All across Florida and Arizona, spring training is now well underway. Grapefruit League and Cactus League games will begin soon, meaning real live baseball will be on your television or mobile device. Thank goodness for that. This offseason felt like an eternity.
As always, each team came into spring training with some questions in need of an answer. Usually itâs a roster spot or three, or a player coming back from injury, things like that. The best and most fortunate teams have fewer questions in camp. So, with that in mind, letâs take a look at one burning question for each team right now, with Opening Day roughly six weeks away.
Weâll hit the American League teams in this space and come back with the NL clubs as well here.
Baltimore Orioles
Burning Question: Is the offense and bullpen good enough to overcome a sketchy rotation again?
The Orioles already know theyâll be without Chris Tillman for Opening Day. Heâs dealing with a shoulder issue that dates back to last season. Right now they have four starters (Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman, Ubaldo Jimenez, Wade Miley) and four candidates for the fifth spot (Logan Verrett, Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright, Gabriel Ynoa).
I would say that rotation comes with a lot of risk, wouldnât you?
Luckily the Oâs have a really good offense, especially since they were able to retain Mark Trumbo, and their bullpen remains deep and excellent. Baltimore has been beating the projection systems for years by posting strong records in one-run games -- SportsLine projects them to win 84.1 games in 2017 -- and it appears they will have to rely on a similar formula this coming season.
Boston Red Sox
Burning Question: Whoâs going to take charge behind the plate?
One of the many reasons the Red Sox won the AL East last year was the surprising play of catcher Sandy Leon. He authored a .310/.369/.476 (120 OPS+) batting line in 282 plate appearances after hitting .187/.258/.225 (33 OPS+) in his first 235 big-league plate appearances. His minor-league track record gives you no reason to believe what he did last year is sustainable -- Leon is a career .238/.325/.330 hitter in more than 2,300 minor-league plate appearances -- but hey, maybe it is.
If not, the Red Sox will turn to either Blake Swihart, who is having throwing issues and canât currently throw the ball back to the pitcher ...
Here's video of an example of the issues Blake Swihart had this morning in throwing back to the pitcher. pic.twitter.com/ceKkBHbtqn
— CSN New England (@CSNNE) February 17, 2017
... or Christian Vazquez, an excellent defender who isnât much with the bat. Catcher is a crucial position, and if turns out Leon is not really the hitter he was last season, the Red Sox could suddenly have some issues behind the plate.
Chicago White Sox
Burning Question: How long until David Robertson and Jose Quintana are traded?
Itâs a matter of âwhenâ with these two. Not âif.â We should probably include Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera in here as well. Maybe even Jose Abreu too. The ChiSox are in full-blown rebuild mode and thereâs no point in hanging onto veteran assets right now. Especially pitchers like Robertson and Quintana, since the injury risk is inherently greater.
My hunch is Robertson is dealt before Opening Day, while Quintana goes at the trade deadline. Chicago still has some pretty great trade chips they can turn into even more talented young players.
Cleveland Indians
Burning Question: When will Michael Brantley be ready to return?
Itâs pretty remarkable the Indians won 94 games and went all the way to Game 7 of the World Series last year even though Brantley, their best all-around hitter, was limited to only 11 games due to shoulder surgery. He is rehabbing from his second shoulder procedure right now, and the hope is he will be ready for Opening Day. Then again, after the lost season in 2016, you can be sure the Indians will play it safe.
Adding a healthy Brantley -- this is a guy who hit .319/.382/.494 (139 OPS+) with 90 doubles, 35 homers, 38 steals in 40 attempts, and more walks (112) than strikeouts (107) from 2014-15, remember -- to a lineup that includes Edwin Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Jose Ramirez, and others would make the Indians a powerhouse offensively.
Detroit Tigers
Burning Question: Will Jordan Zimmermann rebound from his tough 2016 season?
In the resurgent Justin Verlander and AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer, the Tigers have a very strong 1-2 punch in the rotation. A healthy Zimmermann, who signed a $110 million contract last offseason, would be the perfect No. 3 starter. He missed time with neck issues in 2016 and had a 4.87 ERA (85 ERA+) in 105 1/3 innings when he was on the mound.
Detroit won 86 games a year ago and there are reasons to believe they can be even better in 2017. A healthy and effective Zimmermann would push this ballclub right into the thick of the postseason race.
Houston Astros
Burning Question: Can Dallas Keuchel regain his ace form?
Two years ago Keuchel led the AL in wins (20), innings (232), WHIP (1.02), and WAR (7.2), which earned him the Cy Young award. Last season Keuchel posted a 4.55 ERA (87 ERA+) in 168 innings before shoulder inflammation ended his season in late August. Thatâs not good.
The Astros added a ton of offense over the winter (Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Josh Reddick), though the rotation is still a little hit or miss. Houston needs Keuchel to be their unquestioned ace so they can make the jump from up-and-coming club to bona fide World Series contender.
Kansas City Royals
Burning Question: Will the group that starts the season be the group that ends the season?
Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, and Alcides Escobar are all scheduled to become free agents after the 2017 season. So was Danny Duffy before he signed a five-year extension, Wade Davis before he was traded for Jorge Soler, and Jarrod Dyson before he was traded for Nathan Karns.
The Royals wonât be able to re-sign all their core players, so this coming season figures to be their last rodeo. Will this group contend, or force general manager Dayton Moore to consider a trade deadline fire sale?
