The A.L. East: A Puncher's Chance

     James Brown's dance moves. Your throat when talking to the prettiest girl in school. The 2013 AL East. What do they all have in common? They're tight bro...real tight. Top to bottom, this might be the closest division race in the show. They all have a shot. The Red Sox have reloaded, the Yankees are always in the chase, the Rays pulled off a mega-prospect trade, the Jays have made a lot of underrated moves, and the O's were a playoff team last year even missing Markakis for a large chunk of the season.
     The Sox and Yanks have ended up in strikingly similar positions. They each have their superstars (Cano, Pedroia, Tex, Ellsbury, CC, Lester...), but they've filled out their rosters this offseason with veterans. And not those "its feels like he's been in the show forever but he's still only 28" veterans. No. We're talking about the ever dangerous "35 isn't THAT old for a ball player" type of vets. Only time will tell what each team will get from the likes of Youkilis, Victorino, Dempster, Pettitte, Ross, and Kuroda. It will be a HUGE boost to their respective teams if any of those guys can find the fountain of youth this year.
     And is it just me, or does it seem like the Rays never want to bank too much on one season? Just when it feels like they're one or two good pieces away from being the absolute division favorites, they trade Shields and Davis away for some prospects. Now, all reports are that these are are two TOP prospects, but still, lets not kid ourselves. Shields and Davis have proven they can compete on the biggest stage. All that being said...I still like the trade haha! It feels like the Rays just try to stay competitive every year until that moment arrives when they can capture lightning in a bottle and make a push for that Ship, and this might be as open a year as any.
     The O's have a young stable of pitchers and a young core that now knows what it feels like and what it takes to play a full season and play in October. Buck Showalter is a fantastic manager that has as good a feel for the pulse of his team as any manager in the Bigs. The addition of Nate McLouth should add depth and perhaps even put that Outfield among the best in the Majors. I got nothin' but love for these birds. This was a playoff team a year ago and I fully expect them to be legitimate contenders again this year.
     The Blue Jays are gonna be the "Wild Card" team in the division. They have the talent and potential to win 100, but it wouldn't totally surprise me if they lost 100. Lets just pencil Bautista in for another 40 round trips this year, but aside from that they have a lot of questions. Was Dickey a flash in the pan or can he keep it up at 38? Can Josh Johnson return to Ace form? Can Encarnacion get anywhere close to last year's career highs? Can Melky produce at an All-Star level without any asterisk juice? The answers to those questions will define the Jays' season. If they are positive results, watch out. But if things start falling apart, it could get ugly.

2013 AL East Prediction: This race is gonna be tight and its gonna be tight all year. That means these guys are gonna feel the heat and tempers are gonna flare. There's gonna be some Super Smash Bros. Brawl goin down. Im putting the under/over for really good, bench clearing, suspension inducing, brawls involving AL East teams at 6 for the year...and i'm taking the over!

Are the Red Sox Overhauling their Roster?

Jacoby Ellsbury after separating his shoulder in the home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. Image retrieved from bleacher report.com.

            The Red Sox finished last year with an embarrassing 69-93 record, 26 games back of the Yankees in the AL East and a clubhouse that lacked the sort of chemistry that was prominent in 2004. Because of the mega-trade that went down this past Spring, the Red Sox had a chance to remodel. This Off-season has been busy for the Sox, resigning David Ortiz (2-yrs, $26 million), signing back-up catcher David Ross (2-yrs, $6.2 million), utility outfielder Jonny Gomes (2-yrs, $10 million), gold glover Shane Victorino (3-yrs, $39 million), Catcher/1^st Baseman Mike Napoli (3-yrs, $39 million), Reliever Koji Uehara (1-yr, $4.25 million), Starting Pitcher Ryan Dempster (2-yrs, $26.5 million), and shortstop Stephen Drew (1-yr, $9.5 million). Many are skeptical of the moves made in Boston this off-season and some argue that the team is spending too much money on older veterans that may split time with one another. One of the most prominent examples is the fact that the Red Sox now have four quality catchers under their roster, assuming the deal gets finalized with Mike Napoli. However, I believe that there is a method to this overhauling madness!

            It is safe to say that this past season is one that all Sox fans would love to forget. Although most fans would love to place all the blame on EX-manager Bobby Valentine, it is apparent that the poor season was due to a number of issues. One of the largest issues was injury. Injuries appeared to crop up like the flu last season in the Red Sox clubhouse. The Red Sox opened the season without John Lackey (Tommy John surgery), their closer Andrew Bailey (thumb issues), and “star” left-fielder Carl Crawford (wrist and elbow). This set the tone for the rest of the season and no line-up at any point in the season included Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford all at once. Ellsbury missed three months after separating his shoulder in the home opener, Pedroia hit the DL in July with a torn muscle in his thumb, and David Ortiz missed a lot of time after injuring his achilles. It was the most any team has used the disabled list in one season. So how do you prepare for such a thing? DEPTH. That is the method behind the Red Sox’ madness this off-season!!!

The Red Sox had no depth last year, making them look like the Houston Astros of last year or the Florida Marlins of this year (Haha), when their line-up became riddled with injuries. Yes, it is ridiculous to have four quality catchers still. However, we know that Napoli will spend most of his time at first base and Jarrod Saltalamacchia is looking to be moved. And the Red Sox have not just added quality veterans, but mentors for the younger developing guys in the clubhouse. LaVarnway, who saw the most big-league time in his career last season, can learn from Ross and Napoli. This gives those younger guys time to learn and develop over the next couple years without the team having to give up contention in the AL East.

Depth is so important on any sports team and that was apparent last year for the Boston Red Sox. I am glad to see they have learned from it and I am looking forward to observing how it works out this upcoming season!