Every MLB Team's Biggest Missed Opportunity 2 Months into the Offseason
The MLB offseason is still far from over, but we have already seen a flurry of activity that began well before the winter meetings kicked off and has continued here into the final weeks of December.
While the free-agent market has been picked fairly clean on the position player side of things, the pitching market still has a number of impact arms, including top starters Max Scherzer and James Shields.
In other words, there is still a lot to be done before pitchers and catchers report for spring training, but already teams may be left with a few regrets on how the winter has played out.
So as we stand here roughly two months removed from the end of the 2014 campaign, let's take a look at all 30 teams' biggest missed opportunity so far this offseason.
Baltimore Orioles: Re-Signing DH Nelson Cruz
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A number of factors contributed to the Baltimore Orioles running away with the AL East title last season, but at least some credit goes to Nelson Cruz, who turned a one-year, $8 million contract into one of the most productive seasons in the league.
Cruz finished the year hitting .271/.333/.525 with an MLB-best 40 home runs and 108 RBI, and his production went a long way in offsetting the production lost by injuries to Matt Wieters and Manny Machado, as well as a big step backward from Chris Davis.
Back in early November, Cruz made it clear he preferred to stay in Baltimore in an interview with Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun:
"No doubt it’s my first choice. I’d love to be back. I understand the business. I know they’re interested in bringing me back. Hopefully we can work something out. I love everything about the city. I love my teammates. I love the organization. The way they treat their players is amazing. If we can work something, I’d be more than happy to come back.
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The two sides were unable to work anything out, though, and Cruz wound up signing a four-year, $57 million deal with the Seattle Mariners.
With no significant addition to replace Cruz, the Orioles are now left with a gaping hole in the middle of their lineup, and they have watched as division rivals in the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have both improved significantly.
Boston Red Sox: Signing SP Jon Lester
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Many believed when the Boston Red Sox pulled the trigger on trading Jon Lester last July that the team would swoop in and re-sign the ace in the offseason.
In the end, it came down to Boston and the Chicago Cubs, with the Red Sox's final offer of $135 million over six years coming up short of the $155 million deal he eventually signed with the North Siders, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
The missed opportunity stretches all the way back to last offseason for the Red Sox, though, as they very well might have been able to re-sign Lester before he ever hit the open market had they not low-balled him with a four-year, $70 million offer to begin negotiations.
Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com had the transcript from a radio interview Lester did, where he was asked if he would have been open to signing something similar to the five-year, $120 million deal Cliff Lee received from the Philadelphia Phillies:
"That is one of those deals where hindsight is 20/20. You go back in time and you look at it and you go, "probably yes," I mean you don’t know. I mean it is one of those deals where when it is sitting in front of you that is a lot of money to turn down. That would have made it very difficult to turn it down.
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Instead, the Red Sox have settled for acquiring Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson this offseason to fill out their rotation.
New York Yankees: Re-Signing SP Brandon McCarthy
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So far, the New York Yankees have stuck to their word this offseason, avoiding any big-ticket free agents and instead shoring up the roster by re-signing a number of veteran pieces and swapping out closer David Robertson with highly sought-after lefty Andrew Miller.
For the most part, the moves have been fairly reasonable given the market, but one move the Yankees should have pulled the trigger on making and didn't was re-signing Brandon McCarthy.
The 31-year-old was 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA, 3.22 FIP and 1.151 WHIP in 12 starts with the team last year after being acquired at the deadline.
After finally proving healthy and reaching the 200-inning mark last year, the four-year, $48 million deal he wound up signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers was very reasonable and a price the Yankees should have been willing to pay.
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the Yankees did not even make an offer to McCarthy this offseason.
Instead, they will open the season with a trio of injury question marks in Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia, a low-cost veteran in Chris Capuano and hard-throwing Nathan Eovaldi making up their starting rotation.
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Tampa Bay Rays: Acquiring C Austin Hedges
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For my complete thoughts on the Wil Myers-to-the-San Diego Padres trade, I'll direct you to the article I wrote last week grading all three sides of the deal.
The short version for the Tampa Bay Rays, to whom I gave a C- on the trade, is that it's hard to believe they were not able to land one of the Padres' elite prospects in the deal.
Most notably, catcher Austin Hedges.
