MLB AL East: 2008 Preview
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Boston Red Sox (96-86 in 2007)
The Red Sox became the first team to win two World Series in the new millennium, after an expensive makeover got them 96 wins, a division title and the 2007 World Series Championship after sweeping the Rockies. It was quite a turnaround from a third place finish in 2006, missing the playoffs. Money and a talented farm system turned the trick. The Sox brought up productive kids like CF Jacoby Ellsbury, 2B Dustin Pedroia, pitchers Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester, and combined them with the second highest payroll in baseball. They were able to overcome every challenge with their depth, pitching, defense and clutch play, even storming back from a 3-1 ALCS deficit against Cleveland.
This pitching staff is loaded once again. The duo of 27-year old Josh Beckett and 26-year old Japanese star Daisuke Matsuzaka anchors the staff. Beckett (20-7, 3.27 ERA) was dominant all season, the only 20-game winner in baseball. After struggling at times in 2006, his first in the AL, Beckett was in command in 2007, then went on a postseason tear (4-0, 1.27) to establish himself as this generation's big game hurler. That's two Series rings for Beckett, after winning Game 7 of the 2003 Series with the Marlins.
Matsuzaka (15-12, 4.40 ERA) had an up and down first season in the majors, walking too many batters, but striking out 201 in 204 innings. He was disappointed in his inconsistency, but he proved to be a very good starter with great upside and stuff. Like Beckett, Dice-K will likely get better with a year in the AL under his belt. A valuable veteran pitchers help out in 41-year old Tim Wakefield (17-12, 4.76 ERA). Yes, you read that right: Wakefield, always seemingly under the radar, won 17 games. He had 15 quality starts, third behind Beckett (20) and Dice-K (18). Reports are he's athletic and still in great shape despite a back problem, so he could keep on pitching well for several more seasons.
41-year old Curt Schilling (9-8, 3.87 ERA) battled arm problems and is on the shelf for a while, hurting his arm in February. He's not expected to pitch until after the All Star break, and may be done for the season. Since the 2006 All-Star break, Schilling is 14-12 with a 4.11 ERA while allowing 261 hits in 227.2 innings. He has struck out just 169. Schilling battled shoulder trouble in midseason and lost a lot off his fastball. He's still clutch when healthy, beating the Indians in Game 6 of the ALCS with the Sox facing elimination against Fausto Carmona. He could be missed in October, but they were not counting on a lot of innings from him during the summer.
Because of the success the starters had with extra rest, plus the ages of Schilling and Wakefield, the Sox are considering a 6-man rotation. Fortunately, they have plenty of young arms to work with. 24-year old lefty Jon Lester recovered from a cancer scare in 2006 to go 4-0 for the Red Sox and win the deciding Game 4 of the 2007 World Series. Even more impressive is the arm of 23-year old Clay Buchholz, who went 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA including a no hitter. That's 6 potential starters, four at ages 27, 26, 23 and 23.
The bullpen was a big question mark a year ago, until 26-year old Jonathon Papelbon volunteered to head back to the closer role. It turned out to be a huge move, as Papelbon has blossomed into a feared and dominant closer. In 2007 he saved 37 games with a 1.85 ERA, fanning 84 in 58 innings. The bullpen still has veterans Mike Timlin (55 IP, 3.42 ERA), Kyle Snyder and Julian Tavarez, but the real find was Japanese lefty Hideki Okajima.
The 32-year old Okajima (3-2) had only 5 saves, but was a dominant middle reliever with a 2.22 ERA making the All-Star team. He held the pen together during rough stretches and was one of their most important players. They have several hard throwing young arms in Manny Delcarmen (age 25) and Craig Hansen (24). Hansen was a rookie in 2005 but has lost his slider since his dominant college days. Delcarmen turned out to be valuable, with a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings. Veteran right-handed relievers Dan Miceli and Dan Kolb were also added. Miceli, 37, did not pitch at all in the majors last season, spending the last of his 14 major league seasons with the Devil Rays in 2006. The 32-year-old Kolb.5?s best season was in 2004 with the Brewers, when he was an All-Star and finished with 39 saves. Last year with the Pirates, he made just three appearances. This bullpen should be a big asset again.
