Every MLB Team's Biggest Missed 2015-16 Offseason Opportunity Thus Far
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 through the winter meetings.
While the top end of the free-agent pitching market has been picked fairly clean, a number of quality second-tier arms remain in the likes of Mike Leake, Scott Kazmir, Yovani Gallardo and others.
The position player market is even deeper, as Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon, Chris Davis and Ian Desmond are all still available.
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 this winter has played out.
So as we stand here roughly two months removed from the end of the 2015 campaign, let's take a look at all 30 teams' biggest missed opportunity so far this offseason.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Signing RP Joakim Soria
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Considering the significant investment they made in both salary and young talent to land the likes of Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller, it's somewhat surprising that the Arizona Diamondbacks have yet to address the bullpen.
There's nothing wrong with entrusting Brad Ziegler with the closer's role once again after he posted a 1.85 ERA and converted 30-of-32 save chances, but adding a second proven veteran arm to the late-inning mix seemed like a must.
Joakim Soria would have been the perfect target, as he'd also give the team a fallback closer option, but he wound up signing a three-year, $25 million deal with the Kansas City Royals.
Signing Tyler Clippard, who is still available in free agency, would be the cherry on top of a terrific offseason for the D'Backs.
Atlanta Braves: Trading 1B Freddie Freeman
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Rumors swirled earlier this offseason that the Atlanta Braves were willing to trade All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that three sources confirmed that a megadeal with the Houston Astros was in fact in the works.
In the end, the potential blockbuster deal didn't go anywhere, and general manager John Coppolella was quick to ease the fanbase's mind with the following: "I cannot make it any more clear: We are not trading Freddie Freeman," he told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "We are not. I’d give my right arm before we trade Freddie Freeman. It is not happening."
Obviously they weren't just going to give away a player of his caliber, but why not continue entertaining offers?
The Braves have gone all-in on the idea of rebuilding in the past year, and both Andrelton Simmons and Shelby Miller joined a growing list of players who have been traded.
Still just 26 years old, Freeman can absolutely be a part of the next contending Braves team, and with $118.5 million left on his contract over the next six years trading him would be no easy task.
It's silly to completely shut out the idea of moving him, though, as no potential deal should be off the table during the rebuild.
Baltimore Orioles: Re-Signing 1B Chris Davis
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The Baltimore Orioles decided not to pony up for Nelson Cruz last offseason after he posted an .859 OPS with 40 home runs and 108 RBI and helped the team average 4.35 runs per game during the 2014 season.
He wound up signing a four-year, $57 million deal with the Seattle Mariners, where he would enjoy an even better season with a .936 OPS, 44 home runs and 93 RBI.
A bounce-back season from Chris Davis and a breakout year by Manny Machado helped the Orioles to an even better 4.40 runs per game this past season, even without Cruz, but now they're tasked with potentially replacing Davis.
The 29-year-old launched an AL-high 47 home runs last season, with 28 of those coming after the All-Star break, as he set himself up for a huge payday.
A seven-year, $154 million deal has been the max deal offered by the Orioles to this point, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
That's a ton of money, but Davis is reportedly seeking an eight-year, $200 million deal, per another report from Heyman.
It's hard to see the Orioles improving on last year's 81-81 record if Davis walks, so to this point not finding a way to re-sign him early in the process before other teams get involved qualifies as their biggest missed opportunity.
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Boston Red Sox: Dumping 1B/OF Hanley Ramirez
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Let's preface this by saying that potentially unloading Hanley Ramirez was no easy task for new team president Dave Dombrowski.
By all accounts it's been a terrific offseason for the Boston Red Sox.
The signing of David Price gives them the ace the rotation was lacking, while trade additions Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith should shore up the leaky bullpen.
Dumping Hanley Ramirez would have been great, but as Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes, it was no easy task:
"Ramirez has three years and $66 million left on his contract, and even if he didn’t, he’d still be a soon-to-turn-32-year-old without a position who has missed an average of 41 games over the last four seasons because of assorted injuries. Just the other day, the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates cut bait with Chris Carter and Pedro Alvarez, equally one-dimensional sluggers who are younger and less expensive than Ramirez.
