Every MLB Team's Biggest Missed 2016-17 Offseason Opportunity 2 Months In
The MLB offseason is still far from over, but most of the big dominoes have already fallen on another busy winter.
Mark Trumbo, Jose Bautista, Mike Napoli, Matt Wieters and Michael Saunders headline what's left of the position-player market, while Jason Hammel is the top unsigned starter and Neftali Feliz, Jerry Blevins, Boone Logan and Greg Holland are all capable of helping at the back of a bullpen.
In other words, there is still a lot to be done before pitchers and catchers report for spring training, but already teams may be left with a few regrets on how this winter has played out.
As we stand two months removed from the World Series, let's take a look at all 30 teams' biggest missed opportunity so far this offseason.
In some cases it's not too late to avoid regret, whether it's signing a still-available free agent, selling high on a trade chip or locking up a key player with an extension.
For other teams, like those that were targeting Chris Sale on the trade market or Edwin Encarnacion in free agency, the damage is already done.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Selling High on SP Robbie Ray
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, due in part to last offseason's ill-advised trade for Shelby Miller that cost them shortstop Dansby Swanson, among others.
Adding Taijuan Walker in a trade with the Seattle Mariners has given them an abundance of starting pitching options for the upcoming season. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that the team expects interest in controllable arms like Archie Bradley, Patrick Corbin, Miller and Robbie Ray to pick up as a result.
They'd be selling low on Corbin and Miller at this point and really don't know what they have yet in Bradley, but flipping Ray could make sense at the right price.
The 25-year-old was quietly the team's best pitcher in 2016.
His 4.90 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 174.1 innings don't look great on the surface, but it came with a 3.76 FIP and 218 strikeouts to rank fourth in the NL.
With team control through the 2020 season, it's not out of the question to think the D-backs could land a significant prospect haul if they made Ray readily available.
Atlanta Braves: Acquiring SP Chris Sale
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The Atlanta Braves moved quickly to fill out their starting rotation this offseason, signing veterans Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey and landing bounce-back candidate Jaime Garcia in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
They had their eyes on a significantly bigger prize at one point.
With the end of a lengthy rebuild now in sight, the Braves were very much in the mix to land Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale before he eventually went to the Boston Red Sox.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the team was unwilling to part with shortstop Dansby Swanson in trade talks, which is understandable as he figures to be a key piece of the team's future plans in his own right.
However, the Braves were willing to move middle infielder Ozzie Albies as part of a bigger package. With one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, they had the pieces to put together a competitive offer.
In the end, they simply couldn't compete with the Red Sox's offer of Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech without including Swanson.
Baltimore Orioles: Signing RF Josh Reddick
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During the general manager meetings in early November, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com reported the Baltimore Orioles were seeking a left-handed-hitting outfielder to fill one of the corner vacancies.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network took it one step further and named Josh Reddick as a specific target for the team as it sought a defensive upgrade over slugger Mark Trumbo.
Reddick looked like the perfect fit as a former 30-homer bat with a plus glove and a mid-level asking price, but the Orioles didn't move quick enough and he wound up signing with the Houston Astros on a four-year, $52 million deal.
Fast-forward nearly two months, and the Orioles are still looking for corner outfield help as they kick the tires on Colby Rasmus, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, in a dwindling market.
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Boston Red Sox: Signing DH Carlos Beltran
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The Boston Red Sox had a clear No. 1 target in mind when it came to replacing David Ortiz.
"Heard from a major league source who characterized the Red Sox's interest in Carlos Beltran this way: 'They want him badly.' Might boil down to whether Beltran wants more than a one-year guarantee," wrote Scott Lauber of ESPN.com.
The market eventually developed into a three-team race between the Red Sox, New York Yankees and Astros, and Beltran wound up joining the 'Stros on a one-year, $16 million deal.
The switch-hitting veteran has a .335/.377/.555 career line in 167 plate appearances at Fenway Park and is fresh off another productive season that featured an .850 OPS with 29 home runs and 93 RBI.
