Every MLB Team's Most Pressing Need It Must Fill This Offseason
From Zack Greinke to David Price, the MLB free-agent market is flooded with impact starters.
That's great news for big league general managers because revamping the rotation is the most pressing need for an array of teams across the league.
There's also an assortment of squads whose top offseason objective is to land that late-inning ace. As it so happens, there's plenty of prominent relievers up for grabs on the trade block.
While many of the clubs on this list will be focused on adding to their rosters, there's also room for more than a few rebuilding teams like the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies who need to make big subtractions in the hopes of brightening their future.
Arizona Diamondbacks
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The Most Pressing Need: Add an established starter
During a surprisingly successful 2015, it was the shaky rotation that proved to be the biggest problem for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The group had the fifth-worst ERA in the Senior Circuit.
The D-backs' brain trust is already working to resolve that issue. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Arizona talked to the Atlanta Braves about acquiring Shelby Miller. As Rosenthal reported, the D-backs balked when the Braves asked for star center fielder A.J. Pollock.
If Arizona doesn't want to deplete its own talent base to reel in an arm, the obvious move would be to pluck a starter from the free-agent block.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the D'backs were "one of many teams" to check in on Yovani Gallardo. The owner of a 3.42 ERA in 2015, Gallardo would be a strong addition to Arizona's crop of starting pitchers.
Atlanta Braves
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The Most Pressing Need: Get out from under a couple of bad contracts
According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Atlanta Braves GM John Coppolella has no intention of going all in on the tank job and shipping out Freddie Freeman.
If that's the case, then the club's top objective should be to try to dump the contracts of Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher. Bourn earns $14 million next season and has a $12 million vesting option for 2017. Meanwhile, Swisher makes $15 million in 2016 and has a $14 million vesting option for the season after that.
As Bowman noted, the Braves "would likely [have to] eat some money" to get rid of either of those contracts. There's no question about that. But considering that neither Bourn nor Swisher has a role to play long term, there's little reason to keep the vets around in 2016.
Baltimore Orioles
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The Most Pressing Need: Retain Chris Davis
As Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio reported, Baltimore Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said the club has "the resources" to bring back Chris Davis and to reel in a front-line starter.
Between those two objectives, re-upping Davis needs to be at the top of the list. Simply put, it's awfully difficult to find mashers like the reigning home run champ on the free-agent block.
The O's will have to pay a hefty price to retain Crush Davis, as Dave Cameron of FanGraphs projected the vet will land a five-year deal worth $130 million. It's his power that makes Davis worthy of such a monstrous contract, but his defensive versatility is an underrated aspect of his game. Davis is capable of logging time at first base, right field and even third base.
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Boston Red Sox
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The Most Pressing Need: Find an ace
It sounds like the Boston Red Sox will be dipping into the free-agent market to secure a No. 1 starter.
"My thought process is most likely any acquisition we'd make in the starting pitching would first happen as far as the free-agent field is concerned," president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said, per Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. "You never know, but that would be my guess."
As Lauber speculated, the Red Sox could zero in on aces like Zack Greinke, Johnny Cueto and David Price. Any of those three guys would be capable of excelling atop the Red Sox's rotation, but Price would be an especially intriguing option after he proved he could dominate the AL East last season. In 11 starts with the Toronto Blue Jays, the lefty compiled a 9-1 record and a 2.30 ERA.
Chicago Cubs
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The Most Pressing Need: Clear up the picture in the middle of the infield
The Chicago Cubs are in a unique situation.
While most teams struggle to find two productive middle infielders, the Cubs have three guys for two spots in Addison Russell, Starlin Castro and Javier Baez. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports wrote that Russell won't be going anywhere, but added that both Baez and Castro could be utilized as trade chips.
Chicago should move aggressively to sell high on one of those infielders before the start of the 2016 season. Last season, Baez posted a .911 OPS in Triple-A before excelling in a September cameo at Wrigley. Meanwhile, Castro was raking at the end of 2015. From Aug. 1 to the conclusion of the campaign, the 25-year-old hit .335.
Chicago White Sox
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The Most Pressing Need: Add a bat
The Chicago White Sox's offense was seriously disappointing in 2015, as the club raked last in the AL in runs.
