10 MLB Teams That Have Lost The Offseason
10 MLB Teams That Have Had Bad Offseasons
It is still very early in January, but the MLB offseason has been extremely quiet as of late. There are some unresolved situations remaining, including the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes. Free agent pitchers like Matt Garza, Bronson Arroyo, Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez have yet to sign, and some hitters like Nelson Cruz, Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales still have to find new homes. There are also trade candidates like David Price and any of the Los Angeles Dodgers' outfielders who could be moved.
When the market will heat up again is anyone's guess, but it probably has something to do with teams waiting to see where Tanaka will wind up signing. Once Tanaka is off the board, teams will likely sign Garza and the other top free agent pitchers rather quickly. Once the free agent options are gone, then the Tampa Bay Rays could trade Price, but that doesn't seem extremely likely at this point.
Even though the offseason isn't over, there has been a ton of movement already. There is a clear picture of which teams have won the offseason and which ones haven't done quite as well. Finding the teams that have won the offseason is much easier, but I am going to take the negative approach and list 10 teams that have lost the offseason. Keep in mind that these are all based on predictions of how each move will eventually work out -- a team that looks great on paper doesn't always have the greatest success. Read on to find out if your favorite team is on the list!
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks made one of the bigger splashes of the offseason by acquiring first baseman/outfielder Mark Trumbo in a three-team trade. However, with Adam Eaton and Tyler Skaggs being the cost, the Diamondbacks clearly lost this deal. Trumbo is a poor defensive player that strikes out way too much. The value he provides in power will be lost by his weak defense and his poor on-base skills.
9. Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds didn't need to do a lot entering the offseason, but that doesn't mean they should have stood pat. Instead of remembering the offseason's additions, Reds fans will be forced to remember who they lost: Shin-Soo Choo, Ryan Hanigan and potentially Bronson Arroyo.
Choo would have cost a bundle to retain, and they seem to think speedster Billy Hamilton is ready to replace him in center field. Losing Arroyo may not be terrible because it opens up a spot for southpaw Tony Cingrani in the rotation.
8. Toronto Blue Jays
For a team that has a ton of talent on it, the Toronto Blue Jays haven't done much to get better for the 2014 season. The only impact addition the Jays made was signing catcher Dioner Navarro to be the starter, while they lost Josh Johnson to free agency. The Blue Jays are still involved in several rumors, most recently being linked to Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez.
7. Milwaukee Brewers
Will Smith. No, not the actor, the pitcher. He is the only significant addition that the Milwaukee Brewers have made this offseason. In addition to not adding anything of significance, the Brewers have lost Corey Hart and Norichika Aoki. Keep in mind that we have no idea what type of player Ryan Braun will be after his steroid suspension. There are a lot of questions surrounding the Brewers heading into 2014.
6. Detroit Tigers
I'm not sure what to think about the Detroit Tigers' offseason to be completely honest. GM Dave Dombrowski seemed to have big things in mind when he shaved a lot of money off of their payroll by trading Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for Ian Kinsler. He then traded Doug Fister to the Washington Nationals. As far as additions go, the Tigers added closer Joe Nathan on a two-year contract, Rajai Davis and Joba Chamberlain. The Tigers' offseason could definitely be upgraded if they are able to work out an extension with Max Scherzer.
5. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles made one solid move this offseason: they traded their $10 million closer Jim Johnson to Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. Other than that, the only significant move the O's have made is signing reliever Ryan Webb. The team lost Nate McLouth to free agency, which is a fairly significant blow.
4. Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. doesn't seem to know what he is doing. There were rumors that he was willing to trade Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, but nothing ever happened on that front. He was also trying to trade his extremely overpaid closer, Jonathan Papelbon, but no team would take his contract off of Amaro's hands.
Instead of trading away talent from his aging roster to get younger, Amaro decided to add more aging players! He is swiftly becoming one of MLB's worst GMs. The Phillies added Marlon Byrd on a two-year, $16 million deal. They also extended second baseman Chase Utley to a fairly lucrative deal that will keep him with the Phillies until what seems like his age-100 season.
The Phillies are a mess. They are clearly too old and don't have enough talent to win, but Amaro simply refuses to rebuild his roster. Their farm system is terrible as well. Sorry Phillies fans, but until Amaro is gone, things aren't looking great.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates' front office has earned much deserved trust after their magical 2013 season, but fans of the Bucs need to be at least somewhat skeptical about their lack of activity so far in the offseason. The team has lost Justin Morneau and Marlon Byrd to free agency, and it looks more and more likely that A.J. Burnett also won't be returning. The only two moves of note that the Pirates have made were signing a terrible pitcher in Edinson Volquez and adding a backup catcher, Chris Stewart.
2. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves haven't made any useful additions, but they certainly lost some impact talent to free agency. The San Francisco Giants added veteran starting pitcher Tim Hudson from the Braves, and lifelong catcher Brian McCann signed with the New York Yankees. There is still time for the Braves to make a move, but at this point, their offseason has been bad.
1. Seattle Mariners
Robinson Cano is a member of the Seattle Mariners, so how could they be losers this offseason? Well, the Mariners were a very bad team in 2013, and adding one great bat doesn't improve the team enough to make signing Cano worth it. The Mariners added solid bounce-back candidates Corey Hart and Logan Morrison in support of the future Hall of Fame second baseman, but the team still has major holes in several positions. There are still some potential targets for the Mariners out there, including Nelson Cruz, Kendrys Morales and David Price, so the outlook of their offseason could change in a hurry.