The infield defense has been sensational the last two years. The corners are in great shape with 3B Mike Lowell and 1B Kevin Youkilis. Lowell hit .324 with 21 HRs and 120 RBI playing stellar defense, while Youkalis is an offensive force (.390 OBP, 16 HRs, 35 doubles) and was outstanding defensively. 5-foot-9 24-year old 2B Dustin Pedroia was a revelation, a sparkplug atop the batting order who hit .317 with a .380 OBP, 39 doubles and 86 runs. A big disappointment was 32-year old SS Julio Lugo (.237, 8 HRs, 33 steals), who was supposed to bat leadoff and improve the offense, but never got going. 35-year old C Jason Varitek (17 HRs, .255) is better than his stats might suggest. He's terrific calling a game, though his offense has declined the last few years because of age. He's also in his contract year.
The outfield has 28-year old Coco Crisp (.268) in center, who is brilliant defensively but has been a bust on offense. Fortunately, Jacoby Ellsbury came on in September hitting .353 in 33 games while playing great defense. He also stole 9 bases and had a strong October. Driving some of these table setters in will be an outstanding (and well paid) collection of talent. 35-year old LF Manny Ramirez (20 HRs, 88 RBI) was the 2004 World Series MVP and in 2005 he belted 45 HRs and 144 RBI. Age is catching up with him after a poor 2007, but reports are he.5?s been working out fanatically for 2008, something to keep an eye on.
Clutch DH David Ortiz is off another monster season at .332, with 52 doubles, 35 homers and 117 RBI despite playing with leg problems. He had surgery after the playoffs, which could help him return to his 2006 numbers: 54 home runs and 137 RBI, and in 2005 he hit 47 HRs, 148 RBI. 32-year old RF J.D. Drew was close to a bust at $17-million, hitting .270 with 11 HRs. He's a fine defensive player and had a strong October easing what was a forgettable regular season. They have a ton of sluggers in the lineup who can wear out opposing pitchers with their patience and their bats.
Fifth-year manager Terry Francona has done a great job and guided the team to the 2004 and 2007 World Series titles. He's a fine manager who communicates well with the players and management. He was in charge when the Red Sox humiliated the Yankees in the playoffs (down 3-0, then winning 4 straight including 10-3 at Yankee Stadium in Game 7), a 4-game sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series, and keeping everyone calm in 2007 when they fell behind Cleveland 3-1 in the ALCS. The 2008 Red Sox look loaded, with a good mix of young and veteran talent, plus deep starting pitching. They are a threat to repeat.
New York Yankees (94-68 in 2007)
For a team that's won 103, 101, 101, 95, 97 and 94 games the last six seasons, it's been a disappointing run. The highest payroll in baseball. No World Series titles. A surprising loss to the Marlins in the 2003 Series. October of 2004 will go down as the worst in Yankees history, as they blew a 3-0 lead in the American League Championship series, losing four straight. Making matters worse was that they lost Game 7 at home to their longtime rivals, the eventual champion Boston Red Sox. In 2005, they added Randy Johnson to a 205-million dollar payroll, and got bounced out of the first round of the playoffs by the Angels. 2006 and 2007 was more of the same, losing 3-1 to the young Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians in a first-round playoff exits. That continues a 6-year study in frustration.
So what do they have this season? An offense for the ages, aging pitching and a new manager. Longtime cool hand Joe Torre is out and Joe Girardi is the new manager. The new manager inherits a team that was first in battling, runs, slugging and on base percentage, and one that ranked 8th in ERA in the AL and 12th with just 34 saves. They also failed to win the AL East for the first time in 10 years. They will again lead the league in runs, but the key, once again, will be pitching.
The Yankees have a strong one-two punch with 35-year old lefty Andy Pettitte and 27-year old Chien-Ming Wang. Pettitte returned to the AL last season and went 15-9 with NY, a 4.05 ERA. Age is certainly a concern, as he was hittable, allowing 238 hits in 215 innings. Wang has an excellent sinker and followed up a 19-6, 3.61 ERA, 218 IP back in 2006, with another fine season in 2007: 19-7, 3.70 ERA, 199 IP.
The rest of the rotation is average and aging. They still have 39-year old Mike Mussina (11-10, 5.15, 152 IP), who was mostly awful and benched late in the season. It's hard to believe at his age he'll be getting better. They are counting on a lot from promising 23-year old righty Phil Hughes, who was 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA, and 23-year old righty Ian Kennedy (1.89 ERA in 19 IP). They also like 26-year old Sean Henn, a sinkerballer who was 1-2 with a 7.12 ERA. Japanese lefty Kei Igawa, Roger Clemens and Carl Pavano were colossal busts, so they are still searching for starting depth.
