I thought I might write down the three top burning questions for each team.  Because I'm leaving for sunny Florida for thanksgiving, I'm dividing the league into four parts, with half of each league posted in alphabetical order.  Let's check it out, shall we?

Baltimore Orioles

Who’s building the path to Chris Ray?

The Orioles showed that they didn’t need B.J. Ryan, as Chris Ray stepped into the closers role and performed admirably.  Baltimore’s pitching was actually somewhat adequate, but the real death on this team is the lack of a bullpen.  The Orioles need to build up the pen in order for Ray to get the opportunity to do his thing.  The signing of Jamie Walker is a start, though not a very strong one. 

Will Miguel Tejada be traded?

Tejada still was productive last season, but his defense is slipping.  Many scouts that saw him play thought that he should be moved to Third Base or become a DH.  Neither is likely going to happen thanks to Tejada’s massive ego, so the problem remains on whether or not the Orioles should deal the talented star in return for major league ready talent.  The Orioles had an offer of Ervin Santana and top shortstop prospect Erick Aybar, but Peter Angelos vetoed the trade.  The Orioles should call the Angels again to see if they still want to trade.

Who’s the starting five?

The Orioles now have seven possible starters with Rodrigo Lopez, Daniel Cabrera, Eric Bedard, Hayden Penn, Kris Benson, and Jaret Wright.  The problem is that outside of Bedard and maybe Benson, most of these guys are mediocre at best.  This situation reeks of the Orioles just tossing up players on a wall to see who sticks.

Boston Red Sox

Did Daisuke Matsuzaka keep the Red Sox from making other improvements?

With the Red Sox now going to spend close to $80 million just to bid and sign Daisuke Matsuzaka, does Bosotn have enough to fill other holes?  With the prices on players skyrocketing, Boston may have shot themselves in the foot as far as trying to sign Julio Lugo, J.D. Drew, and a closer, meaning that the Red Sox would have to trade Manny Ramirez (if possible) to a team that could help relieve these needs, or have to dip into the farm system to try and make a deal.

Who’s closing?

With Papelbon going into the rotation, who’s closing for the Red Sox?  Mike Timlin is a short term fix, but not a great long term answer.  There’s been talk about Eric Gagne possibly going to Boston, but Gagne has been taken down by injuries the past few years and isn’t quite what he used to be.  Another rumor abounding has been the Red Sox trading Wily Mo Pena for Brad Lidge, but Houston still values Lidge enough to keep him.   The other options on the market (Danys Baez, Justin Spier) don’t fit what should be a closers profile.  Matt Clement could even be given a shot if the Red Sox believe he might be able to pull it off.   Short of trading prospects for an excellent setup man (Scott Shields, maybe), the Red Sox have few options.

Are the Red Sox really sold on Dustin Pedroia, Coco Crisp, and Wily Mo Pena?

The Answer so far appears to be yes, no, and not really.  Pedroia will get a shot at second, but the fact that his bat was dormant in his callup is a concern.  Wily Mo Pena is still quite raw and unpolished, which is why the Red Sox are flirting with J.D. Drew.  Crisp was disappointing and was nearly traded during the deadline for Andruw Jones, but the deal fell through.  Crisp will be attractive to teams because of his contract, but his reputation has been blemished. 

Chicago White Sox

Who’s the odd man out in the rotation?

The White Sox have made it known for months that they are going to move a starter to allow Brandon McCarthy to move into the rotation.  With Jon Garland and Jose Contreras being the aces of the staff, which leaves Mark Buerhle, Freddy Garcia, and Javier Vasquez.  Buerhle has some security among the three, as he’s the lone lefty of the group, leaving Garcia and Vasquez as the odd men out.  About half of baseball has been linked to the pair, both of which have their risk.  Garcia is older, but has been consistent.  Vasquez has more talent, but it hasn’t translated to results.  It’s quite possible that both could be moved if a young starting pitcher were part of the package.  The Mets are intriguing as they’ve offered Aaron Heilman and possibly Lastings Milledge for Vasquez.  The deal would bode well for the White Sox as Milledge can play center and Heilman would make an adequate fifth starter, allowing the White Sox to deal Garcia to another team, possibly Texas, who has a surplus of relievers.

Who’s playing centerfield?

Towards the end of last season, it became obvious that the White Sox had clearly lost faith in Brian Anderson (along with Scott Posdednik).  With the White Sox reportedly looking into signing Gary Matthews Jr., Dave Roberts, or possibly trying to bring back Aaron Rowand, it looks like Anderson will get dealt rather soon for another need.

