Boston's first workout for pitchers and catchers is Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Associated Press
A team-by-team look entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:
Boston Red Sox
Manager: John Farrell (first season)
2012: 69-93, last place, AL East
Training Town: Fort Myers, Fla.
Park: JetBlue Park
First Workout: Feb. 12/15
He’s Here: 1B Mike Napoli, SS Stephen Drew, CF Shane Victorino, SP Ryan Dempster, OF Jonny Gomes, RHP Joel Hanrahan, C David Ross.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Bobby Valentine, RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, RF Cody Ross, SS Mike Aviles, 1B James Loney, OF Scott Podsednik, RP Vicente Padilla, RP Scott Atchison.
Going campin’: The Red Sox have a chance to start fresh after Valentine’s one tumultuous season left them in last place in the AL East. Gone are Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford in an August salary dump that cleared more than $250 million from the books. The Red Sox did not make any big deals to replace them, instead making a series of smaller moves that included signing Napoli and Victorino. They will need the starting pitching to bounce back – including John Lackey, who missed all of last season after right elbow surgery. Jon Lester (9-14, 4.82 ERA) and Clay Buchholz (11-8, 4.56) are also looking to improve with the return of Farrell, their former pitching coach. Gomes and Victorino join an outfield that can be strong if Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been injured two of the past three seasons, is healthy. Drew, who is believed to be a placeholder for prospect Jose Iglesias, and Will Middlebrooks take over the left side of the infield, with Dustin Pedroia returning at second base and Napoli at first. Hanrahan would give them a closer they lacked last year after Jonathan Papelbon left for free agency and Andrew Bailey was injured.
New York Yankees
Manager: Joe Girardi (sixth season)
2012: 95-67, first place, AL East, lost in American League Championship Series
Training Town: Tampa, Fla.
Park: George M. Steinbrenner Field
First Workout: Feb. 13/18
He’s Here: 3B Kevin Youkilis, DH Travis Hafner, OF Matt Diaz, C Bobby Wilson, DH-OF Juan Rivera.
He’s Outta Here: RF Nick Swisher, C Russell Martin, DH-OF Raul Ibanez, 3B Eric Chavez, OF Andruw Jones, RHP Rafael Soriano, RHP Freddy Garcia, LHP Pedro Feliciano.
Going campin’ : The Yankees enter spring training with more uncertainty than they’ve had in a long time. The Tigers exposed them as old and brittle in a four-game ALCS sweep after the Orioles took New York to five games in the division series. Then, the Yankees did little to get younger in the offseason. Hoping to get below the threshold for an increased luxury tax next year, they refrained from completing any big deals, making the re-signing of starting pitchers Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte a top priority. The popular Martin left for a free-agent contract with Pittsburgh – leaving the job at catcher this season to career backups Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart. New York’s biggest signings were Youkilis, to fill in for Alex Rodriguez, who will be out at least until the All-Star break following hip surgery, and Hafner, to supplant Ibanez at DH. Both need to stay healthy because much of New York’s hope rides on stars coming off surgery. Mariano Rivera (knee), Derek Jeter (foot) and CC Sabathia (elbow) are expected to be ready for the season but Michael Pineda (shoulder) could be sidelined until late June. Even if everyone is healthy, it remains to be seen how much the loss of Swisher’s patient bat and clubhouse leadership will be missed and how much Rodriguez’s latest off-field scandal affects the team in a reloaded AL East. Other question marks: Is Brett Gardner’s elbow fully healed after he missed nearly all of last season? Can Ichiro Suzuki, at 39, play at the same level as he did when he came to New York in a summer trade (.322, 14 SBs) and help lead a lineup that will rely much less on the long ball this year? Will Ivan Nova return to his 2011 form when he went 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA instead of the 12-8 record and 5.02 ERA he had last season, when he was dumped from the rotation?
Baltimore Orioles
Manager: Buck Showalter (third full season)
2012: 93-69, second place, AL East, wild card, lost division series
Training Town: Sarasota, Fla.
