2009 MLB Team Preview- The Tampa Bay Rays

On our second to last day of team previews, we cover the defending American League Champions, The Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tampa Bay Rays

Last Season’s Result: 97-65, 1st Place in the AL East, American League Champions.

Major Offseason Changes

• Added OF Matt Joyce (Trade from Detroit)
• Added LF Pat Burrell (Signed from Philadelphia)
• Added RP Brian Shouse (Signed from Milwaukee)
• Added RP Jason Isringhausen (Signed from St. Louis)
• Added RP Joe Nelson (Signed from Florida)
• Added OF Gabe Kapler (Signed from Milwaukee)
• Lost RF Rocco Baldelli (Signed with Boston)
• Lost LF Cliff Floyd (Signed with San Diego)
• Lost RF Eric Hinske (Signed with Pittsburgh)
• Lost RP Trevor Miller (Signed with St. Louis)
• Lost RF Jonny Gomes (Signed with Cincinnati)
• Lost SP Edwin Jackson (Traded to Detroit)

Letter Grades

• Offseason Moves: B The Rays did a fine job of fine tuning a good team that has its core in place. Burrell gives the team a nice right-handed power bat, and the combo of Joyce and Zobrist gives the team both depth and a fine replacement for Baldelli and Hinske.

• Rotation Grade: B The Rays had the second best staff in the AL last season, and they are poised to improve on that once David Price works his way into the rotation. This is definitely the team’s strength.

• Bullpen Grade: B The Rays had the third best bullpen in 2008, and they stand to improve on that in 2009 with a handful of free agent acquisitions, to go with Balfour, Wheeler, Howell, and Percival. Percival’s frail health is this groups weakness.

• Lineup Grade: A- An exciting young team, featuring some of the best young talent in baseball. If they play to their potential the Rays have three guys in Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and Bossman Junior Upton that could be potential MVP candidates.

Player most closely linked to team’s 2009 hopes: Troy Percival. If the veteran closer can stay healthy and stabilize the back of the Rays’ bullpen, it will help the Rays again have one of the league’s better bullpens. If Percival is often injured then the rest of the crew would have to continuously shift roles, weakening the overall quality of the unit.

Biggest Breakout Star Potential: David Price, the best pitching prospect in all of baseball will finally get a lengthy stay in the majors this season, when he does he’ll instantly have among the game’s best stuff. If he can channel that stuff into a pitching rather than throwing, he may end up the best pitcher in the AL East come September.

Best Case Scenario: The Bossman gets the power surge many expect. The pitching staff repeats last season’s success, and they find a reliable closer among their bullpen bunch. Best case is a few more wins than last year.

Worst Case Scenario: The worst case is that last season was a fluke, which is likelier than you might think. If these guys regress as feared then they could return to a team that struggles for .500.

Prediction for 2009: 93-69, 2nd place in the AL East, Wild Card entry into playoffs.

Local Thoughts

We have another twosome today, Tommy Rancel and Erik Hahmann from D Rays Bay.

By: Tommy Rancel.

• Letter Grade for Offseason Moves: I may be a little biased, but I would have to give Andrew Friedman and his front office an A on offseason moves. The Rays needed a right handed power bat that could handle left handed pitching and they got that in Pat Burrell at a reduced salary. Friedman also understood that a bullpen in the most volatile group on a team. Instead of being
complacent and keeping together the bullpen that was so successful in 2008, he was very aggressive in making upgrades to the pen by adding Brian Shouse and Joe Nelson. He also moved a player from a position of strength in Edwin Jackson to address a position of weakness, right field and got back a player in Matt Joyce, who could be the Rays everyday right fielder starting in 2010 and beyond.

• Most Essential: Evan Longoria. Longoria adds a 30 HR bat from the right side with gold glove caliber defense. If the Rays were to lose him to an injury, it would be really hard to replace his production, although Willy Aybar
is a very good player. It would be equivalent to the Mets losing David Wright in my opinion.

• Breakout Potential: While he already had sort of a breakout in 2007 and the 2008 playoffs, I think B.J. Upton is really going to take that next step in 2009. Upton is returning from offseason surgery, which was very similar to
Hanley Ramirez's injury in 2008. I don't think 30 home runs and 30 steals is a bad estimate for Upton in 2009 if he's 100%.

• Prediction for 2009: 96-66, 2nd place wild card.

