• MLB Preview 2010: American League West

BY SCOTT CARSON
sportsnet.ca

The Angels remain the class of the west, but the quality of players that left the reigning division champions brought them back to the pack. The Mariners are now solidly entrenched in the number two spot and if the Angels falter, they have the pitching to pass them. This division could have the best pennant race next September.


With an owner more than willing to spend the money to stay competitive and, arguably, the best bench boss in the game, the Angels are perennial playoff contenders. Unfortunately, they've been bounced from the first round of the post-season in each of the last three years. Nothing leads you to believe they won't be playing in October again this season.

Burning Questions:

Did the Angels lose too much this off-season?

That is a distinct possibility. Veteran ace John Lackey signed on with the Red Sox, lead-off man Chone Figgins jumped within the division to the Mariners, and mid-order producer Vladimir Guerrero also stayed in the West and will be the Rangers new DH. The only veteran addition to help pick up the slack is Hideki Matsui, fresh off his World Series MVP performance for the Yankees. The Angels have always had a deep and fruitful farm system so the other holes will be filled from within. They took a hard run at Roy Halladay but ultimately decided that they didn't want to part with the parcel of prospects required to land the big right-hander.

Who's the ace?

No one would ever confuse Lackey with one of the dominant starters of his era. But he was a solid innings-eater and playoff-hardened performer, and that will be very hard to replace. Statistically, Jered Weaver has the numbers to assume the role, but his laid back, SoCal attitude might be a negative. Lefty Joe Saunders won 16 games last season but his 4.60 ERA points to run support as the main reason for his success. Lefty Scott Kazmir was solid after coming over at the trade deadline but his durability is a question mark? Or it could be Ervin Santana, who has twice won 16 games in a season, but is coming off arm problems and two trips to the D.L. in 2009.

Is Mike Scioscia the best manager in the game?

Since taking over from interim manager Joe Maddon after the 1999 season, the former Dodgers catcher has done nothing but win. The Angels were the 2002 World Series champions, have made the playoffs in six of the last eight seasons, and their .556 winning percentage with Scioscia at the helm is fourth best in the Majors. He instilled an up-tempo, National League-style offence in the beer man's league to rousing success. His team is fundamentally solid, they take the extra base whenever possible, and they don't beat themselves in the field. With the defections, he may have to be even more creative, if that's possible.

Who fills Chone Figgins' running shoes?

Running has always been a major component of the Angels offensive success, and that's not likely to change any time soon. The defection of Figgins to Seattle leaves a hole at the top of the batting order. Erick Aybar is expected to bat lead-off to start the season, but he won't likely replace the 114 runs, 101 walks or 42 stolen bases that Figgins put up last season. Brandon Wood, a top prospect for last couple of seasons, takes over at third base, but he too, isn't likely to pick up the offence void on his own. The Angels line-up, as a collective group, is going to have to make up for the lost numbers, which may not be possible.

How will the Angels do?

They are still the class of the division, but the Mariners have closed the gap considerably with their off-season acquisitions. Finding someone to replace Lackey's innings, especially in the post-season, will be a big challenge.

In 2003, the book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" was published and baseball sat up and took notice. The premise of the book was how to assemble a competitive team, specifically the Athletics, on a small market budget. Since then, the fortunes of the team have dropped, bottoming out with a last place finish in the A.L. West last season.

Burning Questions:

Where's the power going to come from?

Over the last three seasons, Jack Cust, long a favourite of general manager Billy Beane and his disciples, was the team home run leader and also the leader in strikeouts, the ultimate all-or-nothing slugger. For every home run he hit, Cust would strike out 6.5 times. After filing for free agency, his representatives found no takers and re-signed with the A's for less money. Outside of Cust, there really isn't much secondary power on the roster. Kevin Kouzmanoff comes over from the Padres to replace the oft-injured Eric Chavez, so they're hoping that getting away from the pitcher-friendly PETCO Park will agree with "The Kooz".

