10 Offseason Moves Shaping the 2020 MLB Playoffs
The MLB offseason is a golden opportunity for teams to add missing pieces to their rosters, plugging the holes that kept them from achieving the ultimate goal the previous year.
Whether it's a splashy free-agent signing, a blockbuster trade or an under-the-radar move that pays major dividends, contenders are built in the winter.
There are eight teams left standing in the hunt for the 2020 World Series title, and a handful of offseason moves have helped shape that postseason picture.
We'll count down the 10 moves that have had the greatest impact on this year's playoff picture, taking into account how they addressed needs and the impact the players' production has had on their respective rosters.
Other Notable Moves
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These moves didn't make the list, but they have also made an impact:
- ATL: Signed RP Will Smith (3/$40M)
- MIA: Signed OF Corey Dickerson (2/$17.5M)
- MIA: Signed RP Yimi Garcia (1/$1.1M)
- MIA: Signed RP Brad Boxberger (MiLB deal)
- MIA: Signed OF Matt Joyce (1/$1.5M)
- MIA: Claimed 1B Jesus Aguilar off waivers (via MIL)
- SDP: Acquired IF/OF Jurickson Profar from OAK in exchange for C Austin Allen, OF Buddy Reed
- SDP: Acquired RP Emilio Pagan from TBR in exchange for OF Manuel Margot, C Logan Driscoll
- SDP: Signed RP Pierce Johnson (2/$5M)
- TBR: Acquired OF Manuel Margot from SDP in exchange for RP Emilio Pagan
- TBR: Signed IF/OF Yoshi Tsutsugo (2/$12M)
- TBR: Signed RP John Curtiss (MiLB deal)
- TBR: Signed RP Aaron Loup (MiLB deal)
Honorable Mention: Dodgers Rebuild Relief Corps
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The Los Angeles Dodgers tied for fourth in the majors with a 3.85 bullpen ERA in 2019, but most would agree the relief corps was the glaring weakness on a stacked roster.
Bridging the gap to closer Kenley Jansen has been an issue for years, and the front office finally took the necessary steps to address that problem this offseason.
L.A. acquired flamethrower Brusdar Graterol from the Minnesota Twins in a deal that sent Kenta Maeda the other way. The Dodgers signed 2018 All-Star Blake Treinen to a one-year, $10 million contract with the hope that he would return to form. They also plucked Jake McGee from the scrap heap after the Colorado Rockies released him.
Here's a look at how those three guys fared in 2020:
- Treinen: 27 G, 9 HLD, 3.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 7.7 K/9
- McGee: 24 G, 6 HLD, 2.66 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 14.6 K/9
- Graterol: 23 G, 7 HLD, 3.09 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 5.0 K/9
With that trio added to the mix, the Dodgers finished with an NL-best 2.74 bullpen ERA during the regular season. They will be instrumental in the club's postseason push.
10. Astros Acquire RP Blake Taylor
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In one of the most underrated moves of the offseason, the Houston Astros sent defensive-minded outfielder Jake Marisnick to the New York Mets for a pair of prospects.
One of those prospects was left-hander Blake Taylor, who has played a vital role in a rebuilt Houston bullpen following the departures of Will Harris, Joe Smith and Hector Rondon and an injury to closer Roberto Osuna.
The 25-year-old tallied 10 saves with a 2.16 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 66.2 innings over three minor league levels in 2019, and he pitched a scoreless inning on Opening Day in his MLB debut.
In 22 appearances, he posted a 2.18 ERA with one save and five holds. In the era of the three-batter minimum, he was equally effective against lefties (.171 BAA, .532 OPS) and righties (.175 BAA, .598 OPS).
He's the best left-handed reliever the Astros have had in years.
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9. Marlins Sign RP Brandon Kintzler
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The Miami Marlins cobbled together a bullpen with bargain free-agent signings and under-the-radar midseason additions. They managed to nail down 18 of 23 save chances on the year, thanks in large part to the performance of unheralded closer Brandon Kintzler.
