MLB Free Agents 2012: Every Team's Biggest Remaining Offseason Priority

The winter meetings are over, but this offseason definitely is not. Moves are still going to be made, and teams still have holes to fill.

Therefore, let's take a look at every team's biggest remaining offseason priority.

This will be done through looking at their current roster and seeing where the holes are. Filling the biggest hole should be the greatest priority.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Trading Gerardo Parra

Gerardo Parra won a Gold Glove in 2011. However, with the recent signing of Jason Kubel, it appears that if they don't necessarily have room for Parra in the starting lineup.

According to Buster Olney, the Diamondbacks had once been hoping to invest in starting pitching. Having a good bench is important, but it could be even more important to trade Parra, who will probably be the fourth outfielder, for some starting pitching help.

Atlanta Braves: Not Trading Jair Jurrjens

We need to face it: The National League East is going to be the most competitive division in baseball.

The Florida Marlins and the Washington Nationals have drastically improved since last season through some major signings and trades. Therefore, if the Atlanta Braves want to stay on top with the Philadelphia Phillies like they were last season, it doesn't make sense to trade away one of their best pitchers in Jair Jurrjens.

Baltimore Orioles: Sign Chen Wei-Yin

Chen Wei-Yin is a Taiwanese left-handed pitcher. According to Roch Kubatko of MASN, the club is very interested in bringing him to Baltimore. The reason that this deal makes quite a bit of sense for the Baltimore Orioles is because he is only 26 years old.

The Orioles are going to be rising as a team gains more experience, and a 26-year-old would be right on time to develop with the rest of the team. Last season, Chen went 8-10 with a 2.56 ERA. He could be a very nice fit for the young team.

Boston Red Sox: Sign Hiroki Kuroda

Since the Boston Red Sox did not get Gio Gonzalez, they still need to find some starting pitching. Jon Heyman suggested a list of starters, but Hiroki Kuroda would be the best fit for the Boston Red Sox.

Last season, he went 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Granted, moving to the American League will probably raise his ERA a little bit, but he will get much more run support and therefore many more victories as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Chicago Cubs: Trade Matt Garza

The market for starting pitchers seems to be favoring the sellers. So far, Gio Gonzalez and Mat Latos have carried quite a bit of value as they moved to their new teams. Because of that, this might be the opportune time for the Chicago Cubs to move Matt Garza.

If they do not intend to sign him to an extension, there will never be a better time to trade him somewhere. According to Jon Paul Morosi, at least the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays are interested.

Chicago White Sox: Rebuild

John Danks just signed a five-year extension with the Chicago White Sox. Therefore, it seems as if they are not going to rebuild as indicated by Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

However, even with this extension, they could still enter rebuilding mode. They could still trade Gavin Floyd and already traded Carlos Quentin to grab some of the prospects that they will need to rebuild. After a relatively quiet offseason so far, the White Sox did not try to position themselves for a World Series in 2012, so they should enter rebuilding mode and focus on the future.

Cincinnati Reds: Sign Cody Ross

The Cincinnati Reds have had a very busy winter already as they have brought in Mat Latos as well as Sean Marshall more recently. They will probably bring back Francisco Cordero as well, but according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, the Reds are still looking for a left fielder. They have been talking to his agent as well according to this article, so it is very possible.

Ross could be the bargain of the offseason. He has the potential to get very hot as he did in the 2010 playoffs for the San Francisco Giants. If he is able to do that over an extended period of time, he would be a great acquisition.

Cleveland Indians: Trade for Mark Trumbo

Mark Trumbo became expendable for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as soon as they signed Albert Pujols. Therefore, he will be on the block, and the Indians could use him. Like Jon Paul Morosi said, the Indians want a powerful bat, and the Angels want bullpen arms which the Indians have.

The price for Trumbo might be relatively high, but he is young and cheap. He is not simply a temporary fix; he could be a long-term piece of the puzzle in Cleveland.

Colorado Rockies: Finish the Martin Prado Deal

According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the deal that centered around Martin Prado traveling to Colorado for outfielder Seth Smith is "not dead." If that truly is the case, their greatest priority should be getting this deal done.

With the addition of Michael Cuddyer, Smith would potentially become a fourth outfielder, and adding Prado would be worth more than a fourth outfielder and probably a prospect. He can play third base could even fill the fourth outfielder role. Therefore, the Rockies would not be losing anything through this trade that wasn't being replaced.

