With the new season on the horizon for Major League Baseball, let us take a look at which teams made strides and which had steps back during the offseason.
The New York Yankees were quiet up until after the New Year began when they resigned star infielder DJ Lemahieu and signed starting pitcher Corey Kluber. The Yankees also traded for starting pitcher Jameson Taillon.
The New York Mets made a big splash this winter when they acquired star shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. In addition, the Mets signed relief pitcher Trevor May and catcher James McCann.
Winners: Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres
The Los Angeles Dodgers won their long-coveted World Series championship in 2020 and made moves during the offseason that have positioned them to repeat.
The Dodgers signing starting pitcher Trevor Bauer adds to a rotation headlined by Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler. The bullpen also improved with the addition of relief pitchers Blake Treinen, Corey Knebel, and Tommy Kahnle.
In 2020, the San Diego Padres showed that they have the talent to contend in the National League and make a run in the playoffs.
This offseason, the Padres extended star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and signed top international infielder Ha-Seong Kim to help solidify the infield. San Diego also added starting pitchers Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove to join Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet to create a formidable rotation.
“I think that the Padres have won the offseason. I think their acquisitions of Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove, plus extending Fernando Tatis Jr. were all fantastic moves,” said Mr. Reff, a Spanish teacher at WJPS.
Losers: Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics
The Tampa Bay Rays were very close to winning the World Series in 2020, but during this offseason, they made headlines for the wrong reasons.
The Rays traded away Blake Snell and failed to re-sign Charlie Morton, putting their starting rotation in an unfortunate situation by losing their top two starters. Losing outfielder Hunter Renfroe and relief pitcher Aaron Loup to free agency won’t improve the Rays’ hope of playoffs in 2021.
The Oakland Athletics won the AL West in 2020 and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs. Yet during this offseason, key players departed and they failed to make any big moves.
The Athletics closer Liam Hendriks left for the Chicago White Sox while shortstop Marcus Semien signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Semien’s departure caused them to trade for a replacement shortstop, Elvis Andrus from the Texas Rangers, who is past his prime in exchange for outfielder and designated hitter Khris Davis.
“I think the biggest loser for the offseason has been the Tampa Rays. They traded Blake Snell and did not renew the 15 million option of Charlie Morton. The Rays also failed to add more position players,” said Mr. Maroney, a physical education teacher at WJPS.
We will see how the decisions of each team during the offseason impact their chances of contending in 2021.
Photo: “MLB Logo” by chriki24 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
