MLB Teams That Can Still Make Late Charge as Offseason Winners
There are always winners and losers in every aspect of life.
The 2015 MLB offseason has been no different. While teams like the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks have made serious statements regarding their contention in 2016, several organizations are reeling in disappointment.
Although 2016 may look bleak at the moment, those organizations are still in position to enter spring training with the coveted title of "offseason winner." Over the next few slides, we'll identify those clubs with opportunities to improve their rosters significantly before play begins next spring.
The teams on this list have two things in common: valuable resources and the need to upgrade their roster.
In the cases of proud franchises like the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals, they need to make moves to keep up with improving squads in their respective divisions.
The Kansas City Royals find themselves in the same boat, hoping to match impressive deals made by the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox and the young, talented rosters of the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians.
And judging from the Baltimore Orioles' offer to free-agent slugger Chris Davis, the O's are willing to spend big in order to add a proven bat.
Attention spans for the casual MLB fans are short. Teams that make flashy moves in free agency may earn the headlines, but there's still plenty of time for desperate squads to regain the faith of their fanbase before pitchers and catchers report in February.
Baltimore Orioles
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The Baltimore Orioles entered the offseason in danger of losing multiple impact players to free agency.
Baltimore made headway in that area by re-signing catcher Matt Wieters and elite relief pitcher Darren O'Day and bringing in the likes of Korean outfielder Hyun-soo Kim. Despite those moves, the Orioles are still in desperate need of an impact bat.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the status of free-agent slugger Chris Davis. The 29-year-old is coming off a 47-homer season in 2015 and is in line for a huge payday. The Orioles offered Davis a seven-year deal approaching nearly $150 million earlier this offseason, which the Scott Boras client naturally declined.
The signing of Kim may indicate that Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette has moved on from Davis. That may prove to be true, but ESPN.com's Eddie Matz believes that Baltimore could still be in on any of the free-agent outfielders who have yet to sign:
"So as good as Adam Jones is in center, it’s hard to imagine Showalter running a trio of Kim, Jones and (Mark) Trumbo out there on an every-day basis. The more ideal defensive scenario would feature Trumbo at first and a player TBD in right. If owner Peter Angelos is willing to spend -- which clearly he is based on the seven-year, $154 million offer the team recently made to Chris Davis -- then blue chip outfielders such as Justin Upton, Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes could be options.
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Power was a key aspect of the 2014 AL East champion Baltimore squad. The Orioles led MLB in home runs behind double-digit long balls from seven different players. Baltimore finished third in baseball in homers last year but was buoyed by Davis' 47 homers.
A healthy Wieters, Mark Trumbo, Adam Jones and Manny Machado should provide plenty of pop in the middle of Baltimore's lineup, but the addition of a proven offensive outfielder would take the offense to the next level. Alex Gordon may have the least upside of the available outfielders, but his propensity to get on base would fit well at the top of the Baltimore order.
Regardless, the Orioles aren't far away from returning to contention in 2016. Splurging on a productive outfielder could be the missing piece that puts the club over the hump.
Kansas City Royals
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It's a bit unfair to label the Kansas City Royals as "losers." Signings like Chris Young, Joakim Soria and Dillon Gee were all underrated depth moves made by general manager Dayton Moore this winter.
But with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox making high-profile moves to improve their rosters and the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins still expected to pose a threat in the AL Central, the defending World Series champs could use another transaction or two to solidify a return to the postseason in 2016.
Fortunately for K.C., there's still time for those deals to get done. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Royals hope to sign a free-agent starter, convince Alex Gordon to return without breaking the bank and re-sign catcher and team leader Salvador Perez.
Heyman cites Wei-Yin Chen, Yovani Gallardo and Scott Kazmir as potential free-agent arms who interest Kansas City. Per Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports, Chen is believed to be seeking a five-year, $100 million deal, but Heyman believes the Royals could spend uncharacteristically on the talented southpaw.
"He (Chen) could represent the biggest outlay ever for the Royals if they were to do it, but in light of their consecutive World Series appearances and Series victory this year, they are said to have some 'flexibility,'" wrote Heyman.
As far as re-signing Gordon goes, it's probably not in Kansas City's best interest to throw money at an outfielder on the wrong side of 30. Still, if the two sides can come to a fair compromise, he would give the Royals the best chance to win another ring in the short term.
