For Better Or For Worse 4: The Reckoning - NL West

We'll wrap up this year's FBOFW the same way as the others, with the National League West Division.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Key Additions: Yasmany Tomas, Jeremy Hellickson, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster
Key Losses: Wade Miley, Miguel Montero, Didi Gregorius
2014 Record: 64-98
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Grit and grind didn't do much in the desert. The Snakes have had a tough time since reaching the NLCS in 2011, as their record has gotten progressively worse (2 straight seasons at .500 until their losing record this past season), and the trade package they got for Justin Upton, their best position player since Luis Gonzalez, has yet to pay any real dividends. Things reached a low point last season when deposed manager Kirk Gibson ordered Randall Delgado to plunk then-reigning MVP Andrew McCutchen in the back as retaliation for a perceived slight against then runner-up Paul Goldschmidt, who was hit by an Ernesto Frieri (now of the Rays) pitch the night before. Even worse, when asked about it, both Gibson and former GM Kevin Towers defended their pigheaded position. With those two gone (and Chip Hale/Dave Stewart composing the new manager/GM tandem), things should be much more peaceful in Phoenix. Tomas brings the promise of an untested Cuban slugger, although if reports that he'll be the team's starting third baseman are true, they'll lose a lot in terms of infield defense. Hellickson, former Rookie of the Year in Tampa, recorded a career high 7.61 strikeouts per 9 innings last year. That was the only good thing I could say about a season in which he notched a 4.52 ERA (4.15 FIP) in 63.2 innings. De La Rosa and Webster are each on their third franchise, after both were traded from LA to Boston before coming to Arizona in the Miley trade. Their roles are still uncertain, but guys with a lot of promise typically don't find themselves on team number 3 before making a real impact in the bigs. It's hard to root for this team for many reasons, and 2015 might not see any real improvement for the D'bags D'backs.
Biggest Need: An attitude adjustment, something that should come organically after removing Gibson and Towers from the equation. I mean, how often do you hear of a manager ordering a pitcher to plunk a batter, and then see the decision defended by the GM?

Colorado Rockies
Key Additions: Daniel Descalso and Nick Hundley? I'm not sure you can call them KEY additions...
Key Losses: Michael Cuddyer, Brett Anderson
2014 Record: 66-96
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: The only certainties in life are death, taxes, and Troy Tulowitzki's inability to stay healthy for 162 games. Unfortunately, that leads to another certainty: no October baseball in Denver. Sure, Justin Morneau won the batting title in his first season with the team. Yeah, Nolan Arenado's defensive prowess at third evokes comparisons to prime Brooks Robinson. OK, Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson combined for almost 5 fWAR last season in spite of both of them having made up names. But you don't get to almost 100 losses unless things go completely haywire, and it's not hard to pinpoint the culprit. Carlos Gonzalez is as complicit, as he spent another season largely off the field, appearing in only 70 games to Tulo's 91. Still, even with their superstars usually riding the pine, the Rox tend to rank 5th or higher in most offensive counting stats from year to year, something that is surely a result of playing in the best hitter's park in baseball. Conversely, the pitching is...well, you know. I'm confident that Jorge De La Rosa and Jhoulys Chacin would be perfectly acceptable starters if they didn't pitch primarily in the launching pad of Coors Field. Seeing as the team didn't bring in any pitching reinforcements, it's safe to say that the worst rotation in baseball won't be any better next season. Descalso and Hundley are both depth pieces on any other team, but with a roster as injury-prone as this one, they may get more playing time around the diamond and behind the plate than either might anticipate. It's been a while since we've seen Roctober, and when you combine the sad state of the team with the atrocious farm system (and the fumbling of high draft picks), it figures to be a few more seasons until we do. Hey, Colorado, at least you've got legal pot there.
Biggest Need: The same thing they need every year, Pinky...full seasons from Tulo and CarGo. Having one of them on the DL is bad enough, but they seem to love keeping each other company in the doctor's office.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Key Additions: Brandon McCarthy, Brett Anderson, Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins, Yasmani Grandal
Key Losses: Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, Brian Wilson, Drew Butera, Tim Federowicz
2014 Record: 94-68
Playoffs: Lost NLDS to Cardinals, 3 games to 1
Season Outlook: For the first offseason since taking over, Magic Johnson and the LA brass have focused more on revamping the front office (adding Andrew Friedman and Farhad Zaidi as president of baseball ops and GM, respectively) to include more people with an affection for advanced analytics. That doesn't mean they've stood idly by on the free agent and trade markets, however. In fact, they're as prolific as ever in those regards, just with fewer dollars being thrown around. They convinced McCarthy and Anderson to come back west, enticed Kendrick and Grandal away from other southern California teams, and even brought Rollins over from Philadelphia. While the team may miss the spotty power of Ramirez and Kemp, the speed of Gordon, the shaky pitching of Haren and (especially) Wilson, and the aforementioned second-string catchers, there are still plenty of reasons to think the reigning division champs could still be called that this time next year. Clayton Kershaw is still the best pitcher in the solar system, the rest of the rotation (Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu and McCarthy/Anderson) should continue to dominate, Joc Pederson now has a clear path to the majors, Adrian Gonzalez still provides plenty of firepower, and few closers in the game are more steady than Kenley Jansen. Most importantly, perhaps, Vin Scully will be calling home games for at least one more season. Even when they lose, this Dodgers team seems to keep winning.
Biggest Need: What do you get the team that has everything? They are unquestionably the most powerful team in baseball, in terms of financial and human capital. They're the Steinbrenner-led Yankees with a sabermetrically-inclined geek squad at the helm. Whether or not that translates into postseason success is wholly dependent on how the boys fare on the diamond.

San Diego Padres
Key Additions: James Shields, Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, Derek Norris, Will Middlebrooks, Brandon Morrow, Tim Federowicz, Brandon Maurer
Key Losses: Seth Smith
2014 Record: 77-85
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Some teams rebuild. Some reload. And then there's the Padres. When newly-minted GM A.J. Preller took over, he immediately made it clear that he had a single objective: give San Diego a reason to get excited about baseball again. Mission accomplished. Preller waited the market out to nab Shields at a discount price, swung multiple trades to give the Padres light-tower, right-handed power in the form of a Kemp/Myers/Upton outfield (while sacrificing everything on defense, as all three run like they're sinking in quicksand), a solid catcher in Norris, a bounceback candidate in Middlebrooks, and brought some pitching reinforcements on board in Morrow and Maurer. This revamped lineup will undoubtedly be more productive than last year's team, with all the new faces giving Jedd Gyorko a break from being the only reliable batter. Josh Johnson, who didn't throw a single pitch for the Friars on a one-year pact last season, resigned with the team in the hopes that he'll actually take the mound in an MLB game next season. Even though their offense was horrendously and historically bad, the pitching (both starting and relief) was pretty strong. Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner (both of whom had an ERA below 3) and Ian Kennedy (207 strikeouts, the highest total of the trio) could all see significant jumps in production, and less pressure to be "the guy", with the addition of Shields. In turn, Shields gives yet another small market team looking to end their unending cycle of postseason misery the chance to do so. This time, though, he's got some serious offensive muscle behind him. Now, with a stacked lineup and more certainty on the bump, it's not crazy to hope on the Padres anymore. Well, it's less crazy.
Biggest Need: A shortstop. Alexi Amarista has never been anybody's first choice, and Everth Cabrera was cut after a myriad of injuries and legal troubles. Who knows, maybe Preller is just crazy and daring enough to ply Tulowitzki from the division rival Rockies (this is a joke, Tulo will stay in Colorado until Dinger goes on a rampage and eats the entire team).

