Every MLB Team's Most Pressing Need It Must Fill This Offseason
While the temperature outside continues to drop, the MLB hot stove is heating up around the league as we push ever closer to the winter meetings and the real start of the offseason's wheelings and dealings.
A few chips have already fallen since the regular season wrapped up.
Victor Martinez re-signed with the Detroit Tigers, veteran Michael Cuddyer found a new home with the New York Mets and A.J. Burnett returned to the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one-year deal.
The Tampa Bay Rays also pulled off a fairly big trade when they shipped starter Jeremy Hellickson to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pair of prospects.
That said, teams still have a lot of work to do between now and the start of spring training, as all 30 clubs have at least one glaring area that needs to be addressed. So here is a quick rundown of each team's most pressing need it must fill this offseason.
Baltimore Orioles: Cleanup Hitter
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Re-signing slugger Nelson Cruz or finding a suitable replacement remains the biggest area of need for the Baltimore Orioles as they look to repeat as AL East champions.
There are plenty of teams interested in Cruz after he hit .271/.333/.525 with 40 home runs and 108 RBI last season, and he should wind up with a substantial raise over the one-year, $8 million deal he received last offseason.
If Cruz does walk and the Orioles fail to land an impact replacement, they'll be counting on a bounce-back season from Chris Davis, a repeat performance from Steve Pearce and a return to health from Manny Machado and Matt Wieters to offset the loss.
Boston Red Sox: Starting Pitching
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After a trade deadline fire sale, the Boston Red Sox currently have just two pitchers penciled in as sure things to earn a rotation spot next season: Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly.
Behind those two is a wealth of young arms, including Allen Webster, Brandon Workman, Rubby De La Rosa, Anthony Ranaudo, Matt Barnes, Henry Owens, Edwin Escobar, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brian Johnson, among others.
While that depth gives the Red Sox a promising outlook for the future, if they hope to turn things around quickly and contend in 2015, they will likely need to add at least a couple veteran arms this offseason, including a capable staff ace.
New York Yankees: Shortstop
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Replacing Derek Jeter will be next to impossible for the New York Yankees this offseason, but the team will have to do something to address the shortstop position.
Brendan Ryan is really the only incumbent option at this point, and while he remains a plus defender, his lack of offense would be tough to swallow over a full slate of at-bats.
The free-agent market is lacking in long-term answers at the position, with veterans like Jed Lowrie, Asdrubal Cabrera and Stephen Drew joined by Hanley Ramirez, who is likely headed for a position change in the near future.
That could make the trade market, and a run at someone like Elvis Andrus or Didi Gregorius, the preferred method of filling the spot.
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Tampa Bay Rays: Run Production
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Even after trading David Price and now Jeremy Hellickson, the Tampa Bay Rays still have one of the best young starting rotations in all of baseball.
The offense, on the other hand, is an issue, and while a healthy season from Wil Myers would certainly help, the Rays could still stand to add a capable run producer or two in the middle of the lineup.
Last season, the team averaged just 3.78 runs per game, and third baseman Evan Longoria was the only player on the team with more than 12 home runs (22) and 52 RBI (91). Payroll constraints remain, but adding someone like Michael Morse could help give the Rays a boost at a reasonable price.
Toronto Blue Jays: Left Field
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The second base position remains a revolving door for the Toronto Blue Jays, but with the recent acquisition of prospect Devon Travis from the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Anthony Gose, the team may finally have found the answer.
That leaves left field as the biggest hole for the team to fill this offseason, with re-signing Melky Cabrera still the preferred answer after the 30-year-old turned in a terrific all-around season in 2014.
After hitting just .279/.322/.360 with three home runs in 2013, Cabrera bounced back to bat .301/.351/.458 with 35 doubles, 16 home runs and 73 RBI last year, earning him a qualifying offer at the beginning of the offseason.
The market is thin on impact bats, and Cabrera is still in the prime of his career, so expect him to receive a big raise over the two-year, $16 million deal he signed last time he hit the open market.
Chicago White Sox: Bullpen
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While the Chicago White Sox would like to add another run producer to slot alongside Jose Abreu in the lineup, their most pressing area of need this offseason will be shoring up a shaky bullpen.
