Drive By Analysis

Dave Paisley

After a slothful holiday season and a quick bout of the flu, I’m back and ready to ride roughshod over the aspirations of many a major league GM. It’s been an odd off-season so far, slow, but with some interesting parts. There aren’t too many more plums to be picked out in the free agent market, although there are some interesting arbitration hearings coming up that I’m sure will be avoided by a sudden flurry of contract signings.

But before we get into any heavy duty analysis of 2002 prospects (other than the probable lockout, that is) I figured I’d run down the 30 teams off-season moves and come to some quick, shoot from the rear window kind of conclusions.

I’ll start today in the AL, beginning with the East. Here’s how it goes:

AL East

Yankees
Big pick ups: Steve Karsay, Jason Giambi, Rondell White, David Wells, Robin Ventura, John VanderWal, Alberto Castillo, F. P. Santangelo
Big losses: Paul O’Neill, Scott Brosius, Luis Sojo, Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch, Randy Velarde, David Justice

When all else fails, buy a whole new team. Yes folks, we have the old, meddling, fun-lovin’ George Steinbrenner again. And really, you don’t see Bud Selig laying the smack down on George, do you? When all’s said and done, the Yankees have transformed a pitching heavy, middle hitting team into a monster. While White and Ventura have injury question marks, they can hardly be worse than the lame ducks they replace. Add Giambi and Vander Wal and you have a nasty looking, car-crushing offense. The pitching was fine last year, but now add David Wells (OK, so he’s only ho-hum now) and Steve Karsay, and it sure didn’t get any worse. Grade: A

Red Sox
Big pick-ups: Tony Clark, Michael Coleman, John Burkett, Johnny Damon, Darren Oliver, Dustin Hermanson
Big losses: Bret Saberhagen, Troy O’Leary, John Valentin, Darren Lewis, Mike Lansing, Hideo Nomo, Chris Stynes, Carl Everett, Scott Hatteberg

Add a couple of decent bats, lose a bunch of slugs, add a couple of decent pitchers (no, not Darren Oliver) and the Red Sox have had a nice off-season. Not great, but OK. It isn’t going to catch the Yankees, though. Grade: B.

Blue Jays
Big pick-ups: Luke Prokopec
Big losses: Alberto Castillo, Billy Koch, Alex Gonzalez, Paul Quantrill

Hey wake up there in T-O! The Blue Jays appear set on building for 2005. Good luck finishing higher than third. Grade: Zzzzzzz

Orioles
Big pick-ups: Marty Cordova
Big losses: Brady Anderson, Cal Ripken

Uh, yeah. Hmmmm. Marty Cordova, eh? Wasn’t he, like, rookie of the year once? In like, 1892? Grade: G (for Geritol.)

Devil Rays
Big pick-ups: none
Big losses: none

Oh, come on, who really cares. They don’t even have Fred McGriff any more!

AL Central

Indians
Big pick-ups: Brady Anderson, Matt Lawton
Big losses: Marty Cordova, Juan Gonzalez, Dave Burba, Kenny Lofton, Steve Woodard, Roberto Alomar, John Rocker

In a virtual trade with the Orioles for Cordova, Brady Anderson may yet turn it around. Really, I can’t blame the guy for giving up playing for the Orioles the last two decades. The Indians have coughed up most of their starting lineup, though, so it’s hard to figure out where they’re headed. Starting outfield, second base — all gone. Pray that Chuck Finley regains any kind of form and that the kid pitchers come through. Could be an ugly year at the Jake. Grade: C.

Twins
Big pick-ups: Brian Meadows, Kurt Abbott
Big losses: none (well, maybe the franchise)

The Twins are likely to do better in the courts than on the field, even with that great pitching. They ended the year with no offense, and that looks like the way they’ll kick off the 2002 campaign. Grade: S (for sympathy.)

White Sox
Big pick-ups: Todd Ritchie
Big losses: David Wells, Cal Eldred, Kip Wells, Alan Embree

With their two big division rivals in disarray, the White Sox decide to stand pat. Whuh? Grade D (for Duh!)

Tigers
Big pick-ups: Craig Paquette, Dmitri Young
Big losses: Tony Clark, Chris Holt, Roger Cedeno, Deivi Cruz, Juan Encarnacion

You know you’re in trouble when... your big pick-up is Craig Paquette. Releasing Tony Clark? Yeah, whatever. Good luck in that new Detroit mausoleum. Grade T (for Toast.)

Royals
Big pick-ups: Chuck Knoblauch, Michael Tucker
Big losses: Brian Meadows

Heh. Heh. Heh. Chuck Knoblauch. Heh. Man, those Royals know how to keep the rest of the league amused. George Brett must be spinning in his grave. Well, he would be if he were dead. Grade R (for "Arrrr mateys, the Royals be ripe for plunderin’ tonight!")

AL West

Mariners
Big pick-ups: Jeff Cirillo, Ben Davis, Ruben Sierra, Shigetoshi Hasegawa
Big losses: Aaron Sele, Jay Buhner, Brett Tomko, Jose Paniagua

Nice pick-ups in Cirillo and Davis, at two critical positions that needed upgrading. If only Ruben Sierra had been either Brian Giles or Jeromy Burnitz, Pat Gillick would get an A. As it is he gets an A-.

A’s
Big pick-ups: Scott Hatteberg, Mike Holtz, Randy Velarde, Billy Koch, David Justice, Mike Venafro
Big losses: Jason Giambi, Jason Isringhausen, Johnny Damon, Ron Gant, F. P. Santangelo

Koch for Isringhausen — OK. Justice for Damon is probably better than a wash, but Hatteberg for Giambi? Puh-leeze, you have to be kidding. It will be interesting to see how far the A’s can go without the one monster in the lineup. The pitching promises to be excellent again, but any injury to one of the top three could plunge them into mediocrity. Grade H (for Helpless.)

Angels
Big pick-ups: Aaron Sele, Kevin Appier
Big losses: Mo Vaughn, Shigetoshi Hasegawa

The Angels acquired two nice starters without giving up anything (as Vaughn did nothing last year, you’d have to count giving him up as next to nothing except a fat paycheck.) On the other hand, they’ve really done nothing to bolster a fairly anemic offense. Grade B-.

Rangers
Big pick ups: Chan Ho Park, Dave Burba, Hideki Irabu, Bill Pulsipher, Todd Van Poppel, Jay Powell, John Rocker, Juan Gonzalez, Carl Everett, Herbert Perry
Big losses: Rick Helling, Ruben Sierra, Darren Oliver, Mike Venafro

Last year, Hicks shopped at Neiman Marcus and bought the most expensive gift in the store. This year he decided to shop at Wal-Mart and did so in bulk. Never mind the quality — feel the width! Need a starting rotation? How about Chan Ho Park, Dave Burba and Hideki Irabu? Bullpen? How about John Rocker, jay Powell, Todd Van Poppel and Bill Pulsipher? Outfield? Why, just get Juan Gonzalez and Carl Everett!

This year’s Rangers will look a whole lot different than last year’s, but I get the feeling that the results won’t be that much different. Between the powder keg that is the Rocker-Everett fiasco waiting to happen, and the Pudge Rodriguez contract fiasco waiting in the wings, Arlington is a soap opera in the making this year.

about the author

Itching for Spring Training? Well, just keep taking the tablets and all will be fine, or so says Dr. Dave Paisley. If that doesn't work, frop him a line at drdjp@strikethree.com and we'll see if we can get him to prescribe something a little stronger...