Third?
Baseball America is not sold on your Boston Red Sox.
And of the Yankees?
That much is true, but it sounds too me like BA is putting too much weight on Sabathia (and Bard, for that matter). We shall see.
3. BOSTON RED SOXThis prediction is dated March 12, so it doesn't factor the last two Bard outings.
Best-Case Scenario: Boston's pitching is healthier this season, and the team plays like it did from mid-April through August a year ago.
Worst-Case Scenario: The hangover from September's collapse persists, and the Sox don't find solutions at shortstop or in right field.
In The Spotlight: If RHP Daniel Bard can make the transition from set-up man to starter, he'd go a long way to shoring up the back of Boston's rotation.
Biggest Offseason Acquisition: RHP Andrew Bailey.
Next First-Time All-Star: Bard.
And of the Yankees?
1. NEW YORK YANKEESAnd the moral is, "It's all about pitching."
Best-Case Scenario: RHPs Michael Pineda and Hideki Kuroda provide quality support behind LHP C.C. Sabathia in the rotation, eliminating New York's biggest weakness.
Worst-Case Scenario: With a lineup featuring six projected starters on the wrong side of 30, the Yankees aren't as healthy or productive as expected.
In The Spotlight: Sabathia has embraced rather than shrunk from the challenge of pitching in New York, and he has become the team's most indispensable player.
Biggest Offseason Acquisition: Pineda.
Next First-Time All-Star: Brett Gardner.
That much is true, but it sounds too me like BA is putting too much weight on Sabathia (and Bard, for that matter). We shall see.
