MLB Free Agency/Trade News: 1 Move Every Team Already Regrets

As spring training enters its latter stage, each MLB team has a different outlook entering the 2012 season, especially those who made some moves via trade or free agency over the summer. Some are ecstatic and are excited about how their new players will contribute to the team, while others are already starting to show some regret.

Take the New York Yankees, for example. They sent top prospect Jesus Montero to the Seattle Mariners for hard-throwing right-hander Michael Pineda (pictured), but the second-year hurler's velocity has been an issue all spring long.  Normally topping out in the mid-90s, Pineda has barely hit 92 on the radar gun thus far.

It's a bit early to call that a regretful move at this point, but it's still a cause for concern. In fact, every team right now has made a move that it regrets, well before the first pitch of the season is thrown.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Signing Jason Kubel

In hindsight, this doesn't seem like such a bad move. The Diamondbacks needed to improve their offense, and Jason Kubel gives them a reliable lefty power bat. Yet up until his hitting two home runs this past Saturday, Kubel was batting just .160.

The facts are simple. The Diamondbacks had a much cheaper and more consistent left field option in Gerardo Parra and instead chose to bench him for the streaky Kubel. On top of that, Parra isn't a defensive liability like Kubel, who was primarily a DH for the Minnesota Twins.

Atlanta Braves: Not Acquiring a Better Shortstop

The Braves are looking to get back to the playoffs after last season's epic collapse, and one of their greatest needs entering this season is at shortstop. Given how Liberty Media, the team's owner, runs the franchise on a shoestring budget, there was little GM Frank Wren could do in this department save for dangle starter Jair Jurrjens as trade bait and hope for a bite.

Sure enough, no deal was made, and now the Braves have a huge hole to fill before Opening Day. At this point, it looks as though prospect Tyler Pastornicky (pictured) will be the shortstop at the start of the season, but his spring has been less than inspiring. He has struggled at the plate and is impatient to boot.

Given how the only others vying for the position are fellow untested rookie Andrelton Simmons and glorified backup Jack Wilson, Braves fans' stomachs are probably turning over the situation at shortstop.

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gregg's Contract

We're going to be reaching back to last season for this one, when Orioles management signed the already unpredictable Gregg to a two-year deal worth $10 million. Despite his inconsistency, he was still a solid option for the team's need at closer.

Instead, in 2011 Gregg had one of the worst seasons of his career, as he registered just 22 saves and posted a 4.37 ERA with a 1.64 WHIP. Today, he is fighting for a spot in the bullpen as Jim Johnson has wrestled the closer's role away from him.

With his $5.8 million salary, Gregg has officially become dead weight.

Boston Red Sox: Trading Marco Scutaro

Marco Scutaro may have been a defensive liability during his time with the Red Sox, but his patience at the plate and performance against division rivals kept him valuable.

Thus, team management's decision to trade him to the Colorado Rockies for relatively nothing in pitcher Clayton Mortensen (not a top prospect by any means) is puzzling.

The move leaves the Red Sox with three options at shortstop: the hit-or-miss Nick Punto and Mike Aviles or untested rookie Jose Iglesias. Punto and Aviles both play solid defense, but neither is really the top offensive threat that Red Sox fans would demand at that position.

If Iglesias is called on to take over the starting job there and falters, then GM Ben Cherington is going to have some explaining to do as the Red Sox struggle to keep up in the ultra-competitive AL East.

Chicago Cubs: Trading for Ian Stewart

Playing in Coors Field, you would think that any hitter would be smacking the ball all over the place. Such was not the case for Ian Stewart, who was limited to a backup role last year and hit just .156 with just six RBI after hitting .246 with 53 homers and 172 RBI the previous three seasons.

Despite this, the Cubs were desperate to fill the hole at third base and traded former top prospect Tyler Colvin and current prospect DJ LeMahieu for Stewart and pitching prospect Casey Weathers. With Coors Field now a road treat and the more balanced Wrigley Field as his home stadium, expect Stewart to crash and burn.

