AL East Roundup: 2015 BSI Preview

Apr 1, 2015; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop

(13) connects for a double during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Red Sox

Predicted Ranking: 1st Place

Spring Training Record: 17 wins, 12 losses, 2 ties

Injuries:

• Starting catcher Christian Vazquez is the biggest factor in questions being asked of the Red Sox, as he is out for the season, after recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had April 2nd. With multiple veteran and prospect catchers ready and willing to fill in the void, the issue will be more about how games will be called than offensive or defensive skills. Likely manager John Farrell or a member of his staff will call pitches, but the catcher who handles the pitching staff the best will be the undisputed starter for the rest of the season. Ryan Hanigan is the man of the hour, for now.
• Koji Uehara‘s left hamstring was still in a state of discomfort, during a bullpen session on March 30. His return is reported as possible in April, but will likely not be for the first few weeks of the regular season.
• Joe Kelly is scheduled for a mid-April return after suffering a right biceps strain. Considering that it is his throwing arm, Kelly should be watched carefully for his release point and pitch count.

Starting Pitchers:

• Rotation – Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Justin Masterson, Wade Miley, Steven Wright
• Many of the starters will be bouncing back from a poor showing in 2014. However, if they play to their strengths, their potential on paper looks to be one of the best rotations in baseball.
• Look to see the starters logging a lot of innings, as Farrell’s strategy for the last two years has been to wear out other teams, by making opposing pitchers throw a lot of pitches in each at-bat. With Uehara’s health in question, the Red Sox will only want to use their own bullpen when absolutely needed.

Bullpen:

• Declared Closers – Koji Uehara and Edward Mujica
• Middle Relievers- Junichi Tazawa, Craig Breslow, Alexi Ogando, Tommy Layne, Anthony Varvaro, and Robbie Ross Jr.
• With Koji’s injury, Mujica will get the chance to close games. However, his status is based on the fact that the other relievers have very little to no attempts at the closer role. Varvaro, coming from the Atlanta Braves, looks to be positioned as an arm Farrell could trust, if Mujica doesn’t pan out. Varvaro gave up only a run in more than 8 innings of work, this spring, while striking out 7 batters. His innings have been quick, much like how a closer is to operate. In the same amount of innings, Mujica has given up 5 runs, 4 earned, with 4 strikeouts.

Position Players:

• C – Ryan Hanigan, 1st Base – Mike Napoli, 2nd Base – Dustin Pedroia, 3rd Base – Pablo Sandoval, ShortStop – Xander Bogaerts, Left Field – Hanley Ramirez, Center Field – Mookie Betts, Right Field – Shane Victorino, DH – David Ortiz
• Sandy Leon was recently brought in, after news of Vazquez started to break, and will back up Hanigan. Leon’s time in the majors has been a whole 34 games, hitting a mere .189, but a .992 career fielding percentage is proof that he was added for his defensive skills, only. He’s a backup, not a designated hitter. Relax!

Player(s) To Watch in 2015:

• Rusney Castillo. Yes, Castillo was sent down to Triple-A, but that was because the Red Sox still had a minor league option for him. If Victorino has major issues, once again, do not expect Daniel Nava or Brock Holt to be the permanent replacement. Castillo would likely move Betts, who has had an amazing year and spring training, to right field while taking center field, himself. Farrell has been well-documented in his faith in Victorino being the starter, yet the right-fielder still hasn’t provided proof that he deserves the manager’s words, hitting .190 in 42 at-bats, this spring. It’s a smart move by Farrell, making Victorino and his old teammates comfortable that he has their backs. If Castillo lights up Triple-A pitching, as he’s expected to do, Red Sox Nation may demand that the change happens sooner, rather than later.

Apr 4, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder

(19) is congratulated by manager

and catcher

(55) in the dugout during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at the Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Blue Jays

Predicted Ranking: 2nd Place

Spring Training Record: 19 wins, 13 losses, 0 ties

Injuries:

• Marcus Stroman is the most significant loss to the Blue Jays. After injuring is left knee in a simple drill to field bunts, Stroman has been considered lost for the entire 2015 season. The youth movement in the starting rotation with Daniel Norris and Aaron Sanchez was the result of that injury.
• Michael Saunders was looking to the day that he signed with the Blue Jays to be the start of a new beginning to his baseball career. Then, he suffered left knee injury by tripping on a sprinkler head in the field, during spring training, sidelining him. He is expected to come back in early April, but it will be interesting to see where he fits in with his new team, who has had to press on without him.
• Much like Saunders, Maicer Izturis was looking at 2015 as being his comeback year from injury, but then pulled his right groin, straining it out of the Blue Jays lineup. In the meantime, Deven Travis played a heck of a spring training session, forcing fans to wonder if Izturis is even needed to return to second base. If so, the earliest that he could return would be sometime in April, but no precise date is scheduled.

