1 Risky Move All 30 MLB Teams Should Make This Offseason
The MLB offseason is the perfect time for teams to take risks.
The bigger the risk, the bigger the payout.
Looking around the league, there are all sorts of prominent free agents and trade targets for clubs to gamble on. When it comes to position players, the trade market could be highly active because there simply aren't that many impact free-agent bats to be had.
As for pitchers, there are plenty of aces up for grabs. A runner-up for the Cy Young Award could end up on the trade block this offseason. Plus, both Jon Lester and Max Scherzer could be on their way to homecomings.
Houston Astros
1 of 30The Move: Sign Kenta Maeda
Kenta Maeda has enjoyed a ton of success for the Hiroshima Carp. In seven seasons in Japan, the starter has posted a 2.44 ERA.
That track record means that Maeda will draw plenty of interest from clubs around the league. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe suggests that the pitcher could command a six-year deal in the $120 million to $130 million range.
What makes Maeda such a strong fit for the Houston Astros is his age. The right-hander turns 27 in April, which would allow him to be a cornerstone at Minute Maid Park for the rebuilding Astros. Now, the question is if the Carp will actually post him this winter. Back in October, The Japan Times reported that Maeda's club had yet to decide if it would be parting with him this offseason.
Los Angeles Angels
2 of 30
The Move: Sign Andrew Miller
One of the primary objectives for the Los Angeles Angels this offseason will be to bolster the starting staff. It also wouldn't hurt to bring in a shutdown left-handed reliever like Andrew Miller.
Last season, the 29-year-old posted a 2.02 ERA and a 14.9 K/9 ratio. With Huston Street and Joe Smith already in the bullpen, adding Miller would give the Angels an elite relief corp. Of course, signing the lefty would come at a steep cost. Andrew Mastrodonato of MassLive.com reports that Miller is hunting for a four-year deal.
Oakland Athletics
3 of 30
The Move: Sign Stephen Drew
The 2014 season was a train wreck for Stephen Drew.
After an ill-advised decision to reject a qualifying offer from the Boston Red Sox, Drew went on to hit .162 while splitting the season between Boston and the New York Yankees. Following that forgettable campaign, the 31-year-old is a prime candidate to try and rebuild his value by inking a one-year deal.
The Oakland Athletics, who had all sorts of problems in the middle of the infield last year, are one of the teams that are interested in Drew, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. If the left-handed hitter can return to his 2013 form, when he posted a .777 OPS, signing the shortstop would prove to be a shrewd gamble for Oakland.
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Seattle Mariners
4 of 30The Move: Sign Hanley Ramirez
The Seattle Mariners need a bat.
Last year, the M's posted the lowest team OPS in the American League. Bringing in Hanley Ramirez would immediately help the club in that department. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Seattle is "aggressively pursuing" the shortstop.
While a double-play combination of Ramirez and Robinson Cano would be dynamic—at least from an offensive perspective—there are some obvious downsides to signing the 30-year-old. First, Ramirez's glove work at shortstop is extremely suspect. Second, it's possible that the price tag for the Dominican could surpass $100 million, per Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune.
Texas Rangers
5 of 30The Move: Sign Torii Hunter
With Shin-Soo Choo and Leonys Martin occupying right field and center field, respectively, the Texas Rangers still need to add an outfielder to the club's lineup.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tweets that the Rangers are one of the teams that has checked in on Torii Hunter. The veteran turns 40 next July, but he still provides plenty of pop. Last year, Hunter clubbed 33 doubles and added 17 home runs for the Detroit Tigers.
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
The Move: Sign James Shields
With a starting rotation that leans heavily to the left side, James Shields is an intriguing option for the Chicago White Sox to consider.
The right-handed pitcher has been among the most consistent starters in baseball, racking up at least 200 innings of work in eight consecutive seasons. Along with Chris Sale, the 32-year-old could anchor the rotation as the White Sox look to climb back into contention in the AL Central.
Cleveland Indians
7 of 30
The Move: Trade for Ubaldo Jimenez
The 2014 season definitely didn't go to plan for Ubaldo Jimenez.
