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EAST DIVISION
BOSTON RED SOX
2007: 96-66, 1st, World Series title
MANAGER: Terry Francona
OUTLOOK: The World Series winners two of the past four seasons stood pat and have several key young players who gained experience. Two of them, Lester and Ellsbury, will be counted on heavily this season. The Red Sox hope right-hander Curt Schilling (shoulder), out at least until the All-Star break, or right-hander Bartolo Colon, signed in February, can boost the rotation at some point.
LINEUP
| CF Jacoby Ellsbury |
| 2B Dustin Pedroia |
| DH David Ortiz |
| LF Manny Ramirez |
| 3B Mike Lowell |
| RF J.D. Drew |
| 1B Kevin Youkilis |
| C Jason Varitek |
| SS Julio Lugo |
ROTATION
| RH Josh Beckett |
| RH Daisuke Matsuzaka |
| LH Jon Lester |
| RH Tim Wakefield |
| RH Clay Buchholz |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Jonathan Papelbon |
| LH Hideki Okajima |
| RH Mike Timlin |
3
Newcomers added by Boston in the offseason. None are regulars.
NEW YORK YANKEES
2007: 94-68, 2nd, wild card
MANAGER: Joe Girardi
OUTLOOK: The Yankees are counting on their kids, highlighting a recent shift in the organization's philosophy. Three pitchers 23 or younger, Hughes (21), Chamberlain (22) and Kennedy (23), have important roles this year. Missing the playoffs would still be unacceptable. The $200 million powerhouse is looking for its 27th World Series title in its final season at storied Yankee Stadium .
LINEUP
| LF-DH Johnny Damon |
| SS Derek Jeter |
| RF Bobby Abreu |
| 3B Alex Rodriguez |
| C Jorge Posada |
| 1B Jason Giambi |
| DH-LF Hideki Matsui |
| 2B Robinson Cano |
| CF Melky Cabrera |
ROTATION
| RH Chien-Ming Wang |
| LH Andy Pettitte |
| RH Phil Hughes |
| RH Mike Mussina |
| RH Ian Kennedy |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Mariano Rivera |
| RH Joba Chamberlain |
| RH Kyle Farnsworth |
13
Consecutive trips to the postseason for the Yankees.
TORONTO Blue Jays
2007: 83-79, 3rd
MANAGER: John Gibbons
OUTLOOK: Hobbled by injuries and held back by punchless bats, the Blue Jays discovered a surprise strength in 2007 -- their talented young arms. If the hitters return to form, Toronto has the talent to make the playoff race in the AL East interesting. General manager J.P. Ricciardi hopes newcomers and former World Series winners Rolen and Eckstein will provide a spark in a clubhouse lacking urgency.
LINEUP
| SS David Eckstein |
| RF Alex Rios |
| CF Vernon Wells |
| 3B Scott Rolen |
| DH Frank Thomas |
| LF Matt Stairs |
| 1B Lyle Overbay |
| 2B Aaron Hill |
| C Gregg Zaun |
ROTATION
| RH Roy Halladay |
| RH A.J. Burnett |
| RH Dustin McGowan |
| RH Shaun Marcum |
| RH Jesse Litsch |
KEY RELIEVERS
| LH B.J. Ryan |
| RH Jeremy Accardo |
| RH Brandon League |
951
Games missed because of injury, by 13 players, in `07.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
2007: 69-93, 4th
MANAGER: Dave Trembley
OUTLOOK: This is a rebuilding year for the Orioles, who no longer can pretend they have a shot at making some noise in the AL East. Their rotation is young, their cleanup hitter lacks power and they've got inexperience in center field, left field, shortstop and at the helm. Trembley will enter his first full year as a major league manager with no stars and little hope of finishing higher than fourth place.
LINEUP
| 2B Brian Roberts |
| 3B Melvin Mora |
| RF Nick Markakis |
| 1B Kevin Millar |
| DH Aubrey Huff |
| C Ramon Hernandez |
| LF Luke Scott |
| CF Adam Jones |
| SS Luis Hernandez |
ROTATION
| RH Jeremy Guthrie |
| LH Adam Loewen |
| RH Daniel Cabrera |
| RH Steve Trachsel |
| RH Matt Albers |
KEY RELIEVERS
| LH George Sherrill |
| LH Jamie Walker |
| RH Chad Bradford |
10
Consecutive losing seasons, a franchise record.
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS
2007: 66-96, 5th
MANAGER: Joe Maddon
OUTLOOK: Thanks to a deep farm system, the Rays have finally assembled enough talent to have reasonable expectations of escaping the AL East cellar. The departures of Young and Dukes make for better harmony in the clubhouse, and the additions of Garza and Bartlett figure to improve the starting pitching and defense. Success hinges on how the young rotation and new bullpen fare.
