[Bobbuttons]

Originally Posted by Joe Morgan

Because I've got like 40 PM's asking me what my thoughts are on the upcoming baseball season I thought I would do a season preview for everyone so that you could get a better understanding of what the upcoming season is going to look like. I get busy this time of year so it's going to take a while to get all of these done but I'll do every division one by one. You may post your thoughts and questions below and I'll try and help you better understand the game.

American League East

New York Yankees

The Yankees showed this off season that they don’t just spend money but they spend it wisely. They have made some terrific moves. They already have the best offense in the game which is only going to get better with the expected return of a healthy Jason Giambi but now they also have the best pitching staff in the game. New York like Boston is a town where you can’t just be good, you have to be good under pressure. That’s why Javier Vasquez had to go to make room for a veteran like Randy Johnson. Randy Johnson is one of the best big game pitchers and instantly makes the Yanks a heavy favorite to beat the Red Sox. But they didn’t stop there, they also got Pavano, an 18 game winner last year who has shown he can step it up when he needs to and Jaret Wright to fill out the rotation. It’s important to have a strong veteran clubhouse especially in a city like New York to be able to win and not crack under the pressure. The Yankees have that.


Boston Red Sox

Boston is a team that took major steps backward this off-season. They lost Pedro, that is going to really hurt them. There are few better big game pitchers than Pedro. In Boston it’s not just enough to be good, you have to pitch well under pressure and few can turn it up like Pedro can when the pressure is high. Losing Nomar/Cabrerra and picking up Renteria is another step back for this team. Signing Wells is going to be a disaster, he’s going to get murdered in Fenway. This is a team that got lucky to barely get past the Yankees last year and I don’t see any improvements this off season. It’s tough when you have all of the free agents that the Red Sox did but I they had the wrong priorities and it’s going to show this season.


Baltimore Orioles

They are still light on pitching but have a terrific offense. This is a team that will continue to improve. Their young staff will be shaky but with the power they’ve got it will help to give the pitching a cushion. Adding Sosa is a great move for this team. It will make their offense all that much more feared and fills a big hole in right field. It seems a lot of bad things have been said about Sammy since the end of last season. He had a bad day, it happens to everyone. What’s being missed is that Sammy has always been professional except for that one bad day. Joining a veteran clubhouse, Sammy should fit right in. The O’s are going to be a fun team to watch.


Tampa Bay Devil Rays

It’s always fun to watch an exciting young team like the Devil Rays. This is a team that has taken big steps forward in the last few years but they are still a ways from being a playoff contender. Especially in this division. I like the move of signing Hideo Nomo to a minor league contract. It costs them nearly nothing and gives them a chance to add a solid veteran arm to the rotation if Nomo can get over whatever was troubling him last year. It’s important for a young team to have the guidance of a veteran and Nomo could provide that.


Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays are going to be in for a rough couple of years and it’s not going to be any easier now that Carlos Delgado is gone. Toronto is one of the earlier examples of a “moneyball” GM taking over a team since Billy Beane started in Oakland. The Blue Jays have shown that it is not a very successful strategy and their fans are paying for it now. Hopefully they can get a real GM in there to fix the mistakes that have been made. It’s too bad Bowden already went to Washington because he would have been perfect for this team.

D00d, who cares about the AL East? Get the AL Central.