AL East Sleepers: Baltimore Orioles

Starting this season, the Orioles will be one of the more interesting teams in the division for what should be the better part of the decade. The top of the minors are awash with upper echelon pitching prospects (Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta) to go along with plenty of reinforcements in the low minors. The lineup card is stocked with building blocks that are either locked up long-term (Nick Markakis) or have just started their arbitration clock (Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold). While the 2010 season may not be the year of the Oriole, it will be a significant landmark in the progress of the club. The team is not expected to “compete” in the classical sense, in that they will still likely finish either fourth or fifth behind the Sox, Rays, and Yanks. Yet, the team could, with a couple of breaks in the right direction, finish with a .500 record – the first time Baltimore has done so since 1997. Now, on to the sleepers: C Matt Wieters: This one should come as no surprise. Coming into 2009, Wieters was at the top of nearly every meaningful prospect list known to man. Switch-hitting catchers with the plate discipline, power, AND defensive capabilities of a Matt Wieters come around once in a generation. Accordingly, he was expected to perform much better than he ultimately did, .288/.340/.412. Even the perennially underwhelming and modest PECOTA projections pegged Wieters to hit 30 home runs...

Snapshots Around the AL East

Though the Boston rumor mill may be idling at the moment, the rest of the AL East is gaining momentum. Here’s a summary of the recent rumors and additions from around the division – minus Curtis Granderson: - According to MLBTradeRumors, the Yankees are planning on adding an additional starting pitcher “by the New Year.” Including the names tied to New York are Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez. - Yankee’s centerfielders Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera have drawn some interest from the Cubs, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (about ¼ of the way down the page). - The Yankees signed Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson to a reported one-year, $5.5 million deal. He would likely slide in as DH for New York. Though Johnson delivered little power last season for Washington, the Yankee’s right field stands and Johnson’s OBP should play well in the Bronx. - The Orioles made some noise signing former Atlanta Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez to a two-year, $12 million deal. Gonzalez tore through the National League last season, striking out 90 in 74.1 innings on his way to a 2.42 ERA. - Baltimore also added Garrett Atkins to a one-year deal for $4.5 million, with an $8.5 million club option for 2011. Atkins, who hit .226/.308/.342 over 354 at-bats last season, was linked to the Red Sox around the trade deadline. - To finalize the Cleveland-Tampa Bay deal for Kelly Shoppach, the Indians received right-hander Mitch Talbot. Talbot threw 54.1 innings in AAA last season, totaling 40 strikeouts and 18 walks. Shoppach is a very interesting name for the Rays. An ex-Red Sox farmhand who appeared in nine games for Boston in 2005, the catcher hit .214/.335/.399 in 2009. - Last week, the (Devil) Rays signed quad-A vets Ryan Shealy and Joe Dillon. Shealy, 30, finally produced at the major league level last season, slugging 7 home runs in 73 at-bats on his way to a .301/.354/.603 line. Dillon, 34, last had a productive season in 2007 at AAA, where he hit .317/.405/.610 with 20 home runs in 315 at-bats.

Financial Darwinism and the Economics of the AL East

The winter months always bring to light the advantages of the rich over the poor in the MLB. Without a doubt, there will, again, be a ring of publications bemoaning the struggles of low-market teams as they fight to compete in their league and division. The American League East division is, in many ways, a microcosm of the entire major leagues - running the gamut of haves and have-nots as hypercompetitive juggernaughts stand side by side with the financial runts of the litter. The state of hypercompetition in the AL East is shocking, if not alarming, in the way that it dominates competitive balance within the division. There is no escaping the trends. Any layperson can make the connection between finances and on-field success. The ‘08 Tampa Bay Devil Rays were the only team this decade to win the division other than Boston or New York. Before then, it was the Orioles in 1997. The Blue Jays were the only team of Tampa, Baltimore, and Toronto to even finish second in the past decade, in 2006. Clearly, there is a competitive balance problem, which is not being helped by the MLB Commish’s office nor the MLBPA. And why not? Sport fans love dynasties and heels – the Red Sox and Yankees fulfill both of these needs – even if they only love to hate them. And the MLB and MLBPA love the ratings, which inflate the sport’s bottom line.

9/20: The Diceman goes up against B-more

GAME NOTES: Daisuke Matsuzaka takes the hill for the second time since his much-anticipated return. While his first start was impressive, it will be all for naught if he morphs back into his former self. Dice-K needs to continue attacking the strike zone if he hopes to contribute to the Sox in October. Berken has a 6.08 ERA. That is all.

9/19: Lester looks to clip some wings

GAME NOTES: Lester starts on one extra day of rest. Lester is inching up on 200 innings pitched on the year, so I see no reason why they shouldn't be a little cautious this late in the season. David Hernandez? Fah! Lester eats David Hernandez for lunch.

9/18: A test for Buchholz

GAME NOTES: Clay Buchholz locks horns with the Orioles and Jeremy Guthrie. It seems like Buchholz keeps facing the Orioles. Of course, he has that no-hitter... but the Orioles have also bombed him unrelentingly. Although Buck looks like he can be our No. 3 in the playoffs, every start is still a test.

9/9: The Berken Byrd

How's that for a play on words? Except for the whole birds being able to bark thing, of course. Byrd threw a gem against Toronto and followed it up with a stinker against Chicago. What's he got in store for Baltimore? On the other side, Berken has a 6.07 ERA an 4-11 record. These are the types of games we should win. Will we?

9/8: Buchholz meets his old friend/foe

Clay Buchholz tangles with the Baltimore Orioles, who he handcuffed two years ago for a no-hitter... and whom handcuffed him the last time the two dueled on Aug. 2 when Clay gave up seven runs over four innings.

8/2: Clay hopes to develop further.

Buchholz hopes to evolve as a starter. Hopefully that fastball command can improve--hasn't been great in his first few starts of the season.

8/1: Beckett takes the hill.