Ranking the Most Underrated Impact Moves of the MLB Offseason's 1st 2 Months
Sometimes, the moves that make the biggest impacts in sports are the ones that are swept under the rug in favor of more high-profile transactions.
It's no different in baseball than it is in any other sport. Would the Kansas City Royals have won a World Series title without the additions of Kendrys Morales and Edinson Volquez? Jed Lowrie and Colby Rasmus paid huge dividends for the Houston Astros last season, while A.J. Burnett worked out just fine for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In a winter filled with big names and even bigger contracts, there are many impact moves flying under the radar once again.
While the baseball world was fixated on the trades of Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman, the Astros improved significantly with the addition of Ken Giles. The New York Mets didn't re-sign playoff hero Daniel Murphy, but Neil Walker is more than a consolation prize.
Those are just a few of the players we'll touch on over the following slides. What other moves are flying under the radar this winter? Make sure to let us know in the comments section below.
Let's dive right in with our fifth-most underrated move.
Jesse Chavez to the Toronto Blue Jays
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After missing out on various big-name starters this winter, the Toronto Blue Jays put together a makeshift rotation including six good—but not great—starters.
One of those hurlers is Jesse Chavez, who the Blue Jays acquired from the Oakland A's in a trade earlier this winter. The right-hander may not move the meter for Toronto sports talk radio, but his versatility will be a huge asset moving forward.
Chavez revitalized his career with the A's over the last two seasons. In 2014, he posted a 3.45 ERA in 146 innings between the starting rotation and bullpen. That good work earned him 26 starts in 2015, and he recorded a 4.18 ERA, but posted the highest WAR of his career.
During his time in Oakland, Chavez proved he could start in the big leagues. There's no question that Toronto acquired him to do so and will give him every opportunity to earn a job in spring training. But Toronto's bullpen does lack depth, which could open the door for Chavez to contribute in a relief capacity.
The Blue Jays, recognizing their in-flux pitching situation, saw the value in adding a player who can pitch in any situation. Chavez will be an important contributor for Toronto in 2016, no matter what role he ultimately settles into.
Ryan Madson to the Oakland A's
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The Oakland A's finished with the worst record in the American League last season.
Oakland somehow achieved that feat with an offense that finished 14th in MLB in runs scored and a starting rotation with the ninth-lowest ERA. Looking at those numbers, a 68-94 finish is hard to fathom.
But the A's were sunk by one of the worst bullpens in baseball. Oakland relievers finished the year with the third-highest ERA in MLB and the lowest mark in the American League. Of the A's five most frequently used relievers, only one posted an ERA under 3.00.
It's not a coincidence that Oakland finished the year 16 games under .500 in one-run games, and it only makes sense that Billy Beane made upgrading the club's bullpen a top priority this winter.
That's why Beane splurged a little more than he normally would for right-hander Ryan Madson, who signed a three-year, $22 million deal earlier in the offseason.
Madson returned from several arm injuries to post a 2.13 ERA in over 63.1 innings for the Kansas City Royals. He also struck out over 23 percent of the batters he faced while generating ground-ball contact 55 percent of the time.
If not for those injuries, the longtime Phillies reliever would have cost much more than Oakland paid for him. As it stands, a healthy Madson will be a bargain at that price. The 35-year-old has closing experience and should combine well with the returning Sean Doolittle shutting down games for the A's.
Neil Walker to the New York Mets
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As Daniel Murphy hit homer after homer in the 2015 postseason, the New York Mets knew a tough decision was coming in the offseason: Overpay to keep the dependable Murphy, or let him walk in free agency.
The decision, as it normally does with the Mets, came down to financial considerations. New York did not want to pay Murphy the near-$40 million contract he signed with the Washington Nationals, and rightfully so.
Instead, the Mets decided to trade for Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Neil Walker. It may only be for one year, but Walker is a quality replacement for Murphy.
In 2015, Walker slashed .269/.328/.427 with 16 homers and 71 RBI in a solid campaign. The 30-year-old is a year removed from a 23-homer season in which he slashed .271/.342/.467 in 2014. Despite a slight decline in numbers, Walker actually generated more hard contact and less soft contact in 2015 than he did in his career year in 2014.
Being a switch-hitter, Walker can also fill the void of a left-handed hitter, which the Mets sorely need after Murphy's departure. Both players are reliable pros, but Walker allows the Mets to stay out of an undesirable long-term deal.
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John Jaso to the Pittsburgh Pirates
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John Jaso and the Pittsburgh Pirates didn't seem like likely bedfellows when the offseason began. The Pirates needed a left-handed hitting first baseman to pair with Michael Morse, a position Jaso had played in just two career games.
But according to Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, Jaso's offensive capabilities were worth taking on the defensive risk.
“We recognize there is risk,” Huntington told Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We recognize we just experienced a tough defensive season at first base. At the same time, we also recognize that for us to be successful, there are going to have to be calculated risks. In our minds, this is a good one to take.
“We feel like the offensive upside is worth the calculated gamble that he’s going to be able to play first base," he finished.
That offensive upside includes an ability to crush right-handed pitching, the exact trait Pittsburgh was looking for in a first baseman. Jaso has excelled in those situations, slashing .274/.368/.429 with a career wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) of 127 in his career.
Jaso has had trouble staying healthy during his career, but he's always produced when he's been on the field. With a two-year contract worth $8 million, the 32-year-old could become one of the biggest bargains of the offseason by the end of the 2016 season.
Ken Giles to the Houston Astros
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Big-name closers have found themselves in trade talks throughout the winter, with Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman changing teams already this offseason.
Another late-inning option was dealt, too, but to much less fanfare. That would be former Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Ken Giles, who was traded to the Houston Astros.
Giles has emerged as one of the game's top young relievers over the last two seasons. He posted a sub-2.00 ERA in two straight seasons and saved 12 games for the Phillies after Jonathan Papelbon was traded to the Washington Nationals. The 25-year-old is as nasty as they come, ranking among MLB's top 15 relievers in strikeouts per nine innings.
The addition of Giles will take Houston's bullpen to the next level. That unit already saw tremendous improvement last season, when it finished sixth in MLB in ERA and second in WAR. There were several reasons why the Astros earned a playoff spot, but upgrading a bullpen that ranked dead last in ERA in 2014 was right at the top.
Giles will compete with incumbent closer Luke Gregerson in spring training, but his presence alone gives Houston a dynamic one-two punch at the end of games. An already elite bullpen became even better this winter, and that should give Astros fans plenty of reason for optimism.
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