Park: Ed Smith Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 12/15
He’s Here: 1B Travis Ishikawa. INF Danny Valencia, 2B Alexi Casilla, RHP Jair Jurrjens, INF-OF Yamaico Navarro, OF Trayvon Robinson,
He’s Outta Here: 1B Mark Reynolds, LHP Joe Saunders, 2B Robert Andino, OF Endy Chavez, OF Bill Hall, DH Nick Johnson, INF Omar Quintanilla, DH Jim Thome, LHP Randy Wolf.
Going campin’: Following their most successful season in 15 years, the Orioles did very little over the winter. Their most significant offseason move was re-signing free agent outfielder Nate McLouth, but that hardly makes up for the loss of free agents Reynolds and Saunders. Vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette hopes playing a pat hand, with a few possible additions in the spring and during the season, will be enough to get the team back to the playoffs for a second straight year. McLouth, for instance, was a late pickup who proved to be a key component after he took over for injured right fielder Nick Markakis in the latter part of the season. Duquette and Showalter are counting on a deep pitching staff to compensate for the loss of the hit-or-miss Reynolds, who had plenty of power and drew a slew of walks but struck out at an alarming rate. Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez are favorites to top the rotation, and Jake Arrieta, Jurrjens, Zach Britton and Brian Matusz intend to add their names to the list. Plenty of question marks surround this team, most notably at second base, where injury-prone, 35-year-old Brian Roberts will seek to stick around for more than a handful of games. McLouth and Nolan Reimold, who missed most of the season with a neck injury, fortify an outfield that features Adam Jones and Markakis.
Tampa Bay Rays
Manager: Joe Maddon (eighth season)
2012: 90-72, third place, AL East
Training Town: Port Charlotte, Fla.
Park: Charlotte Sports Park
First Workout: Feb. 13/17
He’s Here: 1B James Loney, SS Yunel Escobar, OF Shelley Duncan, RHP Jamey Wright, RHP Roberto Hernandez, OF Wil Myers, INF-OF Kelly Johnson.
He’s Outta Here: RHP James Shields, RHP Wade Davis, OF B.J. Upton, 1B Carlos Pena, RHP Burke Badenhop, LHP J.P. Howell, 2B Jeff Keppinger, OF Ben Francisco.
Going campin’ : With right-handers Shields and Davis dealt to Kansas City in an offseason trade that landed one of baseball’s top young minor league prospects in the 22-year-old Myers, an outfielder, the Rays enter spring training with openings in both the starting rotation and bullpen. But the hottest topic of discussion will be the health of three-time All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria, who appeared in just 74 games a year ago due to a partially torn left hamstring. The slugger signed a $136.6 million, 10-year deal that added six seasons and $100 million to his contract this winter, when he also underwent minor hamstring surgery. Tampa Bay went 47-27 with their star in the starting lineup last season, compared to 41-44 without Longoria, who batted .289 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs. Hard-throwing left-hander David Price led the AL in wins (20) and ERA (2.56) en route to winning the Cy Young Award in his third full season in the majors. He will be counted on even more with Shields, the franchise’s career leader in wins, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts, now in Kansas City. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson and lefty Matt Moore figure to retain spots in the rotation, with the remaining slots filled from among a talented group that includes right-handers Alex Cobb, Chris Archer and Jeff Niemann. Closer Fernando Rodney returns after posting a club-record and career-high 48 saves while setting a major league record for a reliever working a minimum of 50 innings with a 0.60 ERA. The Rays re-signed setup man Joel Peralta, but will have to fill slots vacated by Davis, Badenhop and Howell. The Rays remained in contention for a playoff berth until the final series of 2012, primarily because of strong pitching. Questions persist about the offense, although a healthy and productive Longoria could ease some of the concern. Loney was signed as a free agent to replace first baseman Carlos Pena’s sputtering bat, Escobar could team with Ryan Roberts, a midseason acquisition from Arizona last season, to give the Rays a regular shortstop and second base combination, thus freeing Ben Zobrist to play primarily in right field.
