MLB Season Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays



Last Season's Standings: The Toronto Blue Jays were quite pleased with their perormance last season, after passing powerhouse Boston to finish 87-75, including an impressive 7-3 in their final ten games. The Jays finished 2nd in the AL East.

In: DH Frank Thomas (prev. team: Oakland A's); SP Tomo Ohka (prev. team: Washington Nationals); SP John Thomson (prev. team: Atlanta Braves); SP Jo Matumoto; RP Pete Walker; C Greg Zaun; SP Victor Zambrano (prev. team: NY Mets); C Sal Fasano (prev. team: NY Yankees); RF Alex Rios; LF Reed Johnson; SP/RP Scott Downs; SS Ray Olmeda (waiver pick-up); 1B Lyle Overbay; CF Vernon Wells; 2B/SS John McDonald; 2B Jason Smith (prev. team: Colorado Rockies); RF Matt Stairs (prev. team: Detroit Tigers); C Jason Philips; SS Royce Clayton (prev. team: Cincinatti Reds); RP Matt Roney (prev. team: Oakland A's);

Out: LF Frank Catalanotto (new team: Texas Rangers); RP Justin Speier (new team: LA Angels); SP Ted Lily (new team: Chicago Cubs); C Benjie Molina (new team: San Francisco Giants)

Starting Pitching: Roy "Doc" Halladay will once again be the ace of this pitching staff. He went 16-5 with a 3.19 ERA in 32 starts while racking up 132 strikeouts. As long as he stays off the DL and doesn't miss any starts to a troublesome right forearm, he should challenge for the Cy Young award. Simply put, he has an incredibly gifted right arm. He has a hot fastball that smokes by hitters at up to 97 mph and a knuckle-curve that makes righties look like Little Leaguers. He's got tremendous intensity and drive on the mound. Base runners seem to distract him a bit and the longball is a problem at times (19 balls left the park off him last season). A second potential ace, though less consistent in A.J. Burnett will follow "doc" in the rotation. He went 10-8 with a 3.98 ERA despite missing the first 2 months of the 2006 season to a right elbow injury caused by scar tissue stemming from a Tommy John surgery earlier in his career. Burnett has worked very hard on his delivery. He has three main pitches that he throws quite effectively: a mid-90's fastball, change-up and a dizzying curve. His bat is proving to be a major asset as well. Command has been an issue for Burnett, but it is improving. His biggest flaw is a tendency to lose focus and he occasionally has trouble pitching from the stretch. He must pitch to his potential if the Jays are to compete this season. After Halladay and Burnett the rotation gets a little fuzzy starting with third year player and southpaw Gustavo Chacin, who went 9-4 with a 5.05 ERA in 19 starts despite missing 2.5 months last season to a similar elbow injury that Burnett went through. Working primarily with a low-90's heater and change-up, Chacin is really tough on left-handed hitters. His curveball too often falls flat and he needs to last beyond the sixth inning more often. Righty free agent signing Toma Ohka is slated to be the fourth starter. He was 4-5 with a 4.83 ERA in 18 starts with the Brewers. Like Burnett and Chacin, he missed 2+ months in 2006 wiith an injury, except it was to his back and not his pitching elbow. Ohka has good control and is economical with his pitches. He's not a power pitcher, but has good movement on his 92-mph fastball. When he starts to think he's a power pitcher, he gets in trouble. He must learn to bear down with runners on and two out and be less predictable on the first pitch. As a fifth starter, the Jays are taking a risk and going with Josh Towers, who had an atrocious year in 2006 going 2.8 with a brutal 8.42 ERA in 15 appearances, 12 of those being starts. In a lot of the starts he was hit hard early and out of the game before it was official in the fifth inning. The Jays sent him down to AAA Syracuse for three weeks from the end of May until the middle of June, where he received three or four more chances to start. He was then sent back to Syracuse until September, when he was recalled and relegated to the bullpen for his final 3 appearances. Towers must return to the form that bought him a 13-12 record with a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts in 2006. He had a great Spring Training and must now transfer those starts to the regular season. He's got magnificent command of the strike zone and manages to fool hitters despite a fastball that doesn't get much above 90-mph. He tends to give up more than his share of hits, but he's thrifty with the bases on balls (walking 17 batters last season) so it doesn't hurt him too much. He also tends to get too fine with control and that's when hitters catch up to him (17 balls went over the fence off him in 2006). Finally righty free agent signing John Thomson has also auditioned for a spot in the Jay's rotation, but it's unclear when he'll be able to pitch as he has discomfort in his pitching shoulder and is on the DL. This could be an extension of the shoulder problem that forced him to miss 2+ months. He went 2-7 with a 4.82 ERA in 18 appearances, 15 of those starts with the Braves in 2006. At times, he's had killer stuff against lefties, unafraid to bust them in tight. He's able to keep the ball low. Right-handed hitters generally spray his stuff all around the diamond and he tends to buckle under pressure in the late innings.

Bullpen: Southpaw B.J. Ryan will be the anchor of the bullpen. He didn't get much work in spring training due to a back injury, but it shouldn't cause much concern except perhaps a bit of rust in his first appearances. Ryan went 2-2 with a 1.37 ERA and 38 saves in 65 appearances in his first season as a Blue Jay. At 6-6, 260 pounds, he's huge and puts all his heft behind his fastball, making it almost impossible to see with his sneaky delivery. Left-handed hitters have yet to figure out how to handle him and he thrived under pressure. He's actually done a great job in recent years of improving on old flaws like wildness, giving up too many home runs (just 3 balls left the park off him in 2006) and streakiness. Setting him up will normally be righty Brandon League but he's working on a shoulder problem that caused his heater to drop a substantial 10 mph. He was 1-2 with a 2.53 ERA in 33 bullpen appearances last season. League's claim to fame is his ability to top the century mark on the radar gun. But it's the movement on his fastball and ability to back it up with a strong change-up and slider, that make him dominant. Even with that great heat, he's more of a ground ball pitcher than a strikeout guy (punched out 29 batters last season), which isn't a terrible flaw. In his absence righty Jason Frasor will take the hill in the eighth of a close game. He was 3-2 with a 4.32 ERA in 51 appearances last season. Despite his relatively small frame, Frasor cranks the heat into the mid-90's and his curveball can be unhittable. He can be very effective on consecutive days. Frasor struggles through the mid-summer dog days. Righty Jeremy Accardo, who went 1-1 with a 5.97 ERA in 27 appearances after being traded to the Jays midway through last season. Accardo can crank his heat into the mid-90's and has a promising slider. He tends to get stronger the more pitches he's thrown. Accardo has made some strides with his command, but he can always get better. Right-handed hitters pound him. Southpaw Scott Downs will serve as the lefty specialist and can pitch in middle relief as well as spot start if needed. He went 6-2 with a 4.09 ERA in 59 appearances, five of those being starts last season. When on his game, Downs throws strikes and keeps the ball down in the zone. He can be considered a typically crafty left-hander with great control and deception. When his pitches get up in the strike zone, he gets tatooed (just 9 balls left the park off him last season). Downs must show more resilience and a greater ability to log more innings. Righty Shawn Marcum, who went 3-4 with a 5.06 ERA in 21 appearances, 14 of them starts, should be a long man and entering his first full year in the bigs. Marcum has a nice slider to go with a 90-mph fastball, change and curve. He pitches tough and has good control. Left-handed hitters find him a little easier to hit. He needs to stay strong as his pitch count rises up over 80. In middle relief will be righty Casey Janssen, who went 6-10 with a 5.07 ERA in 19 appearaances, all but 2 being starts in 2006. Janssen throws a deep arsenal with good command, including a 90-mph 2-seamer, a slider, change-up and curveball. He induces a lot of groundballs. He doesn't have a real plus pitch. Janssen needs to stay strong with runners on and keep himself together in the second half. Rounding out the bullpen will be free agent signing Victor Zambrano who will fill in where necessary. He underwent Tommy John surgery last season and will be looking to stay healthy. Zambrano's arsenal is topped by a hard sinker and tough change-up. He's really murder on right-handed hitters and knows how to get out of trouble with runners on board. Command is his biggest problem, often falling behind in the count and giving away far too many free passes.

Designated Hitter: Free agent signing Frank "the big hurt" Thomas will be the clean-up hitter and should play between 135 and 155 games if healthy. Thomas hit .270 with 39 HR, 114 RBI, and a .545 slugging percentage last season. His mere presence is an asset. Opposing pitchers are intimidated when the 6-5, 275 pound Thomas stares them down at the plate. He can drive the ball to all fields with bone-crushing power and has a knack for getting on base any way possible. His bat and reaction time have slowed a touch, resulting in more strikeouts than usual (81 last season). Left-handers and finesse pitchers are giving him a hard time these days. Injuries are a concern. Backing him up will be Canadian Matt Stairs, who hit .247 with 13 HR and 51 RBI last season. Stairs draws power from his legs and manages to pummel the ball to all fields when he's on top of his game. He has deceptive speed buried in his squat body and can leg out doubles into triples when the opportunity arises. His power is monumental when he yanks the ball to right but pulling too much can get him into a rut where the defense knows exactly where to play him. Although he has deceptive speed, he has trouble reading pitchers' moves, so he won't steal a lot.

Catcher: Gregg Zaun will retain the starter's job after battling with the defensive-liability Bengie Molina all of last season for playing time. He hit .242 with 12 HR and 40 runs driven in last season. Zaun should bat seventh in the line-up and play between 125-135 games if healthy. He's a leader who handles pitchers very well. A disciplined switch-hitter, Zaun shows occasional power. Zaun tends to fade at the plate in the second half and falls flat in the clutch. He has little power against southpaws. Backing him up will be Jason Phillips, who hit .250 while driving in 6 runs as a September call-up last season. Phillips has the receiving skills of a #1 catcher in the majors. He's disciplined at the plate with a little power and hits righties and lefties equally well. He has a little trouble with breaking balls and doesn't run well.

First Baseman: The left-handed-doubles-hitting machine that is Lyle Overbay will bat 2nd and play 155+ games if healthy. He batted .312 with 22 HR and 92 RBI in 2006. Despite thje fact that he doesn't have monumental power, he has proven to be a good run producer. His discriminating eye at the plate and solid contact swing keeps him constantly on base. Again, his pure power has something to be desired and he slows down a bit in the second half. Providing the back-up will be either Phillips, Stairs or utility man Jason Smith, who hit .263 with 5 HR and 13 RBI as a September call-up last year.

Second Baseman: At second base will be youngster Aaron Hill, who hit .291 with 6 HR and 50 RBI last season. He'll likely bat eighth and play between 145-155 games if healthy. A hard worker, Hill's nice swing generates solid line drives with occasional power. He's disciplined at the plate and runs the bases well. Hill tends to slow down over the final couple of months. Backing him up will be utility men Smith or John McDonald, who hit .223 with 3 HR and 23 RBI last season. Throughout his pro career, McDonald's calling card has always been his defense, which is phenomenol. He can work for a walk and runs well. Not much bat at all. About all he can do is slap his way on with singles here and there.