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It makes sense then that the front office was quick to dispel the idea that they were shopping Ramirez, as it was on Nov. 29 that Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reported that the team was committed to Ramirez as their first baseman in 2016.
Why not give him the vote of confidence when there was no hope of trading him?
The fact that potentially unloading Ramirez in a far-fetched and perhaps impossible trade ranks as the biggest missed opportunity for the Red Sox speaks to what a successful offseason it's been to this point.
Chicago Cubs: Acquiring SP Shelby Miller
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The Atlanta Braves were seeking a king's ransom for right-hander Shelby Miller, and they got it when the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired him in exchange for outfielder Ender Inciarte, right-hander Aaron Blair and 2015 No. 1 overall pick Dansby Swanson.
That officially put an end to swirling rumors that the Chicago Cubs were making a strong push to acquire the 25-year-old.
It was reported during the process that the Braves were "smitten" with outfielder Jorge Soler, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN, and a package built around him as the centerpiece could have been a win for the Cubs.
Something like Soler, right-hander Pierce Johnson and outfielder Ian Happ looks like a relatively similar package on paper to what the Diamondbacks surrendered.
That would mean the Cubs were still in the market for an outfielder, even with the signing of Jason Heyward, but it would have given them one of the best rotations in the National League.
There are certainly pros and cons to that deal, but missing out on acquiring Miller to be a potentially dominant No. 3 starter ranks as the team's biggest missed opportunity so far this winter.
Chicago White Sox: Signing SS Asdrubal Cabrera
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It's been a busy offseason once again for the Chicago White Sox after a disappointing 2015 season in which they were expected to potentially contend but instead finished 76-86.
Outside of first baseman Jose Abreu, the infield needs a complete overhaul this offseason, and they've already checked off two boxes with a pair of trades that landed second baseman Brett Lawrie and third baseman Todd Frazier.
However, after deciding not to exercise their $10 million option on veteran Alexei Ramirez, shortstop remains a hole.
As it currently stands, slick-fielding Tyler Saladino appears to be the leading candidate for the job, despite spending most of last season playing third base and hitting an uninspired .225/.267/.335 over 236 at-bats.
The White Sox were one of four teams linked to veteran Asdrubal Cabrera, per of Chris Cotillo of SB Nation, before he wound up signing a two-year, $16.5 million deal with the New York Mets.
The 30-year-old posted a .744 OPS with 28 doubles, 15 home runs and 58 RBI last season, and for that relatively low price he would have been the perfect stopgap at the position for the South Siders.
Cincinnati Reds: Trading RP Aroldis Chapman
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In what appeared to be the first significant deal of the winter meetings, the Cincinnati Reds had a deal in place that would send All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for a pair of prospects, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Julio Urias, Corey Seager and Jose De Leon were not involved in the deal, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, but a package of Grant Holmes and Jose Peraza would have represented a terrific return.
However, the deal quickly fell apart when details of a potential domestic violence incident involving Chapman and his girlfriend were revealed, according to Jeff Passan and Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.
The Reds have since acquired the aforementioned Peraza from the Dodgers, along with two other prospects, in a three-team deal that sent Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox.
As of now, any plans of trading Chapman are on hold.
With the flame-thrower entering the final year of his contract, not being able to trade him this offseason would represent a huge missed opportunity for the rebuilding Reds as his value will only diminish the closer he gets to free agency.
Cleveland Indians: Trading SP Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar
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Trading Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar would be a big move for the Cleveland Indians, there's no doubt about that.
However, a big move is exactly what this team needs after hanging on the fringe of contention the past two years but falling short due to a lack of offensive punch.
So far this offseason, the team has added veterans Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis to the mix in free agency, and while both players should help they're not exactly the game-changing additions this team needs.
Carrasco, 28, enjoyed a breakout season last year when he went 14-12 with a 3.63 ERA, 1.073 WHIP and 216 strikeouts in 183.2 innings.
He's owed $19 million over the next three years with a $9 million option for 2019 and a $9.5 million option for 2020.
Salazar, 25, is also coming off the best season of his career as he was 14-10 with a 3.45 ERA, 1.130 WHIP and 195 strikeouts in 185 innings.
He won't be arbitration-eligible for the first time until next year, and he too can be controlled through the 2020 season.
