AL West Breakdown

Winston-Salem, NC -- B's Bistro is starting his divisional predictions with the AL West because, other than the NL Central, it's probably the easiest division to predict. Here goes the rundown:

1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Seattle Mariners
3. Oakland A's
4. Texas Rangers

The Angels are the "powerhouse" of the division. If I owned a baseball team, I'd run it the same way that Angels owner Arte Moreno runs it; solid drafting, using free agency for complementary pieces, making ballpark tickets and food affordable, and creating a branded marketing plan around town. Lackey, Jered Weaver, Escobar, and Ervin Santana are a rock solid rotation. On the hitting side, the Angels finally found some protection for Vlad in Torii Hunter. I can't see the M's catching up with this first class organization.

The Mariners added a nice pitching piece in Erik Bedard to round out their above-average rotation. Still, I don't think that Felix Hernandez, Bedard, Carlos Silva, Jarrod Washburn, and Miguel Batista are enough to surpass the Angels. They're too many holes in the lineup. Wilkerson is a liability in rightfield and Sexson is a strikeout machine at first base. Remember when Sexson went in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of a fantasy baseball draft? There's not enough offense to contend legitimately.

The A's sold all of their marketable parts -- Nick Swisher, Mark Kotsay, and Dan Haren -- to restock the farm system. I still think that the A's will nudge the Rangers in the fight to stay out of the cellar. Their pitching staff with Harden healthy still isn't bad -- Harden, Joe Blanton, Chad Gaudin, and Lenny DiNardo. It'll keep them from finishing below the Rangers.

The Rangers still don't get the memo. They overpay for mediocre arms in free agency and load up on bats. I think Michael Young will bounce back after a subpar year at SS. I'd like to see one of my favorite players Jarrod "Salty" Saltalamacchia step up into superstar status. This team has no true ace; no, Kevin Millwood doesn't count. It's another year in the basement for the Rangers until they start scouting, drafting, and developing quality starting pitching.