Starting Pitchers:

• Rotation – Drew Hutchison, R.A. Dickey, Daniel Norris, Mark Buehrle, Aaron Sanchez
• Compared to Dickey and Buehrle, the others look like babies. Yet, Hutchison looked so good, this spring, that he won the ‘ace’ position in the rotation. In spring training, he pitched 18 innings, giving up 3 runs, while striking out 12 opposing hitters. His location was on point, giving manager John Gibbons the faith that he was the man for the job.
• Aaron Sanchez may be the best anchor to any rotation in baseball. Originally, he was slated to be the closer, as he was ‘lights-out’ against teams, last season and this spring training. However, Stroman’s season-ending surgery demanded that changes be made.

Bullpen:

• Declared Closer – Brett Cecil
• Middle Relievers- Aaron Loup, Miguel Castro, Roberto Osuna, Marco Estrada, Colt Hynes, Todd Redmond, Liam Hendricks
• The running theme throughout the pitching staff is youth. Castro and Osuna were never expected to develop this quickly, but have found themselves in a break-out spring training, where they went 24.2 innings, giving up 6 runs, while striking out 26 batters. Opposing hitters, who were often major starters, not mere batting fodder, hit a mere .163 and .227 against Castro and Osuna, respectively.
• Cecil could do the job, but he has never really had experience in the situation. In his career, Cecil has 6 saves in 10 opportunities. It’s the lefty’s job to keep or lose.

Position Players:

• C – Russell Martin, 1st Base – Justin Smoak, 2nd Base – Deven Travis, 3rd Base – Josh Donaldson, ShortStop – Jose Reyes, Left Field – Michael Saunders (Kevin Pillar), Center Field – Dalton Pompey, Right Field – Jose Bautista, DH – Edwin Encarnacion
• Where to start? With so many changes in the Blue Jays lineup, it could be a daunting task. However, where else would you start than with the face of the franchise? Bautista is on fire, hitting 6 home runs and 14 RBIs this spring, slugging .745. Look for Bautista to be the leader on and off of the field.
• Pillar will replace Saunders, if his injury flames up.
• Donaldson immediately makes an impact with the Blue Jays, replacing an injury-plagued Brett Lawrie. Donaldson is a proven All-Star who can play solid defense with an incredible bat.

Player(s) To Watch in 2015:

• Russell Martin may be the most significant move that the Blue Jays made in the off-season. Instead of discussing his bat, which was technically already there with Dioner Navarro, it’s Martin’s intangible leadership over the pitching staff that will prove his worth. His defensive play has already assured the Blue Jays brass that he can catch the knuckle-chucker R.A. Dickey, making him the everyday starting catcher, regardless of the pitcher. With so many young pitchers, on the starting rotation and the bullpen, Martin’s experience in the playoffs, catching for other teams’ aces and future Hall-Of-Famers, will be essential in helping to guide them through game strategy and pitch location.
• Daniel Norris was living in his vehicle when he would drive to games. His living conditions have not changed, by choice, regardless of his call-up to the majors. It’s the way he lives his life. He isn’t worried about the pressure of game situations; he’s worried about big money changing him into something that he isn’t. This life choice may seem a bit odd to some of us, but it’s what helped proved to everyone in the Jays organization that he was ready for the starting rotation. Norris earned 4 wins, striking out 30 batters and holding opposing lineups to a .222 batting average, in just over 27 innings. If he can continue that success, expect to see his vehicle in the parking lot at a professional baseball team’s field near you.

Mar 29, 2015; Dunedin, FL, USA;Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher

(31) throws a pitch in the first inning of the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Orioles

Predicted Ranking: 3rd Place

Spring Training Record: 12 wins, 19 losses, 2 ties

Injuries:

• Starting catcher Matt Wieters should be back, possibly, in mid-April, after recovering from Tommy John surgery last June. Look for him to play extended Spring Training games this week, to make sure that he’s truly ready.
• Shortstop J.J. Hardy may possibly be back in early April from a left shoulder strain. An MRI excluded him from playing on Opening Day.
• Left-fielder David Lough and third basemen Jimmy Paredes will be missed on the bench, both expected to miss the first few weeks of the season. Lough has hamstring tightness, while Paredes had strained his lower back.

