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Jul 22, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) pitches during the ninth inning of an inter-league baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
While there is still time for any team to make a splash, the MLB offseason is winding down. Five teams have separated themselves from the rest of the pack throughout the winter break.
The action-packed MLB winter meetings are behind us and the offseason excitement has calmed. Nothing to be depressed about, it only means opening day is getting closer. Some teams would be ready if the season began today, others are keeping a keen eye on the market. Various big name players remain available including Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Trumbo, and Jose Bautista. Any of those three could shake up the power rankings. As of now, however, let’s take a look at the offseason winners as of December 22.
A brief exclusion: The Boston Red Sox. Everyone knows about Chris Sale. Sale single-handedly crowned the Red Sox the offseason champs, not to mention the witty additions of Mitch Moreland and Tyler Thornburg. An in-depth analysis of Boston’s offseason would go purposeless as just about everything that can be said has been said about the Sox.
Time to shine the spotlight on other deserving teams.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers didn’t exactly wander into unfamiliar territory this offseason. Each of their notable signings involved the return of a 2016 player. Rich Hill re-signed for 3-years, $48 million with Los Angeles. The 36-year-old has been most impactful in his second run at big league success. His curveball is his greatest weapon, opposing hitters can’t figure it out no matter how many times he throws it. Hill has grown fearless with age, plus his “whatever’s best for the team” attitude plays perfectly in the Dodger clubhouse.
Third baseman Justin Turner also re-signed with the Dodgers. Turner agreed to a 4-year, $64 million deal last Monday. The Dodgers locked up one of the more underappreciated players in baseball. Turner has posted an OBP of over .338 each of the last three seasons. He’s a disciplined hitter who displayed a sudden power surge last season, knocking 27 home runs. The Dodgers’ third place hitter from 2016 is certainly worthy of a four-year contract.
More from Call to the Pen
A weak starting pitching market paved the way for an opportunistic relief market this offseason. Such opportunity as to see Aroldis Chapman sign a record 5-year, $86 million contract with who other than the New York Yankees. Closely behind Chapman’s insane deal was the Dodgers’ signing of star closer, Kenley Jansen. Jansen earned an $80 million contract for 5 years. Competition was steep for Jansen, and the massive payroll of the Los Angeles Dodgers had to sweep him away from the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals. Jansen is undoubtedly a top five closer in all of baseball. His cutter is probably the closest thing the game has seen to Mariano Rivera‘s in terms of being unhittable. The Dodgers offer was wise and they will benefit with comfortable 9th innings for five seasons to come.
The argument could be made that the Dodgers haven’t done enough. While there is still time to improve their roster, L.A. would be fine if they laid low for the remainder of the offseason. They gave the Chicago Cubs a tough NLCS last postseason, so there is no reason to doubt their capability in 2017. They have a deep offense that could compete as one of the league’s best if Yasiel Puig could ever play to his potential. Jansen says it all in the pen, and their starting pitching will only improve if they can maintain their health. The Los Angeles Dodgers will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Houston Astros
Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and George Springer make for a lethal top of the Astros’ lineup, however, they can only do so much by themselves, as there are six other places in a lineup. The team was weakened by the supporting cast in 2016, so they made it a point to rid of that issue in 2017.
Notable offseason additions: Josh Reddick, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran.
The Astros targeted veteran power hitters for the upcoming season. A perfect approach for a team whose best players are in their low-to-mid 20s. With the goal to add veteran leadership, Houston also turned their weaknesses into strengths.
For years now, the Astros have not had a quality offensive catcher. A position of utmost importance, the catching position has been a revolving door for Houston. Three years of Brian McCann resolves the issue. McCann is not the offensive threat he once was, that being said, he is still a worldly upgrade from Jason Castro. McCann will still benefit from a hitter’s ballpark like in New York, therefore, he will still post competitive power numbers.
The signing of outfielder Josh Reddick provides outfield depth and allows George Springer to transition to center field. Reddick possesses an outstanding outfield arm and a quality outfield glove. He struggled with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season after being moved from the Oakland Athletics, but the Astros have reasonable expectations for Reddick now that he has the comfort of a four-year contract.
Of course, there is no more reliable signing than that of Carlos Beltran. Beltran will turn 40-years-old on April 24th of 2017. Naturally, he’s lost his athleticism over the years, however, he can still hit. At 39 years of age, he slashed .295/.337/.513. He also hit 29 long balls in 2016. Although he was added on a one-year deal, Houston will receive more than their deserved share from Carlos Beltran this season.
Many experts thought the Astros should place their focus on improving their starting pitching staff this offseason. Houston, like many teams, saw a weak starting pitching market and decided to look elsewhere to improve. Houston will get a healthy Lance McCullers back on the mound in 2017. Their rotation will likely be middle of the pack, but they more than make up for it with their high-powered offense and a solid bullpen. McCann, Reddick, and Beltran could all hit in the top of the order for numerous MLB teams. For the Astros, they’ll likely spread from fifth to eighth in the lineup.
Those three moves may very well help the Houston Astros jump a very quiet Texas Rangers team as AL west favorites.