Chicago White Sox: Trading Sergio Santos

The 2011 season was a disappointment for the White Sox, and as a result GM Kenny Williams went into full rebuilding mode. The problem was that he didn't exactly think things through when he traded closer Sergio Santos to the Toronto Blue Jays for virtually nothing.

At this point, the battle for the closer's spot is down to two candidates: veterans Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain. Both of these men carry a risk in that Crain has never closed before on the major league level and putting Thornton at closer last year failed.

Meanwhile, Santos will be fireballing his way against some of the toughest teams in baseball, all because Williams freaked out about a disappointing season.

Cincinnati Reds: Not Extending Brandon Phillips

The Reds' top priority this offseason should have been signing Phillips to a contract extension, as he hits free agency after the 2012 season. Instead, GM Walt Jocketty made deals like sending Travis Wood to the Chicago Cubs for Sean Marshall and sending Yonder Alonso with Edinson Volquez to the San Diego Padres for Mat Latos.

Left in the dark was longtime Cincy veteran Phillips, who has been one of the most valuable cogs in the near-rebirth of the Big Red Machine. With talks stalled, everything that has happened thus far has been setting the stage for the two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove second baseman to leave for another team.

Unless Jocketty refocuses his priorities, the Reds will be dealt a horrible loss that could take years from which to recover.

Cleveland Indians: Keeping Ubaldo Jimenez at the Front of the Rotation

After having a Cy Young-caliber 2010, Jimenez greatly regressed in 2011, to the point where the Colorado Rockies traded him to the Cleveland Indians for prospects. The lanky right-hander didn't fare much better in the AL, going 4-4 with a 5.10 ERA.

Despite that, the Indians have essentially tabbed him as the ace of their staff despite naming Justin Masterson the Opening Day starter. This spring, Jimenez has looked like anything but an ace, allowing 10 earned runs in 9.2 innings pitched.

It's still early to write him off as a bust in Cleveland, but with Masterson looking better and better as of late, the Ubaldo Jimenez experiment could soon become a failure unless he returns to old form.

Colorado Rockies: Signing Casey Blake

At 38 years old, Blake is no longer a spring chicken. Last year, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, injuries limited him to 63 games, and he hit just .252 with four home runs and 26 RBI.

Still, the Rockies chose to sign him to a one-year deal worth $2 million, plus incentives.  The hope was that playing in Coors Field would bring back his power, but this spring has been something of a bust.

Blake has had trouble staying healthy, and a recent meeting with manager Jim Tracy could mean that he is in danger of heading to the bench. Given the rest of the talented youth on the team, GM Dan O'Dowd could very well soon put this signing on his list of failures.

Detroit Tigers: None

The Tigers had a great offseason, proving that the mystery team always has the upper hand when they inked Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million deal.

At this point, it's looking like another good baseball season in the Motor City.

Houston Astros: Not Dumping Bad Contracts

The Astros got a new owner this offseason in Jim Crane and also a new GM in Jeff Luhnow. From the start, the new regime implemented one goal: Dump the bad contracts and start from scratch.

The two worst contracts belonged to first baseman/outfielder Carlos Lee (pictured) and starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez, both of whom could easily bring in some decent prospects. There's just one problem: Both players are still on the roster of a team that lost 106 games last year.

Kansas City Royals: None

It'd be easy to say that the Royals' biggest offseason regret thus far was trading Melky Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants for Jonathan Sanchez (pictured), but Sanchez has actually been decent this spring. Thus, no regrets coming out of the Show-Me State.

Los Angeles Angels: Vernon Wells Still on the Books

Wells is due $21 million this season, but his first season with the Angels made him look worth far less than that. The veteran outfielder hit just .218, albeit with 25 homers and 66 RBI.

