In a division that has been dominated by the Angels in recent years, we may be seeing a shift in the balance of power. The Halos have serious contention coming from the likes of the Mariners and Rangers, while the A's are lurking in the sewer of the division.
Los Angeles - Coming of a thrilling ALCS loss to the eventual 2009 Champion Yankees, the Angels made a flurry of big moves this off-season. Notable losses include big Vlad Guerrero, John Lackey, and Chone Figgins. Of the three, I think they'll miss Figgins the most since he brought versatility, speed, and the ability to play many positions. Losing Vlad will hurt but adding Hideki Matsui as a likely full-time DH replacement offsets that handily. Matsui's a proven RBI machine and he's a very clutch hitter that has the patience at the plate that has always eluded Vlad. Lackey's a head of the rotation guy that eats innings but there's a good amount of pitching depth in Orange County. The biggest question, to me, is who is finishing games? Brian Fuentes is far too erratic to be a dominant closer - he is at the top of the middle tier but that's not a good bet come playoff time.
Seattle - They grabbed Chone Figgins and the rest is outlined here. Can this team go from pretender to contender? King Felix and Cliff Lee will have their say.
Texas - Vlad went south and east and landed within the division, notice a trend out West? The rest of Ryan's Express is outlined here.
Oakland - Last and certainly least, the A's were previewed in full, here.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
1. Angels - 94 wins
2. Mariners - 85 wins
3. Rangers
4. Athletics
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