The 10 Biggest MLB Offseason Moves so Far and Their Impact
The 10 Biggest MLB Offseason Moves so Far and Their Impact
Usually when the MLB Winter Meetings arrive it is time for the MLB Offseason to really get started but that wasn’t the case this season. There have been so many moves prior to the end of the calendar year that fans going into the New Year were left to wonder what else was left. There have been not only a lot of deals but a lot of impactful deals so far. Which of those impactful deals have been the biggest and what kind of impact have they had?
As of this writing there are still some big name free agents left. The biggest name left at this time is Nelson Cruz and certainly that will be a big move when someone lands him for the next few years. Shin-Soo Choo is off the market already as is Raul Ibanez. Ibanez going to the Los Angeles Angels is probably the biggest deal that didn’t make this list. It might not be considered a very big deal but considering who they lost it could be huge.
There are others that didn’t make the list for sure and if you think of one that was left off of this list be sure to comment about it below in the comments section. As it stands this will be the 10 biggest moves so far in the offseason of the 2014 season. They are ranked from 1 through 10 but each of them are big and impactful in their own way and effect a different few teams. Feel free to leave a comment below.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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2013 MLB Winter Meetings: Minnesota Twins Continue Great Offseason
10 – Texas Rangers Sign Shin-Soo Choo
Shin-Soo Choo is a Scott Boras client who did not end up demanding the absolute most money on the face of the Earth. I doubt Boras was that pleased with the situation but the Rangers ended up with a very positive addition to their club in what has been an uncertain offseason for many reasons. Choo is a good addition and should be a huge part of getting that offense going and keeping a good defensive outfield in shape.
9 – Baltimore Orioles Get but Let Go of Grant Balfour
This was one of those odd situations that doesn’t come along very often. The Orioles were said to have signed Balfour all except for the physical making things official. A few other teams’ doctors looked at Balfour’s pitching arm and said he was fine but the O’s staff didn’t like it so they nixed the deal. Not only did this leave the Orioles without a closer still but it also puts a huge cloud of doubt over Balfour for the rest of the offseason and could drop his asking price.
8 – New York Yankees Sign Jacoby Ellsbury
The Yankees got more in Ellsbury than just the guy that performed well for the Red Sox in the World Series. Ellsbury is a very solid addition to the outfield for them in a time when they really need reliable everyday contributors. That is what Ellsbury is and he will significantly improve this line-up on a day to day basis perhaps more than any other player on the roster.
7 – Colorado Rockies Sign Justin Morneau
The Rockies had to have a replacement for the retired Todd Helton but couldn’t really pay top dollar for the biggest name on the market. They settled beautifully on Morneau who was the biggest first baseman in the game just a few years ago, or at least one of the biggest. This is a huge deal for both sides because the Rockies have a chance to really get more from their first baseman if things go well for Morneau. If that happens then Morneau’s career will be jumpstarted perfectly going into his next free agent season.
6 – Minnesota Twins Land Ricky Nolasco
The small market Twins have been anything but quiet and the loudest move they made was signing free agent Ricky Nolasco. While he might not be a Cy-Young favorite going into the season, you can be sure that the Twins took Nolasco right off of the wish-lists of many large market teams that needed starting pitching help. This was the move that let the world know the Twins were going to do more and try harder this year.
5 – Seattle Mariners Sign Robinson Cano
Just when it looked like Cano might need to consider dropping his asking price to something that was not quite as ridiculous as his original $300M price-tag, the Mariners jump in and give him a ton of cash. Considering the place Cano is in his career and his age, this was a deal that raised quite a few eyebrows around the league as there is no guarantee that the huge dollars paid to Cano will help him repeat his previous success or bring success to the team as a whole.
4 – Detroit Tigers Trade Prince Fielder
The Tigers pulled off a masterful move with the trading of Fielder to the Rangers. They rid themselves of a ton of money over a long period of time. In addition to that they brought in Ian Kinsler to fill a second base spot, moved Miguel Cabrera over to a safer place at first base and opened a hole for big prospect and rookie of the year 2014 candidate Nick Castellanos to fill. That’s a pretty stinking good deal if you ask me.
3 – New York Yankees Sign Brian McCann
McCann quickly became known as the top free agent catcher on the market this offseason. The Yankees wasted little time in making sure they made him a priority. Before long they had him inked to a new deal and had him anointed as the next great Yankees catcher. This could be either the perfect deal for McCann or the perfect stumbling block for his career with the pressure being placed on him.
2 – Washington Nationals Trade for Doug Fister
Last season the Nats tried to complete their supposedly dominant starting rotation with Dan Haren. When that didn’t work they went out this offseason and went after a guy that no one else knew was even available. In Fister the Nats should have their man to complete a dominant rotation at last. Of course they thought the same thing last season so we’ll just have to wait and see.
1 – Arizona Diamondbacks Trade for Mark Trumbo
Many fans and experts thought Paul Goldschmidt should have won the NL MVP in 2013. Those people should be super-extra pumped about seeing Mark Trumbo line-up right next to him. The DBacks should be able to prop back and watch a historically good season if all goes well.