By: Erik Hahmann

• Letter Grade for Offseason Moves: I'd give it a B

• Most Essential: I don't think you can peg any one player as being the most essential. The team won the American League last year with many of
its best players having down seasons.

• Breakout Potential: I believe B.J. Upton is poised to have a breakout year. He's still very young and was poised to breakout in 2008 before injuries zapped all of his power.

• Prediction for 2009: I'll say 95-67 with a second place finish and the wild card.

2009 MLB Team Preview- The Toronto Blue Jays

The PSP stops in beautiful Canada to check in with the Toronto Blue Jays, owners of 2008's best pitching staff. How does their 2009 staff look? What are their overall chances this season? Come on in as Greg and the guys from Blue Bird Banter break it down.


The Toronto Blue Jays

Last Season’s Result: 86-76. 4th place in the AL East.

Major Offseason Changes

• Added 1B Kevin Millar (Signed from Baltimore)
• Lost SP A.J. Burnett (Signed with New York Yankees)
• Lost C Gregg Zaun (Signed with Baltimore)
• Lost RF Brad Wilkerson (Signed with Boston)

Letter Grades

• Offseason Moves: F This team was a real contender in 2008, with the best pitching staff in baseball. This offseason they did nothing to improve, and will be lucky to maintain a .500 record because of it.

• Rotation Grade: C Roy Halladay is still among the game’s best, and Jesse Litsch is a nice young arm, but with the loss of Burnett to the Yanks and Marcum to injury, this rotation is reduced to average.

• Bullpen Grade: A The league’s best bullpen was great in ’08, and I expect them to be just as good in 2009. BJ Ryan returns as closer, with Scott Downs and Brian Tallet in front of him, each of whom is coming off of a tremendous season.

• Lineup Grade: D+ A below average group in 2008, and I can’t imagine them getting any better in 2009. There’s no power in this lineup, I’m not expecting a single man on this roster to hit 25 home runs.

Player most closely linked to team’s 2009 hopes: Vernon Wells. This team is going to be kind of bad this season, but I think Wells could have a nice year and give the fans a bright spot.

Biggest Breakout Star Potential: Travis Snider. The young leftfielder should get ample playing time this season, and with it expect a run at ROTY. Snider is expected to be a long term solution for the Jays, but this year may be a bit soon, as he is only 21.

Best Case Scenario: Getting back to .500 this season is a lofty goal at this point. If the young pitchers can perform than there’s a shot, but real contention is probably out of the question.

Worst Case Scenario: I think this team is likely to struggle this season, and rumblings of moving Halladay seem to creep into the rumor mill every trade deadline. I think the worst case scenario would be for them to move Halladay and fail to get any prospects that pan out in return.

Prediction for 2009: 69-93. 4th place in the AL East.

Local Thoughts

We have a pair of fans of Canadian baseball for your reading pleasure today, Tom Dakers and Hugo Fruchter of Blue Bird Banter.

By: Tom will start us off.

• Letter Grade for Offseason Moves: D-. We really didn't do anything this off-season, signed a handful of guys to minor league contracts, the only ones that are likely likely to see playing time are Michael Barrett and Kevin Millar. We lost AJ Burnett which is too bad and all, but I'm glad we aren't paying him what the Godless Yankees will be paying him over the next few years.

• Most Essential: Maybe Travis Snider. He looks like the real thing. I'm hoping for an average close to .280 and 25 or so homers. If you want to put money on who gets the Rookie of the Year, he's as good a bet as anyone.

• Breakout Potential: Alex Rios. Until last season Alex had improved his home run totals each season in the majors. Last year, the Jays had a new hitting coach and his philosophy didn't work for Alex. This year, with Cito telling him to swing for the fences, I think 30+ home runs isn't out of the question. He looked good in the WBC.

• Prediction for 2009: I think they will be right around where they were last year. Last year they were 86-76, but their Pythagorean record was 93-69. I think their offense will improve, but likely their starting pitching will decline some. They will likely finish 3rd or 4th, but if the stars align right they could be in the race. It isn't likely in the strong division they are in, but the Yankees are aging, never know what will happen in Boston and Tampa Bay could regress some.

By: Hugo, again from Blue Bird Banter.