Toronto Blue Jays
Manager: John Gibbons (first season)
2012: 73-89, fourth place, AL East
Training Town: Dunedin, Fla.
Park: Florida Auto Exchange Stadium
First Workout: Feb. 13/17
He’s Here: SS Jose Reyes, RHP R.A. Dickey, RHP Josh Johnson, LHP Mark Buehrle, OF Melky Cabrera, INF Maicer Izturis, C Josh Thole, C Mike Nickeas, C Henry Blanco, OF-INF Emilio Bonifacio, INF Mark DeRosa.
He’s Outta Here: Manager John Farrell, C John Buck, SS Yunel Escobar, SS Adeiny Hechavarria, RHP Henderson Alvarez, C Jeff Mathis, RHP Carlos Villaneuva, 2B Kelly Johnson, RHP Jason Frasor, RHP Sam Dyson.
Going campin’: Determined to end their playoff drought at 20 years, the Blue Jays wheeled and dealed in the offseason, acquiring Dickey, the NL Cy Young Award winner, and Reyes, Buehrle and Johnson, all former All-Stars, in trades with the Mets and Marlins. Toronto also inked Cabrera, the All-Star game MVP who served a 50-game drug suspension last season, to a free-agent contract. GM Alex Anthopoulos hired Gibbons to return for his second stint as manager when Farrell was traded to Boston to take the Red Sox job. Gibbons will have a deep, new-look rotation led by the knuckleballing Dickey. The Blue Jays gave up two top prospects, catcher Travis d’Arnaud and right-hander Noah Syndergaard, in the deal for the 20-game winner. A staff that was devastated by injuries last year will get back reliever Sergio Santos (shoulder surgery), but Gibbons has said Casey Janssen, who had 22 saves in Santos’ absence, will begin as the closer. Janssen had offseason shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for opening day. The dynamic Reyes and Cabrera, who was leading the NL with a .346 batting average when he was suspended, plan to provide plenty of RBI opportunities for sluggers Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, who had wrist surgery in September. If the Blue Jays are going to have a chance to return to the postseason for first time since winning their second straight World Series title in 1993, they will have to stay healthy. Reyes has a history of leg problems and playing on turf might not help. Dickey is 38 and pitched a career-high 233 2-3 innings last season.
Detroit Tigers
Manager: Jim Leyland (eighth season)
2012: 88-74, first place, AL Central, lost World Series
Training Town: Lakeland, Fla.
Park: Joker Marchant Stadium
First Workout: Feb. 12/15
He’s Here: OF Torii Hunter, 2B Jeff Kobernus, LHP Kyle Lobstein, C Brayan Pena.
He’s Outta Here: C Gerald Laird, OF Ryan Raburn, LHP Daniel Schlereth, RHP Jose Valverde, DH Delmon Young.
Going campin’ : The defending AL champions kept all their top players. Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, ace Justin Verlander and slugger Prince Fielder are back to help Detroit try for a third straight AL Central title. The Tigers even spent big money to keep RHP Anibal Sanchez in the rotation instead of losing him to free agency. The Tigers also added Hunter to play right field, and they hope designated hitter Victor Martinez can be productive after missing the whole 2012 season with a knee injury. Although much of the lineup is already set, there will be some competition in camp. Detroit has six starting pitchers, so if there’s no trade, RHP Rick Porcello and LHP Drew Smyly will vie for the last rotation spot. It will also be interesting to see if RHP Bruce Rondon is ready to take over the closer role after impressing in the minors. If not, Leyland may need to mix and match late in games. Andy Dirks, Brennan Boesch and Quintin Berry are candidates to play left field. Berry stole 21 bases without being caught last year – he and center fielder Austin Jackson were the team’s only real speed threats. Nobody doubts the quality of Detroit’s front-line talent, but the Tigers could use a bounce-back season from shortstop Jhonny Peralta and a better defensive performance all around if they’re going to win the division comfortably. Last season, Detroit didn’t overtake the Chicago White Sox until late. After acquiring Sanchez and second baseman Omar Infante from Miami at midseason, Detroit will enjoy having both those players from the start this year. Sanchez in particular adds depth to an already impressive rotation that includes Verlander, Max Scherzer and Doug Fister.
