Sleeper MLB Teams That Could Surprise with Huge 2015-16 Offseason Splash
In every MLB offseason, the usual suspects dominate the headlines with splashy acquisitions.
Yet, there always seems to be that one organization that is more aggressive than usual each winter. Over the next few slides, we'll take a look at a few sleeper teams poised to make a splash this offseason.
Teams may feel the need to have an uncharacteristically active offseason for a variety of reasons.
In the cases of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins, adding to talented young rosters is the next step toward qualifying for the postseason. It's not often that teams have a collection of elite talent hitting the big leagues at the same time, so supporting that group of youngsters with veteran free agents just makes sense.
For the Baltimore Orioles, a successful winter will boil down to keeping one of their own. It will be expensive to retain the rights of Chris Davis, but don't count the O's out of the sweepstakes for his services. Elsewhere, Jerry Dipoto is actively reshaping a Seattle Mariners roster that underachieved in 2015.
Do you think these teams will be legitimate players this winter? Which team can you see spending the most in free agency? Which organization has the assets to make a blockbuster trade? Let us know in the comment section below.
Fortune favors the bold, and various MLB teams are ready to step out of their comfort zones in order to move into baseball's elite. Let's look at some sleepers ready to make some headlines this winter.
Arizona Diamondbacks
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It may have gone under the radar, but the Arizona Diamondbacks finished sixth in MLB in position player WAR last season. A young, talented core of Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, David Peralta, Ender Inciarte and Jake Lamb have the Snakes on the cusp of October baseball.
Because of their promising nucleus, Diamondbacks chief baseball officer Tony La Russa expects the club to be players on the free-agent market this winter.
“We have plenty of money," La Russa told MLB Network's Christopher Russo. "We’re going to spend about $100 million. ... If you spend it smartly and you’ve got good young players we can compete with anybody.”
Where will Arizona spend that money? Judging by the rotation's 23rd-ranked ERA, it seems like starting pitching is a likely place to begin.
Arizona may not be the favorite to land some of the more high-profile hurlers this winter, but it will definitely be in the conversation. According to Scott Gelman of MLB Daily Dish, the Diamondbacks have had conversations about signing Johnny Cueto:
"Even some of the lower payroll teams will likely check in on the contractual demands of Cueto, who is one of the top free-agent pitchers to hit in the market this winter. The Diamondbacks are known to be seeking starting pitching and adding Cueto would make their rotation that much stronger."
Cueto isn't the only pitcher Arizona has been linked to. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has named John Lackey as an option, and also reported that the club was linked to Atlanta Braves right-hander Shelby Miller. Meanwhile, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick has heard the Diamondbacks are in on Yovani Gallardo.
Regardless of how the Diamondbacks do it, upgrades to the rotation are on the horizon. Arizona will likely want to hold on to its young core, so it shouldn't shock the baseball world to see La Russa, Dave Stewart and Co. open their checkbooks this winter.
Baltimore Orioles
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The Baltimore Orioles entered the offseason with a host of important players ready to test free agency.
The O's can't re-sign all of their free agents, but they have already brought back catcher Matt Wieters. Now, Baltimore's top priority seems to be inking Chris Davis to a long-term deal.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Orioles owner Peter Angelos has been "personally involved" in the club's efforts to re-sign Davis. It makes sense for Baltimore to have all hands on deck when courting Davis. The 29-year-old is arguably the best power hitter in MLB, leading the league in homers since 2012.
Davis won't come cheap, but Baltimore is in position to splurge. ESPN.com's David Schoenfield believes that the O's are the favorites to land Davis because the club doesn't have many long-term commitments:
"The Orioles have said they have room in the budget to re-sign Davis, and the numbers back that up. The team's payroll was around $117 million in 2015, and Baseball-Reference.com estimates their current payroll around $100 million. The team's long-term commitments are minimal: Adam Jones is signed through 2018, J.J. Hardy and Ubaldo Jimenez through 2017. Of course, Wei-Yin Chen is also a free agent, and he was the team's top starter last year, so Baltimore might need to increase that payroll to bring both back.
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Due to a lack of limited first base options on the free-agent market, Baltimore won't be the only team interested in Davis' services. Yet, it's hard to see him swapping uniforms if the O's are willing to meet his contractual demands. He's blossomed in Baltimore, using the short porch at Camden Yards to wreak havoc upon major league hurlers.
Davis' potential return to Baltimore would keep the Orioles in the postseason hunt next season and relevant for the next few years. The club knows that, which is why we could see a lucrative contract handed out over the coming weeks.
Minnesota Twins
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A young, exciting Minnesota Twins ballclub finished just three games shy of a playoff spot in 2015. For a team that figured to be a few years away from truly competing, this past season exceeded all expectations.
On the heels of a breakout 2015, the small-market Twins could be players this winter. According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500, general manager Terry Ryan has the "go-ahead to do what he wants this offseason."
Minnesota is in a perfect position to be active in free agency. The club has a young core of players already making waves in the majors, or closing in on a debut. Minnesota has seven prospects in MLB.com's top 100, which doesn't even include Miguel Sano, former top 100 prospects Alex Meyer and Kohl Stewart, 30-homer outfielder Brett Walker or the 2.01 ERA of Stephen Gonsalves.
Minnesota proved it's not far away from seriously contending last season. Bill Baer of Hardball Talk believes that a productive free agency could push the Twins into that upper echelon of teams.
"Adding a few free agents to bolster the roster, however, could be what allows the Twins to challenge the Royals’ AL Central supremacy," he said. "By record, the Twins were the second-best team in the division, finishing higher than fourth for the first time since 2010."
The Twins could use some help on the mound, particularly on the back end. Minnesota ranked 21st in bullpen ERA in 2015 and would be wise to add some reliable arms that are capable of getting a lead to closer Glenn Perkins.
The Twins won't garner much media attention, but a perfect storm of young talent and free-agent acquisitions is brewing in Minnesota. Don't be surprised to see Minnesota more active than usual with such a rare situation on its hands.
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Seattle Mariners
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The Seattle Mariners were one of the more disappointing teams in MLB last season. After a series of intriguing moves, the Mariners finished 10 games under .500.
With new general manager Jerry Dipoto on board, Seattle figured to be busy this offseason. The former Los Angeles Angels executive has lived up to those expectations.
"The calendar hasn’t yet hit Thanksgiving and, already, the Mariners have added 11 players to their 40-man roster through trades, signings and waiver claims," said Bob Dutton of the News Tribune.
Most of those moves have been minor ones, as Nate Karns, Leonys Martin and Chris Iannetta aren't exactly the splashy acquisitions that get fanbases excited. However, there are rumors that Dipoto is working on trade that fits that mold.
Dutton reported this week that the Mariners are in trade talks with the Miami Marlins regarding outfielder Marcel Ozuna. The talented youngster has fallen out of favor in Miami, and is coming off a subpar 2015.
Ozuna is only one year removed from hitting 23 homers, driving in 85 runs and playing plus defense at a premium position. As Dipoto put it, "He’s (Ozuna) coming off of a down year, and frankly that’s when you acquire guys."
It remains to be seen exactly what Dipoto has to give up in order to acquire Ozuna, but the fact that these conversations are even going on is a positive sign for the fanbase. Seattle has an outstanding core of talented players, and a few brave tweaks to the roster could catapult the club into contention in 2016.
All stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
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