This is the first part of a series of evaluations regarding each of baseball’s divisions. In this overview, I will look at each team’s best move in the offseason, the key player they lost, an x-factor for each team, and where each team’s lineup and pitching staff rank in the division.
(Note: Teams in order of finish in 2015)
Toronto Blue Jays
Top Offseason Move: Acquisition of RP Drew Storen
This move gives the Blue Jays the flexibility to move young power arms Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna to the rotation if they so choose, and if they didn’t this builds up their depth. Either way, this signing was extremely important to build depth and it came at a very affordable price in the form of the expandable outfield Ben Revere.
Key Departure: SP David Price
Everyone knew when Price was acquired last year that he would command a contract well north of what the Blue Jays would feel comfortable offering. That being said it was worth the gamble, but still leaves a large hole at the front of their rotation that could have been filled with the young arms they sent out at last year’s deadline.
X-Factor:Â SPÂ Marco Estrada
Estrada surprised a lot of people by pitching to a 3.13 ERA and providing the Jays with some really strong innings. This year will be even more important for him to pitch at that level after his contract extension and the lack of front end talent the Blue Jays have in their rotation.
Pitching Staff Rank:Â 5th
This division lacks high end pitching aside from in Tampa Bay, but the Blue Jays have Marcus Stroman as their staff ace and although he has great stuff, he is young and unproven for a full season. Relying on Estrada and J.A. Happ along with Stroman and R.A. Dickey doesn’t make for a great rotation.
Lineup Rank:Â 1st
Undoubtedly they have the most powerful lineup with a full season of Troy Tulowitzki along with Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Bautista. This lineup features incredible power and can put up runs in a hurry. No team perhaps in baseball has a better lineup 2-5.
New York Yankees
Top Offseason Move: Acquisition of CL Aroldis Chapman
This move gives the Yankees perhaps the most ferocious trio of back-end relievers ever assembled. The Yankees knew they needed to improve and couldn’t find a decent way to improve their rotation without paying a big price, so they took a page out of the Royal’s playbook instead creating a three-headed monster at the end of their bullpen.
Key Departure:Â none
The Yankees had no big departures this offseason due to the number of large contracts locked in at key spots.
X-Factor:Â SPÂ Nathan Eovaldi
The Yankees need a big season from Eovaldi as they need someone to step up along Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda, neither of whom possess the certainty but represent the highest potential and progress thus far in their respective careers. Eovaldi has a big fastball and the stuff to be a solid number three and potentially number two if everything goes well, but the Yankees need him to be their three.
Pitching Staff Rank:Â 3rd
The staff has some problems with really no staff ace and some questionable people at the bottom of the rotation, but as I mentioned above in the Blue Jays rotation rank. This division has some bad rotations and this is just another example.
Lineup Rank:Â 3rd
This team has some variables due to age, but you have to think most of the players will continue at their current pace and that Jacoby Ellsbury will bounce back. This team will still score a good amount of runs to help support their pitching staff, and if Alex Rodriguez has a similar year to last year it will only be better.
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Baltimore Orioles
Top Offseason Move:Â Resigning of 1B/OF Chris Davis
This was a big move to keep their slugger in place for the long-term. This team’s minor league system is barren and therefore, they need to go for it while they have a solid core in place so even though sluggers like Davis do not age particularly well this deal needed to be done. A solid and somewhat surprising move for Dan Duquette.
Key Departure: SPÂ Wei-Yin Chen
Chen was the best and most consistent pitcher for the Orioles the past few years and was critical to their success. However, one can’t really fault the Orioles for not signing him to that absurd contract the Marlins gave him. They made the right move to not invest in him at that price, but his abilities and consistent performance will be missed certainly and it shows in their staff rank.
X-Factor:Â SPÂ Chris Tillman
Tillman really struggled last year after posting solid years the two years prior. If this Orioles team is going to go anywhere Tillman is extremely important and even more so without Chen. Tillman pitched like a number two and at times, even a number one starter in years past and if the Orioles are going to be a playoff team they need that performance from him consistently.