After agreeing to a four-year, $50 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, the right-hander pitched his way out of the rotation by posting a 6-9 record and a 4.81 ERA. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the O's are now looking to trade away the disappointing starter.
Heyman suggests that a return to the Cleveland Indians, with whom Jimenez had lots of success in 2013, could be on tap. However, working out a deal between the two sides won't be easy. Jimenez is still owed slightly more than $38 million over the next three seasons.
Detroit Tigers
8 of 30
The Move: Sign Pat Neshek
After ranking No. 27 in ERA last season, the Detroit Tigers bullpen needs.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, general manager Dave Dombrowski doesn't plan to go after a big-name reliever like David Robertson. One lower-profile option for the AL Central champs to consider is Pat Neshek. The journeyman reliever was absolutely lights-out for the St. Louis Cardinals last season. In 71 outings, he posted a 1.87 ERA.
Kansas City Royals
9 of 30
The Move: Sign Ervin Santana
As Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star explains, one of the primary goals for Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore will be to find a replacement for James Shields.
McCullough writes that the Royals will look at an array of arms, but he labels Ervin Santana as "one of their top targets."
While Santana is no ace, he has provided the Royals and Atlanta Braves with over 400 innings of work over the past two seasons. After posting a 14-10 mark and a 3.95 ERA in Atlanta in 2014, the veteran right-hander is on track to land a three-year deal this winter.
Minnesota Twins
10 of 30
The Move: Sign Justin Masterson
The Minnesota Twins starting staff was an absolute mess in 2014. The club's rotation had the worst ERA in baseball. As the front office looks to strengthen that group, Justin Masterson is a pitcher to check in on.
While Masterson floundered with both the Indians and Cardinals last season, the starter was highly effective for the Tribe back in 2013. In 32 outings, the right-hander posted a 14-10 mark with a 3.45 ERA.
Baltimore Orioles
11 of 30The Move: Re-sign Nelson Cruz
Nelson Cruz certainly outplayed his one-year, $8 million deal in 2014. The outfielder/designated hitter clubbed 40 home runs, which was the most in baseball.
Following his monster 2014 season, Cruz is looking for a five-year deal, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. As Sherman notes, the O's don't want to go past three years. Based on how successful the 2014 season was for both sides, a four-year agreement is a fair compromise.
Boston Red Sox
12 of 30
The Move: Sign Jon Lester
The Boston Red Sox are searching for an ace and Jon Lester is an "obvious" candidate to fill that role, as Ricky Doyle of NESN reports.
"We need to add to our rotation,” Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said, via Doyle. “He’s obviously a known commodity, a proven guy in our market. He’s of obvious interest.”
The question is just how big of a check it will take to bring the lefty back to Fenway Park after he spent the summer in the Bay Area. One baseball executive told Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com that he thinks the Red Sox would be willing to offer Lester a six-year deal worth more than $20 million per season.
New York Yankees
13 of 30
The Move: Re-sign David Robertson
Thanks to the emergence of Dellin Betances, the New York Yankees certainly don't have to re-sign David Robertson. Then again, it would be preferable to have both righties working out of the pen in 2015.
Since Betances has the look of a future closer, the Yankees shouldn't offer Robertson more than a two-year deal. The Yankees should attempt to bring back Robertson on a generous two-year contract in the $25 million to $30 million range.
Tampa Bay Rays
14 of 30
The Move: Trade Ben Zobrist
Back in October, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe speculated that Ben Zobrist could be a popular name in trade talks this winter.
Based on MLBTradRumors.com's underwhelming list of free-agent second basemen, there should be an array of teams interested in making a move for the veteran. If the Rays want to exploit that weakness in the marketplace, now is the time. Zobrist will be a free agent at the end of the 2015 season.
Toronto Blue Jays
15 of 30
The Move: Re-Sign Melky Cabrera
The Toronto Blue Jays don't really do multiyear contracts.
As Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports notes, the club has handed out only three such deals to free agents during the five years that GM Alex Anthopoulos has been with the club. The most lucrative was a two-year, $16 million contract given to Melky Cabrera.
If the Blue Jays plan to keep the left fielder around, the team is going to have to shatter that record. As Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reports, Cabrera is seeking a $50 million payout.
