Off-Season Review: AL East.

New York Yankees (97-65)

Incoming: P Andy Pettitte (FA from Astros), P Kei Igawa (FA from Japan), 1B Doug “It’s My Ball” Mientkiewicz (FA from Royals), P Luis Vizcaino (trade from Diamondbacks), P Humberto Sanchez (trade from Tigers), P Chris Britton (trade from Orioles), C Todd Pratt (minor)

Outgoing: P Randy Johnson (trade to Diamondbacks), P Jaret Wrong (trade to Orioles), OF Gary Sheffield (trade to Tigers), OF Bubba Crosby (FA to Reds), P Octavio Dotel (FA to Royals), P Tanyon Sturtze (FA to Braves), 1B/OF Craig Wilson (FA to Braves), C Sal Fasano (FA to Blue Jays/minor), P Sidney Ponson (FA to Twins/minor)

In the works: Starter Carl Pavano has been one giant headache ever since the Yankees signed him to a 4-year, $40 million contract prior to the 2005 season. Since then, he’s been injured multiple times, he’s lied about the cause of one injury, his dedication to the game has been publicly called out by Mike Mussina (and less publicly by others), and he’s gotten a new hot girlfriend to replace Alyssa Milano. All of this (except maybe the girlfriend part) have made him persona non grata in Yankeeland. Now New York hopes he pitches well enough in spring training to be able to ship him out of town, with the Rockies having shown the most interest so far. The Yankees don’t have great pitching depth, so it shows how much Pavano’s stock has fallen that they would even be considering getting rid of him.

Analysis: An off-season of unusual restraint in the Bronx has yielded a team focused (comparatively) more on the future while still built to succeed in the present. This balancing act is illustrated by two noteworthy transactions: the signing of Pettitte and the trade of Sheffield. Pettitte had some injury issues during his three seasons in Houston, but he still totaled 68 starts and over 430 innings over the past two seasons. And he’s still Andy Pettitte―the epitome of the big-game pitcher―returning to the scene of his greatest successes. Randy Johnson may be more imposing and have won more awards than Pettitte, but ask 100 Yankee fans who they would rather have pitching in a playoff game, and 99 would say Pettitte. Maybe 100.

Meanwhile, the Yanks realized that with a lineup that led the league in runs and OBP, Sheffield was a luxury they didn’t need. Aging, expensive, surly, and coming off an injury that limited his playing time last year, he was shipped to the Tigers for the flamethrower Sanchez and two other prospects. It’s a classic example of a trade that benefits both teams, and for the Yankees, it’s a boost to a farm system that has been surprisingly productive (Wang, Cano, Cabrera) recently even though it seems like people are always criticizing it. And it should be noted that the Yankees handled the Sheffield situation superbly, picking up his option before trading him, rather than allowing him to become a free agent and sign with the Bosox (which is what Sheffield said he was going to do).

Oh yeah, speaking of aging, expensive, surly, and injury-prone, they also sent Johnson to the DBacks for Vizcaino and three more prospects. They’ll replace The Ugliest Man In Baseball with Igawa and they’ll hope that the return of Pettitte will also bring his best pal, Roger Clemens, back to the Bronx. Igawa is nothing more than a big question mark, as is the # 5 spot in the rotation, so an appearance by Clemens and/or the fulfillment of super-prospect Philip Hughes’s potential could be the key(s) to the season.

Off-season grade: B+. The Yankees could have built up more major league-ready depth in their rotation, and signing Mientkiewicz to start at first base is curious, although if any team can afford a hole like him in their lineup, it would be the Yankees. But the bottom line for their off-season is that they dumped a lot of money and unhappy/unproductive players (Jaret Wrong, anyone?), acquired a bunch of young talent, and are still poised to compete for a championship. Maybe Brian Cashman isn’t the dunce that Georgie Porgie keeps saying he is,
after all.

Toronto Blue Jays (87-75)

Incoming: DH Frank Thomas (FA from A’s), SS Royce Clayton (FA from Reds), P Tomo Ohka (FA from Brewers), P John Thomson (FA from Braves), P Victor Zambrano (minor), C Sal Fasano (minor), SS Ray Olmedo (waivers from Reds), OF Matt Stairs (FA from Tigers)

Outgoing: P Ted Lilly (FA to Cubs), C Bengie Molina (FA to Giants), OF Frank Catalanotto (FA to Rangers), P Justin Speier (FA to Angels)

In the works: The Jays supposedly have budding star Alex Rios on the block for a frontline pitcher. Rios, who just turned 26, was pounding the crap out of the ball (.330/.383/.585) until going down with a staph infection at the end of last June. He struggled after coming back but is still a five-tool player. The Jays would want someone like Joe Blanton or Brad Penny in return.

