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2005 season preview
AL West
By Times Staff
Published April 3, 2005
Los Angeles Angels
2004: 92-70, 1st.
MANAGER: Mike Scioscia.
PAYROLL: $93-million.
KEY ADDITIONS: CF Steve Finley, SS Orlando Cabrera, RHP Esteban Yan, RHP Paul Byrd, OF Juan Rivera.
KEY LOSSES: OF Jose Guillen, RHP Troy Percival, 3B Troy Glaus, SS David Eckstein, RHP Aaron Sele, RHP Ramon Ortiz.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
1B Darin Erstad
2B Chone Figgins
RF Vladimir Guerrero
LF Garret Anderson
CF Steve Finley
3B Robb Quinlan
SS Orlando Cabrera
DH Jeff DaVanon
C Bengie Molina
ROTATION: RHP Bartolo Colon, LHP Jarrod Washburn, RHP John Lackey, RHP Kelvim Escobar, RHP Paul Byrd.
CLOSER: RHP Francisco Rodriguez.
BOTTOM LINE: After tying for last season's league lead with a .282 average, the lineup led by MVP Guerrero should again be one of the AL's most potent. ... Rodriguez leads a strong bullpen that did not lose a step despite the loss of Percival. ... Dallas McPherson was a rookie of the year candidate but will start the season in the minors after losing time this spring to a bulging back disc. ... Do you think Los Angeles really will celebrate a division title?
Texas Rangers
2004: 89-73, 3rd.
MANAGER: Buck Showalter.
PAYROLL: $50-million.
KEY ADDITIONS: RF Richard Hidalgo, 1B/DH Greg Colbrunn, INF Mark DeRosa, C Sandy Alomar Jr., RHP Pedro Astacio.
KEY LOSSES: RF Brian Jordan, DH Herbert Perry, OF-INF Eric Young, 1B/DH Brad Fullmer, RHP Jay Powell, RHP Jeff Nelson.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
2B Alfonso Soriano
3B Hank Blalock
SS Michael Young
1B Mark Teixeira
RF Richard Hidalgo
LF Kevin Mench
DH David Dellucci
CF Laynce Nix
C Rod Barajas
ROTATION: LHP Kenny Rogers, RHP Ryan Drese, RHP Chan Ho Park, RHP Pedro Astacio, RHP Chris Young.
CLOSER: RHP Francisco Cordero.
BOTTOM LINE: At 39, can Rogers repeat a season in which he had career highs of 18 wins and 35 starts and a staff-high 211 innings? ... The infield is stellar, though Soriano is still having problems with a sore left hamstring. ... Expect offense but don't expect the bullpen to repeat last season's heroics, so the Rangers will fall short.
Oakland Athletics
2004: 91-71, 2nd.
MANAGER: Ken Macha.
PAYROLL: $59-million.
KEY ADDITIONS: C Jason Kendall, RHP Dan Haren, RHP Kiko Calero, RHP Juan Cruz, OF Charles Thomas, LHP Dan Meyer, RHP Keiichi Yabu, 2B-3B Keith Ginter, RHP Seth Etherton.
KEY LOSSES: RHP Tim Hudson, LHP Mark Mulder, RF Jermaine Dye, LHP Mark Redman, LHP Arthur Rhodes, C Damian Miller, RHP Jim Mecir, LHP Chris Hammond, INF Mark McLemore.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
CF Mark Kotsay
C Jason Kendall
DH Erubiel Durazo
3B Eric Chavez
LF Eric Byrnes
1B Scott Hatteberg
SS Bobby Crosby
RF Nick Swisher
2B Mark Ellis or Keith Ginter
ROTATION: LHP Barry Zito, RHP Rich Harden, RHP Dan Haren, RHP Joe Blanton, RHP Seth Etherton.
CLOSER: RHP Octavio Dotel.
BOTTOM LINE: Haren and Blanton have six wins between them, and all are from Haren. ... Still, the A's have weathered well the recent free-agent losses of Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen, and Kendall is a big upgrade at catcher. But the losses of Mulder and Hudson will be too much to overcome.
Seattle Mariners
2004: 63-99, 4th.
MANAGER: Mike Hargrove.
PAYROLL: $95-million.
KEY ADDITIONS: 3B Adrian Beltre, 1B Richie Sexson, SS Pokey Reese, RHP Aaron Sele, RHP Jeff Nelson.
KEY LOSSES: DH Edgar Martinez, INF-OF Jolbert Cabrera, OF Hiram Bocachica.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
RF Ichiro Suzuki
CF Jeremy Reed
3B Adrian Beltre
1B Richie Sexson
2B Bret Boone
DH Raul Ibanez
LF Randy Winn
C Miguel Olivo
SS Pokey Reese
ROTATION: LHP Jamie Moyer, RHP Gil Meche, LHP Bobby Madritsch, RHP Aaron Sele, RHP Joel Pineiro
CLOSER: LHP Eddie Guardado.
BOTTOM LINE: The $114-million spent on Sexson and Beltre should help a team that was last in the league last season with 698 runs. ... Can Pineiro (shoulder) and Guardado (hamstring) get and stay healthy? ... Hargrove will keep the team more focused and Ichiro is Ichiro. Seattle will be better, but it's the first step in a long climb.#
[Last modified March 31, 2005, 01:36:06]
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