Starting Pitchers:

• Rotation – Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez, Bud Norris, Ubaldo Jimenez, Kevin Gausman
• A telling sign in the free-fall of Jimenez’s career is where he appears in the Orioles’ rotation. He will want to improve the 6-9 record and 4.81 ERA that he earned last season, if he wishes to continue pitching for a major league team.

Bullpen:

• Declared Closer – Zach Britton
• Middle Relievers – Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter, Brian Matusz, Wesley Wright, Ryan Webb, T.J. McFarland, Brad Bach
• Was there any doubt about Britton? Since earning 37 saves in 41 opportunities, and striking out 230 batters, in his career, Britton is the logical choice to strike fear in the hearts of opposing bats in the ninth inning. That is, if the Orioles can be in winning positions in 2015.

Position Players:

• C – Matt Wieters (Caleb Joseph), 1st Base – Chris Davis (Steve Pearce), 2nd Base – Jonathan Schoop, 3rd Base – Manny Machado, ShortStop – J.J. Hardy (Ryan Flaherty), Left Field – Alejandro De Aza, Center Field – Adam Jones, Right Field – Travis Snider, DH – Steve Pearce (Delmon Young)
• Considering all that the Orioles could do to replace fan-favorite Nick Markakis and heavy-hitting Nelson Cruz was to bring in an outfielder that both the Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates gave up on (Snider), Baltimore could be in some trouble.
• Chris Davis has one game left on his suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, which will see Pearce playing first base, moving Delmon Young into the role of designated hitter.
• Wieters’ injury forces Joseph into handing the suspect starting rotation to start the season. Hardy’s injury promotes Flaherty into the games to start the first half of April, a career .221 hitter.

Player To Watch in 2015:

• Chris Davis needs to regain the form he showed in his breakout season of 2013. Through a disappointing 2014 and the drug scandal, he has a lot to prove to the Orioles and their fans. With the amount of changes made to the lineup, especially with the injuries continuing to plague Wieters, the runs will be few and far between.

Apr 4, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; New York Yankees third baseman

(13) takes the field before the game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit:

-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees

BSI Predicted Ranking: 4th Place

Spring Training Record: 17 wins, 16 losses, 1 tie

Injuries:

• Unavailable – SS Brendan Ryan, P Ivan Nova, P Chris Capuano, 2B Jose Pirela
• Capuano is out until at least May, with a Grade 2 right quadriceps strain. Nova won’t even be back until June, after recovering from Tommy John surgery, last April. Pirela’s concussion has him out until early April, and Ryan’s right calf strain will keep him from any chance at the lineup until May.

Starting Pitchers:

• Rotation – Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, C.C. Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi, Adam Warren
• Eovaldi’s career record stands at 15-35, starting 79 games. Warren’s career record stands at 6-8, while only starting 3 games. These two pitchers anchor the starting rotation? The Yankees will need Tanaka, Pineda, and Sabathia to win games, without getting hurt or suspended much. We’re looking at you, Pineda!

Bullpen:

• Declared Closer – None announced yet
• Relievers – Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, David Carpenter, Justin Wilson, Esmil Rogers, Chasen Shreve, Chris Martin
• No closer chosen and a bunch of pitchers on the disabled list, manager Joe Girardi will have his hands full with strategies and looking to the minor system early, this season, for any relief.

Position Players:

• C – Brian McCann, 1st Base – Mark Teixeira, 2nd Base – Stephen Drew, 3rd Base – Chase Headley, ShortStop – Didi Gregorius, Left Field – Brett Gardner, Center Field – Jacoby Ellsbury, Right Field – Carlos Beltran, DH – Alex Rodriguez
• With an aging lineup, including many players prone to injury (yes, looking at you too, Teixeira), the Yankees will want to find ways of getting on base besides home runs or speed on the base paths.
• Jeter is gone. Long live the Gregorius Era! Well…maybe not. I’m sorry, I tried. In his three-year career, hitting .243 with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs isn’t terrible, but it isn’t exactly going to be leading the Yankees to a World Series, without a lot of help.