Pitching Staff Rank:Â 4th
This staff lacks a top of the rotation guy, especially if Tillman pitches like last year instead of the two years prior. Yovani Gallardo was a bad signing for a guy that is in a serious decline and along with Ubaldo Jimenez are inconsistent and not great fits in this rotation. This team’s minor leagues are not in a position to trade for a pitcher at the deadline and therefore, they are most likely going to have to ride it out with this group.
Lineup Rank:Â 4th
This lineup no longer has scary depth. They still have the Manny Machado, Adam Jones, and Davis as we mentioned before, but the declining J.J. Hardy, the strikeout-prone Mark Trumbo, and a questionable group of corner outfielders make you wonder if this team will be competitive.
Tampa Bay Rays
Top Offseason Move: Acquisition of OF Corey Dickerson
Acquiring Dickerson was a nice move for this team as this team did need some help on offense. Dickerson should be able to produce at a level well above what they had in-house and therefore, represents a solid move for the budget conscious Rays.
Key Departure:Â RP Jake McGee
Losing McGee really hurts for this team considering they already had some bullpen problems even with him. McGee was a dominant reliever and although trading him is par for the course a low-budget team like the Rays, but nonetheless it hurts this team and you will it manifest itself at times this year.
X-Factor:Â OF Desmond Jennings/ OF Corey Dickerson
These two outfielders have the potential to be two above average starters and for Jennings, he is coming off an injury meaning we have no idea what we will see. If both of these guys produce like they are capable of, or even close to it, this team could be better than most think. The staff is very good, but they need some offense and these are two guys who have to bring it.
Pitching Staff Rank:Â 1st
This staff is clearly the best one in the division and it is not even close. Keep in mind they even traded Nate Karns to the Mariners this offseason and still have far and away the best staff. Matt Moore needs to find his pre-surgery form for this rotation to be scary good, but Alex Cobb, Jake Odorizzi, and Chris Archer is as good as you can find in both durability and pitch ability.
Lineup Rank:Â 5th
This lineup is brutal, to be honest. Evan Longoria is a shell of himself, Steve Pearce needs to bounce back, James Loney struggled last year, and Steven Souza Jr. has some serious flaws in his swing. This team needs offensive help and it is curious why they didn’t sign Ian Desmond for the cheap price he agreed to with the Rangers.
Boston Red Sox
Top Offseason Move:Â Signing of David Price/Acquisition of RPÂ Carson Smith
This one is a tie, which may surprise some folks reading this. Price is an ace in every sense of the word providing strikeouts, durability, a low ERA, and innings every year and although he was paid handsomely (probably overpaid), he is one of the best acquisitions the Red Sox could have made to solve their ace dilemma. However on the other side, Smith gives them a young, power, sinkerballer to handle setup duties and perhaps even close on occasion. This also allows Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa to slide back an inning, increasing Boston’s bullpen depth.
Key Departure:Â None
Boston had no key free agents that left in free agency and really improved with the acquisitions they made. Wade Miley could be considered a key loss, but did not have a big enough impact last year to warrant a spot here.
X-Factor:Â SPÂ Rick Porcello
With Boston’s rotation suddenly sporting an ace at the top, the pressure is on to the find the number two starter who can side in after Price. Eduardo Rodriguez is too young to rely on at this juncture, Joe Kelly is too inconsistent, and Clay Buchholz is too injury prone to count on. That leaves Porcello as someone with the pure stuff to justify the slot and the solid second half performance to prove it. His performance is key and could be the difference between a division winner or a fringe wild card team.
Pitching Staff Rank:Â 2nd
This staff lacks a true number two but has a proven ace at the top and a number of potentially solid contributors to follow. This staff has a number of questions, but again who doesn’t in this division. This staff also has more potential than some of the others and has the best pitcher in the division giving them the edge over others for now.
Lineup Rank:Â 2nd
This lineup should be elite once again with another full season from Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, David Ortiz, Blake Swihart, Dustin Pedroia and the hopeful improvement of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. The top four of their lineup looks set and is great in pitch taking, on base skills, and run production. This team should score plenty of runs to win.
Projected Division Finish:
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Toronto Blue Jays
3. New York Yankees
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Tampa Bay Rays
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