USA Today is one of my daily bookmarks that I frequent when
looking for inspiration for a blog, for news or sometimes just to pass the
time. The reason I come back every single day is because the content on the
site is always top notch, especially when earlier in the week they graded all
of the American League’s offseasons for each team. CLICK HERE to see the entire
write up but just for you guys I will include the American League East here as
an excerpt.
FYI the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
got the two best scores
A-
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays lost GM Andrew Friedman as the
offseason began, but newly installed Matt Silverman scarcely missed a beat, as
a whirlwind of moves fulfilled the club's never-ending younger/cheaper mandate
while fielding a representative club for 2015. There are many question marks —
can Steven Souza be an everyday outfielder, for one — but also a ton of upside.
The Rays could win 75 games, 90 games or something in between.
B+
Boston Red Sox: They swooped in to corner a thin market
on hitters, spending big — but not wildly — on Pablo Sandoval ($95 million) and
Hanley Ramirez ($88 million) after an aggressive makeover at the July 31 trade
deadline. Boston now has depth, trade chips and a solid rotation with little
long-term liability. But can it win the East with Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and
Justin Masterson leading the way?
B
Toronto Blue Jays: Another solid step forward, particularly
if the slight overpay for catcher Russell Martin (five years, $82 million)
doesn't hinder future spending. Trading for four seasons of Josh Donaldson
should be a significant coup. Yet with the reliance on so many developing
pitchers, why not bring in one more veteran starter?
C
New York Yankees: Avoided big-ticket items and got
aggressive on the trade market. Didi Gregorius replaces Derek Jeter at
shortstop, Nathan Eovaldi makes the rotation younger and Garrett Jones provides
depth at designated hitter and first base should Mark Teixeira or Alex
Rodriguez get hurt. With so many pitchers facing health issues, are the Yankees
penny-wise and pound-foolish for failing to land a rotation anchor? Perhaps.
C-
Baltimore Orioles: It's hard to fault them for failing to
commit $101 million to retain outfielders Cruz and Nick Markakis. You can fault
them for failing to replace them, along with key reliever Andrew Miller, who
defected to the Yankees. The Orioles are clearly counting on huge rebounds from
infielders Chris Davis and Manny Machado, but that might not be enough.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)