Instead, the Red Sox wound up adding first baseman Mitch Moreland on a one-year, $5.5 million deal, shifting Hanley Ramirez to DH in the process.
Chicago Cubs: Signing RP Brad Ziegler
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The Chicago Cubs have done well in adding closer Wade Davis and setup man Koji Uehara to the bullpen so far this offseason, and it appears they had their sights set on another quality veteran arm.
According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Cubs were "heavily involved" on sidearmer Brad Ziegler before he signed with the Miami Marlins on a two-year, $18 million deal.
The 37-year-old was terrific once again this past season while splitting his time between Arizona and Boston, posting a 2.25 ERA over 69 appearances with 22 saves and eight holds.
He also continued to be a ground-ball machine with a 63.3 percent rate that ranked fifth among pitchers with at least 60 innings of work and would have played really well in front of the Cubs' terrific infield defense.
Chicago White Sox: Selling High on SP Jose Quintana
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There's still time for the Chicago White Sox to pull the trigger on another huge trade as plenty of teams are showing interest in left-hander Jose Quintana.
With the rebuild officially underway and the market starved for quality starting pitching, failing to move him this winter would no doubt constitute a missed opportunity.
Along with being one of the best pitchers in the AL last season when he went 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in a career-high 208 innings of work, he also boasts one of the most team-friendly deals in baseball.
The 27-year-old is owed $36.85 million over the next four years. With four consecutive 200-inning seasons under his belt, he's a safe bet to continue producing at a high level.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are the latest team making a push to acquire Quintana, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, but it remains to be seen if anyone will meet the White Sox's asking price.
In talks with the Astros, they were seeking the team's top two prospects in right-hander Francis Martes and outfielder Kyle Tucker, as well as MLB starter Joe Musgrove, according to MLB reporter Peter Gammons.
Cincinnati Reds: Trading SS Zack Cozart
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The biggest issue the Cincinnati Reds have run into in their efforts to move shortstop Zack Cozart is a simple lack of teams looking to add someone at that position.
Otherwise, he likely would have already been dealt considering the best the free-agent market has to offer is the likes of Erick Aybar, Alexi Amarista, Alexei Ramirez and Stephen Drew.
Still, it makes sense for the Reds to unload Cozart for whatever they can get at this point.
The 31-year-old was nearly dealt to the Seattle Mariners at the deadline and was in the midst of a breakout season offensively at the time with a .779 OPS, 23 doubles and 15 home runs by the end of July.
He hit just .198/.274/.281 over the final two months of the season, though, missing the final two-plus weeks with a knee injury and torpedoing his trade value in the process.
With Jose Peraza pushing his way into the team's 2017 plans after a strong showing as a rookie, trading Cozart makes sense for the Reds beyond the fact that he's entering his final year of arbitration.
Cleveland Indians: Nothing
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The Cleveland Indians entered the offseason with little to worry about as far as plugging holes, with the lone exception being the free agency of first baseman Mike Napoli.
A reunion with Napoli looked like a very real possibility shortly after the World Series wrapped up. But with the veteran looking for a multiyear deal and the Indians unwilling to go beyond one year, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, the team was forced to turn its attention elsewhere.
After seemingly kicking the tires on everyone who could be labeled a "right-handed power hitter," the Indians finally went all-in on Edwin Encarnacion, signing him to a three-year, $60 million deal on Thursday night, per ESPN.com news services.
It's a huge move for a team that was arguably already better than the club we saw last October, which was without two key starters in Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco, as well as All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley, who was a non-factor all season.
The Red Sox briefly looked like the cream of the crop in the AL after acquiring Chris Sale, but the Encarnacion signing puts the Indians right back in that conversation.
Colorado Rockies: Selling High on CF Charlie Blackmon
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The head-scratching decision to sign Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70 million deal led to some immediate speculation that the Colorado Rockies might be angling to move center fielder Charlie Blackmon for some pitching help.
However, nothing has developed on that front since the winter meetings wrapped up weeks ago.