The middle relief has been shaky the last few seasons. They still have ace closer Mariano Rivera (3.15 ERA, 30 saves), who turned 38 over the winter. Getting to him will require some arms to step up, so look for more of 22-year old hard throwing Joba Chamberlain (0.38 ERA), who fanned 33 in 24 innings, the future closer. The middle relief has newcomer 35-year old LaTroy Hawkins, who had a 3.42 ERA with the Rockies. They also have Ross Ohlendorf, lefty Chase Wright, and up and down Kyle Farnsworth (2-1, 4.80 ERA). The pen has some new looks, but may be short on depth again.
As inconclusive as the relief pitching is, offense won't be a problem. The Yankees have 34-year old CF Johnny Damon, who battled all kinds of injuries but still scored 93 runs and hit .270. He moved to first and DH at times to give more room in center for 23-year old Melky Cabrera (.273, 13 steals), as Damon has a weak throwing arm and Yankee Stadium has a large outfield requiring an above-average arm.
33-year old SS Derek Jeter (.322) is off another strong season, with 12 HRs, 56 walks, 73 RBI, 15 steals, though he has fanned 117, 102 and 100 times the last three seasons. Still, he is clutch and a team leader. 32-year old 3B Alex Rodriguez is the best player in the game, during the regular season, off another MVP season hitting 54 homers, 156 RBI, and a .314 batting average. He still fails in the postseason and will be a boo-magnet, both home and away, after signing another outrageous contract. His regular season numbers are astounding: 48 HRs, 130 RBI in 2005, 35 HRs, 121 RBI in 2006 and 54 HRs, 156 RBI in 2007. He's a talented player who seems to try too hard when the spotlight is on him. His bat continues to disappear in the playoffs, though, when it is needed most.
37-year old 1B/DH Jason Giambi had 14 HRs in 254 at bats while battling more injuries. He belted 32 HRs and 87 walks in 2005 and 37 HRs, 113 RBI in 2006. They still have clutch 36-year old catcher Jorge Posada (20 HRs, .338, 90 RBI), who is still productive and earned a big contract in his walk year. And there's more offense! Japanese LF 33-year old Hideki Matsui hit .285 with 24 homers, while 34-year old RF Bobby Abreu is a bit of an enigma at $16-million per year, hitting .283 with 16 HRs, often slumping and disappearing.
25-year old 2B Robinson Cano has been a godsend to the infield, hitting .342 with 15 HRs in 2006 and .306 with 19 HRs last season. There's plenty of offense on this team, but how the young and old pitching staff holds up through July, August, September and October will determine how far this team will go. 100 wins again is the goal, but the pitching staff is a concern because of age, youth and potential injuries. A year ago we wrote, "Which means another defeat in the playoffs wouldn't be a surprise, despite all this offense." There seems to be more pitching question marks this season.
Toronto Blue Jays (83-79 in 2007)
So much for the budget-constrained Blue Jays! They hopped from 67 wins in 2004 to 80 wins in 2005, then management gave the OK to spend some dough. And spend they have! Toronto's payroll expanded by 50 percent in 2006, as they brought in starter A.J. Burnett, closer B.J. Ryan, designated hitter Troy Glaus and first baseman Lyle Overbay. That's some serious talent that fills in some key missing pieces, and they have improved to 87 and 83 wins in the competitive AL East.
The big change for this season is not a free agent signing, but a trade. The Jays and St. Louis Cardinals have swapped injury-plagued third basemen Troy Glaus and Scott Rolen. Both players are coming off season-ending September surgeries and both waived their complete no-trade clauses for the exchange to happen. Rolen, a seven-time Gold Glove winner, turns 33 on April 4, and has barely been on speaking terms with manager Tony La Russa the past two years. Rolen got into 115 games in 2007 and hit .265 with only eight homers, and had his non-throwing left shoulder scoped for scar tissue. Rolen has three years left on his contract for $12 million per. Rolen is a defensive whiz (six straight Gold Gloves, 2000-06) but they are taking a shot on a .278 career hitter whose power numbers have taken a hit because of the shoulder ills that have slowed his bat-speed.
