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Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will have a close-up view of one of baseball’s biggest stories in 2014 -- the final season of New York Yankees teammate Derek Jeter.
The iconic Yankees captain announced in February that his 20th season would be his last. The club’s acquisition of Tanaka—a 25-year-old right-hander who was unbeaten last year in leading the Rakuten Eagles to the Japan Series crown—was part of an off-season spending spree that they hope will help them send Jeter off with a sixth World Series title.
After an appetizer of a two-game series in Australia—in which the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Arizona Diamondbacks—the regular-season banquet begins in earnest with the Dodgers again in action on “Opening Night” Sunday against the San Diego Padres.
Monday’s “Opening Day” slate is highlighted by an interleague contest between the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies.
Even though the Yankees have loosened the purse strings after missing the playoffs last season, the Dodgers head into the season with the highest payroll in the major leagues—a list the Yankees had topped since 1998.
The Dodgers overcame a stuttering start last year to steam to the National League West division title, but fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, whose job appeared in jeopardy last June, instead has inked a new contract. But question marks remain, with outfielder Matt Kemp’s long-term fitness still a concern and two-time Cy Young Award-winner Clayton Kershaw scratched from his scheduled start on Sunday because of inflammation in a back muscle.
The Dodgers will need left-handed ace Kershaw—who signed a seven-year, $215 million (156 million euros) deal in January—to stay healthy if they are to make the most of the rest of their talent, which includes the brilliant but unpredictable Yasiel Puig. Cardinals team to beat in NL -Although the Cardinals came up short against the Boston Red Sox in the World Series last year, St. Louis remain the team to beat in the National League.
After Carlos Beltran’s departure as a free agent, Allen Craig will take over right field, and the Cards have 21-year-old prospect Oscar Taveras waiting in the wings. Matt Carpenter will again leadoff for the Cardinals and with Beltran gone, the Cardinals moved to boost their offense with the addition of shortstop Jhonny Peralta.
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