AL East

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the AL East teams on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are being ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison to the other players.

Today, the series continues with a look at the right fielders.

The best player will earn 10 points for his team, with the remaining players being assigned points as follows: 7-5-3-1.

With Vernon Wells gone and Jose Bautista moving to third base (for the time being at least), it’s all change in the outfield for the Toronto Blue Jays. Only Travis Snider remains from last season’s outfield lineup and he wasn’t even a full-time starter (53 games in left field and 29 in right).

Pitchers and catchers have just recently reported to Sarasota, Fla., for the start of the Orioles' 2011 Spring Training.

With a busy offseason by Orioles general manger Andy MacPhail, for the first time since 2004, a sense of excitement has returned to Baltimore this spring.

With the Orioles' first Spring Training game just weeks away and Opening Day within sight, it is time for some bold predictions for the upcoming 2011 Baltimore Orioles.

For those of you who think the AL East is just too competitive for the lowly Toronto Blue Jays to do any damage, think again. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has been quietly putting together a nice team that will continue to be good for years to come.

Offense

After hearing the Red Sox pitchers talk about it, you wouldn't know the catcher position remains one of the biggest question marks on a retooled squad heading into the 2011 season.

As Spring Training gets underway and people in Boston are left to daydream of warmth and baseball, the Sox hurlers have spent their time heaping praise on expected starter Jarrod Saltalamacchia, rewarding him with the highest possible compliment to give a Beantown backstop.

They're comparing him to Jason Varitek.

With Andy Pettitte newly retired, the New York Yankees have considerable problems with their starting rotation. They’ll enter spring training with a projected rotation of CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, AJ Burnett and probably veteran Freddy Garcia and youngster Ivan Nova. After Sabathia, the other hurlers all have enormous question marks as the club looks ahead to the 2011 season.

It's official—the 2011 Major League Baseball season is right around the corner. Don't believe me? Just ask the groundhog. Or maybe the fact that the next edition of Major League Baseball video games are primed for release will convince you. No?  Ok, the Super Bowl is over and so is another season of the National Football League. Pitchers and catchers have reported for Spring Training. Yes, the 2011 season is swiftly approaching.

The 2010 Tampa Bay Rays’ opening day first baseman, left-fielder, shortstop, designated hitter and catcher are all gone. One of the three starters who made at least 30 starts has departed, and six of the eight most-used relievers were not retained.

Some of these losses are lamentable. Carl Crawford was the face of the franchise and the first home-grown Rays star. Matt Garza was an exciting young pitcher with boatloads of talent and a no hitter to his credit.

As the title suggests, there's rampant optimism among Red Sox fans after this winter's acquisitions. The club traded for Adrian Gonzalez, a highly-prized first baseman whom the Boston brain trust has coveted for years. That grab was followed by the signing of Carl Crawford, the former Tampa left fielder who was the top free agent available this offseason.

It started out innocently enough.

Last Wednesday, Joba Chamberlain was among several Yankees pitchers to report early to the team's spring complex in Tampa, and some beat writers on the scene remarked on Twitter that the reliever looked as though he'd put on weight.