Those beards, that catchy Neil Diamond chorus played in the eighth – just months into the season it became clear that the 2013 Boston Red Sox were retooled, rejuvenated and entirely unrecognizable from the disaster of 2012 under Bobby Valentine. Catapulting from fifth in the AL to division champions the following season put the Sox in territory accompanied by only a handful of teams of the past – the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays being the most recent.
Could we see another worst-to-first finish in 2014? While early signs point to an unlikely probability, a few teams - based on acquisitions and competition from division rivals – have a chance to be competitive in the upcoming season. Here’s a look at those organizations.
Toronto Blue Jays: Looking for a Re-Do of 2013 in 2014
Just over a year ago, Toronto acquired nearly every recognizable player in Miami - save for LeBron, Wade and Bosh - for a minimal return.
Seemingly seconds later, General Manager Alex Anthopolous traded his top prospects Noah Sydergaard and Travis d’Arnaud to the Mets for reigning Cy Young Award winner and master knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.
Sharing a division with the aging Yankees, the languished Red Sox, the streaky Orioles and the low-budget Rays, Toronto seemed a good pick to finish first. However, injuries and inconsistency from their stars, and little room for error in a surprisingly-competitive AL East put the team's record for 2013 at 74-88.
On the heels of a last-place finish, the Jays had a quiet offseason, and hope that shedding weight in the form of oft-injured starter Josh Johnson and strikeout-prone backstop J.P. Arencibia will open up slots for newcomers to perform.
Newly-acquired Dioner Navarro, a switch-hitter with power, will fill Arencibia's void at catcher, but the fate of the offense depends on strong seasons from Jose Reyes, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, continued production from Colby Rasmus and for Brett Lawrie to make good on his potential over a full, healthy season.
Dickey and Mark Buehrle can be expected to throw a lot of innings, but question marks remain in the 3,4, and 5 slots in the rotation. Brandon Morrow has long possessed the tools to be an asset at the top of a big league rotation, but has yet to put together a full, injury-free season. Once a franchise jewel, Ricky Romero was exposed to the Rule 5 Draft this offseason – just a footnote in his epic fall from greatness.
Toronto doesn't need a miracle. They need quality starting pitching to support a formidable lineup that was fourth in the big leagues in home runs last season. If all else fails, the decision to sign interview extraordinaire Munenori Kawasaki to a minor league contract should keep us all entertained.
Chicago White Sox: Big Deals, Bigger Faith in International Signing
White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn has suggested that any player not named Chris Sale, Avisail Garcia and Jose Abreu could be a trade candidate. Those are strong words from an organization that is not accustomed to finishing at the bottom of the division and eager to restructure.
The Sox biggest signing came in October, when Chicago signed first baseman Jose Abreu, a Cuban defector, to a six-year, $68 million dollar contract, the largest first-time contract for an international player to date. The recent successes of Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig give fans optimism about the kind of hitting talent that exists on the island, but his 6’3”, 250 pound body doesn’t possess quite the same athleticism of Cespedes or Puig. Power is clearly his strongest tool, but there is an awful lot that remains unknown about the player who will eventually supplant Paul Konerko at first.
Abreu is a wild card - albeit one that experts have suggested could possess the power of division foe Miguel Cabrera - but their acquisition of outfielder Adam Eaton from the Diamondbacks seems a safer bet, even considering his limited Major League tenure. In 2012 with Triple-A Reno, Eaton put up a .381/.456/.539 slash line, smacking 46 doubles and swiping 38 bases, and the undersized outfielder provides good speed and a "scrappy" style of play at the top of the lineup.
Slim Chris Sale put together his second consecutive Cy Young Award-contending season, putting to rest worries – at least for now – that he simply isn't built for a big league workload. The back end of the bullpen is a bit more uncertain – especially after the surprise trade of closer Addison Reed. Armed with a 100-MPH heater, Nate Jones is the early frontrunner to close, though new acquisition Ronald Belisario has been solid in a setup role with the Dodgers.
Finishing 2013 at 63-99, the South Siders clearly have work to do to contend with perennial division winners Detroit or the greatly improved Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals. Hahn seems committed to that hard work - and he's not done dealing yet.
Colorado Rockies: Health a Must for Sneak Attack in Weak Division
Tulo and CarGo are here to stay, according to General Manager Dan O’Dowd. If the Rockies are to fare better in 2014 than the previous season, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez will need to be present not only on the team’s payroll, but on the field for a good majority of a 162-game season. Unquestionably in the Top 10, and possibly among the Top 5 offensive players at their respective positions, a contribution of 30+ home runs, 100+ RBI and a sprinking of steals from both franchise players will bump the team up in the standings.
In this offseason’s shallow free agent market, first baseman Justin Morneau was an attractive option, especially for Colorado, on the hunt for a veteran presence at a position occupied for much of the Rockies’ existence by Todd Helton, who retired at the end of the season. Following a years-long ordeal with post-concussion syndrome, Morneau is not the .320 hitter with 30+ home run pop he was when he won MVP honors with the Twins, but the Coors Field advantage and offseason work centered on improvement, versus rehab, should help.
Pitching was Colorado’s focus this winter, dealing prospect Drew Pomeranz to Oakland for lefty Brett Anderson. 25-year-old Anderson has a long history of injury in his short professional career, but he finished 2013 healthy enough for the Rockies to take a chance on his upside. The Rockies have an abundance of starting pitching competing for rotation spots in Spring Training, ranging from near-sure bets Jorge De La Rosa and Jhoulys Chacin to youngsters Tyler Chatwood, Christian Friedrich and newly-acquired Jordan Lyles and Franklin Morales. The team is not afraid of a reclamation project if desperate times call for it, as fans recall experiments with Roy Oswalt, Jeff Francis and Jon Garland. Colorado will enter the season with a bullpen stocked with hard throwers, led by 2013 closer Rex Brothers and former Yankee lefty Boone Logan, signed to a three-year deal.
Health and pitching, as usual, are the keys to the Rockies’ success, but the team will also look for continued development in their promising young hitters - third baseman Nolan Arenado and catcher Wilin Rosario, who will likely see 100-150 more at-bats this season. The Rockies don't need to solve the mystery of Coors Field in 2014 - they need strong hitting at home, solid pitching on the road, and less time spent on the DL to make up the 18 wins that separated them from first place this past season.