Arizona Diamondbacks
16 of 30
The Move: Trade a young shortstop
With Chris Owings, Didi Gregorius and Nick Ahmed all on the roster, the Arizona Diamondbacks have a surplus of shortstops. That's a rare situation considering that most clubs struggle to find a single viable option at that spot.
As D-backs GM Dave Stewart explained, via Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com, it won't be easy to pry any of the infielders away from the club: "It has to be something that's pretty earth shattering for me to move one of my guys."
Eventually, Arizona will have to seriously consider parting with one of the team's shortstops in order to help revamp the rotation. Last year, the starting staff posted the second-worst ERA in the NL.
Colorado Rockies
17 of 30The Move: Trade Carlos Gonzalez
Colorado Rockies GM Jeff Bridich has yet to decide whether he will make Carlos Gonzalez available on the trade block this winter, as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reports.
After a knee injury ruined the left fielder's 2014 season, shipping out Gonzalez now would be a textbook example of selling low. It might also be a move that's in the organization's best interest. As the Rockies embark on a major overhaul, dealing Gonzalez would offer the team significant payroll flexibility. Over the next three seasons, the extremely talented, but often injured outfielder will make $53 million.
Los Angeles Dodgers
18 of 30The Move: Trade Matt Kemp
Andrew Friedman, the Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations, is looking to deal away a veteran outfielder, according to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Saxon lists Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Matt Kemp as the top trade candidates.
All three are still owed a ton of money. According to Saxon, Ethier has $56 million left, Crawford has $62.5 million remaining and Kemp will make $107 million through 2019. What distinguishes Kemp from the group is that he's still capable of playing at an All-Star level. During the second half of the 2014 season, the right-handed hitter connected on 17 home runs and checked in with a .971 OPS.
San Diego Padres
19 of 30
The Move: Trade either Andrew Cashner or Tyson Ross
The San Diego Padres simply couldn't score runs in 2014. Last season, the club ranked last in baseball in that department.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the team is willing to "listen" to offers for its three best starters—Ian Kennedy, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross—to help upgrade the lineup. In terms of potential return, Cashner and Ross would offer the most value, as the starters are under team control through the 2016 and 2017 season, respectively.
San Francisco Giants
20 of 30
The Move: Re-sign Pablo Sandoval
With the free-agent market lacking in impact bats, Pablo Sandoval is in a great spot.
His agent, Gustavo Vasquez, told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that the third baseman is in the market for a six-year deal: “Pablo is 28. He is still young. Maybe if he was 30 or 31 we could talk about four or five years. But he’s 28. He deserves more than that.”
Vasquez is spot on in his assessment. At 28, Sandoval is relatively young to be hitting the free-agent block. Still, it's difficult to imagine that the San Francisco Giants will be willing to hand him a six-year contract. As Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group suggests, it's possible that they could get creative and offer the third baseman a five-year deal with a vesting option for a sixth season.
Chicago Cubs
21 of 30
The Move: Sign Russell Martin
As Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago explains, there's no hiding the Chicago Cubs' interest in Russell Martin. It's easy enough to understand why the Cubs want to bring the All-Star backstop to Wrigley Field.
Chicago is on the lookout for an upgrade behind the plate, and Martin was not only a Gold Glove finalist in 2014, but also an offensive force for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, the scarcity of viable catchers means a bidding war will likely ensue. Martin, who will be 32 by Opening Day 2015, is a prime candidate to be paid more than he's actually worth.
Cincinnati Reds
22 of 30
The Move: Trade Johnny Cueto
The Cincinnati Reds front office has some big decisions to make this winter. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes, 80 percent of the club's rotation is set to become free agents at the end of the 2015 season.
"Word is their general manager, Walt Jocketty, has told his troops the team should follow one of two very definitive routes: 1) All in. 2) All out," writes Sherman.
If the Reds decide to opt for the latter, cashing in on Johnny Cueto would bring back a monster return. The team would also be selling high on a starter who finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting after managing just 11 starts in 2013.
Milwaukee Brewers
23 of 30
The Move: Re-sign Francisco Rodriguez
The Milwaukee Brewers have a decision to make when it comes to the closer position.