Analysis: Last offseason, the Jays jumped into the pool with a splash: over $100 million spent on A J. Burnett and B. J. Ryan (apparently they couldn’t get C. J. Nitkowski or D. J. Dozier out of retirement). The result was to climb past the Red Sox into second place, their highest finish since 1993. Hoping to continue the momentum, they took another high dive this year, signing the Big Hurt to a two-year, $16 million deal, and then dropping $126 for seven years to resign their superstar centerfielder Vernon Wells. That’s a lot of Molsons. . . .

Thomas is coming off 39 HR/114 RBI season with Oakland, but doesn’t it sort of seem like that was his last hurrah? He’s 39 and injury-prone—not usually a good combination. I guess this is still a good gamble, but the Jays already have Troy Glaus, who’s a similar player, so I’m not sure I see the point.

It’s not difficult to understand the Wells signing, though. He’s one of the best all-around players in the game coming off a .306/32 HR/ 106 RBI season, he’s won three straight Gold Gloves, he can run. . . he’s probably one of the five most underrated players in the game (that’s underrated, not underpaid). The contract is huge, but it makes sense. It’s another sign of the “new” Blue Jays and their commitment to competing on a relatively equal basis with the Evil Empire and the Nasty Nation.

Off-season grade: B-. After Thomas, the actual additions to the team aren’t very exciting, or promising. Ohka and Thomson are both injury-prone, although if healthy, Ohka―who played with the Red Sox about 100 years ago―is a respectable 5th starter. Zambrano is just a mess. (It’s worth remembering that the Mets traded Scott Kazmir for him a couple years ago; it’s a historically bad trade that, when you think about it, might have prevented the Mets from winning it all last season.) Oh, and Royce Clayton? He might turn out to be the worst starting positional player in the division. He’s regressed to being an average fielder and he could never hit in the first place. Certainly not one of GM J. P. Ricciardi’s better moments. But if Thomas keeps his health, they’ve added a dangerous (and patient) veteran hitter. More importantly, the long-term lockup of Wells is the key move—one that makes this a reasonably successful off-season, and that should help keep the Jays in the same neighborhood as the bullies with the big wallets.

Boston Red Sox (86-76)

Incoming: Some Japanese Guy, OF J. D. Drew (FA from Dodgers), FA Julio Lugo (FA from Dodgers), P Brendan Donnelly (trade from Angels), P J. C. Romero (FA from Angels), P Hideki Okajima (FA from Japan), P Joel Pineiro (FA from Seattle), P Runelvys Hernandez (minor)

(Seattle, L.A., Japan . . . apparently the Sox think there’s something in the water in the Pacific Ocean. . . .)

Outgoing: SS Alex Gonzalez (FA to Reds), 2B Mark Loretta (FA to Astros), P Keith Foulke (FA to Indians, then retired), OF Trot Nixon (FA to Indians), P Lenny DiNardo (waivers to A’s), OF Gabe Kapler (retired/minor league manager)

In the works: It all depends on the Great Closer Experiment. While I still think Papelbon will have the job by July, at this point it’s a cast of thousands vying for the role to take the scrutiny and intensity that comes with being the pitcher at the end of the game. Theoretically, the job is Pineiro’s to lose; he was a promising young pitcher in 2003 (16-11, 3.78 ERA, 151 strikeouts), but injuries and an apparent loss of stuff have left him a shell of his former self (his 2006 ERA was 6.36). It’s a worthwhile gamble, but like almost all Boston fans, I’m not convinced it’s gonna work. Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen would appear to be ideal candidates, at least until one looks at their stats from last season. The older guys like Donnelly, Romero, and Mike Timlin belong in the 7th and 8th innings. So that leaves Big Papel or someone from the outside. Chad Cordero is the logical choice—he’s good, young (25), and is superfluous on a horrible Expos team. But their asking price of multiple prospects is too high for the Sox, at least at the moment. A more recent rumor has the Sox interested in the completely frightening Armando Benitez. If that comes to pass, they may have to start selling Maalox at Fenway. . . .

