Some of you might take issue with who comprises the Blue Jays’ “four horsemen.” For instance, Edwin Encarnacion is not on this list. How can that be? He hit 36 home runs with 104 RBI, ranking among the AL’s top five hitters with a .904 OPS. All right, but Toronto still won only 74 games […]

We’ve covered the Blue Jays’ shortcomings in the starting rotation and at second base, as well as the many injuries the team has had to deal with in recent seasons. Those are likely the biggest questions that hang over Toronto going into the 2014 season. However, with much of the same roster on hand as […]

When Ervin Santana signed with the Braves, more attention seemed to focus on the Blue Jays losing out on him. Toronto had a big need for starting pitching especially at the back end of its rotation and Santana could be had for a one-year contract. Losing a first-round draft pick wasn’t even a concern because […]

Remember last year, when the Blue Jays were a trendy World Series pick after general manager Alex Anthopoulos’ offseason overhaul? That seems like a very long time ago. Injuries prevented Toronto from fulfilling those great expectations and have raised serious doubts about the team’s capability of contending this season, despite returning much of the same […]

Two weeks before opening day, the Detroit Tigers face major questions about their shortstop situation. On Saturday,

With some of these "four horsemen" lists, maybe we've tried to be a bit tricky and clever. A team's four best players aren't necessarily the same as the four who could have the biggest influence on whether or not the season is successful. But that's really not the case with the Pirates. The Bucs need […]

The Pirates go into the 2014 season with major questions at the right field and first base positions. The fifth starter is also a concern, but Pittsburgh should have enough arms to cover that. Though the Pirates return largely the same club that won an NL wild-card bid last season, the team carries a few […]

Starting pitching was not a problem for the Pirates last season, a big reason why they returned to the postseason for the first time in 21 years. Pittsburgh starters finished with a 3.50 ERA in 2013, the fourth-best mark in the NL, while an opponents' .667 OPS led the league. The rotation had depth, getting […]

After second-half collapses led to fourth-place finishes in 2012 and 2013, the Pirates finally compiled a winning record and returned to the postseason for the first time since 1992. It was a long time coming. Pittsburgh deeply enjoyed the Bucs following through on early-season promise, overtaking the Reds for the NL's first wild-card spot and […]

Picking two of the four horsemen for the Tigers isn’t difficult at all. The lineup boasts the reigning two-time AL MVP. The starting rotation features an AL Cy Young Award winner. Actually, there are two Cy Young Award winners among Detroit’s starting five, including last year’s honoree. But one is more important to the Tigers’ […]

We covered the Tigers' question marks — or weaknesses — in left field and the bullpen in an earlier post, and thus won't repeat them here. (What kind of blogging would that be?) But despite an overall roster that appears relatively solid, there are some underlying questions that Detroit will have to answer affirmatively if the team […]

Since 2006, two of the consistent trouble spots on the Tigers roster have been left field and the bullpen. Who could’ve guessed that Craig Monroe would be so difficult to replace? While Todd Jones wasn’t a dominant closer (and was often frustrating to watch), Detroit hasn’t been able to find a setup tandem close to […]

The Tigers were close to a second consecutive trip to the World Series, but couldn't overcome their subpar bullpen and a deep Red Sox lineup and relief corps. That led to rather significant changes, Manager Jim Leyland retired, Prince Fielder and Doug Fister were traded and more strikeout arms were added to the bullpen. Additionally, […]

The Indians scored the fourth-most runs in the AL last season. For the Tribe's offense to be as productive as it was last year, and keep them competitive in the AL Central and wild-card races, the lineup's three best sluggers will need to continue swinging big bats. Of course, no club wins without good pitching. […]

Who the Indians' fifth starter will be appears to be their biggest question during the spring. But the team has covered itself with five to six options to consider. While the everyday lineup looks solid, it does carry some underlying concerns. Will one of last year's breakouts turn out to be a one-year fluke? Will […]