Last year, Francisco Rodriguez piled up 44 saves for the NL Central club while pitching on a one-year, $3.25 million deal. At the end of the season, the right-handed reliever told Andrew Gruman of Fox Sports Wisconsin that he "definitely" wants to be back.
The decision will be slightly trickier for the team. After an electric start to the season, Rodriguez tailed off in the second half. Following the All-Star break, he posted a 3.97 ERA. His second-half struggles could mean that Rodriguez will have to settle for a one-year deal.
Pittsburgh Pirates
24 of 30
The Move: Re-sign Francisco Liriano
Re-signing Francisco Liriano should be right at the top of the Pittsburgh Pirates' offseason to-do list.
In two seasons with the club, the lefty has put up a 3.20 ERA in 55 starts. After a shaky beginning to the 2014 season, Liriano was locked in during the second half of the year. In 14 outings after the All-Star break, the 31-year-old put up a 2.20 ERA.
Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that the Pirates will look to sign the starter to a three-year, $40 million deal. Such an outlay would represent a significant investment for the club, but it would also be justifiable based on Liriano's contribution over the past two seasons.
St. Louis Cardinals
25 of 30
The Move: Sign Max Scherzer
So far, the Max Scherzer market has been surprisingly quiet.
The St. Louis Cardinals are one club that could make a dark-horse run for the two-time All-Star, as one AL executive explained, via Bleacher Report's Scott Miller: "He's a Missouri guy. The Cardinals wouldn't surprise me on him."
Scherzer is from Chesterfield, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. A one-two punch of Scherzer and Adam Wainwright would be highly formidable, but then again, the Cardinals rarely dish out megadeals to big-name free agents.
Atlanta Braves
26 of 30The Move: Trade Evan Gattis
The Atlanta Braves have been receiving a lot of calls about Justin Upton, Jason Heyward and Evan Gattis, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Of those three, Gattis might just net the Braves the biggest return as the team looks to bolster its starting staff.
Gattis, who went yard 22 times in 2014, offers plenty of pop in a market devoid of power. Plus, while Upton and Heyward are set to become free agents at the end of the 2015 season, Gattis is under team control for four more years.
Miami Marlins
27 of 30The Move: Sign Giancarlo Stanton to a contract extension
Giancarlo Stanton could be on the verge of a historic payday.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Miami Marlins and the star right fielder are talking about a 10-year deal worth at least $300 million. That's a ridiculously high price tag. Still, if there's any player in baseball deserving of such a deal, it's the 25-year-old Stanton.
New York Mets
28 of 30
The Move: Trade for Starlin Castro
The shortstop position has been a black hole for the New York Mets.
According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, if the club is going to solve that problem this offseason, the solution is likely to arrive via a trade. Martino lists Starlin Castro of the Cubs as one player that the Mets will check in on.
Unsurprisingly, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer told Martino that the team is in no rush to part with a player like Castro. To bring the 24-year-old to Citi Field, the Mets would have to be willing to give up a talented young starter like Zack Wheeler, Rafael Montero or Noah Syndergaard.
Philadelphia Phillies
29 of 30The Move: Sign Yasmany Tomas
Yasmany Tomas is about to make a mint.
One of the "frontrunners" to land the Cuban star is the Philadelphia Phillies, as the outfielder's agent, Jay Alou, explained, via Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly. Alou claimed that the right-handed hitter, who is 24 years old, has the potential to club 40 home runs in the big leagues and has "a lot more" power than Jose Abreu.
If the Phillies do sign Tomas, the team had better hope that Alou isn't just tying to pump up the value of his client. As Salisbury notes, Tomas could rake in a contract in excess of $100 million.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
The Move: Trade Denard Span
There aren't a lot of players who do what Denard Span does.
The 30-year-old sets the tone atop the Washington Nationals lineup, steals bases and covers lots of ground in center field. The leadoff man has a skill set that makes him a valuable chip on the trade market. Since Span is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2015 season, he's a trade chip that the Nats just might want to cash in on.
The club has prospect Michael Taylor, who is on the verge of being ready to step in for Span in center field. The danger of moving Span is that Taylor still could need one more season in Triple-A.
Note: All stats and videos courtesy of MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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