EASTERN DIVISON:

New York Yankees:

Off Season Moves:
After a disappointing postseason, Steinbrenner and company quickly re-signed GM Brian Cashman and began focusing on the tasks at hand. First in line was extending leftfielder Hideki Matsui’s contract for another four years. Next, Yankee management added bullpen strength by signing free agents Kyle Farnsworth (1-1 2.19 16 saves) and Mike Myers (3-1 3.13) while trading for pitcher Ron Villone (5-5 4.08).
Yankee fans were also given a special Christmas present on December 21st when Boston free agent outfielder Johnny Damon (.316 10 75) agreed to terms as the Yankees new centerfielder. Free agents Octavio Dotel and Miguel Cairo were also signed while fan favorite Bernie Williams (.249 12 64) agreed to return - at least for one more season - as the team’s DH.

2006 Analysis:
The Yankees addressed some key bullpen concerns with additions of Farnsworth and Myers who will join Tanyon Sturtze (5-3 4.73), Aaron Small and Chien-Ming Wang as the bridge to Riveria. Dotel is coming off surgery but his save numbers (36 in 2004) have the Yankees hoping he is worth a chance. Damon finally gives the Yankees the leadoff hitter they have lacked for the past few seasons and will solve the defensive problems that eventually forced the benching of centerfield Bernie Williams prior to the all star break.
If both are healthy, Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina should have an easier first half then last season but the 4^th and 5^th starters for the Yankees may need some help - so expect Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano to receive some competition. It will be interesting to see just how Joe Torre fits Chacon, Wang and Small into the mix.
Boston Red Sox:

2005 Overview:
After finally breaking the 86-year curse of Babe Ruth not to mention performing one of the most miraculous comebacks in baseball history vs. the Yankees, the Red Sox entered the 2005 season hopeful their good fortune would continue. Even though Curt Schilling’s ankle wasn’t 100% - the blueprint for 2005 began by adding newly acquired pitchers David Wells and Matt Clement to the starting rotation. But from the beginning of the season it was evident that Schilling’s ankle wouldn’t cooperate as he started only 3 games prior to the All Star break. Thankfully for Red Sox fans no one was running away with the AL East just yet.
It wasn’t hard for Boston to remain in the hunt for another AL East title especially with the lethal 1-2 offensive punch of Manny Ramieriz (.292 45 144) and David Ortiz (.300 47148) providing the bulk of the scoring. Outfielder Johnny Damon (.316 10 75) continued his impressive output as the Red Sox leadoff hitter while Trott Nixon (.275 13 67) and catcher Jason Varitek (.281 22 70) returned another season of impressive offensive numbers.
The starting pitching learned to live without Schilling with David Wells (15 7 4.45) assembling a decent season. Pitchers Matt Clement (13 6 4.57) and Tim Wakefield (16 7 4.15) also stepped up their game in order to keep the Red Sox and Yankees neck and neck until the last weekend series at Fenway. The Yankees won the season finale two games to one, leaving the Red Sox to face the Chicago White Sox in the Division Series. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, 2005 ended with a quick postseason departure as they were swept three games to none, losing game 3 in Fenway 5-3 to the White Sox.

Off Season Moves:
The chaos created by the initial departure of GM Theo Epstein proved beneficial for the Yankees who were able to snag free agent All Star Centerfielder Johnny Damon from under the Red Sox noses. Boston struck back days later completing a seven player deal with the Marlins netting 3rd baseman Mike Lowell (.236 8 58) starting pitcher Josh Beckett (15-8 3.37) and pitcher Guillermo Mota (2-2 4.70). Mota was later used to acquire outfielder Coco Crisp (.300 16 69 16 SB) who will be used to replace Damon in centerfield. Also picked up in the Crisp trade was reliever David Riske (3-4 3.10).

Other notable off season moves included trading Doug Mirabelli to the Padres for 2nd baseman Mark Loretta (.280 3 38) as well as sending infielder Edgar Renteria to the Braves for cash along with 3B Andy Marte. Additional moves included the Red Sox avoiding arbitration with infielder Tony Graffanino (.309 7 38) as well as adding pitcher Julian Tavarez (2-3 3.43) and outfielder J.T. Snow (.275 4 40).

2006 Analysis:
Expect the starting pitching for Boston to be stronger then last year with the addition of Josh Beckett and the anticipated rebound of Schilling. The Red Sox are also hoping that Wells will be more comfortable as the 3rd vs. number 1 starter - a role he was forced to assume when Schilling was unable to rebound from his 2004 ankle injury. The bullpen is upgraded with the addition of Tavarez and Riske. Expect Mike Timlin (7-3 2.24) Keith Foulke (5-5 5.91 15 saves) Jonathan Papelbon (3-1 2.65) and Bronson Arroyo (14-10 4.51) to pick up right where they left off last year.
Boston took it hard on the chin by losing Johnny Damon as his production and leadership will be missed but Crisp is a young player with a good deal of speed. Crisp posted career highs last year in runs (86), hits (178) and homers and the Red Sox are counting on him doing even more to fill the void left by Damon. Also expect Manny Ramieriz to be on the opening day roster as whispers of him leaving to the Orioles or Mets in some multi-team mega deal appear to be nothing more then fodder to sell newspapers. Few teams can manage Manny’s contract and the Red Sox seem to unwilling to offer and financial relief to any teams who have shown interest in acquiring him.

