2k9 divisiOnal preview - AL West
a question for each team:
L.A. ANGELS: The perennial playoff contenders appear to be on track to again make an October run. Can Brian Fuentes match the great K-Rod in closer role? Yes. Yes he can. Close enough, anyway. The team loses some offensive punch without Mark Teixeira but addition of Bobby Abreu should mitigate that. This team isn't as loaded, but it's loaded enough.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: Easily one of the more fascinating offseasons in MLB. The new-look As are rolling out an offense that includes Jason Giambi and Matt Holliday every day and they also have Nomar Garciaparra and Jack Cust to provide extra punch. Is Justin Duchscherer healthy? Not clear but Oakland always seems to get uncanny pitching. If that trend continues -- young Trevor Cahill is waiting in the wings -- they have the bats for a run at the Wild Card. BONUS QUESTION: Will team's desire to depart Oakland be a distraction? Maybe.
SEATTLE MARINERS: Erik Bedard's butt hurts already and he's taking himself out of games. Will he ever be anything but a distraction? Yes, once he signs a massive free agent deal, goes out and blows out his arm and never plays again. Great pitcher though. Still - the Ms have a talented team on paper and it's hard to imagine them losing 100 games again this year. Ken Griffey Jr. will be a nice distraction for fans, however, as playoff hopes disappear by early September.
TEXAS RANGERS: Currently the team's CF depth chart goes like this: Josh Hamilton, Andruw Jones, Marlon Byrd. Well Hamilton is playing somewhere, what about Jones? It would be nice to see AJ reprise his former glory from Altanta years but overall the Rangers seem adrift (again) and with no major pitching upgrades they're (again) on outside looking in. They are excited about a young catcher named Taylor Teagarden, who apparently can hit. But hitting has never been Texas' problem.
Predicted Order of Finish:
Angels
Athletics* Mariners
Rangers
* wild card contender
L.A. ANGELS: The perennial playoff contenders appear to be on track to again make an October run. Can Brian Fuentes match the great K-Rod in closer role? Yes. Yes he can. Close enough, anyway. The team loses some offensive punch without Mark Teixeira but addition of Bobby Abreu should mitigate that. This team isn't as loaded, but it's loaded enough.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: Easily one of the more fascinating offseasons in MLB. The new-look As are rolling out an offense that includes Jason Giambi and Matt Holliday every day and they also have Nomar Garciaparra and Jack Cust to provide extra punch. Is Justin Duchscherer healthy? Not clear but Oakland always seems to get uncanny pitching. If that trend continues -- young Trevor Cahill is waiting in the wings -- they have the bats for a run at the Wild Card. BONUS QUESTION: Will team's desire to depart Oakland be a distraction? Maybe.
SEATTLE MARINERS: Erik Bedard's butt hurts already and he's taking himself out of games. Will he ever be anything but a distraction? Yes, once he signs a massive free agent deal, goes out and blows out his arm and never plays again. Great pitcher though. Still - the Ms have a talented team on paper and it's hard to imagine them losing 100 games again this year. Ken Griffey Jr. will be a nice distraction for fans, however, as playoff hopes disappear by early September.
TEXAS RANGERS: Currently the team's CF depth chart goes like this: Josh Hamilton, Andruw Jones, Marlon Byrd. Well Hamilton is playing somewhere, what about Jones? It would be nice to see AJ reprise his former glory from Altanta years but overall the Rangers seem adrift (again) and with no major pitching upgrades they're (again) on outside looking in. They are excited about a young catcher named Taylor Teagarden, who apparently can hit. But hitting has never been Texas' problem.
Angels
Athletics*
Rangers
Labels: 2009 predictiOns
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5:00 PM
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