2012 MLB Free Agency: Every Team's Biggest Remaining Need

The winter meetings are behind us, and many of the biggest free-agent chips have found their home for 2012, but there is still work to be done on all 30 teams before the season begins.

Each team has something, be it big or small, that they need to do roster-wise to be in the best shape to win in 2012 and beyond.

Here is a look at each team's biggest need here in the middle of December, as there are still a number of difference-making players on the market.

Arizona Diamondbacks: No. 5 Starter

The Diamondbacks return the same starting lineup they ended last season with, and their rotation will once again be fronted by last year's breakout star, Ian Kennedy.

However, following him in the rotation is newly acquired Trevor Cahill, who came over from the Athletics for Jarrod Parker, Collin Cowgill and two others. 

Daniel Hudson and Josh Collmenter come next in the rotation, but beyond them there is no clear-cut fifth starter following the non-tender of Joe Saunders.

The team has a number of young starters who could step in like Wade Miley, Tyler Skaggs and Trevor Bauer, but for a team in contention, a low-cost veteran arm that is not so much of an unknown would be preferable.

Someone like Jeff Francis would make a lot of sense.

Atlanta Braves: Shortstop

The shortstop of the future in Atlanta is Tyler Pastornicky, but at just 22 years old they will likely look to sign a veteran on a one-year deal to give Pastornicky one more season to develop in the minor leagues.

Last season's shortstop, Alex Gonzalez, has signed with the Brewers, and the remaining market is lacking in impact players but has a number of solid veteran options who should come cheap.

Yuniesky Betancourt, Ronny Cedeno, Edgar Renteria, Cesar Izturis and Ryan Theriot look to be what the Braves have to work with, which means that their signing will be a cheap one if nothing else.

Baltimore Orioles: Left-Handed Power Hitter

The Orioles were as active as anyone last offseason, signing or trading for three starting infielders as well as DH Vladimir Guerrero. Those moves ran the full spectrum from very good (J.J. Hardy), to mildly disappointing (Guerrero), to traded by midseason (Derrek Lee).

With most positions solidified heading into this coming season, the only real hole is the team's lack of a left-handed, middle-of-the-order slugger.

The team non-tendered Luke Scott, and for the time being it looks like Josh Bell will step in at third base and Chris Davis will assume DH duties. However, signing someone like Carlos Pena or even a high-upside guy like Russell Branyan could bolster the lineup.

If they do make a push for Pena, he could step in at first base and Mark Reynolds could move to DH, which would not only improve the lineup but also the infield defense.

Boston Red Sox: Closer

With the move of Daniel Bard to the rotation and Alfredo Aceves likely also stepping into a rotation spot, the Red Sox starting rotation looks to be set heading into the season.

The same can't be said for their bullpen, though.

Jonathan Papelbon has departed and signed with the Phillies, and Bard is set to start, so the bullpen loses its top two arms from 2011. Bobby Jenks is still around and the team traded for Astros closer Mark Melancon last week, but neither of those guys are exactly a knockout option.

More than likely, the Red Sox will use the trade market to shore up the spot, trading for someone like A's closer Andrew Bailey or Royals closer Joakim Soria.

Chicago Cubs: A Run Producer

Saying the Cubs are in a state of transition would be a massive understatement, as they've begun an makeover from the front office on down to the minor league system.

The team has made a few small-scale moves so far this offseason, but the fact remains that they are lacking a true threat in the middle of their lineup.

With Aramis Ramirez signed with the Brewers, the likes of Marlon Byrd, Alfonso Soriano and Bryan LaHair would be asked to do most of the heavy lifting were the season to start today. 

That said, there are still options on the market the Cubs could pursue to bolster their lineup for 2012 and moving forward, with the most obvious being Prince Fielder.

Chicago White Sox: Trade Partners

The White Sox entered the 2011 season as one of the American League favorites, but came up well short as they finished in third place in their division, 16 games out of first place.

Now, with starting pitchers Mark Buehrle and Edwin Jackson gone in free agency and closer Sergio Santos traded, the team looks to be heading for a rebuild.

If they are in fact planning to rebuild, they have a number of intriguing trade chips in free agents-to-be John Danks, Carlos Quentin and Gavin Floyd (2013 option) all capable of netting a big return if the right trade partner can be found.

Cincinnati Reds: More Pitching?

The Reds lineup looks to be set for 2012, with Chris Heisey (18 HR, 50 RBI, 279 AB in 2011) stepping into the starting left field job after the team dealt Yonder Alonso and three others to the Padres for starting pitcher Mat Latos.

