Call it the year of the beard. From Jake Plummer to Ben Roethlisberger, whiskers have dominated the news. The most pressing question in the American League is whether clean-shaven Johnny Damon can adjust from the Boston Red Sox’s “Forever in Blue Jeans” style to the New York Yankees’ pinstripes and briefcases. For all the focus on the East – Toronto, hello – the World Series champion Chicago White Sox had a terrific offseason, keeping Paul Konerko in the fold while adding slugger Jim Thome and piling up enough pitching depth to leave Jose Contreras as a trade pawn, if necessary.
While the Yankees are favored in the East, Oakland gets a slight edge in the West, having added twin volatile bats and personalities in Frank Thomas and Milton Bradley. As it stands, no team is built better for the postseason than the White Sox, making them the kings until someone mounts a worthy coup.
AL WEST
(In predicted order of finish)
Oakland Athletics (88-74, second)
Notable additions: Esteban Loaiza, rhp; Milton Bradley, of; Frank Thomas, DH; Ken Macha, manager.
Key losses: Ken Macha, manager (until he changed his mind and came back); Keiichi Yabu, rhp.
You grow, boy: Nick Swisher can be maddening, commanding attention for all the wrong reasons. But the kid can hit. And with more protection in the lineup – Thomas and Bradley – he could produce 30 home runs and a .350 on-base percentage this season.
Spring’s tall order: Monitoring the aches and pains of ace Rich Harden. He is skipping the World Baseball Classic, a sigh of relief for the A’s. The difference with this Oakland team is finding a way to utilize depth, something the A’s didn’t have last year when Bobby Crosby went down.
Los Angeles Angels (95-67, first)
Notable additions: Hector Carrasco, rhp; Edgardo Alfonzo, inf.
Key losses: Bengie Molina, c; Steve Finley, of.
You grow, boy: First base has been cleared for prospect Casey Kotchman, who will be given his first and perhaps best chance to prove he’s a run-producing monster.
Spring’s tall order: Where is the power going to come from? Garret Anderson declined badly last year, and if he has to DH, that takes at-bats away from slugger Dallas McPherson. Bartolo Colon coming back seamlessly from shoulder problems is not a given.
Texas Rangers (79-83, third)
Notable additions: Kevin Millwood, rhp; Adam Eaton, rhp; Vicente Padilla, rhp; Akinoro Otsuka, rhp; Jon Leicester, rhp; Brad Wilkerson, of.
Key losses: Alfonso Soriano, 2b; Kenny Rogers, lhp; Chris Young, rhp.
You grow, boy: Rookie Ian Kinsler is trying to win the second-base job vacated by Soriano. Kinsler’s minor-league offensive numbers were solid, but he must show he can play defense in the big leagues.
Spring’s tall order: The gnawing concern is whether the bullpen can get back to its 2004 form, when the relievers led the AL with a 3.46 ERA. Last year they inflated to 4.83. If that holds, the addition of three new starters, including Millwood, won’t matter much.
Seattle Mariners (69-93, fourth)
Notable additions: Jarrod Washburn, lhp; Carl Everett, of; Matt Lawton, of; Marcos Carvajal, rhp.
Key losses: Ryan Franklin, rhp; Yorvit Torrealba, c; Bobby Madritsch, rhp.
You grow, boy: Jeremy Reed, Seattle’s next big thing, fizzled before producing a big bang, batting a pedestrian .254 as a rookie. Not a power guy, he needs to get on base at a .350 clip to play every day.
Spring’s tall order: Getting Adrian Beltre into a comfort zone. Perhaps he can wear a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey during warm-ups. After nearly winning MVP honors in the National League, he became a ghost in a uniform last season, belting only 19 home runs – 29 fewer than he hit with the Dodgers the previous season.
AL EAST
New York Yankees (95-67, first)
Notable additions: Johnny Damon, cf; Kyle Farnsworth, rhp; Octavio Dotel, rhp; Mike Myers, lhp; Ron Villone, lhp; Miguel Cairo, 2b; Ron Guidry, pitching coach.
