Boston Red Sox
2017 93-69, first place, lost to Houston in ALDS
MANAGER Alex Cora (first season)
HE'S HERE DH J.D. Martinez
HE'S OUTTA HERE Manager John Farrell, RHP Doug Fister, OF Chris Young, RHP Addison Reed, OF Rajai Davis, LHP Henry Owens, LHP Fernando Abad
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
RF;Mookie Betts;.264;24;102
LF;Andrew Benintendi;.271;20;90
1B;Hanley Ramirez;.242;23;62
DH;J.D. Martinez;.303;45;104
3B;Rafael Devers;.284;10;30
SS;Xander Bogaerts;.273;10;62
CF;Jackie Bradley Jr.;.245;17;63
C;Christian Vazquez;.290;5;32
2B;Eduardo Nunez;.313;12;58
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
LH Chris Sale;17-8;2.90;308
LH David Price;6-3;3.38;76
RH Rick Porcello;11-17;4.65;181
LH Eduardo Rodriguez;6-7;4.19;150
LH Brian Johnson;2-0;4.33;21
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SV
RH Craig Kimbrel;5-0;1.43;35
OUTLOOK The Red Sox won 93 games last year for the second consecutive season and claimed the franchise's first back-to-back AL East titles. But Farrell was fired after they failed to advance in the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. The key -- and really only -- addition is Martinez, who gives them someone to replace longtime slugger David Ortiz after finishing last in the AL in home runs without Big Papi in 2017. The theory behind Boston keeping up with the reloaded New York Yankees goes something like this: A full season of a healthy Price will bolster a rotation that already has a quality ace in Sale, plus 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner Porcello. The Red Sox also are staking their chances on the hope that Ramirez can be more like the player he was in 2016 (.286, 30, 111); that Dustin Pedroia will return quickly and be healthy and productive; that 20-year-old third baseman Devers will be able to stay up for a full season; and that Bradley won't have another second-half slump. The bullpen, anchored by Kimbrel, remains strong.
New York Yankees
2017 91-71, second place, wild card, lost to Houston in ALCS
MANAGER Aaron Boone (first season)
HE'S HERE OF Giancarlo Stanton, 2B Neil Walker, 3B Brandon Drury
HE'S OUTTA HERE Manager Joe Girardi, 2B Starlin Castro, 3B-1B Chase Headley, 3B Todd Frazier, DH Matt Holliday, LHP Jaime Garcia
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
LF;Brett Gardner;.264;21;63
RF;Aaron Judge;.284;52;114
1B;Greg Bird;.190;9;28
DH;Giancarlo Stanton;.281;59;132
C;Gary Sanchez;.278;33;90
SS;Didi Gregorius;.287;25;87
CF;Aaron Hicks;.266;15;52
2B;Neil Walker;.265;14;49
3B;Brandon Drury;.267;13;63
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Luis Severino;14-8;2.98;230
RH Masahiro Tanaka;13-12;4.74;194
LH CC Sabathia;14-5;3.69;120
RH Sonny Gray;10-12;3.55;153
LH Jordan Montgomery;9-7;3.88;144
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SV
LH Aroldis Chapman;4-3;3.22;22
OUTLOOK New York figures to score a lot and strike out a lot, a reason the Yankees signed the switch-hitting, high-contact Walker during spring training. Drury also was a late addition, enabling New York to start prospects Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar in the minors. Reliever Dellin Betances faded in the second half last season, struggling with his mechanics and control and diminishing from a four-time All-Star to a mop-up man. After a pair of injury-decimated seasons, Greg Bird is being counted on as a left-handed power bat in the middle of the batting order who can prevent opponents from bringing in right-handed relievers to attack Judge, Stanton and Sanchez. Unfortunately, he suffered a foot injury over the weekend and his status is unknown. Hicks missed nearly half of last season with oblique injuries but has displaced Jacoby Ellsbury as the regular center fielder. Having never managed or coached at any level, Boone succeeded Girardi and must establish with players and the public that he knows what he is doing.
Tampa Bay Rays
2017 80-82, third place
MANAGER Kevin Cash (fourth season)
HE'S HERE OF Denard Span, 1B C.J. Cron, RHP Nathan Eovaldi, OF Jake Bauers
HE'S OUTTA HERE 3B Evan Longoria, RHP Alex Cobb, RHP Jake Odorizzi, OF-DH Corey Dickerson, OF Steven Souza Jr., 1B Logan Morrison, 1B-DH Lucas Duda, RHP Brad Boxberger, RHP Steve Cishek, RHP Tommy Hunter, OF Peter Bourjos, INF Trever Plouffe, RHP Chase Whitley
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
LF;Denard Span;.272;12;43
CF;Kevin Kiermaier;.276;15;39
C;Wilson Ramos;.260;11;35
RF;Carlos Gomez;.255;17;51
1B;C.J. Cron;.248;16;56
DH;Brad Miller;.201;9;40
3B;Matt Duffy;.258;5;28*
2B;Joey Wendle;.285;8;54
SS;Adeiny Hechavarria;.261;8;30
*Stats from 2016. Missed 2017 season (Achilles tendon)
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Chris Archer;10-12;4.07;249
LH Blake Snell;5-7;4.04;119
RH Nathan Eovaldi;9-8;4.76;97*
RH Jake Faria;5-4;3.43;84
*Stats from 2016. Missed 2017 season (Tommy John surgery)
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SV
RH Alex Colome;2-3;3.24;47
OUTLOOK The Rays sport a new look after a winter of trimming payroll. In addition to the departures of Cobb and Odorizzi, the heart of a batting order that hit a club-record 228 home runs -- Longoria, Dickerson, Souza and Morrison -- is gone, too. Archer, a two-time All-Star, is set to make his franchise-record fourth opening day start, and Colome is back at closer, too. The question that remains unanswered is, for how long? Cash and General Manager Erik Neander aren't making any bold predictions but they insist that despite all the changes, the Rays have a chance to be a lot more competitive than it appears on paper.