LINEUP
| 2B Akinori Iwamura |
| LF Carl Crawford |
| CF B.J. Upton |
| 1B Carlos Pena |
| DH Cliff Floyd |
| RF Jonny Gomes |
| 3B Willy Aybar |
| C Dioner Navarro |
| SS Jason Bartlett |
ROTATION
| LH Scott Kazmir |
| RH James Shields |
| RH Matt Garza |
| RH Edwin Jackson |
| RH Andy Sonnanstine |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Troy Percival |
| RH Al Reyes |
| RH Dan Wheeler |
0
Times in their 10 seasons the Rays have won more than 70.
CENTRAL DIVISION
CLEVELAND INDIANS
2007: 96-66, 1st
MANAGER: Eric Wedge
OUTLOOK: Although they claim to have moved on, the pain of last October still lingers for the Indians, who were arguably baseball's second-best team behind Boston. Sabathia's decision to suspend negotiations on a contract extension until after the season -- when he's eligible for free agency -- has Cleveland fans fearing that this season could be their last, best chance to end a 60-year World Series title drought.
LINEUP
| CF Grady Sizemore |
| 3B Casey Blake |
| DH Travis Hafner |
| C Victor Martinez |
| 1B Ryan Garko |
| LF Jason Michaels |
| SS Jhonny Peralta |
| RF Franklin Gutierrez |
| 2B Asdrubal Cabrera |
ROTATION
| LH C.C. Sabathia |
| RH Fausto Carmona |
| RH Jake Westbrook |
| LH Cliff Lee |
| RH Paul Byrd |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Joe Borowski |
| RH Rafael Betancourt |
| LH Rafael Perez |
370
RBIs last year by the top four hitters in the lineup.
DETROIT TIGERS
2007: 88-74, 2nd
MANAGER: Jim Leyland
OUTLOOK: If the Tigers don't make the playoffs -- no easy feat in the American League -- they and their fans will consider the season a failure. They appear to have the best lineup in baseball with the additions of Cabrera, Renteria and Jones. The rotation looks capable, led by Verlander. The injury-riddled bullpen, however, will likely be under pressure until it proves doubters wrong.
LINEUP
| CF Curtis Granderson |
| 2B Placido Polanco |
| DH Gary Sheffield |
| RF Magglio Ordonez |
| 3B Miguel Cabrera |
| 1B Carlos Guillen |
| SS Edgar Renteria |
| C Ivan Rodriguez |
| LF Jacque Jones |
ROTATION
| RH Justin Verlander |
| LH Kenny Rogers |
| RH Jeremy Bonderman |
| LH Dontrelle Willis |
| LH Nate Robertson |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Todd Jones |
| RH Denny Bautista |
| LH Bobby Seay |
181
Consecutive games without an error for Placido Polanco.
MINNESOTA TWINS
2007: 79-83, 3rd
MANAGER: Ron Gardenhire
OUTLOOK: The trade of ace Johan Santana to the Mets leaves a hole in a rotation that will welcome 2006 All-Star Liriano back, provided he's strong enough after his Tommy John surgery 17 months ago. Even with a healthy Liriano, starting pitching will be a major question. The offense will miss Torii Hunter's bat in the middle of the lineup, so the Twins have their work cut out for them in this loaded division.
LINEUP
| CF Carlos Gomez |
| C Joe Mauer |
| RF Michael Cuddyer |
| 1B Justin Morneau |
| LF Delmon Young |
| DH Jason Kubel |
| 3B Mike Lamb |
| 2B Brendan Harris |
| SS Adam Everett |
ROTATION
| RH Livan Hernandez |
| RH Scott Baker |
| RH Boof Bonser |
| LH Francisco Liriano |
| RH Kevin Slowey |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Joe Nathan |
| RH Matt Guerrier |
| LH Dennys Reyes |
30
pounds lost in the offseason by right-hander Boof Bonser.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
2007: 72-90, 4th
MANAGER: Ozzie Guillen
OUTLOOK: The White Sox retooled, acquiring Swisher, who will probably be used in left with Owens playing center and leading off. The bullpen got a makeover, which was no surprise after it went 19-25 with a 5.49 ERA. Linebrink and Dotel were added as a bridge between the starters and All-Star closer Jenks. The question remains, was last season an aberration or an indication?
LINEUP
| CF Jerry Owens |
| LF Nick Swisher |
| 1B Paul Konerko |
| DH Jim Thome |
| RF Jermaine Dye |
| C A.J. Pierzynski |
| 3B Joe Crede |
| SS Orlando Cabrera |
| 2B Juan Uribe |
ROTATION
| LH Mark Buehrle |
| RH Javier Vazquez |
| LH John Danks |
| RH Jose Contreras |
| RH Gavin Floyd |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Bobby Jenks |
| RH Octavio Dotel |
| RH Scott Linebrink |
23
saves blown by the White Sox bullpen last season.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
2007: 69-93, 5th
MANAGER: Trey Hillman
OUTLOOK: The big change is Hillman, the only manager in the majors who didn't play or coach in the bigs. He proved in spring training that he won't put up with laziness or inattention to detail, and this young club might respond to his message of taking care of the little things. Breakthrough seasons by Butler, Gordon, Teahen and DeJesus could enable this team to avoid a fifth straight last-place finish.