Detroit Tigers: Trade for Matt Garza

Imagine a starting rotation headlined, of course, by Justin Verlander and supported strongly by Doug Fister and Matt Garza. The Detroit Tigers have the potential to be one of the best teams in baseball and having a triumvirate of strong starting pitchers would push them that much closer to a World Series.

According to Jon Paul Morosi, the Tigers recently just got into the picture as far as acquiring Garza. Therefore, maybe they will be able to move very quickly and sweep him out before anybody else can.

Houston Astros: Rebuild

According to an online interview from Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow, "Often there are trade-offs between winning now and the future, and we will err towards the future."

Because of this commitment to rebuilding, that is what the Astros need to keep doing. If they get a reasonable offer for someone like Carlos Lee or Wandy Rodriguez that will help them continue this process, they need to do that. Like the new general manager said, they need to work on the future.

Kansas City Royals: Add One More Starting Pitcher

I am personally a Melky Cabrera fan, so it hurt me when the Kansas City Royals traded him for Jonathan Sanchez. However, it was a logical move because the Royals needed pitching, and Sanchez is a very viable option.

Now the Royals need one more starting pitcher, although they could fill that hole internally as well. A cheaper veteran might be a nice fit to add some experience along with Bruce Chen to this rotation.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Trade Mark Trumbo

When the Angels brought in Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo became somewhat expendable. I have heard from some people that he could potentially play third base, but he is young, cheap and hits the ball very hard. He will command a lot of trade value, and the Angels want bullpen help.

For a hitter of this caliber, they could probably acquire quite a bit of relief pitching. Perhaps he could play third base, but the Angels might need to deal from their strength to support their weakness.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Sign a Veteran Reliever

The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently negotiating with Mike MacDougal according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. They have severe financial constraints as also indicated in this article, but this type of move would not be too expensive yet would add substantial value to the team.

Pitchers who can bridge the seventh and eighth innings are incredibly important. Besides MacDougal, some other options I might like for the Dodgers are Brad Lidge, unless he only wants to close again, or Scott Linebrink.

Miami Marlins: Find That Frontline Starting Pitcher

The Miami Marlins missed out on both C.J. Wilson and Gio Gonzalez. Mark Buehrle was a very nice addition, but the Marlins have always been looking for more as shown in this article by Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

I do not think that the Marlins will stop now. Perhaps they will not be able to acquire anyone without surrendering Mike Stanton or Logan Morrison, but I think that finding that frontline starting pitcher will still be their top priority

Milwaukee Brewers: Sign Derrek Lee

Since the Milwaukee Brewers will not be bringing back Prince Fielder, they will need another first baseman. Derrek Lee seems like a great option. He can hit the ball very well, and he has long been regarded as a fabulous defensive first baseman.

Granted, he is not as productive as Fielder, but he is the next-best option on the market. He has moved around a lot during his career, but I think this is one more move that he should make and the Milwaukee Brewers should offer.

Minnesota Twins: Sign Roy Oswalt

Roy Oswalt will probably be signing somewhere soon because, according to Jon Heyman, he was waiting for Gio Gonzalez to be traded. The site also states that he was waiting for Jair Jurrjens to be traded, but you already know that I think that trade should not happen, so expect Oswalt to sign somewhere soon.

He is a very good pitcher, and he had a pretty good run Philadelphia even though he was probably the fourth starter on that team. The Minnesota Twins could use a solid veteran, and Oswalt is that man.

New York Mets: Rebuild

The New York Mets play in the toughest division in baseball. It is highly unlikely that they will be able to compete for a championship this season especially after Jose Reyes headed to Miami.

Although there have not been many trade rumors regarding the Mets, what they really need to do is continue putting together pieces that will help them down the road. They are in a bit of a financial situation as well, so the rebuilding strategy is typically low budget and will be doable even with these cash constraints.

New York Yankees: Sign Hiroyuki Nakajima

The New York Yankees are having a relatively quiet winter. However, they do still have the rights to negotiate with Hiroyuki Nakajima.

The 29-year-old has been very successful in Japan as a shortstop who traditionally hit over .300 and approximately 20 home runs. Obviously the MLB will be tougher, but he seems to have some good tools to begin with. Derek Jeter is definitely getting older, so this could be a good move for an insurance policy.

Oakland Athletics: Continue Rebuilding

The Oakland Athletics have already started doing this. They got off to a very good start by trading Gio Gonzalez, Andrew Bailey and Trevor Cahill. They received some very good prospects in return for these athletes, and that is exactly what they needed to do.

The American League West is pretty top-heavy with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Texas Rangers. Therefore, the Athletics need to focus on competing down the road rather than right now.