Key losses: Tom Gordon, rhp; Kevin Brown, rhp; Matt Lawton, of; Mel Stottlemyre, pitching coach.
You grow, boy: Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who turns 26 in March, is one of the first Yankees prospects to make a impact since the Derek Jeter-Mariano Rivera class. The Yankees resisted the temptation to trade him.
Spring’s tall order: The Yankees’ lineup suggests they will steamroll inferior competition during the regular season. The key will be leaving the regular season with a rotation capable of winning in the playoffs. Can they keep Wang, Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina healthy? Johnson, at last, showed signs of aging last year.
Toronto Blue Jays (80-82, third)
Notable additions: A.J. Burnett, rhp; B.J. Ryan, lhp; Troy Glaus, 3b; Bengie Molina, c; Lyle Overbay, 1b.
Key losses: Orlando Hudson, 2b; Miguel Batista, rhp; Corey Koskie, 3b.
You grow, boy: Aaron Hill is the reason no one in Toronto is gnashing their fingernails over the loss of Hudson. Hill has real potential offensively, but is not the vacuum cleaner Hudson was on defense.
Spring’s tall order: Dealing with lofty expectations. After maxing out the credit card on Burnett, Ryan, Glaus (with an extension) and Molina, the Blue Jays no longer are a warm and cuddly mid-market team.
Boston Red Sox (95-67, second)
Notable additions: Josh Beckett, rhp; Mike Lowell, 3b; Mark Loretta, 2b; Alex Gonzalez, ss; Coco Crisp, of; David Riske, rhp; Josh Bard, c; J.T. Snow, 1b; Julian Tavarez, rhp; Rudy Seanez, rhp; Theo Epstein, general manager.
Key losses: Johnny Damon, cf; Kevin Millar, 1b, Bill Mueller, 3b; John Olerud, 1b; Alan Embree, lhp; Theo Epstein, general manager (for three months).
You grow, boy: Right-hander Jonathan Papelbon, 25, is talked about in terms usually reserved for legends. He was drawing comparisons to a baby Roger Clemens last season. For a team hoping to blend its roster with prospects, he could be the poster boy.
Spring’s tall order: Replacing Damon won’t be easy, something that goes beyond his statistics to his popularity and clubhouse presence. Can Crisp handle the pressure? Will veteran pitcher David Wells turn spring training into a sideshow? The bullpen also is a fluid situation because of the uncertain status of Keith Foulke, who dissolved as the closer last year.
Baltimore Orioles (74-88, fourth)
Notable additions: Kris Benson, rhp; Ramon Hernandez, c; Kevin Millar, 1b; LaTroy Hawkins, rhp; Jeff Conine, of; Corey Patterson, of.
Key losses: Sammy Sosa, of; Rafael Palmeiro, 1b.
You grow, boy: The Orioles need reliever Chris Ray or starter Hayden Penn to have breakout season. Both flashed glimpses of stardom a year ago, before being enveloped by Baltimore’s latest historic collapse. When a team has trouble signing free agents, it’s imperative the prospects produce.
Spring’s tall order: After years of struggling to get players to take their money, the Orioles spent the winter convincing those that had it – Miguel Tejada and Javy Lopez – to “please stay.” Tejada, who flip-flopped more than an IHOP chef, remains upset over his team’s quiet winter in relation to the division bullies. Lopez must show he can make the transition to first base before he gets a contract extension.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (67-95, fifth)
Notable additions: Sean Burroughs, 3b; Josh Paul, c; Dan Miceli, rhp; Edwin Jackson, rhp; Ty Wigginton, inf; Joe Maddon, manager.
Key losses: Danys Baez, rhp; Alex S. Gonzalez, 3b; Dewon Brazelton, rhp; Lou Piniella, manager.
You grow, boy: Let this be the year that the Rays unleash Delmon Young on baseball. The outfielder is built for superstardom, with raw power and amazing tools. An outfield of Young, Rocco Baldelli and Carl Crawford is worth buying a ticket.
