By Tom Kessenich
February 2, 2010 2:20pm CST

LA Angels

The MVP Is In Town
With Vladimir Guerrero gone, the Angels needed to get a quality bat to fill their DH role and they turned to last season's World Series MVP for the solution. Hideki Matsui signed a one-year contract worth $6.5 million and brings a potent bat to the Angels' lineup. He's no longer an option to play much, if at all, in the outfield, but he can still hit, as evidenced by his .274-28-90 line in 2009. He's a career .292 hitter and while he brings some durability issues at age 35, he's a strong hitter who will effectively replace Guerrero and perhaps provide an upgrade offensively.

Veteran Starter
The Angels sought to improve their John Lackey-less rotation by signing Joel Pineiro to a two-year deal in late January. Pineiro looked like a new man last season, winning 15 games with a 3.49 ERA for the Cardinals. His 60.2 percent groundball rate was the best in the National League. How much of that could be credited to pitching coach Dave Duncan is the question and something Angels fans need to be wary of. Prior to last season, he had a sub-4.65 ERA only once in the previous five years. The Angels might be playing with fire here.

Bullpen Help
The Angels bolstered their bullpen in December by signing Fernando Rodney to a two-year contract. Rodney will be 33 in March and was sixth in the American League last season with 37 saves. His ERA (4.40) and WHIP (1.47) were quite troublesome, however, making him a stronger option for setup duties than closing in the ninth. With Brian Fuentes locked into the closer's role, that's the job Rodney will have in 2010 and he should provide a fine buttress of support in getting to Fuentes in the ninth.


Oakland A's

Big Ben's In Town
The A's spent heavily and aggressively in January, signing oft-injured former All-Star Ben Sheets to a one-year deal worth a reported $10 million. Sheets missed all of last season with an elbow injury and brings plenty of talent and durability issues to the Oakland rotation. He won 86 games with a 3.72 ERA in eight seasons with the Brewers but made 25 starts or fewer four times in that span and only topped 200 innings three times. When healthy, he's one of the best in the business, but you're always treading on thin ice with Sheets because you never know when the next big injury is going to strike.

At The Hot Corner
Billy Beane broke from his usual pattern of team building when he acquired Kevin Kouzmanoff in a trade with the Padres in January. Kouzmanoff has decent power (18 home runs/88 RBI last season), but his .308 career on-base percentage doesn't jibe with Beane's typical approach. However, the A's badly needed an upgrade at third base and Kouzmanoff will provide one.

New Center fielder
Coco Crisp was signed to a one-year deal in December and will strengthen the team's defense and provide more speed on the basepaths. Crisp played in only 30 games last season due to a shoulder injury but is expected to be ready for the start of spring training. If healthy, he has quality speed, having posted double-digit steals in six consecutive seasons. He's a low-cost upgrade for the A's.

Bullpen Save
The A's wisely re-signed Michael Wuertz in the offseason to a two-year deal. Wuertz was a standout setup man last season, posting a 2.63 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. He'll bridge the gap effectively as the A's work to get the ball to closer Andrew Bailey.


Seattle Mariners
Major Moves
The Mariners have made two huge offseason moves to date, acquiring Cliff Lee in a trade with the Phillies and signing Chone Figgins to a four-year deal worth $36 million. Lee is a stud starter, having won 36 games the past two seasons with 351 strikeouts. Combined with Felix Hernandez, the team now has two aces at the top of the rotation. Figgins brings big-time speed to the mix (he's six straight seasons of 30-plus steals) and a strong OBP (.395 in 2009) and will combine with Ichiro Suzuki to form a dynamic 1-2 punch at the top of the order.

King Felix's New Deal
Speaking of Hernandez, the Mariners wisely locked up their talented right-hander to a five-year deal worth $78 million. Lee's arrival will lessen the burden on Hernandez this season and he could deliver his strongest year yet. Considering he went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA and 217 strikeouts last season, that's saying something. He's one of the game's premier starters and now the Mariners have him under contract for the next several years. Smart move.

Bombastic Bradley
Milton Bradley's tour of the major leagues will continue in 2010 with a stop in Seattle. The Mariners acquired Bradley from the Cubs in December and hope he can return to the level he displayed in 2008 when he batted a career-high .321. The concern is Bradley has worn out his welcome everywhere he's been due to his abrasive personality. While he could provide some pop now that he's back in the American League, it's just a matter of time before something goes awry and Bradley frustrates the Mariners the same way he's frustrated every other team he's played on.

Junior's Back
Ken Griffey Jr. will return for another season with the Mariners after signing a one-year deal in November. Junior is a shell of his former self and hit just .214 last season. He did provide some pop with 19 home runs. At this point, he carries more sentimental value for the team than actual production.

Depth Help
The Mariners bolstered their depth in the offseason, signing first baseman Ryan Garko and outfielder Eric Byrnes. Garko is expected to be part of a platoon at first base with Casey Kotchman and brings some modest power (13 home runs last season) to the mix. Byrnes has been a bust the past two seasons, hitting just .218, but the Diamondbacks are paying $11 million of his salary for 2010, making him a low-cost pickup for the Mariners. There was a time he was a source of power and speed, but at age 33, the Mariners would be happy if he could be an effective reserve outfielder and part-time DH.


Texas Rangers

Count Vlad In At DH
Vladimir Guerrero is no longer a top-level player, but he can still hit when healthy. He signed a one-year deal in January and will move into the DH role. Guerrero hit .295 last season but played in only 100 games with the Angels due to a variety of injuries. He's obviously a major injury risk, but his .300-11-29 line in 54 games after the All-Star break provides an indication of the production he can still provide. Expect more injuries and missed time but quality numbers when Vlad is able to play.

New Starters In The Mix
Kevin Millwood is gone to Baltimore, but the Rangers sought to improve their rotation by adding Rich Harden and Colby Lewis. Harden signed a one-year deal in December and while he has some durability issues, he's a talented pitcher when healthy. He posted a 4.06 ERA last season and should provide a stabilizing presence on the team's young pitchers. Lewis signed a two-year deal in Januar. He has struggled in his time in the big leagues but is coming off a successful stint in Japan. The Rangers are hoping he can reverse his fortunes, but he's hardly a lock to establish himself as an effective starter.

Setup Help
Texas sought to strengthen its bullpen in the offseason by signing Darren Oliver and acquiring Chris Ray from Baltimore in the Millwood trade. Of the two, Ray has the most intriguing potential. He struggled badly last year in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, posting a 7.27 ERA and 2.01 WHIP, but the upside is there. Should Frank Francisco falter in the closer's role, Ray could get a chance to lock down the ninth-inning job. That makes him someone to watch this season.