Baseball 2009 Preview of the American League East

The highest spending division in baseball represented the AL in the World Series last year. The only surprising fact was that the lowest-spending team in the division, the Tampa Rays, was the one that reached the World Series. It will be hard for the Rays to defend their title in 2009, especially since one of their rivals went out and spent millions on some of the best free agents available.

The Yankees have to be the favorite this year. They signed the best pitcher on the market, CC Sabathia. They also picked up A.J. Burnett, another veteran starter with a good track record. Yankee legend Andy Pettitte is coming back to bolster the rotation with Chien Ming Wang and converted reliever Joba Chamberlain. Future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera will be the closer again, but some questions remain with the bullpen.

The lineup will be among the best in baseball. The left side of the infield features two of the greatest players of their generation, shortstop Derek Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez. As if those two sluggers weren't enough, the Yanks went out and got all-star first baseman Mark Teixeira. The only concern on the infield is second base, where Robinson Cano will try to return to his 2007 form.

The outfield is not nearly as star-studded as the infield. Aging Johnny Damon, whose production had declined since leading Boston to the World Series championship, moves to left field. Left fielder Nady hopes to produce in his new league as impressively as he did in the NL. Speedy rookie Brett Gardner is the favorite to win the center field job over the disappointing Melky Cabrera, who hit just .246 last season. All-purpose slugger Nick Swisher, who was acquired from the White Sox, could fill in at any of the outfield spots if necessary. Aging Jorge Posada will share catching duties with Jose Molina.

The Rays will probably have to fight for a wild card spot in order to return to the post season. The AL champs made few changes, simply because they had few weaknesses. They are solid at the infield corners, assuming third baseman Evan Longoria and first baseman Carlos Pena both produce as they did in 2008. Though the middle infield will have the same players, it has to remain a weak spot on the roster. Jason Bartlett will be just average offensively, but he could hurt the team in the field. Even though he won a Gold Glove last year, he is still the same guy who committed so many errors for the Twins that they ran him out of town in 2007. Ditto for second baseman Akinori Iwamura, who hit .274 last year and was at times shaky in the field.

The outfield promises to be a strength again this year. Carl Crawford (left field) and B.J. Upton (center field) will be joined by Matt Joyce in right. Veterans Gabe Gross and Gabe Kapler could fill in or maybe even outright win a spot. Catcher should be a stable point, with Dioneer Navarro returning. The biggest addition for the Rays is probably DH Pat Burrell, who helped propel the Phillies to a World Series championship last year.

The starting rotation is probably the best in the league one through five. Scott Shields, Scott Kazmir, and Matt Garza will be joined by last year's number one prospect David Price. Veteran Troy Percival hopes to have something left in his long career but, like most teams, the bullpen is littered with uncertainties.

Fenway Park could be an unhappy place in 2009. The Red Sox seem considerably weaker than last year, when they finished behind the Rays. Gone is Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp, and the spirit of invulnerability the Sox felt before being ousted by the Rays.

They still have a very good team, though. Dustin Pedroia is among the best second basemen in the game. Kevin Youkilus is a hitting machine. Left fielder Jason Bay, who came over for Ramirez, is a good hitter but certainly cannot put up Manny type numbers. The left side of the infield is below average. Julio Lugo has never lived up to his potential as a shortstop, and third baseman Mike Lowell's best years are behind him.

The outfield beside Bay could be impressive if the young Jacoby Ellsbury can lead off and J.D. Drew can stay healthy. A bigger concern is DH David Ortiz, who really struggled last year. It may be hard to get Big Papi back on track without having the protection of Manny behind him. As if the Sox weren't aging enough with Lowell and Ortiz, they bowed to sentimentality and foolishly signed catcher Jason Veritek. Though a fan favorite, Veritek's production last year was embarrassing.

Boston's rotation depends on the health of Josh Beckett, who can be a dominant pitcher. Other than him Diseke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, and Brad Penny will be on the hill every fifth day. They still have Jonathan Papelbon as their closer behind an underappreciated relief corps.

The Blue Jays are a good team that has the misfortune of playing in a big-spending division. They have the decade's best pitcher, Roy Halladay, to look forward to every fifth day and a couple of exciting outfielders, Vernon Wells and Alex Rios. Other than those three, the Blue Jays have a roster of potential. Lyle Overbay is steady at first, and third baseman Scott Rolen can be an all-star if he's healthy. The middle infield is adequate at best, with Marco Scutaro at short and Joel Inglett at second. Rod Barajas gives the Blue Jays probably the best catcher in the division unless Baltimore's rookie realizes his potential from opening day on.

The arms behind Halladay are not impressive, though Jesse Litsch did win 13 games last year. Toronto will be hard pressed to find three quality hurlers to fill out the rest of the rotation. The bullpen could be adequate with closer B.J. Ryan hoping to build on the 32 saves he got last year.

Baltimore is almost a sure bet to finish in the cellar in 2009. They are using the upcoming season to build a championship team for 2011 or 12. They still have reliable veterans such as Brian Roberts (second base), Melvin Mora (third base), and Aubrey Huff (first base). Shortstop Cesar Izturius also brings a reliable veteran glove to the infield.

The outfield will be manned by youngsters. Right fielder Nick Markakis has put up several solid seasons, and the Orioles are expecting center fielder Adam Jones to improve upon his rookie season. They also hope that Felix Pie, a two time top prospect for the Cubs, can start to flash the talent he exhibited in the minor leagues.

Behind the plate the Orioles could have the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year. Matt Weiters has been among baseball America's top prospects for several seasons, and the Orioles shipped Ramon Hernandez to the Reds to make room for Weiters. Should he falter in spring, Baltimore will have to count on Greg Zaun and another backup to guide the pitching staff.

Jeremy Guthrie will again anchor the rotation, which isfilled with mostly young and unproven arms. Baltimore will probably not have many leads, so it really won't matter that they have the least impressive closer in the division. George Sherrill did save 31 games last year, but his ERA was close to five runs a game, quite high for a closer.