The One Area Every MLB Contender Must Still Improve Before 2016 Season
The crazy part about Yoenis Cespedes, Chris Davis, Alex Gordon and Justin Upton all remaining unemployed at this late date in the offseason is that there's still a tremendous need for corner bats across the game.
The Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals are just a few of the contending clubs who should add an impact hitter as the 2016 season inches ever closer.
Before compiling the shopping list that follows, the first order of business was defining the term "contender." For the purpose of this exercise, contenders had to meet one of two requirements:
- Post a .500 record or better in 2015
- Work aggressively to improve their club on the free-agent and trade fronts this winter
Ultimately, 21 clubs cleared at least one of those bars and cracked a spot. And with the Senior Circuit flooded with teams in tank mode, the American League dominates the list.
Starting in the AL West and moving across the league, let's explore the one pesky area—whether it's a position, depth or a quality (like power)—that each contender needs to address to mask a weakness and improve its playoff chances.
Houston Astros
1 of 21
The Area of Need: First Base
If Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow were to build his ideal player in a baseball lab, that guy would look a lot like the 6'3", 230-pound Chris Davis.
Last season, the Astros ranked second in the bigs in home runs and strikeouts. Crush Davis, who topped the majors in yard shots and K's, would fit seamlessly at first base. The difficulty is that the 29-year-old is looking to make a mint. Per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the slugger has already declined a seven-year, $154 million offer from the Baltimore Orioles.
Possible Targets: Pedro Alvarez and Davis
Los Angeles Angels
2 of 21
The Area of Need: Left Field
There's little reason for optimism when it comes to left field at the Big A.
In 2015, the players who patrolled the spot clocked in with a .592 OPS, which was the worst mark in the majors. As it currently stands, the Los Angeles Angels are planning to roll with a platoon of Craig Gentry and Daniel Nava.
According to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com, it's not out of the question that the AL West squad will think better of that plan before Opening Day arrives.
"They could still seek other options there. And until Alex Gordon, Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton come off the board, I'm not ruling the Angels out. [Owner Arte] Moreno could change his mind."
There's still time, Arte. There's still time.
Possible Targets: Cespedes, Gordon, Upton, Gerardo Parra
Seattle Mariners
3 of 21
The Area of Need: A Right-Handed Hitter
Jerry Dipoto, the new general manager of the Seattle Mariners, sure has made his mark on his club.
Jayson Stark of ESPN provided the exact numbers on just how busy Dipoto has been: "Your updated Jerry Dipoto transaction scoreboard: now up to nine trades involving 32 players, three waiver claims, eight free agents signed," Stark tweeted.
Even with all that activity, the M's lineup still leans heavily to the right side. With the roster all but set, Seattle doesn't need to add a high-end player. A right-handed hitter who is capable of playing part time would be a smart get.
Possible Targets: Marlon Byrd, Chris Carter, Alex Rios and Juan Uribe
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Texas Rangers
4 of 21
The Area of Need: An Insurance Plan for Left Field
Considering Josh Hamilton only appeared in 50 contests in 2015 and had knee surgery in September, the savvy move for the Texas Rangers would be to line up a solid backup plan in left field.
The Rangers don't need to spend big for a headliner, such as Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon or Justin Upton, but unheralded yet productive vets Marlon Byrd, Gerardo Parra and Alex Rios would make for logical additions.
Possible Targets: Byrd, Parra and Rios
Chicago White Sox
5 of 21
The Area of Need: The Lineup
It's easy enough to understand why the Chicago White Sox have already added Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie, Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro this offseason.
Last year, the offense was a mess. The South Siders ranked No. 28 in runs and No. 26 in homers. Based on those numbers, it certainly wouldn't hurt to make one more big addition.
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the White Sox are interested in importing a prominent position player, such as Yoenis Cespedes or Alex Gordon, but only if he can be had on a deal for three years or fewer. Good luck with that. On those terms, a less prominent free agent such as Dexter Fowler stands out as a much more realistic option.
Possible Targets: Cespedes, Dexter Fowler, Gordon, Upton
Cleveland Indians
6 of 21
The Area of Need: Left Field
According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, the Cleveland Indians will be without offensive star Michael Brantley until May or maybe even June as he works his way back from shoulder surgery.
With Brantley a question mark heading into the season, the Tribe need to be exploring Plan B, C and even D.
Considering how slowly the free-agent market for outfielders has developed, the Indians are in a prime position to snap up a second-tier player on team friendly terms. Veterans Dexter Fowler, Denard Span and Gerardo Parra are among the outfielders who Cleveland should be tracking closely.
Possible Targets: Fowler, Parra and Span
Detroit Tigers
7 of 21
The Area of Need: Left Field
Like the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians, the Detroit Tigers need one more outfielder.
Dexter Fowler, Gerardo Parra and Denard Span would fit the bill in left, but there's a chance that the Tigers could be aiming much higher: "The Tigers appear to be sitting back waiting for Yoenis Cespedes, whose price may be dropping," Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported via Twitter.
Even if his price is dropping, Cespedes, who clubbed 35 homers in 2015, would still be an awfully expensive addition. But he'd be the kind of addition that would allow the Tigers to reintroduce themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the AL Central.