The team's asking price on the two pitchers has been understandably high, but flipping one of them for an impact bat seems like a must if the Indians hope to get over the hump.
Colorado Rockies: Selling High on RF Carlos Gonzalez
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After playing in just 180 total games in 2013 and 2014, Carlos Gonzalez finally stayed healthy this past season and he enjoyed a terrific bounce-back season as a result.
The 30-year-old hit .271/.325/.540 with 40 home runs and 97 RBI, earning a second career Silver Slugger award in the process.
He was particularly dangerous in the second half when he posted a .975 OPS with 27 home runs and 62 RBI in just 285 at-bats.
As a result, the $37 million left on his contract over the next two years is no longer a sticking point in potential trade talks and may even make him a more attractive target.
The Rockies have continued to entertain offers for several of their outfielders, and the Nationals are one team said to be in on CarGo, according to Pete Kerzel of MASNsports.com.
So far, those talks have not advanced beyond general interest, though.
While the Rockies could certainly wait until July to make a serious push to trade Gonzalez, considering the depth of the free-agent outfield market, they also risk the oft-injured star landing on the disabled list again in the process and significantly diminishing his value as a result.
With that in mind, trading him now and selling high seems like their best move.
Detroit Tigers: Signing SP Doug Fister
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Few impending free agents hurt their stock more in 2015 than right-hander Doug Fister, as he went from an eighth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting in 2014 to the bullpen this past season.
As a result, he finds himself searching for a one-year deal this offseason that can allow him to potentially rebuild some value for another run at free agency next offseason.
According to Buster Olney of ESPN on Nov. 18, the Detroit Tigers were one of the teams with some level of interest in Fister, but they have since signed Mike Pelfrey to fill the final spot in their rotation.
Pelfrey went 6-11 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.476 WHIP over 164.2 innings last season, and while his two-year, $16 million contract was reasonable, he doesn't offer much in the way of upside.
On the other hand, Fister is just a year removed from going 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA and 1.079 WHIP.
He was also 32-20 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.191 WHIP in 70 games (68 starts) in his first go-around with the Tigers, so there is some level of familiarity there as well.
Houston Astros: Re-Signing SP Scott Kazmir
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Out of everyone in this year's free-agent class, Scott Kazmir seemed like as good a bet as anyone to re-sign with his previous team in the Houston Astros.
While he did not put up the best numbers after being acquired at the deadline, going 2-6 with a 4.17 ERA and 1.391 WHIP in 13 starts, a reunion made sense for both sides.
Even with Scott Feldman healthy and a full season of Mike Fiers, the Astros could still use Kazmir in the rotation as a veteran presence and a second left-hander.
Meanwhile, the deadline trade represented a homecoming for Kazmir as he was born in Houston and drafted out of Cypress Falls High School.
The 31-year-old has yet to sign, so there's still a chance he could re-up with the Astros.
However, the Athletics, Orioles, Dodgers and Royals are also reportedly in on Kazmir at this point, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Kansas City Royals: Re-Signing 2B/LF Ben Zobrist
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The Kansas City Royals entered the offseason with a trio of key free agents in Alex Gordon and deadline additions Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist.
It was reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN on Nov. 10 that the team was more optimistic about re-signing Zobrist than the other two, and that made sense given the respective price tags.
However, it wound up boiling down to a two-team race for the services of Zobrist, with the Chicago Cubs edging out the New York Mets and signing the veteran to a four-year, $56 million deal.
That leaves the Royals to turn to Omar Infante once again at second base, despite the fact that he hit an atrocious .220/.234/.318 last season in 455 plate appearances before eventually being supplanted by Zobrist.
Los Angeles Angels: Signing RF Jason Heyward
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The Los Angeles Angels have at least been kicking the tires on a number of top outfield options this offseason, and Jason Heyward was among those potential targets.
According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the Angels were considering signing Heyward and shifting Kole Calhoun over to left field.
That would have given the Angels arguably the best defensive outfield in baseball, as Calhoun and Heyward both won Gold Glove awards last season and Trout is capable of making a highlight reel play every time he takes the field.
Heyward wound up signing with the Chicago Cubs, though, and it appears the Angels' interest in him never progressed beyond them considering him as an option.
In fact, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register recently reported that the Angels have yet to make a serious offer to any of the top free agents on the market.
