There has been so much news and so many stories in the sports world over the past few months that even the most diehard fanatics have had a hard time keeping up with everything. Among other things we have seen Michael Jordan’s return, the Rams’ dominance over the NFL, and the underdog Patriots fighting to bring the first championship to Beantown since 1986. Oh yeah, and a little get-together in a couple weeks where a bunch of countries get together and do a bunch of stuff in the snow and ice. Something called the Olympics.
Amidst all of this, however, a flurry of news has gone largely unnoticed in arguably America’s most popular sport: baseball. Yes, it is January. Yes, it’s freezing outside. Yes, there are three other active professional sports. Still, the baseball world has seen so much activity and dealings this winter that numerous teams have undergone a complete roster makeover. Pitchers and catchers report in three weeks anyways, so it’s time to start talking about baseball again.
With all of the free agent signings and trades, several squads have emerged as clear winners and losers. Here is a sample of franchises building a championship team, and a list of those teams who have appeared to have already thrown in the towel.
Serious about being a contender:
New York Mets: The Mets have gone from a disappointing 82-80 year to a team that is finally poised to knock off the Braves for the NL East crown. In one of baseball’s biggest off-season moves, the Mets acquired All-Star second baseman and nine-time Gold Glove winner Roberto Alomar from Cleveland, sacrificing only Matt Lawton and a few minor leaguers in the process. In addition to Alomar, the Mets’ infield also received some added pop as the team added Mo Vaughn in a trade in exchange for Kevin Appier. If Vaughn, who was unable to play last year due to injuries, can stay healthy, he might be able to show glimpses of his ’95 MVP campaign. The additions of slugger and former Brewer Jeromy Burnitz (34 HR, 100 RBI in 2001) as well as former Tiger Roger Cedeno (55 SB, .293 BA in 2001) will bolster the lineup even more, as the Mets will surely improve on their anemic .249 team average, third worst in the majors in 2001. Lest they forget about pitching, New York also tabbed Shawn Estes from San Francisco and picked up free agent Pedro Astacio, who will benefit greatly from homer-happy Enron Field.
New York Yankees: Say you’re George Steinbrenner. What do you do when you lose your starting first baseman, third baseman, and two outfielders from your championship dynasty? You flash your World Series rings, open up your checkbook, and sign the American League’s best player, for starters. Inking Jason Giambi to a long-term deal assured the Yanks of having one of the best infields for years to come, along with Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano. Giambi is coming off a stellar season in which he led the AL in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and also managed to hit .342 with 38 home runs. John Vander Wal will be a solid utility man off the bench, and Rondell White can provide a more than adequate bat as well as some speed in the outfield. The delightfully plump David Wells will also supplement a fearsome pitching staff in hopes of bouncing back from his less-than-superb 2001 campaign with Chicago, but whether the 38-year-old Wells can do so remains to be seen. But with the signing of Giambi and the addition of young stud Nick Johnson to the order, the Yankees look to be poised for yet another playoff run, despite a recent Boston Globe poll in which 98 percent of Red Sox fans think the Yankees suck.
San Francisco Giants: The Giants had two main off-season priorities: re-signing Barry Bonds, and re-signing Barry Bonds. San Francisco was not about to let Bonds slip away after having the most offensively productive season in baseball history, so it appears Bonds is going to be a Giant for the rest of his career. Keeping Jason Schmidt on their staff will allow them to be solid, albeit not dominant, in the pitching department, and Reggie Sanders will be a valuable bat and a solid, fast presence in the outfield. Still, the Giants could have done nothing but sign Bonds and have come out a winner.
Texas Rangers: Did the Rangers finally realize that you won’t finish above last place without any semblance of pitching, despite leading the majors in home runs and finishing near the top in average? Well, maybe not completely. But at least they’re on the right track. New GM John Hart finally got what Texas needed all of last year, a great #1 pitcher. Newly signed Chan Ho Park (218 K’s, 3.50 ERA in 2001) will finally provide a boost to the Rangers’ horrific pitching. Hart also signed vastly improved starter Hideki Irabu and a few arms to the bullpen, including John Rocker. If Rocker can maintain his composure (not to mention his ability to hold leads), he might be able to revert to his old, dominant self. Meanwhile, the Rangers also signed slugger Juan Gonzalez, not to mention Crazy Carl Everett from the Sox. Boston clearly was not a good fit for Everett, but if he manages to avoid becoming a nuisance in Arlington, he will be able to contribute solidly to a potent lineup that already has A-Rod, Palmiero, Pudge, and now Gonzalez as well. Scary. On the other hand, the potential for comic relief with Rocker and Everett in the same clubhouse is immeasurable.
Doing little to improve their chances…
Cleveland Indians: Ugh. Without John Hart at the reins now, a team that used to be a shoo-in for the AL Central crown now might not be such a certainty. With the loss of Alomar, Gonzalez, Kenny Lofton and solid outfielder Marty Cordova, the Tribe decided to add aging and overall crappy outfielder Brady Anderson, who has done little to warrant wearing a Major League uniform since his 50 home run season in 1996. The Indians acquired Matt Lawton in the Alomar deal, a speedy outfielder with adequate hitting skills, but whose defensive presence is not superb enough to replace Gonzalez, or be the centerpiece in the return package for the best second baseman in the American League.
Minnesota Twins: Well, at least the Indians have company. The Twins do have a miniscule payroll to contend with, and have the gloom of contraction hanging over their heads, but they did absolutely nothing to improve their chances for this upcoming season. At least the Expos and Devil Rays can use the excuse for sucking no matter what, and the Marlins can dip into their talented minor league system. The Twins are close to contention, but probably won’t get there this year without a midseason move. They didn’t lose any of their young talent, but made barely a ripple in off-season moves, aside from signing pitcher Brian Meadows and bench player Kurt Abbott. Last season the Twins played hard behind solid, young pitching and good defense, but didn’t have that much-needed bat to protect or hit behind Doug Mientkiewicz (something better than Corey Koskie). Trading Lawton for Rick Reed hurt their offense even more, and Reed turned out to be a bust anyways. With plenty of solid free agent hitters that will end up being utility men on most teams, the Twins picked up none of them. They will still have a solid pitching staff, but until their lineup adds a bit more oomph, it will be hard to make another run like last year.
Houston Astros: The Astros are still a good team, with a talented young pitching staff led by Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller, and a dangerous lineup that includes superstar Jeff Bagwell and budding superstar Lance Berkman. Still, the Astros have emerged as losers in the off-season transaction race. They lost their leading hitter Moises Alou and Vinny Castilla both to free agency. While Castilla is not the same player he was while playing at Coors Field, he still provides adequate production at the plate as well as solid defense at third base. The Astros did sign a number of bench players (Gregg Zaun, Jose Vizcaino, Orlando Merced), and a few mid-level pitchers (T.J. Mathews, C.J. Nitkowski), but no notable free agents. The ‘Stros, however,
did sign Brian L. Hunter, who could be described as a poor man’s Derek Bell. If Berkman and Bagwell can both have torrid seasons again, and Richard Hidalgo can live up to his potential, Houston should be fine. Otherwise, they very well could miss Alou’s presence.