The easiest way for the South Siders to improve their suspect lineup would be to make a splash for one of the premier free-agent bats like Yoenis Cespedes. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, "the White Sox were one of many, many teams" to listen to a presentation by the Cuban's agent at the GM meetings.
Signing the 30-year-old would cost the White Sox a small fortune, but the combination of Cespedes and Jose Abreu would immediately give Chicago one of the most imposing three-four combos in the AL.
Cincinnati Reds
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The Most Pressing Need: Sell big
Losers of 98 games in 2015, the Cincinnati Reds need to sell big and build for the future.
According to president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty, doing just that is the plan this offseason.
"I don't know if we're in a position to say there's any untouchables," Jocketty said, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "There's certainly guys who would be much more difficult to move, but we have to be open-minded to whatever we can do to improve the club for the long term."
As Jayson Stark of ESPN noted, the Reds are looking for "big league-ready young players" in exchange for guys like Todd Frazier and Aroldis Chapman, who happen to be their two most intriguing trade chips.
Frazier (35 home runs in 2015) and Chapman (1.63 ERA in 2015) are compelling pieces not just because of their on-field production but also because the free-agent market for both third basemen and closers is weak.
Cleveland Indians
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The Most Pressing Need: Bring in an outfielder to strengthen the offense
Make no mistake about it. The Cleveland Indians offense, which ranked No. 11 in the AL in runs in 2015, needs a jump-start.
As Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com argued, one way for the Tribe to acquire that help would be to deal from their talented stable of starting pitchers. As Hoynes noted, right-handers Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar represent the club's most valuable trade pieces.
One player who would be a logical fit for the Indians is Brett Gardner, who is already on the trade block, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The outfielder not only possesses a rare combination of power and speed (16 homers and 20 steals in 2015), but is also playing on a team-friendly contract. Gardner makes $37.5 million over the next three seasons and has a $12.5 million team option (or a $2 million buyout) for 2019.
Colorado Rockies
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The Most Pressing Need: Sell high on Carlos Gonzalez
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Colorado Rockies are entertaining the idea of selling high on Carlos Gonzalez after the powerful outfielder slugged 27 homers during the second half of the season.
"The Rockies are said to have made Gonzalez available again. 'He'll be thrilled,' a friend says."
If the Rockies are going to move CarGo this offseason, patience will likely be required, as the free-agent front is stocked with impact outfielders like Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton, Jason Heyward and Alex Gordon.
Colorado's best chance to bring back a haul for the Venezuelan is to wait until later in the offseason to strike after all of those free-agent options have been accounted for.
Detroit Tigers
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The Most Pressing Need: Shore up the rotation
The Detroit Tigers starting pitching was downright dismal in 2015, as the team's starters clocked in with the worst ERA (4.78) in the AL.
As the club aims to rebound from last year's last-place finish, reworking that rotation is at the top of the to-do list. As Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press argued, one starter that the Tigers should check in on is Wei-Yin Chen.
The lefty enjoyed a career year for the Baltimore Orioles in 2015, recording a 3.34 ERA while working 191.1 innings. Chen's ERA was the seventh-best mark in the AL and only David Price (2.45) and Scott Kazmir (3.10) had lower ERAs of the remaining free-agent starters.
Houston Astros
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The Most Pressing Need: Add a prominent closer
The Houston Astros are at least considering the idea of importing a big-time closer.
“Those conversations are happening and it really comes down to what our options are, either through trade or trying to improve the bullpen through free agency and how much it’s going to cost in terms of prospects or money to put something together,” GM Jeff Luhnow said, per Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. “You know, nothing’s cheap.”
As Luhnow noted, one of those guys who wouldn't be cheap is Aroldis Chapman, who the Cincinnati Reds are shopping. If the Astros were to make a play for the Cuban, the team could shift current closer Luke Gregerson into the eighth inning to form an imposing late-inning combo.
As you'll see on the slides that follow there's one closer from an NL East team who could also become a target for the Astros—that is, if his current club chooses to make him available. And unlike Chapman, that closer would be cheap—at least in terms of dollars.
Kansas City Royals
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The Most Pressing Need: Bolster the rotation
Even World Series winners have weaknesses.