As the roster currently stands, a platoon of Craig Gentry and Daniel Nava appears to be the leading candidate to fill the third outfield spot.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Signing SP Zack Greinke
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With a seemingly endless stream of money and a clear need to bring him back, it seemed there was no way the Los Angeles Dodgers were not going to re-sign Zack Greinke this offseason.
Even when the San Francisco Giants emerged as a serious threat to steal him away, most still expected the Dodgers to come out on top.
Then the Arizona Diamondbacks swooped in out of nowhere with a six-year, $206.5 million offer, and the Dodgers and Giants were both forced to turn their attention elsewhere.
While the Giants moved quickly on to backup plan Jeff Samardzija and later added Johnny Cueto as well, the Dodgers have yet to make a significant addition to the pitching staff.
The current rotation would be Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Alex Wood and Mike Bolsinger.
If they couldn't win it all with Greinke, it's hard to see them standing any chance without him or a suitable replacement.
Miami Marlins: Trading CF Marcell Ozuna
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At this time last year, the Miami Marlins were talking about a potential extension for center fielder Marcell Ozuna after he had posted a .772 OPS with 23 home runs and 85 RBI in his age-23 season.
A lot has changed in a year.
A slow start from Ozuna saw him hitting just .249/.301/.337 in early July, and the Marlins opted to demote him to Triple-A in an effort to kick-start his season.
He did not take the demotion well, though, saying his time in the minors was "like a jail," according to Adam Zuvanich of the Miami Herald.
His name popped up in trade rumors at the deadline and on into August as a result, and agent Scott Boras accused the Marlins of keeping him in the minors to delay his arbitration eligibility.
At this point, a change of scenery seems like the best course of action for everyone involved, but the Marlins have yet to find a suitable trade partner due to an unreasonable asking price.
Truth be told, the Marlins have yet to do much of anything this offseason, unless you consider a minor league deal for outfielder Justin Maxwell or re-signing catcher Jeff Mathis to be impact moves.
Milwaukee Brewers: Trading C Jonathan Lucroy
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With what was already a thin catching market essentially tapped dry and no other realistic trade candidates, the Milwaukee Brewers hold a potentially valuable chip in Jonathan Lucroy.
Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs (via Fox Sports) offers the following description of the pros and cons of Lucroy:
"He's not that far separated from having arguably been the game's best catcher. He was a solidly above-average hitter with power and contact skills, and in 2014 he started 133 games behind the plate. Lucroy has also been strong in the field, excellent statistically as a pitch-receiver. Based on the numbers we have, Lucroy has long been able to steal extra strikes for his pitching staff, and every extra strike is worth a fraction of a run. Lastly, Lucroy has an obscenely team-friendly contract. Over the next two years, he'll make less than $10 million combined, meaning he'll get less than John Axford. At that money, there's not a team in baseball that wouldn't be able to afford him.
However, concerns have piled up. Last year was Lucroy's worst at the plate since 2011. He missed time to injuries both early and late, and the later issue was a concussion. Lucroy returned after to play a few games, but he didn't catch, meaning he hasn't caught since sustaining the concussion in the first place. Concussions are known to be mysterious, and they can be a real problem for backstops, when there's risk of recurrence. And even before the concussion, Lucroy didn't look as good as he had before.
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All of that being said, for a Brewers team that is clearly a long way from contention, Lucroy could bring a substantial return from someone like the Texas Rangers, who have a clear need behind the plate.
Could they potentially be selling low? Sure, but at the same time they could also be cutting their losses, as another poor season would see his value sink even lower.
Minnesota Twins: Signing RP Tony Sipp
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The Minnesota Twins entered the offseason with a clear need for a lefty in the bullpen, as Brian Duensing and Neal Cotts both departed in free agency and the team had no clear in-house replacement ready to step into a bigger role.
Tony Sipp and Antonio Bastardo were widely regarded as the top two lefty arms on the free-agent market, and the Twins reportedly had interest in both during the winter meetings, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.
However, they were unable to come to term with either reliever, and now they can cross Sipp off the list of potential targets after he re-signed with the Houston Astros on a three-year, $18 million deal.