Philadelphia Phillies: Sign Cole Hamels to an Extension

The Philadelphia Phillies have not been huge players this offseason aside from bringing back Jimmy Rollins. However, what they need to do now is lock Cole Hamels up for the long-term.

Earlier this offseason, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said in an article by Matt Gelb that they had other priorities before worrying about this extension. Now that they have brought Rollins back, it is very possible that the next priority will be, and should be, signing this extension.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Sign a New Starting Pitcher (Perhaps Joe Saunders)

According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, this is already happening. Although he doesn't specify any names or targets, Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank Coonelly told Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Pirates are going to compete in 2012.

That same article also said that the Pirates will have payroll flexibility, so it would not be unreasonable for them to go after someone like Joe Saunders. He is a winner, and he should be a very good puzzle piece to help compete this season.

San Diego Padres: Trade Anthony Rizzo

When Yonder Alonso came to the San Diego Padres, trading Anthony Rizzo seemed to immediately become a very important goal. Rizzo is essentially in the wrong place at the wrong time as the Padres are overloaded with first basemen, so it makes sense to trade him and get some return value.

In fact, according to Dan Hayes of the North Country Times, multiple teams inquired about Rizzo. Because of that, there will never be a better time to trade him.

San Francisco Giants: Extend Madison Bumgarner

The San Francisco Giants are probably more worried about Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, but it would probably be a very good idea to lock up Madison Bumgarner right now to a long-term deal. As Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors noted, Matt Moore received a nice extension, so it is not unheard of to extend young pitchers.

Bumgarner had a fabulous year last year as the sometimes-forgotten piece of the powerful San Francisco rotation. I realize that this would be a risk, but since it is relatively early in his career, it would be less expensive to take that risk now than after next season.

Seattle Mariners: Sign Casey Kotchman

I know that the Seattle Mariners have Justin Smoak at first base. However, I think that it might be a better move to move Smoak to designated hitter and sign Casey Kotchman. Kotchman is a high-average hitter and a fabulous fielder. It will be a defensive upgrade without sacrificing the bat of Smoak.

Prince Fielder is obviously the bigger name on the market, but I think that Kotchman could have a nice homecoming and contribute in a very solid way.

St. Louis Cardinals: Sign Coco Crisp

The St. Louis Cardinals already made what will most likely be their biggest move by signing Carlos Beltran. However, signing Coco Crisp would also be a move in the right direction.

According to Ken Rosenthal, Crisp wants to play for a winner and St. Louis is interested in him. His speed would be an asset to any team, and he could be valuable as a top-of-the-lineup center fielder. Almost every team desires speed, and Crisp would definitely provide that.

Tampa Bay Rays: Trade for Mark Trumbo

I know that I also suggested this move to the Cleveland Indians. However, since Casey Kotchman became a free agent, trading for Mark Trumbo would fill the imminent hole at first base. He would provide more power despite the fact that his defense is not quite up to the same level.

Nevertheless, he is exactly the type of player that the Tampa Bay Rays utilize to win. He is young, and he is cheap. That type of combination seems to be the bread and butter on the Gulf Coast.

Texas Rangers: Sign Yu Darvish

As the latest and arguably most promising prospect ever to come from Japan, Yu Darvish could very well be a game-changer for the Texas Rangers. If he lives up to the potential that many people believe he possesses, he would definitely be an important part of the Texas Rangers.

According to Buster Olney, this deal will probably happen because Darvish does not have much leverage. The Rangers needed to somehow counter the massive offseason by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and this move could very well do that.

Toronto Blue Jays: Trade for Matt Garza

According to Jon Heyman, the Toronto Blue Jays are definitely in the hunt for Matt Garza even though there is no clear front-runner yet. The reason that they need to make this trade is because the American League East is incredibly competitive. They already have three teams in front of them, and they need to make a relatively large move to try to jump into the picture.

Matt Garza would definitely help them move forward (if he is not acquired by the Detroit Tigers, as I indicated earlier he might be).

Washington Nationals: Sign Prince Fielder

I know that I made you wait for this one. However, if you listen to this radio broadcast from SiriusXM Sports, Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said that Adam LaRoche will be the starting first baseman unless "something extraordinary, out of the ordinary happened."

Being one of the front-runners for one of the premier sluggers in baseball is relatively out of the ordinary, so I do not think that this comment necessarily implies that the Nationals will not pursue Prince Fielder. According to a column by Buster Olney, there is a broad assumption that the Nationals will make a large offer for Fielder. We will see what happens.