Who’s the bridge to Jenks?

The White Sox made it known that no one in the pen except for Jenks is safe.  The White Sox have already traded Neal Cotts and seem to be ready to trade for other relievers.  Knuckleballer Sean Tracey looks to be coming out of the pen, but other than that, there are few other alternatives.

Cleveland Indians

Is Buck Showalter going to take over the team?

Former Rangers manager Buck Showalter is going to be an advisor to the Indians, which doesn’t bode well for Eric Wedge.  And while ownership so far is saying that Wedge is safe, if the Indians start badly again, we could start seeing signs that Showalter could be brought in as soon as June.

Who’s in the bullpen?

The bullpen, which had been so strong in 2005, imploded last year, leading to the Indians trading parts of the team in order to bring in more talent.  While this will help in the future, the Indians are still without a solid closer or middle relief.  GM Mark Shapiro has said he’s inviting as many prospects and free agents to spring training as possible, a move which could prove to be a success, but which could also become a colossal failure.

Is Jhonny Peralta safe?

Peralta suffered a setback last year, collapsing offensively while not succeeding defensively.  Peralta was absolutely killed by lefties last year and was too much of a free swinger.  Peralta will likely start the year at shortstop, but look for the Indians to start looking at other options in the event Peralta continues to struggle.

Detroit Tigers

Where’s the plate discipline?

While the Tigers still put up impressive numbers last season, their lineup was filled with free swingers, with only Placido Polanco showing any sort of plate discipline.  The addition of Gary Sheffield should help, but his health isn’t a certainty anymore.

Does Todd Jones have anything left?

Jones is an one of the older players on the team and at his age, consistency is no longer a certainty.  There are several closers around the league that are succeeding despite age (Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman come to mind), but Jones isn’t close to what those to are.  Fortunately, the Tigers appear to have options available in the event Jones flames out, but the transition to setup man to closer isn’t always a successful one.

How much longer will Ivan Rodriguez hold up?

The greatest American League catcher ever still is a solid player, but age is going to catch up to him sooner or later.  With only one year left on his contract, Rodriguez is likely to leave after this year, which is a problem for the Tigers, as they lack position players in the system.  With no clear heir to Rodriguez, the Tigers could be in some trouble.

Kansas City Royals

Will Mike Sweeney be dealt?

The answer is probably no, even if Sweeney returns to the offensive force he was three years ago.  The fact is that the Royals gave Sweeney a scary contract, one that no team in their right mind will take.  The likelihood is that Sweeney will remain a Royal for this year, finishing his contract, and then retiring.

Who the hell is closing?

With Mike MacDougal gone and no one stepping up since his departure, the Royals are in serious trouble at the end of games.  Ambourix Burgos has closers stuff, but can’t handle the responsibility and Joe Nelson is a suitable emergency option.  The Royals might have some talent in the minors that could be worth trying out, but Royals pitching prospects don’t have a high success rate of turning out.

Is Mark Teahen going to be traded?

Teahen is definitely in danger, as hot prospect Alex Gordon is rapidly rising in the farm systems ranks.  Teahen is a solid contributor and still has years of arbitration left.  If Teahen continues on the tear he was on last year, there’s a high possibility that Teahen will get dealt next off-season, allowing Gordon to take over the job.

Los Angeles Angels

Is Bartolo Colon going to regain form?

Colon is never in the greatest of shape and it could be that his bulk is catching up to him.  With his injury that eliminated him from the 2005 post-season, plus his early struggles, Colon is going to be a wild card going into next season.  John Lackey has since taken over the role of staff ace, which means Colon is likely to be a solid Number Two if and when he comes back.

Will the Angels finally deal from the system?

The Angels have prospects upon prospects, but they’re starting to become backlogged, as both Brandon Wood and Erick Aybar are almost ready.  With a vast amount of depth in the minors, the Angels could and should make a deal, but GM Bill Stoneman is reluctant to trade prospects.  We’ll see if he’s as gun shy this off-season, with Artie Moreno chomping at the bit for a major acquisition.

Will Chone Figgins be moved?

Figgins is attractive in that he can play multiple positions, but he’s really better off as a utilityman.  That won’t stop some teams from asking about him, but the Angels really like Figgins and his work ethic.  Hence, the Angels need to ask themselves long and hard if they’re willing to sacrifice Figgins for the bat they desperately need.