With the market now set for Bastardo, it appears that price tag is too rich for the Twins' blood, as LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reported that the trade market may be the team's preferred route at this point.
One way or another, they'll need to find a reliable southpaw for the relief corps if they hope to build on last year's success.
New York Mets: Signing 2B Ben Zobrist
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Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was the first to report that signing Ben Zobrist was the No. 1 priority for the New York Mets this offseason.
That was followed by a report from Adam Rubin of ESPN that the team was "pretty optimistic" about their chances of signing the versatile veteran.
Later that same day, Rosenthal tweeted that it was down to the Mets and Cubs with comparable offers on the table and it would simply come down to which team he preferred to play for.
The answer: Chicago.
And with that, the Mets had missed out on their top offseason target, and seen one of their top competitors in the National League land him in the process.
While not signing Zobrist was a missed opportunity, the team did well with its fallback plan as it shipped Jon Niese to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Neil Walker.
New York Yankees: Flipping RP Andrew Miller for a Front-Line Starter
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The New York Yankees were not going to trade Andrew Miller simply for the sake of trading him, that much was clear from the start even when it was first reported that they were open to the idea of moving him.
Perhaps that deal for a controllable starting pitcher with upside never presented itself, and if that's the case the Yankees made the right decision in holding onto one of the game's most dominant bullpen arms.
However, the Houston Astros showed significant interest in Miller before finally trading for Ken Giles.
They wound up sending five players to Philadelphia in that deal, including high-ceiling pitching prospects Vincent Velasquez and Mark Appel.
That may not have been the package of players the Yankees were looking for, but if nothing else it shows how valuable a closer with multiple years of control is on today's market.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are now targeting Miller after moving on from Aroldis Chapman, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, so there's still a chance for them to turn his terrific season out of the bullpen into quality starting pitching.
Oakland Athletics: Signing SP Bartolo Colon
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Shortly after trading Jon Niese to the Pittsburgh Pirates and opening up a hole at the back of their starting rotation, the New York Mets re-signed veteran Bartolo Colon to a one-year, $7.25 million deal.
Despite the fact that he'll be entering his age-43 season, there were a number of teams interested in signing Colon this offseason.
He went 14-13 with a 4.16 ERA and 1.238 WHIP in 194.2 innings of work, making it three straight seasons where he's thrown at least 190 innings.
According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Athletics were among those interest in Colon and willing to offer up even more than he eventually signed for.
Colon went 28-15 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.185 WHIP in two seasons with Oakland in 2012 and 2013, making the All-Star team and finishing eighth in AL Cy Young voting in 2013.
The A's are in the market for a veteran starter to slot behind Sonny Gray in their young rotation.
Philadelphia Phillies: Re-Signing RF Jeff Francoeur
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The Philadelphia Phillies made the most of their big opportunity this offseason when they shipped closer Ken Giles to the Houston Astros for a package of five players, including pitching prospects Mark Appel and Vincent Velasquez.
They've also done well to target rebound candidates to round out the pitching staff, acquiring Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton to round out the starting rotation and signing David Hernandez in the bullpen.
In what has quietly been a very successful offseason for a rebuilding team, the one notable missed opportunity is a reunion with veteran outfielder Jeff Francoeur.
Francoeur made good on a minor league deal with the Phillies last season and wound up posting a .718 OPS with 16 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBI in 326 at-bats.
His value goes beyond his on-field contributions, though, as he was a terrific clubhouse presence and mentor to the team's increasingly young roster.
The 31-year-old is still a free agent, so re-signing him remains a possibility, but with Odubel Herrera, Cody Asche, Aaron Altherr, Peter Bourjos, Darin Ruf and Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel all in the mix for outfield at-bats it seems unlikely.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Re-Signing SP J.A. Happ
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For all the hype surrounding the trades of David Price, Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto and to a lesser degree Mike Leake and Scott Kazmir, it was J.A. Happ who put up the best numbers of any starter moved before the July 31 deadline.
Acquired from the Seattle Mariners for mid-level arm Adrian Sampson, Happ went 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA, 1.026 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 63.1 innings over 11 starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates down the stretch.
As a result, the Pirates expressed interest in re-signing Happ before free agency even officially began, according to Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
A reunion was not to be, though, as Happ quickly agreed to a three-year, $36 million deal to join the Toronto Blue Jays.
Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage appears to have again played a role in helping a pitcher kick-start his career, based on what Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca wrote following the signing:
"Much of Happ’s sudden success was attributed to well-respected Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage, who worked closely with Happ to tweak his delivery and eliminate inefficient movement. Happ began taking a more direct stride towards home plate during his delivery and raised his arm slot, which was intended to refine his command and increase his velocity.
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The Pirates have since acquired Jon Niese from the Mets to fill the spot that would have gone to Happ had he re-signed, so the missed opportunity doesn't appear to hurt their 2016 outlook.
San Diego Padres: Trading SP Tyson Ross
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If three years of Shelby Miller is worth Ender Inciarte, Aaron Blair and Dansby Swanson, what is two years of Tyson Ross worth?
Presumably that is what the San Diego Padres have been trying to figure out this offseason.
For a team that appears to be retooling and rebuilding the farm rather than going all-in like they did last winter, trading Ross while his value is highest looks like a must unless they have plans to extend him at some point soon.
Now that the top tier of free-agent starters has run dry, and with a trade for Jose Fernandez looking like a pipe dream, Ross may legitimately be the best remaining starter on the market.
The 28-year-old has two years of team control remaining, and he's quietly emerged as one of the best starters in the NL, going 23-26 with a 3.03 ERA, 1.259 WHIP and 407 strikeouts in 391.2 innings the past two seasons.
He'll be a rental player next offseason, so trading him now and maximizing his value seems like the Padres best move, especially considering it doesn't appear they'll be contending in the NL West this season.
San Francisco Giants: Signing SP Zack Greinke
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The San Francisco Giants did a fantastic job moving on once they failed to sign Zack Greinke, rounding out the rotation with a pair of ace-caliber arms in Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija.
However, failing to sign Greinke is still a significant missed opportunity.
Not only is he a better pitcher than Cueto or Samardzija, but he also wound up signing with a division rival in the Arizona Diamondbacks, so the Giants will be seeing plenty of him in the years to come.
All of this being said, missing out on Greinke also has a chance to be a blessing in disguise for the Giants if everything goes according to plan.
It's fair to assume that if the Giants had signed Greinke, they would have aimed much lower with the second addition to the rotation than Samardzija. Re-signing Mike Leake or a similar arm seems like the likely course of action.
If Cueto stays healthy and Samardzija rebounds, those two have a very good chance to outperform that hypothetical Greinke/Leake tandem.
Seattle Mariners: None
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With 11 newcomers on the projected 25-man roster (per Roster Resource), there are not many opportunities that new GM Jerry Dipoto has missed out on this offseason.
The one big one looked to be failing to re-sign veteran Hisashi Iwakuma, but after his three-year, $45 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers fell through when concerns over his physical emerged, the Mariners moved quickly to re-sign him.
The 34-year-old wound up signing a one-year, $10 million deal that includes a pair of options years and opportunities for him to earn more based on his health.
Dipoto is reportedly happy with the team's rotation now, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com, as Iwakuma will join Felix Hernandez, Taijuan Walker, Wade Miley, Nate Karns, James Paxton and Mike Montgomery to give the team seven viable starters.
A case can be made for the team adding another impact bat at first base or in left field, but those positions are not exactly holes after the additions of Adam Lind and Nori Aoki.
All in all, it's been a great offseason for the Mariners, and there is no glaring missed opportunity for them at this point.
St. Louis Cardinals: Jason Heyward, Shelby Miller, David Price...Take Your Pick
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Let's just break this down step by step, shall we:
- The St. Louis Cardinals trade Shelby Miller, who has four years of team control remaining, and top pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins to the Atlanta Braves for Jason Heyward, who is in the final year of arbitration and reliever Jordan Walden.
- The Cardinals and Heyward are unable to come to terms on an extension before the 2015 season starts, but Heyward is open to the idea, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- After a slow start, Heyward hits .318/.397/.469 in the second half. He leads the team in batting average (.293), hits (160), steals (23) and WAR (6.5) for the season.
- The Cardinals offseason begins with news that Lance Lynn has undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2016 season. Shelby Miller and his three more years of team control is suddenly the kind of player the Cardinals need.