They ranked 27th in baseball last season with a 4.29 ERA, converting just 36 of 57 save chances after trading closer Addison Reed to the Arizona Diamondbacks last winter.
There were some bright spots, as the trio of Jake Petricka (67 G, 14 SV, 2.96 ERA), Zach Putnam (49 G, 6 SV, 1.98 ERA) and Javy Guerra (42 G, 2.91 ERA) all had strong seasons. Adding a proven closer and another setup arm or two looks like a must, though.
Cleveland Indians: Third Base
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In his fourth big league season, former first-round pick Lonnie Chisenhall finally looked like the answer at third base for the Cleveland Indians.
The 26-year-old hit .332/.396/.519 with 20 doubles and nine home runs in the first half of the season, forcing his way into the everyday lineup after the team tried Carlos Santana at third base to open the season.
However, his production plummeted in the second half, as he hit just .218/.277/.315 with 13 extra-base hits. Chances are he will get at least one more chance to prove himself given his age, but third base is again a major question mark heading into the offseason for the Indians.
Detroit Tigers: Bullpen
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After ranking 23rd in the league with a 4.01 ERA during the regular season, the Detroit Tigers bullpen was embarrassingly exposed in the postseason, when it allowed 11 runs in 4.2 innings of work.
The Tigers have a trio of former All-Star closers on the roster in Joe Nathan, Joakim Soria and Joel Hanrahan, but only Soria was a capable option a year ago. Al Albuquerque is probably the best returning piece of the puzzle, while a return to health for hard-throwing right-hander Bruce Rondon would help as well.
Still, expect the Tigers to add at least a couple high-end bullpen pieces this winter, with left-hander Andrew Miller likely atop their wish list given their clear need for a late-inning southpaw.
Kansas City Royals: Starting Pitcher
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Replacing designated hitter Billy Butler, who had his option declined, is definitely on the to-do list. The biggest need for the Kansas City Royals, though, will be filling out the starting rotation.
With ace James Shields likely headed for greener pastures in free agency, the team has a big hole in the rotation, and there is no clear-cut in-house option to replace him.
Continued development from Yordano Ventura could give the team a new staff ace, while Danny Duffy, Jeremy Guthrie and Jason Vargas also return. Finding another mid-level veteran arm to fill out the staff is a must, though, and perhaps a reunion with Ervin Santana could be the answer.
Minnesota Twins: Starting Rotation
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An offseason of spending to address the starting rotation was still not enough for the Minnesota Twins to avoid finishing with the league's worst starters' ERA for a second straight season in 2014, as the team's starters put up a 5.06 mark as a group.
Phil Hughes was the lone bright spot, as he benefited greatly from a change of scenery en route to finishing the year 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA and a record 11.63 K/BB ratio. The earned him a seventh-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.
Ricky Nolasco, Kyle Gibson, Tommy Milone and Mike Pelfrey are currently slated to follow Hughes in the rotation, and while there is potential for all four guys to bounce back with strong seasons, adding another arm or two to the mix would be wise.
Houston Astros: Third Base
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Matt Dominguez looked like a potential breakout candidate after hitting .241/.286/.403 with 21 home runs and 77 RBI in 2013, but instead, he was one of the worst everyday players in baseball last season. His .586 OPS was 146th out of 147 qualified position players, ahead of only Zack Cozart (.568), and his run production numbers dropped to 16 home runs and 57 RBI.
Prospect Colin Moran was acquired from the Miami Marlins in a deadline deal, and he looks like the long-term answer at the hot corner.
However, with just 28 games at the Double-A level under his belt, he's probably still at least a year away, so look for the Houston Astros to explore stopgap options to replace Dominguez.
Los Angeles Angels: Left-Handed Relief Pitching
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The Los Angeles Angels return essentially everyone from the team that posted the best record in baseball last season, which means the glaring need for a reliable left-handed reliever remains.
The team acquired Joe Thatcher at the trade deadline, but he wound up on the disabled list to close out the season and is now set to depart in free agency. The Angels traded for lefty Cesar Ramos earlier this offseason, but the former Tampa Bay Rays pitcher is more likely to serve as a swingman than a setup man.
