MLB Teams That Look Most Aggressive to Make Waves This Offseason
Major League Baseball's offseason is anything but. The games may have ended in October, but the action is still ongoing. And judging by all the moves that teams have made through the first few weeks of November, there aren't any signs that they are slowing.
Taking into account the number of signings and trades that already are in the books as well as those still to come, here's a look at a batch of clubs that are in position to be most aggressive when it comes to transaction action this "off" season.
Atlanta Braves
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Atlanta Braves new-man-in-charge John Hart already is moving and shaking, having traded young starting second baseman Tommy La Stella for power reliever Arodys Vizcaino and homegrown right fielder Jason Heyward for right-hander Shelby Miller in separate deals, the latter of which was the first big blockbuster.
The latest rumor has the Braves being willing to move two-time All-Star Justin Upton, who posted an .833 OPS, 29 home runs and a career-high 102 RBI in 2014 but is entering his walk year, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
With reports from David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the decision-makers are looking to remake a roster and rebuild toward 2017, when the team's new ballpark opens, that could mean slugger Evan Gattis (43 homers across 2013-14) could also be on the move, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
To top it all off, Atlanta has emerged as the potential front-runner, as reported by Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, to land slugging Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas, who is only 24 years old and could land a nine-figure pact. But, hey, if the Braves are trading away Heyward, Upton and/or Gattis, they're going to need someone to play outfield, right?
Boston Red Sox
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Despite an awful title defense campaign that had them in last place in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox have a lot of talent. Alas, the 25-man roster isn't well-balanced at the moment, what with too many outfielders and cornermen and too few starting pitchers.
General manager Ben Cherington was a busy, busy man at the July trade deadline, and he's going to have to pull off multiple moves this winter as well to put Boston back on the right track in 2015.
The Sox already have an offer on the table to their former ace, Jon Lester, whom they traded away four months ago. The specs on the proposal have it at somewhere in the range of $110 million to $120 million for six years, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.
Boston also is after Pablo Sandoval to address third base, which has been a problem spot the past few seasons. An offer is out to him too, for $95 million more over five years, per Cafardo, who is on top of all things Red Sox.
Depending on whether Cherington hits on either/both of those two targets, expect a trade to unload one of the Red Sox's several outfielders, perhaps even Yoenis Cespedes or Allen Craig, both of whom were acquired at the deadline.
Chicago Cubs
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The Chicago Cubs didn't get free-agent backstop Russell Martin, who wound up going to the Toronto Blue Jays for $82 million, but they have made one big acquisition so far—bringing aboard manager Joe Maddon.
That's a good start for a young rebuilding club finally just about ready to turn it around thanks to a load of fresh talent, both already in the majors (Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Arismendy Alcantara) and on the verge (Kris Bryant, Addison Russell).
But if the Cubs are really going to make waves in 2015, rather than wait until 2016, they'll need to acquire at least one big-time starting pitcher to team with breakout arm Jake Arrieta. They have been linked to lefty Jon Lester, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, and there's a chance they could splurge on either Max Scherzer or James Shields.
The other course of action would be to target a pitcher in a trade, and there have been rumors about both Jordan Zimmermann and Cole Hamels as potential fits, according to Corey Seidman of CSN Philly.
But fair warning to Cubs fans: It may feel like next year will put an end to the five straights seasons of losing, but it's likely that contention comes in 2016, so if the front office decides to hold off on any major purchases or swaps until this time next year, that's why.
"I like where we are as an organization," president of baseball ops Theo Epstein said via Bob Nightengale of USA Today. We're going to continue to build the right way. Not force it. Not rush it. We're mindful of next off-season as well as this off-season.
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Cincinnati Reds
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The Cincinnati Reds payroll is getting bigger and bigger—did you realize Joey Votto's $225 million extension only kicked in last year?—and four of their starters are a season away from reaching the open market. That means this franchise has a choice to make: go all-in for one last shot or cash in chips to build for 2016 and beyond.