Minnesota Twins
Manager: Ron Gardenhire (12th season)
2012: 66-96, fifth place, AL Central
Training Town: Ft. Myers, Fla.
Park: Hammond, Stadium
First Workout: Feb. 13/16
He’s Here: RHP Mike Pelfrey, RHP Vance Worley, RHP Kevin Correia.
He’s Outta Here: OF Denard Span, OF Ben Revere, RHP Scott Baker, LHP Francisco Liriano, RHP Carl Pavano, INF Alexi Casilla, RHP Matt Capps.
Going campin’: The Twins are used to defying the big-market teams and contending in the AL, but they have finished in last place in the Central division in each of the last two years. Injuries plagued them in 2011 and dreadful starting pitching was the culprit in 2012. With that in mind, the Twins have overhauled their rotation. LHP Scott Diamond is the only holdover from last season who is assured a spot in the rotation. But the Twins have taken a similar approach to addressing the problems as they did a year ago, by bringing over several pitchers from the NL to see if they can keep up with the deeper lineups in the AL. Pelfrey is coming off elbow-reconstruction surgery after being a solid but sometimes frustrating pitcher for the Mets, Worley was underwhelming with the Phillies last year and Correia was demoted to the bullpen in Pittsburgh, leaving many to wonder if those moves will turn out to be upgrades. Offense shouldn’t be a problem, with Joe Mauer bouncing back to regain his All-Star form, Justin Morneau healthier than he has been in years and Josh Willingham coming off a career season. The primary spot to look at this spring will be center field. In an effort to upgrade their farm system, the Twins traded established center fielders Span and Revere for promising pitching prospects. That leaves a hole in center and at the top of the order. They’re hoping Aaron Hicks, a prized prospect in the organization, will be able to handle the duties despite never playing in Triple-A. If he’s not ready, light-hitting Darin Mastroianni is the front-runner for the job. Either way, the Twins seem to be a year away from contending again, which is not what Mauer and Morneau want to hear.
Expect starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg to go more innings for the Washington Nationals this season, after the team limited his numbers in 2012.
Washington Nationals
Manager: Davey Johnson (third season)
2012: 98-64, first place, NL East, lost in division series
Training Town: Viera, Fla.
Park: Space Coast Stadium
First Workout: Feb. 14/17
He’s Here: RHP Rafael Soriano, RHP Dan Haren, CF Denard Span, C Chris Snyder.
He’s Outta Here: LF-1B Michael Morse, RHP Edwin Jackson, LHP Sean Burnett, LHP Mike Gonzalez, LHP John Lannan, C Jesus Flores, INF-OF Mark DeRosa, RHP Chien-Ming Wang.
Going campin’ : Stephen Strasburg will be rarin’ to go, no doubt, after his much-debated shutdown late in the 2012 regular season that kept him off Washington’s playoff roster for a division series exit against St. Louis. Same goes for Bryce Harper, the NL Rookie of the Year who, as GM Mike Rizzo put it, is “always going 100 mph with his hair on fire.” That pair of former No. 1 overall draft picks helped quickly turn the Nationals from a 100-loss laughingstock to one of baseball’s elite teams last season, when they led the majors in victories. To save some wear and tear on the 20-year-old Harper, Rizzo shifted him from center field to left – trading away Morse – and traded for Span to handle center and bat leadoff. One spot worth watching this spring: relief pitching. Washington blew a 6-0 lead in its season-ending Game 5 NLDS loss to the Cardinals, and Rizzo went out and signed Soriano, who stepped in to close for the Yankees last season when Mariano Rivera got injured. With Soriano, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen, the Nationals have a strong back end of the bullpen for Johnson to mix and match. With the departures of Burnett and Gonzalez, though, the Nationals are short on lefty relievers.