Now, that's not meant to be a knock on Rene Rivera, the catcher they did wind up landing in the deal, who posted a .751 OPS with 11 home runs, 44 RBI and a 3.1 WAR in a career year last season. He is also 31 years old, though, and far from the long-term solution for the Rays behind the plate.
Hedges could have been that solution, and whether it meant throwing another piece in the deal to sweeten the pot or accepting less overall player quantity in the deal, the Rays should not have pulled the trigger unless he was involved.
The 22-year-old is widely regarded as the top catching prospect in all of baseball, and while his offense is still a work in progress, he is already an elite defender, and the tools are there for him to at least turn into an average offensive contributor.
Toronto Blue Jays: Acquiring 2B Howie Kendrick
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Kelly Johnson, Omar Vizquel, Emilio Bonifacio, Maicer Izturis, Ryan Goins, Munenori Kawasaki, Mark DeRosa, Brett Lawrie and Steven Tolleson.
Those guys have all started at least 10 games at the second base position for the Toronto Blue Jays since 2011, and their combined production has been unimpressive at best, with an OPS of .653, .556 and .634 from the position the past three years.
The free-agent market at second base was thin this offseason, as it usually is, but a pair of All-Stars were moved via trade in Dee Gordon and Howie Kendrick.
Kendrick is someone who had been on the Blue Jays' radar for some time, dating back to the 2013 trade deadline, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca.
The team may finally have found its long-term answer at the position in prospect Devon Travis, but it looks like 2015 could be more of the same, with some combination of Izturis, Tolleson and Goins set to man the position.
Chicago White Sox: Trading LF Dayan Viciedo
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It's hard to fault any decisions the Chicago White Sox have made this offseason as far as the talent they have added, with Jeff Samardzija, Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche, David Robertson and Zach Duke all joining the team so far this winter.
However, they should have pulled the trigger on moving outfielder Dayan Viciedo when they had the chance, as Scott Merkin of MLB.com reported that the team was in "serious talks" to move him to the Seattle Mariners.
With the addition of Cabrera alongside Adam Eaton and Avisail Garcia, the White Sox outfield is essentially set, and it does not include Viciedo, who hit .231/.281/.405 with 21 home runs last season.
The 25-year-old has some intriguing right-handed power, but he has consistently been one of the worst defensive outfielders in the league and his plate discipline has yet to improve in parts of five big league seasons.
Viciedo is projected to earn $4.4 million this coming season, and with the Mariners recently acquiring Justin Ruggiano from the Chicago Cubs, chances are they are no longer interested in trading for him. That could mean the White Sox are stuck with an expensive bench player.
Cleveland Indians: Acquiring SP Jeff Samardzija
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The Cleveland Indians were never officially linked to Jeff Samardzija this offseason, but it is no secret they are in serious need of a proven No. 2 starter to slot behind AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, and the right-hander could have been the perfect fit.
The Oakland A's ended up shipping him to the Chicago White Sox for shortstop Marcus Semien, catcher Josh Phegley, right-hander Chris Bassitt and first baseman Rangel Ravelo.
The Indians could have put together a very comparable package of players and done it without sacrificing any of their top prospects:
- Semien: Jose Ramirez—big league-ready shortstop
- Phegley: Francisco Mejia—not big league-ready like Phegley, but with far more upside
- Bassitt: Cody Anderson—solid back-of-the-rotation right-hander
- Ravelo: Jesus Aguilar—first base prospect with plus power
Whether the A's would have accepted that package or the Indians would have offered it up is purely hypothetical, but it's at least comparable to what it cost the White Sox.
Instead, the Indians have settled for signing Gavin Floyd to fill out the rotation, and they will have to deal with Samardzija playing for one of their division rivals.
Detroit Tigers: Signing RP Andrew Miller
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Despite the fact that their bullpen ranked 27th in the league last year with a 4.29 ERA, then completely melted down in the postseason, the Detroit Tigers have yet to make any significant additions to the relief corps.
Granted, a full season of Joakim Soria and the return of hard-throwing Bruce Rondon will help, but the incumbent group still does little to inspire confidence that late-inning leads will be safe.
At the very least, the team will need to add a proven left-hander to the mix this offseason, with Phil Coke departing in free agency and the remaining options of Ian Krol and Blaine Hardy far from what you would call proven.