Aug 12, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton (1) hits a single during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. MLB. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Nationals
It seemed as if the Nationals chased after nearly every MLB free agent and trade target this offseason. No rumor went without Washington’s intervention. Their pursuit of Andrew McCutchen fell short, as did their pursuit for Kenley Jansen. But they quickly made up for it with a wise trade for center fielder Adam Eaton.
On December 7th, Washington acquired Adam Eaton from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for three top pitching prospects, among those was Washington’s top prospect, Lucas Giolito. Many think the Nationals gave up too much for a speedy center fielder. While that argument can and will be made, hold off on arguing until you look at the big picture.
The Washington Nationals love their current starting rotation. Without question, the team has one of the top staffs in the game. Led by reigning Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer, the Nationals have depth beyond their ace. The only thing preventing Stephen Strasburg from matching Scherzer pitch for pitch is health. Who knows what Strasburg is capable of if he could make 30 starts a year? Gio Gonzalez is a consistent work horse, Tanner Roark is coming off of a stellar 16-win season, and 23-year-old Joe Ross has a ridiculously high ceiling.
Washington’s favorite part about their rotation is their control, not just on the bump, but also monetarily. Both Scherzer and Strasburg are locked up long-term. Tanner Roark won’t become a post-arbitration free agent until 2020; Joe Ross not until 2022. Point being, the Nationals are okay with giving up young pitching because they are confident in the pitching they already possess.
Adam Eaton is no slouch either. The 28-year-old had an impressive 2016 campaign. He hit .284 with nine triples and an OBP of .362. Eaton is the leadoff hitter Washington needs. His presence allows Trea Turner to move down to a more RBI worthy spot in the lineup. Eaton also allows Turner to move from center field to his more natural position at shortstop. The addition of Eaton rounds out the Nationals lineup and leaves very little weakness throughout. The only concerning offensive position is catcher. However, Washington is hoping the newly acquired Derek Norris will revive himself for a good upcoming year.
Kenley Jansen would have been the cherry on top, but Adam Eaton is the main serving. The Washington Nationals are primed for an outstanding 2017 season.
Jun 11, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday (7) hits a three run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. MLB. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
New York Yankees
Competition will be at its finest in the American League East this season. The Red Sox appear to be the heavy favorites, but don’t expect the Yankees to back down–they never do.
The Yankees are a developing team with a nice mix of veteran leadership. The pressure is no longer solely on the big contract players like C.C. Sabathia and Jacoby Ellsbury. Instead, young players like Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius, and Luis Severino will head the Yankees’ re-emergence.
New York has a talented and young lineup, but they needed more pop. The answer–Matt Holliday. 2016 was a rare year for Holiday. The slugger saw career lows in batting average and OBP, but he also played in only 110 games. New York needs a healthy season out of Holliday. He could be a major RBI contributor to a skillful lineup. Plus, his power to all fields makes Yankee Stadium his perfect match.
On the other side of the action, the Yankees welcomed back Aroldis Chapman to their bullpen. They signed Chapman to the aforementioned 5-year, $86 million contract. The flamethrower will be reunited with his old pal, Dellin Betances. Together, the duo will once again rule the late innings of baseball.
The Bronx Bombers have great promise offensively and guaranteed success in the bullpen. The true question mark surrounding their squad is their starting pitching. Their rotation looks great on paper. Names like C.C. Sabathia, Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka surely get the Yankees’ hopes up. It’s really a matter of health and durability among their veteran staff. Quality seasons for their starting pitchers might just enable the New York Yankees to contend.
Chicago Cubs
While most teams spent the offseason scrambling to make their teams look presentable, the Chicago Cubs figured they would throw just a couple more daggers at the rest of the league.
The Cubs needed no offensive help, nor did they need aid among their starting rotation. If there was any area which they could have improved, the bullpen was it. Cubs GM, Jed Hoyer, pieced together a World Series championship team, but he still saw an incomplete team. Thus, Hoyer acquired two dominant relievers.
Chicago shipped the highly touted Jorge Soler to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for closer Wade Davis. Soler relates to the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig in terms of size and potential, however, the Cubs saw an opening which they couldn’t allow to close.
Wade Davis is every bit the sensational closer that Aroldis Chapman is, while some would say Davis is better. He may not have the flare that Chapman has, but he has the ability. Wade Davis has been the most untouchable pitcher in baseball over the last three seasons. His stat line impresses in infinite ways. Perhaps his most awe-inspiring statistic is the three home runs he’s given up over the last three seasons. That wold be zero homers let up in 2014, three in 2015, and zero in 2016. Chicago has themselves a winner at the backend of their bullpen. Wade Davis will lock down many wins this season.
Not to be overlooked is the sneaky signing of Koji Uehara. Uehara pitched each of the last three seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He was the Red Sox’ most consistent reliever throughout his Boston tenure. He’s thrived in the pitcher’s ballparks of Camden Yards, Globe Life Park, and Fenway Park. The ever-friendly Wrigley Field should be no daunting task for the 41-year-old reliever. Uehara has allowed an opponent’s batting average of over .200 only once since 2010. He will be a coveted weapon in the Chicago bullpen in 2017.
It appears Joe Madden will finally have some relief pitchers he can trust.
The Chicago Cubs are well on their way to another dominant season. They’ll compare to the Golden State Warriors this year–yawning through the regular season, just waiting for the postseason to begin.
