Introduction
Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes America’s pastime. Plagued by rumors of rampant steroid usage among some of the leagues top players such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, Major League Baseball will try to rebound and ride the excitement of last year’s postseason.
The Good
Many major moves were made this offseason, and as usual, the New York Yankees were at the front of the pack. “One of [our] off-season goals was to try to upgrade the offense,” said Brian Cashman, Yankees general manager. They certainly succeeded, adding Gary Sheffield and engineering a blockbuster trade with the Rangers that sent Alfonso Soriano to Texas and secured the arrival of reigning American League MVP Alex Rodriguez.
Other teams in the AL East were active this winter as well. The Toronto Blue Jays signed nine pitchers over the course of the winter, to add to an already strong rotation led by Cy Young winner Roy Halladay. Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke have joined Pedro Martinez in Boston this spring, and will aid in the search for an AL East title.
Anaheim looks to have the brightest future out of the west this season. With acquisitions like Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Guillen to beef up the offense, and Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar on the mound, they covered their bases this offseason.
In the National League, teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros stand out as immediate contenders. The Phillies picked up starting pitcher Eric Milton, reliever Tim Worrell, and snagged Billy Wagner to close this season.
Houston added a lot of depth to thier starting roatation when they signed Andy Pettite and got an added bonus as Roger Clemens returned from a short lived retirement to rejoin his old teammate. The Astros will need this depth on the mound in the tough NL Central with the likes of Mark Prior and the Chicago Cubs, and a renovated St.Louis team poised to strike.
The Arizona Diamondbacks look strong in the west, even after losing their number two starter. In the deal for Schilling they received three young pitching prospects, who should fill in nicely with the added run support of Richie Sexson.
The Bad
The Yankees didn’t have a perfect offseason. Even with the trade for Kevin Brown, many wonder if the offense can provide the run support for a rotation dealing with the loss of Pettite, Clemens, and David Wells.
The Oakland Athletics added Mark Redman to their already stellar rotation, but did nothing to improve their mediocre offense, losing Miguel Tejada in the process. They will have a tough time with division rival Anaheim looking so strong. The Rangers should still be occupying the cellar in the AL West, losing big bats A-Rod, Rafael Palmeiro, and Juan Gonzalez.
Even with some key acquisitions like Pudge Rodriguez, don’t expect too much from the Detroit Tigers. After having one of the worst seasons in Major League history, the Tigers did poorly in spring training, finishing last in the American League with an 11-15 mark.
The defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves lost long-time pitcher Greg Maddux, who is now on an excellent Chicago Cubs rotation. In the last few years, Atlanta has lost some of their pitching constants, Tom Glavine to the Mets, Kevin Millwood to Philly, and now Maddux. Coupled with the offensive losses of Javy Lopez and Gary Sheffield, this might not be the Braves’ year.
Others to Watch
Kazuo Matsui is the latest Japanese star to make the jump to America. The New York Mets signed the shortstop during the offseason. He was the ironman on the Seibu Lions, playing 1,143 straight games in an eight-year stretch.
Last but not least, don’t count out the defending champions. The Florida Marlins did not dump their roster like they did after their last World Series run. With young talent like Miguel Cabrera and World Series MVP Josh Beckett, the Marlins look poised to make a run at the NL East title.
