MLB Preview: AL East

The two teams with the highest payrolls, the Yankees and Red Sox, will again be favorites to win the pennant. Both teams made significant moves over the winter to shield against the possibility that division rival Tampa Bay could snatch the championship like they did in 2008. The moves the Yankees made appear to make them a more likely champion than either the Red Sox or the Rays.

Here are my predictions for the how the teams will finish and brief descriptions of each club's roster.

New York Yankees

TheYanks lost veteran Johnny Damon, but they upgraded his position by acquiring CF Curtis Granderson from the Tigers. They also signed former Giant Randy Winn, who will share time with rookie LF Brett Gardner and veteran RF Nick Swisher. Winn also will see time at DH, along with former National Nick Johnson.

The strength of the Yankees lineup is the infield. 3B Alex Rodriguez and SS Derek Jeter are perennial All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. Mark Teixeira has the best switch-hitting combination of power and average in the league, and he showed in the post-season last year just how great he is on defense. 2B Robinson Cano cannot match the numbers of his teammates, but he still ranks among the AL's best five at his position. The club does have some concerns in the catching department, where veteran Jorge Posada will have to rest his aging legs and yield more time for youngster Francisco Cervelli.

The pitching staff is the best in the AL, anchored by CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. Their number 3 starter, Javier Vazquez, could be considered the ace of many other staffs, and the same could be said of veteran lefty Andy Pettitte. Not only do they have future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera as their closer, but they also have the solid arms of Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen.

Boston Red Sox

The Sox lost a major part of their offense when Jason Bay signed with the Mets. They replaced him with veteran CF Mike Cameron, who will upgrade them defensively but will not put up anywhere near the offensive numbers of Bay. That move shifts Jacoby Ellsbury from center to left, where his 8 home runs and .301 BA seem less impressive. RF J. D. Drew will put up decent numbers, but he may not provide the protection that DH David Ortiz has enjoyed from Manny Ramirez in the past and Bay last year.

The infield will provide plenty of pop for Boston, especially at the corners. 1B Kevin Youkilus continues to develop into one of the best all-around hitters in the game, and the club brought over the powerful Adrian Beltre in hopes that he can hit more home runs in Fenway than he did in Seattle's pitcher-friendly park. Even though Dustin Pedroia's homer totals dipped a little last year and his average dropped nearly 30 points, he still remains one of the top offensive second basemen in the league. Marco Scutaro was brought in to shore up the infield defense at shortstop. Catcher Victor Martinez would be the best offensive catcher in the league if it weren't for the MVP backstop in Minnesota, who always seems to be hitting over .350.

The biggest acquisition for the Red Sox regards the rotation. They signed coveted free agent John Lackey, who was the ace of the Angels staff. He will be added to an already impressive collection of arms belonging to Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka. The closer will again be Jonathan Papelbon, who has saved an average of nearly 40 games the last three years.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays were relatively quiet over the winter, making fewer transactions than the two other contenders in the AL East. Tampa really did not need to make many moves, since they have the best collection of young talent already in their lineup. 3b Evan Longoria is hitting himself into superstardom, and Jason Bartlett remains one of the best offensive shortstops in the AL. 1B Carlos Pena has averaged 40 homers and 100 RBI over the last three seasons. Ben Zobrist shifts from RF to play second base to shore up the infield. The Rays brought in highly-regarded veteran Kelly Shoppach to back up catcher Dioner Navarro, and Pat Burrell returns as the team DH.

The outfield has plenty of speed and some prized young talent. LF Carl Crawford continues to be one of the best base runners in the game, and CF B.J. Upton has almost every major league tool - speed, power, glove, and arm. Rookie Matt Joyce is expected to take over in right field, and veteran Gabe Kapler will share time at all three outfield positions.

There is also lots of young talent on the mound. Highly-touted David Price will be a fixture in the rotation, as will James Shields and veteran Matt Garza. The only noteworthy deal the Rays made, getting closer Rafael Soriano, could prove to be their ticket for a return to the World Series. He saved 27 games for Atlanta last year in a part-time closer role.

Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore made quite a few acquisitions to strengthen its club for 2010. They brought in Kevin Millwood to anchor a rotation that struggled last year. Millwood provides the perfect complement to lefty Jeremy Guthrie, and he should serve as a mentor to the many youngsters on the staff. Mike Gonzalez is expected to be the closer, even though the 31 year old vet has saved only 25 games in his career.

Another noteworthy acquisition is former Oriole Miguel Tejada, who will play third base after spending his entire career as a shortstop. 1B Garrett Atkins will also switch positions after coming over from Colorado, where he played third. The middle infield is probably the most solid core for the Orioles. SS Cesar Izturis is a slick glove man who usually has a respectable on-base percentage, and veteran All-Star Brian Roberts is the face of the organization at second base. Top prospect Matt Weiters is poised to take over as the regular catcher, and he will be backed up by veteran Chad Moeller.

RF Nick Markakis remains one of the most underrated players in the Majors, where he has averaged 20 homers, 100 RBI and a .300 BA over the past three seasons. Former Seattle prospect Adam Jones will handle center again this year with his outstanding speed, and Nolan Reimold is expected to start in left. Felix Pie is ready to take over if either Reimold or Jones falters early, and DH Luke Scott could share time in left or right.

Toronto Blue Jays

All-Star Roy Halladay will not be on the mound for Toronto in 2010. The highly-coveted veteran was dealt to the Phillies over the winter, leaving Toronto to start building

for the future. They have some solid youngsters to ignite the development, especially in the outfield. LF Adam Lind hit 35 home runs, drove in 114, and carried a .305 average last season. RF Travis Snider, who struggled so much in the second half of 2009 that he was sent back to the minors, will be counted on the produce the way he did in the first part of the season. CF Vernon Wells is the only experienced player in the outfield, and he will need to regain the power he exhibited a few years ago if the Jays hope to finish with a winning record. Jose Batista and Jeremy Reed are also available for outfield duty, and one of them could share DH roles with Randy Ruiz.

The infield should have all veterans, though Edwin Encarnacion is still developing as a power hitting third baseman. Across the diamond is 1B Lyle Overbay, whose power numbers are below average for that position. Veteran Alex Gonzalez could provide Toronto with some power if he can stay off the disabled list. Underrated Aaron Hill is offensively above average at second base, where he hit 36 homers and drove in over 100 last season. John Buck appears to be the regular catcher, and Raul Chavez wil serve as the backup.

Even with the departure of Halladay, the top of Toronto's rotation looks pretty good. Shaun Marcum, Ricky Romero and Brendan Morrow all have good arms, but the bullpen is unsettled. Jason Fraser, Kevin Gregg or Scott Downs could all compete for the role of closer.