San Francisco Giants
Key Additions: Norichika Aoki, Casey McGehee
Key Losses: Pablo Sandoval, Michael Morse
2014 Record: 88-74
Playoffs: Won World Series against Royals, 4 games to 3
Season Outlook: There's gotta be something in the water out in SF. After clinching a Wild Card spot, the Giants toppled the Royals in one of the most exciting and invigorating World Series in recent history. As they had done after their previous two Series wins, they sought to retain their major free agents. They managed to lure Sergio Romo, Jake Peavy and Ryan Vogelsong back into the fold, but Sandoval bolted for Boston. Morse signed with the Marlins, but not before they had traded McGehee to San Francisco to fill the panda-shaped hole at third base. They also brought in recent October nemesis Aoki, who will man left field full-time for the first season in his career. More than anything, though, the front office has to hope some of the team's players simply bounce back. Matt Cain pitched to a career-worst 4.18 ERA in a career-low 90.1 innings. Angel Pagan only played in 96 games and stole 16 bases, his second lowest total in the last 5 seasons. Tim Lincecum's freakish mechanics are old news. And the bullpen is on its third closer since 2010 in Santiago Casilla, although it's nice that we're spared the unnecessarily wild facial hair with this one. Even with so much hinging on several "what-ifs", there's a lot to like about the champs: Buster Posey continues to be one of the top backstops in the game, Joe Panik was a revelation at second just when the team needed it most, they've still got their bug-eyed magic man in Hunter Pence, and were it not for that pesky Kershaw guy, Madison Bumgarner might hold the title of best pitcher in baseball. The Giants will have stronger competition than just the Dodgers next year, but if they can stave off the advancing Padres, they might find a way to harness that even-year magic in an odd-numbered year.
Biggest Need: While we're at it, they could use a national movement to omit odd-numbered years from the Gregorian calendar. That way, this dynasty can win every year, since every year will be an even-numbered year. Baseball is weird, man.

Projected 2015 Standings
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies

For Better Or For Worse 4: The Reckoning - NL Central

As usual, we move forward in our FBOFW series with the National League Central Division.

Chicago Cubs
Key Additions: Jon Lester, Chris Denorfia, Dexter Fowler, Jason Hammel, David Ross, Miguel Montero, Tommy La Stella, Jason Motte
Key Losses: Luis Valbuena, Dan Straily
2014 Record: 73-89
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: A lot of parallels can be drawn between the recent histories of the Cubs and Astros. Both are long suffering teams that haven't made the playoffs since Mike Trout was in high school, but both are currently loaded with top prospects, and both major league clubs are starting to climb back to prominence. The Cubbies punctuated their ascent by snatching Lester up this offseason, and he immediately makes the below-average rotation so much stronger. For good measure, they brought Hammel back into the fold, and the two of them should be enough to finally displace Edwin Jackson from the rotation after the Jake Arrieta Reclamation Project finally started to pay off. If nothing else, the team could always find a spot for CJ Edwards, whose progress has been the inverse of Jackson's decline. The bullpen is also nothing spectacular, although the signing of Motte will assuage the loss of the mustachioed Carlos Villanueva. Motte and Pedro Strop will be the first men on the bump if incumbent closer Hector Rondon falters. Fowler will slot in as the starting center fielder, La Stella the starting third baseman, and Montero the starting catcher, while Denorfia and Ross will provide enviable depth behind the plate and in the yard. Anthony Rizzo finally broke out last year, with 32 homers and his first All-Star appointment. Starlin Castro managed to rebound from a mediocre 2013 (in 27 fewer games, no less), hitting .292 with a .777 OPS as opposed to the .245/.631 figures he posted the year before. Javier Baez and Jorge Soler both made their debuts near the end of last season, and both of them started to show the fandom at large just why Chicago fans are so pumped for the future to get here. While Baez's alarmingly high strikeout rate is already the stuff of legend, both he and Soler provided a dash of power to a team desperate for it. And, of course, the bright-eyed Kris Bryant awaits in the wings, ready to unleash some right-handed fury on unsuspecting pitchers. This Cubs team might finally break through. A World Series win? Probably not, but at this point, beggars can't be choosers.
Biggest Need: As outstanding as the young sluggers are, a more reliable veteran bat wouldn't hurt. Had they signed someone like Sandoval or HanRam, while the drawbacks would be eminently obvious, they'd be considered much stronger contenders for 2015. If they make a move in that vein now, it'll be on the trade market.

Cincinnati Reds
Key Additions: Anthony DeSclafani, Marlon Byrd
Key Losses: Mat Latos, Alfredo Simon
2014 Record: 76-86
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: The Reds can't seem to catch a break. They've got a formerly great lineup containing stalwarts Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips, all of whom experienced down seasons that no doubt contributed to the team ranking in the bottom five across baseball in most counting offensive categories (despite Todd Frazier's career year that saw him lead the team in those same stats). Zack Cozart was an unmitigated mess at shortstop last year, both offensively and defensively. In that regard, the trade for Byrd makes sense, as it gives them a boost in the lineup and a fairly dynamic outfield of him, Bruce and Billy Hamilton, but the defense will suffer as a result. The rotation is similarly spectacular (and actually played like it last season): Cy Young runner up Johnny Cueto led the staff, with Mat Latos, Homer Bailey and a resurgent Alfredo Simon contributing to the team's 103 quality starts, third in the game. Latos is now with the Marlins and Simon with the Tigers, but the rest of the rotation remains largely intact (and could even see the addition of DeSclafani, the principal return in the Latos deal, as early as this year should the team miraculously contend). Cueto is entering his walk year, however, and will almost definitely price himself out of Cincinnati's market with another season like 2014 (wherein he led the league in innings pitched, strikeouts and hits per 9). Tony Cingrani should be in line for a starting spot for the first time, but after his struggles last year that's anything but a given. They've still got their fireballing closer in Aroldis Chapman, unless this is finally the year they convert him into a starter as well. If they do, the pitching coaches must continue helping him develop his newly-found changeup to go with his insane fastball and disgusting slider. The division has only gotten more competitive, and it's hard to see how the Reds will be able to keep up in the foreseeable future.
Biggest Need: Votto's obsession with OBP is nice and all, but it comes at the detriment of his power. In a shortened campaign of 62 games, he only hit 6 homers and 23 RBI, well off pace from his usual numbers. While his ability to find a myriad of ways to get on base, he's got to show more of the 25+ home run power that he's demonstrated through most of his career if this offense is going to get off the ground.