Toronto Blue Jays:

2005 Overview:
No one expected much from Toronto in 2005. But surprisingly, prior to the all star break Toronto pitching managed to remain in the American League top 10 while their battling ranked 5^th overall in the AL with a collective .268 team average. Unfortunately for Toronto it was all downhill from there as they slid to a final disappointing 80-82 record and fell 15 games behind the Red Sox and Yankees to end their season in 3rd place.
Toronto outfielder Vernon Wells (.269 28 97) provided most of the Blue Jays’ power numbers in 2005 with former Arizona Diamondback and newly acquired Shea Hillenbrand (.291 17 82) helping by splitting time between 1st and 3rd base. The rest of the infield produced much of the team’s offensive in 2005 including 2nd baseman Orlando Hudson (.315 10 63) and 3rd baseman turned 1st baseman Eric Hinske (.262 15 68). Starting pitcher Roy Halladay (12-4 2.41) was clearly the star of the starting pitching staff before he suffered a broken bone in his left leg in early July. And closer Miguel Batista kept the Blue Jays in the race during the first half compiling an impressive 4-2 record prior to the all star break with 15 saves. However, Batista simply wasn’t the same pitcher in the 2^nd half of the year despite 16 saves. After the all star break Batista only posted a 1-6 record with a less then stellar 5.35 ERA. Starters Josh Towers (13-12 3.71), Gustavo Chacin (13-9 3.72) and Ted Lilly (10-11 5.56) helped to keep the 2005 pitching efforts admirable.

Off Season Moves:
Much to the delight of Toronto fans, management made two aggressive off season moves to upgrade their pitching staff for 2006. The first was signing free agent and former Baltimore Oriole closer B.J. Ryan (1-4 2.43 36 saves in 41 opportunities)) and the other was taking advantage of the Florida Marlins fire sale by adding starting pitcher A.J. Burnett (12-12 3.44). The Blue Jays also added offensive punch by trading pitcher Dave Bush for 1st baseman Lyle Overbay (.276 19 72) and trading away Orlando Hudson and closer Miguel Batista for slugger Troy Glaus (.258 37 97).

2006 Analysis:
The Blue Jays will jump out of the gate with a very solid pitching staff in 2006. Expect Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Ted Lilly and Gustavo Chacin to form an impressive starting rotation. Burnett pitched over 200 innings in Florida last season so he will prove to be a fine addition to the Blue Jays staff. The acquisition of Oriole closer B.J. Ryan over spotty Miguel Batista will be a vast improvement in the bullpen. Troy Glaus will finally provide some much needed protection for slugger Vernon Wells. One interesting consideration will be how the Blue Jays handle juggling Hillenbrand, Eric Hinske and Troy Glaus at 3^rd base. Hillenbrand and Hinske will most likely DH with leftfielder Reed Johnson (.269 8 58) and rightfielder Alex Rios (.262 10 59) rounding out the rest of the Toronto lineup. If the starting pitching can hold up, and the bats can remain productive expect the Blue Jays to keep the summer interesting in 2006.

Baltimore Orioles:

2005 Overview:
Prior to the All Star break the Orioles were playing like they were destined for one of those dream seasons. On June 21, Baltimore held a two-game lead over the division rival Boston Red Sox and had assembled an impressive 42-28 record. The Orioles were also just 24 days away from celebrating Rafael Palmeiro's 3,000th career hit and were 4th in the American League with a .278 team batting average. But after June 22nd Baltimore’s dream season quickly faded. The Orioles would lose their next six games and win only 32 of their final 92 games (just under 35%). Rafael Palmeiro would be suspended for steroid use on Aug. 2, and second-year manager Lee Mazzilli would be fired just two days after Palmeiro’s suspension.
The three offensive bright spots in 2005 were shortstop Miguel Tejada (.304 36 98) 3rd baseman Melvin Mora (.283 27 88) and outfielder Jay Gibbons (.277 26 79). On the downside, 1st baseman Rafael Palmeiro (.266 18 60) appeared in only 100 games and the off season acquisition of Sammy Sosa (.221 14 45) proved to be a wasted gamble. As far as pitching, only starters Rodrigo Lopez (15-12 4.90), Bruce Chen (13-10 3.83) and closer B.J Ryan (36 saves in 41 opportunities) proved reliable. The Orioles ended their season with a disappointing 74-88 record, 21 games behind the division-leading Yankees and Red Sox.

Off Season Moves:
After Free Agent Closer B.J Ryan signed with the division rival Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore quickly traded Steve Kline to Giants for RHP LaTroy Hawkins (2-8 3.83 6 saves in 2005, 25 saves in 2004 for the Chicago Cubs). The Orioles also added Free Agent catcher Ramon Hernandez (.290 12 58) and 1st Base/ Outfielder Jeff Conine (.304 3 33) as well as former Red Sox Kevin Millar (.272 9 50) hoping to supplement the loss of Rafael Palmeiro as an offensive force in the everyday lineup. Baltimore also traded SS Nate Spears and LHP Carlos Perez to the Cubs for Corey Patterson (.215 13 34) in order to better jumpstart their offensive production in 2006. To address their starting pitching problems the Orioles traded with the Mets for RHP Kris Benson (10-8 4.13) in exchange for relief pitcher Jorge Julio.