Houston Astros
Manager: Bo Porter (first season)
2012: 55-107, sixth place, NL Central
Training Town: Kissimmee, Fla.
First workout: Feb. 11/15
He’s Here: 1B-DH Carlos Pena, RHP Jose Veras, RHP Philip Humber, 1B Chris Carter, RHP Brad Peacock.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Brad Mills, SS Jed Lowrie, RHP Wilton Lopez, OF Jordan Schafer, C Chris Snyder, RHP Fernando Rodriguez.
Going campin’ : Porter, the former Nationals third base coach, takes over a team which has finished last in the majors in each of the last two seasons. The Astros will try to avoid becoming the first team to lose at least 106 games in three straight seasons since the expansion Mets did it from 1962-65. It won’t be easy for a team with just five players on the 40-man roster with more than two years of major league experience and the league’s lowest payroll. Plus, they’ll have to deal with the transition of moving from the NL Central to the powerful AL West. Their only major offseason move was the addition of aging slugger Carlos Pena, who can play first base, but is expected to be the team’s first full-time designated hitter. The 34-year-old is one of only three players on the 40-man roster who is 30 or older. They also signed reliever Jose Veras, who had a 3.63 ERA in 72 appearances for Milwaukee last season, and Philip Humber, who threw a perfect game for the White Sox in 2012 but finished the year with a 6.44 ERA. The team avoided arbitration with Bud Norris by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract. The 27-year-old right-hander is the highest paid player on the team with a payroll of about $25 million. Houston continued slashing its payroll on Monday when it traded veteran shortstop Jed Lowrie to Oakland. The Astros are looking for Tyler Greene and Marwin Gonzalez, who both saw action last season when Lowrie was injured, to compete for the job. Houston needs second baseman Jose Altuve to build on a solid 2012 season where he hit .290 and was named an NL All-Star. The Astros were also encouraged by the performance of 29-year-old outfielder Justin Maxwell, who hit 18 home runs in his first full season in the majors after playing portions of three seasons with the Nationals. General manager Jeff Luhnow believes the Astros added power to their lineup with the recent addition of Carter, who hit 16 home runs with 39 RBI in 67 games last season for the Nationals.
St. Louis Cardinals
Manager: Mike Matheny (second season)
2012: 88-74, second place, NL Central, wild card, lost in NLCS
Training Town: Jupiter, Fla.
Park: Roger Dean Stadium
First Workout: Feb. 12/15
He’s Here: LHP Randy Choate, INF Ronny Cedeno, INF Ty Wigginton, C Rob Johnson, C J.R. Towles.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Kyle Lohse, 1B Lance Berkman, 2B-OF Skip Schumaker, RHP Kyle McClellan, LHP Brian Fuentes.
Going campin’: The health of shortstop Rafael Furcal as he comes back from a torn ligament in his throwing elbow is the biggest question for a team that made minor alterations after finishing one win shy of a second straight trip to the World Series. There’s optimism that Furcal can return without surgery but it’s far from a sure thing, so Cedeno was picked up as a low-cost alternative. Rookie SS Pete Kozma was an offensive find while replacing Furcal last fall, although he struggled defensively. There’s certainly one opening in the rotation after Lohse, who was among the NL’s best with a 16-3 record, 2.86 ERA and staff-high 33 starts last season, was let go as a free agent. Hard-throwing kids Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal are among the options from a farm system loaded with prospects. But 37-year-old right-hander Chris Carpenter is unlikely to pitch this season and his career might be over because of a nerve injury that kept him out most of last year. Allen Craig, who batted .307 with 22 homers and 92 RBIs, enters his first year as the full-time starter at 1B in place of Berkman, who lasted just 32 games in an injury-plagued season. All-Star catcher Yadier Molina is perhaps the majors’ best defensively and is coming off his best offensive year after hitting .315 with 22 homers and 76 RBIs in his first season after signing a lucrative, multiyear contract.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Manager: Clint Hurdle (third season)
2012: 79-83, fourth place, NL Central
Training Town: Bradenton, Fla.
