Offseason Outlook: AL EAST (Part 2)

Written by: Jason Weaver on 25th November 2009

Offseason Outlook: AL EAST (Part 2) | read this item

TAMPA BAY RAYS:

If you look back over the Rays’ recent history and remove the 2008 season, 2009 would seem like a decent year. However, the fact remains that they did make it to a World Series last year and this past season was a monumental disappointment. Injuries to key players and inconsistency in the rotation were partially to blame, but this team just never seemed to put it all together like they had a season ago. Despite the mediocre finish, the Rays do have a bright future and they could force themselves back into playoff contention in 2010.

Pitching was a bit of an oddity for the Rays in 2009. In one respect, the emergence of Jeff Niemann and David Price offered some insight into the bright future for the ballclub’s young talent. In another respect, Andy Sonnanstine failed to prove he belonged on a major league roster, let alone repeat last season’s success, while Matt Garza and James Shields were hardly the “aces” they appeared to be the year before. Consistency was the biggest issue for the rotation in 2009, but the Rays have a considerable amount of talent in the pipeline for 2010. Rookies Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson are two young arms who should make a significant impact right away.

The Rays aren’t likely to make a major splash into the free agent market, as ownership has already made an effort to cut payroll by trading Scott Kazmir and Akinori Iwamura. They do, however, have the ability to improve through alternative avenues. Rumors of an impending Pat Burrell for Milton Bradley swap with the Chicago Cubs could have some legs, and there has also been speculation that the Rays could attempt to trade All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford for a king’s ransom during the offseason. Personally, I don’t think the Rays will head down this road yet. For one, replacing Crawford’s production will be tough to do and top prospect Desmond Jennings may still be a half-season away from big league duty, if for no other reason than to delay his arbitration clock from starting. Secondly, the Rays aren’t the bottom-dwellers they once were and have a decent shot to make a bid for the playoffs with the current roster. Removing Crawford from the equation significantly reduces their post-season chances and would eliminate the possibility of receiving the two compensatory draft picks when he files for free agency in 2011. If they deal him, I believe they will wait until the July deadline to do so, and it will be for young affordable talent that exceeds anything they believe the team could pick up in the draft with those two picks.

My guess is that Tampa Bay will likely seek out the services of a veteran middle-reliever and possibly a second option behind the plate, but other than that, the Rays are probably set on heading into 2010 with the current roster in tact.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS:

All eyes will be on the Blue Jays this offseason, as staff ace Roy Halladay’s name will likely be thrown around a few hundred-thousand times before the start of the spring training. Aside from that spectacle, the Blue Jays have other issues that need their immediate attention.

For one, the team has no shortstop. Not one on the major league roster and there isn’t anyone down on the farm who’s ready to make an impact. Marco Scutaro and John McDonald are free agents, and though the team has voiced their openness to re-signing Scutaro, he appears very interested in testing the market and would fetch the Jays two draft picks if he signs elsewhere. There are rumors that the team will bring John McDonald back on the cheap, but he’s more of a defensive specialist and could represent a black hole in the lineup if they plug him into a starting role. It would be in the Blue Jays’ best interest to see who might be available via trade or act on Scutaro quickly, as the options in the free agent market are substandard.

The Jays also have a vacancy behind the plate and it would be tough to see them bringing back a 34-year old Rod Barajas. I have to think they would be more open to signing ex-Rockies ‘catcher Yorvit Torrealba or they could make a deal for Arizona’s Chris Snyder. The Blue Jays do have J.P. Arencibia waiting in the wings, but he is probably still a year or two away. Snyder’s current contract runs through 2011 with a team option for 2012 and he would be a relatively cheap option to bridge the gap to Arencibia. At this point, either of those options would be better than handing over the starting gig to 36-year old backup Raul Chavez.

Ok, I’ll say it. The Blue Jays need to deal Roy Halladay yesterday. Profound, right? In all seriousness, the Jays aren’t in a position to compete in 2010 and should try to get the most that they can for him right now. The guy doesn’t really want to be there and the team isn’t going to unseat the Yankees or the Red Sox next season, so pretending like he is the key to a playoff run would just be insulting to the Toronto fans. Former GM J.P. Ricciardi should have pulled the trigger on a deal long before the July deadline, but he balked at every one of the offers. Newly promoted GM Alex Anthopoulos should avoid making the same mistake and construct a deal that nets Toronto more talent than they could get from the two compensation picks headed their way when Halladay signs with another organization in 2011.

*UPADATE* – The Toronto Blue Jays have signed SS John McDonald to a 2-year, $3 Million deal. This still doesn’t change the fact that they need to find another option at the position. McDonald is terrific defensively, but he can’t be counted on to deliver in the lineup on a daily basis. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Blue Jays still go after Marco Scutaro considering that they were able to sign McDonald so cheaply.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES:

Well, they managed to not lose 100 games last season and they found out they have a lot of young ballplayers capable of succeeding at the big league level. Other than that, 2009 was a disaster.

As bad as last season was, this team may actually be somewhat relevant come September 2010. All they really need is for a few of their young studs take a couple steps forward. Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters are already making a name for themselves in the lineup and it is only a matter of time before Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta do the same in the rotation. However, third base is wide open after the team bought out Melvin Mora’s contract and they still lack a game-changing power bat in the middle of their lineup.

Free agent 1B/DH Carlos Delgado could inject some added pop into the lineup and the team has been rumored to be looking in his direction, but third base is still a position of greater need for the O’s. Josh Bell is still probably a year away from claiming his rightful spot at the hot corner in Camden Yards and Baltimore will probably want to fill that spot with someone other than Ty Wigginton (though he wouldn’t be the worst option to keep the seat warm for Bell). A couple guys who come to mind are Adrian Beltre and Pedro Feliz, as each could be considered possible stopgap options. I wouldn’t want to sign either one of those guys for more than one year, though.

Baltimore’s rotation has been in rebuilding mode since they traded Erik Bedard before the 2008 season, but it seems like that aspect of the team might actually be a position of strength heading into Spring Training. Rookies Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman showed brief flashes of their bright futures in 2009 and will look to establish themselves as staples in the O’s rotation, while prospect Jake Arrieta is not far off from making his own mark in the big leagues. The Orioles could make a push for John Lackey, but I don’t really see them outbidding anyone for his services. If I were an Orioles fan I would rather see them invest in a low-risk, high-reward type like Rich Harden, Ben Sheets or even former Baltimore ace Erik Bedard, as all have been mentioned as possible targets.

The only other real void on the roster is the lack of dependable depth at the back of the bullpen. Nobody knows what Chris Ray will be able to give them, and Jim Johnson isn’t exactly your prototypical closer. I think you can bet that the Orioles will be big players for guys like Mike Gonzalez, Fernando Rodney or Billy Wagner.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. You can look for the next installment of “Offseason Outlook” after the holiday weekend. Up next, the A.L. West.

If you missed Part 1 of the A.L. East Offseason Outlook, check it out HERE

Topics: Akinori, Andy Sonnanstine, Bright Future, Carl Crawford, Chicago Cubs, David Price, Free Agent Market, Inconsistency, James Shields, Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Garza, Milton Bradley, Oddity, Pat Burrell, Playoff Contention, Scott Kazmir, Star Outfielder, Tampa Bay Rays, Wade Davis