Andrew Miller is by far the top option in free agency, but he is by no means the only capable southpaw, with Zach Duke, Neal Cotts, Phil Coke and Joe Beimel among the second tier of available free agents.
Oakland Athletics: Shortstop
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The Oakland Athletics have been content with limited production at the second base position for the past few seasons, but now that shortstop Jed Lowrie is a free agent, the entire middle infield situation is cloudy heading into 2015.
Lowrie looked like a candidate for a qualifying offer heading into the season, but his production plummeted across the board, with his OPS falling from .791 to .676 and his extra-base hit total dropping from 62 to 38.
Top prospect Daniel Robertson hit .310/.402/.471 with 37 double and 15 home runs in a full season at High-A last year, and he followed that up with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. He's still at least a year away, so a stopgap option like Stephen Drew could be the best bet for addressing the hole at shortstop.
Seattle Mariners: Right-Handed Offensive Production
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After contending up to the final day of the regular season in 2014, the Seattle Mariners may be one or two pieces away from finally breaking through and reaching the postseason for the first time since 2001.
The glaring need for a right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup remains, as the Mariners' right-handed hitters batted a combined .220/.271/.332 with 42 home runs and an MLB-low 180 RBI last year.
Austin Jackson, Mike Zunino and Jesus Montero are the only notable righties on the roster at the moment. Jackson will be penciled into the leadoff spot. Zunino showed some pop with 22 home runs but hit just .199 in the process, and it's hard to know what to expect from Montero at this point.
Texas Rangers: Starting Pitching
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The Texas Rangers used a whopping 15 different starting pitchers this past season, with only Colby Lewis (170.1) topping 150 innings pitched on the year.
Yu Darvish and Derek Holland will be back to give the team a solid one-two punch at the top, but Lewis is a free agent and the rest of the incumbent options are best suited as No. 5 guys or organizational depth at this point.
Chances are the Rangers won't make a run at any of the high-profile arms on the free-agent market, but adding a solid No. 3 starter to the mix like Edinson Volquez could be enough for their staff to be at least league average next year.
Atlanta Braves: Offensive Consistency
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The Atlanta Braves were once again wildly inconsistent at the plate in 2014. A look at their month-by-month scoring average is the perfect example of that:
| March/April | 3.68 | 17-8 |
| May | 3.38 | 13-16 |
| June | 4.04 | 15-13 |
| July | 4.31 | 13-13 |
| August | 3.54 | 14-14 |
| September | 2.36 | 7-18 |
After handing out a number of extensions over the past few seasons to their homegrown talent, the M's are essentially locked into the same group of position players unless they decide to pull the trigger on trading someone from the trio of Justin Upton, Jason Heyward and Evan Gattis.
It will be interesting to see what the Braves lineup looks like come Opening Day, because something has to be done if they are going to avoid another disappointing season.
Miami Marlins: Second Base
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With the likes of Donovan Solano, Ed Lucas, Jordany Valdespin and Derek Dietrich manning the second base position for the Miami Marlins last year, the team received a combined .236/.303/.334 line with 11 home runs and 56 RBI from the position.
The 25-year-old Dietrich is the only player from that group with a legitimate chance of being the long-term answer at the position, as he has shown some power potential over the last couple seasons. He's a below-average defender, though, and his offense has not been enough to offset that to this point.
Rickie Weeks is the top second base option on the market, with a run at Cuban defector Hector Olivera also an option for the Marlins, as they look to fill the one glaring hole on the position player side of things.
New York Mets: Shortstop
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The New York Mets found the right-handed-hitting corner outfielder they were seeking this offseason when they signed Michael Cuddyer to a two-year deal last week. That leaves addressing the shortstop position as their most pressing area of need this winter—that is, unless they are confident that Ruben Tejada or Wilmer Flores can be the guy next year.
Tejada has a solid glove but has not shown enough consistency at the plate, while Flores has plenty of offensive upside but is probably better suited at third base defensively.
