New Year's Resolutions for All 30 MLB Teams in 2015
Let's be honest: New Year's resolutions almost never work out. Of course, that's no reason not to make them in the first place.
Looking around the big leagues, there are resolutions—both big and small, bold and not so bold—that all 30 MLB clubs need to be making.
For teams like the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers, it's resolving whether it's time to part with a free-agent-to-be ace. For other teams, like the Cleveland Indians and the Philadelphia Phillies, it's a matter of resolving to ditch an underperforming and high-priced veteran who's nothing but dead weight.
There are also clubs, like the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners, who should be resolving to end their playoff-less streaks. Plus, there's even a dark horse or two who should be resolving to make an unexpected October run.
Houston Astros
1 of 30
The Resolution: End the season with a .500 record
This one isn't going to be easy to accomplish.
The Houston Astros last finished on the right side of the .500 mark way back in 2008. Despite the lack of recent success, the team is definitely trending upward. The Astros went 70-92 in 2014, which was a 19-game improvement from the season before.
Now, it's time to see if new manager A.J. Hinch can guide the American League West club back to .500 and, ultimately, contention.
Los Angeles Angels
2 of 30
The Resolution: Get Josh Hamilton back on track
While the Los Angeles Angels were charging down the stretch last season, Josh Hamilton was fading into the background.
After the All-Star break, the injury-riddled left fielder appeared in just 43 games and checked in with a .228 batting average. That's a problem—especially considering how much money Hamilton has left on his contract. The 33-year-old is set to make $90.2 million over the next three seasons.
If the Angels can't find a way to get Hamilton healthy and productive, he's about to become an extremely expensive headache.
Oakland Athletics
3 of 30
The Resolution: Find a way to compete after trading away five All-Stars
Dating back to the July trade deadline, Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane has shipped out five All-Stars.
In the process, Beane has acquired an absurd amount of pitching. According to Jane Lee of MLB.com, the team could use some of those arms to land a big bat like Troy Tulowitzki. Even if it's not an All-Star like the Colorado Rockies shortstop, Oakland will need to add an impact bat or two before Opening Day rolls around.
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Seattle Mariners
4 of 30
The Resolution: End the playoff drought
It's been a while since the Seattle Mariners have played October baseball.
The last time the club took part in the playoffs was in 2001, when Lou Piniella was the skipper. Last year, the M's missed out on the second AL wild-card spot by just a single game.
After a winter that has been headlined by the addition of Nelson Cruz, ESPN's Buster Olney predicts that "the Mariners will be the popular pick to win the AL West."
Texas Rangers
5 of 30
The Resolution: Stay healthy
The Texas Rangers were hit by a flood of injuries in 2014, and the team dropped 95 games.
No injury was more costly than the loss of Prince Fielder, who appeared in only 42 contests before neck surgery put an end to his season. Rangers manager Jeff Banister knows just how important a healthy Fielder is to the team in 2015, as he explained via Even Grant of The Dallas Morning News.
"You don’t want to overplay any one guy. But he’s an impact player. He’s a power threat. he changes the dynamic of how teams play against you."
If Fielder's neck doesn't heal, the Rangers will be in an awful spot. The first baseman is owed $24 million per year for each of the next six seasons.
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
The Resolution: Don't just win the offseason
It's been a great winter for the Chicago White Sox.
The AL Central squad is one of the most improved in baseball after adding Adam LaRoche, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Samardzija, Zach Duke and David Robertson.
The challenge will be to make sure that the team doesn't just win the offseason, but wins during the actual season as well. It's about avoiding what happened to the Rangers, who had an excellent offseason a year ago only to endure a train wreck of a campaign in 2014.
As improved as the White Sox are, there promises to be plenty of competition in the AL Central, as the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals all figure to be in the mix for the division title.
Cleveland Indians
7 of 30
The Resolution: Find A Way To Get Rid Of Nick Swisher
As Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reports, the Cleveland Indians are looking to ship out Nick Swisher. That's logical considering that the Tribe has Carlos Santana and Brandon Moss to cover the first base and designated hitter roles.
However, there are some major complications to a potential trade. Swisher is not only rebounding from surgeries on both of his knees, but he is also owed $30 million over the next two seasons. As Cafardo points out, the club would likely have to eat some money in a swap. The question is just how much.
Detroit Tigers
8 of 30
The Resolution: Figure out how to bring back Max Scherzer
Entering the offseason, it appeared as though Max Scherzer had thrown his last pitch in Motown.