"We have to address the issue of innings from our starters," Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore said, per Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. "It's important to get more innings out of our starters."
As Flanagan noted, the Royals' staff was last in the AL in innings pitched a season ago. The good news for the Royals as the club sets out to address that problem is that the free-agent market is awash with effective starters.
One vet who doesn't generate much buzz but who has a knack for getting results is Hisashi Iwakuma. In his four seasons in the bigs, the 34-year-old right-hander is the owner of a 3.17 ERA.
Los Angeles Angels
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The Most Pressing Need: Find an upgrade for left field
Suffice it to say that left field was a train wreck for the Los Angeles Angels in 2015.
Last season, the players who patrolled that spot combined to post a .592 OPS, which was the worst mark in the AL. With that stat in mind, the Halos look like an ideal landing spot for Alex Gordon. The lefty hitter, who has a .783 OPS in nine seasons in the big leagues, would be the perfect addition to the right-handed-heavy lineup.
In addition to being an offensive upgrade, Gordon would also provide plenty of help in the field, as he's won the Gold Glove in left field in four of the past five seasons.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Most Pressing Need: Bring back Zack Greinke
After Zack Greinke opted out of the final three seasons of his contract, it's no sure thing that the right-hander will be back with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, as Mark Saxon of ESPN wrote.
"Many people still seem to consider them the favorites to sign Greinke, but that hasn’t been the signal the team has been giving off."
Letting Greinke walk would prove to be a major mistake for the reigning NL West winners.
The one-two punch of Greinke and Clayton Kershaw simply can't be re-created if Greinke departs. Kershaw is a perennial Cy Young Award candidate and Greinke just turned in one of the most-dominant campaigns in recent memory. As noted by the Stats Twitter account, the pitcher's 1.66 ERA was the lowest mark by any qualifying starter since Greg Maddux compiled a 1.63 ERA in 1995.
Miami Marlins
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The Most Pressing Need: Lock up Dee Gordon
It's nearly impossible to find table-setters like Dee Gordon. For that reason, the Miami Marlins "will explore" the possibility of signing the speedster to a multiyear extension, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. For Gordon's part, the second baseman sounds like he'd be interested in sticking around with the Fish for the long haul.
“I love it here—the ballpark, the coaches, the staff," Gordon told Jackson.
Gordon's on-field production (.333 average and 58 steals in 2015) and his affinity for the organization are the primary reasons why the Marlins' front office should make it a priority to lock up the 27-year-old this offseason.
Milwaukee Brewers
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The Most Pressing Need: Explore the Jean Segura trade market
After the Milwaukee Brewers dropped 94 contests in 2015, GM David Stearns is looking to add as much up-and-coming talent as possible.
"At this point, our objective is to acquire the best young player we possibly can, really regardless of position," Sterns told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com after the Brew Crew shipped Francisco Rodriguez to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor league infielder Javier Betancourt.
Shortstop Jean Segura could be the next vet headed out of town. As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote, the team is "expected to be open to offers for [the] shortstop."
Segura has turned in consecutive subpar seasons (.614 OPS in 2014 and a .616 OPS in 2015). However, since it's so difficult to find shortstop via free agency, there could be teams willing to gamble that the 25-year-old can rediscover his All-Star form from 2013.
Minnesota Twins
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The Most Pressing Need: Add to the pen
Shoring up the bullpen is one of the top priorities for the Minnesota Twins this offseason, as Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reported.
One of the central issues for the relief corps, which ranked No. 10 in the AL in ERA, was that it didn't generate enough swings and misses. As Bollinger noted, the pen tallied the fewest punchouts in the bigs in 2015.
With the Twins aiming to get more strikeouts from their relievers next season, Tony Sipp and Shawn Kelley are two names to consider. Last season, the left-hander Sipp K'd 62 batters in 54.1 innings of work for the Houston Astros. Meanwhile, Kelley totaled 63 K's in 51.1 frames for the San Diego Padres.
New York Mets
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The Most Pressing Need: Find some help for the bullpen
Anyone who watched the postseason knows that the New York Mets' bullpen was less than stellar last season.
Looking at the crop of free-agent relievers via MLBTradeRumors.com, Darren O'Day is the best of the bunch. The owner of a 1.92 ERA over the past four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, the righty is ready to break the bank. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, O'Day is looking to make between $28 million and $36 million over four years.