Shortstop: At shortstop will be free agent signing Royce Clayton, who will bat 9th and play between 135-150 games if healthy. Clayton hit .258 with 2 HR, 40 RBI and 30 walks last season. Speed and defense make Clayton a shortstop pitchers love to have behind them. He has occasional pop in his bat. Impatience at the plate has led to Clayton striking out way too often (85 times in 2006). Age has robbed him of some of his base-stealing quickness. Smith and McDonald will provide the back-up

Third Baseman: Right power hitter Troy Glaus will be the main man at the hot corner, batting 5th and playing between 145-160 games if healthy. He hit .252 with 38 HR and 104 RBI last season. He may have the kind of big swing that makes him one of the top slugging third baseman in the majors, but he has a good eye at the plate as well. On top of that, he's a stellar defensive player, capable of mutiple Gold Gloves at the hot corner. His soulder injuries have become a big concern. Also, he strikes out a ton (a whopping 134 times in 2006), but his production balances it out. Backing him up will be Smith or Hill.

Left Fielder: Leadoff man Reed Johnson, who hit .319 with 12 HR and 49 RBI, while getting on base 39.0% of the times last season, will play between 130-145 games if healthy. Hustle is Johnson's strongest suit. He makes good, hard contact and hits well with runners in scoring position, slugging particularly well against lefties. He's a strong outfielder. His walks to strikeouts ratio (33:81 last season) is far from conductive to leading off and most of his struggles come against finesse-type pitchers and right-handers. Stairs will back him up.

Center Fielder: Vernon "V-Dub" Wells will start every game if healthy and bat 3rd in the order. He batted .303 with 32 HR, 106 RBI and 24 stolen bases last season. You could almost save the money on two other outfielders with the kind of range Wells has. He has a very strong arm as well. He's an aggressive line-drive hitter with power and RBI skills. Though he's speedy, he's not an aggressive base-stealer. He's a little too prone to the strikeout (struck out 90 times in '06) and not prone enough to taking a walk (walked 54 times last season). He tends to need protection in the line-up. Johnson will be the back-up.

Right Fielder: Finally, Alex Rios, who missed a month to a staph infection last season, will bat 6th and play between 135-145 games if healthy. He hit .302 with 17 HR, 82 RBI and 15 stolen bases last season. Rios' quick swing produces line drives to the opposite field and hid great speed turns doubles into triples. He has decent power and is a strong defensive outfielder. He needs to improve his overall consistency. Rios falls into ruts where he just can't hit anything. Johnson or Stairs will provide the back-up.

Season Prediction: The rotation after Burnett and maybe Chacin is a real question mark, as well as the bullpen leading up to Ryan. The Jays will finish third to the Red Sox and mighty Yankees.

MLB Season Preview: New York Yankees

New York Yankees



Last Season's Standings: The New York Yankees were once again the kings of the AL East, going 97-65, including .500 in their last ten games. Once again, they flubbed out in the Playoffs losing 3 games to one in the ALDS to the eventual WS runner-up Detroit Tigers.

In: 2B Miguel Cairo; C Raul Chavez (prev. team: Baltimore Orioles); SP Kei Igawa; 1B Doug Mientkiewicz (prev. team: Kansas City Royals); SP Mike Mussina; RP Jeff Nelson (signed, retired); SP Andy Pettite (prev. team: Houston Astros); C Todd Pratt (prev. team: Atlanta Braves); RP Ron Villone; RP Luis Vizcaino (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); SP Ross Ohlendorf (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); SP Steven Jackson (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); SS Alberto Gonzalez (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); 1B Juan Miranda; RP Chris Britton (via trade w/ Baltimore Orioles); SP Humberto Sanchez (via trade w/ Detroit Tigers); RP Anthony Clagget (via trade w/ Detroit Tigers); RP Kevin Whelan (via trade w/ Detroit Tigers)

Out: RF Gary Sheffield (via trade w/ Detroit Tigers); SP Randy Johnson (via trade w/ Arizona Diamondbacks); RP Jaret Wright (via trade w/ Baltimore Orioles); SP Corey Lidle (deceased); CF Bubba Crosby (new team: Cincinatti Reds); RP Octavio Dotel (new team: Kansas City Royals); C Sal Fasano (new team: Toronto Blue Jays); RP Aaron Small (new team: Seattle Mariners); RP Tanyon Sturtze (new team: Atlanta Braves)

Starting Pitching: Normally, Chien-Ming Wang will be the ace of this pitching staff, but he won't be available until at least the last week of April due to a hamstring pull. He went 19-6, including on save and a 3.63 ERA in 34 appearances, all but one being a start. Wang boasts a nice, mid-90's fastball, along with a solid slider and a splitter. He pitches well against hitters from both sides of the plate. Wang needs to get ahead in the count early in at-bats and has to work better from the stretch. In his absence, righty Carl Pavano, who has no pitched in the majors since 2001 because of various injuries will be looking to prove he's healthy again. He has the perfect pitcher's body at 6-5, 240 pounds. Pavano has nice, low-90's heat, with a slider and change-up and is able to pitch deep into his starts. He has been injury-prone. Left-handed hitters tend to beat him up and he needs to work on his effectiveness late in the game. Southpaw free agent signing Andy Pettitte will follow in the rotation. He is returning to the Yankees after spending the last 3 seasons in the Astros organization. He went 14-13 with a 4.20 ERA in an impressive 35 starts last season. Pettitte has one of the most devastating pick-off moves in the history of the game. He has good movement on all his pitches, especially his cutter that moves in on righties. Pettitte needs to keep his base runners down. He consustently averages over one hit per inning, which keeps him out of the elite class. Mike "Moose" Mussina is slated to pitch third in the rotation. He went 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 32 starts last season. Though his fastball can reach the mid-90's, it's not his strongest weapon. That title goes to his nasty knuckle-curve, ovr which he exhibits sterling control, as he does with all of his pitches. Defensively, having Mussina on the mound is like having a "short-shortstop" playing in the middle of the diamond and he can keep runners close to the bag. He's traditionally a bit of a slow starter and tends to have trouble with runners in scoring position. Japanese import Kei Igawa will be handed the ball fourth. He went 14-9 with a 2.97 ERA in 29 starts in 2006. Confident and aggressive, he knows how to use his low-90's heat to its best potential by changing speeds and mixing things up with a solid slider. Igawa eats up innings. Occasionally that heat is left up too high and gets mashed out of the park. The fifth and final starter, at least until Wang is healthy again will be rookie Darrel Rasner, who went 3-1 with a 4.43 ERA in 6 appearances, including 6 starts as a September call-up last season. He's likely heading to the minors once Wang returns.

Bullpen: Of course the Yankees bullpen ends with standout closer Mariano Rivera, who went 5-5, and notched 34 saves in 37 opportunities with a 1.80 ERA while walking just 11 batters last season. Rivera keeps the ball low, allowing his infielders to do their job and keeps the ball in the park with remarkable efficiency. He has a deceptive 96-mph fastball that darts around as though it's sliding on an oil slick. His only flaw, aside from a lackluster move to first, is that he's human and has the occasional bad game. Unfortunately, a bad game for a closer usually means the game. His primary set-up man, pitching in the eighth primarily, will be righty Kyle Farnsworth, who went 3-6, and notched 6 saves with a 4.36 ERA in 72 appearances in 2006. Farnsworth's heat has been known to top 100 mph and he combines it with a nasty 2-seamer and a cutting slider. He's become a strong strikeout pitcher. The longball has been a problem (just 8 balls left the park off him last season). Left-handed hitters hit him a little too well and he tends to need a few days' rest to be at his best. Pitching in middle relief is righty Scott Proctor, who was 6-4 with a 3.52 ERA in an impressive 83 appearances last season. He'll be relied on heavily again this season, as he's one of the the few pitchers Torre trusts to get to Rivera once the starter leaves the game. His great fastball has hit 100 mph and backs it up with a great change-up. He's equally effective against hitters from both sides. Proctor tends to leave his heater up, which leads to lots of home runs (12 last season). He's not good on consecutive days. Pitching the middle-late innings is righty trade acquisition Luis Vizcaino, who went 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 70 appearances with Arizona. Vizcaino throws very hard and retires hitters from both sides of the plate equally well. He can get out of tight spots. He tends to struggle through the firt half of the season and he gets burned by the longball too often (29 balls left the parkk off of him last season). For a lefty specialist, the Yankees have sidewinder Mike Myers, who went 1-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 62 appearances last season. He's just murder on lefties thanks in large part to his sidearm delivery and doesn't have much trouble with righties either. Even in his best years, his control has been faulty, so he gets into walk trouble (walked 10 batters last season). He's been known to be susceptible to the longball (3 balls left the park off him last season). Brian Bruney is entering what should be his first full season in the bigs. He went 1-1 with a miniscule 0.87 ERA in 19 appearances last season. Bruney has hit the century mark with his fastball, but pitches best in the mid-90's. He also has a strong slider and brings a tough demeanor to the mound. Bruney needs to get ahead in the count early more often and needs to work on his approach with runners aboard. Rounding out the bullpen will be rookie Sean Henn, who was 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA in 4 appearances as a September call-up last season. Righty Jeff Karsens will also start the year on the DL with an elbow injury, but due to lack of experience will be in the minors until September. He was 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA in 8 appearances, six of those being starts last season. Jose Veras, who had a 4.09 ERA in 12 games as a September call-up last season will start on the DL with an injury to his right elbow and then he'll join AAA Columbus. Starting on the DL with a right forearm strain will be rookie righty Humberto Sanchez who has no MLB experience to date and will be in Columbus.

Designated Hitter: The big lefty Jason Giambi will bat 5th in the order and play all 162 games if healthy. He hit .253 with 37 HR, 113 RBI, he walked 110 times, had a .553 slugging percentage and got on base 41.3% of the time last season. Giambi is an unflappable leader on and off the field. His maximum effort is there on every play and his seemingly boundless will and determination allows him to come through again and again in the clutch. Giambi has mammoth power and terrific plate discipline. He's not very fast on the base paths, though it doesn't really matter when he's hitting doubles and home runs. Josh Phelps may see time as the DH. He did not play at the major league level in 2006. Phelps brings loads of power and a knack for driving in runs. He makes consistent contact with a quick swing. He was groomed as a catcher, so you can rightly assume he can't run. His plate discipline just isn't improving like people hoped it would, keeping all his numbers down.

Catcher: Behind the plate will be the trusty Jorge Posada, who hit .277 with 23 HR and 93 RBI last season. He'll bat seventh and play between 135 and 145 games if healthy. Posada is a legitimate switch-hitting power hitter and has learned to go to the opposite field when batting left-handed, where he has more power. In the clutch, he's the guy you want at the plate. Posada tends to visibly wear down by September. He strikes out too much (97 times last season) and has a catcher's speed. Backing him up will be rookie Wil Nieves who is 0-6, including a strikeout in his six major league AB's.

