Why is Evan Longoria back in Durham?

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have cut ties with outfielder Jay Gibbons. His 15-game suspension for his involvement in the Major League Baseball steroid scandal is currently being put on hold, but the team decided to rid itself of the distraction. Baltimore will have to eat about $12 million, the remainder of his contract. This team is in big trouble. Look for them to battle it out with Tampa Bay for last place in the division.

Boston Red Sox

The team is counting heavily on two of its young starting pitchers, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. Lester was beat up a bit in his start against the Oakland Athletics in Japan. He could not locate his off-speed pitches, and his fastball seemed to have no bite to it. The Sox will need at least 300 combined innings out of these two youngsters if the team is to compete for the division title. The alternative is Bartolo Colon. He may in fact start for the team at some point this season.

New York Yankees

The Yankees will have the first few weeks of the season to allow their starting rotation to settle in and get comfortable. Of their first 20 games, 11 are against Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Kansas City. That bodes well for the team, and it should give young pitchers Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes a chance to gain some confidence heading into May. They will need some confidence because after those initial 20 games, their next 19 are against four teams that are expected to finish above the .500 mark: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Seattle Mariners.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have officially sent super-prospect third baseman Evan Longoria to Triple-A Durham. But why? Eric Hinske is not the third baseman of the future, though he is getting the nod as of now. Does he need a little fine-tuning, maybe a little more time to polish his skills? Possibly. I think they may be keeping him there to push his arbitration back one year. This is a possibility, but he should make his debut within the first month or two of the season. They will keep him in Triple-A until he shows he is too good for that level or until Eric Hinske stops hitting. Either one should not take long.

Toronto Blue Jays

Shannon Stewart is back with the Blue Jays, the organization that originally drafted him. The starting left field job appears to be his, at least for the immediate future. In a surprising move, the team released veteran Reed Johnson, who had been a key piece at the top of the order for much of last season. Stewart is expected to platoon in left field with lefthander Matt Stairs. However, Stairs is currently battling a sore left hip that may land him on the Disabled List.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

Mark Buerhle was beat around by the Cleveland Indians on Opening Day. He threw only 48 pitches and allowed seven earned runs over 1.2 innings. Buerhle is the “ace” of the staff because he has been there the longest, he has thrown a no-hitter, and he was the leader of a staff that brought the organization a World Series title. However, Javier Vazquez is the best pitcher on the staff. He is the true ace and has the best arsenal of pitches. Expect him to take off this season and post numbers somewhere in the neighborhood of: 18 wins, 3.75 earned run average, and 200+ strikeouts.

Cleveland Indians

The Tribe may have stumbled into something on opening day. Right fielder Franklin Gutierrez hit a three-run home run on Monday. This is a huge development for a team that did nothing to address its need for a corner outfielder with some power. If Gutierrez, the No. 8 hitter, can hit 20 or so home runs and third baseman Casey Blake continues to impress with the bat, the two will provide a solid bridge to the top of the lineup.

Detroit Tigers

Center fielder Curtis Granderson, out with a broken finger, has said his healing is ahead of schedule. He has said he would like to return in the middle of the month. Utility player Brandon Inge played well on Monday in his stead, collecting an outfield assist when he threw out a base runner at home plate. Once the starting catcher for the Tigers, Inge has a cannon for an arm and great athleticism. He could play virtually anywhere on the field.

Kansas City Royals

It took only one game for Manager Trey Hillman to collect his first win as a Major League manager. One major move he made was with the lineup card. He slotted third baseman Alex Gordon into the No. 3 spot in the order. He had originally said he would bat Gordon seventh to take some pressure off him, but if is a mainstay at his current spot look for his numbers to increase significantly over the ones he posted last season. Jose Guillen provides good protection for him in the lineup.

Minnesota Twins

Center fielder Carlos Gomez had a terrific debut for his new team. The main piece in the Johan Santana deal, Gomez led the game off with a double and finished with a good stat line. He went 2 for 3 with two runs, two stolen bases, and a walk. If he stays at the top of the lineup there is no reason this guy will not score 100 runs this season. He can absolutely fly – just ask him. He says he is the fastest player in the game.

American League West

Los Angeles Angels

John Lackey says he has no discomfort in his strained right triceps. This is good news from a team that just revealed that fellow starting pitcher Kelvim Escobar may miss the entire season with shoulder problems. Originally slated as the No. 3 starter, Jered Weaver had to start the opener. They would like to push him back to take some pressure off him, but it may not happen for a few weeks until Lackey comes back.

Oakland Athletics

Justin Duchscherer has moved from middle relief to the starting rotation this year. It is his spot to lose, and all he must do is prove he can stay healthy to keep his job. He did not pitch after mid-May last season when hip and back problems put him on the shelf with. Those injuries, particularly the back injuries, tend to linger. Keep an eye on this fluid situation. Prospect Gio Gonzalez, who led the minor leagues in strikeouts last season, is waiting in the wings.

Seattle Mariners

New ace of the staff Érik Bédard had an average debut with his new team. However, he did collect his first win in a Mariners' uniform. He continually pitched himself into and out of major jams in the early innings. He threw 106 pitches (only 59 strikes) over five innings while allowing three hits and four walks. He struck out five batters.

Texas Rangers

Kevin Millwood may have turned in his best performance for the entire season on Monday, and he still did not get the win. He was on a pitch count and looked sharp. In six innings, he surrendered seven base runners and struck out four. The only two runs he allowed were unearned. The Rangers will need Millwood to stay healthy and eat at least 200 innings in order to keep the bullpen from tiring as it did last season. Starter Brandon McCarthy, out with a forearm inflammation, is probably out until late May.