Milwaukee Brewers
Key Additions: Adam Lind
Key Losses: Yovani Gallardo, Zach Duke, Tom Gorzelanny
2014 Record: 82-80
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: There was a point in the season when people were seriously wondering whether a Royals-Brewers World Series was a viable possibility. Well, the KC squad held up their end of the bargain, but the Brew Crew faltered down the stretch. A very poor year from pariah Ryan Braun didn't help, as he posted career lows in everything while fighting both a damaged nerve in his thumb and a damaged reputation around the league. Jean Segura also took a huge step back after a strong 2013, and most of the offense lagged accordingly. There were some positive contributors: Carlos Gomez recorded his second straight 20-20 season (although this blogger always worries about guys who break out at 28 years old, somehow my doubts don't seem to be affecting Gomez's performance much???), and Jonathan Lucroy led baseball in doubles, played in his first All-Star Game, and even finished 4th in MVP voting. Francisco Rodriguez was also lights-out in the bullpen, leading baseball in games finished and saving 44 games. If he doesn't pitch as effectively in 2015, Jonathan Broxton will slide into the 9th. Gallardo is a significant loss, but Matt Garza has plenty of experience being the top starter on a crappy NL Central team, as does Kyle Lohse. The infield should also be better: Lind adds serious power to the lineup (in spite of hitting just 6 long balls last season, he's hit between 11 and 35 homers between 2009-13), Scooter Gennett does everything well without doing any one thing amazingly, and the ageless wonder Aramis Ramirez keeps chugging at third. In the outfield, Braun's cohorts in Gomez and Khris Davis are more than capable of keeping things afloat should Ryan regress further. If things break right, though, the Brewers could feasibly make another divisional push as they did last season.
Biggest Need: As with most teams, a strong season from several position players should help significantly. Braun, Segura and Gennett all have room to improve (or rediscover their former prowess), and fairly big things are expected for Lind should he prove to be healthy. The Brewers could also stand to get a little more out of their bullpen: K-Rod and Brox should remain solid, but former closer Jim Henderson will have to come down from that 7.15 ERA he posted last season.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Key Additions: A.J. Burnett, Jung-Ho Kang, Francisco Cervelli, Corey Hart
Key Losses: Russell Martin, Edinson Volquez
2014 Record: 88-74
Playoffs: Lost Wild Card game to Giants, 9-0
Season Outlook: Well, at least we aren't still talking about those 20 straight losing seasons. Since snapping that horrifying streak of incompetency, the Pirates have clinched a Wild Card spot in two consecutive seasons. Martin (now of the Blue Jays) was a huge part of that success, as his superior pitch framing added countless strikes for revitalized hurlers like Volquez (a recent addition to the Royals) and Francisco Liriano (whom the team resigned for 3 years and $39 million). Without the first two of those three, it'll be interesting to see how Andrew McCutchen and his crew of buccaneers weather the storm of regression. And believe me, there will be regression: while Burnett was solid in his first stint with the team, Cervelli (currently tabbed as the Opening Day catcher) has only played in more than 50 games once (in 2010!), Hart hasn't played in more than 100 games since 2012, and Kang has never played a single MLB game. With Jordy Mercer entrenched at short and Neil Walker at second, manager Clint Hurdle probably won't be gung-ho about giving Jung-Ho too many starts unless someone's injured. Also, displaced third baseman Pedro Alvarez will be the starting first baseman, relegating Hart to the bench/DH in AL parks. Still, going from Martin to Cervelli is like going from foie gras to French fries, and due to Martin's immaculate framing and calling no longer helping, it wouldn't be that surprising to see every Pirates pitcher's ERA go up significantly. Still, it's hard not to like a team with a charismatic center fielder and a more than competent surrounding cast, especially one that finally ended a vicious cycle of futility. With the division stronger than it's been the last two years, it's hard to see how this diminished roster hangs on long enough to clinch a third straight Wild Card.
Biggest Need: A breakout season from Gregory Polanco. While he only hit 7 homers and stole 14 bags last year, the potential has always been there for him to reach 20 in both facets. If he continues along the superstar path we've been told he's on, an outfield of him, Cutch and Starling Marte will be hard to beat.

St. Louis Cardinals
Key Additions: Jason Heyward, Jordan Walden
Key Losses: Justin Masterson, A.J. Pierzynski
2014 Record: 90-72
Playoffs: Lost NLCS to Giants, 4 games to 1
Season Outlook: A huge thorn in the side of baseball fans outside of the Midwest, the Cardinals are one of those teams that seems to improve no matter what they do. They lose their best hitter since Musial? Hello, Matt Adams. Their best pitcher gets injured? They have 16 other "best pitchers". They have one weak spot, shortstop, that needs to be addressed? Enter Jhonny Peralta. It's sickening. While two of their surprise stars from 2013, Matt Carpenter and Michael Wacha, each took a few steps backwards, that didn't deter the team's pennant run in any noticeable way. They ultimately fell to the Giants several days before the tragic death of young phenom Oscar Taveras, but even that hole was plugged by the acquisition of Heyward in a career year. If J-Hey can consistently display the flashes of brilliance he showed throughout his tenure in Atlanta, the Cards would do well to keep him from reaching free agency. Walden, who came to the team in the same trade, should be a huge boon to a bullpen that, when viewed closely, is less than stellar: aside from incumbent closer Trevor Rosenthal, Walden is the only projected reliever on the team's Opening Day roster who recorded an ERA under 4 last year. Adam Wainwright has been sidelined early this spring with an abdominal strain, and his status for the season opener is in doubt. Should he miss that, any one of Wacha, Lance Lynn and (gulp) John Lackey will likely take the mound.  Kolten Wong can't do much worse than the .292 OBP he registered in his first full big league campaign, Matt Holliday remains one of the more prolific sluggers in an offense-starved era, and the best catcher today by consensus, Yadier Molina, should benefit from a healthy season (even though he still gained All-Star and Gold Glove honors last year). While this incarnation of a team that's played in the NLCS for 4 years straight doesn't look as intimidating as previous ones, there's no reason to believe there won't be October baseball in St. Louis once again.
Biggest Need: I'm not sure they have ANY needs, much less a biggest one. Even with the resurgent Pirates and all the flashy moves the Cubs made this winter, the Cardinals should still be the team to beat in the division.

Projected 2015 Standings
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Pittsburgh Pirates
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds

For Better Or For Worse 4: The Reckoning - NL East

We're jumping leagues in our FBOFW series and looking at the National League East Division.

Atlanta Braves
Key Additions: Nick Markakis, Jason Grilli, Jonny Gomes, A.J. Pierzynski, Alberto Callaspo, Jim Johnson, Arodys Vizcaino, Manny Banuelos
Key Losses: Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, Ervin Santana, Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy, David Carpenter, Emilio Bonifacio, Aaron Harang, Tommy La Stella, Chasen Shreve
2014 Record: 79-83
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Ugh. Read the losses again. The Braves found themselves down an entire outfield, a second baseman (during a time in which the team needed youth and certainty at the position), 80 percent of a starting rotation, a great reliever and a solid utility infielder. To replace those players, the team literally raided the MLB scrapyard and came away with a handful of rusty nails and a soggy box of trash. The revamped front office (Frank Wren is out, John Hart is in) is clearly shooting for 2017, when SunTrust Park opens, to contend once again. And yet, they gave 4 years to an outfielder who has spent his entire, relatively mediocre career in the AL, signed several bullpen guys who have had massive meltdowns as recently as the last calendar year, a backup catcher more notable for what he says than what he does, and Alberto Callaspo, which is the most insulting thing you can call a ballplayer. They didn't need Vizcaino that badly: the bullpen is one of the few strong spots of the team even after the subtraction of Carpenter and Shreve (especially with Banuelos now waiting in the wings), and they could have easily held onto La Stella, who would have brought some La Stability to a position previously handled by the tattered remains of Dan Uggla. Instead, as they did almost everywhere else there was a hole, they plugged it with garbage. Oh, and let's not forget The Artist Formerly Known As B.J. Upton, as Melvin (be honest, you didn't know that was his real name) has been the face of the freefall. I understand the necessity of a rebuild, or a restart, or whatever the hell we're pretending this is, but if you want fans to come to a new park, dismantling the team and shipping off most of the good players is not the way to put butts into those new seats. Over the past several years, my friends and I have made the trek to Turner Field for Opening Day, but none of us feel like it's worth the time now. This team is, quite simply, unwatchable.
Biggest Need: You can't narrow it down to just one. Rather, I can't, and I won't.