Kansas City didn't reach the pinnacle of the baseball world by shelling out large free-agent contracts. Yet, the core of a World Series winning roster will return in 2016, which may push the club to spend more than usual in order to take advantage of its championship window.
At the bare minimum, Moore must address either the club's outfield or starting rotation in the coming months for Royals fans to feel assured that playoff baseball is on the way again in 2016.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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It hasn't been for a lack of trying, but the Los Angeles Dodgers have been snakebitten this winter.
L.A. lost out to the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks on the Zack Greinke sweepstakes. The Dodgers tried to bounce back with a blockbuster deal involving Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, but off-the-field issues derailed a move that would have given the club one of the game's top one-two bullpen punches in Chapman and Kenley Jansen.
The latest gut-punch came this week when L.A.'s deal for right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma fell through due to issues regarding the hurler's physical.
Taking into account Greinke's departure and the improvements in both Arizona and in San Francisco, the NL West figures to be up for grabs in 2016. The Dodgers have underwhelmed this winter, but the club's latest trade could be the catalyst for a move that establishes the club as the team to beat in the division.
Los Angeles got involved in the Todd Frazier blockbuster this week and wound up with some attractive prospects in the process. The Dodgers acquired the hard-throwing Frankie Montas and major league-ready infielder Micah Johnson in exchange for a package of youngsters including former Atlanta Braves top prospect Jose Peraza.
On paper, we could chalk up the move as L.A.'s front office swapping prospects they like for prospects they love. But according to ESPN.com's Mark Saxon, last week's deal could be the first domino to fall:
"(Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew) Friedman and his front office view prospects as gold not only because they can replenish an aging roster on the cheap, but because they are the only currency nearly as valuable as actual currency. The Dodgers are shifting to a model where they’re more willing to give up the former than the latter, it seems.
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The Dodgers brain trust can't be accused of not setting its sights high. Saxon mentions Oakland A's pitcher Sonny Gray and Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez as hurlers that the club is pursuing. On a lesser scale, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has reported that L.A. has spoken with the Tampa Bay Rays regarding right-hander Jake Odorizzi.
Needless to say, the Dodgers have the two key resources needed to soften the blow that Greinke's loss will bring: deep pockets and an even deeper prospect pool. The offseason has been a nightmare, but expect Los Angeles to make a notable splash before it's all said and done.
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St. Louis Cardinals
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It's always tough losing key players to free agency, but it becomes an even bigger blow when those players take their talents to a division rival.
The St. Louis Cardinals have experienced that unfortunate fate this winter. Right-hander John Lackey, who led the Cards in innings pitched, starts and WAR last season, bid farewell to St. Louis in favor of the Windy City. A few weeks later, outfielder Jason Heyward followed Lackey to Chicago, spurning St. Louis for a $184 million contract with the Cubs.
In one month, St. Louis watched its most valuable hurler and position player, according to WAR in 2015, join a heated rival on the cusp of a lengthy run of success. While the losses of Lackey and Heyward are crushing blows now, the Cardinals still have opportunities to enter 2016 as a co-favorite in the NL Central.
Last season, St. Louis claimed its division title behind MLB's premier starting rotation. Lackey's departure and Lance Lynn's arm injury have left a hole in that elite staff that needs filling if the Cards are going to enjoy the same success they did a year ago.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, St. Louis has shown interest in free-agent right-hander Mike Leake. Leake's reliability—he's made 30 starts in each of the last four seasons—would make for a quality Lackey replacement, and he would fit in nicely with the young talents of Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez and Jaime Garcia.
Leake would solve the question marks regarding the St. Louis rotation, but the loss of Heyward is an even bigger issue. The Cardinals ranked 24th in runs scored in baseball last season, even with a career year in many offensive categories from Heyward.
But St. Louis is serious about replacing Heyward too. According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the club is expected to pursue outfielders Alex Gordon and Dexter Fowler to fill that void.
The Cubs are receiving plenty of love after their busy offseason, and the Pittsburgh Pirates remain one of the top teams in MLB. But don't count out St. Louis. The Cardinals always seem to get it right, and they look to have contingency plans in place to counter the losses of Lackey and Heyward.
All stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
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