Latos will team with Johnny Cueto to provide an impressive, young one-two punch at the top of the Reds rotation. Mike Leake will follow, with the underperforming Bronson Arroyo and Homer Bailey making up the remainder of the rotation for now and Travis Wood providing depth.

In the bullpen, Francisco Cordero is gone and the team looks set to hand the closer's job to Aroldis Chapman. Beyond him, the team has a number of solid arms to help bridge the gap in guys like Nick Massett, Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray and Jose Arredondo, among others.

The team could look to add a low-level starter like Rodrigo Lopez or Zach Duke for depth, but chances are the big dealing is over in Cincinnati after the Latos blockbuster.

Cleveland Indians: Outfield Depth

Last season, the Indians outfield was riddled with injuries as Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo both missed significant time with injuries.

That led to significant at-bats for guys like Austin Kearns, Travis Buck, Shelley Duncan and Kosuke Fukudome.

Always a play away from his next significant injury, Sizemore is back as the center fielder, and aside from recently acquired Aaron Cunningham, the team again has little depth in the outfield.

Signing a low-cost veteran like Scott Hairston or Mike Cameron could give the team a solid bat off the bench as well as a player capable of stepping in for an extended period of time in case of injury.

Colorado Rockies: Late-Inning Reliever

The Rockies have been busy this offseason, adding third baseman Michael Cuddyer and pitcher Kevin Slowey, as well as unloading the contract of closer Huston Street, who was set to earn $7.5 million this season and the Padres took on $6.5 million of that in the trade.

However, that final move has left the team without a proven closer. The job is likely to go to Rafael Betancourt as of now.

Betancourt has never tallied more than eight saves in a season and has 27 in nine seasons, but he has posted a 3.18 ERA and a 9.6 K/9 mark over 560 career innings.

Adding someone like Brad Lidge, Dan Wheeler or Mike Gonzalez, who has past closing experience to serve as a setup man, would provide a solid backup plan should Betancourt falter and would make the bullpen better even in a setup role.

Detroit Tigers: Starting Pitcher

The Tigers made a big move at the deadline last season to acquire Doug Fister and shore up their rotation for the postseason, and they will likely need to address their rotation once again this offseason.

With Brad Penny gone, the team is slated as of now to turn over the fifth starter job to top prospect Jacob Turner, but relying on an unproven commodity like him on a team expected to contend is risky.

Expect the team to look for someone to sign to a deal similar to the one-year, $3 million deal that Penny signed prior to last season and non-tendered innings-eater Joe Saunders should come at a relatively similar price.

Houston Astros: Trade Partners

The Astros are fully committed to rebuilding at this point after trading Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn and Roy Oswalt over the past two seasons.

They still have some appealing pieces in starting pitchers Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers. Seeing as the team likely won't be in contention for several seasons, they should not hesitate to move them should they find an attractive offer.

The expiring contract of Carlos Lee could also be attractive at the deadline or sooner if the Astros are willing to eat some of his salary to move the aging slugger.

Kansas City Royals: Staff Ace

The Royals will be another year older in 2012 and another year closer to contention in the AL Central as they continue to reap the benefits of what was the deepest minor league system in all of baseball.

However, they are still lacking a true staff ace and there does not look to be one on the horizon either. Top pitching prospects Mike Montgomery and John Lamb struggled and were injured, respectively, and at the very least, 2012 will not be the season either of them steps into the role of ace.

As of now, it will likely be Luke Hochevar getting the ball on opening day for the second straight season. While he has turned into a capable starter, he is far from a staff ace.

The team has the pieces to pull off a deal for someone like Gio Gonzalez, Jair Jurrjens or James Shields, among others on the market, and the team will have to decide if it is worth giving up top prospect Wil Myers, among others.

Los Angeles Angels: Figure out First Base Logjam

The Angels landed the prize of the free agent when they inked Albert Pujols to a 10-year, $254 million deal. There is still work to be done in Los Angeles, though, if they hope to be contenders.

The lineup is an old one, with Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells earning a ton of money. Those guys will need to put up much better numbers than they did last year if the team wants to run with the Rangers.

There is still time to further bolster the lineup, and moving one of their two incumbent first basemen in Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales could be just the way to do it. Either that, or look for Trumbo to be moved to third base to get his bat in the lineup, and Morales to earn at-bats at first, DH and in the outfield.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Left Fielder

With the announcement that the team will be sold, the Dodgers have once again started to spend some money, as they have been as busy as anyone this offseason.

Locking up Matt Kemp long-term would have been a solid offseason in itself, but the team has also added 2B Mark Ellis, IF Adam Kennedy, IF Jerry Hairston, C Matt Treanor, SP Aaron Harang and SP Chris Capuano to an already talented roster.