Toronto Blue Jays
2017 76-86, fourth place
MANAGER John Gibbons (sixth season of second stint, 11th overall with Blue Jays)
HE'S HERE LHP Jaime Garcia, OF Randal Grichuk, OF Curtis Granderson, RHP Seung-hwan Oh, INF Yangervis Solarte, INF Aledmys Diaz, RHP John Axford, RHP Tyler Clippard, INF Danny Espinosa, RHP Taylor Guerrieri, INF Gift Ngoepe, LHP Sam Moll, RHP Sam Gaviglio
HE'S OUTTA HERE OF Jose Bautista, OF Ezequiel Carrera, LHP Brett Anderson, INF Darwin Barney, RHP Leonel Campos, OF Darrell Ceciliani, RHP Taylor Cole, INF Ryan Goins, C Raffy Lopez, RHP Tom Koehler, RHP Dominic Leone, C Miguel Montero, INF Rob Refsnyder, OF Michael Saunders, RHP Bo Schultz, RHP Cesar Valdez
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
2B;Devon Travis;.259;5;24
3B;Josh Donaldson;.270;33;78
1B;Justin Smoak;.270;38;90
DH;Kendrys Morales;.250;28;85
LF;Curtis Granderson;.212;26;64
C;Russell Martin;.221;13;35
SS;Troy Tulowitzki;.249;7;26
RF;Randal Grichuk;.238;22;59
CF;Kevin Pillar;.256;16;42
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
LH J.A. Happ;10-11;3.53;142
RH Aaron Sanchez;1-3;4.25;24
RH Marco Estrada;10-9;4.98;176
RH Marcus Stroman;13-9;3.09;164
LH Jaime Garcia;5-10;4.41;129
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Roberto Osuna;3-4;3.39;39
OUTLOOK The powerful Yankees and reigning division champion Red Sox are considered playoff favorites in the AL East, so the expectation is the Blue Jays will be left to compete for the second wild card. If Donaldson and Smoak help the offense rebound from last season's injury-induced stumble, when Toronto scored an AL-low 693 runs, and the starting pitching stays strong and healthy, the Blue Jays might be able to mount a playoff push. Health concerns remain plentiful. Besides Tulowitzki's troublesome heel, Travis will need scheduled downtime to rest his surgically repaired right knee. Stroman was slowed by a sore shoulder in spring training, and Sanchez will be closely monitored after making just eight starts last year because of blister issues.
Baltimore Orioles
2017 75-87, fifth place
MANAGER Buck Showalter (ninth season)
HE'S HERE RHP Alex Cobb, RHP Andrew Cashner, OF Colby Rasmus, LHP Nestor Cortes Jr., C Andrew Susac, INF Engelb Vielma, OF Austin Hays
HE'S OUTTA HERE C Welington Castillo, SS J.J. Hardy, RHP Ubaldo Jimenez, LHP Wade Miley, RHP Jeremy Hellickson
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
LF;Trey Mancini;.293;24;78
2B;Jonathan Schoop;.293;32;105
SS;Manny Machado;.259;33.95
CF;Adam Jones;.285;26;73
1B;Chris Davis;.215;26;61
3B;Tim Beckham;.259;12;36
DH;Mark Trumbo;.234;23;65
RF;Colby Rasmus;.281;9;23
C;Caleb Joseph;.256;8;28
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Dylan Bundy;13-9;4.24;152
RH Kevin Gausman;11-12;4.68;179
RH Alex Cobb;12-10;3.66;128
RH Andrew Cashner;11-11;3.40;86
RH Chris Tillman;1-7;7.84;63
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SV
RH Brad Brach;4-5;3.18;18
OUTLOOK The Orioles were 25-16 and in first place last year before fading to their first losing season since 2011. The prospect for improvement will rest on a power-laden lineup that needs Davis and Trumbo to rebound from poor performances, but both sluggers fought through injuries this spring and Trumbo will be on the disabled list on opening day. With a shaky rotation and a bullpen that is without injured closer Zach Britton, the Orioles must score plenty of runs to make some noise in the AL East. Baltimore's defense, usually a strong point, was not particularly efficient in 2017. The team addressed the problem by switching Machado to shortstop and working hard on fundamentals this spring. Most importantly, this could be the last season in Baltimore for Jones and Machado, whose contracts expire after 2018. If the Orioles are sputtering in July, the most intriguing aspect of the team might be whether one or both stars get jettisoned before the July 31 trade deadline.
Sports on 03/26/2018