American League Preview

EAST

Baltimore Orioles

Last season: 67-95, fourth.

Manager: Mike Hargrove.

Probable lineup: 2B Jerry Hairston, CF Gary Matthews Jr., LF B.J. Surhoff, 1B Jeff Conine, 3B Tony Batista, RF Jay Gibbons, DH Marty Cordova, C Geronimo Gil, SS Deivi Cruz.

Probable rotation: Rodrigo Lopez, Omar Daal, Sidney Ponson, Rick Helling, Jason Johnson.

Outlook: New general manager Mike Flanagan was given permission to pursue Ken Griffey Jr., but there's been no deal yet. Only a big bat like Griffey's could put serious bite in this lineup - or a crimp in the Yankees' plans to dominate again. Pitching is a question, too. Witness the opening-day starter, Rodrigo Lopez, who has all of 34 major-league starts to his name since 2000.

Boston Red Sox

Last season: 93-69, second.

Manager: Grady Little.

Probable lineup: CF Johnny Damon, 2B Todd Walker, LF Manny Ramirez, SS Nomar Garciaparra, 1B Kevin Millar, 3B Shea Hillenbrand, DH Jeremy Giambi, RF Trot Nixon, C Jason Varitek.

Probable rotation: Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe, Tim Wakefield, John Burkett, Casey Fossum.

Outlook: The scrambled-eggs approach to free agency by an inexperienced GM left a bad taste. But Boston did come away with a bat, detouring Millar from a scheduled career move to Japan. The bats won't matter with the Sox unable to outpitch the Yankees. It can't be emphasized enough that no matter how good he may be, Martinez can't do it by himself.

New York Yankees

Last season: 103-58, first.

Manager: Joe Torre.

Probable lineup: 2B Alfonso Soriano, SS Derek Jeter, 1B Jason Giambi, CF Bernie Williams, LF Hideki Matsui, C Jorge Posada, 3B Robin Ventura, RF Raul Mondesi, DH Nick Johnson.

Probable rotation: Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Jeff Weaver, David Wells.

Outlook: For the first time since 1996, Torre feels the hot breath of owner George Steinbrenner on his neck - the cost of not winning it all the last two years. The Yankees won the off-season, though, or at least will make you think so with the hype accompanying Japanese League slugger Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui to the Big Apple.

Tampa Bay

Devil Rays

Last season: 55-106, fifth.

Manager: Lou Piniella.

Probable lineup: LF Carl Crawford, CF Rocco Baldelli, DH Ben Grieve, 3B Aubrey Huff, C Toby Hall, 1B Travis Lee, RF Damian Rolls, 2B Brent Abernathy, SS Rey Ordonez.

Probable rotation: Joe Kennedy, Victor Zambrano, Jim Parque, Nick Bierbrodt, Steve Parris.