Possible Targets: Cespedes, Fowler, Parra and Span
Kansas City Royals
8 of 21
The Area of Need: The Outfield Corners
Another AL Central team. Another team seeking a corner outfielder—or maybe even two.
With Alex Gordon and Alex Rios both waiting around on the free-agent block, Lorenzo Cain is the only lock in the outfield for the Kansas City Royals in 2016. Jarrod Dyson is around to angle for one of those gigs, but that still leaves one corner unoccupied.
Gordon is leaving the door open to a potential return to Kauffman Stadium.
“The Royals are still in the mix,” Gordon said, per Omaha World-Herald. “I know what’s going on behind the scenes, and I’m dealing with it the best I can.”
For the Royals, there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Gordon is a star and fan favorite in Kansas City, but the smart play would be to let the 31-year-old walk and instead use that money to lock up a rising franchise cornerstone, such as Eric Hosmer.
Possible Targets: Gordon, Fowler, Parra, Span and Justin Upton
Minnesota Twins
9 of 21
The Area of Need: The Top of the Rotation
This is a big ask.
But there's no question about it—the Minnesota Twins are lacking an ace.
Ervin Santana and Phil Hughes provide the group with veteran presence, but the Twins still need a promising starter to anchor the rotation for years to come.
The Cleveland Indians have a couple of those kind of pitchers in Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. Both of those righties remain under club control through the end of the 2020 season. But neither will be easy to pry away from the Indians. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Cleveland brain trust "set high prices" on both of those arms at the outset of the offseason.
Possible Targets: Carrasco, Jake Odorizzi and Salazar
Baltimore Orioles
10 of 21
The Area of Need: The Middle of the Lineup
The Baltimore Orioles are going to be losing a lot of thump if Chris Davis departs from Camden Yards. Last season, the masher logged 47 homers for the O's.
Fortunately for the AL East club, there are replacement options if Davis does take his services elsewhere.
Pedro Alvarez is one intriguing candidate for Baltimore to consider. The 28-year-old is no match for Davis, but he would help account for all that lost power. Alvarez has tallied at least 27 home runs in three of the past four campaigns.
Yoenis Cespedes could also provide that middle-of-the order presence. But don't buy the Cespedes Orioles jerseys just yet, as Roch Kubatko of MASN explained on Dec. 30: "I checked around yesterday and didn't get the sense that the Orioles are remotely close to a deal."
Possible Targets: Alvarez, Cespedes and Davis
Boston Red Sox
11 of 21
The Area of Need: Outfield Power
With Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo and Jackie Bradley Jr. set to roam the outfield at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox are looking solid there.
The biggest concern surrounding that trio is that none is much of a power threat. One free-agent option who supplies plenty of punch is Justin Upton. So far, the 28-year-old left fielder has been lost in the crush of free-agent outfielders.
Two possible reasons why Upton has generated so little attention this winter are that he is attached to draft-pick compensation and posted his worst OPS since 2012 a season ago.
If the market for Upton doesn't pick up, the Red Sox should look to ink Upton to a one-year deal in late January or early February. Such a pact would give the right-handed hitter the chance to rebuild his value and try to cash in next offseason.
Possible Targets: Carlos Gonzalez and Upton
New York Yankees
12 of 21
The Area of Need: The Rotation
The bullpen is stacked, but the rotation remains a cause for concern at Yankee Stadium.
The big issue for the New York Yankees is that none of their starters threw enough frames in 2015. The club has six starters in Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, Ivan Nova and CC Sabathia, but as Sweeny Murti of WFAN pointed out, none eclipsed the 170-inning plateau in 2015.
The trade front looks like one way to land a reliable and effective innings-eater. Murti speculated that Gio Gonzalez and Jose Quintana are a couple of reliable arms the Yankees should zero in on. Gonzalez has cleared the 170-innings mark in five of the past six seasons, and Quintana has thrown at least 200 innings in each of the last three seasons.
Possible Targets: Gonzalez and Quintana
Toronto Blue Jays
13 of 21
The Area of Need: The Pen
With the lineup set, the pitching staff—especially the relief corps—is one area that could use improvement.
The Toronto Blue Jays already have a promising closer in 20-year-old Roberto Osuna, who quietly reeled off a 2.58 ERA and 20 saves in his rookie campaign. But an opening could be emerging in the seventh or eighth inning if current setup man Aaron Sanchez lands himself a spot in the rotation this spring.
Tyler Clippard has the track record to bridge the gap to Osuna. In 2015, while splitting the season with the Oakland Athletics and the New York Mets, the reliever compiled a 2.92 ERA and limited the opposition to a .186 average.
Possible Targets: Antonio Bastardo and Clippard
Arizona Diamondbacks
14 of 21
The Area of Need: The Pen
With the lineup ready to roll (No. 2 in the National League in runs in 2015) and Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller now headlining the rotation, the Arizona Diamonbacks are looking scary.
But with the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers also in the mix for the NL West crown, the D-backs need to make sure that they don't have any weaknesses. Right now, the bullpen is looking like the biggest potential problem.