This is a Mets team that will be looking to take a big step forward in 2015, so finding some stability at one of the most important positions on the field will be important.
Philadelphia Phillies: Starting Pitching
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It looks like there is at least an outside chance the Philadelphia Phillies finally bite the bullet and begin the long-overdue rebuilding process this offseason, though that is all speculation and empty words from the front office until it actually starts moving guys.
Regardless of what direction the franchise is heading, it looks like the Phillies will need to add a starting pitcher or two this offseason in order to field a viable five-man rotation.
With Kyle Kendrick and A.J. Burnett leaving in free agency and the health of Cliff Lee still up in the air, the only locks for the rotation at this point are Cole Hamels, Jerome Williams and David Buchanan.
Hamels is at least a candidate to be traded, though the team's asking price for him is understandably very high. Even if he stays put, though, this team needs at least another low-level veteran arm or two to avoid a disastrous 2015 season.
Washington Nationals: Second Base
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The Washington Nationals have as complete a roster as any team in baseball at this point in the offseason, but there is one clear area that needs to be addressed, and that is the second base position.
Asdrubal Cabrera is still a candidate to be re-signed, but he may prefer going to a team that will play him at his natural position of shortstop, after shifting over to second post-trade last season.
Danny Espinosa was the everyday guys in 2011 and 2012, averaging 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases. He also averaged 178 strikeouts, though, and he hit just .219/.283/.351 over 333 at-bats a year ago, so it's hard to count on him to be the everyday option for 2015.
Chicago Cubs: Starting Pitching
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How quickly the Chicago Cubs can go from rebuilding to contending will be largely determined by what they do to address the starting rotation this offseason.
The emergence of Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks last season gives them a solid pair of arms to build around, but they still need a bona fide ace to front their staff and at least one more reliable veteran arm to fill out the rotation.
Travis Wood, Tsuyoshi Wada, Jacob Turner, Dan Straily and Edwin Jackson all return as options, and there is upside in the duo of Turner and Straily, but expect the team to be busy in free agency adding pieces to the rotation puzzle.
Cincinnati Reds: Bullpen
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The Cincinnati Reds have one of the game's best closers in flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman, but the rest of the bullpen has deteriorated around him over the past year or so.
After ranking seventh in the majors with a 3.29 bullpen ERA in 2013, the Reds fell to 26th this past season, as that number climbed to 4.11, and they consistently had trouble getting the ball to Chapman with a lead.
Trading setup man Jonathan Broxton at the deadline didn't help any, and outside of Sam LeCure (62 G, 3.81 ERA), the team really doesn't have a proven, reliable middle reliever on the roster right now.
Depending on whether the Reds trade a starting pitcher this winter, young arms like Tony Cingrani and Robert Stephenson could make an impact out of the bullpen, but signing at least a couple free-agent relievers still seems like a must.
Milwaukee Brewers: Bullpen
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Now that the first base position has been addressed with the acquisition of Adam Lind, the Milwaukee Brewers can turn their attention to reworking a bullpen that was one of the strengths of the team for much of last season.
With closer Francisco Rodriguez (69 G, 44 SV, 3.04 ERA) and setup man Zach Duke (74 G, 2.45 ERA) both hitting the open market in free agency, along with Tom Gorzelanny (23 G, 0.86 ERA), there are some key pieces that will need to be replaced.
Deadline pickup Jonathan Broxton is capable of closing if K-Rod is not re-signed, and former closer Jim Henderson is expected to be back healthy. At the very least, the Brewers will need another left-hander to pair with Will Smith and replace Duke.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Catcher
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It is looking more and more like catcher Russell Martin will be signing elsewhere this offseason, with the Chicago Cubs looking like the front-runners to add the 31-year-old this offseason.
If he does walk, that leaves a huge hole behind the plate for the Pittsburgh Pirates—one they could have a hard time filling.
The team made a minor trade to acquire Francisco Cervelli from the New York Yankees last week, and it has in-house options in Chris Stewart and former No. 4 overall pick Tony Sanchez.
As for free-agent options, veterans A.J. Pierzynski, Nick Hundley and Geovany Soto are the best of the bunch behind Martin, so it's fair to assume the Pirates will be headed for a downgrade behind the dish.