Miami Marlins
Key Additions: Mat Latos, Dee Gordon, Ichiro Suzuki, Dan Haren (tentatively), Michael Morse, Martin Prado
Key Losses: Andrew Heaney, Anthony DeSclafani, Nathan Eovaldi, Casey McGehee
2014 Record: 77-85
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Remember back in late May, when the Marlins were still contending for a Wild Card spot and seemed to be a dangerous squad? Man, that was funny. What isn't funny are the major injuries that befell their two biggest stars: Jose Fernandez had Tommy John surgery in late May when he was en route to a Kershaw-ian season, and Giancarlo Stanton had his face rearranged by an errant Mike Fiers fastball (something that didn't stop the Miami brass from giving the batting behemoth the biggest contract extension of all time, in baseball or anything else, ever). While Stanton should be up and regularly crushing baseballs on Opening Day, Fernandez won't be appearing on a major league mound until June at the earliest. Still, this team acquired players that alone seem ancillary, but together, they actually form a pretty strong (albeit questionable) nucleus. Latos and Haren, both in walk years, will add stability to the rotation: Aside from missing the first couple of months last year, Mat has never made less than 30 starts, nor has Dan. They've still got Complete Game Henderson Alvarez and Jarred Cosart to hold down the hurling responsibilities in Eovaldi's absence until Jose is ready to rock. Morse saw a 160-point jump in his OPS from 2013-14, more impressively doing it in AT&T Park, a notorious pitcher's haven. He won't have any problem sending some balls out of Marlins Park, another cavernous confine, and his presence will make it more difficult for pitchers to throw around Stanton. Ichiro continues his quest for 3,000 (American) hits, Gordon has the potential to lead the game in stolen bags once more, and Prado gives the team a superlative amount of positional flexibility (although he projects as the starting third baseman, with the trade of McGehee). Perhaps surprisingly, this Miami team could be strong enough to contend in a weak division. Heh. Hehehe...
Biggest Need: Their biggest need is, rather, something they don't need. Stanton will be physically ready to start the season, but will he be prepared mentally? Getting your jaw broken by a baseball with the force of a locomotive would be enough to convince anyone to throw in the towel. If he can rebound, he'll remain the scariest slugger in baseball.

New York Mets
Key Additions: Michael Cuddyer...wait, really? That's it?
Key Losses: None
2014 Record: 79-83
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: When Cuddyer became the first free agent with draft pick compensation stigma attached to sign this year, there was a feeling that this was the first of several moves by the unlovable younger brother of MLB teams in NYC. It seemed confusing to just sign Cuddyer and call it an offseason, but surely the Mets had a plan. And they did! The plan was to just sign Cuddyer and call it an offseason, though. Still, the starting pitching will be a force to be reckoned with. They'll have their ace back in a fully-recovered Matt Harvey, with Noah Syndegaard knocking on the door quite loudly. The rest of the rotation, composed of reigning Rookie of the Year Jacob DeGrom, Zack Wheeler, Jonathan Niese and Bartolo "How is he still around?" Colon, rounds things out nicely (insert your own fat/round joke). The bullpen is about the same, with Jenrry Meija entrenched as the colorful closer and Jeurys Familia handling middle relief with finesse. If either of them find themselves incapable of shutting opponents down, Vic Black should be an adequate replacement, as he proved himself to be a perfectly capable middle reliever with the team last year. The lineup still leaves a lot to be desired, however: while Cuddyer should hit at an acceptable clip, Curtis Granderson disappointed mightily in his first year with the other NY team, posting career lows in batting average, slugging and OPS. He and Cuddyer will flank Juan Lagares, by all accounts one of the slickest-fielding middle outfielders in the game. Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda both had surprisingly strong offensive seasons, but the other side of the infield did not: Wilmer Flores is a mirage, and David Wright hit just 8 balls over the fence. If this Amazin' team will be the first to contend in a decade, they'll need much more firepower from their big boppers.
Biggest Need: They need to be any team other than the Mets. Maybe not the Braves.

Philadelphia Phillies
Key Additions: Aaron Harang
Key Losses: Jimmy Rollins, Marlon Byrd, A.J. Burnett
2014 Record: 73-89
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: The Phillies' greatest accomplishment during their slow slide into irrelevance is passing the rising Mets on the way down. At least the ride is over, and the Phils are phirmly in the NL East cellar. While Chase Utley wraps up a Hall of Fame-caliber career in Philly, fellow Cooperstown hopeful Jimmy Rollins will play the rest of his games (most likely) in Los Angeles. Byrd was traded to Cincinnati, and Burnett left to join the other Pennsylvania team for the second time. Those who remain in the City of Brotherly Love, though, won't be feeling much of it. Ryan Howard is a bigger waste of money than ballpark beer, the entire outfield could be replaced by mannequins with gloves and nobody would notice, and any non-Hamels pitcher on the team (while not subject to the same level of trade scrutiny) is either too old, too young, ineffective, or some combination of the three, such as mean-mugger Cliff Lee, who is currently rehabbing from an elbow injury that sidelined him for the final 2 months of 2014. Speaking of the man himself, it's highly likely that the Phils open the season with Cole on the mound. His losing record last year belies his strong season (#killthewin), he remains one of the few bright spots on the roster, and general manager Ruben Amaro's outrageous demands make any deal difficult to consummate. If there was a team crazy enough to take on the remaining $94 million still due to Hamels ($114 million if a team on his no-trade list picks up his $20 million option for 2019) AND give up their three top prospects, wouldn't they have stepped in already? Just as challenging to move, for completely different reasons, is incumbent closer Jonathan Papelbon. The team has a replacement who is ready to rock in Ken Giles, but while they'd love to get Papelbon and his historically negative attitude out of the clubhouse, his contract also represents a huge obstacle. Hey, at least it's always sunny in Philadelphia.
Biggest Need: A new GM. Ruben Amaro lost his mind many years ago and continues to call the shots. It's staggering.

Washington Nationals
Key Additions: Max Scherzer, Yunel Escobar
Key Losses: Adam LaRoche, Tyler Clippard, Asdrubal Cabrera, Rafael Soriano, Ross Detwiler
2014 Record: 96-66
Playoffs: Lost NLDS to Giants, 3 games to 1
Season Outlook: One of these seasons, the Nats will be pegged as the best team in baseball and actually live up to that moniker. Heading into the 2014 season, DC was once again the runaway favorite to take home the Commissioner's Trophy. Their rotation, starring Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and offseason pickup Doug Fister, was considered the best in the game. The lineup, including Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon in a breakout year, was going to provide significant offensive muscle to back up the pitching. The bullpen, with Soriano, Clippard and Drew Storen, was supposed to close games out with ease. To be fair, the Nationals had one of the best records in the game, and the top record in the NL. Still, the franchise's second postseason trip ended the same way as the first: in a NLDS defeat. Bringing in Scherzer to strengthen baseball's best starting five is a great move, and Escobar's presence at second means no more waiting on Danny Espinosa (while giving the team a pretty solid backup plan should anything happen to incumbent free agent Ian Desmond). R-Zimm moving to first so Rendon can handle third full-time is another smart move that should further improve what is shaping up to be one of the game's better defensive infields. The biggest questions lie in the rotation, but nothing to do with the health of the starting five: after the World Series, Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister become free agents. Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez will be granted free agency after the 2016 WS. This is all barring extensions, of course, but things have been surprisingly quiet on all fronts. Therefore, it's paramount that the Nats capitalize on this season, and there is every indication (and the sorry state of the division) to believe they will. Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Nats are this writer's pick to win it all in 2015. And 2014, 2013, 2012...
Biggest Need: A full, healthy season from Harper. Even though the hype may have been a little over-the-top, Bryce is still a massive boost to this team when he's on the field. However, he's played in fewer games every year since debuting (139, 118, 100). If he plays 150+ games, not only could the Nats once again cruise to a division title, Harper might finally warrant serious MVP consideration.