2006 Analysis:
Expect the offensive additions to help better protect Tejada and Mora. The newly acquired Millar and Conine will probably split time between 1B, outfield and DH. The starting five appear at this point to be Lopez, Erik Bedard (6-8 4.00), Daniel Cabrera (10-13 4.52), Chen and John Maine (2-3 6.30) plus newcomer Kris Benson who is expected to bump Chen or Maine to the bullpen. Although the addition of Benson will help, the starting rotation doesn’t quite offer enough to seriously contend against Toronto, Boston and New York. The departure of lefty closer B.J Ryan will clearly be missed. The Orioles are keeping their fingers crossed that LaTroy Hawkins can once again close games like he did in 2004. Relievers Eric DuBose (2-3 5.52), Chris Ray (1-3 2.66), Tim Byrdak (0-1 4.05) and Todd Williams (5-5 3.30) complete the Oriole bullpen. Javy Lopez will most likely DH this year with the acquisition of Free Agent catcher Ramon Hernandez joining the club.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays:

2005 Overview:
There were very few bright spots for the Devil Rays in 2005 including the final disappointing weekend when Tampa Bay fans were treated to 4 straight home losses compliments of the visiting Baltimore Orioles. 2005 also saw the final departure of Manager Lou Pinella who was granted a final buyout on his contract. The Devil Rays finished the season with a dismal 67-96 record, 28 games behind the division-leading Yankees and Red Sox.
Despite inconsistent offensive production during 2005, sophomore infielder Jorge Cantu (.286 28 117) and rookie outfielder Jonny Gomes (.282 21 54) provided Devil Ray fans with something to be optimistic about. While leftfielder Carl Crawford (.301 15 81) and rightfielder Aubrey Huff (.261 22 92) added some impressive offensive numbers as well.
Devil Ray fans had to look long and hard to find any quality starting pitching for much of the year. Only rookie pitcher Scott Kazmir (10-9 3.77) acquired from the NY Mets for Victor Zambrano at the end of 2004, displayed any consistency in the rotation. The rest of the starting pitching including; Mark Hendrickson (11-8 5.90), Casey Fossum (8-12 4.92), and Seth McClung (7-11 6.59) did very little to help solidify the floundering staff. Incredibly, closer Danys Baez (5-4 2.86) was somehow able to save 41 games in 49 opportunities for a baseball team that managed a total of 67 wins all season. It’s no surprise Pinella wanted out.

Off Season Moves:
A recent poll on the Devil Rays MLB website asked fans; “Which of these off season acquisitions will make the biggest difference for the Rays in 2006?” the selections to choose from were Sean Burroughs, Chad Harville and Ty Wigginton. In a nutshell that should tell you everything you need to know about the Devil Rays off season moves. In 2005 Burroughs managed to hit .282 in 93 games while driving in a total of 17 runs. It’s probably fair to say that Wigginton (.258 7 25) is happy to just be playing on any major league roster. The Pirates became so disappointed with his offensive production they sent him to the minors during the 2005 season. And the pickup of Chad Harville didn’t fair much better. Harville’s career record is 4-7 with an inflated 5.01 ERA.
On January 14th the news didn’t improve much for Devil Rays fans when closer Danys Baez was traded to the LA Dodgers for pitcher Edwin Jackson (2-2 6.28) and it was announced that Kansas City free agent pitcher Shawn Camp (1-4 6.43) was signed to a one year contract.

2006 Analysis:
No doubt newly appointed Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon has his work cut out for him in 2006. On the upside the Devil Rays managed to compile a .274 batting average while scoring 750 runs in 2005 – so offensively they should fair pretty well when stacking up against American League competition in 2006. The main problem with the Devil Rays is lack of pitching. The same starting five will return from last year with bullpen help from Travis Harper (4-6 6.75), Jesus Colome (2-3 4.57), Chad Orvella (3-3 3.60), Tim Corcoran (5.96 ERA in 10 games) and Dan Miceli (1-2 5.89) all looking to help keep games close. The Devil Rays have also signed a bunch of non-roster pitchers as invitees to their spring training camp while also extending minor league deals to several free agent pitchers – hoping to find a few surprises to add to their roster in 2006. Devil Ray fans will need to be patient as it will take some time for the team to rebuild.

2005 Overview:
After waiting 88 years for a World Series title, the Chicago White Sox and 2nd year Manager Ozzie Guillen entered the 2005 season on a mission. After an impressive rookie managerial season the Venezuela born Guillen led his troops to a division leading 99-63 record. The White Sox simply dominated the postseason losing only 1 game out of a total of 13 played - first by sweeping the defending champion Boston Red Sox and then by rolling past the Angels 4 games to 1. Chicago went home from the Fall Classic against NL Champion Astros with a clean 4-game sweep grabbing their first World Series title since 1917. The White Sox fielded one of the stronger offensive lineups in 2005 with 1st baseman Paul Konerko (.283 40 100) and outfielder Jermaine Dye (.274 31 86) leading the charge. Outfielder Carl Everett (.251 23 87), 3rd baseman Joe Crede (.252 22 62) and newly acquired catcher A.J. Pierzynski (.257 18 56) also helped level out the rest of the 2005 lineup.

