The Rays were one of the biggest surprises in the game last year as many, myself

It seems like a stars and scrubs team http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , but there’s potential in the middle tier."Tampa Bay Raysincluded, thought they’d be near the bottom of the league. Instead, they won 90 games and made it through much of September in the playoff race. Looking ahead to the coming season, they could very well be back in that same win range. The Opener strategy got them a lot of attention last year, and while it will certainly be deployed again in 2019 it also won’t be as necessary. If they can get comebacks from Jose De Leon and Brent Honeywell, two pitchers who went down before the season started which was part of the reason they needed openers in the first place, they suddenly have a high-upside rotation. Add in a nice lineup that includes underrated players like Tommy Pham and Joey Wendle as well as potential breakouts in Wily Adames and Austin Meadous, and the Rays will be a tough matchup in every series.Oakland AthleticsThe A’s were more than a mild surprise in 2018, inexplicably pushing the Astros all year long and winning a whopping 97 games en route to the Wildcard Game. I don’t see them winning that many games again in 2019, but they have a long way to fall before they are irrelevant. They have a sleeper MVP candidate in Matt Chapman, huge power with Khris Davis and Matt Olson, a potential breakout in Jurickson Profar, and absurd bullpen and some crazy devil magic that made every journeyman pitcher throw like an All-Star in their rotation last year. Oakland was the one team that gave the Red Sox consistent trouble in 2018, and there’s a solid chance they do that to a lot of teams in the coming year.Photo by Elsa/Getty ImagesMinnesota TwinsThe Twins are probably the team I am most interested in seeing next year, because they are always an enigma. A couple of years ago they were totally slept on before making it to the Wildcard Game. Everyone expected them to build on that and contend again in 2018 http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , but then they fell on their face. Now, the expectations are low again, and I think they’re poised to take another big jump forward. They have a lot of young, exciting upside in their lineup headlined by Byron Buxton but also including Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco. They also added Nelson Cruz to the middle of that group. In the rotation, Jose Berrios can be a real weapon at the top and Kyle Gibson is forever underrated. They could use another arm in the bullpen, but if things come together and they catch a couple of breaks, it wouldn’t be totally shocking if they pushed Cleveland for the AL Central title.Los Angeles AngelsThe Angels have Mike Trout, which seems like a hell of a start. It’s a shame that the best player of a generation and someone who is perhaps on his way to being the best player of all time hasn’t been on a winning team very often in his career, but there’s a chance that changes this year. The Angels need things to go right for them to really contend in 2018, but the pieces are there. The lineup could be a legitimate weapon with Trout, Shohei Ohtani (whenever he returns from injury), Andrelton Simmons and Justin Upton. Maybe Albert Pujols has another run in him, too. They also have a really intriguing bullpen that includes old friend Ty Buttrey playing a big role. The question for them, as always Jonathan Schoop Jersey , is in the rotation. If their starters can stay healthy for once, the Angels are going to be wildcard contenders. Unfortunately it’s just a big if.No, there still isn’t a ton of intrigue in the American League. The top four teams should dominate and roll to the playoffs. Still, there aren’t going to be as many pushovers as there have been in years past. We have eight teams listed here with the Big Four plus these other four, and later in the year teams like Toronto and Chicago should be scary once their young players come up and get acclimated. I’d still love to see more competitive balance and more trying to win around the league, but at the same time I think we’re overplaying the weakness of the American League just a little bit. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Making another move to keep their core of players together, the New York Yankees agreed to a $70 million, seven-year contract with outfielder Aaron Hicks.Hicks’ agreement adds $64 million in guaranteed money over six seasons and club option for 2026 that could make it worth $81.5 million over eight seasons.“This is the organization I want to stay with,” Hicks said during a news conference Monday. “The team here is a team that I want to be with. I think it has a bright future.”A 29-year-old switch-hitter, Hicks took over as the Yankees primary center fielder last year and set career highs with 137 games, 27 homers and 79 RBIs. He agreed on Jan. 11 to a $6 million, one-year contract and would have been eligible for free agency after this season.“I’m thrilled,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s just really an elite level player.”His new, superseding deal calls for a $2 million signing bonus and keeps the $6 million salary this year. He gets $10.5 million annually from 2020-23 and $9.5 million in each of the following two seasons. The Yankees have a $12.5 million option for 2026 with a $1 million buyout.Hicks would get a $1 million assignment bonus the first time he is traded. He receives a hotel suite on road trips.“There was a lot of people questioning if he’d ever cross into being the player that his draft card said he was capable of being,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “He was hungry to prove otherwise and we were hungry to work with him on it.”Acquired from Minnesota in November 2015 http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , Hicks has been on the disabled list in all six of his big league seasons, nine trips in all for hamstring strains (three times), oblique strains (twice), shoulder, forearm and intercostal strains, and a concussion.With a $4 million increase in Hicks’ average annual value this year, New York’s raised its projected luxury tax payroll to about $229 million, well above the $206 million threshold and past the first surtax level. The Yankees would pay a 20 percent tax on the first $20 million above the threshold and at a 32 percent rate on the next $20 million.“Those are real dollars that have taxable consequences because we’re already in a tax threshold, but it’s an example of an owner trying to walk that line of the present and the future,” Cashman said. “We’re lucky that ownership is directing their blessings on a lot of things.”New York didn’t pay luxury tax in 2018, the first time the Yankees were under the threshold since the tax started in 2003. By falling under, the Yankees reset their tax rates, which had been 50 percent on the first $20 million over and 62 percent on the next $20 million.“The last few years because of our efforts to get under the luxury tax and reset that clock prevented us from having any conversions like this with anybody because it was prohibitive,” Cashman said. “Since we reset the clock, now we’re in a position to be opened minded and try to work through opportunities that may exist.”New York has not given many multiyear contracts to players under its control in recent years, but the Yankees gave right-hander Luis Severino a $40 million Darren O'Day Jersey , four-year deal on Feb. 15.Shortstop Didi Gregorius and reliever Dellin Betances remain eligible for free agency after this season. In addition, right fielder Aaron Judge and catcher Gary Sanchez become eligible for salary arbitration next winter.Hicks received just the fourth multiyear contract this offseason among more than 175 players eligible for arbitration after Severino, Philadelphia pitcher Aaron Nola ($45 million for four years) and Minnesota right fielder Max Kepler ($35 million for five years).DIAPER DANDYHicks said his son born last month had a lot to do with his decision. “Definitely, now I don’t have to worry about buying diapers,” a smiling Hicks said. “I’m extremely excited about that.”MENTORINGHicks acknowledged the role his former teammate with the Minnesota Twins, Torii Hunter, played in his career. “One of my mentors for believing in me and getting me started on the right track to becoming a better player,” Hicks said. “I owe a lot to him.”STAYING PUTFormer Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte has been hired as a special adviser to Cashman. Pettitte, 46, said he did talk recently with former teammate and Miami CEO Derek Jeter about a similar role with Marlins. “Nothing really went that far,” Pettitte said. Pettitte was a five-time World Series champion and three-time All-Star with New York. He pitched for the Yankees from 1995-03, spent three years with his home-state Houston Astros, then pitched for the Yankees from 2007-13. Former Yankees’ catcher Jorge Posada is at spring training as a special adviser to Jeter.MORE MOUNDPettitte watched reliever Adam Ottavino sailed through his second simulated game by getting a strikeout and three grounders. The right-hander has struck out five of eight batters over two sim games. Closer Aroldis Chapman, slowed by knee problems last season, threw 20 pitches during his first batting practice session.