The absolute flurry of moves and transactions during the MLB’s winter meetings was enough to have everyone in the baseball community feeling a little breathless trying to keep up. Despite so much getting done so early, there are still a handful of teams with work to do in their offseason, including a certain World Series champion.
Let’s take a look back at all the concluded business during the winter meetings and how they’ve shaped the MLB landscape as the New Year and the new season approach. And speaking of the New Year, don’t forget to catch all the New Year’s Six bowl games as the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals take center stage. Click here for a breakdown of all the college football action on New Year’s Day.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Top Storylines of the MLB Offseason
Red Sox go on a signing spree
The Boston brass didn’t waste much time trying to turn around a second last-place AL East finish in three years. The Red Sox splashed some serious cash with the big free-agent signings of World Series hero Pablo Sandoval and former Red Sox prospect Hanley Ramirez.
[sc:MLB240banner ]The Sox also dealt away slugger Yoenis Cespedes, whom they got in last season’s Jon Lester deal, to Detroit in exchange for Rick Porcello, and sacrificed a couple of pitching prospects for Arizona lefty Wade Miley. And to cap off their pitching binge, they signed back former Red Sox Justin Masterson on a one-year deal.
All these moves made the Sox a much better team on paper, and they are now +1,000 to win the World Series. They still lack a true top-of-the-order ace with Lester gone, but they may still have one last big move to make with their sudden surplus of bats. Don’t be surprised if they part with one of their highly-touted, homegrown prospects in Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts for a power arm.
Dodgers get dealing
Speaking of not wasting time, Andrew Friedman didn’t do any dilly-dallying at his new job as his Dodgers were the most active team during the winter meetings. When the smoke cleared from all their wheeling and dealing, the Dodgers ended up with a new middle of the infield with veterans Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick, and a solid starter in Brandon McCarthy.
There’s also the not-so-small matter of the Dodgers sending former MVP-caliber outfielder Matt Kemp on his way to San Diego after initial concerns about his arthritic hips. The Dodgers now get a promising catcher in Yasmani Grandal to join a revamped Dodgers team that’s the runaway +700 favorite to win the World Series in 2015.
Kemp’s departure opens up a spot in that crowded outfield for promising prospect Joc Pederson. He, along with the new double-play combination of Rollins and Kendrick figure to make the Dodgers a significantly better defensive team apart from the offense and superior pitching they already possess.
Are the Cubs contenders?
The Cubs’ World Series odds are nearly double the Dodgers’ at +1,400, but those are still the lowest and most optimistic they’ve been in some time. That’s because the brain trust of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer recruited a very savvy manager in Joe Maddon, as well as their old Boston pal Jon Lester to lead the Cubs’ charge in 2015.
They also added the solid bat of catcher Miguel Montero to a lineup that already includes rising stars Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler. Meanwhile, Lester becomes the ace of a rotation that includes breakout star Jake Arrieta and steady workhorses in Jason Hammel and Edwin Jackson.
This is shaping up to be the season where the Cubs finally make the jump back up to respectability. But please bear in mind that these are still the Cubs, so keep any optimism to a manageable level.
A’s Get an F
Billy Beane’s been a busy boy this winter after surprisingly stripping away a team that looked like a potential World Series contender last season, only to falter badly in the end. The A’s general manager of Moneyball fame has already traded away starter Jeff Samardzija, All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson and slugger Brandon Moss in the winter for Brett Lowrie and mostly unknown parts.
They also lost starters Lester and Jason Hammel, as well as Jed Lowrie and Luke Gregerson to free agency.
It’s never a wise move to count Beane out, but the theme of his perplexing offseason activity smells more of cost-cutting rather than a sincere effort at improvement, which doesn’t provide much optimism for the A’s this season. They’re priced high at +4,000 to finally claim that elusive title, but the way their offseason’s been going, Beane’s team will be waiting a lot longer for postseason success.
Padres add (a lot of) pop
New Padres general manager A.J. Preller is doing his very best to upstage his much more illustrious California-based counterparts by making a slew of moves give the perennially powerless Padres offense some serious pop in their lineup. After pushing through with the Kemp deal despite concerns with his hips, Preller has sewn up two more moves for a couple of big bats, first Wil Myers and then Justin Upton.
All three moves are serious coups for San Diego, which is pushing its chips in the middle of the table and hoping for the best. If the Padres are going down, they’re going down swinging, just like all three of their big winter acquisitions. If anything, the Padres look suddenly pretty enticing to take a swing on as +6,000 long shots for World Series.
What about the pennant winners?
After standing pat during the winter meetings, the Royals are finally making their moves to make another run at the World Series. The Royals reached agreements with veteran sluggers Alex Rios and Kendrys Morales to replace the departed Billy Butler.
They also snapped up a pair of talented starting pitchers in Edinson Volquez and Kris Medlen, which look to be a clear indication that free agent ace James Shields isn’t coming back to re-sign with the Royals.
Meanwhile, the defending champion Giants have had issues of their own in free agency, losing Sandoval to the Red Sox and failing in their bid to land Lester. San Francisco still has yet to replace the Panda, as well as find another reliable starting pitcher.
But after capturing a third World Series crown in five years, are the Giants really in a rush to remain ultra-competitive? Besides, it’s an odd-ending year in 2015, which essentially rules out the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series champions from contention.
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