After hitting 31, 28 and 34 homers from 2002 to '04, Rolen has managed just 35 (five, 22 and eight) over the past three years. With Toronto, he'll again line up on the left side of the infield with 32-year old shortstop David Eckstein, the Cardinals free agent who represents the Jays' other major off-season acquisition. Eckstein is a 5-foot-7 sparkplug who can bat near the top of the order. He hit .301 with 10 steals in 2007 with St. Louis.
They join an offense that is very strong, built around 29-year old skilled CF Vernon Wells (16 HRs, 36 doubles, 80 RBI, 10 steals, .245 average), who is off a poor season. He hopes to bounce back to his 2006 numbers: 32 HRs, 40 doubles, 106 RBI, 17 steals, .303 average. In 2005 he hit 28 HRs, 97 RBI and back in 2003 he hit .317, with 33 home runs, 117 RBI. In the outfield alongside Wells will be 26-year old RF Alex Rios, a multi-skilled talent who busted out with 24 HRs, 43 doubles, 85 RBI and a .297 average. LF Reed Johnson and Matt Stairs are veterans in the platoon LF/DH/1B mode. Stairs is off the better season with 21 homers in just 357 at bats, but is a poor defensive player.
1B/DH Frank Thomas is off a pair of surprise seasons, with 39 home runs and 114 RBI in Oakland in 2006, and at age 39 clubbed 26 homers and 95 RBI with Toronto in 2007. He turns 40 in May. They have a glut of infielders with 31-year old Lyle Overbay, who slid from 22 HRs and 92 RBI in 2006 to just 10 homers last season. SS Eckstein teams with 26-year old 2B Aaron Hill (17 HRs, .291) and backup infielder Russ Adams. They are not a speed team, preferring to clog the bases and win with home runs, which they do very well. Veteran Greg Zaun (36 years old) will catch, a position that lacks depth. The offense is much better at SkyDome, a power offensive team built for the small confines in Toronto.
The pitching staff has an ace Roy Halladay, who had unfortunate injuries in 2004 and 2005. Halladay had arm trouble in 2004, then suffered an unfortunate injury in the middle of the 2005 campaign while starting 12-4 with a 2.41 ERA. He was on his way to possibly winning the Cy Young, and he already won the 2003 Cy Young Award winner with 22 victories. In 2006 Halladay pitched 220 innings with a strong 3.19 ERA, going 16-5. Last season he went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA, logging 225 innings. He is the rarest of baseball commodities: A reliable ace.
A big disappointment has been 31-year old A.J. Burnett, one of their free agent spending spree acquisitions in 2006. Burnett was rarely healthy, finishing 10-8 with a 3.98 ERA in 135 innings his first season, and 10-8 with a 3.75 ERA last summer. He has great potential, but the last 7 years his records have been 11-12, 12-9, 0-2, 7-6, 12-12, 10-8 and 10-8. That 0-2 season was the year the Marlins won the World Series, as Burnett was injured. They still have 27-year old lefty Gustavo Chacin (9-4 in 2006). He won 13 games in 2005, but battled injuries last season. There is potential for a very good starting staff, but they haven't been healthy.
All the injuries in 2007 allowed Toronto to bring up several kid pitchers, and the results were very positive. 26-year old Shaun Marcum stepped in to go 12-6 with a 4.13 ERA in 159 innings. Opponents hit just .249 off him. Jesse Litsch and Dustin McGowan are two other young arms, along with Brian Wolfe and Brian Tallet. The Blue Jays lost pitcher Casey Janssen for the season with a shoulder injury (torn labrum). He had a 2.35 ERA in relief last season and was expected to give the rotation a shot, but that will be in 2009 now.
The bullpen has an ace closer in lefty B.J. Ryan, who came over from the Orioles in 2006. He blew his arm out last summer, but hopes to bounce back to his 2006 form when he was lights out with 38 saves and a 1.37 ERA! The middle relief has two reliable arms in lefty Scott Downs and Jason Frasor.