Can Ben Sheets stay healthy all season?

That's the $10 million question. They are taking a chance on a former first round pick who hasn't thrown a pitch in the Majors since late September of 2008 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn elbow tendon. There has always been a question as to just how good Sheets really is. He was with the Brewers for eight seasons, cashing $42.2 million worth of cheques yet the most he's ever won in a season is 13 games, and he's just three games over .500 (86-83) after 221 career starts. But he is a good fit in Oakland whose top winner in '09 was rookie left-hander Brett Anderson (11-11). Sheets, basically, inherits the 'ace' title by default.

Is Andrew Bailey the real deal?

After one-trick pony Brad Ziegler was removed from the closer's role in mid-May last season, Bailey was given a chance and the youngster didn't disappoint. His 27 saves set a franchise record for a rookie and he was the Athletics lone representative at the All-Star Game. He finished strong, allowing just two runs over his final 23 appearances while converting all 13 of his save opportunities. That led to him being named the A.L. Rookie of the Year, the third A's player to be so honoured in the last six years. Now comes the tough part: avoiding the dreaded sophomore jinx, especially on a team that not much is expected of. Bailey's calm, cool demeanour will be tested if things don't go his way.

Is this the end of 'Moneyball'?

Certainly seems like it. The whole basis of Beane's way of building a team was based on getting max return on low salaried players that were found, not through scouts beating the bushes, but by extensive statistical analysis to find cheap, under the radar players. It worked for a while, but what a lot of people tend to forget was that the four-year playoff run from 2000-03 was driven, for the most part, by the big three at the top of the rotation - Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder. They won because of top shelf starting pitching, not some magical offensive philosophy. The same philosophy that, by the way, that failed so miserably in Toronto under Beane-disciple J.P. Ricciardi.

How will the Athletics do?

They finished 10 games behind the third place Texas Rangers last season, and that sounds just about right this time around. Nothing of any consequence was added in the off-season, save for Sheets, and we'll see how well that gamble pays off.

The Blue Jays expansion cousins had quite an eventful off-season. They shed some payroll which allowed them to sign speedster Chone Figgins away from the division-rival Angels, and get involved in the complex, four-team deal that centred around Roy Halladay, with Cliff Lee joining their rotation. And we'll also see if a change in scenery is what finally allows reliever Brandon League to reach his potential.

Burning Questions:

What effect will Figgins have on Ichiro?

Since coming over from Japan prior to the 2001 season, no American League player has reached base more than Ichiro Suzuki. He has averaged 226 hits, and that was hitting atop some line-ups with many holes. But the arrival of Figgins adds a completely different dimension to Ichiro's arsenal. With Figgins hitting lead-off, Suzuki will see a lot more fastballs batting behind him and looking to run. That could mean more home runs out of the Japanese superstar. And of both those players are on base at the same time, it could turn into a nightly track meet. One thing is for sure: the Mariners are going to score a ton of runs.

Can King Felix get any better?

It's hard to believe that Felix Hernandez is entering his sixth Major League season and he'll be turning 24 years of age during the opening week of the season. He finally put it altogether in 2009, setting career-bests in wins (19), ERA (2.49), starts (34) and strikeouts (217), while losing just five times. Now, he has a wingman in Lee, one year removed from an A.L. Cy Young award and fresh from the experience of pitching in the World Series for the Phillies. These two pitchers provide a start contrast for the opposition if they are forced to match up against the other 1-2. The big question now is if they can get Felix's signature on a long-term deal.

Will Milton Bradley behave himself?

The volatile yet talented outfielder will be playing for his fifth team in the last four seasons and, quite frankly, isn't so talented that he's a must-have player. His best season was 2008 in Texas when he slammed 22 homers and drove in 77 runs. He, once again, fell out of favour with the Cubs in his one and only season in Chicago and was sent home after the umpteenth temper tantrum of his 10-year career. The Mariners are banking that he'll play hard and be productive back in the American League, where he's had slightly better success in parts of six seasons with the Indians, Athletics and Rangers.