Andrew Miller was one elite option on the market this winter among southpaw relievers, and while his eventual four-year, $36 million price tag was high for a non-closer, he is the type of pitcher who could have completely transformed the Tigers bullpen.
Kansas City Royals: Signing SP Ervin Santana
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The Kansas City Royals have worked quickly to replace their departed pieces this offseason, swapping out James Shields, Billy Butler and Nori Aoki for Edinson Volquez, Kendrys Morales and Alex Rios.
Volquez turned a one-year, $5 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates last offseason into a solid two-year, $20 million payday this offseason. The question now is, will he be able to duplicate his 2014 performance? The right-hander finished the year 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA for the Pirates, but a 4.15 FIP and a .263 BABIP suggest he could be in for a decent amount of regression this coming season.
A better option for the Royals may have been a reunion with Ervin Santana, who was terrific pitching for the team in 2013, and there was mutual interest in bringing the right-hander back to Kansas City.
"A reunion for Ervin Santana and the Royals is definitely an option," wrote Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. "The Royals have reached out to Santana, and the right-hander is said to be very receptive to a return to the team he left as a free agent a year ago."
He instead ended up inking a four-year, $55 million deal with the Minnesota Twins, and it will be interesting to see how his numbers stack up to Volquez at the end of the upcoming season.
Minnesota Twins: Signing SP Francisco Liriano
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Another reunion that seemed to make sense for both sides was Francisco Liriano returning to the Minnesota Twins.
The left-hander will likely have a better chance to win in the immediate future pitching for the Pirates, but chances are he would have gotten more money than the three-year, $39 million he signed with Pittsburgh had he opted to rejoin the Twins instead.
The Twins were linked to Liriano, Edinson Volquez and Brett Anderson during the winter meetings, according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune, but they wound up turning their attention to Ervin Santana after Liriano re-signed with the Pirates.
Santana received a four-year, $55 million deal, and he will give the Twins another solid arm alongside Phil Hughes at the top of the rotation. Adding a left-hander to the mix would have been nice, though, and Liriano wound up being the cheaper option as well.
Houston Astros: Signing 3B Chase Headley
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After shoring up their bullpen with the additions of Pat Neshek and Luke Gregerson, the Houston Astros turned their attention to the left side of the infield.
Top prospects Carlos Correa and Colin Moran are expected to be the long-term answers at shortstop and third base, respectively, but finding better stopgap options than Jonathan Villar and Matt Dominguez was a must this winter.
The team wound up signing Jed Lowrie to a three-year, $23 million deal. The Astros are certainly familiar with Lowrie after he enjoyed a breakout season in Houston back in 2012, prior to being traded to the A's for slugger Chris Carter.
Chase Headley was also on the team's radar, but he wound up re-signing with the New York Yankees on a four-year, $50 million deal, which likely means it will be Dominguez manning the hot corner once again.
Granted, the $50 million price tag was steep considering the inconsistent production Headley has provided the past few years, but he finished the year strong in New York last season and remains one of the better defensive third basemen in the league.
Los Angeles Angels: Signing RP Andrew Miller
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Despite having arguably the most complete roster in the American League entering the offseason, the Los Angeles Angels have been busy this winter, flipping second baseman Howie Kendrick and adding starting pitching depth in the form of Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano.
The one key piece they are still lacking, though, is a left-handed reliever capable of pitching in a setup role, something they went without for most of the 2014 season.
Lefty Cesar Ramos was acquired in a trade with the Rays, but he is more of a swingman/long reliever type than someone who will be slotted alongside Joe Smith in a setup role.
Andrew Miller was the one impact lefty on the market this winter, and with the money the team eventually freed up by moving Kendrick ($9.5 million), his four-year, $36 million salary would likely have fit into the budget.
Instead, it will likely be someone from the group of Joe Thatcher, Phil Coke, Joe Beimel, Tom Gorzelanny and Neal Cotts, as they represent the best of the remaining free-agent lefties.
Oakland Athletics: Acquiring a Front-Line Prospect for SP Jeff Samardzija
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On paper, the package of players the Oakland Athletics acquired from the Chicago White Sox in return for right-hander Jeff Samardzija was certainly not a bad haul.
Marcus Semien gives them someone who can step into the shortstop position and potentially lock down the job long term, Josh Phegley and Chris Bassitt are both big league-ready pieces as well and Rangel Ravelo has some intriguing power potential.