If the Reds take the latter route, any of Mat Latos, Mike Leake, Alfredo Simon or even NL Cy Young runner-up Johnny Cueto could be on the move. They also are dangling outfielder Jay Bruce, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, which shows they realize the gravity of the situation—and that it's going to take multiple moves to become more cost-effective.
Whatever the Reds decide to do is going to have a big impact on the trade market—and in the NL Central next season.
Miami Marlins
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When a team hands out the largest contract in North American pro sports history—you've heard about the $325 million extension the Miami Marlins gave Giancarlo Stanton, right?—it's going to qualify for the "Teams Who Look Most Aggressive to Make Moves" list.
Also? Said team better be ready to spend even more to win in 2015. That appears to be the plan in Miami, particularly because Stanton's deal is so backloaded, as Jayson Stark of ESPN reports, that the Fish have some room to play with and add immediate help.
"Stanton was so motivated to give his team the financial flexibility to win now, he agreed to a heavily backloaded contract structure that will pay him just $30 million over the first three seasons.
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Sources said the contract was structured in a way that reflects Stanton's desire to give the Marlins the financial flexibility to construct a winning team around him in the early seasons of the deal.
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The club could use an upgrade in the rotation, at second base and/or at first base. It had been linked to Adam LaRoche before he signed with the Chicago White Sox for $25 million over two years, per James Wagner of The Washington Post.
That's the sort of deal that would complement the talented young core in Miami without blowing up a suddenly expanding budget.
New York Mets
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The New York Mets have been quiet since their surprising signing of Michael Cuddyer in early November, but that move should be a sign they are ready to return to relevance in 2015.
Having already surrendered the top pick (No. 15 overall) to land Cuddyer, GM Sandy Alderson might have more motivation to sign another free agent who rejected the qualifying offer, since that would cost only a second-rounder.
The Mets appear to be on the upswing after six consecutive sub-.500 campaigns, but they still have some work to do. They badly need a shortstop, and their five-man rotation has seven options—Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, Bartolo Colon and big league-ready prospect Noah Syndergaard.
"[The payroll] is where it is today," Alderson said per Mike Puma of the New York Post. "I don’t know it will be there at the end of the offseason. But there are probably some things we need to do anyway, whether it’s with regard to the payroll or just the roster, the rotation and what we have available and what’s in excess."
Something has to give here if New York is going to creep back into contention, because Cuddyer alone isn't enough to pull that off.
Philadelphia Phillies
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If any team needs to do something this winter, it's the Philadelphia Phillies. Then again, this must-do-something refrain has been a popular one for at least two years now, and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. simply hasn't done much.
The Phillies' aging, well-past-its-prime roster needs an injection of youth, which is why they have long been considered the favorites to land Cuban Yasmany Tomas, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Although, there are more recent indications that might not be the case, via Paul Hagen of MLB.com.
That's also why there have been rumors that they could trade ace lefty Cole Hamels or old-but-productive outfielder Marlon Byrd, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports wrote in early November.
And of course, finding any way to unload Ryan Howard and his albatross contract—even if it means paying half of the $60 million he's guaranteed through 2016—would be a productive, if improbable, pursuit.
At some point, one imagines, the franchise's stubbornness has to shift, or at least meander, toward change. Until it does, the Phillies will forever be on these take-action lists.
Seattle Mariners
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The Seattle Mariners know what they need—a big bat, preferably from the right side, to plug into the middle of their still offensively challenged lineup.
That's why they've been mentioned as a possible suitor for any number of hitters, from free agents Hanley Ramirez and Nelson Cruz to trade candidates Matt Kemp and Justin Upton, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
The good news is that Seattle has the pieces to make a deal to land just about any of the above, if the front office is willing to part with young right-hander Taijuan Walker or lefty James Paxton. That's a steep price, but this club has plenty of pitching already.
And don't overlook this major motivating factor: The Mariners, who play in arguably the most competitive division in baseball, missed out on their first postseason since 2001—by a single game.
Spending $240 million on Robinson Cano last year got the M's to the brink, but if they want to put an end to that streak, they need to go big—and get aggressive—again this winter.
Statistics are accurate through the 2014 season and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.
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