The Sandspur

Issue date: 3/21/08 Section: Sports

If you want to pick a huge upset, here is your chance. The Tampa Bay Rays greatly strengthened their pitching with the addition of Matt Garza, late of the Minnesota Twins, while the Toronto Blue Jays are finally healthy.

The New York Yankees are relying on three young starters (that includes Joba Chamberlain, who will join the rotation soon enough) and the Boston Red Sox are fighting injuries (Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling) and age (Clay Buccholz, Jon Lester). There may be a new champion in the east.

The Baltimore Orioles, however, will compete for the worst record in the major leagues. It's a shame that this franchise has perpetually been stuck in rebuilding mode since the mid 90s.

Boston Red Sox: Last year's World Champions return pretty much the same squad. And that never bodes well for the next season. Just ask the 2003 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, after their exhilarating 2002 World Championship. Or just ask the 2005 Boston Red Sox, who were unceremoniously dumped by the Chicago White Sox in a three-game sweep in the LDS.

The starting rotation, a strong point last season, has many questions. Beckett has a troublesome back. Schilling will be out the majority of the year recovering from a shoulder injury. Who knows whether or not Daisuke Matsuzaka will be good or Tim Wakefield can get the knuckleball to knuckle once again? Two rookies and a ton of questions do not get the job done.

Offensively, Manny Ramirez is poised for a big season. He spent the off season working out at the Athletes Performance Institute in Arizona and is in great shape. Heck, he even showed up to spring training on time. Ramirez is ready for a great year, while David Ortiz is healthy following off season knee surgery. The heart of the Red Sox lineup is back and ready to go.

New York Yankees: Brian Cashman had better hope he was right and that Hank Steinbrenner was, like his father usually was, terribly wrong. The team declined to trade Phil Hughes to the Twins for ace Johan Santana. A rotation led by Santana, buoyed with Chien Ming Wang in the No. 2 slot, would have solidified the Yankees' chances this year.

But there are too many questions to expect great things from this Yankees team. Will Andy Pettitte put the HGH controversy behind him? Can Hughes, Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy pitch effectively? Can Mike Mussina or Kei Igawa even pitch?

The offense may be the resounding answer to those questions. Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu came into camp healthy and mentally prepared to play. (Damon was fighting thoughts of retirement during the 2006-07 off season.) Robinson Cano should be hitting fifth before the year is over. The only true weakness in this lineup is center fielder Melky Cabrera, who many teams wanted this off season.

Continued...

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