The New York Yankees and the 4 MLB Teams Having the Worst Offseasons

I don't think anyone would argue if I were to say that this offseason has been full of surprises thus far.

I mean, really, who expected teams like the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to be the big spenders?  And at the same time, teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are doing next to nothing to improve on their 2011 campaigns?  It just doesn't make much sense.

The Marlins added Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle to their club for a combined $191 million and the Angels signed both C.J. Wilson and Albert Pujols for a combined $331.5 million.  So much for a team that finished dead last in their division last year and a team that swore they only had $15-$20 million to spend this offseason.

A bunch of those big-money teams, like the Yankees and Red Sox, have had some pretty awful offseasons to this point.  The moves have been either minor or nonexistent, and it leaves a sinking feeling inside these teams' fanbases.  If it wasn't enough to win last year, what makes it enough this year?

The way I see it, there are five teams who have had offseasons to forget so far or who need to pick up the pace and start making moves as soon as possible.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have pretty much done nothing this offseason.

They lost their "ace" (sorry, but I never saw C.J. Wilson as much of an ace) to their division rivals, the Angels.  The guy that they are replacing him with in the rotation has been one of the AL's best closers the past two years, and they signed the aging, fresh-off Tommy John surgery Joe Nathan to replace him.

Sound like a good plan?  I don't think so.

Nathan very well could bounce back to his pre-2010 form and become a dominant closer again, but is it really likely at age 37?  I think the Rangers would have been better off signing Edwin Jackson for their rotation or maybe signing a healthy, reliable closer off the free agent market, like a Francisco Rodriguez or a Ryan Madson.

If the Rangers don't make any major moves this offseason, they can probably kiss their shot at a third straight division title and third straight AL Pennant, goodbye.  The Angels are just too good of a team to not win that division.  

Maybe the Rangers will have a chance at the Wild Card...or the other Wild Card...but they can't just keep hoping that they can convert all of their relievers into starters and have it work for them.  Their luck might be running out.

Washington Nationals

I'm really starting to feel bad for the Washington Nationals.

No one wants to play baseball in D.C.  I don't know what the problem is, but they just keep getting rejected by free agents.  Apart from Jayson Werth last year, who was seriously overpaid, the Nats have been unable to convince a single impact player to join their ranks.

This year, they went after Buehrle and Wilson and both signed elsewhere.  Even though the Nationals are getting better and better with each passing season, with players like Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Bryce Harper generating excitement, big-time free agents want to join immediate contenders and the Nationals aren't a lock for the postseason by any means.

The Nationals are still going after free-agent slugger Prince Fielder, and if they want to salvage what's left of this offseason, they had better get him.  At 27 years old, Fielder would be the perfect addition to the young up-and-coming Nationals squad and might even help lead the team to their first ever postseason berth (excluding 1981 as the Montreal Expos) and possibly their first World Series.

If they whiff on Fielder, then this offseason will be a bust and their 2012 season likely will be as well.

New York Yankees

Expecting them at the number one slot?  Well believe it or not, the Yankees haven't had the worst offseason this year.

That's not to say that they have had a productive one.  It just means that things could be worse for the Bombers.  They have a strong team already, with very few holes outside of the starting rotation.  Their offense is arguably the best in the league, even if it did choke during the ALDS, and having the young phenom Jesus Montero replace the anemic bat of Jorge Posada will only make them that much better.  

Their bullpen is a force with the likes of Rafael Soriano, David Robertson and Mariano Rivera locking down games after six innings.  Joba Chamberlain, who started to show his old flashes of relief brilliance early last season, is on the mend, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.  

So, two-thirds of the Yankees' roster is already in excellent condition.  The only flaws lie in the starting rotation, where CC Sabathia, with his shiny new contract extension, leads a pack of question marks.  Ivan Nova had a fantastic rookie season in the Bronx, but can he keep it up?  And what about A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes, two of the most frustrating pitchers in baseball?  

They both have number-two starter potential, but highly underachieved and struggled to remain consistent.  Freddy Garcia would be an excellent fifth starter, but if he winds up having to be the third man, then the Yankees will be in trouble.  Lightning struck twice with the Yankees last season; I'd be surprised if it did again.

The problem is that the Yankees have two pitchers almost ready for  the big leagues in Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances, so long-term deals wouldn't behoove them at this point.  Cashman isn't wrong for not making a big move, but not making a smaller one (like a one-year Roy Oswalt/Hiroki Kuroda deal) might be a mistake.

Boston Red Sox

Red Sox Nation has not been very happy lately.

Let's start from the beginning.  The Boston Red Sox have not made the playoffs since 2009, when they lost to the Angels...who lost to the rival Yankees...who won the World Series.  They suffered a sub-par season in 2010, only winning 89 games, but it was 2011 that really stung.

The Red Sox, predicted by almost everyone in Spring Training to reach the World Series, blew a nine-game lead in the AL Wild Card to the Tampa Bay Rays, the largest collapse in MLB history. One would assume that there would be some serious changes being made in Boston this winter, correct?

Correct.  But not the kinds of changes fans would have hoped for.  Long-time manager Terry Francona was fired.  The wonder-GM Theo Epstein left Boston for the North Side of Chicago.  Closer Jonathan Papelbon jumped at the chance to sign a lucrative deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.  David Ortiz accepted arbitration, which will cost the BoSox a ton of money, even if he is a good player.  Oh, and John Lackey had Tommy John surgery (although that could be construed as a good thing).

Every big-name player they have signed since the 2009-10 offseason off the free agent market has been a bust so far.  John Lackey, the former ace in Anaheim, wasn't even a good fifth starter when healthy and now will be sitting on the bench in 2012.  Bobby Jenks proved why the White Sox let him walk and was injured most of the season.  Carl Crawford, the All-Star outfielder in Tampa, was nothing short of an utter disappointment in 2011, posting career lows in pretty much every relevant statistical category.

The Red Sox desperately needed a boost this offseason and they haven't gotten it.  Papelbon was replaced with the Astros' Mark Melancon, obviously not an upgrade, no one has been signed for the starting rotation, despite the fact that the only guaranteed starters for next year are Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, with the hope that Clay Buchholz can return successfully from injury, and right field is vacant, unless the Red Sox plan on using Josh Reddick for an all-lefty outfield.

If the Red Sox don't make a couple moves soon, they risk missing the playoffs for a third straight year.  They need to sign Roy Oswalt, Carlos Beltran, and Ryan Madson, but they won't, which makes it interesting that they haven't had the worst offseason of the year...

St. Louis Cardinals

They lost Albert Pujols, need I say more?

After reaching the baseball summit in 2011 and winning the World Series in improbable fashion, everything seemed to be set up perfectly for the St. Louis Cardinals to re-sign their living legend to an insane contract.  Even when those pesky Marlins came calling with a bit more money, Pujols seemed unwilling to leave St. Louis and a deal seemed imminent.

Then he signed a 10-year, $254 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Turns out it is all about money.

Sorry, Cardinals fans, I feel for you.  Worst offseason by far.