Projected 2015 Standings
Washington Nationals
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies

For Better Or For Worse 4: The Reckoning - AL West

In this FBOFW post, we'll take a look at the American League West Division.

Houston Astros
Key Additions: Evan Gattis, Colby Rasmus, Hank Conger, Luke Gregerson, Pat Neshek, Jed Lowrie, Luis Valbuena, Dan Straily
Key Losses: Dexter Fowler
2014 Record: 70-92
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Houston fans have been told to "trust the process" that GM/madman Jeff Luhnow has employed to bring the Astros out of their perpetual cellar-dwelling ways, and while nobody expects them to pull a Royals next season, 2015 should still be a big step forward for the team. They avoided a fourth straight 100-loss season and added some serious punch to an anemic lineup and an equally faulty bullpen. With that in mind, a .500 season doesn't seem very far outside the team's grasp, although they'll have to strike while the injury iron is hot for some of their divisional and geographical rivals. Rasmus will shore up an outfield with George Springer and Jake Marisnick, Gattis will provide them with massive power out of the DH spot (and can even spell incumbent Jason Castro behind the plate if necessary), Lowrie can play either position up the middle in case breakout star Jose Altuve misses any significant amount of time, Gregerson and Neshek will help reinforce the bridge between the rotation and Chad Qualls, Valbuena gives the team a more reliable third base option than Matt Dominguez, and Conger and Straily also provide solid depth at their respective positions. If Springer, Jonathan Singleton and all those coveted prospects like Carlos Correa and Mark Appel can take a few steps forward, the trust placed in the process will soon bear the hard-earned fruits of the Houston front office's labor.
Biggest Need: Continued success from Chris Carter. He hit 37 homers last year and slugged .491, but his .227 batting average, .308 OBP and 9.8 walk percentage leave a lot of room of improvement. He won't be the lone catalyst in this lineup with the addition of Gattis and Rasmus, but he'll need to take more free passes and create more value on the basepaths if he is to add to the Astros' charge.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Key Additions: Andrew Heaney, Josh Rutledge, Roberto Baldoquin
Key Losses: Howie Kendrick, Gordon Beckham, Jason Grilli
2014 Record: 98-64
Playoffs: Lost ALDS to Royals, 3 games to 0
Season Outlook: Baseball's best player (do I really have to say who?) finally found himself on a team that rose to meet him, as the Trout-led Angels breezed to the game's best record. A strong first half from Albert Pujols gave the Halos an early jump start on the division title, and Garrett Richards was a rotational revelation before a knee injury sidelined him down the stretch. His absence was sorely felt during the first round of the playoffs, as the Angels were swept by the surging Royals. Josh Hamilton was a non-factor not only in October but the months preceding it, and his albatross of a contract makes it unlikely he'll be moved soon. Even worse, he experienced a relapse with cocaine and alcohol this season, and he'll be suspended for an as-yet-undetermined amount of time when the season begins. Knowing they needed more youth and power in the starting five, the team swung a trade with their crosstown NL counterparts for Heaney, the former Marlin, giving up Kendrick in the swap. Between him, Matt Shoemaker and a healthy Richards, former aces Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson may bounce back with lower expectations. However, both Weaver and Wilson have seen sharp declines in their velocity and location, so regaining their command will be vital. The bullpen is fairly reliable, with Joe Smith and Huston Street locking down the later innings. Rutledge is a solid utility guy who's logged innings everywhere in the infield except first, but Baldoquin, a Cuban defector, is a complete unknown (and won't even start the season with the big league club). As long as Richards comes back at 100 percent, Heaney adjusts to the AL, and Hamilton and Pujols provide at least minimal value, the Halos could be looking at a heavenly postseason.
Biggest Need: A resolution to the myriad of questions in the rotation. Will Richards return to his newly found form? Can Shoemaker replicate his surprising season? Do Weaver or Wilson have anything left in the tank? Who's next on the depth chart if one of these guys gets injured? Is Kelvim Escobar still around?

Oakland Athletics
Key Additions: Billy Butler, Brett Lawrie, Ben Zobrist, Tyler Clippard, Jesse Hahn
Key Losses: Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija, Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, John Jaso, Luke Gregerson, Jason Hammel, Jonny Gomes, Jed Lowrie, Adam Dunn
2014 Record: 88-74
Playoffs: Lost Wild Card game to Royals, 9-8
Season Outlook: Nobody's ever quite sure what goes through Billy Beane's head. This offseason makes this humble blogger wonder if Beane has any clue himself. Are the A's rebuilding as a trigger-happy reaction to a tough WC loss? Are they reloading? If they are, why are they reloading with BB pellets and scrolls of paper that say BANG! on them instead of, you know, actual bullets? Moreover, some of the players that the team has brought in don't necessarily make sense or fit comfortably into the Moneyball archetype. Butler's power won't play in the Coliseum nearly as well as Dunn's did (and it didn't), Lawrie is an oft-injured, defense-first liability replacing an all-around force in Donaldson, and Hahn is still a relative unknown after a strong season with the Padres. Zobrist and Clippard are, admittedly, great additions: Ben will assume a similar role of mega-ultra-super utility player as he played in Tampa (even if his on base numbers are nothing to write home about), and Tyler will add stability to a bullpen that desperately needs it in the wake of Sean Doolittle's shoulder injury. Still, this team will be reeling from the whirlwind of moves, especially the losses in the rotation, and the Oakland faithful will be wary of getting too attached to any new faces. They can at least take solace in the fact that they'll have an entirely new crop of faces to be cynical about in 2-3 years.
Biggest Need: A NEW STADIUM, FOR GOD'S SAKE. The walls are crumbling, sewage usually overflows from the sinks and showers, and the location is less than ideal. Maybe new commissioner Rob Manfred will do more than his predecessor to resolve the conflict between the A's and Giants for territorial rights in San Jose, but don't hold your breath (unless you're trying to not smell the sewage, then go right ahead).

Seattle Mariners
Key Additions: Nelson Cruz, J.A. Happ, Justin Ruggiano, Seth Smith
Key Losses: Michael Saunders, Corey Hart, Chris Denorfia, Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales
2014 Record: 87-75
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: After years of playing the role of whipping boy, the Mariners finally forced the world to pay attention to them once again, as they just missed the playoffs on the final day of the season. The first year of Robinson Cano's tenure in the Pacific Northwest was, therefore, a success, but they'll need to make some noise next year if they're to be taken seriously. The M's finally got their man in Cruz, after he led baseball with 40 homers while playing in Baltimore. In Nelly, they've added a strong power hitter, a rare commodity in today's offense-starved game, but Safeco Field is notorious for being a graveyard for prolific sluggers. In addition, Cano and Kyle Seager are the only other hitters that opposing pitchers need to worry about. Once they get past the heart of the lineup, it's just despair, agony, and Dustin Ackley. Felix Hernandez, still one of the best pitchers on the planet, and the rest of the rotation will benefit from the addition of Happ (and they only had to give up Saunders, who was reportedly unhappy with the organization anyway). The bullpen, led by closer/archer Fernando Rodney, was actually pretty solid, as they combined for the 7th highest relief corps WAR in MLB. Smith will add a bit of value at the plate, as he managed to knock 12 balls out of the park last year while playing in another cavernous field (Petco Park), although he'll likely platoon with Ruggiano, considering how Seth hits righties and Justin hits lefties, and neither provides much in the way of fielding. Optimism is running high in Seattle for the first time since Junior was there, but will it culminate in a playoff appearance in 2015? Hey, anything's possible in this game.
Biggest Need: One more bat wouldn't hurt, but it'll have to come on the trade market at this point. It's possible that the team could forego any more moves, though, and hope for a return to form from Jesus Montero. The DH/erstwhile catcher made more headlines for his ice cream-inspired feud with a scout last season than his performance on the diamond, but he's supposedly dropped some weight and is rededicated to becoming the slugger Seattle hoped he'd be when they traded Michael Pineda to the Yankees for him.

