Most Improved Team

[SoccerFan8270]

What is the most improved team this offseason?

[SoccerFan8270]

I think that it is the Phillies. They have gained many great players this offseason. They got Eric Milton, Billy Wagner, Tim Worrell and Roberto Hernandez. They also still have Jim Thome. They retained Kevin Millwood and several other good players. David Bell's back is feeling better now and Pat Burrell will be better. The Phillies have a great team.

[Cyclone007]

The Phillies did have some good improvements this offseason. This will be a good season for the Phillies.

[JMMUSA8]

Red Sox. They picked up the missing links to their team (Schilling and Faulke).

[mellon002]

I say the Baltimore Orioles. They picked up an MVP in Miguel Tejada, an MVP runner-up in Lopez, a guy who hit more home runs than Tejada and more RBI's than Lopez in Palmeiro, and brought Ponson back. I know the Yankees added A-Rod, but he brings about 10 more HR's and 20-30 more RBI's than Soriano for about $10 million more. I think the Orioles did the best.

[Jeff]

Don't forget about the Angels. They're flying under the radar right now, but they, not the Sox or Yankees, could come out as AL Champ. Completely revamped OF and rotation, and may have the best pen in baseball top to bottom.

[BenReilly]

Originally posted by mellon002
I say the Baltimore Orioles. They picked up an MVP in Miguel Tejada, an MVP runner-up in Lopez, a guy who hit more home runs than Tejada and more RBI's than Lopez in Palmeiro, and brought Ponson back. I know the Yankees added A-Rod, but he brings about 10 more HR's and 20-30 more RBI's than Soriano for about $10 million more. I think the Orioles did the best.

If we use this logic, we might as well include the Detroit Tigers in this discussion. In fact, I assume the Tigers will be most improved in terms of record. The Os are definitely better, but do they have any chance of making the playoffs? I don't think so. It's nice for the Baltimore fans (better a decent team, than a crappy one), but I don't see it as being that noteworthy. I'd have to go with the Angels. The Phillies should also improve (it helps that the Braves are losing key players).

[ticogordo]

Originally posted by Jeff
Don't forget about the Angels. They're flying under the radar right now, but they, not the Sox or Yankees, could come out as AL Champ. Completely revamped OF and rotation, and may have the best pen in baseball top to bottom.

Jeff is right. just for additions...
Vlady Guerrero is the best player outside of Alex Rodriguez in the game today.
Colon AND Escobar could both be #2 guys in starting rotation...
Jose Guillen - who hit .311-31-86 last year and has a gun for an arm.

The outfield is now one of the top defensive outfields in the game, that will effectively destroy the running game.

there are no dangerous egos

AND, for some reason, no one expects them to do anything.

this added to a team that won the world series just two years removed...with one of baseball's greatest's minds managing them.

[Jeff]

The one thing the Angels do need is a lefty in the pen. But I almost forgot about Guillen, who is excellent in the field. And Eckstein and Glaus should rebound from last year.

[hangthadj]

It's between the Phillies and the Angels, but I gotta give it to teh Phils, especially when you look at it relative to their division.

If the Phils had Wagner last season the Marlins don't even make the playoffs, let alone the WS. They add Wagner, Worrell, and Hernandez to their biggest weakness, the bullpen. They add Milton, and rid themselves of Duckworth who was maddingly inconsistent. You figure Bell and Burell will have bounceback years.

Then throw into the equation the losses within the division. Marlins lose Derrick Lee and Pudge. Braves lose Maddux, Lopez and Sheffield. The Expos lose Vlad.

Look at other teams that improved and you see someone in their divison who is trying to cancel out those moves. The Phils clearly have improved the most relative to division, and most likely in the whole league. Pity they don't get as much coverage as the 2nd place sox.

[The Double]

It's gotta be the Angels.

[yellowbismark]

They aren't in the class as most of the teams on the poll, but they had a busy offseason and though they didn't get a star like Guerrero or Tehada, they still solidfied most all of their holes. They probably have a better team on paper than the 98 team who went to the WS.

David Wells may not be a star, but he's solid to go with the Pads 3 improving core pitchers (Peavy, Eaton, and Lawrence) who will have another year of experience under their belts. They signed Hitchcock and Ismael Valdes to compete for #5. It's pretty solid rotation, not great, but solid.

For the pen, they resigned Beck, comeback player of the year--who did good in Hoffman's place last year, to go with Hoffman-now healthy, they signed some Japanese pitcher (Ohtsuka), and reliever Antonio Osuna.

The offense will be REALLY good with Brian Giles (added at the deadline last season) to go with Nevin and Klesko--both of whom were injured for extended periods last season. If healthy, each of these guys could go for 30-40 HRs. Their biggest positional weakness last season was catcher, and for this season they acquired all-star Ramon Hernandez, who showed some decent offense with the A's last year. In CF, they signed 20-something HR guy Jay Payton. This to go along with Mark Loretta and Sean Burroughs who both hit for over .300 last season. This lineup should be good enough to produce run support for the pitching.

Their bench is deep (compared to last year especially) too with Terrance Long, Jeff Cirillo, (both stiffs as starters, but good depth to have on the bench), Xavier Nady who was hitting >.300 for long stretches last season as a starter, and Rey Ordonez.

I think this team will compete in the NL West, which is a little weaker than before. This team has the talent to make the playoffs.

[ProfZodiac]

Originally posted by mellon002
I say the Baltimore Orioles. They picked up an MVP in Miguel Tejada, an MVP runner-up in Lopez, a guy who hit more home runs than Tejada and more RBI's than Lopez in Palmeiro, and brought Ponson back. I know the Yankees added A-Rod, but he brings about 10 more HR's and 20-30 more RBI's than Soriano for about $10 million more. I think the Orioles did the best.

Agreed. Ponson's really going to help that lineup. Another 14-15 wins, maybe.

[mpruitt]

Originally posted by The Double
It's gotta be the Angels.

[BlueMeanie]

Originally posted by The Double
It's gotta be the Angels.
Indeed.

I guess some folks don't know much about them, because of the usual preseason East Coast favoritism, coupled with the press that the Schilling and A-Rod moves got. Anaheim was already a good team, now they're totally freaking loaded. And they'll probably continue to improve, because I'd guess at least one of their 2003 outfielders is trade bait (Erstad, Salmon, Anderson) given the additions. If they trade one of those outfielders for a stud infielder or pitcher, Katy bar the door.