It’s often said that ‘pitching wins championships’ and in 2005 Chicago assembled one of the best starting rotations in baseball. Newly acquired Jose Contreras (15-7 3.61) and Freddy Garcia (14-8 3.87) sparkled in their new White Sox uniforms, while Jon Garland (18-10 3.50) and Mark Buehrle (16-8 3.12) rounded out the dominating starting staff. Newly acquired Reliever Dustin Hermanson (2-4 2.04) performed nicely in the bullpen saving 24 of 29 chances and doubling his output from the previous year with the San Francisco Giants.

Off Season Moves:
The White Sox did very little in the off season to change their team chemistry. Their biggest moves included re-signing first baseman Paul Konerko to a five-year, $60 million deal (he turned down $65 million from the Orioles) and trading for slugger Jim Thome (7 HRS in 59 games in 2005), who is scheduled to start the 2006 campaign as Chicago’s DH. The White Sox also strengthened an already strong rotation with a trade for Javier Vazquez (11-15 4.42) - they also acquired a versatile utility man in Rob Mackowiak (.292 9 58) from the Pirates.

2006 Analysis:
Guillen and company seem to have a solid blueprint for success and it’s hard to find many flaws in their off season strategy. The only real weak point appears to be centerfield since at least for now it looks as if Brian Anderson (.176 in 34 AB in 2005) will take over for Aaron Rowand (.270 13 69) who was traded to Philly in the deal for Thome. Expect Thome (.274 42 105 in a full season in 2004) to blossom as a DH, saving himself from the wear and tear of playing 1^st base everyday. He’s a player perfectly suited for the DH role and the White Sox were wise to trade for him. Thome should provide some nice offense alongside Konerko, Pierzynski, Dye and Crede. Chicago’s pitching in 2006 should be stronger (if that’s even possible!) with Javier Vazquez joining the rotation. Vazquez could prove to be another interesting addition to an already powerful staff. Much like the acquisitions of Contreras and Garcia in 2004, the White Sox are hoping Vazquez will fit in nicely and produce better numbers then last season.

2005 Overview:
The Cleveland Indians were arguably the best overall team in baseball during the 2^nd half of the season. The Indians remained right in the thick of the AL pennant chase until the very last week of the season when a 4-6 record in their last 10 games left them two games back in the wildcard standings. Cleveland ended the year with an impressive final record of 93-69. The Tribe fielded some of the best young offensive talent in all of baseball in 2005, led by a breakout year from shortstop Jhonny Peralta (.292 25 78). Peralta’s first full season helped Cleveland’s offense keep the Tribe close for the better part of the summer. Newly acquired 3b Aaron Boone (.243 16 60) also combined talents with infielders Ronnie Belliard (.284 17 78) and 1st baseman Ben Broussard (.255 19 68) in order to assemble one of the best all around infields in all of baseball. Additional offense was provided in 2005 from outfielder Grady Sizemore (.289 22 81) and Casey Blake (.241 23 58) who joined Coco Crisp (.300 16 69), catcher Victor Martinez (.305 20 80) and DH Travis Hafner (.305 33 108) to complete the rest of the lineup.

The Indians’ pitching staff also proved to be among the best in the AL with starting Pitcher Cliff Lee (18-5 3.79) and C.C. Sabathia (15-10 4.03) joining Jake Westbrook (15-15 4.49) and newly acquired pitchers Scott Elarton (11-9 4.61) and Kevin Millwood (9-11 2.86) in order to form a solid rotation. Aging closer Bob Wickman (0-4 2.47 45 saves) surprised skeptics by proving he still had plenty left in the tank posting a 14-year career high 45 saves in 50 attempts.

Off Season Moves:
The Indians didn’t make many moves during the off season although free-agent right-hander Paul Byrd (12-11 3.74) was signed to take the place of departing Kevin Millwood (who was signed by the Rangers). The Indians also replaced starting pitcher Scott Elarton (signed by the Royals) with Detroit Tiger free-agent Jason Johnson (8-13 4.54). Cleveland also tried to obtain another closer chasing both B.J. Ryan and Trevor Hoffman in the off season but finally settled on bringing back Bob Wickman.
Outfielder Coco Crisp was sent to the Red Sox in exchange for reliever Guillermo Mota (2-2 4.70). The Indians also sent reliever Arthur Rhodes to Philadelphia for outfielder Jason Michaels (.304 4 31), the probable replacement for Crisp as Cleveland's starting left fielder.