This year, the Angels should have done all they could to unload or even buy out Wells, with guys like Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout potentially entering the outfield mix. Instead, he's penciled in as the starting left fielder.

Epic fail on you, GM Jerry Dipoto.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Keeping Juan Rivera at a High Price

I understand that Juan Rivera is a good bat to have in the lineup, but he's no longer at starter status. He'll be a good mentor to rookie Jerry Sands whenever he comes to the majors, but not at the price of $4 million.

Given how the Dodgers are in the middle of an ownership change, this move just reeks of bad decision-making.

Miami Marlins: None

The Marlins had a great offseason and added the following to their team: shortstop Jose Reyes, starting pitchers Carlos Zambrano and Mark Buehrle and closer Heath Bell.

Given how all of those new additions are doing well this spring, I don't see any regrets whatsoever.

Milwaukee Brewers: Signing Alex Gonzalez

The Brewers lost a solid shortstop in Yuniesky Betancourt thanks to free agency, and they replaced him with 35-year-old Alex Gonzalez. The veteran shortstop has pop, but his batting average and OBP are less than average. Last year, he hit just .241 with a .270 OBP.

Given how the Brewers already experienced a tremendous loss in Prince Fielder going to the Detroit Tigers, their loss of Betancourt could prove to be even more devastating if Gonzalez flames out.

Minnesota Twins: Signing Jamey Carroll

Jamey Carroll is 38 years old and is 3-for-26 this spring, with just four walks. Still, the Minnesota Twins seem content having him as their starting shortstop.

On a two-year contract worth $6.75 million, that just seems a bit pricey. Somewhere in the Twins' front office, you know someone is tearing their hair out over this contract.

New York Mets: None...Yet

The New York Mets haven't really made many moves this offseason, save for signing Jon Rauch (pictured) and Frank Francisco to one-year deals, so there really isn't much room for regret.

All that team management can really regret is getting involved with Bernie Madoff, as associating with him is already costing them hundreds of millions of dollars.

New York Yankees: Acquiring Michael Pineda

Michael Pineda is not a bad pitcher by any means. His rookie year with Seattle last season was, overall, very effective, as he went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 173 strikeouts in 171 innings. For most of the season, he usually threw at or above 95 miles per hour.

Such has not been the case in spring training, as Pineda's velocity has seemingly disappeared and rumors have swirled about him starting the season in the minors.

How is this a regretful move? Well, the Yankees gave up top hitting prospect Jesus Montero to acquire the big righty. At the moment, Montero has hit .304 for the spring, and while Pineda has not been awful, his lack of velocity for someone his size is becoming a greater and greater concern.

Oakland A's: Trading Gio Gonzalez

Gio Gonzalez may walk too many hitters, but he's still a lock to post a good ERA and some decent strikeout numbers. This offseason, the A's traded him to the Washington Nationals for prospects, one of whom was top pitching stud Brad Peacock (pictured).

Last year, between Double-A and Triple-A, Peacock went 15-3 with a 2.39 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, but he has looked like the opposite of that this spring. In his most recent start, against the Texas Rangers, he allowed five runs on five hits and walked three in 2.1 innings.

Gonzalez, on the other hand, looks just like his usual self in Nationals camp.

Philadelphia Phillies: Giving Papelbon Big Money

The Phillies filled a hole at closer this season in signing Jonathan Papelbon to a four-year deal worth $50 million, plus an option for a fifth year. This wouldn't be a bad idea except for one problem: The team already had a solid closer option in Ryan Madson.

In the end, Madson ended up signing with the Reds for one year and $8.5 million, while most other closers on the market like Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch also signed one-year contracts for fairly low amounts.

I guess GM Ruben Amaro Jr.'s eyes were bigger than his checkbook, as he has yet another bad contract on the books.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Bringing Back Nate McLouth

In free agency/trading, especially in baseball, personal relationships sometimes take over good decision-making. Such was the case in the Pittsburgh Pirates bringing back former All-Star Nate McLouth, who signed a one-year deal after some ineffective years with the Atlanta Braves.