Los Angeles Angels
Burning Question: Does Mike Trout have enough help to get this team to the postseason?
Trout is the best and therefore most valuable player in baseball, but he canât do it all himself.
The Angels, under new general manager Billy Eppler, have done a nice job patching the rest of the roster with veterans like Yunel Escobar, Cameron Maybin, Ricky Nolasco, Ben Revere, Andrelton Simmons, and Luis Valbuena over the last 18 months, so if you squint, you can see enough things going right that the Halos contend for a playoff spot. The rotation, specifically the health of Garrett Richards, is the biggest wild card. Get competent rotation work and this club could sneak up on some people.
Minnesota Twins
Burning Question: Can Byron Buxton build on his big September?
Thereâs no doubt Buxton had a disappointing season in 2016. He hit .225/.284/.430 (91 OPS+) overall and struck out in 35.6 percent of his plate appearances. That said, Buxton seemed to figure some things out in September, hitting .287/.357/.653 (170 OPS+) with nine home runs in 29 games.
This kid was ranked among the gameâs very best prospects the last several years for a reason. Buxton turned only 23 in December, and as the Twins begin a new phase in the franchiseâs history with new leadership, they need a cornerstone player. Buxton has the talent to be that player.
New York Yankees
Burning Question: Which young kids will make the Opening Day roster?
The Yankees shifted gears last season and became sellers for the first time in nearly three decades. As a result, they now have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball.
Gary Sanchez is entrenched behind home plate, and this spring young players will compete for openings at first base (Greg Bird?), right field (Aaron Judge?), and in two of the five rotation spots (Luis Severino? Luis Cessa? Chad Green? Bryan Mitchell?). The Yankees have veteran competition at first base (Chris Carter) and right field (Aaron Hicks), but give the front office truth serum, and theyâd tell you they want the kids to win those jobs.
Oakland Athletics
Burning Question: Is Sonny Gray healthy?
The Aâs are in a weird spot right now. Theyâve lost 94 and 93 games in the last two seasons, yet they spent the winter stockpiling cheap veterans (Matt Joyce, Trevor Plouffe, Rajai Davis) rather than emphasizing youth.
Regardless of their direction, Gray is their best and most important player. He was a Cy Young candidate in 2015 and both hurt and ineffective in 2016, throwing 117 innings with a 5.69 ERA (70 ERA+). For Oakland to have any chance at contention in 2017, any chance at all, they need Gray to be ace-like.
And even if they donât contend, they need Gray to return to his 2015 form so they could field offers and use him as a trade chip like theyâve done with so many of their top players over the years.
Seattle Mariners
Burning Question: Is this the year they finally get over the hump?
That is the only question in Mariners-land these days. Seattle has baseballâs longest postseason drought -- they havenât been to the playoffs since 2001, Ichiroâs rookie season -- and core players like Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz arenât getting any younger.
General manager Jerry Dipoto has aggressively sought upgrades via the trade market since taking over following the 2015 season, and itâs starting to feel like now or never for this group. They wonât be able to rely on Felix, Cano, and Cruz to carry the load indefinitely. The time to win is right now.
Tampa Bay Rays
Burning Question: Which Matt Duffy will show up?
The Rays made one of the most interesting pickups in baseball last year, when they traded Matt Moore to the Giants for Duffy, who finished second in the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year voting. Duffy played third base in deference to Brandon Crawford in San Francisco, but Tampa Bay intends to play him at his natural position: shortstop.
Unfortunately, nagging Achilles problems limited Duffy to only 91 games in 2016, including 21 with the Rays, so they didnât get to see him much. With good health, the 26-year-old Duffy should have no trouble defensively at shortstop, and if heâs able to get his bat back to where it was in 2015, the Rays are going to come out like gangbusters.
Texas Rangers
Burning Question: Will rolling the dice on Tyson Ross pay off?
As it stands, the Rangers have two great pitchers atop the rotation (Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish) and a whole lot of questions thereafter. Martin Perez and Andrew Cashner will get rotation spots on Opening Day. We know that much. The fifth spot is a little up in the air, with A.J. Griffin the apparent front-runner.
Texas was able to sign Ross, who missed almost the entire 2016 season with a shoulder injury and then needed thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in October, to a one-year deal worth $6 million with the hope that he will return to his 2014-15 form when healthy. Ross was one of the best pitchers in game with the Padres, and if he approaches that level of performance this summer, the Rangers are going to have a fearsome top three leading the rotation.
And if Ross doesnât bounce back, itâll only add another question to the clubâs starting staff.
Toronto Blue Jays
Burning Question: Can Jose Bautista stave off Father Time?
Two years ago, Bautista hit a robust .250/.377/.536 (145 OPS+) with 40 home runs. Then last year, in his age-35 season, his production slipped to .234/.366/.452 (117 OPS+) with 22 homers in 116 games around knee and toe injuries. Thatâs still really good! But it is clearly a step down from Bautistaâs previous levels of production.
Heâs at the age where youâd expect his performance to slip, and Bautista had little choice but to bet on himself and take a one-year deal with the Blue Jays this offseason. His market wasnât robust. The Blue Jays lost Edwin Encarnacion to free agency, and if Bautista continues to decline, their offense wonât be nearly as fearsome as it has been the last few seasons.