However, the fact that the team gave up one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Addison Russell, to acquire Samardzija from the Cubs in the first place makes it a tough return to swallow for A's fans.
Had the team waited to trade Samardzija until later in the offseason when the pitching market thinned out, or perhaps even at the upcoming trade deadline, the A's may have been able to better recoup their losses in the form of a top prospect.
Who knows, maybe Semien will exceed expectations and Russell will wind up flopping in Chicago, but as of right now, it looks like a glaring mistake all around by general manager Billy Beane.
Seattle Mariners: Acquiring RF Matt Kemp
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The Seattle Mariners finally found the right-handed power bat they were searching for when they signed Nelson Cruz to a four-year deal. However, with Cruz slated for everyday DH duties, a hole remained in right field, and the Mariners remained in the market to make another splash addition to the roster before the offseason was over.
After missing out on signing Melky Cabrera and trading for Matt Kemp, and unwilling to part with any of their promising young arms to land Justin Upton, the M's wound up settling for Chicago Cubs outfielder Justin Ruggiano.
Ruggiano hit .281/.337/.429 with 20 extra-base hits in 224 at-bats last season, and he is a nice low-cost addition, but it's hard to envision him making the same impact as one of the aforementioned trio.
All things considered, Kemp wound up being the most attractive option of all, as the Dodgers' inclusion of $32 million in his trade to San Diego made him a $15 million player over the next five years.
If the Mariners could have put together a package without including Taijuan Walker or James Paxton, and the Padres were able to get Kemp without sacrificing any of their top prospects, it's a deal that they may regret not making.
Texas Rangers: Acquiring SP Wade Miley
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The Texas Rangers were hit with more bad luck than any team in baseball last year, as their entire roster was seemingly on the disabled list for an extended period of time at one point or another, and their hopes of contending quickly turned into a battle to avoid the worst record in baseball.
A healthy season from guys like Prince Fielder, Shin-Soo Choo and Derek Holland will go a long way in righting the ship this coming season, but the starting rotation still looks like a clear weakness.
Yu Darvish and Holland give the Rangers a solid one-two punch at the top, but the trio of Colby Lewis, Ross Detwiler and Nick Tepesch behind them does not exactly scream out title contender, and there is little in the way of viable depth.
The team was reportedly interest in Arizona Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley during the winter meetings before dropping out of the running, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. He eventually landed in Boston for pitchers Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa and infielder Raymel Flores.
The Rangers could certainly have used him as a solid No. 3 option on their staff, and a package built around right-handers Luke Jackson and Alec Asher would have at least been comparable to what the Red Sox gave up.
Atlanta Braves: Acquiring a Top Starting Pitching Prospect
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The Atlanta Braves moved quickly this offseason to ship outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-hander Shelby Miller and prospect Tyrell Jenkins.
Fellow outfielder Justin Upton was the next Braves player to hit the trade block, and he was not going to come cheap either.
"The Braves are very much shopping Justin Upton and are requesting a higher return than they received earlier this week when they dealt their other corner outfielder, Jason Heyward," wrote Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
It was the Padres that eventually wound up trading for Upton in exchange for Max Fried, Jace Peterson, Dustin Peterson and Mallex Smith.
While that is a decent haul of prospects, Fried is not exactly the centerpiece the team was hoping for when it was targeting the likes of Taijuan Walker, James Paxton and Kevin Gausman in potential trades with the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles.
Fried, the No. 7 pick in the 2012 draft, is one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in the game and certainly has the potential to be an impact arm on par with those guys down the road. However, he also underwent Tommy John surgery in August and will likely miss most of the upcoming season, so targeting him as the key piece of the trade was risky to say the least.
Miami Marlins: Acquiring 1B Justin Morneau
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After contending into the final month of the season this past year, the Miami Marlins finally appear committed to building a sustainable winner, and they have added some key pieces around superstar Giancarlo Stanton already this winter.
Dee Gordon fills what was a glaring hole at second base, Mat Latos gives the Marlins another terrific arm in the rotation and replacing Casey McGehee with Martin Prado gives the roster more versatility.
Slugger Michael Morse was also signed to man first base, and while he will likely represent an upgrade over Garrett Jones as long as he can stay healthy, he was not the team's first choice.
Ideally, the Marlins would have found a left-handed run producer to slot behind Stanton in the cleanup spot, and it appears that Justin Morneau was their No. 1 target during the winter meetings.
