A team-by-team look at the American League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:
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Houston Astros
Manager: Dusty Baker (first season).
2019: 107-55, first place, lost to Nationals in World Series.
Training Town: West Palm Beach, Florida.
Park: Ballpark of Palm Beaches.
First Workout: Feb. 13/17.
He’s Here: Manager Dusty Baker, RHP Austin Pruitt, C Dustin Garneau.
He’s Outta Here: Manager AJ Hinch, RHP Gerrit Cole, RHP Will Harris, C Robinson Chirinos, OF Tony Kemp.
Going campin’: The Astros enter the spring reeling from a sign-stealing scandal that cost manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs. They brought in Baker to steady the team, and it gives the 70-year-old another chance to chase his first World Series title as a manager. He’ll get a crash course learning his new team this spring after being hired less than three weeks before pitchers and catchers report. Despite all the drama, the Astros still have enough talent to reach the World Series again after losing to the Nationals in seven games. Houston returns everyone from last year’s lineup, led by third baseman Alex Bregman, who was the runner-up for AL MVP, and 2019 AL Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez at designated hitter. Things aren’t quite as set on the pitching side after the rotation took a huge hit with the loss of Cole, who signed with the Yankees. Young right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. could fill Cole’s spot in the rotation, but he’ll have to prove he can return to form this spring after sitting out all last year following Tommy John surgery.
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Oakland Athletics
Manager: Bob Melvin (10th season).
2019: 97-65, second place, lost to Rays in wild-card game.
Training Town: Mesa, Arizona.
Park: Hohokam Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 12/17.
He’s Here: INF-OF Tony Kemp, C Austin Allen, LHP T.J. McFarland, 2B Ryan Goins, RHP Zach Lee, C Carlos Perez.
He’s Outta Here: 2B Jurickson Profar, RHP Blake Treinen, LHP Ryan Buchter, RHP Homer Bailey, LHP Brett Anderson, RHP Tanner Roark. RHP Jharel Cotton.
Going campin’: After winning 97 games each of the past two seasons and then losing in the wild-card game, the A’s are looking to take the next step. Winning the division would be a big help and could be a bit easier following the sign-stealing scandal that led to the firings of Houston GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch. Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers helped expose the cheating to The Athletic in November and will get heavy attention this season. Fiers might be part of a rotation that could be a major strength in Oakland with Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and prospects Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk. There’s plenty of help on offense with SS Marcus Semien, 3B Matt Chapman and 1B Matt Olson leading a group that set a franchise record with 257 homers last season. The big questions are whether slugger Khris Davis can bounce back from a down year, Kemp can fill a hole at second base and Liam Hendriks can thrive in a full season as closer.
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Texas Rangers
Manager: Chris Woodward (second season).
2019: 78-84, third place.
Training Town: Surprise, Arizona.
Park: Surprise Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 12/17.
He’s Here: RHP Corey Kluber, RHP Kyle Gibson, RHP Jordan Lyles, 3B Todd Frazier, C Robinson Chirinos, 1B Greg Bird, RHP Nick Goody, INF Matt Duffy.
He’s Outta Here: RF Nomar Mazara, CF Delino DeShields, DH-OF Hunter Pence, RHP Shawn Kelley, INF Logan Forsythe.
Going campin’: All-Star slugger Joey Gallo is healthy and changing positions again, and workhorse pitchers Mike Minor and Lance Lynn (combined 30 wins, more than 416 innings) have some help in the rotation. The Rangers were 10 games over .500 before the All-Star break in Woodward’s debut but couldn’t keep up that pace and eventually focused on evaluating younger players. Texas signed veteran free agents Gibson and Lyles early in the offseason before trading for two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Kluber. Six different players have started at third base since Adrian Beltre retired after the 2018 season, and the Rangers had pursued top free agent Anthony Rendon. With DeShields in Cleveland after the Kluber deal, Texas has to decide if Danny Santana fits better as the primary center fielder or staying in a utility role. He started at every position except pitcher and catcher last season and was the team MVP after going to spring training as a non-roster player. Gallo, the strong-armed former third baseman who became a primary left fielder, is moving to right after Mazara was traded to the White Sox.
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Los Angeles Angels
Manager: Joe Maddon (first season)
2019: 72-90, fourth place.
Training Town: Tempe, Arizona.
Park: Tempe Diablo Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 12/17.
He’s Here: Manager Joe Maddon, 3B Anthony Rendon, RHP Dylan Bundy, RHP Julio Teheran, C Jason Castro, RHP Matt Andriese.
He’s Outta Here: Manager Brad Ausmus, RF Kole Calhoun, RHP Trevor Cahill, 1B Justin Bour, RHP Luis Garcia, 3B Zack Cozart, C Kevan Smith, LHP Adalberto Mejia.
Going campin’: Although Mike Trout won his third AL MVP award, the Angels posted their worst record in 20 years while pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ death cast a pall over the entire season. Owner Arte Moreno shook things up with the additions of Maddon and Rendon to a big-budget club embarrassed by a four-year streak of losing seasons and a 10-year drought since its last playoff victory. Maddon left the Cubs and eagerly returned to the franchise that employed him for the first three decades of his career, while Rendon got a seven-year, $245 million deal to bring his potent bat from Washington to Angel Stadium. Yet the Halos didn’t make the expected major overhaul of a starting rotation that was one of baseball’s worst last season. Bundy and Teheran are dependable, durable veterans who represent immediate upgrades, but the free agent aces all eluded Moreno. Instead, the Angels’ ace might be Shohei Ohtani, who will be back in their rotation this year after serving only as a designated hitter in 2019 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Albert Pujols, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton and Tommy La Stella return to a lineup that could be impressive if the hitters all perform, but that’s no sure thing for a franchise with a long history of underachieving veteran hitters with huge contracts. Waiting just down the road is tantalizing prospect Jo Adell, who could be in right field at the Big A before the summer is out.
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Seattle Mariners
Manager: Scott Servais (fifth season).
2019: 68-94, fifth place.
Training Town: Peoria, Arizona.
Park: Peoria Stadium.
First Workout: Feb. 13/18.
He’s Here: RHP Kendall Graveman, RHP Carl Edwards Jr., RHP Yoshihisa Hirano, INF Patrick Wisdom, LHP Nick Margevicius.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Felix Hernandez, LHP Wade LeBlanc, LHP Tommy Milone, C Omar Narvaez, OF Domingo Santana, INF Ryon Healy, RHP Chasen Bradford, OF Keon Broxton.
Going campin’: Year 2 of the Mariners rebuild project is in full swing. Last year was expected to be filled with bumps and it was as Seattle finished in last place even after starting the season 13-2. Last year was about giving some of Seattle’s top young prospects a taste of the majors late in the season. This season is about throwing them in the deep end and seeing how they can handle a full season. First baseman Evan White, outfielder Kyle Lewis, second baseman Shed Long Jr., outfielder Jake Fraley, left-hander Justus Sheffield and right-hander Justin Dunn are just a handful of the youngsters Seattle intends to give a chance at being steady contributors this season. Seattle still has a handful of key veterans including third baseman Kyle Seager and left-hander Marco Gonzales. The Mariners continue to have high hopes that outfielder Mitch Haniger can rediscover his All-Star form from 2018, but the start to his season will be delayed by core muscle surgery. The focus will be on the youngsters, both in the majors and also what is developing in the minors with top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez, both of whom will be in big league camp during spring training
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