With the lockout over and spring training in full swing, the attention now turns towards the start of the baseball season and the conclusion of free agency. Throughout this offseason, there have been both winners and losers.
Winners
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers lost shortstop Corey Seager to the Rangers. While that stings, they bounced back by adding Atlanta superstar first baseman Freddie Freeman, re-signing Clayton Kershaw, and signing starting pitchers Danny Duffy and Tyler Anderson.
New York Mets
The Mets always seem to start strong every year, but falter after the All-Star break. However, with the additions of Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha, New York hopes to be consistent through the whole season.
Losers
Texas Rangers
This offseason, the Rangers went on a shopping spree, adding Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jon Gray, Kole Calhoun, and trading for Mitch Garver. It sets them up to finish better than last season, yet the rotation, bullpen, and outfield have question marks.
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies finished close to the bottom of the standings, and they looked to use their money during the offseason. However, the addition of Kris Bryant was an overpay, and his aging bat doesn’t address most of Colorado’s issues.
Mr. Strassberg, a physical education teacher at WJPS, said, “MLB free agency was an extremely wild ride. When free agency started, players were getting new contracts left and right. Teams like the Mets were extremely involved with the market with four players to fill their needs. Once the lockout hit, the players took a huge standstill in negotiations with the contract.”
Nicholas Martinez, a senior at WJPS, said, “The MLB free agency period was interesting, a lot of key players moved teams, and I’m excited to see how these transactions pan out.”
Photo: “MLB Logo” by chriki24 is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