The pitching looks decent, and the offense is also above average. They can count on Halladay, but need more stability behind him. Halladay was 19-7, 2.93 ERA six years ago and pocketed his first Cy Young in 2003 after going 22-7, 3.25 ERA with 204 Ks in 266 IP. Toronto has won 80, 78, 86, 67, 80, 87 and 83 games the last 7 years, so they are not that far off. If Thomas has a third straight healthy season and Wells can bounce back, this should be one monster offensive team. Reliable No. 3, 4 and 5 starters need to emerge, but battling heavyweights Boston and New York makes things that much tougher for this team North of the border. A run to the playoffs may happen, but a lot of things will have to break right.
Tampa Bay (66-96 in 2007)
There are a lot of changes in store in Tampa for this season. The team has a new name (they dropped the Devil) and new uniforms (they dropped the green). While they have been a cheap, laughingstock of the league since their inception and off another losing season, the Rays have some serious hope for 2008. They traded young star Delmon Young to the Twins for a live arm in top prospect Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett.
The defense up the middle should be vastly improved. Moving Akinori Iwamura (.285, 12 steals) to second base should be a major upgrade defensively as he has a great glove. 28-year old shortstop Jason Bartlett (.265) stole 23 bases for the Twins and replaces Brendan Harris at second. Bartlett made 26 errors last year for the Twins, mainly on errant throws, which is a convern, but his range is very good. Rookie third baseman Evan Longoria will battle Joel Guzman at third.
This is an interesting collection of young talent that will likely play old NL style of ball: running. There is star talent and more speed with 26-year old LF Carl Crawford (.315, 11 HRs, 80 RBI), who can bat anywhere in the lineup. He had 50 steals in 2007. He busted out with 59 steals in 2004, 46 in 2005 and 57 in 2006. 26-year old CF Rocco Baldelli is still trying to recover from injuries, and had 5 homers in 137 bats last summer. In 2006 he had 364 at bats, 16 HRs while hitting .302. Five years ago he hit .289, with 32 doubles, 8 triples, and 27 steals! 23-year old CF B.J. Upton is a budding star, hitting 24 homers, .300, 82 RBI while stealing 22 bases in 2007. This is a very talented young outfield.
Who's going to drive these speedy table setters in? 35-year old Cliff Floyd (9 homers) should help at DH in this hitter friendly park, while 1B Carlos Pena was a godsend, belting 46 homers and driving in 121 runs. He's also a fine defensive first basemen, so this infield and outfield defense looks dynamite, which can only help the pitching. They have high hopes for 23-year old catcher Dioner Navarro, who had 9 HRs and hit .227.
Youth rules on this pitching staff, again. They are building around talented young lefty 24-year old Scott Kazmir, the kid they acquired from the Mets in July of 2004. Kazmir has blossomed as a terrific young ace and last summer he went 13-9 with a strong 3.48 ERA. The kid has a great slider and fanned 239 in 206 innings. He also improved his control immensely, with just 52 and 89 walks the last two seasons. Remember that in 2005 he was 10-9 with a 3.77 ERA, fanning 174 in 186 IP while walking 100, which was far too many. He's a keeper. Think the Mets and their aging pitching staff would like him back?
26-year old James Shields was a huge surprise, going 12-8 with a 3.85 ERA in 215 innings. Opponents hit just .247 off him and he had a 184-36 strikeout to walk ratio. Hard throwing righty 24-year old Matt Garza, the other key piece of the Delmon swap, will go right into the starting rotation at No. 3. Garza has a great fastball and went 5-7 with a 3.69 ERA. Oddly, he was 1-5 with a 5.25 ERA at home, but 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA on the road. Minnesota is indoors, a tough park to pitch in, but so is Tampa. Perhaps it was just a fluke as he is so new to the big leagues. It's a terrific young trio to build the rotation around.
That means someone in the Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine, Jason Hammel triumvirate will have to step into the No. 4 and 5 roll. The bullpen has been a mess for years, but has a chance for improvement. Troy Percival, the new closer, has battled injuries the last few years and is a huge risk. Al Reyes drops to the eighth inning for now. He saved 26 games as opponents his just .215 off him, but he turns 38 the first month of the season. He will move back to being a closer if (when?) Percival fails. Dan Wheeler and Chad Orvella anchor a weak middle relief staff.
Sports bettors need to note that Tampa Bay was 41-39 at home in 2006, but 20-60 on the road! That is a pattern, as in 2005 Tampa Bay was 40-41 at home, but 27-54 on the road! This is a small payroll team that is acquiring a lot of key talent. Another last place finish might be expected, but there is plenty of talent. They appear to be a team on the rise, one that could give trouble to a lot of teams with their starting trio and speed. They've got a shot to creep out of the AL East cellar.