A sinkerballer with an average fastball velocity of 91.7 mph and a career strikeout rate of 6.3 K/9, Kintzler is far from the prototypical late-inning power pitcher.
However, he had proved capable of closing games with a 29-save season in 2017. The Marlins signed him to a one-year, $3.25 million contract to anchor their patchwork relief corps.
The 36-year-old converted 12 of 14 save opportunities with a 2.22 ERA in 24 appearances, and he's pitched three scoreless innings this postseason while picking up the save in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.
His $4 million club option for 2021 is a lock to be exercised.
8. Braves Sign C Travis d'Arnaud
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Travis d'Arnaud was once viewed as an elite catching prospect, appearing on the Baseball America Top 100 prospect list five times and climbing as high as No. 17 on that list at the start of the 2012 season.
He was worth just 2.1 WAR in parts of seven seasons with the Mets, struggling to stay healthy and failing to produce up to expectations when he was on the field.
The Mets finally cut him loose in May 2019. After a pit stop in the Dodgers organization, he joined the Tampa Bay Rays, where he posted a .782 OPS with 16 home runs and 67 RBI in 92 games.
That late-season breakout earned him a two-year, $16 million contract from the Atlanta Braves, and he has continued his emergence as one of the game's elite offensive backstops.
The 31-year-old hit .321/.386/.533 with nine home runs and 34 RBI in 44 games during the regular season, and he launched a go-ahead three-run home run in Game 1 of the NLDS before homering again in Game 2 on Wednesday.
In a stacked Atlanta lineup, he hits cleanup, tasked with protecting NL home run leader Marcell Ozuna.
7. Padres Sign RP Drew Pomeranz
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After flaming out as a starter, Drew Pomeranz moved to the bullpen midway through the 2019 season and turned into an absolute force.
In 28 relief appearances, he posted a 1.88 ERA and 0.84 WHIP while striking out 50 of the 106 batters he faced, sending his free-agency stock soaring.
The San Diego Padres signed him to a hefty four-year, $34 million contract. He delivered in his first season with the team, logging a 1.45 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 14.0 K/9 with four saves and nine holds in 20 appearances.
The 31-year-old allowed just one extra-base hit the entire season and held opposing hitters to a .145 batting average and .454 OPS, joining Emilio Pagan and Trevor Rosenthal to anchor the relief corps down the stretch.
He appeared in all three games of the Wild Card Series, recording a hold in Game 2 and Game 3, and he will be asked to pitch some high-leverage innings if the Padres make a long October run.
6. Rays Acquire OF Randy Arozarena
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"Why do teams even trade with the Tampa Bay Rays?"
It's a question that has been uttered time and again in recent years each time a player breaks out immediately after joining the Tampa Bay organization.
Randy Arozarena is the latest to elicit groans from fans of his former team.
The St. Louis Cardinals shipped him out during the offseason along with slugger Jose Martinez in an effort to unclog an outfield logjam, acquiring top-100 prospect Matthew Liberatore, low-level catcher Edgardo Rodriguez and a supplemental-round pick.
Liberatore, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2018 draft, has the upside to even the scales on this deal down the road. For now, the Rays look like the clear winners.
Marooned at the alternate site for much of the season, Arozarena joined the MLB roster Aug. 30. He quickly played his way into the everyday lineup and finished the year shuffling around the top three spots in the batting order.
The 25-year-old hit .288/.377/.678 with seven home runs in 69 plate appearances in September, and that has been the jumping-off point for a breakout postseason. Through five games, he's 12-for-20 with two doubles, one triple, three home runs, four RBI and eight runs scored.
No player in the sport has raised his profile more in the past month.
5. Padres Acquire 2B Jake Cronenworth, OF Tommy Pham
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At the time of this trade, it looked like Tommy Pham was the big addition for the Padres in a deal that sent Hunter Renfroe and top prospect Xavier Edwards to the Rays.