Texas Rangers
Key Additions: Yovani Gallardo, Ross Detwiler
Key Losses: Alex Rios, Alexi Ogando
2014 Record: 67-95
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Everything's bigger in Texas...including, it seems, the injury risk. Hopes were high for the former 2-time pennant winners, especially after signing Shin-Soo Choo to an outrageous deal and taking on another when they acquired Prince Fielder from the Tigers for Ian Kinsler. Then, suddenly, putting on a Rangers uniform became the equivalent of wrapping yourself tightly in a smallpox blanket. As per CBSsports.com's Matt Snyder, the team set a record for most active players on a 25-man roster. 40 (!!!) different pitchers were used, and 14 pitchers made a start with only one reaching 25 in Colby Lewis. Trading for Gallardo (30 starts or more every year since 2009) and Detwiler (who is comfortable starting or throwing long relief) makes a ton of sense, then. Slotting those two behind Yu Darvish and a healthy Derek Holland will help prevent a repeat of the revolving door on the mound. Even when healthy, the two big prizes of the Rangers' offseason were ineffective. Choo didn't play after August 23rd due to ankle surgery, and his OBP was a career-low .340. Fielder went down for the year in early May with a neck injury. Kinsler, if you didn't know, thrived in Detroit, provided superb defense, notched a career-high 92 RBI and helped the team win their fourth straight division title. Just saying. In his stead, Rougned Odor handled second base appropriately, and even slugged pretty well for a middle infielder. Elvis Andrus, however, was a non-factor for most of the year, having the worst offensive season of his career since 2010 and leading the league in failed stealing attempts. Jurickson Profar didn't appear in a single game as injuries also prevented him from taking the field, and he'll lose all of 2015 as well. Losing Rios in the outfield, though, doesn't hurt too much, and Adrian Beltre continues to add to his Hall of Fame credentials, so this team isn't without bright spots. They just got lost in the sea of maladies.
Biggest Need: Waking up from that nightmare 2014 season may be enough. Last year was a fluke in terms of days lost to injury, so the team is due for some positive regression there.

Projected 2015 Standings
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros
Oakland Athletics

For Better Or For Worse 4: The Reckoning - AL Central

As always, we keep plugging along in our FBOFW series with the American League Central Division.

Chicago White Sox
Key Additions: Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Adam LaRoche, Melky Cabrera, Zach Duke, Emilio Bonifacio, Gordon Beckham
Key Losses: Paul Konerko, Marcus Semien
2014 Record: 73-89
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: The ChiSox will be better next year not only for their massive shopping spree (bringing in Samardzija to relieve Sale of the burden of being the only competent pitcher in the South Side, Robertson and Duke to strengthen a faltering bullpen, and LaRoche and Cabrera to add some pop to a lineup with phenom Jose Abreu and little else), but bidding farewell to both Konerko and the free-swinging financial drain that was Adam Dunn should add by subtraction. Jose Quintana has shown impressive flashes of brilliance over the last two seasons, and having Shark behind Sale should allow him to flourish even further without too much pressure. In spite of Sale, White Sox pitchers ranked in the bottom five of most pitching stats outside of quality starts (in which they ranked 13th), so this rotation really can't be any worse than it was. Younger players like Avisail Garcia and Conor Gillaspie have demonstrated they can be solid major league regulars, although the team has to be hopeful that Garcia can improve upon his -10 DRS mark in just 46 games in right last season and that Gillaspie continues his ascent into the ranks of offensively-acceptable third basemen. Moreover, prospects like Carlos Rodon and Tim Anderson are making it hard to keep them in the minors, and it's doubtful that they won't reach the majors if the team is indeed contending later on this year. If the offseason acquisitions pan out, and Abreu has another year like his rookie campaign, Chicago may have a contender (or two) on their hands.
Biggest Need: This part originally said something about them getting a fair amount of usage out of a backup second baseman, but the team recently resigned Beckham after he was non-tendered by the team (Angels) they traded him to this past summer. Between him and Bonifacio, the keystone should be properly cared for until Carlos Sanchez is ready to take over.

Cleveland Indians
Key Additions: Brandon Moss, Gavin Floyd
Key Losses: Jason Giambi
2014 Record: 85-77
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Seriously, in 2014-15, Jason Giambi was not only still playing (until his recent retirement announcement), he was the biggest free agent the Indians had. You can't make this stuff up. Anyway, last season was fairly prolific for Cleveland, as they notched another winning record in their ongoing quest to recapture the glory days of the 1990s. The signings of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn a couple of years ago have yet to garner them more than a Wild Card spot two years back (that they pissed away by losing to the Rays), and with Jason Kipnis taking several steps backwards after a stellar 2013, things as they stand are looking dicey for the Indians. Swisher and Bourn have both gotten steadily worse since signing, as Nick hit fewer than 21 homers (8, to be exact) for the first time in a decade and Michael has stolen fewer than 25 bases in both of the last two years, a far cry from the 51 swiped bags he averaged between 2008-12. Although the addition of Moss can cover Swisher to an extent (and Brandon had his own power outage during the A's second-half stumble), Bourn's decline is on full display. There are, however, a few bright spots: Michael Brantley turned into a MVP candidate seemingly out of nowhere, and Corey Kluber came from the same place to win this year's AL Cy Young award. With the Central weaker than it's been in previous years (read: the Tigers are weaker than they've been in previous years), the Indians could feasibly strike while the iron is hot. Then again, they've been trying to strike since Grady Sizemore was a perennial All-Star, so...
Biggest Need: Another great season from the rotation can't hurt. Kluber tore through the league, but Carlos Carrasco also quietly notched a 2.55 ERA in 134 1/3 innings thrown. Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar continue to struggle, but both are young enough to expect their ERAs to normalize with their high strikeout rates (FIP had them both pegged a little lower). Floyd is a solid back-end guy, and if his rehab from shoulder surgery continues to go well, he might still have a little left in the tank.

