THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
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SPORTS 
2013 MLB Preview As Major League Baseball returns to our screens, Jay B Webster seeks out familiar faces in new places Spring is in the air, and there’s a spring in the step of baseball fans around the world as another season stands poised to unfold. Hope springs eternal, and fans of teams around the league are allowed to believe that just maybe this is their year to contend. And why not? Who can begrudge a die-hard fan a dose of optimism after a long, cold winter? So what does the landscape look like around the Majors this year? As usual, there are lots of familiar faces in new places. For starters, long-time Bostonian Kevin Youkilis – after spending half a season on Chicago’s south side – took a page out of Johnny Damon’s book and exchanged Red Sox for Yankee pinstripes. Josh Hamilton jumped between AL West Division rivals and landed with the big-spending Angels. Zack Greinke is in Dodger blue, the Marlins cut bait on half of their roster, and a whole team turned up in a different league as the Astros beamed from the NL Central to the AL West. So what’s it all mean? Who are the contenders and who are the pretenders? Here is a look at all 30 teams, the contenders and pretenders roughly in the order of how they should finish come October. AL West Toronto Blue Jays: In what figures to once again be the most compelling division in baseball, the Blue Jays made the biggest waves. First they unburdened the Marlins of José Reyes, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio and Mark Buehrle. Then they reined in reigning NL Cy Young award winner R A Dickey before adding Melky Cabrera, who was putting up MVP-calibre numbers for the Giants last season before being suspended for failing a PED test. Add all of that to a roster that already contained one of the most potent bats in baseball in José Bautista, as well as Edwin Encarnación, Brett Lawrie, J P Arencibia and Colby Rasmus, and you’ve got a recipe for bringing baseball glory back north of the border for the first time since the early ’90s. Of course, Reyes and Buehrle were supposed to be ushering in a new era of dominance in South Florida last season, and we all know how that turned out. This team will have to gel quickly with all of its shiny new parts, but on paper, the Blue Jays look poised to play deep into October. Baltimore Orioles: With the Blue Jays hitting the gas pedal in the off-season and the Orioles winning the Wild Card last season, the hegemony exerted over the division for so many years by the Yankees and Red Sox, if not waning, is at the very least diminishing. Simply put, this division is as wide open now as it has been in recent memory. The O’s lived life on the edge last year, going 29-9 in one-run games, 54-23 in games decided by two runs or fewer, and 16-2 in extra-inning games. While centerfielder Adam Jones, catcher Matt Wieters and young third baseman Manny Machado are quality big leaguers, this team lacks the true star power of other teams in the division. And after slipping in the back door of the playoffs with the new second Wild Card, the O’s opted to stand put with their roster rather than chase any of the big-name free agents on the market. Whether this team will be able to replicate the success they had last year remains to be seen, but here’s hoping they’ll be at least half as much fun to watch as they were a season ago. New York Yankees One of the reasons the Orioles can hope to stay in contention without any major additions is that other than the Blue Jays, no other team in the division made any great strides. The Yankees are clearly in that boat. Gone are Nick Swisher and Russell Martin. In are Travis Hafner and the above-mentioned Youkilis, neither exactly spring chickens. They join a roster of aging veterans that Father Time seems to be catching up to. Derek Jeter is coming off of a serious ankle injury, Mariano Rivera blew out his knee, CC Sabathia had elbow surgery and Alex Rodriguez is out until at least the All-Star break after hip surgery. Curtis Granderson is out until May with a broken arm, and even the newly-acquired Hafner and Youkilis have been on the DL a combined nine times in the past three years. This Yankee team had a run differential of +136 last year, and won the division. They also showed some signs that the reign of the Evil Empire could be coming to an end. It will be interesting to see if they’ve got one more run left in them, or if this is the year age and injuries finally catch up. Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays had the best year of any team to miss the playoffs last year, highlighting just how competitive the AL East is. Gone are B J Upton, James Shields and Carlos Peña, replaced by James Loney, Yunel Escobar and super-prospect Wil Myers, acquired from the Royals for Shields. With Joe Madden at the helm, and the team anchored by Evan Longoria and David Price, the Rays always seem to find a way to remain relevant and competitive. This year should be no different. Boston Red Sox: The BoSox have missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Last year’s Bobby Valentine experiment ended as messily as most people expected it to. Things don’t look great in Beantown, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing for Sox fans to cheer about. Dustin Pedroia is always worth the price of admission, David Ortiz still has some pop, and third baseman Will Middlebrooks looks like the real deal. Okay, there isn’t an awful lot for Sox fans to cheer about this year, and they seem to know it. Come some cold, blustery day in April, Fenway Park figures not to be filled to capacity for the first time since 1993, ending a streak of almost 800 consecutive sell-outs. AL Central Detroit Tigers: The AL Central figures to be the Tigers followed by everyone else. Again. The pitching rotation, led by Justin Verlander, is one of the deepest in baseball, especially after Aníbal Sánchez re-signed with the club. Triple Crown winner/AL MVP Miguel Cabrera and first baseman Prince Fielder are joined in the heart of the lineup by Víctor Martínez, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, and veteran outfielder Torii Hunter. The Tigers steamrolled the Yankees in the ALDS , but lost their momentum and went out with a whimper to the Giants in the World Series. There is no reason to think this team can’t reach those lofty heights once again this year. Chicago White Sox: Everyone had pretty much handed the division title to the Tigers before last season started as well, but it was the White Sox who led the division for most of the way. The team returns largely intact from last season’s squad, with only mid-season acquisition Youkilis and A J Pierzynski departing, and Jeff Keppinger brought in to take over duties at third base. For the Pale Hose to contend again, they’ll need Chris Sale and Jake Peavy to be as effective as they were last season. Kansas City Royals: The Royals have been building from the bottom up for some time now, nurturing a core of young players from within their own farm system. Last year was supposed to be the first year that the young bucks would start coming into their own. It didn’t work out that way, and the Royals faded early, with first baseman Eric Hosmer the poster boy for the high-expectation under achievers. While the likes of Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas hope to continue their development as the nucleus of a talented big-league roster, it was pitching that the Royals’ front office honed in on this winter. KC sent prized prospect Wil Myers to the Rays for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. They also re-signed Jeremy Guthrie and traded for Ervin Santana. While there is no doubt the pitching is a serious upgrade, the question is, will it be enough? As far as the Royals are concerned, the future is now. Cleveland Indians: The Indians ranked 13th out of the 14 American League teams last year in runs scored, so they knew they needed some new faces. Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Mark Reynolds were brought into town, as was new skipper Terry Francona. Second baseman Jason Kipnis and catcher Carlos Santana are each elite players at their respective positions, and left fielder Michael Brantley is undervalued. Pitching might be a problem, but with the likes of Swisher, Jason Giambi and Brett Myers in town, this Indians team figures to be colorful, if nothing else. Minnesota Twins: What’s to say about a team that finished dead last a year ago, and did very little to improve? At least Target Field is a great place to watch a ballgame. AL West Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: A year ago the Angels made the biggest splash in the game by signing slugger Albert Pujols and finished third in the division. So what did they do this year? Went out and signed the biggest free agent on the market in Josh Hamilton. Aside from bloating an already prodigious payroll, Hamilton brings a whole lot of lumber to Anaheim, and watching Pujols, Hamilton and AL Rookie of the year and MVP runner up Mike Trout will be a whole lot of fun. Considering that Hamilton and Pujols are making roughly $30 million between them, it is amazing to think that Trout, who is in just his second year and may actually be the best player on the team, will make ‘only’ $510,000 this season. Oakland Athletics: The A’s stunned the baseball world last year by besting the heavily favoured Angels and Rangers to win the division, capping off the season with a dramatic sweep of the Rangers. Without a lot of star power, it will be interesting to see if these over-achievers can reach the heights they did last year. Yoenis Céspedes has the looks of the real deal and right fielder Josh Reddick is one of the most exciting young players in the league, but clearly, a lot of breaks will have to fall Oakland’s way for there to be another post-season trip on the cards. Texas Rangers: After back-to-back World Series appearances, the Rangers flamed out in spectacular fashion last year, only to see their best hitter defect to their biggest division rival. Ian Kinsler, Adrián Beltré and Nelson Cruz remain, however, with aging veteran Lance Berkman hoping to stay healthy enough to fill Hamilton’s sizeable shoes. Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison and Derek Holland anchor a respectable rotation for a team that figures to be firmly in the race for the second Wild Card slot. Seattle Mariners: The M’s have one of the game’s best pitchers in Félix Hernández, whom they inked to a long-term deal in the off-season. Catcher Jesús Montero, at 23, batted .298 last year, and his best years are ahead of him, but most likely the only thing keeping this team out of the AL West basement is the... Houston Astros: The Astros were bad in the National League, and they won’t be any better in the AL. The biggest beneficiary of the Astros swapping leagues is the other teams in the AL West who now get the chance to pad their records by beating up on them. NL East Washington Nationals: A year ago, the Nats were facing an uphill battle to be relevant in the division. They were too young and the division was too competitive. They were at least a year away. Well turns out it was their year after all, and they rang up the best record in the Majors. This year they are the trendy pick to represent the Senior Circuit in the Fall Classic. Stephen Strasburg showed he is 100% after Tommy John surgery, and shouldn’t have an innings limit hanging over him all season. Bryce Harper had a better age-19 season than Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr, Al Kaline or Robin Yount, and – barring a dreaded sophomore slump – should only get better. Ian Desmond has quietly become one of the more productive shortstops in the league, and the outfield of Harper, Denard Span and Jayson Werth has plenty to offer as well. Pitching won’t be a problem either, with Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann atop the rotation, and if the Nats can nail down a closer, the division could be theirs to lose. Atlanta Braves: Before handing the pennant to the Nationals, however, the folks down in Atlanta would probably have a word or two to say. The Braves brought the Upton brothers, B J and Justin to town to team up with Jason Heyward in what figures to be one of the more dynamic outfields in baseball. The Braves also have quality players in catcher Brian McCann and first baseman Freddie Freeman. It will be strange not to see Chipper Jones at third base (or on the bench nursing an injury) for the first time in living memory, but the most fearsome bullpen in baseball, led by closer Craig Kimbrel and set-up men Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty, won’t let many leads slip away. Anyone who counts this Braves team out does so at their own peril. Philadelphia Phillies: Is the glass half empty or half full in Philly? Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels are as good a threesome as you’ll find toeing the rubber. Age and injuries have slowed Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, but are they completely washed up? Michael Young comes to town from Texas to man third base, but he is 36 years old. This is a Phillies team that finished a very ordinary 81-81, but they did win 44 of their final 72 games. So which is it? A bunch of washed-up has-beens, or a solid core of veterans with one more pennant run left in them? New York Mets: David Wright got a contract extension that should make him a Met for life, while Cy Young winner R A Dickey got a ticket out of town. The Mets have some young guns who figure to make an impact at some stage, including pitchers Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, as well as catcher Travis d’Arnaud. Johan Santana and newcomer Shaun Marcum could be effective atop the rotation, if they can stay healthy (and that’s a big if), but an outfield of Lucas Duda, John Buck and Mike Baxter isn’t going to strike a whole lot of fear in the opposition. There is reason for optimism in Queens, but maybe not this year. Florida Marlins: Owner Jeffrey Loria took a stick of dynamite and blew up the team he spent so much money on to assemble last year, incurring the wrath of the Marlins’ faithful in the process. After moving into a shiny new stadium and stocking the roster with proven veterans, the Fish proceeded to stink up the joint, losing 93 games. That brought out the wrecking ball, leaving only exciting slugger Giancarlo Stanton as a bona-fide big league talent. It’s going to be a long season with very few fans in the stands at Marlins Park. NL Central Cincinnati Reds: The Reds won 97 games last season and improved their offense by adding outfielder Shin-Soo Choo. First baseman Joey Votto is one of the top sluggers in the National League, with Ryan Ludwick and Jay Bruce hitting behind him. Fireballer Aroldis Chapman, who was lights out as the closer last year with his 100mph+ fastball, moves to a starting rotation that already includes Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos and Bronson Arroyo. If that experiment works out, NL hitters beware. As it stands, there is little reason to think that, barring injuries, the Reds won’t punch their ticket to October once again. St Louis Cardinals: The Redbirds always seem to have a knack for staying relevant, no matter what losses they have to overcome or parts they have to wiggle around. This is a team that came one win away from winning its second consecutive pennant last season despite the loss of Albert Pujols and manager Tony La Russa. New manager Mike Matheny and the Cardinals made few changes in the off-season, nor was there much need to. St Louis ranked second in the NL in runs scored. Led by slugging left fielder Matt Holliday, the Redbirds figure to be an offensive juggernaut once again. Pitching could be an issue, but the team has a wealth of talent at the upper levels of their farm system waiting to step in. This is a team that could give the Reds a run for their money, but they certainly will have their eyes on at least another Wild Card berth. Chicago Cubs: The rest of the division will fight for leftovers. The Cubs lost 101 games in the first year of the Theo Epstein era, but there were signs of life as some of their young players made progress. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and pitcher Jeff Samardzija in particular showed that they could become building blocks of the organization. Although their pitching as a whole has some depth and they have the potential to surprise some people, the Cubs won’t contend this year. But with some luck they will keep moving in that direction. Milwaukee Brewers: After awakening from a season-long slumber, the Brew Crew made a late-season charge at the second Wild Card last year. Ryan Braun remains one of the best players in the game, Rickie Weeks and Aramis Ramírez are solid big leaguers, and Corey Hart will man first base ably when he returns from injury. After Yovani Gallardo and Marco Estrada, the rotation will be filled out with some promising but unproved arms, and the reality is, an awful lot of things will have to fall their way for the Brewers to stay in contention. Pittsburgh Pirates: In Pittsburgh it’s not so much about reaching the playoff as it is about breaking a streak of 20 straight losing seasons. They made strides last year and were even atop the division at the All-Star break before fading away for yet another losing season. Andrew McCutchen has emerged as a true superstar, and the Bucs did upgrade with catcher Russell Martin. The pitching shouldn’t be terrible and there is truly a chance that this is the year the Pirates get the .500 monkey off their backs. NL West LA Dodgers: With a new ownership group that includes Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten, the Dodgers have opened the purse strings to become the team with the highest payroll in baseball, somewhere north of $200 million. Handsomely paid Hanley Ramírez, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez will see their first full season in Dodger blue, while Matt Kemp, who signed a monster contract extension, is one of baseball’s best all-around players. Lefty Clayton Kershaw is a Cy Young-calibre ace atop the rotation. He is joined by Zack Greinke, who was inked for only another $147 million, to fill out one of the deepest rotations in the league. This crop of high-paid talent still needs to show they have the chemistry necessary to contend, but the talent certainly is there. San Francisco Giants: The Giants, of course, are the defending World Series Champions, having captured their second title in three years, and the team returns its core. Catcher Buster Posey is one of the bright young stars of the baseball universe, while third baseman Pablo Sandoval finished in the top 10 in the NL MVP balloting. Pitching forms the basis of the Giants' success. Matt Cain is the ace of the rotation, posting an impressive 2.93 ERA over the past four campaigns. If Tim Lincecum can regain some of his Cy Young form after a disastrous 2012 season that saw him lose 15 games and get benched in the playoffs, good things could be in store for the Giants once again. Arizona Diamondbacks: After trading Justin Upton to the Braves, the D-backs figure to have some ground to make up offensively. Where that production will come from is unclear, however. Paul Goldschmidt and Jason Kubel aren’t terrible hitters, but they aren’t exactly the type of players to build a lineup around either. If Arizona is to have any success this year, the starting pitching will have to lead the way. Ian Kennedy is solid atop the rotation and Wade Miley won 16 games with a 3.33 ERA and finished second to Bryce Harper in Rookie of the Year voting. Colorado Rockies: The Rockies' pitching was abysmal last year, and the offense wasn’t much better. Troy Tulowitzki was injured much of the year and appeared in just 47 games. The starting rotation is healthier this year, and young arms such as Drew Pomeranz have the potential to make an impact. If the team can stay healthy and the young pitching continues to develop, the Rockies could at least get back above .500. San Diego Padres: The Friars finished a mediocre 76-86 last season and didn’t do much to upgrade. Perhaps the biggest move the team made was to bring in the Petco Park fences. The stadium has been notoriously pitcher friendly since opening in 2004. The Padres hit 74 home runs on the road last season and just 47 at home. There are those who feel that the Padres are a team with the capability to exceed expectations, but then the expectations aren’t really that high to begin with. UK TV coverage of the MLB regular season can be found at www.espnamerica.co.uk |
