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Losing lefty Eric Milton to knee surgery this spring hurt, but cheapskate owner Carl Pohlad gave general manager Terry Ryan the green light to sign veteran Rogers after surprising rising star Hunter with a four-year, $32 million deal. This team, which pushed the Angels to seven games in the ALCS last fall, could be 2003's version of the Halos, adding promising rookie Cuddyer to a lineup that defied extinction last season by catching the ball better than anyone, transforming Everyday Eddie Guadardo into a 45-save closer, and going 29-16 in one-run games. Best team chemistry this side of Anaheim, too.
Much is expected from a team that with an assist from the Yankees added ace Colon to a rotation already boasting 19-game winner Buerhle. Thomas, with a reworked contract, apparently is happy and hitting again, Ordonez and Konerko combined to knock in 239 runs last season, and closer Billy Koch joins his third team in three years (Jays, A's) to give the Sox a major upgrade in the pen. Crede is a slugging newcomer at third, and Jays castoff Loaiza could give the back end of the rotation an unexpected lift.
Wedge, a popular man in his years catching for Pawtucket, takes over a team that has shed more than $40 million in payroll in two years, as GM Mark Shapiro reconstructs a club that lost Mr. Cleveland, Jim Thome, who preferred Philadelphia's Benjamins to a statue of himself outside of Jacobs Field. Shapiro was burned last spring when Alex Escobar, the centerpiece of the Roberto Alomar trade to the Mets, tore up his knee and missed the entire 2002 season. Escobar still hasn't fully recovered, but Shapiro has dealt for top prospects such as Phillips, Hafner, and Ben Broussard to start the Tribe on the long road back.
Royals owner David Glass in his own way has become a poster boy for what's wrong with baseball, ordering his already lightweight payroll to be cut even more despite receiving millions more in revenue sharing. Royals spent the spring shopping two of their better players, Beltran and Randa. Ex-Sox catcher Pena decided his Opening Day starter with a coin flip. And we're supposed to take this team seriously?
The Tigers are 233 games under .500 since pizza man Mike Ilitch bought the team in 1992, and despite across-the-board raves for new manager Trammell, the Tigers are guaranteed their 10th straight losing season. Trammell brought on board some other great names from Motown's glory days to help him in Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish, but his best pitcher in camp was 20-year-old Bonderman, who was in Single A ball last season.