Talks eventually fell apart, according to Tom Singer of MLB.com, and the team settled for adding Morse on a very reasonable two-year, $16 million deal.
It's hard not to like what the Marlins have done this offseason, but it does appear that they missed in their efforts to find a left-handed power bat and wound up settling for Morse.
New York Mets: Acquiring SS Didi Gregorius
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Talking about the New York Mets needing to upgrade at shortstop is really just beating a dead horse at this point, and all signs point to Wilmer Flores being penciled in there on Opening Day, but let's look at the other options one more time.
The team could still make a play for someone from the free-agent group of Stephen Drew, Asdrubal Cabrera and Everth Cabrera before the offseason is over, but none of those guys would be anything more than a stopgap solution, and the Mets don't exactly have an heir apparent making his way through the minors.
Their best option all along looked to be a trade for one of the Diamondbacks' young shortstops, likely Didi Gregorius, but he ended up traded to that other New York team this winter.
Gregorius, 24, has hit .243/.313/.366 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs and 57 RBI in a little over a season's worth of at-bats in parts of the past three seasons.
His offensive production should only improve with more playing time, and coupled with his excellent defense, he has the potential to be an All-Star-caliber player in his prime.
It cost the Yankees right-hander Shane Greene to land Gregorius, and someone like Rafael Montero or Steven Matz may very well have been enough to get a deal done for the Mets. Given their pitching depth, it was a price worth paying.
Philadelphia Phillies: Trading 1B Ryan Howard
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Let me preface this by saying that the Philadelphia Phillies unloading Ryan Howard this offseason was a long shot to begin with and that there has not been any one team clearly linked to the high-priced slugger at any point this offseason.
That being said, if the Phillies had come out at the beginning of the offseason with a clear pitch that they were willing to eat something like $44 million of the $60 million owed to Howard, they may have had a legitimate chance of dealing him.
That would make him an $8 million player over the next two years and with a $10 million buyout for 2017, making him a far more attractive potential trade target.
Instead, the Phillies' preferred pitch to this point has been to package him with someone of actual value like Marlon Byrd, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Chances are that is not going to work, and as more and more teams plug holes at first base or designated hitter, the odds of Howard finding a new home continue to shrink.
In a league starved for offense, there is a no doubt a market for a player coming off of a 23-homer, 95-RBI campaign like Howard is. However, not unless the Phillies make it clear just how much money they are willing to eat to move a guy who was a minus-1.1 WAR player in 2014.
Washington Nationals: Re-Signing 2B Asdrubal Cabrera
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The Washington Nationals still have a chance to re-sign Asdrubal Cabrera, but their decision not to do so immediately after the offseason began could wind up costing them some money.
Jed Lowrie was the first of the veteran middle infielders to sign when he agreed to a three-year, $23 million deal with the Astros last week.
Considering Cabrera is a year younger and has a longer track record of offensive productivity, he could certainly command more money, even if he is sliding over to play second base.
Cabrera made it clear he would like to stay with the Nationals shortly after they were eliminated from the playoffs.
"I would love to stay here," he said, via Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com, after the season ended. "A lot of good guys. A good team. I would love to stay here. But it's not my decision."
As it stands now, the Nationals would have Danny Espinosa as their primary second baseman, so someone needs to be acquired to man the position. Cabrera still looks like the best option, but his price tag may be climbing as the offseason wears on.
Chicago Cubs: Signing C Russell Martin
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Prior to signing Jon Lester at the winter meetings, the Chicago Cubs had swung and missed on their first big offseason target when catcher Russell Martin signed a five-year, $82 million deal to join the Toronto Blue Jays.
The team quickly moved on to Plan B, acquiring two-time All-Star Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pair of low-level prospects. But while Montero is a solid player and an upgrade, he's not on the same level as Martin.
The 31-year-old Martin hit .290/.402/.430 last season and was a 5.5 WAR player, with his defensive contributions in leading an injury-plagued Pittsburgh Pirates staff arguably more important than his offensive contributions.