Analysis: I’m here to defend J. D. Drew. I can’t vouch for his day-to-day passion or intensity; I didn’t watch a lot of Dodgers games and have never spoken to Tony LaRussa. But as someone in a National League-only fantasy league who has had Drew on his team (including last season), I can say that I never heard anything about his lack of passion or anything else until the Sox were getting ready to sign him—which seems a little bizarre to me. Remember when the Yankees got Abreu last year, and there were some grumblings here and there that he didn’t always hustle, that he’d have trouble adapting the Big Apple, etc. . . .HE’S BOBBY ABREU, PEOPLE!! He’s one of the best hitters in the game!! In New York and Boston, people would complain if their team acquired Mickey Mantle or Ted Williams. I’m not saying Drew is as good as Abreu, and yes, J. D. has been injury prone; but he’s played in 145 games in two of the last three seasons, and his big injury in 2005 was a broken wrist after being hit by a pitch. That, quite literally, can happen to anyone who bats. Then there are the numbers: career .286 BA, .393 OBP, .512 SLG. For comparison, Trot’s numbers are .278, .366, .478. He’s also faster than Trot and by most accounts a better fielder. This isn’t about bashing Trot. But all things being equal, Drew is the better player. And he’s never been in a lineup with Papi and Manny.

Now, did the Sox overpay for Drew? Absolutely. But they didn’t overpay for a guy like Gary Matthews Jr., who has essentially had one good season in his career; they overpaid for a guy who, when healthy, is a consistently productive and talented player. In a vacuum, this looks like a bad deal. But the deal wasn’t made in a vacuum. The Sox DESPERATELY needed a right fielder. They went out and made certain they got one who is both talented and fits their system (check his OBP). I don’t have a problem with that.

I don’t have a problem with Lugo, either. He won’t be as good a fielder as AGon. Fine. He also won’t swing the bat like snow shovel, either. For some reason, people have forgotten what a horrible hitter Gonzalez was, and how mediocre the Sox offense as a whole was for large parts of last season. With Lugo, they’re sacrificing some defense in exchange for some offense, and I think that make perfect sense considering the events of 2006. They led the league in fielding, and what did it get them? Third place. Lugo also has a love of baseball that is said to be infectious in a clubhouse. It says here he’s more O.C. than Rent-a-Wreck.

Credit Theo also for addressing another serious problem with last year’s club: the bullpen. Okajima appears to be the Japanese Mike Myers, and between him and Romero, the Sox should have an answer for guys named Damon, Giambi, Abreu, Matsui, and Cano. And Donnelly could be the new Timlin, which is important considering the old Timlin is . . .well . . . old.

Off-season grade: A-. The Sox spent a ton of money this off-season, and it’s true that I’ve been harder on other teams for throwing around money than I am on the Sox here. But there are a couple of reasons for that: 1) Money isn’t an issue with them anymore. Whatever Theo said about not being able to financially compete with the Yankees simply isn’t true anymore, not at this moment in time. The Sox appear to have (almost) all of the resources the Yankees do, which makes overspending more palatable, and less crippling in the long run if some of the moves don’t work out; 2) they got real talent in return. Again, the money may not match the talent, but who can even tell anymore? If the Royals are spending $55 million on Gil Meche, then the money Boston spent this off-season isn’t that ridiculous at all—because the acquisitions make them legitimate contenders for a world championship; and that leads to the most important point, 3) the Sox have done a remarkable job of reinvigorating the fan base after a depressing and desultory end to the 2006 season. All the bad vibes from the end of last year have been completely forgotten, and that is exactly what this team needed to accomplish. All of the moves may not work out, and all of the fans may not agree on the value of these players, but every Sox fan is interested in this team again. They care. And that’s part of what I’m trying to reflect in these grades. Are Royals fans really excited about Gil Meche? Do Mariners fans really stay up at night thinking about Jose Vidro and Miguel Batista? The Sox knew they had to make a humongous splash after last season’s disappointment, and they did exactly that. And in mid-March, that’s what really matters. Every team wanted to get Dice-K (what, you thought I wouldn’t even mention him?). But only one team did. Whether he—and the rest of the new players—live up to their hype and potential is something to be resolved in the future. In the present, there is a lot to look forward to.

Baltimore Orioles (70-92)

Incoming: P Jaret Wrong (trade from Yankees), P Danys Baez (FA from Braves), P Scott Williamson (FA from Padres), P Chad Bradford (FA from Mets), P Jamie Walker (FA from Tigers), 3B/1B/OF Aubrey Huff (FA from Astros), P Steve Trachsel (FA from Mets), OF Jay Payton (FA from A’s), C Paul Bako (FA from Royals), P Jeremy Guthrie (waivers from Indians), SS Freddie Bynum (trade from Cubs)

Outgoing: P/Sox Killer Rodrigo Lopez (trade to Rockies), INF/OF David Newhan (FA to Mets), P LaTroy Hawkins (FA to Rockies), P Bruce Chen (FA to Rangers/minor), P Chris Britton (trade to Yankees)

In the works: Baltimore is close to a contract extension (through 2009) with Brian Roberts, one-half (with Miggy Tejada) of one of the best middle infields in the game. Last year Roberts put up a .286/.347/.410 line with 36 steals. He’s one of the core members of the team, so it makes sense to make him happy now. They need more players like him.