The ninth inning, in particular, could use an upgrade. Currently, Brad Ziegler is in line to handle closing duties. There are upgrades available on the trade font.
At the top of the list of possible targets is Mark Melancon. With the reliever set to become a free agent at the end of 2016, the Pittsburgh Pirates are open to at least fielding offers.
"It's always been [a question of] if we're better with him with us, or if we think it's a better move for the organization to move him elsewhere, and that still applies," GM Neal Huntington said, per Adam Berry of MLB.com.
The D-backs have already been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball this winter. Swinging a trade for Melancon would be the perfect way to cap off the monster winter.
Possible Targets: Melancon and Shawn Tolleson
Los Angeles Dodgers
15 of 21
The Area of Need: The Pen
As is the case at Chase Field, the brass at Chavez Ravine knows that extra firepower is needed in the relief corps.
Look no further than the botched attempt to trade for Aroldis Chapman for proof. The good news for the Los Angeles Dodgers is that there are still bullpen aces to be acquired—even though Chapman is now set to throw fire in the Bronx.
Mark Melancon represents just the kind of impact arm that the Dodgers should be pursuing.
The 30-year-old right-hander doesn't generate the same type of buzz as Chapman, but his resume is outstanding. Last season, the closer led the world with 51 saves, snagged an All-Star nod, landed in the eighth spot on the NL Cy Young ballot and demonstrated impeccable command (1.6 walks per 9 innings).
Possible Targets: Tyler Clippard, Melancon and Shawn Tolleson
San Francisco Giants
16 of 21
The Area of Need: The Outfield
With Gregor Blanco and Angel Pagan slated to line up in left field and center field, respectively, the San Francisco Giants could use some outfield help.
If the Giants want to make another big splash in a winter that has already included the additions of Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto, then Yoenis Cespedes are Alex Gordon are both logical options to pair with fellow outfielder Hunter Pence.
But if the NL West squad wants to be more low-key, either Gerardo Parra or Dexter Fowler would represent clear upgrades for the Giants.
Possible Targets: Cespedes, Fowler, Gordon, Parra
Chicago Cubs
17 of 21
The Area of Need: The Rotation
Jason Heyward. John Lackey. Ben Zobrist.
Suffice it to say that it's been a productive offseason for the Chicago Cubs. But even with all those free-agent buys, the Cubs are still lacking for controllable young starters.
Starters like Jake Odorizzi.
The right-hander, who checked in with a 3.35 ERA in 2015, is under club control for the next four seasons. According to Julie DiCaro of 670 The Score, the Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays discussed a trade involving Odorizzi during the winter meetings.
Possible Targets: Jake Odorizzi and Tyson Ross
Pittsburgh Pirates
18 of 21
The Area of Need: The Rotation
For now, Ryan Vogelsong is penciled in as the No. 5 starter at PNC Park.
“As we sit here today, we plan on [Vogelsong] being in our rotation,” Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington said, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s going to have to continue to pitch well enough to keep that spot.”
If the Bucs decide to go looking for another starter to potentially bump Vogelsong, there's no need to grab a big-name starter. The club's pitching coach, Ray Searage, is famous for his success with reclamation projects, and this winter there's no bigger reclamation project than Doug Fister.
Possible Targets: Doug Fister, Tim Lincecum and Kyle Lohse
St. Louis Cardinals
19 of 21
The Area of Need: The Power Department
Ranking No. 25 in the bigs in home runs and No. 23 in slugging percentage a season ago, the St. Louis Cardinals have a power problem.
Acquiring Carlos Gonzalez, who cracked 40 bombs for the Colorado Rockies in 2015, would be one way for the Cards to check the bullet point off the winter to-do list. According to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, the Rockies and the Redbirds talked about a Cargo trade earlier in the offseason, but St. Louis had no interest in letting go of lefty Marco Gonzales in a potential swap.
Possible Targets: Chris Carter and Gonzalez
New York Mets
20 of 21
The Area of Need: The Pen
Last October, manager Terry Collins frequently turned to starters Bartolo Colon and Jonathon Niese in key late-inning situations because the guys in the pen simply couldn't be counted on.
While the free-agent front doesn't offer many answers to the New York Mets' bullpen problem, the trade market does.
One reliever to consider is Shawn Tolleson, who saved 35 games in 37 tries for the Texas Rangers in 2015. Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers explored the idea of moving Tolleson during the winter meetings.
The Mets should make a move for Tolleson, who could be a lights-out setup man for Jeurys Familia.
Possible Targets: Antonio Bastardo and Tolleson
Washington Nationals
21 of 21
The Area of Need: The Outfield
The Washington Nationals need another outfielder.
Just look at the offseason activity of GM Mike Rizzo and Co. Back during the winter meetings, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio labelled the Nats a "serious threat" to reel in Jason Heyward.
If Washington is still inclined to spend big on an outfielder who could play center at Nationals Park, why not make a run at Yoenis Cespedes? As has been previously suggested, the Nationals could offer the Cuban a six-year deal with an opt-out clause after 2018, which would coincide with when Bryce Harper hits the free-agent market.
Possible Targets: Cespedes and Denard Span
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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