2018 Season Preview: AL EAST
I’ll give you the who, what, when, where, and why’s with predictions coming when I finish with the divisions. Now for the powerhouse AL EAST, the best division money can buy.
Baltimore Orioles: Last year, the Orioles experienced their first losing season since Buck Showalter’s first full season. The team tanked in the final month going 3-17 down the stretch. Not the way this core group wanted go about things heading into the final season together. With Machado, Jones, Brach and Britton in the final year before free agency and Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette in the final years of their contracts, there is a lot of pressure to end on a high note. Unfortunately, the team’s weakest link, the rotation and it’s 5.70 ERA, was not improved upon. This team will have an uphill struggle all season. If the team isn’t in contention come July, let the fire sale begin.
Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox are teeming with young controllable talent but for a team that just won the division of heavy weights, they sure do come with a lot of chaos. Management fired the entire coaching staff after they failed to advance in the playoffs and seemed to stir controversy every week. David Ortiz is not coming back to rescue this bunch. If Pedroia can settle the team down and lead in a positive matter, they could win over a hundred games.
New York Yankees: The Yankees made some of the best and worse moves over the offseason. They added NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton and his other-worldly power to their already potent lineup while retaining Mashiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia. BUT they also canned one of the best managers in the game, Joe Girardi, for an analyst in Aaron Boone. The Yankees are back. They have once again retained the title of the “evil empire” but if Boone can’t coach up their young talent, it could get ugly. This team could win 100 games or manage to get to .500. What ever the case, there will be a lot of moonshots in the Bronx this year.
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays have the makings of a very good team and Kevin Cash has shown promise as a good manager since Joe Maddon left for greener pastures in Chicago. Yet, there are always seems to be some missing link; injuries one year, underperformances the next. The team has talent even after trading the long term face of the franchise Evan Longoria and cutting all star Corey Dickerson. They have plenty of farm talent too but they lack in a key area to compete in the East; cash. Until they get an influx in capitol, they may always play second fiddle to the teams in the northeast.
Toronto Blue Jays: Last year could have could better for the Jays. One year after making the playoffs for the first time since 1993, they vastly underachieved. Gone are two of their biggest names in Encarnacion and Bautista but they’ve replaced them reasonable well with Grichuk and Morales. Happ and Sanchez need to rebound from injuries plagued seasons if they want to compete. The Jays spent most of the offseason acquiring depth at their injury-plagued positions so they won’t sink if injuries do occur. This is the final year under contract for Josh Donaldson so look out for trades going forward to end it on a high note.
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I'm always stunned by the Orioles absolute refusal to invest into starting pitching. I mean I know Buck Showalter is supposed to be a genius and all, he's a master of bullpen manipulation, but running out a rotation with Bundy, Cashner, Gausman, Tillman, and Cobb (Cobb who just got a 57 million dollar deal), how can they expect to compete in the East? Over the past five years, can you imagine if they had acquired one stud ace? I understand the upside with Bundy and Gausman. Truly however, both of these pitchers are so up and down that they can't be relied upon anymore than a fourth starter should be. It just doesn't make sense to me.
I still believe the Yankees are going to have SP problems likewise. Severino is untested (but he should be dominate again, though no ace), Montgomery too. Tanaka is wishy washy. Sabathia, how is he still pitching? Sonny Gray intrigues me. Coming back from injury, he performed well enough. If he returns to what he was with the A's two years ago, he's a cheap steal for sure. The problem is that he's in Yankee stadium. Regardless of his ground ball mastery...hitting in Yankee stadium is like hitting on the moon.
My pick is the Red Sox, as long as Chris Sale and the bullpen stays healthy. The addition of JD Martinez might finally plug that hole in the ship that's been missing ever since Ortiz retired. The youth movement is no longer young, except for Devers of course. I'm predicting Jackie Bradley Jr. to go thirty thirty this year, and if this happens, along with Martinez and Betts out there with him, it'll be the best outfield in baseball.
The Rays? I love Chris Archer. I love love Blake Snell. But can anyone hit on that team, after the fire sale over the offseason? Nope. I can't believe I'm about to say it, but the only position player I'm interested in is Carlos Gomez. He's so fun to watch, love the fire.
Anyways great post. I'm new to steemit. The format excites me...a lot more than the Rays do.
Tillman is not a #1 ... not a #4 in most rotations ... have bled orange and black for over 30 years but come on already ...
I will say this division has always been driven by the bats ... but with the Yankees deciding they want to buy championships again, I am not sure the Sox/Jays/Rays/Os combined pitching staff is going to stop them ....
time will tell as always :) !
I think the Yankees are banking too much on Stanton staying healthy. He's only been healthy for what, twice, maybe? during his whole career. Judge is great, but if the second half the season is any indication, and I know he was a rookie, fifty homers and a .260 average isn't what it was five years ago. Adding to this, with Bird now hurt, they don't have a first baseman, and truly that infield is weak! Drury? Neil Walker? Gregorius is good, but he's nothing elite. Torreyes has yet to flash anything in the majors. Really, besides Gary Sanchez, who shouldn't play more than 140 games, if healthy...simply put, the Yanks have too many outfielders, and not enough of anything else besides bullpen help.
But you're right. When you look at the staffs in the AL East, they're really nothing to brag about, especially considering all of the games being playing in Yankee Stadium.
My favorite O's player of all time is Brady Anderson...maybe Moose though. But about Anderson, when I was a kid, that 50 homer year was stunning. During that whole year, I paid more attention to Anderson than Ripken Jr. believe it or not.
that was a great year wasn't it! Gotta love them Anderson chops ....
True on too many OF for the yanks ...
Thursday cant come fast enough
Yet another great write up!
There is definitely going to be a more exciting vibe in this group between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Very excited to see how Stanton powers the Yankees. I had higher hopes for Boston last season, but I think they can be successful this year, as you said. TB and Toronto will be okay but nothing special. Not sure what happened to Baltimore last year but curious to see how this year goes.
I think the most surprising move for this group was getting rid of Girardi. I don't think anybody saw that coming (opposite of the Nats getting rid of Dusty that everyone saw coming). They're got talent there in NY but shaking this up might be a little strange to work with.
Keep up the posts, love reading these. Hopefully you do some analysis during the season? Would love to see that.
Thank you.
Yes, I absolutely plan on posting regularly, if not daily, during the regular season!
@writesbackwards Grate Post love the work you do
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