Player To Watch in 2015:

• Could it be anyone else? Alex Rodriguez, undoubtedly, will take the spotlight, whether the Yankees want him to or not. Forget the statistics, the commercials, the fanfare (at least his ability to attract some of the fairer sex), the endless PED-scandal saga refuses to go away because A-Rod refuses to leave it alone. The Yankees paid him too much to just release him, as he has become a public-relations nightmare, and A-Rod has too much money and pride to step away and breach his contract. But, if he can hit home runs as well as he did before the infamous issues, at least the Yankees will have something to attract people to games. Who doesn’t dig the long ball? Hopefully, for the Yankees’ sake, there will be players on the bases when A-Rod does it.

Apr 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher

(50) throws a warm up pitch against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Rays

Predicted Ranking: 5th Place

Spring Training Record: 15 wins, 13 losses, 2 ties

Injuries:

• Five pitchers are out of action: Alex Cobb, Alexander Colome, Jake McGee, Matt Moore, and Drew Smyly. That makes three of their possible six starters out of the rotation to start the season.
• Cobb is healing from right forearm tendinitis, Smyly is the same but with the left shoulder, and Alexander is recovering from pneumonia, which all men are expected to be available in April.
• Moore and McGee will be out more extensively. Moore is coming back in June, after last April’s Tommy John surgery. McGee will be back in May, after left elbow surgery last December.
• Shortstop Nick Franklin has a left oblique strain, which will make him unavailable for a few games to start the season. But, as he is third in the depth chart at the position, the Rays will not be desperate for his return, yet.

Starting Pitchers:

• Rotation – Alex Cobb, Chris Archer, Drew Smyly, Jake Odorizzi, Nathan Karns, Matt Moore
• As there are six pitchers named in the starting rotation, with three previously mentioned with severe injuries, this list seems more like the Rays desperately throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something sticks to it. On paper, the staff could have decent results; however, nobody will know just how effective any of them will be until they throw against major league talent in the regular season. This key issue is likely the reason why many experts have them finishing last in the division.

Bullpen:

• Declared Closer – Grant Balfour
• Middle Relievers – Brad Boxberger, Jeff Beliveau, Jake McGee, Kirby Yates, Ernesto Frieri, Kevin Jepsen, Steve Geltz, Matt Andriese, and Erasmo Ramirez
• Anyone afraid of any of these pitchers not named Balfour? Many of these names are not well-known to the average baseball fan or even the experts. They will have a lot to prove, especially with a starting rotation recovering from injuries, which will mean the bullpen will be carted out, regularly, to put out the fires. Where’s Joe Madden when you need him? Too soon?

Position Players:

•  C – Rene Rivera, 1st Base – James Loney, 2nd Base – Logan Forsythe, 3rd Base – Evan Longoria, ShortStop – Asdrubal Cabrera, Left Field – Desmond Jennings, Center Field – Kevin Kiermaier, Right Field – Steven Souza, DH – John Jaso
• An All-Star who is surrounded by many discarded players from other teams. That doesn’t bode well for the Rays’ chances at scoring runs, this season. While Longoria led the Rays in RBIs with 91, Loney was the next best with 69 RBIs. The next highest total, for a player still on the team, was Jennings with 36 RBIs.
• Jaso came over from the Oakland Athletics, potentially to be used as a catcher or first baseman. He is swinging the bat as the designated hitter, at the moment. As he hit 40 RBIs, last season, his numbers should help, but they will not make him the savior of the franchise’s run production.

Player To Watch in 2015:

• Oh. My. Goodness. Talk about a franchise that lost a ton of assets. Fan-favorites like Ben Zobrist have left and were never replaced to nearly the same skill set that helped bring the Rays to the playoffs, in recent years. Should be watching for a Longoria-early-retirement party? Not because the seven-year veteran is anywhere near passed his prime, as he continues to produce, but because he may really want out of this debacle. The coach went to the Chicago Cubs, his teammates found money in other places, and it is now his job to help raise the new batch of Rays players, if he wants any chance at success in Tampa Bay. Instead of watching his statistics, we should be watching Longoria’s leadership skills, this season, to see if he can help or, at least, look like a leader set to move to another team, one day. Considering that he’s locked up until 2023 for another $105.5 million, expect an attempt at the former than the later happening any time soon.

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