American League West News

The Mariners already set up camp over the weekend. This week, everyone else joins them, with their tent stakes, sleeping bags and World Series dreams in tow.

The best Texas Rangers' starter the past two seasons is gone. And C.J. Wilson joined a rival at that.

So without further introduction, the offseason grades for each MLB club, first to worst.

September 28, 2011; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles players congratulate Robert Andino after Andino hit the game winning one-run RBI single in the ninth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Many variables with come into play when determining the final group of teams to play in October, but for now, these are the clubs that have the pieces in place to contend this season.

The NL Central in 2012 is going to look very different than it did in 2011. The best first baseman in the division- possibly the whole league- in Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols have departed for the American League and will compete in brand new pennant races .

At the top, the defending champion Rangers and upstart Los Angeles are ready for a big-payroll rumble.

The baseball season is just around the corner. Teams have made big changes and everyone is getting set to try and win the World Series.

As we take a look back at some of the key prospect lists, top 10s, and other minor league analysis from the week, here's this week's minor league links.

In this Aug. 23, 2008 file photo, Japan's Yu Darvish pitches against USA in their bronze medal baseball game at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The competitive gap between the top two and bottom two teams in the AL West is like the $240 million contract the Los Angeles Angels gave Albert Pujols.

By now, we have the image burned into our minds. A No matter whether you read the book or watched the movie , Moneyball A has cemented into our minds the picture of Billy Beane preparing for draft day.

Smart and timely trades have had much to do with Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Doug Melvin's success in his nearly 20 years as a GM in Texas and Milwaukee.

With the start of spring training just under two weeks away, most players are starting to get locked in on preparing for the upcoming season.

For a week, the pop of ball-in-mitt in the bullpens alongside the ball fields of the Mariners' spring training facility in Peoria, Ariz., will be the only sounds of organized uniformed activity in the baseball world.

The AL West got a lot more interesting this past offseason. The Texas Rangers have won the division two years running, but the Los Angeles Angels have spared no expense in their effort to recapture the crown.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be projecting 25-man rosters for each of the 30 teams.

With pitchers and catchers still yet to report, the baseball world is looking for things to talk about.

Keith Law's annual organizational rankings were released today, and the Mariners fared pretty well.

December 14, 2010; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane addresses the media during a press conference following designated hitter Hideki Matsui signing with the Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.