First Baseman: The defensive-minded Doug Mientkiewicz will be the everyday first baseman, batting ninth. He hit .283 with 4 HR and 43 RBI for the Royals last season. He's a good line-drive hitter who will hit a lot of doubles to the gap. His biggest asset, however, is his superb play at first base, with soft hands, good range and a surprisingly strong arm for a first baseman. He simply can't take advantage of RBI opportunities and has little pure power. He's not a great base runner. Phelps or Giambi will back him up.

Second Baseman: Third year player Robinson Cano, who hit an impressive .342 with 15 HR and 78 RBI last season, will bat eighth and play between 125 and 135 games if healthy. Cano has a quick swing that allows him to line fastballs around the field. He mauls righties. He's also got improving power and a good arm at second. Cano doesn't run terribly well and could stand to improve his approach against southpaws and with runners in scoring positions. Utility man Miguel Cairo, who hit .239 with 30 RBI last season will provide the back-up. If all pitchers were right-handed, he'd be an everyday infielder again. He's surprisingly adept at hitting with runners in scoring position. He has no power and doesn't see breaking balls very well.

Shortstop: All-star MVP runner-up and team captain Derek Jeter will bat in his usual second spot and should play between 150-160 games if healthy. He hit .344 with 14 HR , 97 RBI, scored 118 times, stole 34 bases and got on base 41.7% of the time last season. Jeter is a phenomenol clutch player. On the bases, he has good speed and instincts and he runs like his job depends on it. In the field, he has tremendous instincts and is one of the best at ranging out into left and center field to grab bloopers. Though he generally sprays the ball all over the field, most of his ground balls are to the left side, which makes it easy for opposition infields to set up. And despite is overall hitting smarts, he still strikes out way too much (102 times in 2006). Cairo will back him up.

Third Baseman: Alex "A-Rod", but sometimes called "E-Rod" due to the number of errors he accumulates (24 errors last season) Rodriguez will bat clean-up and play all 162 games if healthy. He hit .290 with 35 HR, 121 RBI, scored 113 times and was a dysmal 1-14 in the playoffs. Despite his numbers, calling him the best all-around player in the game is not too far of a stretch. He hits for power and average, has speed and is capable of excellent defense and has a cannon arm. His running game is becoming less of a threat not that it seems to affect his overall performance. This could be A-Rod's last season in the Bronx. Cairo will back him up.

Left Fielder: Hideki Matsui, who suffered the first major injury of his career (a broken wrist requiring him to miss 4 months of the season. He'll bat 6th and play every game if healthy. He hit .302 with 8 HR and 29 RBI last season. He's a disciplined hitterwho hits for power and knows how to drive in runners. Matsui hits lefties and righties equally well. He tends to be a streak hitter and he doesn't have much speed. Backing him up will be Melky Cabrera, who hit .280 with 7 HR and 50 RBI last season. Cabrera is a switch-hitter who's consistent from both sides, with more power as a lefty. He lines the balls into the gaps and has worked very hard to become a disciplined hitter. Cabrera has below-average power and is not better than an average fielder in the outfield.

Center Fielder: Leading off and playing between 145-160 games if healthy. Damon batted .285 with 24 HR, 80 RBI, scored 115 times and stole 25 bases last season. Possessing one of the league's quickest bats, Damon is nearly impossible to strike out in key situations. He is one of the better speed-and-power threats. In the field, while strong with the glove, his arm is below average. Cabrera will back-up.

Right Fielder: Finally Bobby Abreu will bat 3rd in the line-up and play 155+ games if healthy. He hit .297 with 15 HR, 107 RBI, walked 124 times, and got on base 42.4% of the time last season between the Phillies and Yankees. Abreu demonstrates tremendous patience at the dish. The sweet-swinging outfielder can jack it out over any wall. He is a very smart base-stealer and his exceptional arm has gunned down more than a few runners. He strikes out a lot (138 times last season) but balances it out with walks. His power can be very inconsistent. Backing him up will be Cabrera.

Season Prediction: The Yankees are simply too rich to defeat. They have a strong line-up top-to-bottom, strong pitching, both starters and relievers. They don't have a lot of depth with back-ups. However, if there are long-term injuries, GM Brian Cashman wil gladly trade a top prospect for more talent. Unfortunately, this strategy has not worked in the Playoffs, but will all but certainly lead to yet another AL East title.

MLB Season Preview: Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox


Last Season's Standings: The Boston Red Sox finished the 2006 season with a record of 86-76, including .500 in their final ten games to finish 3rd in the AL East.

In: SP Adam Bernero (prev. team: Kansas City Royals); SS Alex Cora; RF J.D. Drew (prev. team: LA Dodgers); SP Runelvys Hernandez (prev. team: Kansas City Royals); RP Travis Hughes (prev. team: Washington Nationals); SS Julio Lugo (prev. team: LA Dodgers); SP Diasuke Matsuzaka; 2B Joe McEwing (prev. team: Houston Astros); C Doug Mirabelli; SP Joel Pineiro (prev. team: Seattle Mariners); CF Kerry Robinson (prev. team: Kansas City Royals); RP J.C. Romero (prev. team: LA Angels); RP Mike Timlin; SP Tim Wakefield; RF Wily Mo Pena; RP Brendan Donnelly; SP Kyle Snyder; C Alberto Castillo; 1B Jeff Bailey; 2B Luis Jiminez; SS Ed Rogers

Out: RP Keith Foulke (new team: Cleveland Indians); SS Alex Gonzalez (new team: Cincinatti Reds); CF Willie Harris (new team: Atlanta Braves); C Ken Huckaby (new team: LA Dodgers); RF Gabe Kapler (retired); 2B Mark Loretta (new team: Houston Astros); C Corky Miller (new team: Atlanta Braves); RF Trot Nixon (new team: Cleveland Indians); 1B Carlos Pena (new team: Tampa Bay Devil Rays)

Starting Pitchers: The aging Curt Schilling, who went 15-7 with a 3.98 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 31 starts last season. Obviously, his fastball is top-notch, but he's also got an impressive array of off-speed pitches to get batters out. Schilling is a consistent control pitcher who is mentally tough. Schilling's competitive nature allows him to pitch through pain and on short rest. His one major weakness continues to be getting burned by the longball (28 balls sailed over the fence when he was on the mound in 2006), but even in those cases he allows so few base runners that even home runs don't hurt him too much. Following him in the rotation will be righty Josh Beckett. He went 16-11 with a 5.01 ERA while allowing a career-high 36 HR in 33 starts last season. He hasa nasty repertoire that includes mid-90's heat, a good change-up and a jaw-dropping curve -- not to mention poise. Every once in a while he'll hang a pitch and it'll get knocked out of the park. Blisters have been his biggest problem. Perhaps the most anticipated free agent signing of the 2006 free agent season in Japanese import Diasuke "Dice-K" Matsuzaka will be the third man in the rotation for the Red Sox. In his final year in the Japanese league, he went 17-5, including 13 complete games with a 2.13 ERA and 200 punch-outs in 25 starts. Dice-K is a real competitor on the mound. The comand of his low-mid-90's heater is impressive. He also has a slurvy curve (arguably his best pitch), sinker and forkball but often gets by with just the command of his fastball. Every once in a while his great curve hangs and gets blasted. The fourth starter will be aging knuckle-baller Tim Wakefield, who went 7-11 with a 4.63 ERA in 23 starts in 2006. The unpredictable movement of his knuckleball is his biggest asset, when it's working. It can make his straight 78-mph fastball look like big heat. He's a versatile pitcher who can pitch deep into a game and come back on short notice thanks to the easy knuckleball delivery. The unpredictable movement of his knuckleball is also his biggest flaw, when it's off. Holding runners on is not his forte at all. Finally, when the Red Sox need a fifth starter, Julian Tavarez will be the go-to guy. He was 5-4 with a 4.47 ERA in 58 appearances, 6 of those being starts last season. Tavarez has three good pitches (fastball, slider, change-up) and keeps the ball down, forcing hitters to beat the ball into the ground rather than lift it in the air. His biggest flaw is definitely his hot head, which can severely affect his command. There are a couple of other options to start in southpaw Jon Lester, who will start on the DL while recovering from cancer and start in A-class Greenville Drive. He went 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 starts before being diagnosed with cancer in 2006. Lester is a big lefty with a nasty fastball/slider/change-up arsenal. He's generally poised on the mound. His command lapses at times and he can be surprisingly easy for left-handed batters to pick-up. Righty Matt Clement will also start the year on the DL, and will likely be out for the bulk of the year after shoulder surgery in October of '06. Clement was 5-5 with a 6.61 ERA in 12 starts in 2006 before he was shut down for the remainder of the 2006 season. He's predominately a ground-ball pitcher, Clement throws an exceptional 2-seamer, a slurve, and an effective change-up. He's particularly effective against right-handed hitters and can put an end to a team's running game. Clement has been known to have problems controlling his darting arsenal of pitches. He tends to struggle a bit with runners on board.

Bullpen: Once again Johnathon Papelbon will assume the role of closer, but for how long will be dependent on how his shoulder holds up to the pressure of pitching so often. He went 4-2, notched 35 saves in 41 opportunities and had a miniscule 0.92 ERA in 59 appearances last season. Papelbon has a mid-90's fastball that darts as it approaches the plate, which he throws with great command. He adds a great splitter, the ability to be nasty on short rest out of the 'pen and the toughness to close. If he cut back on the amount of leadoff hits he allows, he'd be even more devastating. He doesn't have complete command of his off-speed stuff. Setting him up in the eighth will normally be Mike Timlin, but he's on the DL until the April 10th home opener with a strained oblique muscle. He was 6-6 with a 4.36 ERA and notched nine saves in 68 appearances in '06. Timlin doesn't back down from any hitter and is aggressive with all his pitches. He has mid-90's heat and a terrific slider that makes him tough on right-handed hitters. Timlin has a tendency to give up big hits at the wrong time. His mental make-up has cost him a closer's job in the majors more than once; he lacks confidence under pressure. Free agent signing Joel Pineiro will be a second option as a late innings reliever. He went 8-13 with a bad 6.36 ERA in 40 appearances that included 25 starts and a save. He keeps the ball in the park with disorienting movement on his low-90's fastball and effective change-up, but its his swooping curve that does most of the damage. Pineiro spends a little too much time concentrating on the base runners and ends up getting beat up by the batter. He needs to improve his endurance. A third option to setup and possible middle relief and likely to enter the ball game in the seventh is righty trade acquisition signing Brendan Donnelly, who went 6-0 with a 3.94 ERA in 62 appearances last season with the LA Angels. Donnelly is a thrower with hard heat and decent control, right-handed hitters are constantly baffled by his stuff. He has the endurance to pitch on consecutive days. He becomes slightly less effective with runners on and when he has to pitch from the stretch. Free agent signing and southpaw J.C. Romero will be a setup option from the left side. He went 1-2 with a bad 6.70 ERA in 65 appearances with the Angels in 2006. He can rack up the strikeouts thanks to a low-90's fastball with good movement. Romero has a nice slider that retires lefties. He fallsbehind in the count way too often thanks to his shoddy command. Rookie Javier Lopez is hoping to be entering his first full season in the bigs. He was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 27 appearances last season. He throws a couple of different sliders from different arm angles, making him tough on left-handed hitters. Lopez is strong with runners in scoring position and can pitch on consecutive days. His velocity rarely pops out of the mid-80's, he's had command problems, and he has trouble against righties. A second rightie who has made the team and will be looking to stick around for the entire season is longman Kyle Snyder, who went 4-5 with a brutal 6.56 ERA in 17 appearances, 11 of them being starts last season. He can throw strikes with his mid-90's heat, curveball and change-up. His size gives him an edge. He's now had two surgeries on his right arm, so durability is a concern. Snyder has trouble when behind in the count. Rounding out the bullpen will be left-handed Japanese import Hideki Okajima who was 2-2 with a 2.14 ERA in 55 appearances last season in the Japanese league.

