There have been some interesting surprises this season thus far and it’s only May! My MLB betting cards have been nothing but unorganized after this month. From the collapse of the former World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies to the surging Baltimore Orioles, things are really getting unpredictable. There are also these struggling Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Both these powerhouse teams out of the AL East have not reached their standards and will be sure to add by the end of July. These four teams really needs a revamp, if they want to be included in the teams to put MLB betting on the playoffs. Check out what these teams got to do to catch up and build a championship-caliber team by the end of the year.
1. Boston Red Sox
This season has been anything but great for Boston. Currently, they are a game under the .500 mark at 11-12, and are in last place in the AL East. Their offense, led by the resurgent David Ortiz, is clicking on all cylinders. The problem is their pitching, which has been horrendous this year. Collectively, they sport a 5.51 ERA, which ranks them last in the East and 12th out of 14 American League teams. Both Clay Buchholtz and Felix Doubront have struggled out of the rotation. Buchholtz, sports an 8.69 ERA as he’s already allowed 29 runs!
They should keep an eye out for another starting pitcher. Maybe Barry Zito, who is putting together an impressive season with the Giants, would be a nice fit with the Sox. The Giants are struggling a bit and the Dodgers seem to have the NL West locked down, so letting go of Zito for the remainder of the season might not be a bad idea.
2. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are in second place in the American League East with an impressive 15-9 record. Usually, the Birds get off to a strong start and then somehow find a way to falter and lose almost 100 games. It’s really an amazing sight to watch. This season seems a bit different, however. They might actually make a run for it, and they are looking out west for some help. According to Jon Heyman, the Birds could be interested in veteran outfielder Bobby Abreu to fill in at left field.
The Birds could definitely use another bat in their lineup, especially since power-hitting third baseman Mark Reynolds has yet to crack a home run and is hitting even worse than last season. Collectively, their offense is batting .251, which is good for sixth among American League teams, and they are third in home runs with 32. A hitter like Abreu would be a great addition to the Orioles’ offense; he hits around .300 with occasional pop, and he’ll be playing in hitter-friendly Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the most underachieving teams thus far into the season. Everyone knows about their outstanding pitching staff and their impressive bullpen, but that’s not the surprising part. Their offense has been one of the worst in the National League to date. They are hitting .250 as a team, which isn't terrible, as it places them in the middle of the pack at eighth. Where they have really struggled is scoring runs (80, 12th) and crushing home runs (14, 11th).
It’s quite obvious that the Phillies need to fortify their lineup and add some pop if they are going to even think about competing in the Fall Classic. They have been able to stay at .500 so far, but if they continue to lose pieces of their offense without adding any reinforcements, they are headed down a tough road. Definitely look for the Phillies to be one of the big buyers of trades this summer.
4. New York Yankees
Another disappointing team this season has been the New York Yankees. They have played better than the Sox and the Phillies, but that’s mainly because of their offense and superb bullpen. As for their starting pitchers, well, they have been atrocious. Collectively, their starting pitchers sport a 5.85 ERA as they have surrendered 82 earned runs over their first 126.2 innings of work. C.C. Sabathia has not been himself, and his ERA reflects that as it sits around 4.60 (4.58 to be exact). Former rookie Ivan Nova, although he has a 3-0 record, sits with an above five ERA.
So, to say the least, the Yankees will definitely be in the market for a starting pitcher come the end of July. As previously mentioned, the Sox did not call up Cook, and the Yankees are possibly interested in this acquisition. I think Cook would be a good fit with the Yankees; in 2008, he won 16 games for the Rockies and has a career 4.53 ERA pitching for the thin-aired Colorado faithful. He might not be the best choice, but he is an option right now. Definitely look for the Yankees to make some moves before the trade deadline because if they do not add a strong starting pitcher, their playoff hopes this season might be over before it even starts.
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