gopher4life

1. Boston Red Sox
    Their lineup is aging and they can't count on the same output from Lowell and Youkilis this year, but Ortiz and Manny should still put up numbers.  Their offense success will actually come down to whether Pedroia and Ellsbury can bat around .300 and get on base for Ortiz and Manny.  They easily have the best rotation in the east even without Schilling.  Beckett is my pick for the CY Young and I expect more from Dice-K in his sophomore year as he figures out the majors.  They could use a couple more relievers but this team should compete for a title this year.
2. New York Yankees
 They still have all-stars at every position but some of those are well removed from their best days and A-rod isn't in a contract year anymore.  This gives them the second best lineup in the league.  Their problem is pitching outside of Wang there is no one you can definitely count on.  Mussina and Pettite are done and Hughes and Kennedy have yet to go through an entire season.  They should keep Joba in the set-up role because I'm not convinced he can go through the lineup a couple times and still be successful and without him in the bullpen it is a terrible pen.  They won't beat Boston but they should be in the thick of it for the wild card.  It will come down to how the rookie pitchers fare.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
I wonder why Toronto still have fans because since Boston and New York have decided to see who can spend more all they can hope for is third place.  I don't like seeing them stack their lineup with aging stars.  Rolen, Thomas, and Overbay aren't the future.  I think they should start stockpiling prospects around Rios and the overrated Wells.  With Halladay and Burnett they have a great 1-2 punch but the problem is Burnett is never there.  They have the pitching to compete if he is healthy but they don't have the lineup to and will be lucky with a .500 finish.
4. Tampa Bay Rays
This could be the year where it finally looks like Tampa is building towards something.  With Pena, Upton, Crawford and Longoria they will definitley bash and put up numbers.  With the addition of Garza to Shields and Kazmir and the waiting game for Price their rotation should be better than it has ever been.  Their undoing will be the bullpen.  I don't want to be too optomistic but they are definitely better than the Orioles and if Kazmir is healthy which might be questionable and Garza and Longoria contribute this year they could even challenge Toronto.
5. Baltimore Orioles
They weren't good before the Bedard trade and now they could be one of the worst in the league.  I feel sorry for Markakis who will be surrounded by the old and untalented in the lineup.  Their rotation is terrible and I have given up on Cabrera ever becoming something.  I expect them to unload Roberts, Mora and others this year and start building around Markakis and Adam Jones but they are 5 years away from doing everything.  To get passed by the Rays and field this team in Camden Yard is embarrassing.

1. Detroit Tigers
    The best lineup in the MLB and a Top-notch pitching staff.  When Jacque Jones and Marcus Thames platooning in LF is your weakest spot in the lineup and Verlander and Bonderman lead off the rotation you start the season as a World Series favorite.  They are not without their problems.  Without Zumaya their bullpen isn't very strong and some of their stars are aging.  Players like Pudge, Ordonez, and Sheffield should still have enough in the tank to produce.  Miguel Cabrera in this lineup should explode and put up .340 30hr and 140 rbi's and show why he is the best young hitter in the game.

2. Cleveland Indians
    The team had a wonderful year last year, but didn't upgrade over the off-season.  Normally, that wouldn't be a problem but the Tigers added so much that it becomes a problem.  They still have a solid lineup with Hafner, Sizemore, VMart and Peralhta but it does have holes with Dellucci and Gutierrez corner infielders.  They have a good top of the rotation with Sabathia and Carmona but it significantly drops off with Byrd and Laffey.  The bullpen is atrocious with Betacourt the only solid reliever and Borowski a mediocre closer at best.  Overall, they have a very talented team and should compete for the wild card but they have too many holes to compete with the Tigers.

3. Minnesota Twins
    While losing Torii Hunter, Johan Santana and Carlos Silva would seem like a move to start over and rebuild, but that isn't the case.  While they won't compete for the division it isn't out of the realm of possibilities that they will improve on last year.  Their lineup which was their weakness should be improved with Mauer, Morneau, Young, and Cuddyer forming a middle of the lineup that can compete with anyone.  The also seemed to upgrade the infield with Lamb and Brenden Harris.  Their main issue will be whether their legion of pitching prospects develop and settle into the rotation.  They still have one if not the best bullpen in the majors.  If Liriano stays healthy and return to form and Baker and Bonser turn into solid starters they will be above .500 and could possibly challenge Cleveland for 2nd.

4. Chicago White Sox
 This team is heading in the wrong direction.  They won the world series with small ball but they have reverted to form and their lineup consists of players that can hit 40 hrs but will struggle to bat above .250.  After Cabrera the next highest batting average is Jim Thome at .275 and he is 37.  They will hit a lot of solo home runs.  Their ptiching