A catching platoon of Montero and fellow offseason acquisition David Ross should do a fine job for the Cubs this coming season, but Martin was their top target and the impact player they were looking to add, and the Blue Jays simply made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Cincinnati Reds: Acquiring LF Yoenis Cespedes
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A one-for-one swap of Cincinnati Reds right-hander Mat Latos and Boston Red Sox slugger Yoenis Cespedes looked like a clear win-win swap of big league talent that would benefit both teams in 2015. Instead, Cespedes was shipped to the Detroit Tigers for a similar return in the form of pitcher Rick Porcello, as the Red Sox seemed determined to move the slugger for immediate rotation help and did just that.
Meanwhile, Latos was traded to the Miami Marlins in return for prospects Anthony DeSclafani and Chad Wallach on the same day the team also dealt fellow starter Alfredo Simon.
That is a solid return of talent for the Reds if they are headed for a rebuild, but if they are looking to contend once again in 2015 with their high-priced core of veteran pieces, a trade for Cespedes would have made more sense.
With a hole to fill in left field and a lineup in need of a shot in the arm, Cespedes and his raw power would have been a terrific fit for the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. Worst-case scenario, he would have been an easy piece to flip at the trade deadline if the team fell out of contention, and a similar return of young talent could still have been the end result.
Milwaukee Brewers: Re-Signing RP Francisco Rodriguez
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The only significant free-agent pieces for the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason were relievers, as closer Francisco Rodriguez and lefties Zach Duke and Tom Gorzelanny all hit the open market.
Rodriguez ended up being an absolute steal on a one-year, $3.25 million deal last offseason. He saved 44 games with a 3.04 ERA and 0.985 WHIP, making his first All-Star appearance since 2009.
There is still a chance K-Rod returns to Milwaukee this offseason, but with the reliever market drying up quickly, he is arguably the top remaining option in free agency, and that could mean his asking price has climbed from where it may have been a month or so ago.
With Jonathan Broxton set to make $9 million this coming season and capable of closing, the Brewers may not be willing to shell out significant money on another bullpen arm.
Something will need to be done to address those three significant losses, though, and at the end of the day re-upping with Rodriguez back in November may have been their best play.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Re-Signing C Russell Martin
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The Pittsburgh Pirates were ready to do everything in their power to keep catcher Russell Martin this offseason.
"He's an example of a player we're going to need to do what we can [to sign]," owner Bob Nutting told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We're going to need to stretch. We're probably going to go beyond what a rational deal is. He's a player who we love and respect and we hope he's back.”
That was when the asking price for Martin was expected to be in the $50 million range, but when the Toronto Blue Jays came calling with a five-year, $82 million deal, the Pirates had no chance of competing with that offer.
It's no coincidence that guys like Francisco Liriano, Edinson Volquez and Vance Worley have resurrected their careers with Martin behind the plate, as he does as good a job handling a staff as any catcher in the game today.
Francisco Cervelli, who quietly hit .301/.370/.432 over 146 at-bats for the New York Yankees last season, was acquired to replace Martin. His loss is going to be felt, though, as he was arguably the most important player on that roster.
St. Louis Cardinals: Signing RP Zach Duke
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Pointing to any missed opportunities for the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason is really nit-picking, as they have moved quickly to fill what few roster holes they did have this winter.
Jason Heyward was a terrific upgrade in right field, Jordan Walden should step right into the role that Pat Neshek departed, Matt Belisle was a nice buy-low middle reliever to take the place of Jason Motte and Mark Reynolds is the right-handed power bat the Cardinals were looking for to platoon with Matt Adams.
However, if there is one question mark that has gone unaddressed, it's the left-handed side of the bullpen, and signing someone like Zach Duke may have been a smart move.
Kevin Siegrist (37 G, 6.82 ERA) and Randy Choate (61 G, 4.50 ERA) both regressed after solid 2013 seasons, while Sam Freeman (44 G, 2.61 ERA, 3.79 FIP) could have a hard time duplicating his 2014 numbers.
Duke, who signed a three-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox, went 5-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 2.14 FIP, 1.125 WHIP and 11.4 K/9 in 74 appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers last season.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Signing a Late-Inning Reliever
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The new front office tandem of Dave Stewart and Tony LaRussa has been busy in the duo's first offseason at the helm for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The D-backs acquired Jeremy Hellickson in a trade with the Rays, traded both Didi Gregorius and Miguel Montero and signed Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas to a six-year, $68.5 million deal.
However, the team has yet to address a bullpen that converted just 35 of 56 save chances last year and ranked 23rd in the league with a 3.92 ERA.
