, and Miguel Batista. Their bullpen
has been reworked with the additions of Terry Adams, Justin Speier, and
Kerry Ligtenberg. The offense will continue to produce as they did in
the last five months of last season, instead of the first one. This team
could win 90 games but it will not win the division or Wild Card.
Strengths: The Blue Jays have a large number of prospects that
could make Major League impact this season. They also have plenty of payroll
flexibility on their team.
Weaknesses: Their bullpen remains a huge question.
Baltimore Orioles
Who they lost: Pat Hentgen, rhp (Signed with Blue Jays), Kerry
Ligtenberg, rhp (Signed with Blue Jays), Tony Batista, 3b (Signed with
Expos), Jason Johnson, rhp (Signed with Tigers), Damian Moss, lhp (Signed
with Devil Rays)
Who they gained: Miguel Tejada, ss (Signed from A's), Javy Lopez,
c (Signed from Braves), Mike DeJean, rhp (Signed from Cardinals), Rafael
Palmeiro, 1b-dh (Signed from Rangers), Sidney Ponson, rhp (Signed from
Giants), Mark McLemore, if (Signed from Mariners)
What to expect: The Baltimore Orioles have a foursome with 100
RBIs from last season - they are Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez, Rafael Palmeiro,
and Jay Gibbons. But even with this offensive mass addition, do not look
for the Orioles to surpass the Blue Jays. Their pitching is too unknown
to be taken seriously and their defense will be slightly questionable.
Strengths: Their offense could carry their team to be an offense-first,
pitching-second team (see Texas Rangers of recent years). They have four
100 RBI guys, as well as Melvin Mora and Larry Bigbie.
Weaknesses: The pitching staff is young and inexperienced. They
re-acquired SP Sidney Ponson, but he seems to be the only veteran on the
staff.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Who they lost: Jason Tyner, of (Waivers), Joe Kennedy, lhp
(Traded to Rockies), Marlon Anderson, 2b (Signed with Cardinals), Rey
Ordonez, ss (Signed with Rangers)
Who they gained: Paul Abbott, p (Signed from Seattle), John Halama,
p (Signed from Oakland), Tino Martinez, 1b (Traded from Cardinals), Jose
Cruz Jr., of (Signed from San Francisco), Rey Sanchez, ss (Signed from
Mets), Geoff Blum, if (Traded from Houston), Danys Baez, rhp (Signed from
Indians), Todd Jones, rhp (Signed from Red Sox), Mike Williams, rhp (Signed
from Phillies), Robert Fick, 1b (Signed from Braves), Fred McGriff, 1b
(Signed from Los Angeles), Damian Moss, lhp (Signed from Orioles)
What to expect: The Devil Rays have greatly improved their team
under the reign of Sweet Lou, who is molding the team into his own model.
There has been a great roster turnover and for the better. The rotation
and bullpen has a veteran presence, the bench is much stronger, and the
starting lineup now features a few good players.
Strengths: Their main strength is Manager Lou Pinella. He is in
the second year of his plan and it shows with a huge roster turnover from
last season. Aubrey Huff is one of the best offensive outfielders in the
American League, but not many people have heard of him. The veteran presence,
mixed with a talented group of kids, is definitely a good sign for the
future.
Weaknesses: This team has never won more than 80 games and they
do not receive much fan support at their home stadium. The pitching staff
is weak, especially after Jeremi Gonzalez.
This is Daniel's first article for us here at At
Home Plate. Do you agree or disagree with these assessments? Any thoughts?
Questions? Comments? Anyone think the Red Sox can win the division? Feel
free to comment here.
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