2006 Analysis:
The Indians did their best by addressing the free agent departures of Millwood and Elarton but the bottom of the rotation is still shaky. Paul Byrd should be a nice addition to the starting group. The Indians let Millwood go despite the fact that he posted one of the best ERAs in the league. Cleveland was somewhat disappointed in Millwood’s ability to win more games for them. The workhorse bullpen expects to pick up right where it left off in 2005 with Arthur Rhodes (3-1 2.08), Fernando Cabrera (2-1 1.47), Scott Sauerbeck (1-0 4.04) and newcomer Guillermo Mota setting up closer Bob Wickman. The tribe should be primed for another title chase in 2006 if the starting pitching and bullpen can hold up. With an offense like the Indian’s it’s hard to count them out of anything – especially if Peralta can continue to improve at the plate in 2006.

Minnesota Twins:

2005 Overview:
The Twins were able to provide fans with a respectable year by fielding essentially the same team it did to end the 2004 season. Minnesota finished the year 83-79 while compiling the 2nd best home record within the AL Central (2nd to only the World Series Champion White Sox) going 45-36 at the Metrodome. The power production from the Twins offense in 2005 was led by 1st baseman Justin Morneau (.239 22 79) and outfielder Jacque Jones (.249 23 73) while outfielders Shannon Stewart (.274 10 56), Torii Hunter (.269 14 56), 3rd baseman Michael Cuddyer (.263 12 42) and Catcher/DH Matthew LeCroy (.260 17 50) all combed to help keep the batting order stable.

Unfortunately, Minnesota wasn’t able to find much quality starting pitching in 2005 with Johan Santana (16-7 2.87) and Carlos Silva (9-8 3.44) proving to be their most consistent starters. Pitcher Brad Radke (9-12 4.04) suffered a disappointing summer while starter Joe Mays(6-10 5.60) posted a dismal 1-7 record with a 8.22 ERA after the all star break. Starting pitcher Kyle Lohse (9-13 4.18) also struggled to win games after the all star break, returning only 2 wins against 6 losses to end the season with a disappointing sub-five hundred performance. The bullpen had a few bright spots with Juan Rincon (6-6 2.45) appearing in 75 games, J.C. Romero (4-3 3.47) appearing in 68 and closer Joe Nathan (7-4 2.70) posting 43 saves in 48 save opportunities.

Off Season Moves:
The Twins have had a tough winter. Talks for Alfonso Soriano and several others at the GM meetings went nowhere so Minnesota settled by trading RHPs Travis Bowyer (5.59 ERA in 8 games) and Scott Tyler for second baseman Luis Castillo (.301 4 30). Castillo became available as part of the Marlins dismantling. The Twins also signed Rondell White (.313 12 53) to serve as a designated hitter/right fielder (taking Jacque Jones' spot) and added Tony Batista (.241 32 110 in 2004 with the Expos), after a full season in Japan, to assume duties at third base.

2006 Analysis:
With the White Sox and Indians making moves to improve their rotation the Twins did little to improve their starting staff. The Twins are hoping that Johan Santana will repeat his 2005 effort and wouldn’t mind if he could pick up another 20 win season, like he did in 2004 – since every little bit will help. If Lohse can put together a better full season that should help take some of the strain off the rotation as well. T
The Twins need to be stronger in the infield and they are hoping the addition of Luis Castillo will help in that department. Rondell White is being expected to add a steady bat in the everyday lineup and it will be interesting to see how Tony Batista performs after missing a full year of major league pitching. Batista was a legitimate long ball threat during his last few years at Baltimore and Montreal – so his bat will be a welcome addition. Since the White Sox and Indians are fielding much deeper rotations, it will be very tough for the Twins to compete.
 

Detroit Tigers:

2005 Overview:
About the only good news for Detroit Tiger fans in 2005 occurred at the end of the season. In October it was announced that Jim Leyland was coming out of retirement and had accepted the Tigers managerial job. Leyland is looking to help change the team’s fortunes for 2006 and beyond but he will have his work cut out for him. The Tigers managed to win only 71 total games in 2005 posting a lackluster 71-91 record. Yet somehow the Motown offense was able to score a total of 723 runs which was only 18 fewer then the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox. Of course it didn’t help matters that the Tigers also allowed a total of 787 runs - mostly due to an inconsistent and underperforming pitching staff.

The 2005 offense was led primarily by outfielder Craig Monroe (.277 20 89), and DH Dmitri Young (.271 21 72). Rookie 1st baseman Chris Shelton (.299 18 59) also provided some much needed offensive spark with veterans Ivan Rodriguez (.276 14 50) and Rondell White (.313 12 53) posting respectable numbers. The rest of the 2005 offensive production was supplied by 3rd baseman Brandon Inge (.261 16 72) and 2nd baseman Placido Polanco (.338 6 36) who was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in a midseason trade.
The Tiger starting pitching in 2005 had very few bright spots. Starters Jeremy Bonderman (14-13 4.57) and Mike Maroth (14-14 4.74) managed to combine for 25 total wins, while the rest of the starters struggled for much of the entire season. Both starting pitcher Nate Robertson (7-16 4.48) and Jason Johnson (8-13 4.54) turned in forgettable performances in 2005. The Tigers used a combination of five different closers with Ugueth Urbina (1-3 2.63 9 saves) performing the best, prior to his being traded midseason to Philadelphia.
For Detroit Tiger fans, the season couldn’t end soon enough.