As Mike Puma of the New York Post tweeted, "the Mets most likely won't go there." That's a lot of dollars and a lot of years for any reliever. Then again, O'Day's track record suggests that he'd be worth the investment—especially for the Mets, whose bullpen just blew three leads in the World Series.
New York Yankees
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The Most Pressing Need: Move Andrew Miller to bolster the rotation
According to Jayson Stark of ESPN, Andrew Miller could be one and done in the Bronx: "[I] had one exec tell me this week he thinks [the New York] Yankees 'will move' Miller—for a big, [Craig] Kimbrel-like package built around big league-ready starters."
Shopping Miller makes a lot of sense for the AL East club as setup man Dellin Betances could take over the ninth-inning role. But considering that Miller had a 2.04 ERA and a 14.6 strikeout-per-nine ratio in 2015, New York's front office would have to be overwhelmed by an offer to actually part with the electric closer.
Oakland Athletics
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The Most Pressing Need: Fixing the bullpen
When a squad racks up 94 losses like the Oakland Athletics did in 2015, there's going to be a lot to take care of in the offseason.
After sifting through the wreckage, the most glaring weakness for Oakland was its bullpen, which recorded the worst ERA (4.63) in the AL. The group also served up the second-most bombs in the bigs.
Step one to fixing the pen will be to get more production out of closer Sean Doolittle, who only appeared in 12 games in 2015 due to shoulder problems. But the Athletics are also going to have to go outside of the organization for help.
One lower-profile free agent who could immediately help Oakland in the later innings is Shawn Kelley. Last season, the 31-year-old right-hander sported a 2.45 ERA and an 11.0 strikeout-per-nine ratio.
Pittsburgh Pirates
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The Most Pressing Need: Find a taker for Neil Walker
There might not be any room for Neil Walker in the infield at PNC Park in 2015.
Josh Harrison is capable of handling second base and Jung Ho Kang could step in at third base once he recovers from his knee injury. GM Neal Huntington struck an optimistic tone when discussing the infielder's rehab, telling 93.7 The Fan that the club's "hope is that he’ll be back sometime early in the season if not before..."
Parting ways with Walker this offseason would also save the Bucs a ton of change. According to Roch Kubatko of MASN, the "early speculation" is that the second baseman will make $10 million via the arbitration process in 2016. As Kubatko reported, the Baltimore Orioles have already talked to the Pirates about the idea of trading for Walker.
Philadelphia Phillies
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The Most Pressing Need: Cash in on Ken Giles to help facilitate the rebuild
For a rebuilding club like the Philadelphia Phillies, a lockdown closer is a luxury.
In Ken Giles, the Phils have a reliever who fits that description. As Corey Seidman of CSN Philly argued, this winter is the perfect moment for the NL East squad to cash in on that asset. As Seidman noted, Giles is not only nasty (1.80 ERA in 2015), but also cheap (set to make roughly $1.5 million over the next two seasons).
Right now, the Phillies should be in the business of collecting as many promising young players as possible. Thanks to his on-field success and team-friendly salary, dealing Giles would be a savvy way to add to the stockpile.
San Diego Padres
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The Most Pressing Need: Find a shortstop
After utilizing a combination of Clint Barmes and Alexi Amarista at shortstop in 2015, the San Diego Padres are on the lookout for a new player to patrol that spot. As Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported via Twitter, the Pads "have expressed [an] interest" in Ian Desmond.
Initially, it's somewhat puzzling that the club would check in on the 30-year-old as he logged a subpar .674 OPS in 2015. But after breaking down the numbers, San Diego's interest starts to make more sense. After a nightmare first half (.589 OPS), Desmond was significantly more productive in the second half (.777 OPS).
San Francisco Giants
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The Most Pressing Need: Bring in another front-line starter
With Ryan Vogelsong, Tim Hudson and Tim Lincecum all free agents and Matt Cain rebounding from an injury-riddled campaign, the San Francisco Giants will likely need to bring in a couple of starting pitchers. One of those starters needs to be a true top-of-the rotation guy to headline the staff along with Madison Bumgarner.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the NL West club is "among the teams going through background preparation on David Price." A one-two punch of MadBum and Price would be flat-out filthy. But it would also be flat-out expensive.