Closer Addison Reed converted 32 of 38 save chances with a 4.25 ERA in his first season with the team, and he'll get every chance to hold onto ninth-inning duties, but signing an insurance policy of some sort would make sense.
Evan Marshall, Oliver Perez and Brad Ziegler give the Diamondbacks a solid trio of setup arms, but there is little in the way of closing experience there.
Guys like Casey Janssen, Rafael Soriano and Francisco Rodriguez are still available in free agency, but for the most part, the reliever market has been picked over already this winter, so they may be left relying heavily on Reed once again.
Colorado Rockies: Trading SS Troy Tulowitzki
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One of the biggest stories in the early stages of the MLB offseason was the news that the Colorado Rockies were willing to listen to offers for both Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
However, it remains to be seen just how serious they were, as the asking price on both players remains incredibly high.
"One rival official said the Rockies are willing to move Tulowitzki and Gonzalez but only for returns that would reflect their contributions when healthy. In other words, no discount for injury," wrote Rosenthal. "If the Rockies hold firm in that stance, it would be difficult for them to move either player this offseason."
At this point, the Rockies franchise is just spinning its tires, running out an above-average offense and a below-average pitching staff on a year in and year out basis, and all signs point to more of the same in 2015.
If the Rockies were to get serious about moving Tulowitzki, and were even willing to eat some of his remaining salary, they could potentially land a franchise-changing package of young talent in return.
Simply hoping that prospects Jon Gray and Eddie Butler can develop into front-line starters and staying the course with the current roster will likely make for another long season in Colorado, and at this point, something drastic needs to change.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Signing RP Andrew Miller
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President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman has wasted little time reshaping the Los Angeles Dodgers roster in his first offseason with the team, as he was wheeling and dealing at the winter meetings.
Gone are Matt Kemp, Dee Gordon and free agent Hanley Ramirez, as the outfield logjam has finally been resolved. Joining the team are a new double-play combination of Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins, starters Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson and catcher Yasmani Grandal, who was acquired in the Kemp deal.
A pair of solid arms have been added to the bullpen in Chris Hatcher and Joel Peralta, but the relief corps as a whole still looks to be something of a weakness, and its struggles cost the team big this past October.
With seemingly infinite money to spend, it was surprising to see the team not involved on lefty reliever Andrew Miller, who would have been a great fit in the eighth inning setting up all-world closer Kenley Jansen.
Having three or four dominant bullpen arms is such an advantage come October, and the Dodgers missed their chance to add one of the better left-handed options in the game today.
San Diego Padres: Signing 1B Michael Morse
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The San Diego Padres have completely overhauled their lineup this offseason, adding Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton and Derek Norris to an offense that was the worst in baseball by a wide margin a year ago.
The infield remains untouched, though, outside of the team's decision to non-tender Everth Cabrera in favor of Alexi Amarista at shortstop.
Jedd Gyorko will be given every chance to rebound at second base, and Yangervis Solarte is a better option at third base than anything left on the open market, but first base is one area that could still be upgraded.
Yonder Alonso was expected to be the long-term answer at the position, but he hit just .240/.285/.397 this past season, including just .216 against left-handed pitching.
At the very least, a right-handed-hitting platoon partner would be a nice pickup, and the two-year, $16 million deal that Michael Morse signed with the Miami Marlins would have been money well spent for a team that appears to have legitimate aspirations to contend in 2015.
San Francisco Giants: Signing SP Jon Lester
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It's been a while since the San Francisco Giants have made a real splash on the free-agent market, as their focus in past years has been on re-signing their in-house talent—and that strategy has clearly paid dividends.
They have re-signed a pair of key arms so far this offseason in Jake Peavy and Sergio Romo, and they acquired Casey McGehee to replace the departed Pablo Sandoval, but the rotation as a whole remains a major question mark.
Matt Cain is returning from elbow surgery, Tim Hudson fell off in the second half last year and will be 40 years old, Tim Lincecum has been inconsistent at best the past few seasons and Yusmeiro Petit has never been a full-time starter.
The team's interest in Jon Lester made sense, as he would have given the Giants a second stud arm alongside Madison Bumgarner at the top of the rotation and a potentially lethal duo come October.
In the end, they finished a distant third to the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs to sign the left-hander, though, and at this point, they look to have their work cut out for them if they hope to return to the postseason.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.
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