Designated Hitter: David "Big Papi" Ortiz will bat third and play 155+ games if healthy. He hit .287 with 54 HR, 137 RBI, walking 119 times, accumulating 355 total basess and finishing with a .656 slugging percentage last season. Every season, he's in the top 3 for MVP, but that's arguable whether he deserves the award since the only time he plays in the field is during interleague play and I suppose if the Red Sox make it back to the worls series. Power, power and more power. He can hit the ball out of the park to all fields, even in the clutch, and has surprising plate discipline for a big slugger. He's a very slow base runner who just looks bad on defense. Southpaws give him some trouble.

Catcher: Captain Jason Varitek will once again get the bulk of the starts behind the plate. He'll bat seventh in the line-up and play between 135 and 145 games if healthy. He missed the month of August to knee surgery in 2006. Varitek hit .238 with 12 HR and 55 RBI last season. Varitek is a great leader. He's a switch hitter with good power, most of it for doubles, and that's always an asset. In general, he hits well from both sides. Behind the plate, he's known for his poise and knowledge of opposing hitters. He'll flail at pitche way up and way down in the strike zone. He's useless with the bases loaded. Backing him up and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's primary catcher is Dan Mirabelli. He hit .191 with 6 HR and 25 RBI last season. Behind the plate, Maribelli is a solid, dependable player. For a big guy he does well to get from a crouch to a throwing position so quickly. He has a strong and accurate arm and good power at the plate. A below-average hitter, Maribelli shows very little patience and has a tendency to chase pitches low and away. Imagine the typical catcher's speed and then think less.

First Baseman: Batting second and playing between 145 and 155 games if healthy will be Kevin Youkilis. He hit .277 with 13 HR and 72 RBI, scored 100 times and had 42 doubles in 2006. He's nicknamed "the Greek god of walks" for his incredible plate discipline. He's also got a steady line-drive swing that allows him to pound out doubles and his share of homers. He has a good glove at first base. Youkilis has base-clogging legs. He has struck out way too often as a big leaguer (120 times last season). Reserve man Eric Hinske will be the back-up. He hit .271 with 13 HR and 34 RBI with both the Blue Jays and the Red Sox last season. He's got decent power at the plate, along with the patience to hang in for a walk. He's even got surprising speed for a corner infielder and has grown into a strong and versatile fielder. He'll pile up a lot of strikeouts (79 in '06) and tends to lapse into mechanical difficulties with his swing. Far from growing, his power has actually regressed. As mentioned, Ortiz will break out a first baseman's glove for interleague play.

Second Baseman: Batting ninth and playing between 125 and 135 games if healthy is rookie Dustin Pedroia, who hit .191 with 2 HR and 7 RBI as a September call-up last season. The stocky little contact hitter rarely strikes out (just seven times in 2006). He also has great instincts and is a strong fielder at second or short, but better at second. The reason he's better at second is because his arm isn't the strongest. He doesn't have great legs on the bases, nor does he have much power. Utility man Alex Cora will back him up. He hit .238 with 1 HR and 18 RBI last season. Cora is an above-average fielder. He has the speed to go deep in the holes and the agility to turn tight double plays. Cora is a free-swinger, which results in a lot of strikeouts (struck out 29 times last season). Although quick in the field and around the bases, he can't read pitchers well enough to be a stolen-base threat.

Shortstop: Free agent signing Julio Lugo will bat leadoff and play 155+ games if healthy (he missed a month last season to an abdominal injury). Lugo hit .278 with 12 HR, 37 RBI and 24 stolen bases with the Devil Rays and Dodgers in 2006. He is a solid, run-producing player. He's got the base-running speed and smarts to steal and burn for extra bases. His defense is spotty at best. His plate discipline has been shoddy, but he's shown improvements. Cora or Pedroia will provide the back-up.

Third Baseman: At the hot corner, batting 6th and playing between 150-160 games if healthy is Mike Lowell, who hit .284 with 20 HR and 80 RBI last season. He is a solid defensive player with good power and RBI instincts, crushing the ball whether it comes from a left or right arm. He is a strong clubhoue-leader type. He's got to be sure of extra bases in order to get there with his plodding gait. Though he can make the plays he gets to, he lacks a quick first step to grab the balls a lot of other can get to. Hinske and Cora will provide the back-up.

Left Fielder: Manny "Man-Ram" Ramirez will bat clean-up, play between 15-160 games if healthy and should make at least one or two trade requests, as that's Manny being Manny. He hit .321 with 35 HR, 102 RBI, he got on base 43.9% of the time and has a .619 slugging percentage last season. As far as his bat goes, the question is, "What can't he do?". His smooth swing and long reach allow him to smash balls to all fields. He salivates with runners in scoring position and drives them home with Ruthian efficiency. And he does it all in the clutch too. Imagine how unstoppable he'd be if he cut down on his strikeouts (102 in 2006) and put more of those balls in play. Aside from that, he has a tendency to lose his focus on defense and on the bases. Willy Mo Pena will provide the back-up. He hit .301 with 11 HR and 42 RBI while missing 2 months of last season with various injuries. Pena has great size and five-tool ability, excelling with runners aboard. Combined with his drive, he projects to be a formidable player. There isn't a pitch he doesn't like to swing at, particularly against righties. Unfortunately, his bat doesn't always make contact on those swings, piling up the K's (struck out 90 times last season). His defense is a work in progress.

Center Fielder: The speedy Coco Crisp will bat eighth and play up to 145 games if healthy. He hit .264 with 8 HR and 36 RBI in 2006. Crisp has fleet feet on the bases and a steady swing with growing power. He's a strong bunter with a steady bat which he uses to slap the ball into the gaps and down the lines for extra bases. He's much weaker from the left side as a switch hitter. Crisp needs to improve his overall defense. Pena will back him up.

Right Fielder: Finally, free agent signing J.D. Drew will bat fifth and play between 145 and 155 games if healthy. With the Dodgers last season, Drew hit .283 with 20 HR and 100 RBI. Drew is the complete package. He has a cannon for an arm, plenty of speed and tons of power. He's also become a terrific hitter with runners in scoring position. Though he's gifted with natural speed, injuries are doing their best to slow him down. He struggles terribly against left-handers, especially for power. Hinske and Pena will provide the back-up.

Season Prediction: The Red Sox have a strong rotation and great line-up, but the question mark will be getting from the starters to Papelbon. The Yankees ultimately have too much money and thus the Red Sox will finish second in the AL East.

MLB Season Preview: Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles

Last Season's Standings: The Baltimore Orioles were 70-92, including 4-6 in their last ten games, to finish the '06 season in 4th in the ever competitive AL East.

In: RP Danys Baez (prev. team: Atlanta Braves); C Paul Bako (prev. team: Kansas City Royals); RP Chad Bradford (prev. team: NY Mets); SS Chris Gomez; 3B Aubrey Huff (prev. team: Houston Astros); 1B Kevin Millar; RF Jay Payton (prev. team: Oakland A's); SP Steve Trachsel (prev. team: NY Mets); RP Jamie Walker (prev. team: Detroit Tigers); RP Todd Williams; RP Scott Williamson (prev. team: San Diego Padres); SP Jaret Wright (prev. team: NY Yankees); SP Erik Bedard; CF Corey Patterson; RP Paul Shuey; 2B Brian Roberts; RF Nick Markakis; RP Jeremy Guthrie (waiver claim); RP Jim Miller (via trade w/ Colorado Rockies); RP Jason Burch (via trade w/ Colorado Rockies); SP Daniel Cabrera; SS Freddie Bynum (via trade w/ Chicago Cubs)

Out: SP Rodrigo Lopez (via trade w/ Colorado Rockies); RP Winston Abreu (new team: Washington Nationals); C Raul Chavez (new team: NY Yankees); SP Bruce Chen (new team: Texas Rangers); 1B Howie Clark (new team: San Diego Padres) RP Eric DuBose (new team: Colorado Rockies); RP LaTroy Hawkins (new team: Colorado Rockies); LF David Newhan (new team: NY Mets); SP Russ Ortiz (new team: San Fracisco Giants); RP Eddy Rodriguez (new team: Florida Marlins); 3B Fernando Tatis (new team: LA Dodgers); CF Luis Terrero (new team: Chicago White Sox)

Starting Pitching: Canadian righty Erik Bedrard, who went 15-10 with a 3.76 ERA while striking out 171 batters in 33 starts last season. Bedard is a hard worker who boasts good low-90's heat and a strong curveball. He works well with runners in scoring position and retires hitters from both sides with equal ease. He still needs to work on his endurance a little. He's prone to month-long slumps here and there. Hopefully his first start of the season is not a sign of one of those slumps, he allowed 6 earned runs on ten hits while walking 2 and striking out 3 in 4.2 innings. Daniel Cabrera will follow him in the rotation. He went 9-10 with a 4.74 ERA while striking out 157 and walking a brutal 104 in 26 starts last season. His enormous size gives him impressive heat that tops out in the mid-90's and he adds a solid slider and a change-up. Cabrera has good endurance for a young pitcher. By far his biggest problem lies in consistently throwing strikes, not to mention consistency in general. He's weak with runners in scoring position. Trade acquisition Jaret Wright will be third in the rotation. He went 11-7 with a 4.49 ERA in 30 appearances, 27 of them being starts last season with the Yankees. The big righty generates ample power with his ample frame, topping out at about 97 mph. He throws a two-seamer as well as a four-seamer, plus a change-up. His bulky frame keeps him from having the endurance you like to see in a big starter. It took him until 2004 to find a comfortable set of mechanics. The fourth starter will be Canadian righty Adam Loewen, who went 6-6 with a 5.37 ERA in 22 appearances, nineteen of those beings starts, last season. His darting fastball approaches the mid-90's, and he adds an impressive curve. The lefty is effective against hitters from both sides. He needs to improve his approach with runners on, especially in scoring position. Command can be an issue, and he needs to improve his stamina. The fifth and final starter will be righty free agent signing Steve Trachsel, who was 15-8 with a 4.97 ERA in 30 starts in '06. Trachsel has a deep pitch selection from which to choose. He's a smart pitcher with good control. Trachsel loves to mix up two-seamers and four-seamers and his splitter induces a lot of ground balls. Also, he's a great fielder. Trachsel needs to have great command or else he's completely ineffective because he can't throw the ball past anyone. It seems he gets rattled early and too often is out of the game by the time the fifth or sixth inning rolls around. He doesn't have a good pick-off move

