The Big Orange Guy’s Top 5 Questions About the American League West

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Five weeks.  In just five short weeks, we will finally see baseball action.  We will hear the sound of baseballs against leather and then baseballs being hit by ash, maple and other types of wood bats.  We get closer to spring training and as the days inch closer, more and more questions get asked about the organizations.  Last week, I asked five questions about the National League West.  This week, I look to the American League and the teams on the West Coast.

Over the next couple of weeks, (unless another set of questions need to be asked) I will look at the various divisions within Major League Baseball and ask questions about these teams and hope that you can answer them for me.  As I just said, I will look at the Aational League West and ask my Top 5 Questions that need to be asked.

#1 – Will Felix Hernandez survive the season with the Seattle Mariners?  The 2010 Cy Young Award winner was just 24 at the end of the 2010 season.  He has earned the reputation as one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.  He is also signed until the end of the 2014 season.  He will earn $10 million this season, $18.5 million in 2012, $19.5 million in 2013 and will earn $20 million in 2014.  With Zack Greinke traded to the Brewers, most rumors now include Hernandez.  There have been Yankees, Red Sox, Blue jays and other teams rumored to be asking about King Felix.  To pry this pitcher from Seattle, major players will have to be offered.  There are rumors of three major leaguers plus two top minor leaguers would be the asking price.  For an organization that has finished last in the American League West five times in the last seven seasons, rebuilding will continue after the mariners received four players for Cliff Lee.  This team needs to rebuild and trading King Felix is a sure way to rebuild fast.  Our first question today is, will Felix Hernandez survive the season with the Seattle Mariners?

#2 – Where does the Texas Rangers go from here?  The Texas Rangers are the 2010 American league Champions.  Since the end of the season, the team lost Cliff Lee to free agency.  They did not trade for Greinke or Matt Garza.  The team declined the option on Vladimir Guerrero.  They did sign Adrian Beltre to take the place of Guerrero in the lineup and signed Arthur Rhodes and Brandon Webb.  Is that enough to keep them at the top is what they are wondering.  Will the lack of a pure number one starter prevent the Rangers from getting back to the playoffs?  Are they as good as other teams that have improved?  Are they the best team in their division?  That is the question, where do the Texas Rangers go from here, back to the World Series or back to the team that did not make the playoffs from 2000 to 2009?

#3 – Will the Angels spend their money?  Everyone knows Arte Moreno likes to spend his money.  He likes to make a large splash every year and spend on free agents.  The Angels did not get Cliff Lee, did not sign Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth  or Adrian Beltre.  They did re-sign Hideki Matsui.   Scot Shields has not been resigned.  Almost all of the top free agents are gone.  Where are the Angels going to go with their wallets?  Vladimir Guerrero may be signed, but that is not a large signing.  Will any of the remaining free agents assist the Angels or will they take a step back this year and regroup for the upcoming seasons.  With less than $100 million currently in contracts, there is money to spend.  However, will there be anywhere for the Angels to spend it?

#4 – Will a new stadium ever be approved for the Oakland A’s?  The A’s have been playing at Oakland-Alameda Stadium since 1968.  In its current form, Cisco Field is proposed to be built in San Jose, California.  If approved, the stadium would be opened for the 2015 season.  Besides the battle to get the stadium built, the A’s would have to get the San Francisco Giants to let go of their territorial rights to Santa Clara County much like the Baltimore Orioles did for the Washington Nationals.  This new stadium is proposed to have 32,000 seats and will cost approximately $400 million to build.  The A’s have had previous potential stadiums fall apart.  They had Cisco Field In Fremont for years in the works.  That plan indeed in 2009 for a variety of reasons.  The A’s were also looking for a new location in Oakland that was abandoned in 2005.  The stadium in Oakland has been a problem for years.  It is a football stadium and is too big for a baseball team.  The Oakland A’s have been looking for a way out for nearly 10 years, but will they ever get it.  This past November, along with the location in San Jose, the city of Oakland has begun to do an environmental study for an area on the waterfront.  With two potential sites being researched, will 2011 be the year that a new stadium for the Oakland A’s is announced?

#5 – Will any of the 2010 first round draft picks from the teams in the American League West have an impact in 2011?  The Mariners did not have a first round pick until #43 where they selected Taijuan Walker of Yucaipa HS in California.  The 17 year old pitched for the Arizona Rookie League and had a 1-1 record with a 1.29 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched.  The Rangers had three picks in the first round; Kake Skole (#15, of Blessed Trinity HS of Roswell, Georgia),  Kellin Deglan (#22, or R.E. Mountain SS of Langley, British Columbia) and Luke Jackson (#45 of Calvary Christian HS of Fort Lauderdale, Florida).  Skole made his way to the Low A Rangers affiliate in Spokane, hitting .254 in 228 at-bats.  Deglan joined him in Spokane, hitting less than .200 in 90 at-bats.  Jackson did not play for the Rangers in 2010.  The Rangers had five picks in the first round.  Their top performer was Taylor Lindsey out of Desert Mountain HS in Scottsdale, Arizona.  The only first round pick of the Athletics was Michael Choice out of the University of Texas.  He hit .284 in 121 plate appearances for Vancouver of the Northwest League, with 7 home runs and 26 runs batted in.  He was the only four year college player drafted in the first round by these four teams.   Looking at these picks and where they are in their progress, it looks as if we will not see any of them until at least 2013 and maybe 2014.

That is all for this week.  It is snowing here in New York and it looks like we are having a snow day.  Stay safe all and I will see you on the other side.