"They're only trading him if they get an Adam Eaton-type deal," one league official told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
Considering many believe that Eaton should not even have cost an "Adam Eaton-type" return—referring to the Washington Nationals' decision to part with Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning to acquire the Chicago White Sox outfielder—it seems unlikely anyone will be willing to pay that price.
The 30-year-old Blackmon is coming off the best season of his career, and a .313/.363/.563 line away from Coors Field is a good indication that his big numbers weren't simply a result of playing half his games at altitude.
While the Eaton trade set the market for a good controllable outfielder, with the way the Rockies roster is currently built it would make sense to move Blackmon if it meant landing a quality young arm in return.
Detroit Tigers: Trading...Anyone
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Rumors of the Tigers front office shopping veteran pieces this offseason were greatly exaggerated. That much has become abundantly clear as the offseason has rolled along and things have been deafeningly silent in Detroit.
It was always unlikely that Detroit was going to find a suitable trade package for guys like Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, and a no-trade clause took the power out of the team's hands when it came to moving Ian Kinsler.
However, the fact that outfielder J.D. Martinez is still around and lefty reliever Justin Wilson has not been moved after generating significant interest at the winter meetings is a different story.
With the Kansas City Royals selling off closer Wade Davis and the White Sox kicking off their rebuild by moving Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, perhaps the Tigers saw a more favorable AL Central slate and shifted gears.
That makes sense to a point, but is this team really built to contend for a title?
With one of the thinnest farm systems in baseball and an aging core at the MLB level, at some point the focus needs to shift to acquiring young talent.
Houston Astros: Acquiring a Front-Line Starter
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The one missing piece for the Houston Astros right now appears to be a front-line ace to lead the starting rotation.
Dallas Keuchel provided that en route to winning AL Cy Young honors in 2015 and Lance McCullers has shown some significant upside between injuries, but counting on either pitcher to front the staff is risky for a team with legitimate title hopes.
"Some believe the Astros are loading up on offense to put themselves in better position for a run at a big-time starting pitcher, and sources say the Astros are interested in Rays star right-hander Chris Archer as well as Chicago’s ace lefty Chris Sale," wrote Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
That came shortly after the team signed Carlos Beltran, capping off a busy month of November that also saw the team add Brian McCann and Josh Reddick.
Sale has since joined the Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays have shown no inclination that they are looking to deal Archer, leaving Jose Quintana as perhaps the Astros' best option at this point.
There's no shortage of young talent for the team to build an attractive trade package. It's simply a matter of how much it's willing to give up and if it thinks Quintana is worth his lofty asking price.
Kansas City Royals: Selling High on SP Danny Duffy or Extending Him
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The Kansas City Royals need to do something with Danny Duffy.
The lefty began last season pitching out of the bullpen before joining the starting rotation in May and emerging as the best pitcher on a shaky staff.
Over 26 starts, he went 12-3 with a 3.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 161.2 innings, and that included an eight-inning, one-hit, 16-strikeout gem against the Rays on Aug. 1.
The 28-year-old has a reasonable $8.2 million projected salary in his final year of arbitration before hitting the open market next offseason, making this winter the best chance for the Royals to sell high.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the team is "gauging interest" in Duffy at this point, but there's been no indication that they are seriously interested in moving him.
The alternative would be to lock up Duffy as a long-term piece.
The two sides began talks on a potential extension at the start of November, per Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, but no further details have emerged on that front nearly two months later.
Entering the season with Duffy on the roster and set to walk at the end of the year would be a missed opportunity for a Royals team with several big roster decisions to make in the coming year.
Los Angeles Angels: Selling High on RP Cam Bedrosian
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The Los Angeles Angels have made some nice mid-level additions to the MLB roster this offseason, acquiring Danny Espinosa and Cameron Maybin to plug gaping holes at second base and in left field.
They will also benefit from a healthier starting rotation after no one on the roster topped 180 innings last season and ace Garrett Richards made just six starts.
However, it's still hard to see them as anything but a fringe contender for the upcoming season. With the consensus worst farm system in baseball, the future doesn't provide much hope for internal improvement.
That makes the idea of trading setup man Cam Bedrosian an intriguing one for a team that could use an influx of prospect talent.
Everything seemed to click for the hard-throwing Bedrosian in 2016.
He lowered his walk rate from 5.3 BB/9 over his first two seasons to 3.1 BB/9 and went on to post a 1.12 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 11.4 K/9 with one save and seven holds over 45 appearances.
The 25-year-old is still a year removed from arbitration and under team control through the 2021 season, making him arguably the most valuable commodity on the Angels roster not named Mike Trout.
After seeing what the Philadelphia Phillies were able to get for Ken Giles last offseason and with the market exploding for quality late-inning arms, the Angels have to at least test the waters.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Acquiring an Impact Second Baseman
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The Los Angeles Dodgers managed to retain their three biggest free agents in third baseman Justin Turner, starter Rich Hill and closer Kenley Jansen, but they have yet to add any significant new faces to the roster.
Second base is the biggest remaining hole on the roster, and they've been plenty active on the trade market in their search for an impact addition.
Minnesota Twins slugger Brian Dozier appears to be the top target, and the two sides have agreed that right-hander Jose De Leon would be part of the return package, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
However, they've been unable to hammer out the rest of the prospect details and things are at a "standstill" as a result.
Ian Kinsler and Logan Forsythe have also been linked to the Dodgers, per Heyman, but Kinsler has a no-trade clause and the Rays won't be quick to deal Forsythe and his two remaining years of cost-effective control.
The right-handed-hitting Dozier—who is fresh off a 42-homer season—looks like a perfect fit between lefties Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez in the middle of the lineup.
It's simply a matter of how much prospect talent the team is willing to part with.
Suffice to say, if bringing back Chase Utley winds up being how the team addresses the second base situation, it will be a missed opportunity.
Miami Marlins: Signing RP Kenley Jansen
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The Miami Marlins took an interesting approach to addressing their mediocre starting rotation.
Rather than overpaying for one of the few quality starters on the market this winter or trading someone like Marcell Ozuna to land a controllable arm, the team opted instead to build up the bullpen in hopes it could prop up the staff.
Jeff Locke and Edinson Volquez were signed to fill out the starting rotation, and the team turned its attention to landing one of the market's elite closers.
Kenley Jansen quickly emerged as the top target and they made a five-year offer north of $80 million during the winter meetings, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, but that wasn't enough to lure him away from the comfort of Los Angeles.
The front office did well moving on to alternative options, signing Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa to join a bullpen that already features David Phelps, Kyle Barraclough and A.J. Ramos.
It's a significantly different-looking bullpen if Jansen is penciled in at the back end, though.
Milwaukee Brewers: Selling High on Jonathan Villar
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Acquired last offseason in a trade that received little fanfare at the time, Jonathan Villar was at best expected to serve as a stopgap option for top prospect Orlando Arcia.
Instead, he was one of the breakout stars of 2016.
The 25-year-old hit .285/.369/.457 with 38 doubles, 19 home runs, 63 RBI and 92 runs scored while leading the NL with 62 stolen bases and posting a 3.9 WAR.
The question now is whether that breakout was for real and if the Brewers would be best served selling high on him, regardless.
As it stands, Arcia is now entrenched at shortstop and both Villar and Scooter Gennett will be vying for playing time at second base.
The market for middle infielders has been admittedly slow this offseason, but Danny Espinosa was traded to the Angels and the Dodgers are still looking for second base help, so it's not like the market is completely silent.
Villar is still young enough that he can be part of the next contending team in Milwaukee, but he'll have his work cut out for him trying to duplicate his 2016 success.
Minnesota Twins: Selling High on SP Ervin Santana
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The Minnesota Twins have shown zero interest in trading veteran starter Ervin Santana this offseason, and that makes zero sense.
With two years and $27 million remaining on his contract and a $14 million team option for 2019, he's a bargain in a market devoid of quality starting pitching.
The 34-year-old was quietly one of the better starters in the AL last season, going 7-11 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 149 strikeouts in 181.1 innings.
His 17 quality starts were tied for 17th in the AL, marking the seventh time in his career that he topped the 180-inning mark.
That should be worth at least a couple of quality prospects in this market, and the Twins are still in the process of building toward contention.
Given their current standing as the also-ran of the AL Central and with young starters like Jose Berrios and Stephen Gonsalves ready to push for spots in the rotation, moving Santana now makes sense on multiple levels.
New York Mets: Re-Signing RP Jerry Blevins
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With Yoenis Cespedes re-signed to a long-term deal and Neil Walker accepting his qualifying offer, the most important remaining free agent for the New York Mets is undoubtedly lefty reliever Jerry Blevins.
The 33-year-old made a career-high 73 appearances last season while logging a 2.79 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 with two saves and 16 holds.
As Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported, the Mets are looking to add multiple relievers, including two lefties. He also specifically identified Blevins as a target, though it's fair to assume he won't come nearly as cheap this time around.
Blevins rejoined the Mets last winter on a one-year, $4 million deal, but he could use the three-year, $19 million deal that fellow lefty reliever Mike Dunn recently signed with the Colorado Rockies as a starting point in negotiations.
With several of the top free-agent lefty relievers already off the board and the Mets lacking a quality southpaw if Blevins walks, they'd be wise to pay the man and be done with it.
New York Yankees: Signing RP Greg Holland
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Outside of breaking the bank to bring back closer Aroldis Chapman, the New York Yankees appear to prefer adding veteran talent on short-term deals this winter as they look to fill out the roster without bogging down the payroll for the future.
Matt Holliday fit the bill perfectly on a one-year, $13 million contract to take over as the primary DH, but he's been the only other significant addition to this point.
While a bullpen anchored by Chapman and also featuring former All-Stars in Tyler Clippard and Dellin Betances has a chance to be a strength, you can never have too much quality relief pitching.
Enter Greg Holland.
The team was linked to Holland earlier this offseason. As he looks to rebuild his value and prove healthy after Tommy John surgery, he'll no doubt be looking for a short-term deal.
Yankees director of pro scouting Kevin Reese was in attendance at Holland's showcase earlier this offseason, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
If the price is right on an incentive-laden, one-year deal, the Yankees should strike before someone else does.
Oakland Athletics: Selling High on RP Sean Doolittle
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We can't go the whole offseason without Billy Beane making a significant trade, right?
Closer Sean Doolittle is not a name that has been mentioned much on the trade market so far this offseason, but no one is ever untouchable when it comes to the Oakland Athletics roster.
The value of quality late-inning arms has never been higher, and Doolittle also brings a very attractive contract to the table.
The 30-year-old is owed $7.01 million over the next two seasons with a pair of option years tacked on at $6 million in 2019 and $6.5 million in 2020.
He boasts a 3.07 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 over 231 career appearances and converted 22 of 26 save chances as the team's closer in 2014.
Injuries have been an issue, though.
Doolittle made just 12 appearances in 2015 while battling a bum shoulder and then missed another two months last summer when the same shoulder acted up.
A pair of trips to the DL last year with forearm issues didn't keep Wade Davis from being a hot commodity on the trade market, though.
Philadelphia Phillies: Signing a Veteran Power Hitter
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The Philadelphia Phillies have money to spend, a hole to fill in right field and the need for more of a veteran presence both in the lineup and in the locker room.
It's hard not to see Jose Bautista as the perfect fit.
The market has been slow to develop for Bautista this offseason, and it doesn't appear the Toronto Blue Jays are going to go beyond a one-year deal in their efforts to bring him back, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
That leaves the door wide open for the Phillies to swoop in and sign him late in the offseason when his asking price will likely begin to drop.
If he can be scooped up on something like a three-year, $54 million deal, it wouldn't hamstring the Phillies financially and could be a real boon to the development of some of their young players.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Trading CF Andrew McCutchen
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Awkward.
If you're going to make an attempt to trade the face of the franchise after he turns in the worst season of his career, you probably want to make sure you're going to get a deal done.
The Pittsburgh Pirates pushed hard to move Andrew McCutchen to the Washington Nationals leading up to the winter meetings, but the Nats eventually went a different route and acquired Adam Eaton from the White Sox.
The team then received a "nice offer of prospects" from a mystery team a couple of weeks ago, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, but declined and it now looks like McCutchen will be returning to Pittsburgh for the upcoming season.
It makes sense that the Pirates wouldn't want to sell low on the star outfielder when he could be a far more valuable trade chip come July if he bounces back.
Why shop him at all this winter, though, if you know it's unlikely anyone is going to meet your sky-high asking price?
San Diego Padres: Extending 1B Wil Myers
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The San Diego Padres moved quickly to dismantle the roster after coming up spectacularly short of expectations following a busy offseason ahead of the 2015 season.
The result is a team in transition, with placeholders up and down the roster and little in the way of long-term pieces at the MLB level.
The one notable exception is first baseman Wil Myers.
After missing significant time in back-to-back seasons with wrist injuries, Myers finally stayed healthy last year and the result was a .797 OPS with 29 doubles, 28 home runs, 94 RBI and 28 stolen bases.
More importantly, he produced at a high level in the pitcher's paradise that is Petco Park, hitting .306/.385/.569 with 20 doubles and 18 home runs at home.
The Padres opened extension talks with Myers at the beginning of November, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, but nothing has been worked out to this point.
Locking the 26-year-old up long term would be a welcome move for a fanbase that just saw a roster rebuilt and then blown up over a two-year span. It's no doubt in the team's best interest as well.
San Francisco Giants: Acquiring OF J.D. Martinez
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The San Francisco Giants don't rely on the home run ball to win games, but adding a little more over-the-fence power certainly wouldn't hurt things.
The Giants ranked 28th in the majors with 130 home runs last season and Brandon Belt was the team leader with just 17, so adding someone like J.D. Martinez to the middle of the lineup could provide a significant shot in the arm to the offensive attack.
The issue is money, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle explained:
"The Mark Melancon signing pretty much ended any talk of the Giants adding another player with a big contract.
The only way the team could take on that type of player — J.D. Martinez, anybody? — is by moving a player with a similar salary, according to general manager Bobby Evans.
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That sounds perfectly reasonable on the surface, but let's take a look at the numbers.
The Giants currently have a projected payroll of $184 million for the upcoming season, per Roster Resource, and Martinez carries an $11.75 million salary.
The luxury tax threshold for the upcoming season is $195 million, so that would put the Giants right up against it, but it would only be a one-year issue.
Martinez is a free agent at season's end and Matt Cain's bloated $20.833 million salary is finally coming off the books as well, so it might be worth spending a little beyond their comfort zone this offseason knowing things will return to normal next winter.
Seattle Mariners: Acquiring a Starting Pitcher from the D-Backs
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The Seattle Mariners' move to acquire Jean Segura from the Arizona Diamondbacks has a chance to be a rare win-win deal, but moving Taijuan Walker does leave the M's somewhat lacking in starting pitching depth.
Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are now overloaded with starting pitching as Walker joins Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Shelby Miller, Patrick Corbin, Archie Bradley and Braden Shipley, as well as prospect Anthony Banda, in a crowded rotation picture.
Why not pad out that trade a bit more to include one of those starting pitchers?
Arizona obviously loves the upside of Walker and it's fair to assume Greinke won't be going anywhere, but buying low on someone like Corbin or giving up another significant piece to land someone like Ray could have paid off huge for Seattle.
Those are the kinds of moves you have to make when you're looking to break a 15-year postseason drought.
St. Louis Cardinals: Extending SP Carlos Martinez
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With Dexter Fowler signed to fill the void in center field and Brett Cecil added to bolster the relief corps, the St. Louis Cardinals don't have any significant holes left to fill this offseason.
That doesn't mean there's not still an impact move to be made, though.
The Cardinals have a lengthy history of extending their homegrown players long before they reach free agency, with Kolten Wong the most recent example.