Bullpen: Anchoring this bullpen and closing out close games in the ninth will be righty Chris Ray, who was 4-4 and saved 33 games in 38 opportunities while picking up a 2.73 earned run average in 61 games played in 2006. Hitters have trouble making solid contact on his moving, mid-90's heat. He adds a slider and occasional splitter, plus the toughness to pitch well with the game on the line. When left-handed hitters get a hold of him, they hot him very hard. The left-handed specialist will be Jamie Waler, who went 0-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 56 appearances last season. Setting up Ray in the eighth will be righty Danys Baez, who went 5-6 and notched 9 saves with a 4.53 ERA in 57 appearances with the Dodgers and Braves last season. Baez throws a nice mid-90's fastball with good movement and an ever-improving curveball. He's very effective pitching in tight spots, especially in the late innings. He's been known to have problems with his mechanics so he has to be sure not to tinker with a good thing. Free agent signing and sidewinder Chad Bradford will be a second option as a setup man. He went 4-2 with a 2.90 ERA in 70 appearances with the Mets last season. He can work himself out of tight spots and is durable enough to pitch well on consecutive days. Bradford keeps the ball in the park by inducing grounders. Left-handed hitters tend to smack him around and he tires late in the season. Free agent signing Scott Williamson is good for both middle relief and later innings relief. He went 2-4 with a 5.72 ERA in 42 appearances, split between the Cubs and Padres (he missed two months of the season to an elbow injury). He throws a rising upper-90's fastball, an impressive splitter, a solid slider and a change-up. He mixes his pitches well, enabling him to retire hitters from both sides of the plate consistently. His killer splitter puts a lot of strain on his elbow, which is a concern, especially considering his history of injuries. He doesn't have much of a pick-off move, so runners like to see him on the mound. Waiver pick-up Jeremy Guthrie is hoping to impress his new team and show them he was a good pick-up. He'll be a long man who can spot start. He had a bad 6.98 ERA in 9 appearances, eight of those being starts, with the Indians last season. Guthrie can crank the heat into the mid-90's, keeping it low. He also adds a nice slider and change-up. He's prone to losing his command, leading to many walks (15 last season) and home runs (2 balls left the park against him last season). Rounding out the bullpen will be lefty John Parrish, who is back in the majors after basically missing the last 2 seasons to Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow. He's got some heat for his small stature. Parrish is stingy with the longball and is strong with runners aboard. If the plate were four feet wide, then you might be able to say he has good control. He needs at least 2 days' rest to be effective.

Designated Hitter: The primary DH will be the left-handed hitting Kevin Millar, who hit .272 with 15 HR and 64 RBI last season. He'll bat 7th in the line-up and play between 135-150 games if healthy. At the plate and in the clubhouse, if there's a job to be done, Millar is up to the task. He can really come through with runners aboard and is generally a smarter base-runner. Backing him up will be Jay Gibbons, who hit .277 with 13 HR and 46 RBI last season.

Catcher: The every day behind the plate will normally be Roberto Hernandez, but he'll likely start the season on the DL with a strained oblique muscle. He hit .275 with 23 HR and 91 RBI while getting on base 34.3% of the time last season. Hernandez has very good plate knowledge as a hitter, with quick hands and the ability to deliver with two strikes on him. He also hassome pop in his bat. He still lacks the proper footwork to be sound defensively and will only go as far as his bat will take him. Backing him up will be veteran back-up Paul Bako, who hit .209 while driving in 10 runs last season. Bako missed a month himself last season with a strained oblique muscle. Bako is very solid defensively. He reads the game well and has a good command of his pitchers when he's behind the plate. Bako understands his role and is a good leader in the clubhouse. He'll never contend for any batting titles, to say the least. His strikeout rate is shockingly high (he struck out 46 times in '06) and he canstantly fails to get the job done with runners on board. A third option at catcher is Alberto Castillo, who will be sent down to the minors once Hernandez is back and healthy again. He hit .208 with 1 HR and 14 RBI in 2006. He knows how to handle pitchers and has a wicked arm. Castillo is a smart player who can come off the bench to lay down a key bunt. He's a very slow runner, scant power and a bat that barely keep him over the Mendoza line.

First Baseman: Batting fifth and playing between 130-162 games if healthy is Aubrey Huff, who hit .267 with 21 HR and 66 RBI with both the Devil Rays and the Astros in 2006. Huff is the prototypical power-hitting corner infielder. He can hit for power and average and can spray the ball around the field. All this and he can turn his motor up a notch in the clutch and play outfield corners. Though he's generally a disciplined hitter, he tends to rack up a lot of strikeouts (64 last season) and his lack of speed can clog up the bases. He's just not great with the glove. Providing the back-up will be either Millar or Chris Gomez. There's no way around it: Millar is a mess in the field. He doesn't have the range or arm to play outfield on a regular basis and the same applies for the infield corners. As for Gomez, he hit .341 with 2 HR and 17 RBI last season. The best and worst you can say about his defensive game is that he's steady. He's fairly patient at the plate and hits righties fairly well, with occasional pop. His wonky knees have slowed down his running game and cut his range in the field. His bat isn't quick enough to get around on really tough stuff.

Second Baseman: Batting leadoff and playing between 135 and 160 games if healthy will be Brian Roberts. He hit .286 with 10 HR, 85 runs and 36 stolen bases and 55 runs driven in. The speedy switch hitter has superb base-stealing instincts. He's a good contact hitter with a good eye at the plate. He has some struggles as a right-handed hitter. He's not a bad bunter but would benefit by doing it a bit more often. Gomez and utility man Freddie Bynum will provide the back-up. Bynum batted .257 with 4 HR and 12 RBI last season. He'll likely be playing his first full season in the bigs.

Shortstop: Iron man Miguel Tejada has not missed a game in 6 seasons and there is no reason to think he won't play all 162 games again, while batting clean-up. He hit .330 with 33 HR, 100 RBI and 37 doubles in 2006. Tejada is a power hitter who waits for the right pitch to deposit into the stands. He's the kind of hitter you want up with runners in scoring position and he's very durable. Though his defense is at times spectacular, he still has his share of trouble at shortstop. His patience at the plate has lapsed in recent years. Gomez and Bynum will back him up if he gets injured or needs a rest.

Third Baseman: At the hot corner and batting second will be speedster Melvin Mora, who will play 155+ games if healthy. He hit .274 with 16 HR and 83 RBI in 2006. A fairly reliable power hitter, he's got good speed and is a dangerous first-pitch fastball hitter. Defensively, he's shown good range both in the infield and outfield. He must learn to pick his spots both on the bases and with the bat. Though he can drive in runs from a run-producing lineup spot, he could do much better. Gomez and Huff wil back-up.

Left Fielder: Normally Jay Payton will be the everyday left fielder, but he's unavailable due to a pulled hammy. He hit .296 with 10 HR and 59 RBI last season. Payton is an excellent contact hitter with some gap power. He'll work the count in his favor and he's an excellent runner who can be a force on the base paths. While a fine runner, Payton does need to work on his base-stealing techniques. Payton struggles in clutch situations. In his absence, Gibbons will be the starting left-fielder, batting 6th. Huff and Bynum will provide the back-up.

Center Fielder: The speedy Corey Patterson will bat ninth and play between 135 and 145games if healthy. He hit .276 with 16 HR and 53 RBI while stealing a career-high 53 stolen bases last season. Patterson is a great base-runner and has good power that will only get better. He's also got the arm and the range to play center field with the best of them. He just wants to go out and hit the ball to Pluto, no matter how often he strikes out (94 times last season) or how rarely he gets on base as a result. Though he improved in '06, he's earned a stubbornness tag. Bynum will be his back-up.

Right Fielder: Finally, sophomore Nick Markakis, who is entering his second full season in the majors will bat 3rd and play between 145 and 155 games if healthy. He hit .291 with 16 HR and 62 RBI in his rookie campaign. Markakis has almost everything: line drive power to all fields, a consistent bat, a strong arm and great instincts. He hits well against pitchers from both sides and with runners on. The one area in which Markakis does not excel is in base-running and base-stealing, though he is a fast enough runner; it'll just take some work. Backing him up will be either Huff or Bynum.

Season Prediction: The Orioles can't compete this year because their pitching staff is a huge question mark outside of ace Bedard, and he's even prone to slumps. The rest of the rotation has injury questions or consistency issues. The Orioles will struggle to a fourth place finish in the competitive AL East.

MLB Season Preview: Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Last season's Standings: In 2006, the Devil Rays went 61-101, including 3-7 in their final ten games to finish in the basement of the AL West.

In: RP Steve Andrade (prev. team: Kansas City Royals); RP Scott Dohman (prev. team: Kansas City Royals); CF Dustan Mohr (prev. team: Detroit Tigers); 3B Greg Norton; 1B Carlos Pena (prev. team: Boston Red Sox); SP Jae Kuk Ryu (via trade w/ Chicago Cubs); C Casanova; RP Shinji Mori; 3B Brendan Harris (via trade w/ Cincinatti Reds); SP Doug Waechter; RP Gary Glover (prev. team: Milwaukee Brewers); RP Al Reyes (prev. team: St. Louis Cardinals); LF Jason Grabowski (prev. team: LA Dodgers); 3B Akinori Iwamura; 1B Hee-Sop Choi (prev. team: Boston Red Sox); SS Jorge Velandia; SP Tony Peguero; C Yamid Haad; 3B Ty Wiggington; SP Seth McClung

Out: LF Andrew Lopez (via trade w/ Chicago Cubs); SP Greg Reinhard (via trade w/ Chicago Cubs); RP Jesus Colome (new team: Washington Nationals); RP Scott Dunn (new team: Oakland A's); SP Travis Harper (released); RP Brian Meadows (new team: Cincinatti Reds); SS Tomas Perez (new team: Chicago Cubs); RP Tyler Walker (new team: San Francisco Giants)

Starting Pitching: Righty Scott Kazmir will be the staff ace of this young pitching staff. He went 10-8 with a 3.24 ERA over 24 starts with 163 strikeouts. Kazmir boasts heat that tops out around 97 mph and regularly pitches in the mid-90's. He also has a great slider and emerging change-up. He has some work to do on his command and endurance. Aside from that, he needs to work on his curveball and his approach against right-handed hitters. Following him in the rotation will be second-year player James Shields, who went 6-8 with a 4.84 ERA in 21 starts in 2006. His arsenal leads off with a great change-up, backed by 93-mph heat and a solid curve. He tends to rely too much on his change-up. Righties hit him very well and he needs to keep his good stuff past the fifth inning. Southpaw Casey Fossum is slated to be the third starter in the rotation. He went 6-6 with a high 5.33 ERA in 25 starts in 2006. He's got good command over his entire arsenal, which includes low-90's heat and a nasty slider that keeps the ball on the ground. There is concern that his slender build will make him particularly injury-prone down the road and it has also led to endurance problems. The fourth starter will likely be righty Jae Seo, who was a brutal 3-12 with a 5.33 ERA in 36 appearances, 26 of those being starts. Seo owns a terrific splitter and a strong change-up to back up low-90's heat. He throws strikes and is tough on left-handed hitters. Right-handed hitters hit him hard. There are concerns about conditioning and consistency. Finally, sophomore Edwin Jackson will be entering his first full season in the majors, his first as a starter. He had a 5.23 ERA in 23 appearances, just one of those being a start last season. He easily pounds fastballs in at 98 mph aggressively and with movement, while complimenting it with an improving arsenal including a slider and change-up.