Off Season Moves:
The Detroit Tigers signed free-agent lefty Kenny Rogers (14-8 3.46), to a 2-year, $16 million contract, hoping to provide some better stability in the starting rotation. The Tigers also signed closer Todd Jones (1-5 2.10 40 saves) from Florida in order to help upgrade their bullpen. Jones a 12 year veteran experienced a renaissance year with the Florida Marlins by holding opposing hitters to a .230 batting average while saving a total of 40 games (his highest save total in five years).

2006 Analysis:
Rogers is an improvement to the starting rotation as is bringing in Jim Leyland from out of his retirement to help. Leyland has worked in similar environments before and has proven he knows how to handle the challenge. The starting rotation is still lacking. Detroit made a run at a few different free agents this winter, but little materialized. The Tigers have some hitting and can score runs. There's also some talent in the bullpen, but the rotation doesn’t appear to be much stronger than it was last season (4.85 ERA, 10th in the AL). Fans will need to be very patient as Leyland attempts to rebuild from within.
 

Kansas City Royals:

2005 Overview:
Ask any Royal fan and they will tell you - there just simply weren’t many things for them to cheer about in 2005. In fact, the 2005 Kansas City Royals were a complete train wreck and that’s putting things somewhat mildly. The Royals managed to win a total of only 56 games the entire year while losing an embarrassing 106. The anemic Royals pitching staff also allowed a total of 935 runs scored against them, ranking as the second worst in baseball behind the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Much of Kansas City’s offense was provided by newcomer Emil Brown (.286 17 86), 1st baseman Mike Sweeney (.300 21 83) and outfielder Matt Stairs (.275 13 66). Starting Shortstop Angel Berroa (.270 11 55) and catcher John Buck (.242 12 47) were the only other bright spots in the regular starting lineup. While the Royals hitting may have been spotty in 2005, the pitching can be described as pretty much non-existent. Newly acquired Jose Lima (5-16 6.99) returned an utterly disappointing inaugural year with the Royals managing to win just 1 game on the road the entire season. While Starters Runelvys Hernandez (8-14 5.52), Zack Greinke (5-17 5.80) and D.J. Carrasco (6-8 4.79) all failed to string together any quality starts. The bullpen and relief staff offered very little for fans to cheer about as well. Even though relief pitcher Mike MacDougal (5-6 3.33 21 saves) did his very best to protect any games he was given. MacDougal appeared in a total of 68 games while converting 21 of 25 save opportunities. By the end of the season, the Royals found themselves a total of 43 games behind the Division and World Champion White Socks - compiling the worst road record in baseball at 22-59.

Off Season Moves:
Kansas City Management added a bunch of starting pitching in the off season – all of which are veterans including; Joe Mays (6-10 5.65), Scott Elarton (11-9 4.61), and Mark Redman (5-15 4.90) who was traded from Pirates to Royals for RHPs Jonah Bayliss & Chad Blackwell. Free agents Reggie Sanders (.271 21 54), Mark Grudzielanek (.294 8 59) and Doug Mientkiewicz (.240 11 29) where also signed to help the struggling offense.

2006 Analysis:
The addition of 3 new starters is a step in the right direction, although with 11 win pitcher Scott Elarton as the “ace” it doesn’t appear to be a terribly vast improvement over the 2005 starting rotation. Expect Ambiorix Burgos (3-5 3.98) and newcomer Joel Peralta (1- 0 3.89) to be the most steady arms in the bullpen. The addition of Sanders, Grudzielanek and Mientkiewicz should help jumpstart the sagging offensive production. All three are also good clubhouse leaders. Sanders should add some much needed protection to Sweeney and Brown in the regular lineup. The bullpen still remains a question mark although the team should probably score more runs in 2006. The Royals are far cry from contending in a division that has Cleveland and Chicago in it. Royal Fans shouldn’t be expecting much.

WESTERN DIVISION:

2005 Overview:
Dropping the “Anaheim” tag from their team name, Mike Scioscia and his 2005 Los Angeles Angels entered the new season ready to defend their 2004 American League West Title. Although the 2004 season ended in a disappointing 3 game ALDS sweep to the World Series Boston Red Sox, the Angels remained poised and confident they could return to the postseason once again. The Angels good fortunes continued in 2005 as they ended clinching the American League West with an impressive 95-67 record. Unfortunately, the 2005 postseason ended in 4 straight losses to the Chicago White Sox as the Angels were eliminated 4-1 in the American League Divisional Playoffs.

Lead by superstar Vladimir Guerrero (.317 32 108) the Angels starting lineup provided a balanced attack against the opposition in 2005. The new additions of Juan Rivera (.271 15 59) and shortstop Orlando Cabrera (.257 8 57) helped provide much better offensive stability as they joined outfielders Garret Anderson (.283 17 96) and catcher Bengie Molina (.295 15 69) to provide one of the more consistent lineups in the AL.
The 2005 Angels pitching was led by Bartolo Colon (21-8 3.48) and John Lackey (14-5 3.44) along with journeyman pitcher Paul Byrd (12-11 3.47). Byrd emerged as a pleasant surprise in 2005 posting an 8-5 record with an 3.73 ERA prior to the all star break which was second only to Colon at the end of the 1st half of the season. While pitchers Brendan Donnelly (9-3 3.72 in 65 relief appearances) and Francisco Rodriguez (2-5 2.67 45 saves) anchored one of the best bullpens in baseball.

