Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (92-70): For the past several years, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been one of the powerhouses of the American League and perennial division contenders. Stocked with plenty of pitching, young talent and offense, the Angels should once again compete toe to toe with the Athletics in the American League West. As the Angels share a portion of Southern California that compromises L.A. and Anaheim, Arte Moreno has taken steps to re-invest in the team and battle the Dodgers for area supremacy.
The Angels had incredible pitching, especially from Jered Weaver and flashes of brilliance from the other members of the starting rotation. However, the offense struggled and that in turn hurt the team.
Although the team came up short in the AL West in’06, Moreno has once again taken steps to improve the team. Gone from the team are Darin Erstad who signed with the White Sox, Adam Kennedy who joined the St. Louis Cardinals, J.C. Romero and Brendan Donnelly and Kevin Gregg who were traded. The team in the winter added Shea Hillenbrand, Gary Matthews Jr., pitchers Darren Oliver, Justin Speier, Phi Seibel and Chris Resop.
The starting corps has some of the best veteran and young arms in the sport of baseball, as they were formidable in ’06 and should remain the same in ’07. With ace John Lackey, the aforemtioned Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, Kelvim Escobar in the fold, the Angles will once again have one the premier staffs in the American League.
The bullpen for the Angels is just as impressive as their starting rotation. Returning to the closer role in ’07 is longtime mainstay, “K-Rod? Francisco Rodriguez. He was his usual dominant self with a miniscule 1.73 ERA and based on his record should be lights out in ’07 as well. Only 25, he’s got the chance to be one of the best closers ever in the history of the game.
The offense last year for the Angels was nothing short of anemic at times in ‘06, but 2007 might be the year where things come together. With the new additions to the team, like Shea Hillenbrand, Guerrero should have some protection and contribute as he always has.
Expect Chone Figgins, Orlando Cabrera and Garrett Anderson to productive, and youngsters Howie Kendrick, and Casey Kotchman to show what they have got.
The great unknown so far is with Gary Matthews as he’s got a two-fold problem, the first being if he can replicate what he in 2006, and second the drug issue and possible reprimand from the team itself or Major League Baseball.
If the Angels pitching and their offense come together, then they could possibly win the AL West and find themselves in the playoffs. Southern California has two potential playoff contenders in the Angels and the Dodgers, and in the end, the Halos led by Guerrero, Lackey, Weaver, and company could make 2007 a year to remember in that part of the region.
Oakland Athletics (89-73): The Oakland Athletics in this decade, year after year have been able to compete in a stacked American League despite their market size and the economic reality of the sport. Under the tutelage of GM Billy Beane, the A’s have been able to build contender after contender, despite the economic disparity between the franchise and powerhouses like the New York Yankees. Although the team has seen a revolving door of stars leave like the organization, with the most recent being Barry Zito and Frank Thomas, through shrewd roster moves and great scouting, the A’s have remained an influential & a viable force in the game.
Changes were abound over the winter, as the aforementioned Barry Zito went to San Francisco, Frank Thomas parlayed his year to a big contract in Toronto, and maligned Ken Macha was disposed of, and Bob Geren took his place. In addition, Jay Payton and Jerome Williams left the team for free agency and Kirk Saarloos was traded. Over the winter, the team added longtime veteran and future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, pitcher Alan Embree, and the team acquired Donnie Murphy, David Shafer and Ryan Goleski via trades.
The A’s have been known for their efficient pitching and an always durable, reliable young core of talent. 2007 should bring more of the same, and expect the A’s to once again fight with the Angels for the reign of the AL West, as well as an American League wild card spot.
With the exception of Barry Zito, the pitching rotation from last season remains pretty much intact with young Rich Harden now as the future ace of the staff, with young Dan Haren, veteran Esteban Loaiza, Joe Blanton and Joe Kennedy.
The bullpen for the A’s was one the strongest in baseball, and should remain the same way in 2007. Huston Street will be back in the fold, and in his third year, A’s fans should expect more of the same production from him. Although his ERA was nearly more than a run higher than his previous season where he won the Rookie of the Year award, he finished the season with 37 saves. He did struggle at times in 06, but overall, he’s been solid for the A’s and is regarded as one of the better closers in the game
The starting lineup and offense for Oakland struggled at times, but were buoyed by the big bat of Frank Thomas in 2006 and helped get them into the playoffs. However, he’s gone, and the everyday players will need to do better to improve an offense which at times looked anemic and lacked run production. In addition, the team will need to find a way to stay healthy, as almost all the everyday players with exception of Kendall, had injuries or ailments to deal with and in turn, the offensive numbers suffered.
The big question for the A’s is will Mike Piazza produce and replicate the success he’s had for the last two years, or will he start to regress as he gets older?
As well, the A’s will need Eric Chavez, and company to step up at the plate.