Bullpen: The Devil Rays will be employing the "closer by committee" strategy with righty Al Reyes likely getting the first opportunity to close games because he has the most experience. He went 4-2 and notched 3 saves with a 2.15 ERA in 65 appearances last season. Shawn Camp will likely also get some saves this season (he notched 4 saves in 2006) and went 7-4 with a 4.68 ERA in 75 games played in 2006. His good, improved change-up makes his sinking heat look good. Camp gets a little tougher with runners in scoring position. Left-handed hitters make a lot of good contact against him. He's not great on consecutive days. Sophomore youngster Ruddy Lugo is perhaps being forced to enter the majors before he's ready, but the Devil Rays have no choice becuase he's the third most experienced reliever. He was 2-4 with a 3.81 ERA in 64 appearances in his rookie campaign. Veteran Dan Miceli is coming off an injury-filled season in which he missed four months to an injury to his right shoulder. He went 1-2 with a 1.94 ERA in the 33 appearances he did make. Rookie Brian Stokes could be a vital part of the bullpen as he can pitch long relief which is what the Devil Rays will certainly need at least a few times this season. He went 1-0 with a 4.88 ERA in 5 appearances, four of those being starts, in 2006. Third year pitcher Chad Orvella should make the squad as a setup man, but is coming off an oblique injury. He was 1-5 with a brutal 7.40 ERA in 22 games played last season. His mid-90's heat looks hotter thanks to a jarring change-up. He can spot the ball anywhere and pitches well on little rest. Orvella needs to work on his approach in tight spots, particularly with runners in scoring position. He struggles against right-handed hitters. A second longman will be veteran righty Tim Corcoran, who went 5-9 with a 4.38 ERA in 24 appearances, 16 of those being starts. In camp but likely to start in AAA Durham is righty Juan Salas, who had a 5.40 ERA in 8 relief appearances in 2006. Finally, righty Gary Glover is an option as a final reliever, he went 5-4 with a 5.57 ERA in 15 appearances, 11 of those starts. Though he doesn't have blazing heat, he mixes his pitches well. As a starter, his endurance has much to be desired, tiring in the fifth inning. He gets flustered with runners aboard.

Designated Hitter: Normally the everyday DH will be Greg Norton, who will bat fifth in the line-up. Unfortunately, he's unavailable until May because of knee surgery. He should play between 125 and 135 games if healthy. Norton hit .296 with 17 HR and 45 RBI and had a .520 slugging percentage in 2006. His ability to get on base and hit for power off the bench is a major asset. The switch-hitter tends to hit poorly from the right side of the plate. Until he is healthy, Rocco Baldelli will be the primary DH. He batted .302 with 16 HR and 57 RBI last season. Baldelli is a speed-and-power hitter who has great instincts for the game, a steady bat and great range in center field. A better arm woulld make him a true five-tooler. He also needs to work on his plate discipline in a big way. Jonny Gomes, who hit .216 with 20 HR and 59 RBI in '06, will be the primary back-up. His great pure strength allows him to muscle the ball out over any fence and he excels against lefties. He tends to swing far too freely at the plate, leading to a lot of strikeouts and few walks (his 2006 strikeout-walk ratio was 116:61). Gomes can stand to improve his approach with runners in scoring position. A third option at DH is rookie Elijah Dukes, who is not only making his major league debut this season, but is doing so as the temporary starting center fielder. Once Norton is healthy again, look for Dukes to be sent to the minors to make room on roster for him. A fourth and final option to designate hit is starting first baseman Ty Wigginton . . . more on him later.

Catcher: Likely to be a full-time catcher for the first time is sophomore Dioner Navarro, who hit .244 with 4 HR and 20 RBI in 56 games as a Devil Ray last season. Navarro is a disciplined youngster at the plate and is a good switch hitter, though better from the right side. Behind the plate, he has a strong arm. Overall, he still has work to do on his defensive game and at the plate, he doesn't have a lot of power and struggles with runners in scoring position. Backing him up will be veteran back-up Josh Paul who hit .260 with 1 HR and 8 runs driven in last season. Paul can really get around on pitches low in the zone. He has surprising speed for a catcher and has shown a strong ability to capitalize with runners in scoring position. He strikes out way too much (39 times in 2006) and southpaws give him fits.

First Baseman: Over at first base will be Ty Wigginton who will bat clean-up and play between 135-145 games if healthy. He hit .275 with 24 HR and 79 RBI while getting on base 33.0% of the time and finishing with a .498 slugging percentage last season. Wigginton knows how to field the ball at the infield corners. At the plate, he has a fairly consistent bat with gap power. Wigginton strikes out a bit too much for his power level and doesn't walk enough (had a 97:32 strikeout-walk ratio last season). He hasn't fared well in the clutch. Backing him up will be Carlos Pena, who hit .273 with 1 HR and 3 RBI in 2006. He's able to generate impressive power with a quick, short swing. He's smooth around the bag with the glove and has surprisingly quick feet. The plate discipline and run-producing skills he showed in the minors have been slow to emerge in the majors. He's also had a tough time against southpaws.

Second Baseman: The speedy BJ Upton has beat out Jorge Cantu for the starters job at second base, forcing Cantu to start in Durham. Upton hit .246 with 1 HR and 10 RBI last season. Upton is a true five-tooler. He has growing power, great speed, a quick bat and good range and a cannon in the infield. He could do with a little more discipline at the plate, but his main flaws are defensive, where he needs to work on his footwork and fielding. The man he beat out, Cantu, hit .249 with 14 HR and 62 RBI in 2006. Cantu loves to swing at the first pitch and often does good things with it. He has good power, decent speed and is a solid defensive infielder. Plate discipline is definitely a problem that could haunt him in the future. Though he's a decent runner, he doesn't steal bases. With Cantu relegated to the minors, either Wigginton or rookie Brendan Harris, who hit .238 with 1 HR and 3 RBI as a September call-up last season, will back up. Harris is an athletic infielder, able to play second, third, or short quite well. At the plate, he hits line drives consistently with some pop. At times, he can be too intense and he could stand to walk more often (took a walk just 4 times last season).

Shortstop: Playing SS and batting second will be sophomore Ben Zobrist, who will play between 125 and 135 games if healthy. Zobrist hit .224 with 2 HR and 18 RBI in 52 games last season. He has good baseball instincts and works hard. Zobrist boasts good plate discipline and runs well, though he's not a big base-stealer. He's a steady switch-hitter and good defensive shortstop. Zobrist doesn't have any standout tools, with lackluster power and mediocre run-producing skills. Either Upton or Harris will provide the back-up.

Third Baseman: Patrolling the hot corner, batting sixth and playing between 135-145 games if healthy is Japanese import Akinori Iwamura who will be making his debut in North America in 2007. In his final year in Japan, Iwamura batted .311 with 32 HR and 77 RBI. He's a good all-around player with decent power and excellent skills at third base. Iwamura should project as more of a doubles hitter than a homer hitter in the majors. He strikes out a ton (128 times last season).

Left Fielder: Leadoff man and speedster Carl Crawford will play between 150 and 160 games if healthy. Crawford hit .305 with 18 HR and 77 RBI while scoring 89 times, stealing an impressive 58 bases and getting on base 34.8% of the time. The young outfielder has blazing speed and knows how to use it. He works hard to better all aspects of his game, in particular the mechanics of his swing and his power. Though he's cut down on his strikeouts (struck out 85 times last season), he also needs to take more walks (walked just 37 times in '06). In the field, he doesn't have much of an arm. Dukes and Gomes will back him up.

Center Fielder: As mentioned before, Elijah Dukes will be making his big league debut as the starting center fielder, at least until May when Baldelli can return to his regular position. Upton and Baldelli will back-up.

Right Fielder: Finally, playing right field and batting fifth will be rookie Delmon Young, who will get between 125 and 135 games if healthy. Young hit .317 with 3 HR and 10 RBI as a September call-up in 2006. This kid has monumental power and can take it out of the park the other way. He's also got a very consistent bat, some speed on the bases, and a great arm in the outfield. He could use some work on cutting down on his strikeouts (24 last season) and walking a little more (walked just once last season). Defensively, he needs to get a better jump on the ball. Gomes or Dukes will back him up.

Season Prediction: Lets face it, the pitching will be a daily adventure and this line-up won''t scare many beyond Crawford, Baldelli and maybe Wigginton. As a result, the Devil Rays will finish in the basement of the AL East for the third straight season.

MLB Season Preview: Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins



Last Season's Standings: In the 2006 baseball season, the Minnesota Twins went 96-66, including 6-4 in their final ten games to finish first in the AL Central. However, the effort was all for naught, as the Twins were swept in three straight by the Oakland A's in the ALDS.

In: RP Randy Chaote (prev. team: Arizona Diamondbacks); 3B Jeff Cirillo (prev. team: Milwaukee Brewers); CF Torii Hunter; C Matthew LeCroy (prev. team: Washington Nationals); SP Ramon Ortiz (prev. team: Washington Nationals); RP Mike Venafro (prev. team: Colorado Rockies); LF Rondell White; RP Jesse Crain; RF Michael Cuddyer; C Joe Mauer; 3B Nick Punto; 1B Justin Morneau; RP Juan Rincon; LF Lew Ford; SP Sidney Ponson; 1B Ken Harvey; RP Carmen Cali

Out: RP Willie Eyre (new team: Texas Rangers); SP Brad Radke (retired); RP Mike Smith (new team: St. Louis Cardinals); LF Shannon Stewart (new team: Oakland A's)

Starting Pitching: The Minnesota Twins are without two key starters from their rotation this season whom they will greatly miss in Brad Radke (retired) and last season's rookie phenom Francisco Lariano (out for the year with Tommy John surgery). Their ace Johan Santana should be his usual Cy-Young-like self if heathy. He went 19-6 with a 2.77 ERA over 34 starts while racking up an impressive 245 strikeouts, walking just 47 and opposition hitters hit just .216 against him. He has good command and a blazing fastball. Santana fiercly attacks when he gets head in the count. His command is constantly improving. His glaring weaknesses are few, but he could use a little more stamina to finish what he starts more often. Righty Carlos Silva will follow him in the rotation. He went 11-15 with a bad 5.94 ERA while allowing a horrible 38 balls to leave the park over 36 appearances, 31 of those being starts. He's a quality groundball pitcher who has a tough sinker. He thrives with runners in scoring position and other shaky situations. Occasionally, he's a little too fine with his location, to the point where he becomes predictable and hittable. He needs to pitch beyond the sixth inning more often. Righty free agent signing Ramon Ortiz will be the third starter. He went 11-16 with a 5.56 ERA in 33 starts in 2006. His diminutive frame is misleading, as Ortiz can generate some serious velocity on the mound. He's also a bulldog on the mound, who'll throw any pitch in any situation with a "come and get me" attitude. He continually has trouble with left-handed hitters and the longball is often what beats him (31 balls left the park when he was on the mound). Though he can eat up innings, he throws too many pitches on his way into the late frames. A second free agent signing in Sidney Ponson will be the fourth starter. He was 4-4 with a 5.24 ERA in 16 starts last season. He's really learned to work his fastball with his slider and disappearing curveball, while not letting it affect his control. On top of that, he can finish what he started. As a fifth starter, the Twins will run out rookie Boof Bonser, who went 7-6 in 18 starts and will be entering his first full season in the majors. Bonser is a hefty righty who pitches in the low-90's, but does a good job of changing speeds. He has a strong curveball and can work himself out of jams. He's prone to allowing the longball (18 balls sailed over the fence on him last season). His weight can be a problem. Bonser had difficulty staying focused in the past and he's done a good job of improving his once-worrisome command.