However, this winter, the Scherzer free-agent front sure has been quiet. According to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, the growing consensus among baseball executives is that the 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner will be returning to the Detroit Tigers after all.
"The more you ask baseball executives about where Scherzer will end up, the more the answers come back Detroit. The Tigers know and like Scherzer, and the feeling is they need him."
If the Tigers re-sign Scherzer, the team could then turn around and trade David Price, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2015 season.
Kansas City Royals
9 of 30
The Resolution: Sign Ned Yost to a contract extension
As it currently stands, manager Ned Yost is entering his contract season with the Kansas City Royals.
After guiding the Royals to within a single game of a World Series ring, the veteran skipper has definitely earned himself a new deal. According to Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star, Yost said he would like to manage for two to three more seasons. As McCullough reports, re-upping Yost is in the club's plan, but it won't happen until the end of the offseason.
Minnesota Twins
10 of 30
The Resolution: Get better production out of the rotation
The Minnesota Twins have already started working on this resolution. Earlier in the offseason, the club inked veteran right-hander Ervin Santana to a four-year, $55 million deal.
Adding the reliable Santana is a great start, but a team can never have enough quality arms. That's especially true for the Twins, whose starting staff has posted an ERA north of 5.0 in both of the past two seasons. On each occasion, that was the worst mark in the big leagues.
Baltimore Orioles
11 of 30
The Resolution: Prove the critics wrong again
Entering the 2014 season, everyone overlooked the Baltimore Orioles.
The club then promptly went on to rip off a 96-win season and claim the AL East title before bowing out in the American League Championship Series. After losing Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis and Andrew Miller in free agency, there are once again a lot of questions as to just what exactly the O's are doing.
As last season clearly demonstrated, it's not wise to question the work of executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter.
Boston Red Sox
12 of 30
The Resolution: Add an ace to the rotation
It's been a busy winter at Fenway Park.
The Boston Red Sox have snagged two of the most dangerous bats on the free-agent market in Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. The team has also added Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson to the pitching staff. Still, what the team is lacking is a true ace.
As Nick Carado of The Boston Globe writes, the Red Sox have the financial resources to sign a pitcher like Max Scherzer or trade for starters like David Price or Jordan Zimmermann.
New York Yankees
13 of 30
The Resolution: Get back to the playoffs
The New York Yankees have missed out on the postseason in each of the past two years. That just doesn't happen in the Bronx. From 1995 to 2012, the Yankees took part in October baseball in 17 out of 18 seasons.
So far, it's been a relatively quiet but productive winter for GM Brian Cashman and his club. To ensure that the playoff-less streak doesn't reach three seasons, a big splash is required.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, New York is one of the teams that "have checked in recently on [Troy] Tulowitzki." Making a move for Tulowitzki would certainly entail serious risk, as the 30-year-old shortstop has missed 222 games over the past three seasons.
Tampa Bay Rays
14 of 30
The Resolution: Prove that the team can win without Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon
Having won at least 90 games in five of the past seven seasons, the Tampa Bay Rays have made a habit of shattering expectations.
The Rays will have to do that again in 2015, and the team will have to do it without Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon, who were two of the chief architects of all that success. Much of the responsibility for proving that Tampa Bay can excel without Friedman and Maddon will fall to rookie manager Kevin Cash, who is just 37 years old.
Toronto Blue Jays
15 of 30
The Resolution: Acquire a lights-out closer
From the trade for Josh Donaldson to the signing of Russell Martin, there's a lot to like about the Toronto Blue Jays' offseason so far.
However, there is one item that the Blue Jays have yet to check off the team's offseason to-do list: a closer. Francisco Rodriguez is the best ninth-inning arm left on the free-agent front, but Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reported during the winter meetings that the Blue Jays have also checked in on the availability of Greg Holland.
Last year, the closer was unreal for the Kansas City Royals. Holland reeled off 46 saves in 48 chances and racked up 90 strikeouts in 62.1 innings.
Arizona Diamondbacks
16 of 30
The Resolution: Bring in an established catcher
Trading Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs made a lot of sense for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The veteran backstop hit just .243 in 2014, and he is set to make $40 million over the next three seasons.
The problem is that after shipping out Montero, Tuffy Gosewisch is now the most accomplished catcher on the roster.
As one look at MLBTradeRumor.com's list of the free-agent class clearly demonstrates, the market is devoid of starting-caliber players. That means that GM Dave Stewart's best chance of finding a catcher will be via a trade.
