MLB preview: AL West

The AL East has the Yankees and Red Sox. The AL Central has the world champion White Sox. The AL West has ... well, nobody exactly knows what the AL West has, which has made this kind of the forgotten division.
This division doesn't possess the caliber of teams it had at the start of the decade, but there is still some dangerous talent out there. West-coast swings won't be a picnic for the eastern boys.

Teams listed in projected order of finish

1. Oakland Athletics
After being a perennial playoff team from 1999 to 2002, the A's faded into the background over the last several seasons. The didn't completely implode and rebuild like the Indians, but they did some large-scale retooling and are set to emerge as one of the American League's youngest and most talented ballclubs this year.
The rotation is anchored by the one member of the "big three" that GM Billy Beane elected to keep a year ago: Barry Zito. Rich Harden and Danny Haren are among the youngsters who will fill in the spots behind Zito.
Many national baseball pundits predict Harden will be on the Cy Young Award radar as early as this season.
At the back of the bullpen is the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, closer Huston Street.
The offense possesses a number of young guns as well. Star third baseman Eric Chavez is supported in the lineup by shortstop Bobby Crosby, outfielder Nick Swisher and first baseman Dan Johnson.
The burning question for the A's: why did they take a chance on volcanic outfielder Milton Bradley? He's talented, no question, but he was pushed out by the Indians and Dodgers for being a disruption. Why would he and his legendary temper be any different in Oakland?

2. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels arrive in 2006 with the usual suspects. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon is at the front of the rotation. Vlad Guererro is in right field, Garret Anderson in left and Darin Erstad in center.
What is changing is the supporting cast around them. Jarrod Washburn is gone, as is Benji Molina. The Angels are undergoing a youth movement of their own, and it might cause them to fade a bit this year. Casey Kotchman and Dallas McPherson are among the young guns expected to get major playing time on the infield this year.
The Angels still possess one of the best bullpens in baseball, with top-notch closer Francisco Rodriguez supported by a set-up corps of Scot Shields, Brendan Donnelly and J.C. Romero, an off-season addition from the Twins.
Los Angeles could make the whole win-while-you're-rebuilding experiment work. But it might take a year or two for the young guys to take root.

3. Seattle Mariners
For several years, the Mariners have had some bright, shiny pieces on their roster. They just don't seem to know what to do with them. The offense struggled in 2004, so they invested big money in Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre last season. Didn't help.
This off-season, the Mariners turned their attention to pitching, reeling in Jarrod Washburn from the Angels, re-signing ageless wonder Jamie Moyer and luring veteran Japanese catcher Kenji Jojima across the Pacific to quarterback the staff.
This must be what it's like to be strolling down a street in a foreign country when some guy comes up to you, hands you a piece of currency and gives you directions in another language.
You know it's money. You know he wants you to do something with it. But you don't know what.
Manager Mike Hargrove must be very confused.

4. Texas Rangers
Don't get me wrong. I don't think the Rangers had a bad off-season. I just don't think it's going to go far in helping this team through another oppressively hot Texas summer.
Kevin Millwood and Adam Eaton were both good pickups for the starting rotation. But they -- and their ERAs -- are going to get baked playing in one of baseball's best launching pads in Arlington, Texas.
The mark of departed GM John Hart is still all over this team. If they are going to win games, the will have to do some slugging. Hank Blalock, Mark Teixiera and Michael Young still give the Rangers one of the best offensive infields in baseball. Brad Wilkerson will undoubtedly benefit from playing in Arlington.
But that loss of Alfonso Soriano (sent to the Nationals for Wilkerson and others) is a glaring one. I can't vouch for fans of other teams, but when the Indians went to Texas the past two years, Soriano was the one hitter who truly scared me. It's going to be tough for the Rangers to replace that intimidation factor.

Up next: the NL Central