Bullpen: Closer Joe Nathan, who went 7-0 while saving 36 games in 38 opportunities with a great 1.58 ERA over 68.1 innings over 64 appearances while racking up 95 strikeouts. His fastball can get up in the mid-90's, and at 6-4, he is certainly a presence on the mound. He mixes in a tight curveball, a change, and has learned to throw the cutter successfully against right-handers. A former shortstop, he can play the field as good as anyone. Nathan is finally improving against lefties. He doesn't throw inside to them enough and this has dire consequences. Setting him up in the eighth will be superb reliever Juan Rincon, who went 3-1 with a 2.91 ERA in 75 appearances last season. Rincon owns a low-90's fastball and a nice, biting curve. He gets the job done in tight situations and can take the mound on consecutive days. His command is still rough, and he needs some work on his change-up. Rincon tends to weaken after 30 pitches. Jesse Crain, one of two Canadians on this team will be a second setup option, coming into the ball game either in the seventh or eighth innings. He went 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 68 games played in 2006. His slider just isn't fair to hitters and his nasty heater sits in the mid-90's. He gets out in front and throws strikes. His change-up is merely mediocre and he has struggled with runners in scoring position. Middle reliever Matt Guerrier missed 2 months of the season in '06 to a fractured thumb on his throwing hand, but he was still 1-0 with a 3.36 ERA in the 39 games he did get into. He has a nice, low-90's sinker and a good slider, changing speeds and throwing with good command. He works well on little rest as a reliever. Left-handed hitters see him (and hit him) far too well. Guerrier doesn't have quality pitches beyond the sinker and slider. Likely entering his first full season in the bigs is righty sidewinder Pat Neshek, who went 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 37 innings over 32 appearances last season while punching out 53 batters and holding opposing hitters to a paltry .176 average. Neshek uses a funky, sidearm delivery to deceive hitters as a hot, darting fastball rockets to the plate. Right-handed hitters make very little contact off him. Left-handed hitters see him a little better. He starts to wear down a bit after 20 pitches or so. Finally, the lefty specialist coming out of the 'pen will be Dennys Reyes, who went 5-0 with a fantastic 0.89 ERA in 66 appearances while holding the opposing hitters to a miniscule .197 average. He's got a nice cutter and he can keep hitters off balance by changing speeds with it and adding a sweeping overhand curveball. As a result, he's able to keep the hits down and the ball out of the bleachers. Reyes at 6-3, 245 pounds, is way too big for his own good. It keeps him from having any kind of endurance and he can't lug his giant frame off the mound quick enough to get to come-backers. On top of that, he walks batters like he has an incentive clause for giving free passes (he walked just 15 batters in 2006).

Designated Hitter: The primary DH and likely to bat 7th int he line-up and to play between 115-125 games if healthy is Jason Kubel, who hit .241 with 8 HR, 26 RBI and 45 strikeouts in 73 games played in 2006. Kubel has shown great plate discipline at the plate and a quick swing that generates occasional power. He's a good low-ball hitter. Kubel has mediocre speed on the bases and in the outfield and tends to hit much better in night games. Backing him up will be utility man Jeff Cirillo, who hit .319 with 3 HR and 23 RBI last season. Cirillo is a line-drive hitter who is deadly with 2 strikes on him and cranks out doubles without breaking a sweat. With runners in scoring position, he's phenomenol. Hw's always a bunt threat and doesn't do a thing wrong at the hot corner. He doesn't have the kind of home run power you'd like to see from a third baseman. Also, he's taken a step back in the patience department.

Catcher: Last season's batting Champ Joe Mauer will bat 3rd and play up to 140 games if healthy. Mauer was a big part of the Twins regular season success last season batting an impressive .347 with 13 HR and 84 RBI while getting on base 42.9% of the time in '06. Mauer has tremendous poise, both at the plate and behind it. He's thought of as a game-breaker who can hit a key home run here and there and drive home runners at will. Mauer is disciplined at the plate and has an amazing arm. The one area where he can show some improvement is in handling pitchers. Backing him up for the third consecutive season will be rock-solid-career back-up Mike Redmond, who batted .341 while driving in 23 runs last season. Behind the plate, Redmond calls a good game and has a quick, strong, accurate arm. At the plate, he's an excellent contact hitter, putting the ball in play and rarely striking out (struck out just 18 times in 2006). The only really strong part of his body is his right arm; his legs barely get him to first base and his swing generates no power whatsoever. He has trouble against righties and in the clutch.

First Baseman: Last season's AL MVP and proud Canadian Justin Morneau will get the bulk of the games at first base if healthy (155+ if healthy) and will bat 5th in the batting order. Morneau had a career year last year, hitting .321 with 34 HR, 130 RBI, 37 doubles, he scored 97 times and got on base 37.5% of the time. Morneau has a quick, sweet swing with the ability to hit for both power and average. He turns up his game when he sees runners in scoring position. He is a slow runner who struggles when facing a southpaw (though he's made great strides) and isn't completely comfortable on defense. Cirillo will back him up.

Second Baseman: The speedy Luis Castillo will leadoff and play between135 and 155 games if healthy. He missed a week to a sprained ankle and a sprained knee. Castillo hit 296, scored 84 times, stole 25 bases and was on base 35.8% of the time. He also hit 3 HR and drove in 49 runs last season. His quick speed and great feet give him phenomenol range and the ability to steal bases, sparking the offense near the top of the order. He has the arm of a shortstop at second base. At the plate, he can lay down a quality bunt and drive the ball consistently from both sides of the plate. He has the power of a small little-leaguer and when he's up with runners on, he's scared into weak grounders and pop-ups. Cirillo and fellow utility infielder Luis Rodriguez will back him up. Rodriguez hit .235 with 2 HR and 6 RBI in 2006.

Shortstop: Starting at shortstop, batting ninth and playing between 125 and 135 games if healthy will be first-full-year player Jason Bartlett, who hit .306 with 2 home runs, 32 RBI, 18 doubles and a 33.6 on-base percentage. Bartlett consistently puts the ball in play and knows how to lay off bad pitches. He's got good wheels. He doesn't have a whole lot of power and is merely average with the glove at shortstop. Cirillo and Rodriguez will provide the back-up.

Third Baseman: At the hot corner will be Nick Punto, who hit .290 while scoring 73 runs, stealing 17 bases and getting on base 35.2% of the time. He hit one home run and drove in 45 runs. A small but athletic player, Punto puts his all into everything he does on the field. He's a great "small ball" player, bunting, running, and putting the ball in play. He's been known to play so hard he hurts himself. As a switch hitter, he's merely mediocre from the left side. Cirillo and Rodriguez will back him up.

Left Fielder: With Lew Ford on the sidelines for up to a month after arthroscopic surgery on his knee, the aging Rondell White is pencilled in to start the season as the everyday left fielder. He'll bat eighth and play around 100 games if healthy. White hit .246 with 7 HR and 38 RBI last season. White is a free swinger who hits solid line drives that occasionally find their way into the bleachers and he absolutely terrorizes lefties. Despite his constant injuries, he still has decent range in left and he's a steady fielder. The one part of his defensive game that isn't up to par is his throwing arm. As well, he could use a little more patience at the plate because the way he's been going, it seems the only way he'd take a walk is if he fell asleep at the plate and the pitcher was having a particularly bad day (walked just 11 times in 2006). Ford will be the primary back-up when he returns. He hit .226 with 4 HR and 18 RBI last season. Ford plays hard, enablig him to rise above his pure skills. He's got good plate discipline, decent power and quick feet. He's got few glaring flaws at the plate, he just doesn't have any one tool that truly shines. His outfield arm won't quite scare anyone. A third option as back-up is Jason Tyner, who is entering his first full season in the majors. He hit .312 while driving in 18 runs in 2006. He has blazing speed and good base-running skills. He has an impeccable ability to make contact, rarely striking out (18 times in 2006) and consistently putting the ball in play. The left-handed hitter can hit southpaws quite well. Tyner has homered once in seven pro seasons. He would benefit as a leadoff man by learning to lay off more pitches out of the strike zone. He often falls behind early in the count. A fourth and final option as left field back-up is Kubel.

Center Fielder: All-star Torii Hunter will be the everyday center fielder batting 6th and playing between 145 and 155 games if healthy. Hunter batted .278 with 31 HR and 98 RBI in 2006 while getting on base 33.6% of the time. He has good speed and surprising power for a center fielder. He's nearly peerless in the outfield, with a great arm and incredible range, great at climbing the fence to rob home runs. He has to work on his patience at the plate and his ability to hit the breaking ball. Inside heat is his nemesis. Tyner will provide the back-up.

Right Fielder: Finally, batting cleanup and playing between 145 and 155 games if healthy will be Michael Cuddyer, who hit .284 with 24 HR and 109 RBI, 24 doubles and got on base 36.2% of the time last season. His swing is quick and short in the Paul Molitor mold, only with more power. He has the discipline to take his share of walks (walked 62 times last season) and runs the bases well. Though he has decent speed, he's not a good base-stealer. He's been shifted from shortstop to third to first to the outfield and back to third and to the outfield again and has his troubles everywhere. His back-up will be Kubel.

Season Prediction: The Twins ultimate demise will be the loss of the 2 starters. As a result, the Twins will finish fourth in the AL Central.

