Sunday, June 23, 2013

Breakdown: American League contenders' needs

As we near the halfway point of the Major League Baseball season, we're seeing what separates the contenders from the pretenders. But even the contenders need help, if they're going to make the leap to winning the league title. With that in mind, here is what I think each American League contender will need to put them over the top:

Boston Red Sox -- A reliable closer and possibly one starting pitcher. The Red Sox just gave Andrew Bailey's closer job to Koji Uehara after it was supposed to be Joel Hanrahan's role. And if John Lackey (4-5 record, 3.03 ERA, 61 strikeouts) is the best the Red Sox can do for a No. 3 starting pitcher, they're going to need some help in the rotation, too.

Baltimore Orioles -- The glaring need is the rotation where two pitchers -- Jason Hammel and Freddie Garcia -- are struggling to get their ERAs below 5.00. If they can get that turned around, they should stay in contention in the AL East.

New York Yankees -- The obvious answer is they need to get healthy, but they really need to find a third baseman who can hit on a regular basis. Alex Rodriguez and Kevin Youkilis aren't going to be walking into the locker room to suit up any time soon.



Toronto Blue Jays -- As the Blue Jays' health improves, so does their record as they won their 11th consecutive game by beating Baltimore 13-5 Sunday. Josh Johnson picked up the win in only his eighth appearance of the season.

Tampa Bay Rays -- Pitching has always been a strength for the Rays, but that concept has been put to the test this season with David Price and Alex Cobb sidelined. If they could find a better closer option than Fernando Rodney (5.16 ERA), that would be a big help.

Detroit Tigers -- The one thing the AL Central-leading Tigers lack is a reliable closer. The job is now in the hands of Joaquin Benoit, who has never been a closer.

Cleveland Indians -- It's hard to believe the Indians are in second place with a pitching rotation that is in need of help. How bad is it? Ubaldo Jimenez (5-4 record, 4.66 ERA, 38 walks in 73.1 innings pitched) is considered one of Cleveland's aces along with Justin Masterson, and Scott Kazmir (4-4, 5.37 ERA) still has a job.

Kansas City Royals -- Pitching isn't the Royals' problem. It's giving their pitchers run support where the Royals (.256 batting average, 278 runs scored, 38 home runs) often fail. Straightening out this one detail could mean the difference between truly contending and remaining a .500 team at best.

Texas Rangers -- About the only thing the Rangers need at this point is patience, especially when it comes to the back half of the rotation. Guys like Nick Tepeschn (3-6 record, 4.84 ERA) and Justin Grimm (6-5, 5.57 ERA) are in their mid-20s, so some inconsistency comes with the territory.

Oakland A's -- The A's problems are minor and only require a player or two to perform better. In other words, they're fine.

I'll have a look at the National League contenders' needs tomorrow.

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