As the Giants dig through the market, Jordan Zimmermann, who was always overshadowed by the likes of Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer, is one name to consider. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports predicted that the righty will rake in a five-year, $115 million deal. The owner of a 3.32 ERA in seven seasons in the majors, Zimmermann would be a great buy at that price tag.
Seattle Mariners
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The Most Pressing Need: Add some offense behind the plate
Mike Zunino's offensive numbers were ugly in 2015. In 350 at-bats, the right-handed hitter logged a .174 average, a .230 OBP and a .530 OPS.
In what has been a supercharged offseason for new GM Jerry Dipoto, finding another catcher to replace or at least share time with Zunino remains an unchecked box.
Part of the reason that Dipoto has yet to make an addition is that it's not easy to find quality backstops on the free-agent block, as you can see via this list on MLBTradeRumors.com. Unless Dipoto wants to buy low on a veteran catcher, the logical choice would be to explore the trade options.
St. Louis Cardinals
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The Most Pressing Need: Bolster the starting rotation
The St. Louis Cardinals are in an unfamiliar spot.
Usually loaded with starting pitching, the Cards are going to need to add an arm as John Lackey is now a free agent and Lance Lynn is set to miss the 2016 season after undergoing elbow surgery.
"Maybe it's time to be more aggressive [on the market]," GM John Mozeliak told Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
The first pitcher that the Cards should check in on is Lackey. The right-hander turned 37 last month, but his performance was impeccable in 2015, as he sported a 2.77 ERA in 33 starts.
Jordan Zimmermann is another starter to look at, as he's one of the unheralded aces in a market place flooded with impact pitchers like Zack Greinke, Johnny Cueto and David Price.
Tampa Bay Rays
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The Most Pressing Need: Figure out the catching situation
Last year, the Tampa Bay Rays' catching corps was a mess. As a group, the club's backstops combined to rank No. 29 in average (.201) and OPS (.601).
The bad news for the Rays is that upgrading that position is no easy task. As you can see via MLBTradeRumors.com, Dioner Navarro is the most-accomplished free agent up for grabs in this year's class.
As a result, the trade route could prove to be the shrewdest way to find an upgrade behind the plate. And swinging a trade is nothing new for president of baseball operations Matt Silverman. As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times pointed out, the exec has pulled off 13 trades in 13 months on the job.
Texas Rangers
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The Most Pressing Need: Account for the potential loss of Yovani Gallardo
According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Yovani Gallardo, who rejected the Texas Rangers' qualifying offer, is "unlikely" to be back with the AL West team in 2016. If Gallardo departs, the Rangers will have to account for the 184.1 innings that the vet threw for the club a season ago.
One starter who would be more than capable of taking on that workload is John Lackey. In 2015, the righty threw 218 innings and recorded a 2.77 ERA for the St. Louis Cardinals. For Lackey, joining up with the Rangers would make sense from a geographical perspective as the 37-year-old hails from Texas.
Toronto Blue Jays
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The Most Pressing Need: Find an impact reliever
Even if David Price exits in free agency, the Toronto Blue Jays might not have to sign another starting pitcher to replace the lefty ace.
As Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported, the AL East champs could give Roberto Osuna or Aaron Sanchez a crack at a rotation spot. In such a scenario, the next logical step would be to go shopping for a prominent reliever.
Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller have reportedly been put on the trade block and Ken Giles would make for a compelling target if the Philadelphia Phillies were willing to part with the 25-year-old. As for free-agent options, Darren O'Day, who sported a 1.52 ERA in 2015, headlines the list of potential candidates.
Washington Nationals
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The Most Pressing Need: Find some insurance for the lineup
As James Wagner of the Washington Post reported, the Washington Nationals have expressed an "interest" in making a move for super-utility man Ben Zobrist.
What makes the switch-hitting veteran such a strong fit for the Nats is that he can log time at second base, third base and the outfield corners. One of the many reasons why Washington struggled so badly in 2015 was that the club often had to go without stars like Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth, Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman.
Bringing Zobrist aboard would provide the Nats with some much-needed insurance should the injuries start to pile up again in 2016.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and 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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