LINEUP
| CF David DeJesus |
| 2B Mark Grudzielanek |
| LF Mark Teahan |
| RF Jose Guillen |
| 3B Alex Gordon |
| DH Billy Butler |
| 1B Ross Gload |
| C John Buck |
| SS Tony Pena Jr. |
ROTATION
| RH Gil Meche |
| RH Brian Bannister |
| RH Zack Greinke |
| RH John Bale |
| RH Brett Tomko |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Joakim Soria |
| RH Yasuhiko Yabuta |
| LH Jimmy Gobble |
102
Home runs last season, the fewest in the majors.
WEST DIVISION
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
2007: 94-68, 1st
MANAGER: Mike Scioscia
OUTLOOK: Along with the wealth in the outfield, Los Angeles has an abundance of solid starting pitchers -- if they all get healthy. Injuries to Lackey and Escobar at the top of the rotation are a concern, but on paper the Angels have good pitching, hitting and fielding. They should know by late October if all that is enough.
LINEUP
| 3B Chone Figgins |
| DH-LF Gary Matthews Jr. |
| LF-DH Garret Anderson |
| RF Vladimir Guerrero |
| CF Torii Hunter |
| 2B Howie Kendrick |
| 1B Casey Kotchman |
| C Mike Napoli |
| SS Maicer Izturis |
ROTATION
| RH John Lackey |
| RH Jered Weaver |
| RH Jon Garland |
| RH Ervin Santana |
| LH Joe Saunders |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Francisco Rodriguez |
| RH Scot Shields |
| RH Justin Speier |
123
Home runs hit by the angels last season, ranking 12th in the 14-team American League.
SEATTLE MARINERS
2007: 88-74, 2nd
MANAGER: John McLaren
OUTLOOK: The Mariners gave up cash and prospects to get Bedard to be their ace, and they signed Silva for the middle of what they think is baseball's best rotation. It's good enough to force Batista, who had 16 wins in 2007, into the No. 5 role. The power-thin lineup needs to produce if Seattle is to overtake the Angels.
LINEUP
| CF Ichiro Suzuki |
| DH Jose Vidro |
| LF Raul Ibanez |
| 3B Adrian Beltre |
| 1B Richie Sexson |
| RF Brad Wilkerson |
| C Kenji Johjima |
| 2B Jose Lopez |
| SS Yuniesky Betancourt |
ROTATION
| LH Erik Bedard |
| RH Felix Hernandez |
| RH Carlos Silva |
| LH Jarrod Washburn |
| RH Miguel Batista |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH J.J. Putz |
| RH Brandon Morrow |
| LH Arthur Rhodes |
7
Consecutive 200-hit seasons for outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, a major-league record.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
2007: 76-86, 3rd
MANAGER: Bob Geren
OUTLOOK: GM Billy Beane decided he didn't have enough to compete in the power-packed AL so he decided to trade his ace, Dan Haren, and best hitter, Nick Swisher, as part of a rebuilding plan. The team's only chance for success would require healthy, productive seasons from Chavez, Crosby and the brittle rotation.
LINEUP
| RF Travis Buck |
| 2B Mark Ellis |
| 3B Eric Chavez |
| DH Mike Sweeney |
| 1B Daric Barton |
| LF Jack Cust |
| SS Bobby Crosby |
| CF Carlos Gonzalez |
| C Kurt Suzuki |
ROTATION
| RH Joe Blanton |
| RH Rich Harden |
| RH Justin Duchscherer |
| LH Lenny DiNardo |
| RH Chad Gaudin |
KEY RELIEVERS
| RH Huston Street |
| LH Alan Embree |
| RH Keith Foulke |
1998
Oakland's injury-ravaged losing season in `07 was its first since 1998.
TEXAS RANGERS
2007: 75-87, 4th
MANAGER: Ron Washington
OUTLOOK: If the Rangers are going to have a chance to compete, the starters must improve. The top four were a combined 23-43 with a 5.51 ERA last season. The Rangers went 29-28 after the trade deadline last season, but it seems the best they can hope for is to finish in front of Oakland and escape the AL West basement.
LINEUP
| 2B Ian Kinsler |
| SS Michael Young |
| CF Josh Hamilton |
| 3B Hank Blalock |
| DH Milton Bradley |
| LF David Murphy |
| RF Marlon Byrd |
| C Gerald Laird |
| 1B Ben Broussard |
ROTATION
| RH Kevin Millwood |
| RH Vicente Padilla |
| RH Jason Jennings |
| RH Luis Mendoza |
| RH Brandon McCarthy |
KEY RELIEVERS
| LH C.J. Wilson |
| LH Eddie Guardado |
| RH Joaquin Benoit |
216
Combined games missed last season by the top four starters in Texas' rotation.