Colorado Rockies
17 of 30
The Resolution: Decide what to do with Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez
The Colorado Rockies have two major trade chips in Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki. Back in November, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reported that the club was "willing to listen to offers" for both players.
Based on how poorly the 2014 season played out for the Rockies, trading one or both of those All-Stars could just be the quickest way back to contention. Moving either the shortstop or the left fielder would bring the team a big-time haul. Plus, there's the payroll angle to consider. Tulowitzki is still owed $118 million, while Gonzalez has $53 million left on his deal.
The Rockies will also have to think about timing. With both players recovering from season-ending injuries, the club likely won't be able to get maximum value this offseason. The best option could be to let Tulowitzki and Gonzalez build up their value and then deal them before the July trade deadline.
Los Angeles Dodgers
18 of 30
The Resolution: Do better in October
The expectations are extremely high at Dodger Stadium.
That's what happens when an expensively assembled club wins its division in back-to-back seasons and then falls flat in the playoffs. Each of the Los Angeles Dodgers' past two postseason runs have been ended by the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2013, the Dodgers lost out in the National League Championship Series, and then last season, Los Angeles was dumped out in the National League Division Series.
With President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and GM Farhan Zaidi now in town, it's time for the Dodgers to cast aside the team's underwhelming October track record.
For that to happen, the team is going to need Clayton Kershaw to step up. The lefty ace has been unreal during the regular season, but he hasn't been able to figure out the postseason.
San Diego Padres
19 of 30
The Resolution: Get back to the postseason after an eight-year absence
Last year, the San Diego Padres' central problem was that the team simply couldn't score runs. The squad ranked last in baseball in that department in 2014.
Getting on the board shouldn't be a problem this time around. In a slew of trades, the front office has brought in the likes of Justin Upton, Matt Kemp and Wil Myers. The best part about all of those additions is that the team has added those bats without having to part with top arms like Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross and Ian Kennedy.
With the starting rotation already in place and the big hitters added to the mix, the Padres need to find a way to return to the postseason for the first time since 2006.
San Francisco Giants
20 of 30
The Resolution: Bolster the starting rotation
After Madison Bumgarner, there are a lot of question marks surrounding the San Francisco Giants starting rotation.
Matt Cain is recovering from elbow surgery, and during the second half of the season, Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson were either really good or really bad.
Simply put, GM Brian Sabean needs to add a reliable starter to the staff.
James Shields certainly fits that description. According to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, the Giants have checked in on the veteran right-hander. As Cafardo adds, Shields is looking to rake in a $110 million deal.
Another option would be to explore the trade market. Players who are entering their final season of club control often hit the trade block, and David Price is just one of the aces who falls into that category. According to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, the Detroit Tigers have yet to talk with the lefty about a multiyear deal. As Morosi points out, that means Detroit still has the "ability" to move Price.
Chicago Cubs
21 of 30
The Resolution: Enter into the wild-card conversation
From the addition of new manager Joe Maddon to the signing of Jon Lester, it's difficult to imagine how the offseason could have worked out any better for the Chicago Cubs.
The goal for Maddon and his new ace will be to see just how quickly they can push the NL Central club into playoff contention.
It's not realistic to think that the Cubs, who still have a ton of promising prospects who have yet to make their big league debuts, will battle for the division crown. Still, it's not unreasonable to suggest that the team can surge past the .500 mark and make some noise in the wild-card race.
Cincinnati Reds
22 of 30
The Resolution: Sell high on Johnny Cueto
The Cincinnati Reds have already traded away Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon this offseason, and the team will have to seriously consider dealing a third.
Johnny Cueto is one year away from free agency, and his agent, Bryce Dixon, told Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that the right-hander is looking to cash in.
"[Jon] Lester is a better comp ... [Max] Scherzer's the closest comp."
Lester has already snagged a six-year, $155 million deal from the Chicago Cubs. As Heyman notes, Scherzer is in the market for a $200 million payday. So unless the Reds are planning to dish out a monster deal, selling high on Cueto is the shrewdest move.
Milwaukee Brewers
23 of 30
The Resolution: Bounce back from last season's collapse
The Milwaukee Brewers face-planted in the second half of 2014.
The team became just the fourth club since 1995 to miss out on the postseason after being in fist place for at least 150 days, per ESPN Stats & Info. Despite that historic slump, it's been a remarkably quiet winter for the NL Central club. The most noteworthy move was the trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, which brought Adam Lind to Miller Park in exchange for Marco Estrada.
