Mound matters: Taking a look at the AL East pitching staffs

With the Super Bowl done, it's time to turn attentions to baseball, with pitchers and catchers soon reporting to Florida and Arizona for spring training.

Here's a look at how the pitching staffs shape up in the American League East.

Baltimore: The Orioles rotation finished strong in 2016, but going into spring training there are two questions: Depth and consistency. RHP Yovani Gallardo was traded to Seattle, leaving RHPs Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson - and maybe RHP Logan Verrett - as rotation depth. Wright gave up 133 hits in 119 1/3 innings last year and Wilson pitched 13 big league innings after the All-Star break. Verrett, who likely takes the role of RHP Vance Worley, was a spot starter for the Mets in each of the last two seasons. ... Ace RHP Chris Tillman pitched to a 4.45 ERA in the second half of last year, more than a run higher than in the first half. How will being in his final year before free agency affect him, if at all? ... RHP Kevin Gausman was superb in the second half (3.10 ERA), and the Orioles expect he and Tillman to each reach 200 innings. ... RHP Dylan Bundy shows promise and Orioles manager Buck Showalter says there is no limit on his innings. But in a world of innings limits, is it realistic to think Bundy can throw 160-170 innings after pitching 109 2/3 innings last season? ... RHP Ubaldo Jimenez and LHP Wade Miley (6.17 ERA in 11 starts last season) go up and down, but each is capable of dominating. ... How long with LHP Zach Britton's consecutive saves streak stay intact after going 47-for-47 last season? His sinker is devastating and he leads arguably the deepest bullpen in the American League. The bullpen could be even better this year, assuming RHP Darren O'Day is healthy and pitches more than the 31 innings he pitched last season. The locks going into camp are RHPs Mychal Givens and Brad Brach and LHP Donnie Hart.

Boston: The Red Sox have the reigning AL Cy Young winner in RHP Rick Porcello (22 wins, 3.15 ERA), and he might not even be the best in the rotation, although he's the likely opening day starter. That's because the Red Sox added LHP Chris Sale in a trade from the White Sox. Sale has finished in the top six in AL Cy Young voting five times. ... The rotation also has another AL Cy Young winner in LHP David Price, the $217 million pitcher who had a 3.99 ERA in his first season with the Red Sox, compared to his 3.21 career ERA. Price won the AL Cy Young in 2012 and finished second in two other seasons. ... Those three will lead the rotation, and the final two spots will come down to a battle of LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, RHP Steven Wright and LHP Drew Pomeranz. ... Rodriguez is expected to have a bounceback season and Wright, 31, is a knuckleballer. ... If Rodriguez and Pomeranz make it, the Red Sox will have four lefties in the rotation. The Red Sox's bullpen is stronger than a year ago. They are counting on RHP Craig Kimbrel to be more consistent after an up-and-down first season in Boston. They acquired RHP Tyler Thornburg (12.1 strikeouts/nine innings, 2.17 ERA in 2016 with Milwaukee) to go with RHPs Matt Barnes (71 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings) and Joe Kelly, who had a strong September out of the bullpen last year, in the setup roles. Another flamethrower, RHP Carson Smith, could be back from elbow surgery by June.

New York: The Yankees rotation has a question at every slot, except for their top starter, RHP Masahiro Tanaka, 28, who is coming off a 2016 season where he made 31 starts and was one out short of 200 innings. He set career highs in wins (14), strikeouts (165), quality starts (19) and ERA (3.07). ... LHP CC Sabathia, 36, has transformed from a power pitcher to a command pitcher, one that has learned a cut fastball to deal with his diminishing velocity. He's had knee injuries in the last couple of years, but if he pitches to his 2016 ERA of 3.91, the Yankees will be happy. ... RHP Michael Pineda has dangerous stuff, but he gives up a lot of home runs (27 home runs in 175 2/3 innings last season) and the Yankees aren't happy with his ERA (4.82). ... Prospects such as RHPS Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and Chad Green, as well as RHP Luis Severino, 22, who had an excellent showing 2015 but struggled in 2016, will battle for the final three spots in the rotation. ... LHP Andrew Miller is no longer a Yankee, but the pinstriped bullpen is plenty tough, assuming the starters can turn the game over to RHPs Tyler Clippard, Adam Warren and Dellin Betances, while getting the ball to the $86 million closer, LHP Aroldis Chapman, who was traded to Cubs midseason last year and returned as a free agent signee.

Tampa Bay: As always, the Rays have plenty of young pitching, even with a trade that shipped talented LHP Drew Smyly to Seattle. ... RHP Chris Archer, 28, has pitched at least 200 innings in each of the last two seasons and is the staff ace. ... RHP Jake Odorizzi, 26, strikes out eight every nine innings and has ERAs of 3.35 and 3.61 in each of the last two seasons. ... RHP Alex Cobb came back from Tommy John surgery in September, and even though his five starts produced an 8.59 ERA, the Rays said it was a successful return. ... LHP Blake Snell, who has 13 strikeouts and 5.2 walks per nine innings in 2016, is also in the rotation. ... By July, RHP Jose De Leon, acquired from the Dodgers, could be in the rotation. ... The bullpen is banking on a healthy RHP Brad Boxberger, who spent most of 2016 rehabilitating injuries, to be a solid setup guy for the closer, RHP Alex Colome, a pitcher that the Nationals were reportedly looking at in a trade. If those two are set, the Rays bullpen will have stability.

Toronto: After losing a chunk of their home run power when Edwin Encarnacion signed with Cleveland, the Blue Jays' strength this season will be their rotation. The top of the rotation has RHP Aaron Sanchez, a bullpen pitcher in 2015 who was the AL ERA leader (3.00) and Cy Young candidate last season. ... Can LHP J.A. Happ duplicate his 3.18 ERA from 2016? ...RHP Marco Estrada was a dependable starter last season despite back problems. If he's healthy, that's another plus for the rotation. ... RHP Marcus Stroman, the ace in 2015, made some adjustments and pitched well in the second half in 2016 and the Blue Jays have no reason to believe he won't build on that momentum. ... LHP Francisco Liriano, who has a deadly slider with nine strikeouts per nine innings last season, replaces RHP R.A. Dickey, another rotation upgrade. ... RHP Roberto Osuna hasn't turned 22 yet, but he's had two excellent seasons as the Blue Jays closer. But the Blue Jays will miss departed LHP Brett Cecil and RHP Joaquin Benoit, two of their most dependable bullpen arms last season. That puts a lot of pressure of RHP Joe Biagini and 40-year-old RHP Jason Grilli. The Blue Jays have signed LHP J.P. Howell, but the bullpen is their biggest question.