At this point, McLouth is just dead weight given the emergence of Alex Presley. Given how Garrett Jones can also play the outfield on days he doesn't play first base, the former fan favorite is nothing more than a pinch-runner at this point, or maybe a defensive replacement.

San Diego Padres: The Carlos Quentin Trade

The Padres didn't give up much for Carlos Quentin, and that's a good thing considering how their offense needs a boost and then some. However, this deal has already gone awry, as per usual, Quentin has had trouble staying healthy.

As of now, he is expected to miss four to six weeks as he recovers from knee surgery, taking a big bat out of the team's lineup.

San Francisco Giants: Matt Cain

The Giants already signed Tim Lincecum to a two-year, $40.5 million deal this offseason, and free-agent-to-be Matt Cain was next on GM Brain Sabean's list.

However, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com, Cain is "torn" as to what he should do: sign an extension or test the market.

No matter how you look at it, Sabean had better improve his pitch to his No. 2 starter, because if Cain walks, Lincecum could soon follow.

Seattle Mariners: Sticking with Franklin Gutierrez

Better check to see who won the pool, folks, because Gutierrez will once again start the season on the disabled list. A pectoral injury will keep him out until May, in all likelihood, and Seattle has some capable men in Casper Wells and Chone Figgins (I use the term "capable" loosely with him) who could step in.

Still, his speed and defense are both big losses.

St. Louis Cardinals: None

The Cardinals may have lost Albert Pujols to free agency, but team management responded by moving Lance Berkman to first base and signing the still-solid Carlos Beltran to play right field.

Call me crazy, but the defending World Series champions look just as good, if not better, as they did last year.

Tampa Bay Rays: Not Pursuing a Top Catcher

The Rays are one of the teams to watch entering 2012, but they still have a gaping hole at catcher. Jose Molina (pictured) is slated to start, but he's been a backup for his entire career and doesn't have the consistency at the plate to be a regular.

With no other suitable options behind the 12-year veteran, the Rays will have no choice to roll the dice on this position, and that could come back to bite them.

Texas Rangers: Breaking the Bank on Yu Darvish

Their front office won't admit it, but chances are that the Texas Rangers are having second thoughts about spending over $100 million on Japanese sensation Yu Darvish, who had a great career in his homeland before being posted this past winter.

His most recent outing is a sign that there could be cause for concern. Not only did he throw 61 pitches over three innings, but he issued four-pitch walks four different times.

It could be jumping the gun to call this a regret given how the season has yet to begin, but the money tied up in Darvish and his control issues could prove to be a bad move if he doesn't turn things around.

Toronto Blue Jays: Not Finding a Taker for J.P. Arencibia

The Blue Jays have a great catching prospect in Travis d'Arnaud, and he could be MLB-ready at some point this season. Yet his spot is currently occupied by J.P. Arencibia (pictured), a man who hit 23 homers last year but has horrific plate patience. In 2011, he hit .219 with a .282 OBP.

Arencibia's power could prove to help in trade talks, but interest in him has been lukewarm thus far. If d'Arnaud proves to need another year in the minors, then the Blue Jays could find themselves treading water as they struggle to make it in MLB's new expanded playoffs.

Washington Nationals: Letting Bryce Harper Compete for a Starting Job

The Nationals took a big risk this spring in allowing top prospect Bryce Harper to compete for a spot in the starting lineup, but that proved to be an off decision. Harper struggled mightily through aches and pains before being sent to the minors yesterday.

This moves Jayson Werth into right field and makes center a platoon spot shared by Roger Bernadina and Rick Ankiel. Bernadina is only hitting .231 this spring, and Ankiel has been fighting a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since March 9.

Had team management done the sensible thing and kept Harper as a work in progress, perhaps they wouldn't have this issue now.