Can they improve defensively?

If they plan on contending, they better. They will have defensive wiz shortstop Jack Wilson for a full season after picking him up in a deadline deal with the Pirates. Figgins can play three different positions but will be expected to play second initially. The Mariners ranked 10th in the league in double plays last season and that's likely to improve thanks to the upgraded middle infield. Ichiro has won a Gold Glove in every season he's played in North American, while centre fielder Franklin Gutierrez has turned into an above-average defender with a Gold Glove of his own on the horizon. Catching might be this teams only defensive weakness.

How will the Mariners do?

They improved their win total from 61 to 85 over the last two seasons, If they can win just 10 more games this season, a strong possibility based on the top of their rotation, then the playoffs might be returning to the Pacific Northwest for the first time since 2001. And just in time for Ken Griffey Jr. to retire.

There's no doubt that the Rangers can hit, but do they have enough pitching to seriously contend? They've been saying that around Arlington for as long as any Rangers' fan cares to remember. The Rangers are coming off a winning season for the first time in five years, thanks in part to an infusion of youth from the farm system, and the whip being cracked by old school team president Nolan Ryan.

Burning Questions:

Will youth continue to be served?

2009 saw the arrival of heralded shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus and he didn't disappoint. Sure he made 22 errors but that can be expected playing half of his games in the oppressive Texas heat. But he made up for it at the plate, batting a solid .280 in the second half while swiping 33 bases overall, at the tender age of 21. Last season also saw the arrival in late June of Julio Borbon, who hit .312 in a 46-game audition. Borbon takes over full-time in centre and will bat lead-off. And 21-year old flame-throwing reliever Neftali Feliz averaged 11.3 K's/9 innings last season and certainly has the look of a closer in his future.

Can Josh Hamilton return to form?

His return from drug addiction to finally realize his vast potential was the feel good story of 2008 when he led the A.L. with 130 RBI. Last season, rib and abdominal injuries kept Hamilton from even remotely approaching that level of production as he appeared in just 89 games and hit just 10 home runs. One has to wonder if his years of abusing drugs will start to take its' toll as Hamilton heads towards 30. This spring he's had to deal with a sore shoulder, bruised hand and a root canal. If the Rangers are to challenge the Angels and Mariners, Hamilton needs to be right in the middle of most rallies from the clean-up spot.

Is Nelson Cruz the real deal?

Hamilton's setback last season allowed Nelson Cruz to finally play on an everyday basis and he made the most of the opportunity. Heading into 2009, he had only slammed 22 home runs over the previous three seasons as a reserve outfielder and late inning defensive replacement. Finally given a chance to show his stuff, he led the Rangers with 33 dingers and threw in 20 stolen bases for good measure, proving that he isn't a one-dimensional player. If Hamilton regains his health and Cruz continues to grow as a slugger, then the middle of the Rangers line-up will be tough to navigate through, although scoring runs has never been a problem, deep in the heart of Texas.

Will Ron Washington last the season?

In his first three seasons as manager, his Rangers improved their win total each year. Their 87 wins last season placed them a solid second behind the Angels, and was the highest total by a Rangers team since they won 89 under Buck Showalter in 2004. In fact, they were in first place into July before the pitching wilted yet again. This season, though, all the good feelings of a year dissipated when it was revealed that Washington had tested positive for cocaine use last season. He offered to resign at the time, but was kept on by Ryan and G.M. Jon Daniels. But if the Rangers fall back into the pack again this season, this episode will likely be revisited.

How will the Rangers do?

Although this team can flat out rake with the best of them, they are still horribly short on the pitching front, especially in the rotation. So much so that they are banking that Rich Harden can lead their staff despite having averaged only 18 starts a season during his injury-plagued, seven-year career.