MLB's Top Storylines to Watch for in Offseason After Rangers Win 2023 World Series
The crowning of the Texas Rangers as the 2023 World Series champions, and the pomp and circumstance that follows, means it is time for the Major League Baseball postseason and this winter, there are several key storylines that will help shape the next year in America's Favorite Pastime.
What are they, which player and team-centric ones will steal headlines, and which potentially sport-shaping one could prove most interesting?
Find out with this preview of the next handful of months to come.
The Shohei Ohtani Show
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The most prominent storyline to follow this offseason will be the pursuit of Shohei Ohtani in free agency.
Ohtani is widely considered the best player in the game and his ability to pitch and hit makes him even more coveted. Expected to land a deal north of $500 million this offseason, the number of suitors will be limited, with ESPN's Alden Gonzalez suggesting there are 10 widely accepted teams that will compete for his services this winter.
The Dodgers have most consistently been tied to Ohtani, based on need and location, but there is plenty of time for another team with similar needs and a bankroll that can get close to what the 2020 World Series champs will offer makes a play.
Ohtani's name will be in the headlines every day, with new reports of teams offering him a mega deal or promising him X, Y, and Z to try and lure him to their market, in hopes he can do for their team what he did for the Angels: make them relevant and attract a new audience.
But this time, win.
It is something Ohtani wants, too, having expressed his dismay with the lack of it following the 2022 season.
His desire to win, and the long-term deal he will be signing with a new team, should narrowly that list of 10 to a handful ready to compete for a World Series imminently.
Are the Yankees Big Spenders?
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The New York Yankees were not what anyone would consider particularly good in 2023.
One could point to star slugger Aaron Judge missing time with a toe injury, but the issues with the team extend well beyond his availability.
The offense was putrid (29th in batting average, 25th in runs) and it had consistent issues defensively, particularly in right and left field. Add to that a rotation that lost Domingo German when the team placed him on outright waivers Friday and you have a team that has plenty of holes to fill.
Luckily, there are options.
Though preliminary discussions have not yet occurred, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Yankees have been linked to the San Diego Padres and All-Star Juan Soto. Not only is Soto a big bat, having hit 35 homers this season, but he is a strong fielder and would immediately improve the right side of the team's defense.
There will be starting pitching available to go along with AL Cy Young candidate Gerrit Cole, including NL Cy Young favorite Blake Snell, Twins ace Sonny Gray, and Phillies ace Aaron Nola.
Then there is Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto who, at just 25 years old and coming off a dazzling season for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball in which he accumulated a 1.16 ERA, is the buzz of the baseball world at his position.
There will be plenty of pieces available for the team to upgrade in key positions but will they?
General manager Brian Cashman took considerable heat for the team's lackluster performance, which ended with them second-to-last in the AL East, but will owner Hank Steinbrenner open the bank account and let him make moves for big-time free agents, or execute trades to bring in someone like ace pitcher Corbin Burnes from Milwaukee, if he becomes available?
Speaking of spending money in free agency...
Will Other Teams Follow the Rangers' Free Agent Path to a World Series Title?
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The Texas Rangers won the World Series with a roster that was assembled in free agency.
"Of the 27 players to appear in a game for the Rangers in the 2023 postseason, nine were acquired or retained via free agency," MLB's Thomas Harrigan wrote. He continued, "The club got a combined 23.3 WAR (per Baseball-Reference) from these nine players during the regular season."
Finally, Harrigan wrote that only the 2009 Yankees and 2013 Red Sox had higher wins-above-replacement from free agency additions than this year's Rangers team, which begs the question: how many teams follow suit?
Furthermore, how much do they rely on analytics to try and compute what a player's value will be to the team?
The Rangers have proven that approach works, but the Baltimore Orioles won 101 games and proved they can rebuild the organization with a roster full of young and exciting talents.
Will teams look to compile a roster of established players, like the new world champs, or continue to look toward the future with a collection of home-grown players that can form a foundation for the future?
And which formula ultimately proves fruitful at this time next year?
Will many of the offseason storylines will center around specific players and teams, it is that overarching one that may prove to be most interesting and telling.
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