Detroit Tigers
Key Additions: Yoenis Cespedes, Alfredo Simon, Tom Gorzelanny, Shane Greene
Key Losses: Max Scherzer, Torii Hunter, Rick Porcello
2014 Record: 90-72
Playoffs: Lost ALDS to Orioles, 3 games to 0
Season Outlook: After 4 straight years of winning the division, 2015 could be the first season in some time that the Motown crew has some serious competition. They resigned resurgent DH Victor Martinez to a 4 year/$68 million deal they'll surely come to regret once V-Mart starts to show his age, but after a second-place MVP finish and leading the league in OBP (.409) and leading both leagues in OPS (.974), this was a deal they had to make. Never mind that Martinez just reinjured the same left meniscus that cost him the entire 2013 season, the Detroit brass needed to bring him back into the fold. Miguel Cabrera came back to Earth somewhat, but even his pedestrian numbers are well above replacement value and he should remain at first base, where his extreme defensive liabilities are much easier to hide. Gorzelanny is a good signing for a bullpen that is seemingly forever in flux, and the front office has to hope that the rotation (after losing Max Scherzer to the Nationals and Justin Verlander to the baseball gods) remains productive in David Price's final year before free agency. Simon and Greene should go a long way towards helping in that regard, and Anibal Sanchez is a fairly safe bet to pitch well. Cespedes will add more pop to this potent lineup, even if his defense lacks a little to be desired, making him a more than palatable replacement for the ageless Hunter. Ian Kinsler's spectacular defense made up for his sagging offense, and Jose Iglesias should be ready to go at shortstop after missing the entirety of last year, giving the team one of baseball's more enviable double play combinations. This Tigers team really isn't as threatening as its been in years past, but that doesn't mean Detroit will be a pushover in 2015.
Biggest Need: A bounce back from Verlander. After he signed that ludicrous extension, he's fallen off the map. His velocity is way down, he can't seem to throw strikes anymore, and it's possible he's smoking the same stuff that destroyed Tim Lincecum. Does Kate Upton know how to throw a curve, and how quickly can she get into midseason form?

Kansas City Royals
Key Additions: Kendrys Morales, Alex Rios, Kris Medlen, Edinson Volquez
Key Losses: James Shields, Billy Butler, Norichika Aoki
2014 Record: 89-73
Playoffs: Lost World Series to Giants, 4 games to 3
Season Outlook: Make no mistake: pushing the dynastic Giants to the final out of Game 7 of last year's World Series is damn impressive. That being said, the Royals should not be viewed as strong contenders in 2015. Kinda funny, considering THIS is the year everybody expected the team to win the pennant, not 2014. They've had one of their busiest offseasons in recent memory, unsurprisingly, but a quick glance will tell you that they haven't necessarily improved: Morales and Rios both fell off a cliff offensively (admittedly, Morales played in two of the worst hitter's parks in the game), and only Rios provides borderline value in the field. Medlen is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery (guys who have it twice are far less likely to come back at full strength), and any success Volquez had last year was surely the result of the magical Pirates pitching coaches. While both signings are low-risk/high-reward, neither portends particularly well. Danny Duffy finally came to life last year, but how effective he'll be going forward remains a valid skepticism. Moreover, the team lost their ace (Shields), their long-suffering DH (Butler), and an outfielder (Aoki) who fields magnificently, if not efficiently. Unless Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas finally tap into that 30-homer potential we keep hearing about, it'll be difficult for the Royals to rank last in the majors in most offensive categories again and still make it to October. Then again, you could have easily said the same thing this time last year, and you would have looked foolish. This is everyday life for the common Royals fan.
Biggest Need: Competent, major league-caliber hitters. The rotation is still strong, with Yordano Ventura, Jeremy Guthrie and Jason Vargas to compliment Duffy, the relief triumvirate of Herrera/Davis/Holland seems like a safe bet to replicate their dominant season (although some regression should be expected), and Brandon Finnegan can be used in a starting capacity or that of a long reliever. They've just got to score more runs, bottom line.

Minnesota Twins
Key Additions: Ervin Santana, Torii Hunter
Key Losses: None
2014 Record: 70-92
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: If you've been paying attention at all the last 4 years, I don't need to tell you how bad the Twins have been. Joe Mauer, presumably after one too many Head and Shoulders commercials, seems to have disappeared after moving to first. His catching replacement, Kurt Suzuki, had a career year, but that doesn't mean it was anywhere close to prime Mauer. Bringing Hunter back to the organization he spent most of his solid career with is a nice feel-good signing, but the 38 year old can't have enough left in the tank to bring his once and future employers back to prominence so rapidly. Despite a 20-20 season from Brian Dozier, and the team as a whole ranking no lower than 11th in nearly all counting stats, the offense wasn't enough to keep the terrible pitching afloat. While signing Phil Hughes last offseason paid dividends (he posted the highest K/BB ratio of any qualified starter in history), the same cannot be said for Ricky Nolasco. Kyle Gibson struggled in his first full year, but his FIP implies some bad luck. Adding Santana may be a smarter move than it looks like on the surface, as he's had recent success in the division. Glen Perkins had a solid season, but the rest of the bullpen was uninspiring and ineffective. While people are excited for the eventual debuts of prospects Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, fellow minor leaguers Alex Meyer and Kohl Stewart might need to join the big league club, and excel, just as quickly. Whew, that pitching is seriously bad.
Biggest Need: A stronger bullpen would help. The aforementioned youngsters could always join the club halfway through the year and pitch in relief to help them transition to starting. Then again, nobody's mistakenly believing that this team will contend in 2015, so they could wait on adding bullpen pieces until the rest of the squad notches a winning season.

Projected 2015 Standings
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Cleveland Indians
Minnesota Twins

For Better Or For Worse 4: The Reckoning - AL East

After a hiatus last season, TBF's For Better Or For Worse series is back and better than ever! Well, it's back, at least. 2014 was an exhilarating, fascinating season full of memorable occasions for fans of every team. Let's take a brief look at how 2015 might play out for all 30 franchises. We'll start, as always, with the American League East Division.

Baltimore Orioles
Key Additions: Travis Snider
Key Losses: Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis, Andrew Miller
2014 Record: 96-66
Playoffs: Lost ALCS to Royals, 4 games to 0
Season Outlook: Coming off a year in which they cruised to a division title (and were just two games shy of the best record in the game), the Orioles got comfortable and stood pat this offseason on both the trade and free agent markets. It's defensible, since the AL East is still mostly in shambles, putting Adam Jones and crew in good position to repeat as divisional champs. But with the meltdown of Ubaldo Jimenez and the losses of Cruz (who hit most homers in MLB last year with 40), Markakis and Miller, it'll be an uphill battle in Baltimore. They resigned Hardy before he officially reached free agency, a deal (3 years, $40 million with a 2018 option worth $14 million) that was lauded as one of the shrewdest and quickest of the offseason considering the thin shortstop market, but they'll miss the firepower Cruz brought to the lineup. Jones becomes the bat they'll rely upon the most (again), and he's a virtual lock to deliver around 30 homers while finally finding his groove defensively: 2014 was the first season wherein he posted positive DRS and UZR figures in centerfield. Erstwhile infielder Manny Machado went down with a horrific knee injury for the second straight season. If healthy, he may be able to reach for 40 doubles after challenging for the single season record in 2013. Backstop Matt Wieters finally enters his walk year, and he'll look to rebuild his value after a lost 2014 if he wants to command the kind of contract he and agent Scott Boras expect to receive on the free agent market. Chris Davis remains an enigma: will he hit 50 homers, or will he hit under .200? This Orioles team, like last year, has a lot of question marks. Still, with the division being the weakest its been in years, the smart money would be on the O's remaining in control of the East.
Biggest Need: They still don't have a starter that will inspire fear in opposing hitters' hearts. Chris Tillman, their Game 1 starter in both the ALDS and ALCS, is a number 1 pitcher in rotational order only. Kevin Gausman should get a longer look in 2015, and top prospect Dylan Bundy should solidify the starting 5 sometime in the near future.