As a result, manager Ron Roenicke and nearly the entire team will get the chance to prove that the second-half slide was merely an aberration.
Pittsburgh Pirates
24 of 30
The Resolution: Prove that the team can win without Russell Martin
From Andrew McCutchen to Josh Harrison to Francisco Liriano, no one player is responsible for the Pittsburgh Pirates' back-to-back trips to the postseason. Those two appearances mark Pittsburgh's first October action since 1992.
It's also worth noting that they coincided with Russell Martin's incredibly successful run with the Pirates. The 2014 NL Gold Glove finalist will be nowhere to be found in 2015 after inking a five-year, $82 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Just how much the team misses Martin will be an intriguing storyline to track as the Pirates angle for a third consecutive trip to the playoffs.
St. Louis Cardinals
25 of 30
The Resolution: Let Carlos Martinez pitch in the starting rotation
Carlos Martinez has an electric arm.
So far during his brief MLB career, the right-hander has pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen. Of his 86 big league appearances, only eight have been starts. This spring, the St. Louis Cardinals plan to give the 23-year-old the opportunity to claim a spot in the rotation, per Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
Considering Martinez's minor league track record as a starter, that's a decision that should pay dividends for the Cardinals. In parts of five seasons on the farm, the Dominican posted a 2.61 ERA, and he started in all but one of his 70 outings.
Atlanta Braves
26 of 30
The Resolution: Go all-in on rebuilding
As Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution argues, once the Atlanta Braves traded Justin Upton, it became clear that the club was entering "rebuilding mode."
If that's the case, then it's time for the Braves to go all-in.
Atlanta has already moved Upton and Jason Heyward, and Evan Gattis should be next up on the trade block. The right-handed hitter clubbed 22 home runs in 2014, but it's not just his power that makes him a valuable chip. Gattis is also under club control for four more seasons.
Miami Marlins
27 of 30
The Resolution: Win the NL East
2015 is looking highly promising for the Miami Marlins.
First, the club locked up Giancarlo Stanton to a $325 million megadeal. Then, the Fish added quality contributors like Mat Latos, Dee Gordon and Martin Prado via trades. There's also the landscape of the NL East to take into consideration.
The Washington Nationals are still loaded and the New York Mets are on the rise, but the division is open after that. As one AL executive put it to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, two teams—the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies—are already "mailing it in."
The wild card for the Marlins will be just how successfully Jose Fernandez is able to return from Tommy John surgery.
New York Mets
28 of 30
The Resolution: Find a shortstop
With all sorts of promising arms and 79 wins a season ago, the New York Mets are definitely trending in the right direction.
The most glaring weakness on the club's roster is the shortstop position, where Wilmer Flores is slated to be the starter. As a result of that situation, there has been plenty of talk about the possibility of the Mets acquiring Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies.
According to Howard Megdal of Capital New York, the team's brain trust thinks it has the pieces to make such a swap happen.
"And judging from a conversation I had with a Mets official, the front office believes the team has the players to get a deal for Tulowitzki done," Megdal wrote.
As currently constructed, the Mets should enter into the mix for a wild-card spot. Still, making a blockbuster trade like the acquisition of Tulowitzki would drastically increase the chances of New York getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2006.
Philadelphia Phillies
29 of 30
The Resolution: Find a way to ditch Ryan Howard
It seems as though it's only a matter of time before Ryan Howard is out the door in Philadelphia.
Speaking on 97.5 The Fanatic, via Dan Toman of The Score.com, Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. explained where the first baseman stands with the organization.
"We've talked to Ryan. And I told him that in our situation it would probably bode better for the organization not with him but without him."
Howard is still owed at least $60 million, which makes it nearly impossible to move the veteran in a trade. One option would be to try and pawn Howard off to an AL club looking to add a DH by agreeing to eat a considerable portion of his salary.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
The Resolution: Figure out what to do with the team's free-agents-to-be
After piling up 96 wins in 2014, the Washington Nationals haven't had a lot to do this offseason. However, looking out onto the horizon, the Nats have some major decisions to make. Doug Fister, Jordan Zimmermann, Denard Span and Ian Desmond are all set to become free agents at the end of 2015.
Earlier in the offseason, GM Mike Rizzo told James Wagner of The Washington Post that he is "open" to trading any of the club's free-agents-to-be if the "offer is right." Considering that starters, shortstops and center fielders are among the most challenging spots to fill on the diamond, Rizzo will be getting lots of calls.
Note: All stats courtesy of MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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