The weather is getting warmer. Spring is in the air. The Academy Awards have arrived. And oh yeah, so has baseball.

Since the Evil Empire took home the World Series title last November a lot has happened in the baseball world. Mark Mcgwire admitted his transgressions, still failed to make the Hall of Fame, and was then hired to be the Cardinals’ new injection coach (correction: hitting coach).

The Cubs and Milton Bradley parted ways as the embattled outfielder was shipped to Seattle for a couple bats and some big league chew, effectively ending a marriage that worked about as well as Britney and K-Fed.

Other moves included Jason Bay leaving Boston for the money of the New York Mets, John Lackey moving from (Los Angles of) Anaheim to Boston, and Javier Vazquez returning to the Yankees for a 2nd and hopefully more successful stint.

With GMs locked up in an eternal chess match, how is your favorite team stacking up? I’m here to sort that out, starting with the AL East (ESPN’s division of choice).

1. NEW YORK YANKEES. This should come as no surprise. The Yanks are once again on top of the mountain, and haven’t done anything in the offseason to suggest that they might fall. New York maintained their superb starting staff, led by workhorse C.C. Sabathia, A.J Burnett, and newcomer Javy Vazquez (who hopes not to repeat the 4.91 ERA he suffered in his 2004 stint with the Yanks). Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are battling for the 5th starter spot, but both pitchers are extremely capable so in essence it’s a good problem to have. NY lost mainstays Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, but countered that by signing Randy Winn and Curtis Granderson. Granderson is an explosive leadoff hitter with superb power and speed, but he strikes out more than an ideal leadoff hitter would. Still, he gives the Yanks the speed and OBP they have not had at the top of the lineup, and sets the table well for Jeter, A-Rod and Texeira. Mariano Rivera is still the closer, just as he has been for the last decade, solidifying the back end of a bullpen that is a little lacking in long relief. All said, there would have to be a plethora of underachieving seasons for the Yankees not to win the AL East again in 2010.

2. BOSTON RED SOX. I’m very hesitant to put Boston this high. We all know they aren’t getting any younger. I’m going to say that they still have the firepower to hold off Tampa Bay, but if those two teams switched spots it wouldn’t be at all surprising. The pitching staff has a lot of top-tier names, many of which have recurring injury concerns. Jon Lester is the ace that Boston can depend on, and if Josh Beckett keeps his blisters to a minimum he is a very formidable #2. John Lackey adds depth and experience to the staff, but the “Sawcks” still have questions in the back end. Daisuke Matsuzaka is trying to bounce back from a disastrous 2009, and either the unproven Clay Buchholz or the ageless Tim Wakefield will win the 5th spot. Adrian Beltre, J.D Drew, Mike Cameron, and David Ortiz are all aging, and it’s doubtful if any of them have career years ahead of them. The middle of their infield is stellar, however, and newcomer Marco Scutaro and 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia should work seamlessly together both offensively as well as in turning the double play. If the starters stay healthy and the team’s aging stars stay formidable the Red Sox could push the Yankees and certainly be in position for the Wild Card.

3. TAMPA BAY RAYS. To borrow from the 2000 AL Central division champion Chicago White Sox’s motto, “These kids can play”. The Tampa Bay Rays are very young, very exciting, and very, very raw. The team’s leader is 3B Evan Longoria, a 25-year-old sensation that hit 33 home runs and drove in 113 RBIs in 2009. 2B Ben Zobrist found his form in a big way last season as well, hitting .297 with 27 homers, a considerate increase from the .253 he hit in 2008. Carlos Pena, BJ Upton and Carl Crawford also bring pop to this relatively unproven lineup. The rotation is also, without question, a huge question mark. James Shields, Matt Garza, and Jeff Niemann have excellent “stuff” but are extremely erratic, with neither one of them putting up more than 14 wins in a season. David Price and Wade Davis are extremely well regarded prospects, but they have yet to have consistent success in the big leagues. Basically, what I’m saying is that I have no idea what I’m going to see from the Rays. They could win 100 games, or 60. They could be “Godfather 2”, or “Godfather 3”. They have talented players, but lack in any kind of experience whatsoever. If you know what’s going to happen with Tampa Bay, then you know much more than me.

4. BALTIMORE ORIOLES. If only Baltimore had a pitching staff, then they’d really be somewhere. The O’s have added punch in the offseason in the form of Garrett Atkins, who is trying to bounce back from a measly .226 average and the worst season of his career. Matt “Mauer With Power” Wieters, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis also form a young, talented core. Still, pitching wins championships. And Baltimore, quite simply, doesn’t. Kevin Millwood is a shaky ace, because while he had a solid 2009 he averaged a 4.92 ERA from 2006 to 2008. Also, Jeremy Guthrie had a 5.04 ERA in 2009 and the Orioles’ 3-5 starters have a combined 39 games started in their careers. Can Baltimore win without pitching? I don’t know, can the Cavs win without Lebron James? Can Tim Burton make a movie without Johnny Depp? The answer is no. Impossible.

5. TORONTO BLUE JAYS. At least the Blue Jays are in Canada. They’ll be bad, but nobody will notice. Roy Halladay left town for the greener pastures of Philadelphia, leaving the Jays in a heap of trouble. The pitching staff is completely depleted. The Jay’s 5 projected starters had a combined 67 starts in 2009, averaging about 13 per starter. The staff is extremely inexperienced, and there is really no ace to speak of. And in the historically deadly AL East, you really can’t win without pitching. Sadly, the lineup isn’t much better. Vernon Wells is now Toronto’s “name” player, but in 2009 he hit only .260 with 15 HRs and 66 RBIs. In fact, the lineup as a whole only hit 153 homers in 2009, and Adam Lind and Aaron Hill were responsible were responsible for almost half of that production. Hopefully the Jays get used to life in the cellar. After all, Doc Halladay is no longer there to revive their pitiful rotation.