Off Season Moves:
The Angels remained conservative in their off season. Free Agent Pitcher Hector Carrasco (5-4 2.04) was signed after an impressive year for the Washington Nationals while additional bullpen help was added by trading 2B Alexi Casilla for J.C. Romero (4-3 3.47) from the Twins. Pitcher Jake Woods (1-1 4.55) was also picked up for late inning relief help, acquired off waivers from the Mariners. The Angels changed very little to their offense, adding Edgardo Alfonso (.277 4 43) to their lineup in a trade for Steve Finley (.222 12 54).

2006 Analysis:
The Angels were wise to add pitchers Hector Carrasco and J.C. Romero as both should help them improve an already strong bullpen and pitching staff. Finley failed to deliver the same results as he did when he was acquired in the second half of the 2004 season (13 HRS 46 RBI with Los Angeles) so the Angels felt he was worth trading. Unfortunately for the Angels, Alfonso’s best seasons are clearly behind him - however as an upside he can still be relied on to drive in runs. The Angels also avoided arbitration with 7 different players during the off season so the ball club is pretty much the same as it was when it began the year in 2005. The starting 2006 lineup is balanced even losing Molina to free agency. The starting pitching could probably use another consistent starter. However with only three other teams to compete against in the AL West, there is really no reason to believe the Angels won’t contend in 2006 again.

Oakland Athletics:

2005 Overview:
The A’s finished the 2004 season with an impressive 91-71 record ending the year only 1 full game behind the division leading Angels. Unfortunately, the 2005 season didn’t end up quite as well for Oakland as they finished up the year with a final 88-74 record, 7 games behind the AL West Champion Los Angeles Angels.
Despite some very shaky starting pitching the 2005 A’s bullpen kept the team in contention entering the 2^nd half of the season. Thanks to relievers Hudson Street (5-1 1.72 23 saves) and Justin Duchscherer (7-4 2.21) both of whom appeared in a combined 70 games prior to the all star break. The starting pitching was led by Barry Zito (14-13 3.86), Joe Blanton (12-12 3.53) and Rich Harden (10-5 2.53). Newly acquired Danny Haren (14-12 3.73) also contributed while starter Kirk Saarloos (10-9 4.17) stepped up his game in 2005 by winning 10 games for the first time in his young 4-year career.

The 2005 Athletic’s offense production was led by outfielder Mark Kotsay (.280 15 82), 3rd baseman Eric Chavez (.269 27 101) and outfielder Nick Swisher (.236 21 74) Newcomer outfielder Jay Payton (.269 13 42), who was acquired midseason from the Boston Red Sox also helped stabilize the starting lineup. The offensive surprise of the season was rookie 1st baseman Dan Johnson (.275 15 58) who was called up in late May.

Off Season Moves:
The Oakland A’s had a busy off season first by signing free agent pitchers Jay Witasick (1-5 2.84), Matt Rooney (1-5 5.45) and starter Esteban Loaiza (12-10 3.77). The A’s also picked up reliever Chad Gaudin (1-3 in 5 games) via trade from the Blue Jays as well as outfielders Milton Bradley (.290 13 38) and Antonio Perez (.297 3 23) in trades with the LA Dodgers. Free Agent Frank Thomas was also signed from the World Champion White Sox (.219 12 26) to help complete the 2005 lineup.

2006 Analysis:
The A’s need strong starting pitching in 2006 if they hope to compete. The bullpen cannot be relied on as heavily to keep Oakland in contention. Esteban Loaiza should be a good pickup to help solidify the rotation. Barry Zito is on the last year of his contract and GM Billy Beane has been known to dump contracts before losing players to the free agent market. He has been shopping Zito around on a limited basis and has made it know that he will listen to offers, so it will be interesting to see how things shake out. The bullpen is strong and Witasick will help make it stronger. Milton Bradley’s addition is a nice pickup as is Frank Thomas who the A’s a hoping will rebound after he played in only 35 games in 2005. Bradley also had limited at bats in 2005, appearing in only 75 games. The pickup of the young 3^rd baseman Antonio Perez will also help. Expect the A’s to be in contention if they can get consistent starting pitching. The offense should be fine - look for 1^st baseman Dan Johnson to blossom in his sophomore season.
 

Texas Rangers:

2005 Overview:
Buck Showalter’s 2005 Rangers ended up the season with a disappointing 79-83 record despite having one of the better lineups in baseball. What made the 2005 season particularly disappointing was the fact the 2004 team ended the season with 89 wins and one of the most impressive home records in baseball. In 2004, the Rangers won 51 home games which ranked 4th overall in the American League, while in 2005 Texas managed only to win 44, ending the season 16 games behind the AL West Angels.