Boston Red Sox
Key Additions: Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley, Yoan Moncada, Justin Masterson, Anthony Varvaro
Key Losses: Yoenis Cespedes, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, David Ross, Will Middlebrooks
2014 Record: 71-91
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Pulling off baseball's very first occurrence of a team going worst-to-first-to-worst, last year's defending champions (ugh) spent the majority of 2014 in the cellar (yay!). The BoSox revamped their entire rotation with the deals for Porcello (sending Cespedes to the Tigers) and Miley (shipping De La Rosa and Webster to the Diamondbacks) as well as the signing of Masterson. All of the newbies, as well as disappointing holdover Clay Buchholz, are noted groundball pitchers, something that should be of great interests to the infielder. While Mike Napoli isn't the best defensive first baseman, the rest of the infield provides surprisingly high defensive value. As much as I hate to say it, this marriage of grounder-inducing hurlers and finesse fielders should be quite successful (ugh again). They resigned Koji Uehara around the end of the World Series and later traded for Varvaro, both moves that will strengthen the bullpen. And of course, having Panda and HanRam adds a lot of power and versatility to a lineup with returning vets David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia. Ortiz, at 39 years old, still mashes baseballs with utter authority, and Pedroia no longer has anybody nipping at his heels with the move of prospect Mookie Betts to the crowded outfield. Ramirez will see most of his game action in the outfield, where he has never once played in his professional career, while Sandoval's arrival necessitated the removal of Middlebrooks from the organization. They even swooped in and snatched up Moncada, the cream of the Cuban crop this offseason, and while he probably won't see much time in Beantown next year, he clearly adds immense future potential to the club. This Boston team should be closer to the 2013 champs than the 2012 and 2014 losers, which makes my skin crawl.
Biggest Need: Even after trading Cespedes, they still have approximately 98 outfielders. Trading Shane Victorino or Allen Craig may alleviate the logjam, especially if they move those guys for infield depth or more pitching. Here's hoping they don't.

New York Yankees
Key Additions: Alex Rodriguez (yes, he technically counts as an addition), Andrew Miller, Didi Gregorius, Nathan Eovaldi, David Carpenter
Key Losses: Derek Jeter, Hiroki Kuroda, David Robertson, Brandon McCarthy, Ichiro Suzuki, Shane Greene, Martin Prado, Shawn Kelley
2014 Record: 84-78
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Although the Bombers notched a winning season, they fell well short of the postseason in Derek Jeter's final year. Since there was no drama as to whether or not the team would make the playoffs, the entire 2014 campaign felt like a farewell to The Captain mercilessly stretched out over 162 games, which had even the most hardcore Jeter fans (like myself) feeling a mighty hangover this offseason. Never content with baseball-free Octobers, the team took a slightly different approach to this offseason than they have in the previous 4 decades. Sure, they resigned Chase Headley to a deal (4 years, $52 million) that they'll live to regret, but they made some very creative trades to bring in Gregorius to replace Jeter at short (in a role reversal of sorts, as Didi is an excellent fielder while providing little value at the plate), Eovaldi to inject youth into/shore up a crumbling rotation, and Carpenter to join Miller for a nasty one-two punch out of the bullpen. The names in the loss column are big ones, but no one the team will truly miss other than McCarthy (whose time in pinstripes helped revitalize his cutter as well as his career) and Prado (who recorded a 2.1 WAR in just 37 games with the team). While it'd be foolish to ever count the Yanks out, it's hard to see how they could honestly expect to contend next year. The pitching still has a lot of questions, such as how CC Sabathia will rebound, how Michael Pineda will handle more responsibility, and how a MLB team can contend with invisible pitchers in the 4th and 5th slots. Oh, and A-Rod will get back to eliciting a shower of boos at a ballfield near you next year. Enjoy, America.
Biggest Need: The entire staff of Mount Sinai Hospital on retainer. This team looks a lot younger than recent incarnations, but the lineup still reads like a list of reserves for the 2008 All-Star Game. Bouncebacks from Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann will go a long way to buoy the Yankees' chances of contending.

Tampa Bay Rays
Key Additions: Kevin Cash (manager), Asdrubal Cabrera, John Jaso, Steven Souza
Key Losses: Joe Maddon (manager), Wil Myers, Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar, Ryan Hanigan
2014 Record: 77-85
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: Nobody was a bigger disappointment in 2014 than the Rays. That's a loaded statement, but it's true: no team had higher expectations going into the season than the Tampa squad. David Price was leading the rotation, Evan Longoria was healthy, Myers looked like he was close to breaking out. A deep playoff run seemed like kismet. Even when burgeoning ace Matt Moore went down with Tommy John after just two starts, there didn't appear to be any reason to panic. Then, there were multiple reasons to panic. Price (in the middle of another stellar season) was dealt to the Tigers at the deadline, Longoria put up the worst numbers in a full season of his career, and Myers was traded to the Padres a couple of months ago for Souza and assorted others. Maddon took advantage of a contractual loophole triggered by former GM Andrew Friedman jumping ship for the Dodgers, left for the Cubs and was replaced by Cash. The versatile Zobrist and the troublesome Escobar were flipped to the Athletics, and Cabrera was signed to take their places, or at least one of them. Having Moore back near the middle of the season will help the team, and Alex Cobb is considered to be one of the top starters in the division now, although he admittedly has much weaker competition than usual. The Rays enter this new season in a familiar spot: a cellar-dwelling team that will likely serve as the league punching bag. But a rapid ascent to prominence isn't out of the question, and if any team could do it, wouldn't it be a team that's done it once already? While two of the biggest organizational cogs have left, this is still one of the more resourceful teams in the game. Don't expect that to change anytime soon.
Biggest Need: Patience. 2015 will be a tougher year than usual in Tampa, with the team clearly in rebuild mode. The prospects acquired from the Myers and Zobrist deals should pay dividends in the future, but for now, it seems like losing baseball has returned to Florida in full force.

Toronto Blue Jays
Key Additions: Russell Martin, Josh Donaldson, Marco Estrada, Michael Saunders, Devon Travis
Key Losses: Brett Lawrie, Adam Lind, Anthony Gose, J.A. Happ
2014 Record: 83-79
Playoffs: No
Season Outlook: You can say this about the Jays, they really keep chugging along in spite of everything. After another season-long waste of Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion's prime years, they looked at their roster (and, presumably, the state of the other teams on this list) and decided 2015 would be the perfect opportunity to push all of their chips to the middle of the table once again. After the blockbuster trades in the 2012-13 offseason flopped, the Jays surprised everybody by paying a huge premium to bring Russell Martin, the catching prize of the offseason, back to his home country. Considering how Martin led the charge to relevancy in Pittsburgh, the Blue Jays brass is hoping that his magnificent pitch framing abilities will help some of their younger hurlers like Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez find their stride, although it's incredibly unlikely that he replicates his .402 OBP from last year. Trading for Donaldson immediately improves the infield defense and the lineup's offense, and the MVP candidate only cost the Jays an oft-injured hothead in Lawrie and some low-end prospects. Talk about a steal. Saunders and Travis should provide a fair share of value at their respective positions, although Saunders will likely miss the first handful of games while recovering from a torn meniscus and Travis should start the season in Double-A, a level he has yet to outplay. Estrada should be serviceable as a starter or out of the pen, although with the team's relative surplus of strong relievers, it wouldn't be a shock to see him spend most of his time in the starting five. Jose Reyes had another solid season, and keeping him healthy at the top of the lineup is critical for the team's offensive juggernauts in Joey Bats and Encarnacion. The pieces are all there for the Blue Jays. The question remains, can they put them together to form a true contender?
Biggest Need: More reliable starting pitching couldn't hurt. Mark Buehrle is a workhorse and Stroman took large strides last season, but R.A. Dickey isn't aging as gracefully as other knucklers and the other rotation options (Drew Hutchinson and Daniel Norris) are uninspiring.

Projected 2015 Standings
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays