Thoughts On Every Team At Season's End (Part I: The Bottom Feeders)

This is the first of three articles I'm going to write looking back on the seasons of all 30 teams.

I'm going to start out with the clubs that finished no higher than 4th or 5th in their divisions, and never really seriously challenged this season.

Later this month, I'll review the ten teams who were competitive at times but missed out on the playoffs, and at the conclusion of the postseason, the eight playoff teams. 

Feel free to share your thoughts on your team's season.

Houston Astros

Finish: 74-88, 5th in NL Central

What Went Right: Wandy Rodriguez further cemented himself by continuing his stinginess at home, and outperforming staff ace Roy Oswalt. Michael Bourn enjoyed a breakout season, establishing himself as a more than capable lead off man. The team had the third highest fielding percentage in the National League.

What Didn't: Oswalt suffered from inconsistency and injuries. Though both had solid years, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee showed they're not getting any younger. The team had basically no impact players called up from the minors.  

Off Season Needs: Obviously, Houston needs a manager to replace Cecil Cooper; no candidate has been linked to the job as frequently as former Phillies manager Jim Fregosi. The team faces potentially devastating losses in Miguel Tejada, Jose Valverde, and LaTroy Hawkins. The rotation lacks depth behind Oswalt and Rodriguez; Oswalt's friend Ben Sheets was linked to the team last off season and could still be an option. 

Bottom Line: There is no quick fix for this team. Years of refusing to rebuild have really set his organization back; there is virtually no can't miss talent in the club's minor leagues. The Astros will continue to wallow in the NL Central basement unless they drastically change the way they do business.

Oakland Athletics

Finish: 75-87 (4th in AL West)

What Went Right: Kurt Suzuki, Rajai Davis, and Ryan Sweeney had the best seasons of their careers. Adam Kennedy enjoyed a renaissance. Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill's first seasons in the bigs could've gone worse; they both won at least ten games and had ERAs under five. Michael Wuertz was one of the best setup men in baseball, and Andrew Bailey was nothing short of dominant in his first big league season. The team enjoyed a 16-4 stretch in September. 

What Didn't: The Holliday and Giambi acquisitions didn't work out at all. Gio Gonzalez was frustratingly inconsistent. Joey Devine and Justin Duchscherer didn't pitch at all, Devine due to elbow surgery and Duchscherer was diagnosed with clinical depression in August. The team scratched their plans for a new stadium in Fresno.

Off Season Needs: The team likely will not be a player in free agency and given the organization's sensational depth, they don't really need to be. An infusion of a few veterans here and there (though not necessarily to the extent of what they did last year) couldn't hurt. 

Bottom Line: The A's are a team on the rise; Billy Beane has done a fantastic job of loading the system with upcoming, high-upside young talent. The team has two potential difference makers who could be on the fast track to the majors in 1B Chris Carter and 3B Brett Wallace (acquired in the Matt Holliday trade). While they're probably not contenders just yet, the A's should be a very fun team to watch next year.

Toronto Blue Jays

Finish: 75-87 (4th in AL East)

What Went Right: The team actually was leading the AL East with 41 games down hard as it is to believe. As the franchise's former star hitter in Alex Rios departed, Aaron Hill and Adam Lind established themselves as the new foundation of the Jays offense. Ricky Romero had a fine rookie season, winning 13 games. The team got a nice return for Scott Rolen including Edwin Encarnacion and a pair of promising young pitchers.

What Didn't: Former GM JP Ricciardi couldn't have possibly run the Roy Halladay sweepstakes any worse; the main reason I'm referring to Ricciardi as the former GM. While they were able to get rid of Alex Rios' hefty contract, that can only be celebrated so much as Rios was supposed to be a bedrock of the organization for years to come. Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan, and Jesse Litsch all got hurt, and it's not even known when Litsch will return.

Off Season Needs: The team absolutely needs to trade Roy Halladay before his already diminished value (he's under contract for just one more year) shrinks even more. The team will have a hole to fill at SS when Marco Scutaro leaves.

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