Spring’s tall order: Removing the black cloud hanging over the organization. New ownership has promised free parking, a spruced-up Tropicana Dome – which is kind of like putting an addition on a mobile home, but it’s a start – and a better on-field product. The best thing that could happen to the Rays, however, is realignment.
AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox (99-63, first)
Notable additions: Jim Thome, 1b; Javier Vazquez, rhp; Rob Mackowiak, inf.
Key losses: Frank Thomas, DH; Carl Everett, DH; Aaron Rowand, cf; Damaso Marte, lhp.
You grow, boy: Brian Anderson’s career changed into the carpool lane this winter with the trade of Rowand, a fearless center fielder. He has outstanding credentials. But when you join a championship team, you are a warm body until proved otherwise.
Spring’s tall order: Coming to grips with their new identity. The White Sox may be the second team in Chicago, but they will be the first stop for a lot of reporters in Tucson. Will the bubbly mix of personalities mesh as smoothly now that the White Sox have won a championship?
Cleveland Indians (93-69, second)
Notable additions: Paul Byrd, rhp; Jason Johnson, rhp; Guillermo Mota, rhp; Kelly Shoppach, c; Eduardo Perez, 1b; Jason Michaels, of; Andy Marte, 3b.
Key losses: Kevin Millwood, rhp; Scott Elarton, rhp; Coco Crisp, of; David Riske, of; Josh Bard, c.
You grow, boy: Jason Michaels will get a chance to shed his utility label. He will be inserted immediately into the second spot in the lineup after arriving from Philadelphia. He won’t be as popular as Crisp, but easily could produce similar offensive numbers.
Spring’s tall order: Byrd was a savvy acquisition who must fill Millwood’s shoes. Johnson never has played on a winner, so how he deals with expectations bears watching. Mota’s health, which nearly blocked the Crisp trade to Boston, is a potential backbreaker for a bullpen that again will lean heavily on graybeard Bob Wickman.
Minnesota Twins (83-79, third)
Notable additions: Luis Castillo, 2b; Tony Batista, 3b; Rondell White, dh; Dennys Reyes, lhp.
Key losses: J.C. Romero, lhp; Luis Rivas, 2b.
You grow, boy: Jason Bartlett, back on track after a leg injury, is set to take over at shortstop. Having Castillo beside him should accelerate his development. When healthy, Castillo is a walking web gem.
Spring’s tall order: Center fielder Torii Hunter made amends with teammate Justin Morneau. Now he needs to show his ankle is all patched up and ready to go. His value would decline swiftly if he’s not a Gold Glover anymore. Catcher Joe Mauer is hinting at his first take-notice season. With little fanfare, this team could sneak up on a fat and happy White Sox bunch.
Detroit Tigers (71-91, fourth)
Notable additions: Todd Jones, rhp; Kenny Rogers, lhp; Jim Leyland, manager.
Key loss: Alan Trammel, manager.
You grow, boy: Outfielder Nook Logan intrigues Leyland with his speed. Leyland has a history of playing hunches, and doing things that run against the grain.
Spring’s tall order: The Tigers’ talk of improvement is hollow until reflected on the field. The splurge on catcher Ivan Rodriguez, a shell of himself, and outfielder Magglio Ordoñez backfired. If the Tigers are to make a move, it starts with those two rediscovering past glory.
Kansas City Royals (56-106, fifth)
Notable additions: Scott Elarton, rhp; Reggie Sanders, of; Mark Grudzielanek, 2b; Doug Mientkiewicz, 1b; Mark Redman, lhp; Elmer Dessens, rhp; Paul Bako, c; Bob McClure, pitching coach.
Key losses: None.
You grow, boy: With apologies to Slim Shady, will the real Angel Berroa please stand up? Is he the rookie of the year destined to be a future star? Or just another pedestrian shortstop? His power makes him tough to give up on at that position.
Spring’s tall order: Finding reasons for hope. Even with a roster makeover that would make Ty Pennington proud, the Royals are clear underdogs in every contest but a spelling bee.