The A’s the A’s should once again be counted as contenders for both the American League West and the pennant; however, but the team must avoid injuries and get better production from the offense. The pitching, even with Zito leaving for the National League should be among the league’s best and will be perhaps what gets Oakland into the playoff. The main competition for the American League West will be the Angels, but in a stacked American League, it may become a dog fight in the end for a playoff spot American League supremacy with the crowded talented AL Central and East.
Texas Rangers (81-81): The Rangers for the past two decades have always been known as a team with a dearth of power and offense, but the pitching has always lagged behind. Thanks to the cozy confines of the park, and perhaps due to sweltering heat, AmeriQuest Field serves as a launching pad, but a house of horrors for pitchers, both for the home and visiting team.
Changes took place during the winter in Texas, with taskmaster Buck Showalter being shown the door, and former Athletics’ coach Ron Washington taking the helm. Washington’s positive attitude should counteract the problems that players had with Buck Showalter.
The Rangers have not been contenders for the past several seasons, and they have had a backseat to the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Although the team has not gotten into the playoffs this decade, they have a great core in Mark Teixeira, Hank Blalock, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young. As well, the pitching corps may not have as much firepower as the Red Sox, or the Yankees, but they have capable starters Kevin Millwood in the fold, plus Vicente Padillia and recent addition Brandon McCarthy.
The bullpen for the Rangers remains pretty much like it did in ’06, though for one big addition – former Cy Young winner Eric Gagne. He’ll be the setup man for Akinori Otuska, who had a marvelous 2006 where he was 2-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 32 saves. Traded to the Rangers in ’06 from the Padres, Otuska was a reliable stopper for the team and should maintain at same level he was at in ’06 or possibly improve.
Although the team will miss the production of Mark DeRosa and Gary Matthews Jr., key players like Mark Teixiera and Michael Young return in ’07.
Right now, the wild card in the lineup is Sammy Sosa. As we know, he recently signed a minor league contract to join the team. He took of last season after struggling horribly in Baltimore in 2005 and as well trying to recapture his glory after a messy divorce with the Chicago Cubs. At 38, he’s attempting a comeback and Texas is a team that fits him well. Sammy will play in a hitters ballpark, and if makes the team and if he’s got some gas left in the tank, he may make the Rangers lineup formidable.
In the end, the Rangers may not have enough to win the AL West, but the team has a core of young and established veterans that could make an impact in ’07. A lot of the success that the team will have this upcoming season will depend on their pitching and if the weaker parts of the offense from ‘06 picking up the slack.
Seattle Mariners (77-85): The Seattle Mariners in the early part of the decade were the class of the American League West & always counted on being contenders, however, they have struggled in the past few years. Sadly, they may finish last again for the 4th year in a row.
With the development of the young talent, the Mariners inched closer to .500, but were still far from contending. For the upcoming season, quite a few changes were ushered, especially with the pitching corps, but will it be enough to get the Pacific Northwest excited?
The starting pitching will compromise of Jarrod Washburn, Felix Hernandez, Jeff Weaver, Miguel Batista and Horacio Ramirez. Washburn is expected to be the number one starter, as he was anything but an ace last year as he finished 8-14 with a 4.67 ERA. If the Mariners expect to go anywhere in ’07, they’ll need him to perform like he did for the Angels in ’05 to justify the huge contract he received from the Mariners last winter.
Felix Hernandez was 12-14 with a 4.52 ERA, and had some growing pains, but showed flashes of brilliance, especially towards the end of last season. The Mariners hope that ’07 is the season where Felix puts his amazing ability and assortment of pitches together.
The bullpen looks improved on paper, though it has a few questions. The closer, J.J. Putz is back in the fold and had a career year with 36 saves, 4 wins and a 2.30 ERA. He has progressed nicely in his career, and the Mariners will expect him to build upon his career year for the upcoming season.
The wild card in the bullpen is Chris Reitsma, and he struggled with the Braves with an 8.68 ERA and ended up on the DL for the remainder of the ’06 season. The Mariners hope he returns to his ’05 form with Atlanta, where he registered an ERA under 4. Another addition to the bullpen is longtime veteran Arthur Rhodes who hopes to jumpstart his career and beckon upon previous seasons which made him one of the better left handed relievers in the game.
The starting lineup for the most part remained the same at is was in ’06. For the Seattle Mariners, the main focus of the lineup is the amazing Ichiro Suzuki; however, the team will need a good year from Richie Sexson along with Adrian Beltre, Youniesky Betancourt, Jose Lopez, and new additions Jose Guillen and Jose Vidro to step up.
The Mariners play in a competitive American League West and it may be hard for the team to move up in 2007 in light of the additions made. The team has made a number of changes to attempt to get more competitive, but it looks like the Mariners may remain where they are unless the pitching rotation steps up and additions to the offense perform like they have in the past. Considering this is Ichiro’s walk year, it’s vital that the team make strides to move up the AL West standings.
The Mariners may be a few players away from seriously contending in 2007, but the young core that they have give the team hope for the future.
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