- The Cardinals make a serious run at David Price, but wind up finishing as runner-up to the Boston Red Sox. Price was ready to sign with St. Louis before a final push from Boston, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
- The Braves flip Shelby Miller to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a huge haul, landing outfielder Ender Inciarte, right-hander Aaron Blair and top prospect Dansby Swanson. All three players would be a great fit in St. Louis, as Inciarte could replace Heyward, Blair would be in the mix to be the No. 5 starter and Swanson would be the long-term answer at shortstop.
- Heyward, despite a strong push from the Nationals and Cardinals, signs with the rival Chicago Cubs on an eight-year, $184 million deal.
- To date, the Cardinals' biggest offseason additions have been Jedd Gyorko and Brayan Pena.
Tampa Bay Rays: Trading SP Jake Odorizzi
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As they continue to search for cheap, controllable sources of offense, the Tampa Bay Rays have a wealth of starting pitching they could potential make available via trade.
They already moved right-hander Nate Karns this offseason, shipping him to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Brad Miller, Logan Morrison and Danny Farquhar.
Trade rumors continue to swirl, though, as everyone in their starting rotation not named Chris Archer appears to be available for the right price.
Considering the recent healthy problems of Matt Moore and Drew Smyly, and the short track record of success from Erasmo Ramirez, the team's most valuable trade chip would appear to be Jake Odorizzi.
Now is the time to sell high on young arms with multiple years of team control, and the 25-year-old Odorizzi would likely fetch a huge haul from someone desperate to add an impact arm.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been linked to the Rays pitching recently, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, and Odorizzi grew up in the St. Louis area.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been specifically linked to Odorizzi, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Odorizzi is a valuable young arm who could be on his way to a breakout season in 2016, but given the way the small-market Rays operate, the time could be now to sell high.
Texas Rangers: Selling High on 1B Mitch Moreland
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There were some rumblings during the winter meetings that Mitch Moreland could be on the move, with the Pittsburgh Pirates in particular linked to the Texas first baseman, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Moreland, 30, is coming off the best season of his career as he posted an .812 OPS with 23 home runs and 85 RBI last season.
However, he's also entering his final year of team control and with the Texas Rangers expressing interest in signing Adrian Beltre beyond the 2016 season, the team could be eyeing first base as a long-term position for slugger Joey Gallo.
The assumption during the meetings was that Moreland would be traded for a starting pitcher of some sort, and a need remains in the Rangers rotation even after the team re-signed Colby Lewis.
They won't simply trade Moreland for the sake of trading him, but selling high on his solid 2015 season and improving the starting pitching depth makes sense for a team expected to be in the thick of things once again in 2016.
Toronto Blue Jays: Signing RP Joakim Soria
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The Toronto Blue Jays moved quickly to address their need for starting pitching, signing J.A. Happ and acquiring Jesse Chavez in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.
However, they've been slower to act on their need for quality bullpen arms, and to this point have yet to make a significant addition on the relief pitching side of things.
One pitcher the team was connected, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN, was right-hander Joakim Soria, who wound up signing a three-year, $25 million deal with the Kansas City Royals.
Soria would have been a good veteran mentor for the young late-inning duo of Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna, and he also would have given the team a fallback option to close games should anything happen to Osuna.
With Mark Lowe, LaTroy Hawkins and Liam Hendriks all gone from last year's relief corps, the Blue Jays will need to make some sort of significant addition to the bullpen before the offseason is over.
Washington Nationals: Signing RP Darren O'Day
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The Washington Nationals have missed out on a handful of significant free agents this offseason, as they were in the running for both Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist and also appeared to be close to a deal with Mike Leake before backing off.
The missed opportunity that hurts the most, though, is reliever Darren O'Day.
Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun identified the Nationals as "clear front-runners" to sign O'Day on Dec. 4.
Less than 48 hours later, he had agreed to a four-year deal to re-sign with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Nationals have made some solid additions to the bullpen since missing out on O'Day, signing Shawn Kelley, Oliver Perez and Yusmeiro Petit and acquiring Trevor Gott from the Los Angeles Angels.
However, none of those pitchers is on the same level as O'Day, as he's one of the game's elite setup relievers and would have been a huge addition to a bullpen that needs to be completely overhauled.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted.
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