Carlos Martinez looks like the next candidate for such an extension.
The electric right-hander joined the starting rotation in 2015 and emerged as the team's best starter this past season, going 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 195.1 innings.
Still just 25 years old, Martinez has become an integral part of the Cardinals' core. With Adam Wainwright getting on in years and Michael Wacha struggling to stay healthy, he'll be asked to lead the staff going forward.
Martinez has a $5.3 million projected salary this coming season in his first year of arbitration; that figure is only going to climb in the years to come.
Buying out his arbitration years and a free-agent year or two seems like a good move for both sides.
Tampa Bay Rays: Selling High on a Starting Pitcher
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The Tampa Bay Rays must capitalize on the dearth of starting pitching this winter by flipping one of their arms.
Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi are the two most attractive arms on the staff, but neither will come cheap and it appears unlikely they'll be moved at this point.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wrote the following after the winter meetings:
"While teams are starting to recognize the high value the Rays see in Jake Odorizzi, that price isn't likely to be met, either.
That leaves the Rays pretty much where they were going into the meetings, most likely to trade LHP Drew Smyly or RHP Alex Cobb, albeit for a lesser return, with RHP Erasmo Ramirez next.
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Smyly has two years of team control remaining and has a projected salary of $6.9 million this coming season, no small price for the cost-conscious Rays.
Cobb is entering his final year of team control and comes at a slightly lower projected price of $4 million, as he's battled injuries, missing all of 2015 and making just six starts last season.
Neither pitcher figures to bring an earth-shattering return, but given the lack of quality rotation options there won't be a better time to move either player.
Texas Rangers: Signing 1B Edwin Encarnacion
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The Texas Rangers have been active this offseason, signing Andrew Cashner to fill out the starting rotation and bringing back Carlos Gomez on a one-year deal to man center field.
There are still holes to fill in the lineup, though, after designated hitter Carlos Beltran and first baseman Mitch Moreland both went elsewhere in free agency.
As it stands, those holes will be filled by some combination of Jurickson Profar, Joey Gallo and Ryan Rua.
There's plenty of potential in that group, but there is also plenty of uncertainty. For a team looking to make a run at a title, that won't cut it at two premium offensive spots.
While Edwin Encarnacion looked like the ideal target before he signed with the Indians, the team still has options.
A reunion with Mike Napoli is one possibility. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported the team's interest in him earlier this offseason.
Toronto Blue Jays: Acquiring OF J.D. Martinez
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The Toronto Blue Jays are still looking for a way to replace the production they stand to lose with the departures of Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Michael Saunders.
Steady run producer Kendrys Morales was signed to a three-year deal to take over as the primary DH, and Steve Pearce was also added to serve as a right-handed platoon option at first base and an occasional corner outfielder.
That being said, some combination of Pearce, Ezequiel Carrera, Melvin Upton Jr. and Dalton Pompey is currently slated to man the two corner outfield spots, and they'll have a hard time matching the production of Bautista and Saunders.
The Blue Jays have never been shy about trading prospect talent for a chance to win now, and J.D. Martinez looks like the perfect target to take over as the everyday right fielder.
He's in the final year of his current contract, so it might not take as much prospect talent as you'd think to acquire him.
Washington Nationals: Acquiring SP Chris Sale
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This might be the biggest missed opportunity so far this offseason.
The Washington Nationals looked like the favorites to land Chris Sale during the winter meetings before the Red Sox came in with an unbeatable offer headlined by Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech.
It's clear the Nats were willing to go all-in on Sale based on what they offered.
According to Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post, the team was willing to part with highly touted outfield prospect Victor Robles as well as pitching prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.
A starting rotation headlined by Sale, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg would have given the Nationals the best chance they've ever had of winning it all.
Instead, the team missed out on Sale and then pulled the trigger on a deal that reeked of desperation when they shipped Giolito, Lopez and fellow pitching prospect Dane Dunning to the White Sox for Adam Eaton.
Oh, what could have been.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. Projected salaries courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors. Contract information via Spotrac unless otherwise noted.
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