It seems like the time they play the best ball is April. I don't think they had a shot considering the improved Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Yankees are all better. With the steroids controversy involving Palmeiro, this team is hard to make out. They can't win if Cabrera walks double figures every game. I think Leo Mazzone can work it out though.

Could come in last unless Tampa Bay has a Tampa Bayesque year again. Other than Tejada and Mora, the rest of their lineup is so-so to bad, and they don't have great pitching, or even good pitching beyond Lopez, Cabrera, and maybe one or two others with promise. Mazzone will help, but it may take a while for his instruction to pay off. Catcher Hernandez was indeed a good pickup, and though he's aging, Javy Lopez might put up decent numbers, as may Gibbons- but this is a clunky, rather haphazardly put together outfit, with a meddlesome owner.

It's a tough time for the Orioles. Mazzone will find that you can't make chicken salad out of chicken s---!

The Orioles are still cursed to be in the AL East. Although they led the division for much of the year in 2005, they fell flat on their faces towards the end of the year. I think there are a lot of questions in the air for this season, and am not sure how they will end up. They have legitimate talent with their starting pitchers, but Rodrigo Lopez is really the only one to have proven himself over several seasons. Will Leo Mazzone, the former pitching coach of the Braves, be able to take the raw talent and get results? Will Brian Roberts recover from his severe arm injury and be able to put up All Star type numbers at second base? Ramon Hernandez is a great signing at catcher, and this should allow the O's to keep Javy Lopez healthy all year. I think the O's are a team on their way up, but its going to be harder for them than most teams because of their division.