Baltimore Orioles (69-93 in 2007)
It was an offseason of major changes and a move toward a youth movement since GM Andy MacPhail was hired as president of baseball operations last June. They signaled the rebuilding with the trade of 31-year old SS Miguel Tejada to the Houston Astros for five players - outfielder Luke Scott, third baseman Michael Costanzo and pitchers Matt Alberts, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate. Tejada battled injuries last season and had 18 HRs, 81 RBI in 133 games. The Orioles appear committed to dismantling its veteran nucleus in favor of a roster that is younger and cheaper.
MacPhail continues to listen to offers for two other talented players, All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts and ace starter Erik Bedard. The Orioles will consider Luis Hernandez to play shortstop, after he hit .290 in 30 games. 30-year old 2B Brian Roberts (27, 23, 29, 36 and 50 steals the last five years) is a sparkplug atop the order and is off a season with a .290 average and 89 walks, good for a .377 OBP. 3B Melvin Mora (27, 16 and 14 homers the last three seasons) provide excellent offense from the infield. Mora is a versatile infielder and provides good offensive sock anywhere in the lineup. The two form a nice one-two punch atop the order.
There are few big guns to drive them, though. 24-year old RF Nick Markakis is a terrific young player, hitting .300 with 23 HRs, and 112 RBI. 31-year old 1B Aubrey Huff (15 HRs, .280) was productive, but doesn't really help the youth movement. 1B/outfielder Jay Gibbons has gone down in homers the last three years from 26 to 13 to 6, after hitting 100 RBI in 2003. CF Corey Patterson had 37 steals and his .269, so he has value and at age 28 is worth keeping.
Outfielder Tike Redman signed a one-year deal with the club as a backup outfielder. Redman could form a left-field platoon with 35-year old LF Jay Payton, if Payton is not jettisoned. Payton (7 HRs) regressed and probably doesn't have much future here. The catching situation is in bad shape with Guillermo Quiroz and Ramon Hernandez. This is a team with below-average defensive players and not enough on-base percentage guys. Even with Tejada this offense wasn.5?t very productive.
The one positive is that there are some young arms that have showed glimpses of excellence. 29-year old lefty Erik Bedard emerged as the ace, with a 13-5 season and a 3.16 ERA. He led the league with 221 strikeouts. 6-foot-7, 250-lb Daniel Cabrera, a 26-year old righty, throws hard and is off a 9-18 season with 166 Ks in 204 innings. He needs to refine his control (104 and 108 walks the last two years) to help improve his durability and lower the ERA from 5.55. A problem is a lack of depth, especially after veteran 33-year old Kris Benson went down a year ago and was lost for the season. He had been off an 11-12, 4.82 ERA 2006 season with the Mets.
Lefty Adam Loewen (2-0, 3.56 ERA) will turn 24 the first month of the season and they will look to him to be a reliable starter. He threw 112 innings with 98 Ks in 2006, but too many walks (62), for a 5.37 ERA. Last year he was inconsistent and threw just 30 innings, but in August he showed his potential beating the Yankees allowing just two runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Lefty Brian Burres turns 27 the first week of the season and went 6-8 with a 5.95 ERA in 121 innings.
The bullpen is decent, with submariner Chad Bradford (3.34 ERA) joining Jeremy Guthrie (7-5, 3.70) Jamie Walker (3.23) and on-again-off-again closer Danys Baez (6 saves, 6.44 ERA last season). 25-year old Chris Ray (16 saves) emerged as the real closer, despite a 4.43 ERA. Mike Costanzo is in the minors, but Tory Patton, Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate, who is out of minor league options, will be given a chance to win jobs in the Orioles' rotation or bullpen this spring. Patton, a 22-year-old left-hander, and Albers, a 24-year-old right-hander, were the essential parts of the Tejada package as MacPhail continues to try to stockpile pitching depth. Both pitched in the majors last year and had been considered two of the top prospects in a thin farm system.
There are some talented young players and a lot of new faces. The odds are stacked against them in a division with the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays. Baltimore has gone 67-95, 71-91, 78-84, 74-84, 70-92 and 69-93 the last six seasons. In the competitive world of the AL East, they fell to fourth last season and don't look much better.
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