St. Louis Cardinals: Right Field
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The tragic death of Oscar Taveras has left the St. Louis Cardinals with some decisions to make regarding the future of the right field position.
"I think it certainly leaves that position in question," general manager John Mozeliak told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. "Clearly internally, we have Grichuk and potentially Piscotty to fill that spot. I would also say that it does now force us to explore other options, whether it's the free-agent market or the trade market."
Randal Grichuk saw the bulk of the playing time down the stretch and during the team's postseason run, while prospect Stephen Piscotty hit .288/.355/.406 with nine home runs and 69 RBI in a full season at the Triple-A level.
Ideally, the team could find a right-handed hitter capable of providing depth in right field and spelling Matt Adams at first base against tough left-handed pitching.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Bullpen
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This will be a telling offseason for the Arizona Diamondbacks, as it will be the first under the new front office duo of Dave Stewart and Tony LaRussa, and it's fair to say no one knows exactly what to expect.
For a team that lost 98 games last year, there is still a lot of talent on the roster, and there are not as many glaring holes as one might think given Arizona's performance this past year.
That said, the bullpen will need to be addressed, after it ranked 23rd in the league with a 3.92 ERA.
Veterans Oliver Perez and Brad Ziegler give the team a solid setup duo, and rookie Evan Marshall showed plenty of potential. Closer Addison Reed needs to bounce back from a poor season, though, and more depth in general is needed.
Colorado Rockies: Starting Pitching
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No surprise here, as the starting rotation has been a consistent area of need for the Colorado Rockies since the franchise's inception back in 1993.
Jorge De La Rosa gives the Rockies a solid arm at the top, and the young duo of Tyler Matzek and Jordan Lyles showed enough last season to at least provide some hope, but this is still a team that ranked last in the National League with a 4.89 starters' ERA last year.
There is a lot riding on the continued development of top prospects Jon Gray and Eddie Butler, and both could contend for a rotation spot this spring. However, the team should still explore any and all free-agent options, as it has the offense to contend but is still light-years away on the mound.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Bullpen
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the most talented rosters in all of baseball, but they are not without their areas of need.
Shortstop is a clear hole following the departure of Hanley Ramirez, the No. 5 starter spot is up for grabs and a long-term replacement for Juan Uribe at third base will be needed in the near future.
That said, it was the bullpen that burned the Dodgers in the postseason, and it is the bullpen that will likely be their biggest area of focus this offseason.
Kenley Jansen is one of the best in the business in the ninth inning, and veteran setup men J.P. Howell and Brandon League are both coming off of solid seasons, but no one mistook that late-inning trio for the Kansas City Royals. Rookie Pedro Baez has some potential as well, but this team could use at least two or three more reliable bullpen pieces, and it has the money to go get them.
San Diego Padres: Offense
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To put it bluntly, the San Diego Padres were a disaster offensively last season.
They ranked dead last in team batting average (.226), OPS (.634) and runs per game (3.30), and outside of Seth Smith (.807 OPS, 12 HR, 48 RBI) it's hard to say anyone even had an above-average season offensively.
The young core of Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal and Jedd Gyorko was expected to be the driving force behind the Padres' offensive attack, but instead, all three turned in disappointing seasons, and no one else stepped up around them.
First base, shortstop and left field appear to be the spots to upgrade, but this is still a small-market team, so expecting it to make a splash in free agency is probably expecting too much.
San Francisco Giants: Third Base
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The San Francisco Giants have made it a point to retain their own free-agent talent over the past several seasons, but that strategy will be seriously put to the test this offseason with third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Fresh off of another terrific postseason, the switch-hitter is one of the top position players on the free-agent market this offseason. After declining a qualifying offer, Sandoval is reportedly seeking a six-year deal, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox are all in the running for Sandoval, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, so the Giants have that to contend with on top of his salary demands.
Should Sandoval end up signing elsewhere, the Giants could turn their attention to fellow free agent Chase Headley, or they could opt to go with some combination of incumbents Joaquin Arias, Matt Duffy and Chris Dominguez at the position.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.
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