Pham was fresh off a 21-homer, 25-steal, 3.8-WAR season. With two years of team control left, he had a chance to be a key piece for a Padres team on the rise.
However, Pham hit just .211 with a 74 OPS+ and five extra-base hits in 125 plate appearances, missing a significant chunk of the shortened season with a broken hamate bone in his right hand.
Meanwhile, the other player San Diego acquired in that trade emerged as the NL Rookie of the Year front-runner.
Jake Cronenworth hit .334/.429/.520 with 26 doubles and 10 home runs in 94 games at Triple-A in 2019. However, at 25 years old, he was not widely regarded as a top prospect, and he slotted in at No. 15 in the San Diego farm system following the trade.
Cronenworth earned a spot on the Opening Day roster and began the season in a utility role before seizing the starting second base job. He went on to hit .285/.354/.477 with 22 extra-base hits in 192 plate appearances in a 1.5-WAR debut, and he looks like a long-term piece in San Diego.
4. Padres Acquire CF Trent Grisham, SP Zach Davies
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The Padres acquired Trent Grisham and Zach Davies from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Luis Urias and Eric Lauer in one of the first major moves of the offseason.
It looked like an even trade with the potential to benefit both sides, but it wound up being a huge win for the Padres in 2020:
Davies, 27, is controllable through the 2021 season and will be a key member of the starting rotation again next year.
The 23-year-old Grisham is a budding star and under control through 2025, so he'll be a foundational piece going forward for a young team on the rise.
3. Braves Sign DH Marcell Ozuna
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Saddled with a qualifying offer and coming off a mediocre season where he hit .241 with a 109 OPS+ and 29 home runs, Marcell Ozuna did not find the robust market he was hoping for in free agency last winter.
He settled for a one-year, $18 million contract with the Braves, tasked with filling the middle-of-the-order void created by the departure of Josh Donaldson.
He did that and more.
The 29-year-old hit .338/.431/.636 for a 175 OPS+ while leading the National League in home runs (18), RBI (56) and total bases (145).
With minimal defensive value, his stock will be largely tied to whether the universal designated hitter is implemented going forward, but he should have no problem finding a lucrative multiyear deal.
Will Atlanta prioritize re-signing him or move on to its next one-year swing for the fences?
2. Dodgers Acquire RF Mookie Betts
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The rich got richer when the Dodgers swung a blockbuster deal to acquire Mookie Betts from a Boston Red Sox team that was looking to trim payroll.
Acquired ahead of his final year of club control, Betts signed a massive 12-year, $365 million contract extension the day before he made his regular-season debut in Dodger blue.
Once the season began, it was business as usual.
The 28-year-old hit .292/.366/.562 with 16 home runs, 39 RBI, 47 runs scored and 10 steals, and he led all players with 3.4 WAR.
He went 3-for-7 with three doubles in his first postseason series in L.A. as the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the Wild Card Round. He'll be counted on to continue setting the tone atop the Los Angeles lineup.
1. Yankees Sign SP Gerrit Cole
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The New York Yankees spent a record $324 million to sign Gerrit Cole to a nine-year contract during the offseason, and he lived up to the hype in his first season in pinstripes.
The 30-year-old went 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 94 strikeouts in 73 innings, tossing a pair of complete games and a shutout in his 12 starts.
With Masahiro Tanaka knocked around in each of his first two starts of the 2020 postseason and multiple question marks behind him in the postseason rotation, Cole may be the most important player to his team's success this October.
He struck out 13 batters over seven strong innings in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series to outduel Cleveland's Shane Bieber. He then turned in another quality start with six hits and three earned runs allowed over six innings in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Rays.
He has a 2.75 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 78.2 innings in his postseason career, and he'll look to add to that impressive resume in the coming weeks.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
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