• Letter Grade for Offseason Moves: F. The Jays were really an excellent team last season, much better than their record or order of finish showed. Adding a pitcher to compensate for the loss of A.J. Burnett and Shaun Marcum, who contributed substantially to the major league's best starting rotation in 2008 and adding a bat to boost what was a sagging offense in 2008 could have thrust the Jays into real contention. This was particularly true in this depressed market where many quality hitters were available at moderate cost. Instead the Jays decided to compensate for the loss of Marcum and Burnett by essentially punting the offseason and hoping for the best.

• Most Essential: Great question. I don't want to put too much on rookie Travis Snider's shoulders, so I think the answer is Scott Rolen. If he is able to stay on the field and hit like he does when his shoulder isn't killing him, that will go a long way to boosting the Jays' offense. On the pitching side, if David Purcey takes a step forward and lives up to his first-round draft pick promise, that'll be huge for a rotation with lots of question marks.

• Breakout Potential: I have a good feeling about Adam Lind. I'm hoping he has made all his adjustments and this season he will just go out and hit like he can.


• Prediction for 2009: I think the Jays will win 83 games and finish 4th in the AL East. The biggest factor in this projection is the strength of their competition, to which no other division even comes close. I do think it's more likely they win 90 games than 75.

2009 MLB Team Preview- The Baltomore Orioles

We enter the final stages of our sweeping cross-country trip. Today starts the AL East, and we'll start it off with the Orioles.

The Baltimore Orioles

Last Season’s Result: 68-93, 5th place in the AL East.

Major Offseason Changes

• Added SP Rich Hill (Trade with Chicago Cubs)
• Added OF Feliz Pie (Trade with Chicago Cubs)
• Added SP Mark Hendrickson (Signed from Florida)
• Added SS Cesar Izturis (Signed From St. Louis)
• Added SP Koji Uehara (Signed from Japan)
• Added C Gregg Zaun (Signed from Toronto)
• Added IF Ty Wigginton (Signed from Houston)
• Lost SP Daniel Cabrera (Signed with Washington)
• Lost RP Lance Cormier (Signed with Tampa)
• Lost 1B Kevin Millar (Signed with Toronto)

Letter Grades

• Offseason Moves: B The Orioles aren’t going to contend in 2009, but they did take steps to ensure they have a chance in the years to come. Locking up Nick Markakis was a great move that ensures he’ll remain in the middle of their order through 2014. The free agent they did bring in, are improvements, but long term solutions.

• Rotation Grade: D- Jeremy Guthrie is decent enough, but he’s no ace. The fact that Adam Eaton has a chance to be the O’s third starter says more than I ever could.


• Bullpen Grade: D- A crummy bullpen with an average at best closer in George Sherrill.

• Lineup Grade: C This group was about average in 2008, but they should continue to improve as they mature. Nick Markakis is already a star, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters should soon follow.

Player most closely linked to team’s 2009 hopes: Adam Jones. The Orioles won’t contend in 2009, so the goal for the season should be setting things up for a run in the future. If Jones can step up and excel this season as a major leaguer it puts a giant piece into place for the O’s.

Biggest Breakout Star Potential: Matt Wieters. Apparently he’ll be called up in May and then should instantly be one of the game’s top catchers. All the hype surrounding Wieters makes him an easy pick to break out, which means I’m probably putting the jinx on him.

Best Case Scenario: Adam Jones becomes a star-type level, Jeremy Guthrie builds on last season’s success and Matt Wieters is the real deal. The emergence of a young cure this season is vital if the Orioles are ever going to compete.

Worst Case Scenario: Jones struggles, Wieters follows suit, and Guthrie returns to a subpar pitcher. They’re probably a last place team regardless of best or worst case, so worst case is finding out their youngsters aren’t what they hoped.

Prediction for 2009: 58-104, 5th place in the AL East.

Local Thoughts

We have a pair of Orioles bloggers for your enjoyment, Matthew Taylor of Roar From 34 and Scott Christ of Camden Chat

By: Matthew Taylor will start things off for us. Be sure to check out his site at www.roarfrom34.blogspot.com

• Letter Grade for Offseason Moves: I'd give the O's a solid B.

The offseason was a steady step in the right direction. The team didn't make a big splash on the free-agent market, but their time will come. They need to continue making incremental steps toward being a competitive outfit and then they can overspend on a big bat to complete the puzzle. It would've been a mistake to overpay for pitching, especially a guy like A.J. Burnett. Andy MacPhail set out a rebuilding model when he got to town, fans are buying into it - especially after the Bedard trade and Markakis extension - and even Peter Angelos seems to be among the converted.