Park: McKechnie Field
First Workout: Feb. 12/15
He’s Here: C Russell Martin, RHP Jeanmar Gomez, RHP Mark Melancon, OF Jerry Sands, LHP Jonathan Sanchez, RHP Vin Mazzaro, 1B Clint Robinson, LHP Andy Oliver.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Joel Hanrahan, RHP Kevin Correia, C Rod Barajas, RHP Chad Qualls, RHP Chris Resop, 2B Brock Holt.
Going campin’: The Pirates were 16 games above .500 last August but still managed to finish with a losing record for the 20th straight season. Rather than try to make a big splash in free agency, they opted to sign a steady All-Star in Martin, hoping his career-worst .211 batting average for the Yankees in 2012 was an anomaly. The two-year, $17 million deal gives Martin a little time to get adjusted while developing a rapport with a pitching staff led by former New York teammate A.J. Burnett, who flourished outside the Big Apple and won 16 games for Pittsburgh last season. Burnett will be joined in the rotation by veteran lefty Wandy Rodriguez and right-hander James McDonald, but after that it’s a guessing game. The Pirates agreed in principal with free agent Francisco Liriano in December, but then the left-hander broke his right (non-throwing) arm over the holidays and his status is unknown. The Pirates brought back steady but injury-prone right-hander Jeff Karstens and brought in Gomez to compete with youngsters Jeff Locke and Kyle McPherson for the final two rotation spots if the Liriano deal never materializes. The bullpen will have a new closer in 36-year-old Jason Grilli, handed the job after Hanrahan, a two-time All-Star, was traded to Boston for prospects. Outside of Martin’s arrival, the rest of the position players will be familiar faces. Second-year outfielder Starling Marte will get the first shot at locking down the left field job, while the Pirates hope shortstop Clint Barmes can bounce back from a woeful offensive season. Entering Hurdle’s third year, the Pirates have run out of wiggle room. After two promising summers faded into disappointing falls, the time is now for them to end “The Streak” and play meaningful games into September and beyond.
Atlanta Braves
Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (third season)
2012: 94-68, second place, NL East, lost wild-card game
Training Town: Kissimmee, Fla.
Park: Champion Stadium, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
First Workout: Feb. 12/15
He’s Here: CF B.J. Upton, OF Justin Upton, 3B Chris Johnson, C Gerald Laird, RHP Jordan Walden.
He’s Outta Here: 3B Chipper Jones, INF-OF Martin Prado, RHP Randall Delgado, RHP Tommy Hanson, RHP Jair Jurrjens, CF Michael Bourn, C David Ross, RHP Chad Durbin, 1B-OF Eric Hinske, RHP Ben Sheets, OF Matt Diaz, RHP Peter Moylan, 1B Lyle Overbay, INF Jeff Baker, RHP Miguel Batista.