Analysis: The O’s bullpen had an ERA of 5.25 (second-worst in the majors) and allowed 85 homers (worst in the majors), so team VP Jim Duquette attacked that problem with a vengeance. But did he get enough talent for the $43 million tossed at Baez, Bradford, Walker, and Williamson? Probably not, but it represents the kind of market teams are dealing with. The problem with relievers is that they are so mercurial and combustible, that spending $19 million over three years for a guy like Baez (4.53 ERA, 1.29 WHIP in 2006, 2.86 ERA, 1.33 WHIP in 2005) really doesn’t make sense, especially since he’s just going to be their setup man. I do like Walker, the lefty specialist with outstanding control who has been consistently good since 2002. And Bradford, best remembered for his mediocrity with the 2005 Bosox, was a key part of a strong Mets bullpen last season. So it’s entirely possible that the Orioles will have a fine bullpen this season. Or . . . relievers could be relievers, and their bullpen could suck. That’s the thing about relievers: you just never know.

You—and I—do know that Jay Payton is an o.k. outfielder who won’t do anything substantial to help get this team out of fourth place. You know that Aubrey Huff is a decent hitter who will be a liability in left field. You know that Jaret Wright is thrilled to get out of the Bronx. You know that Steve Trachsel is crushed to no longer be in Queens.

Off-season grade: C. You also know that these moves look a lot like the Orioles being the Orioles. And you know that looks a lot like fourth place.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (61-101)

Incoming: 3B Akinori Iwamura (FA from Japan), P Scott Dohman (FA from Royals), 2B Brendan Harris (trade from Reds), P Jae Kuk-Ryu (trade from Cubs), 1B Carlos Pena (minor), P Al Reyes (minor), P Gary Glover (minor)

Outgoing: OF Damon Hollins (FA to Japan), OF Josh Hamilton (trade to Reds), P Travis Harper (released), P Brian Meadows (FA to Reds/minor), INF Tomas Perez (FA to Cubs/minor), P Tyler Walker (FA to Giants/minor)

In the works: There have been persistent rumors that the Rays are shopping either Carl Crawford or Rocco Baldelli, or perhaps one of their younger talents such as B. J. Upton or Elijah Dukes. Even former No. 1 pick Delmon Young’s name has been dangling out there. The Rays have a lot of young, talented positional players and would like to turn one or more of them into desperately needed pitching help. It will be interesting to see if they actually pull the trigger and trade one of these potential stars, and if so, what they are able to pry away in return. (In the case of Crawford, and, arguably, Baldelli, you can remove the “potential” in that sentence.) Maybe they should call the Mets (see the Zambrano-for-Kazmir reference above).

Analysis: This team continues to build an impressive lineup. The 28-year-old Iwamura hit 44 homers in Japan in 2004 (while striking out 173 times), and also hit well in the World Baseball Classic. He’s also won a bunch of Japanese Gold Gloves (um . . . there must be a joke there, but I can’t come up with it. Sorry.) It’s difficult to project his numbers to the Major Leagues, but something like .280/25/90 isn’t out of the question. Add that to Crawford, Baldelli, Young, Jonny Gomes, and Jorge Cantu, and this is suddenly a deep, versatile, and dangerous group of hitters (and young, too).

Unfortunately, the pitching doesn’t show the same promise once one gets past Scott Kazmir, who despite last year’s shoulder problems remains one of the most promising and exciting young pitchers in the game. The rest of the rotation consists of the likes of James Shields, Jae Seo, and Casey Fossum, clarifying why one of the positional players may have to go. There’s just not a lot of pitching talent or depth in the system. Kuk-Ryu is an interesting acquisition, but he’s more famous for throwing a baseball at a bird while in the minors than anything he’s actually done on the mound. Reyes was an underrated pickup, too. He was excellent for the Cardinals in 2005 before missing all of last season after Tommy John surgery. He could conceivably be the Rays closer before the season is done.

Off-season grade: D+. When your second-best acquisition is Al Reyes, your hot stove has barely been flickering. I do really like the move for Iwamura. For $7.7 million over three years, he could be one of the most financially astute signings of this money-crazy off-season. If he even comes close to his Japanese numbers, he’ll provide some stability at third and add to an already intriguing lineup. But there’s not much else here, and most importantly, this team still hasn’t acquired the much-need pitching it needs to compete with the big boys. The West Coast of Florida anxiously awaits the next move. . . .o.k., not really—they’re all at the beach. Or stuck in traffic.