Texas fielded one of the best offensive infields in 2005. 1st baseman Mark Teixeira (.301 43 144) continued to develop his swing, playing in all of the Rangers 162 games in 2005. 2nd baseman Alfonso Soriano (.268 36 104) also proved durable playing in 156 games by finishing 2nd on the team in HRs behind Teixeria. Shortstop Michael Young (.334 24 91), 3rd baseman Hank Blalock (.263 25 92) and outfielders David Dellucci (.251 29 65) and Kevin Mench (.264 25 73) also helped to contribute runs to the potent offensive lineup.

Starting pitcher Kenny Rogers (14-8 3.46) slipped from his 18 wins in 2004 posting a 14 win season to led all starters. Youngster Chris Young (12-7 4.34 showed promise in 2005 appearing in 31 games, while newly acquired starter Chan Ho Park (8-5 5.66) managed to post an 8-3 record before being traded to the Padres in August. Closer Francisco Cordero (3-1 3.39 37 saves) anchored the relief pitching while pitching an impressive 2-0 2.59 with 17 saves after the all star break.

Off Season Moves:
The Rangers had a busy off season losing Rogers via free agency and trading Soriano in a 4-player deal with the Washington Nationals. Texas also picked up Vicente Padilla (9-12 4.71) from the Phillies in exchange for RHP Ricardo Rodriguez. Soriano was sent to the Nationals for Brad Wilkerson (.248 11 57) while Texas also acquired free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood (9-11 2.86). The Rangers also completed a 6-player deal with the Padres which netted relief pitcher Akinori Otsuka (2-8 3.59) and starter Adam Eaton (11-5 4.57). Pitcher John Wasdin (3-2 4.28) was also resigned via free agency.

2006 Analysis:
New pitching coach Mark Connor has an arsenal of new arms to improve upon the team’s 4.97 ERA in 2005. Texas continues to lack any “ace” as Rogers departure will prove difficult to replace. Millwood is a nice acquisition as is Padilla, although both posted sub-500 seasons in 2005. Eaton should fit nicely into the rotation and is a reliable arm. Look for Otsuka to stabilize the bullpen. Retaining the services of relief pitcher John Wasdin was also a wise move. The Rangers will certainly miss Soriano’s bat in the lineup and hope Brad Wilkerson can return to his 2004 form when he was able to hit 32 HRS - before the Nationals changed their location to Washington. There are many new faces on the Rangers roster, but a lack of quality starters most likely will land them in the same position as 2005.
 

Seattle Mariners:

2005 Overview:
The Seattle Mariners provided little for fans to become exited about in 2005. Seattle ended the 2005 season posting the 3rd worse record in the American League finishing up 69-93 which was only a 6 game improvement from the previous year. The Mariners also managed to only score a total of 699 runs all season which ranked 2^nd worse in the entire American League behind the Minnesota Twins.
The starting lineup for the 2005 Mariners offered very little in the way of offensive spark. Newly acquired 1st baseman Richie Sexson (.263 39 121) proved to become a fan favorite while Adrian Beltre (.255 19 87) also helped. But beyond Raul Ibanez (.280 20 89) and superstar Japanese import Ichiro Suzuki (.303 15 88 33 steals) there really wasn’t much offense to speak of on the club.

The 2005 starting pitching also proved somewhat spotty with only Jamie Moyer (13-7 4.28) and Gil Meche (10-8 5.89) posting winning records for the season. Starters Ryan Franklin (8-15 5.10) and Joel Pineiro (7-11 5.62) failed to impress only winning a combined 15 games between the two of them. The only real bright spot in the rotation beyond Moyer and Meche was rookie Felix Hernandez (4-4 2.67). Hernandez was brought up in August and posted an impressive 2-2 record with a 1.84 ERA, striking out 45 in 44 innings while allowing a 1.66 ERA to left-handed batters in his debut month. Relief pitcher Eddie Guardado (2-3 2.72 36 saves) also posted decent numbers out of the bullpen by doubling his save total from 2004.

Off Season Moves:
Perhaps the biggest move during the 2005 off season for the Mariners was re-signing Jamie Moyer to help keep the starting pitching stable. The Mariners wasted no time by resigning Moyer on December 7th. Jarrod Washburn (8-8 3.20) was also picked up in order to help the starting rotation while the Mariners added some offense as well by signing free agents Matt Lawton (.254 13 53) from Pittsburgh as well as Carl Everett (.251 23 87). Seattle also acquired veteran infielder Fernando Vina (.226 in 29 games with Detroit in 2005).

2006 Analysis:
New pitching coach Rafael Chaves looks to have Hernandez and Moyer provide some much needed stability to a weak starting rotation. Look for Hernandez to develop nicely with some much needed guidance. Everett and Lawton will help the lineup greatly. Both will provide better protection for Sexson, Beltre and Suzuki making the 2006 offense more fun to watch then the 2005 version. Expect Seattle to score more then 699 runs with this lineup. The Mariners still lack much needed depth in their starting rotation. Hernandez should have a strong 2006 season and fans should be hopeful that perhaps a surprise or two can pull the Mariners from the basement. Kevin Appier was signed to a minor league contract in early January and if healthy may be just what the rotation has been looking for. Appier managed to post 14 wins in 2002, so the Mariners are optimistic that he has a chance to rebound.