The biggest remaining hole looks to be in left field, where a platoon of Juan Rivera, Jerry Sands and Tony Gwynn Jr. looks to be the plan as of now.

The Dodgers likely won't want to spend much on whoever they sign, as the job will belong to Sands at some point whenever he's ready. Veterans like Reed Johnson, Coco Crisp or Jonny Gomes should come cheap enough for the production they bring.

Miami Marlins: Center Field

The Marlins came out aggressively this offseason, throwing around contract offers to nearly all of the big names on the market. They acquired Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell but failed to land Albert Pujols.

The simple fact that the team was capable of offering Pujols the type of money they did means they still have money to spend. While the team could certainly use starting pitching, they also look to be in the market for Cuban import Yoennis Cespedes.

That would allow Emilio Bonifacio to move back to a utility role; that would strengthen the bench as a whole. It could cost as much as $60 million to lock him up, but it would make the Marlins offense that much more potent.

Milwaukee Brewers: First Base?

The Brewers went all-in last season when they traded for starters Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum and decided against trading slugger Prince Fielder. That ended in an NL Central title, but in the end it was the Cardinals who were hoisting the trophy.

Now, the team is faced with replacing Fielder's production, as he will almost certainly sign elsewhere this winter. 

In-house option Mat Gamel, who hit .310 BA, 28 HR, 96 RBI last season at Triple-A and has been waiting for his chance for the past few years, looks to be the front runner to take over as of now.

The possibility remains though that they could sign someone like Carlos Pena, Casey Kotchman or Derrek Lee to provide a veteran presence at the position as well.

Minnesota Twins: Starting Pitcher

The Twins have some questions surrounding their starting rotation, as they have Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker locked into a spot for sure, but little they can truly rely on after that.

For now, it looks like Nick Blackburn and Brian Duensing will fill the other two spots in the rotation, but the team could certainly upgrade over those two without spending much money.

Veterans Jon Garland, Jeff Francis and Joel Pineiro could all be options. After trading Kevin Slowey, the team will need to add some depth to their starting pitching one way or another.

New York Mets: Veteran Shortstop

The Mets failed to re-sign Jose Reyes this offseason, and now they are left without a proven option at shortstop.

Ruben Tejada, who hit .284 over 328 at-bats last season at the age of 21, would be the first choice as of now, but adding a veteran option to back him up and provide some depth in a utility role off the bench would be a good idea.

Jack Wilson and Ronny Cedeno represent dirt cheap options who could be effective in a 250-300 at-bat role on a team like the Mets.

New York Yankees: Starting Pitching

The Yankees starting rotation was talked about all year last season, but in the end veteran additions Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon and rookie Ivan Nova performed well enough to get the team to the postseason.

However, in New York, just getting to the postseason doesn't cut it. While the team has already missed out on Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson, there are still attractive options on both the free-agent and trade markets.

Hiroki Kuroda and Edwin Jackson could make sense as signings, while Gio Gonzalez, John Danks and Gavin Floyd could all be possibilities in trades.

Landing any of those trade targets would likely mean parting with some combination of Jesus Montero, Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos.

Oakland Athletics: Good Package for Gio Gonzalez

The Athletics are in a position to be sellers this offseason, and they already made a big move to deal Trevor Cahill to the Diamondbacks for four players.

That said, the team seems willing to hold onto Gio Gonzalez if they don't get an offer they like. Recently, they asked for Jacob Turner, Nick Castellanos and Drew Smyly and they were turned down.

Finding a team willing to meet their demands would go a long way towards aiding in the rebuilding process, and as the offseason presses on, teams could become more and more desperate to add a pitcher of Gonzalez's caliber.

Philadelphia Phillies: Nothing

The Phillies are on the hook for $164.3 million for 20 players already in 2012, as this report shows, which is roughly where their payroll was at in 2011.

After pursuing Michael Cuddyer early on, the team backed off after signing Laynce Nix and Ty Wigginton. It now looks as though the team will enter opening day with the roster they currently have.

With an fairly old roster of players, by not signing anyone else, now the team will have some money to work with at the deadline when one of their veterans inevitably gets shelved with an injury. 

Pittsburgh Pirates: Veteran Starter

The Pirates were one of the biggest surprises of the season last year as they stayed in the thick of things until the second half of the season.

They have a good young core of position players, but their pitching overperformed last season. With Paul Maholm, they are an even more unproven group.

While the team is looking to bring back Derrek Lee as a backup option should Pedro Alvarez falter again and Casey McGehee is forced to move to third base, adding a veteran starter should be their main focus.

