Pitchers and catchers report in less than two weeks, so it's time to start looking towards the 2009 season. This week's division preview: AL East.
The AL East will be the division to watch in baseball this upcoming season because it has arguably the best three teams in the American League (and maybe all of baseball). The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will all be competing for the top spot in the East and there is no clear favorite.
First up is the reigning AL East and American League Champions, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays shocked the baseball world by fielding a team of youngsters and unknowns and defeating the mighty Yankees and Red Sox.
The Rays have the best young talent in the American League led by Rookie of the Year winner Evan Longoria and flame-throwing lefty, Scott Kazmir. Some may think their run last year was a fluke but people will see this team is for real.
The scariest part of this team is that they've managed to get even better this off-season. The Rays have added former Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell to the mix. Burrell will provide a strong bat from the right side of the plate and a veteran presence in a clubhouse full of youngsters.
Perhaps the Rays biggest addition is lefty pitcher David Price, the Rays former first round pick, who made his debut in September last year. Price displayed electric stuff in his time in September and in the playoffs and will make the Rays rotation, which also includes Scott Kazmir, James Shields and Matt Garza, tough to beat.
The Boston Red Sox managed to win the Wild Card last year but they hope to take back the East, which they won in 2007. The Red Sox will enter 2009 with a few worries including whether outfielder Jason Bay will provide enough offense to make up for the loss of Manny Ramirez and whether David Ortiz will return to form after injury problems.
Despite these questions, the Red Sox are still a great team. They have the reigning AL MVP, Dustin Pedroia, at second base and probably the most depth in their rotation in baseball. Josh Beckett leads the staff followed by Daisuke Matsuzaka and a myriad of young pitchers including Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Justin Masterson.
The Red Sox also added veteran talent by signing right-handed pitcher Brad Penny and the 41-year-old John Smoltz. In addition to the pitchers, they signed former Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli and they resigned team captain, Jason Varitek.
The New York Yankees stole the most headlines this offseason by spending truckloads of money on every top free agent. The Yankees signed the two best free agent pitchers, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett as well as the top position player, first baseman Mark Teixeira.
Sabathia provides the Yankees with a sure-fire ace and Burnett, if healthy, can be a dominant number two starter. The rest of the staff is also strong with Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain.
Slugging, first baseman Mark Teixeira provides a strong bat next to Alex Rodriguez in the lineup and provides Gold Glove caliber play at first. His presence in the lineup and the field should improve the team greatly.
All of these moves came as a result of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Missing the playoffs is a total failure in the world of Yankees baseball, so the amount of money spent should surprise no one. If the team's older players (Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui) remain healthy, the Yankees are the team to beat in the AL East.
The two teams vying to stay out of last place are the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles. Jays fans have witnessed a pretty quiet off-season, to say the least. The Blue Jays' biggest move was losing AJ Burnett to the Yankees. Other than some minor signings including pitchers Jeff Clement and Mike Maroth, the Blue Jays have decided to go into the '09 season with a team based around their young players. The team will be lead by former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay and veteran outfielders, Vernon Wells and Alex Rios.
Orioles fans should be happy to know that the team is investing in their young talent. Right fielder Nick Markakis was signed to a six-year deal making him the cornerstone of the Orioles future.
The Orioles also acquired former top Cubs prospect, Felix Pie to patrol center field. Waiting in the minor leagues is a young catcher named Matt Wieters who has been billed as a future superstar. So while these teams are unlikely to compete against the big three, there are definitely things to look forward to in years to come.
Prediction: AL East Champion: New York Yankees; Wild Card Winner: Tampa Bay
You can reach this staff writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