Going campin’: Following the retirement of Jones, the Braves needed to restock their offense. The moves by general manager Frank Wren were more dramatic than expected. Wren signed B.J. Upton to a five-year, $75.25 million contract, the richest deal ever awarded a free agent by the Braves. Then he traded for Upton’s younger brother, Justin. Johnson, expected to platoon with Juan Francisco at third base, also arrived in the seven-player deal that sent Prado, Delgado and three minor leaguers to Arizona. The Braves are left with one of the most athletic outfields in baseball. The Upton brothers and right fielder Jason Heyward provide speed and power. The Braves also have a young lineup: Justin Upton, Heyward, first baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Andrelton Simmons are 25 or younger. The Braves are counting on Simmons, who batted .289 in 49 games as a rookie last season, to hit leadoff. A key for spring training will be the health of catcher Brian McCann, who is returning from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. McCann is expected to be cleared to hit and throw during camp, but he could miss the first two weeks of the season if doctors wait to clear him for diving and sliding. After making six straight All-Star teams, McCann struggled last season as he tried to play through the injury. He hit only .230, easily a career low. The Braves see a healthy McCann batting fourth in the lineup, but he’ll have to show he has regained his ability to drive the ball. Laird could open the season as the fill-in starter. Walden joins elite closer Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty as power arms in the bullpen. The first four spots of the rotation are set with Tim Hudson, Kris Medlen, Mike Minor and Paul Maholm. Brandon Beachy, who had a strong start to the 2012 season before needing elbow ligament-replacement surgery, could return to the rotation by midseason. There will be competition this spring to determine who holds the No. 5 spot until Beachy returns. The trade of Hanson to the Angels for Walden clears the way for Julio Teheran, Sean Gilmartin and others to compete for the final spot.
Philadelphia Phillies
Manager: Charlie Manuel (ninth season)
2012: 81-81, third place, NL East
Training Town: Clearwater, Fla.
Park: BrightHouse Networks Field
First Workout: Feb. 13/16
He’s Here: 3B Michael Young, CF Ben Revere, RF Delmon Young, RHP Mike Adams, LHP John Lannan, RHP Chad Durbin, RHP Aaron Cook.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Vance Worley, 3B Placido Polanco, OF Juan Pierre, INF Ty Wigginton, OF Nate Schierholtz, RHP Josh Lindblom, RHP Jose Contreras, C Brian Schneider.
Going campin’: For the first time since 2008, the Phillies won’t be the team to beat in the NL East at the start of spring training. After winning five straight division titles, the Phillies finished behind Washington and Atlanta last year. They’re counting on a roster filled with high-priced, aging stars to make another run. But there are several question marks. The biggest ones surround the health of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay. Utley hasn’t played in a Grapefruit League game the last two years because of a chronic knee condition that’s forced him to miss significant time at the start of the regular season. The five-time All-Star second baseman hopes to make his season debut in April instead of late May and late June as he did each of the last two years. Howard’s season began in mid-July last year as the big slugger recovered from a torn Achilles tendon. Howard is owed at least $105 million over the next five years, but the 2006 NL MVP hasn’t come close to matching that production the last few years. Halladay missed two months in the middle of last season and didn’t pitch up to his usual ace form even when he was healthy. The Phillies need all three players to earn their hefty contracts to give them a chance to contend. There’s uncertainty in the outfield, too. Revere was acquired from Minnesota to be the starting center fielder. Delmon Young, despite his defensive limitations, was signed to play right. He was mostly a designated hitter and played sparingly in left field for Detroit last year. Minor league home run champ Darin Ruf, former top prospect Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. will compete for playing time in left field. Michael Young, the seven-time All-Star with Texas, also makes the transition to everyday fielder after serving mostly as a DH the past couple of years. He returns to third base, a position he hasn’t played regularly since 2010. A rotation that once boasted four aces still has three, assuming Halladay resembles his old self. Cliff Lee was only 6-9 last year, but had a 3.16 ERA. Cole Hamels enjoyed his finest season and was rewarded with a $144 million contract. The bullpen, led by closer Jonathan Papelbon, may be Philadelphia’s strength. Adams, one of the most effective setup men in the majors, should help the Phillies avoid the problems they had in the eighth inning last year.
New York Mets
Manager: Terry Collins (third season)
2012: 74-88, fourth place, NL East
Training Town: Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Park: Tradition Field.
First Workout: Feb. 13/18
He’s Here: RHP Shaun Marcum, C John Buck, C Travis d’Arnaud, OF Marlon Byrd, RHP LaTroy Hawkins, RHP Scott Atchison, INF Brandon Hicks, OF Collin Cowgill, OF Andrew Brown, C Anthony Recker, INF-OF Brian Bixler, INF Omar Quintanilla, LHP Pedro Feliciano, LHP Aaron Laffey, C Landon Powell, OF Jamie Hoffman.