There are a number of cheap options on the market, with bringing back Maholm among them. Joel Piniero, Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook and Kevin Millwood, among others, could be options.

San Diego Padres: Anthony Rizzo Decision

The key piece of the package sent from Boston to acquire Adrian Gonzalez, along with Casey Kelly, powerful first baseman Anthony Rizzo looked overmatched in 128 big league at-bats last season.

That said, he annihilated Triple-A pitching to the tune of .331 BA, 26 HR, 101 RBI the remainder of the season. At just 22 years old, he has a bright future.

Following the trade of Mat Latos to the Reds, he is now blocked at first base by Yonder Alonso, and there have already been rumors of Rizzo heading to the Cubs. 

The Padres have a number of needs, and with Alonso and Jesus Guzman already on the roster, dealing Rizzo, hard as it may be, makes a lot of sense.

San Francisco Giants: Veteran Shortstop

Much like the Mets, the Giants are without a proven option at shortstop. The job belongs to Brandon Crawford for now. 

Crawford hit .204 BA, 3 HR, 21 RBI in 196 at-bats this past season, which is far from enough to get anyone excited about what he could do as a full-time regular.

Edgar Renteria, Ronny Cedeno, Yuniesky Betancourt and Omar Vizquel (who recently tweeted that he would sign with the Giants now if they wanted him) are all options at this point.

Seattle Mariners: Chone Figgins Taker

Backed by their impressive duo of top starting pitchers and a good core of young hitters, the Mariners look to once again be heading in the right direction as far as contention goes.

However, one player in particular is a huge drain on the payroll right now while providing little production in return: Chone Figgins.

Figgins is due $17 million over the next two seasons and has a $9 million vesting option for 2014, but he is coming off a season in which he hit just .188.

It could mean taking on a bad contract that is shorter, or eating a good deal of that money, but the team needs to explore every option when it comes to getting rid of Figgins this winter.

St. Louis Cardinals: Right Fielder

The Cardinals were dealt a huge blow in losing Albert Pujols, but they are still in good shape to contend in the National League and make a run at repeating as they return nearly everyone else from last year's team, while also getting back Adam Wainwright.

Lance Berkman will shift to first base and Allen Craig would be the opening day right fielder if it were not for knee surgery keeping him out to open the season.

That leaves the Cardinals with Skip Schumaker as their likely starting right fielder as of now. Carlos Beltran has been a name thrown around more than once, but guys like Jason Kubel and even former Cardinals All-Star Ryan Ludwick could be an option.

Tampa Bay Rays: Offense

The Rays have perhaps the deepest crop of young pitching talent the game has ever seen right now, and they would be crazy not to explore every trade opportunity possible in an effort to bolster what is an average offense at best.

With Johnny Damon and Casey Kotchman hitting free agency, the Rays are in desperate need of someone to help Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist carry the offensive load.

Whether it is trading for someone like Carlos Quentin, who is on the market now, or waiting until the deadline to see who is on the market, the Rays need to do something to improve their offense to stay competitive in the AL East.

Texas Rangers: Starting Pitcher

After taking a big blow in losing Cliff Lee last offseason, the Rangers were much more willing to let C.J. Wilson walk this winter after he flopped in the playoffs yet still commanded ace money.

Derek Holland is slated to be the staff ace right now, and he looks more than capable of filling that role, and while the team may not need to add an ace, another starter would be helpful.

With Neftali Feliz moving to the rotation, depth will be important in the rotation, and while the Rangers are still in the picture for Yu Darvish, until an announcement is made, expect them to go low-cost or play the trade market.

Toronto Blue Jays: Sign Yu Darvish

The posting round has concluded for Japanese star Yu Darvish, and while there is no official report yet, the Blue Jays are believed to have won the right to negotiate with him thanks to a bid between $40-$50 million.

If that is the case, the Blue Jays have to do everything they can to make sure they get the right-hander to sign with them, rather than waiting until next season when he will be a regular free agent.

Adding him to a potent offense and what is already a good young rotation would put the Blue Jays right in the thick of things in the AL East and make the best division in baseball even deeper.

Washington Nationals: Top-Tier Starting Pitcher

The Nationals were aggressive last offseason in signing Jayson Werth, and were players for pitcher C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle as well this season before they signed elsewhere.

That doesn't mean they are done looking for a big-name veteran arm to front their young rotation, as Edwin Jackson remains an option on the free-agent market and there are a number of big arms available in trades.

John Danks may come a bit cheaper than Gio Gonzalez and James Shields, so he seems like the most likely starter to land in Washington as of now.