MLB Season Preview: Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers


Last Season's Standings: The Detroit Tigers went 95-67 , including 4-6 in their final ten games, to finish second in the AL Central. The tigers then got hot and went all the way to the WS before losing in five games to the Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

In: 1B Sean Casey; 2B Alexis Hooper; RP Jose Mesa (prev. team: Colorado Rockies); RP Bobby Seay; RF Gary Sheffield (via trasde w/ NY Yankees); CF Curtis Granderson; 3B Kody Kirkland; RP Roman Colon; RP Yorman Bazardo (via trade w/ Seattle Mariners); SP Kyle Sleeth; RP Eulogio De La Cruz; RP Preston Larrison; SP Virgil Vasquez; RP Edward Campusano; C Mike Rabelo; RP Fernando Rodney; 2B Omar Infante; SP Nate Robertson; LF Craig Monroe; SP Jeremy Bonderman; 3B Brandon Inge

Out: LF Jeff Frazier (via trade w/ Seattle Mariners); SP Humberto Sanchez (via trade w/ NY Yankees); RP Kevin Whelan (via trade w/ NY Yankees); RP Anthony Claggett (via trade w/ NY Yankees); CF Dustin Mohr (new team: Tampa Bay Devil Rays); DH Matt Stairs (new team: Toronto Blue Jays); RP Jamie Walker (new team: Baltimore Orioles)

Starting Pitching: The staff ace will be righty Jeremy Bonderman, who went 14-8 with a 4.08 ERA in 214 innings over 34 starts while racking up a whopping 204 strikeouts and walking just 64 batters last season. He's a tough kid with good command and great stuff, including a mid-90's fastball and nasty slider. A new splitter has led to overall improvement. Bonderman really heats up during the middle innings of a start and is getting better at pitching deeper. There are occasional lapses in his command and he winds up lobbing the ball over the plate, but that's rare and a sign of youth. Aging southpaw Kenny Rogers, who went 17-8 with a 3.84 ERA over 204 innings through 33 starts while punching out 99 batters and walking 62, but he won't be available until at least July, likely after the all-star break, after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot and repair arteries in his pitching arm. Rogers still has lots of movement on his fastball and is still tough on left-handers. His pickoff move is one of the best in the business, and in the field, he's a gold-glover. Shoulder pain has hampered his ability to throw the slider the past few years and his formerly hard heat has lost considerable velocity. He'll be followed by Justin Verlander, who will pitch second in the rotation until Rogers' return. He was 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA over 186 innings accumulated in 30 starts while striking out 124 hitters and walking 60. The big kid can pop the gun at 99 mph with a quick delivery, while also delivering a nasty curve and a quality change-up. Verlander needs to work on keeping the ball lower in the zone and carrying his good stuff into August and September. Lefty Nate Robertson will take the ball fourth, third until around July. He was 13-13 with a 3.84 ERA over 202 innings collected over 32 starts while striking out 137 and walking 67 batters. Robertson can blow the ball by hitters when he needs to and has pretty good command. He can also sustain his good stuff late into his starts. He is prone to giving up more than his share of longballs (29 balls left the park off him last season) and tends to wear down late in the season. The current fourth starter, fifth once Rogers returns is a third southpaw in Mike Maroth. He went 5-2 with a 4.59 ERA in 53 innings over 13 starts, sandwiched by an elbow injury that forced him to miss 3 months last season. Maroth struck out 24 hitters and walked 16. His command is strong and he gets out in front early in the count. He's shown poise in tight spots. He's shown an ability to consistently retire left-handed batters, now he has to work on his approach to right-handed hitters. He also needs to build his endurance. Chad Durbin is an option to pitch as a fifth starter until July, but is likely to start in Toledo and be a September call-up. He had a 1.50 ERA in 3 appearances last season

Bullpen: Aging veteran Todd Jones anchors this youthful bullpen and he'll be a good role model to the young pitchers. Jones notched 37 saves in 43 attempts and had a further record of 2-6 with a 3.94 ERA over 62 appearances last season. His awkward delivery and 93-mph sinking fastball keep hitters off-balance and he has great control that keeps him around the plate, even in crucial game situations. He has a very big, looping curveball that you can see coming from a mile away. He tends to struggle with runners aboard. Setting him up in the eighth will be righty Fernando Rodney, who went 7-4 with a 3.52 ERA in 63 appearances last season. Rodney has big heat and his stuff is just nasty against right-handed hitters. He works well with runners on. Rodney would be more efficient if he got ahead in the count more. He needs a few days' rest to be most effective. Righty Joel Zumaya is a second option as setup man, he went 6-3 with a 1.94 ERA in 83.1 innings over 62 apparances while punching out 97 and walking 42. Zumaya owns one of the fastest, nastiest fastball around, often hitting triple digits on the gun. It's made more devastating by a strong change-up and he adds a curve; he's mentally tough. His curve is good but can get him into trouble when its off. He's not great on back-to-back days out of the bullpen. The aging Jose Mesa, who went 1-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 79 games played last season. Mesa still owns a fastball that clocks in the mid-90's and it has some movement on it. His splitter is also a deadly weapon, although many hitters have learned to stay off of it. He's not very mobile and base-runners snatch bases with relative ease. He's prone to making it too close in the late innings. As long man/middle reliever, lefty Wilfredo Ledezma, who went 3-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 24 appearances, seven of those being starts last season. His combo of low-90's heat and curveball are made tougher by the sneaky angle from which he pitches. He has had trouble shaking the nerves in the big leagues, particularly with runners in scoring position. Entering his second full season in the bigs, righty Jason Grilli, who was 2-3 with a 4.21 ERA last season, is likely to be the middle reliever in the bullpen, coming into the game around the sixth or seventh innings. Finally, rookie Bobby Seay, who will start the 2007 season in Toledo and be a likely September call-up, had a 6.46 ERA in 14 appearances last season.

Designated Hitter: Trade acquisition Gary Sheffield will be the primary DH and will bat clean-up and play anywhere from 125-155 games if healthy. He missed all but 39 games to torn wrist ligaments suffered in a collision but still managed to hit .298 with 6 HR and 25 RBI last season. Sheff's success comes from his patience and overall smarts at the plate. He can constantly foul off pitches until he finds a juicy one and then extend his arms and drive the ball. He has the ability to change the outcome of the game with one swing. Inconsistency and injury. Sheffield has been plagued by minor injuries and they seem to affect his mind more than his body. Backing him up will be utility man Marcus Thames, who hit .256 with 26 HR and 60 RBI last season. He works hard and has good power, showing some plate discipline at times. He can show his power against both lefties and righties. Thames is generally inconsistent, prone to getting crossed up at the plate. A third option as designated hitter is utility man Omar Infante, who hit .277 with 4 HR and 25 RBI last season. At the plate, he'll poke the ball the other way and has occasional power. He's got quick feet on the base paths. He can't catch up to the tight heat, resulting in too many strikeouts (45 last season). He has some trouble against southpaws.

Catcher: Ivan "I-Rod" Rodriguez will once again get the bulk of starts behind the plate and will bat seventh in the lineup and play between 135 and 145 games if healthy. He hit .300 with 13 HR and 69 RBI last season. For starters, lets talk about his defensive game, which makes opposing teams change their entire game plan. And let's not forget about his quick bat that generates surprising power for a stocky little guy, and above-average speed for a catcher. He's an injury risk every time he take the field. At the plate, he rarely hangs in long enough to take a walk (just 26 times last season). Although he'll start the season on the DL with an injury to his throwing elbow, Vance Wilson is entering his third season as the back-up to Rodriguez. He hit .283 with 5 HR and 18 RBI last season. Overall, Wilson is defensively sound. He calls a good game, reads the play well and throws out runners often. He has decent power and surprising speed for a catcher. He needs to exercise more patient at the plate. He tends to chase pitches out of the zone.

First Baseman: Last seasons's trade deadline acquisition Sean Casey returns this season as the starting first baseman. He's capable of hitting .300, but he had an off-year in 2006, hitting .272 with 8 HR and 59 RBI in 2006. He pummels fastballs and gets a good handle on off-speed stuff, looking at each AB as a learning experience. He's a good run producer and a sure-handed fielder, able to scoop up tough short-hoppers. He's certainly not the fleetest afoot and he's a friend of the strikeout (struck out 43 times last seson). Injuries are starting to become a big problem. Backing him up will be Thames.

Second Baseman: Batting sixth and playing between 125 and 135 games if healthy will be the speedy Placido Polanco. He hit .295 with 4 HR and 52 RBI last season. He makes consistent contact and can really come through with runners in scoring position. His defensive versaitility makes him very valuable and he has good speed. Though he does have a strong all-around game, his production tends to drop against righties. Infante and Neifi Perez, both utility infielders will back him up. Perez hit .243 with 2 HR and 29 RBI last season. He's a solid contact hitter with good gap power. Perez has the speed to leg a single into a double or a double into a triple and has expert bunting skills. Defensively, he's got good range and a strong arm. Despite his speed, he doesn't explode out of the gates, so he can't steal a lot of bases. As a switch-hitter, he's usually less powerful hitting left-handed and the one flaw in his defense is his tendency to occasionally mis-throw.

Shortstop: The speedy Carlos Guillen will bat 3rd and play between 145 and 155 games if healthy. He hit .320 with 19 HR and 85 RBI. Guillen's biggest strength is his bat, with some power from both sides of the plate. He also has the range and arm to play any infield position. He has a lot of trouble with high heat, and doesn't hit righties very well. Guillen's no good in the clutch, but to his credit he made monumental strides in 2004. Perez and Infante will provide back-up.

Third Baseman: At the hot corner is Brandon Inge who will play all but perhaps a handful of games if healthy. He'll bat ninth in the order. Inge batted .253 with 27 HR and 83 RBI last season, he struck out an unimpressive 128 times last season. Though he came up as a strong catcher, he's worked hard to increase his versatility and it's paid off. There is decent power stored up in his bat and he has that rare ability for a catcher-type to run the bases. He doesn't hit for much average and strikes out like he's being paid to, so he could use some time in the batting cage learning how to make contact. Perez and Infante will back him up.

Left Fielder: Batting second and playing 115+ games will be Craig Monroe, who hit .255 with 28 HR and 92 RBI in 2006. He's an aggressive hitter with power who mashes left-handed hitters and isn't afraid of breaking balls. He loves to pounce on the first pitch. Monroe rarely takes a walk (just 37 times last season) and doesn't hit well when a pitcher isn't distracted by base runners. His defense has a few holes. Thames and Sheffield will back him up.

Center Fielder: The leadoff man and every day center fielder is Curtis Granderson. He hit .260 with 19 HR and 93 RBI and a .335 on-base percentage. He struck out an ungodly 174 times. Granderson is a line drive hitter who has above-average skills in pretty much every offensive category, he's also an above-average defensive outfielder. He still has work to do on his plate discipline and getting a good read when stealing. He has had some trouble against lefties. Infante and Monroe back up.

Right Fielder: Finally, batting fifth and playing 155+ games if healthy will be Magglio Ordonez. He hit .298 with 24 HR and 104 runs driven in last season. He has a knack for driving in runs any way necessary and his base-running improves all the time. He doesn't strike out much for a big slugger (87 times last season) because he's learned to adjust his approach pitcher to pitcher. On occasion, he chases bad pitches and swings at the first pitch a lot. He's prone to slow starts. Sheffield and Thames will provide the back-up.

Season Prediction: The Detroit Tigers are going to be the hunted this season, but they have a strong line-up and decent starting rotation. Look for them to place third in the strong AL Central.