He’s Outta Here: RHP R.A. Dickey, OF Scott Hairston, LF Jason Bay, C Josh Thole, C Kelly Shoppach, CF Andres Torres, RHP Mike Pelfrey, RHP Chris Young, RHP Ramon Ramirez, RHP Jon Rauch, RHP Manny Acosta, INF Ronny Cedeno, C Rob Johnson, C Mike Nickeas, LHP Justin Hampson, OF Fred Lewis.
Going campin’: The frugal Mets were the last team to sign a big league free agent this winter, adding Marcum to the rotation with a $4 million, one-year deal. That doesn’t mean it was a quiet offseason, though, because the club made several major decisions. New York released Bay, an expensive bust, and committed to building around All-Star 3B David Wright by signing the face of the franchise to a $138 million, eight-year contract – the richest in team history. The Mets also traded Dickey, last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner, to Toronto for a touted package of prospects plus Buck. And they might still make a play for free-agent CF Michael Bourn and reliever Brandon Lyon. Besides that, GM Sandy Alderson has stood pat with an unproven outfield of Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Mike Baxter while trying to fill bullpen and bench holes with no-names and aging veterans at bargain prices. Some are simply stopgap solutions for a team in the middle of a complex rebuilding project – even if the Mets don’t like to acknowledge that, for some reason. Alderson says the Mets have increased flexibility, and one or two big moves could quickly make them a contender. The biggest reason for optimism is the cadre of promising young pitchers in the system. Matt Harvey had an impressive debut last season and top prospect Zack Wheeler is getting close. Fans will be itching to see d’Arnaud before long, too. A premier catching prospect with power, he was acquired in the Dickey deal. Nieuwenhuis (foot), Duda (wrist), pitcher Dillon Gee (blood clot) and closer Frank Francisco (elbow surgery) are all coming off injuries and must show they are healthy during spring training. The same goes for Johan Santana, who enters the final year of his $137.5 million contract. None of the starters in the projected rotation reached 200 innings last year. Better days appear to be ahead, but the Mets face a tough road to success in a talented division. Thankfully, the Marlins could keep them out of last place again.
Miami Marlins
Manager: Mike Redmond (first season)
2012: 69-93, fifth place, NL East
Training Town: Jupiter, Fla.
Park: Roger Dean Stadium
First Workout: Feb. 12/15
He’s Here: SS Adeiny Hechavarria, 3B Placido Polanco, OF Juan Pierre, C Jeff Mathis, RHP John Maine, RHP Jon Rauch, RHP Chad Qualls, RHP Kevin Slowey, OF Austin Kearns.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Ozzie Guillen, SS Jose Reyes, RHP Josh Johnson, LHP Mark Buehrle, RHP Heath Bell, RHP Carlos Zambrano, 1B Carlos Lee, C John Buck, INF-OF Emilio Bonifacio, LHP Randy Choate, RHP Chad Gaudin, RHP Juan Oviedo.
Going campin’: The Marlins’ free-spending ways in their new ballpark lasted less than a year, and the franchise’s latest purge sent Reyes, Johnson and Buehrle packing to Toronto. As a result, the Marlins are back to a small payroll, small crowds and modest expectations. They’re counting on youngsters Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob Turner to make the rotation, which leaves only one spot open, and the starting lineup is mostly set – although there’s little protection for slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Hechavarria is considered a potential star at shortstop. Redmond, a first-time manager, has some sorting out to do with the bullpen and bench, and management will be eager to get a peak at the organization’s top prospects, 21-year-old outfielder Christian Yelich and 20-year-old right-hander Jose Fernandez. Both are expected to start the season in Double-A, but either or both might join the Marlins at some point in 2013.