You can't overstate the importance of signing Nick Markakis this offseason. The Markakis signing proves that the team actually learned something from losing Mike Mussina to the Yankees years ago when they had a chance to lock him up before he hit the market. Signing Cesar Izturis was a good, underrated move, and it's nice to have the Brian Roberts situation resolved. Add in the fact that the O's signed their recent top draft picks, Matt Wieters and Brian Matusz (granted, not offseason moves), and the team is sending a real message that this is a brave, new Andy MacPhail world that Baltimore fans live in.

• Most Essential: Jeremy Guthrie. O's fans are going to have a lot of fun watching some exciting position players this season. It'll be fun to track Adam Jones' development, there's hope that Felix Pie can finally make good on his promise given a full-time role and less pressure to produce, Cesar Izturis will provide a much-needed steady hand at shortstop, not to mention the anticipated production of Nick Markakis, the debut of Matt Wieters, etc. But with all that said, the starting rotation is a real Achilles heel.

Guthrie is a solid, underappreciated pitcher, who will have to provide reliable production out of the No. 1 spot and serve as a model for a shaky rotation if the O's are going to have any chance of avoiding a disappointing record that doesn't match their promise on other parts of the diamond. His time away from the team for WBC duties and less-than-stellar return to camp is an early cause for concern.

• Breakout Potential: The good news for O's fans is that there are a multiple players to be excited about in regard to the potential for a breakout season. No one expected the production the Birds got from Aubrey Huff last season, but this year it's more about the young talent. There's much anticipation - perhaps even too much - surrounding Matt Wieters' debut in Orange and Black, but given that Wieters won't start the season in the big leagues, Adam Jones is the guy to watch over the long haul. By all accounts, Jones put in a lot of work in the offseason. Hopefully he reaps the rewards of that effort.

• Prediction for 2009: It's still not going to be pretty when the final numbers are posted. There will be multiple noteworthy individual performances, but the team will have to fight to get out of the cellar in the AL East. Regular fans of the team will see the improvement, outside observers will say, "Same old Orioles."

This is a team that has won more than 74 games just once since the 2000 season. I'm anticipating a run at the Blue Jays for fourth place and a win total in the low- to mid-70s. We're more Kansas City than Tampa Bay at this point. If the Royals could win 75 games and outlast Detroit for fourth place in the Central last season, we can win 75 and outlast Toronto this year. Then, in a couple of more years, we can talk about a Rays-like season.

By: Scott Christ of Camden Chat

• Letter Grade for Offseason Moves: B+, just short of an A because they didn't do enough big stuff to get an A, I don't think. That's also because the team doesn't really feel (past bidding on Mark Teixeira) that the time was right to go after big free agents or anything. They get the B+ on extending Nick Markakis early, because that had to happen for so many reasons. Markakis is the young player that O's fans are connected to the most right now. Extending him now curtails the dread that he won't be here long. They also extended Brian Roberts, which is more questionable but he's the team leader and basically the face of the franchise in Baltimore, plus he's a very good player. They also got their feet into the Japanese market by signing Koji Uehara, which is a solid move just considering the player, and could pay off even bigger down the line with other Japanese free agents.

• Most Essential: Success in 2009 is relative for the O's and everyone knows it. Literally nobody expects this team to compete, and for the most part we're OK with it because the future looks awesome with guys like Matt Wieters, Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta not even in Baltimore yet. But if Aubrey Huff backslides really badly from his excellent 2008, it could get pretty ugly. Somewhere between his lackluster 2007 and his great 2008 would be fine, really, but if he dips back down to '07 numbers, there's a hole in the middle of the lineup and at first base.

• Breakout Potential: Adam Jones. Really good glove in center, has the speed to become a good base stealer if he learns the art, and his power is going to come, and I think it's going to start coming this year. He's never going to have a great or even good K-to-BB ratio, and will never be a big OBP guy. But he could be a 20-20 guy every year and has the ability to become a great center fielder. He struggled with offspeed stuff early last year and got better as the year went on, which was a great sign.

• Prediction for 2009: Probably not much different than last year. Unless the Blue Jays really collapse, the Orioles are going to finish in fifth place, with 70-75 wins. It's a vicious division with Tampa Bay, Boston and New York up top; really we're talking about at the least three of the five best teams in baseball, probably, and the Orioles are trying to find a way to compete with them in the near future. It's hardly impossible. Hey, Tampa Bay did it.