Leading OFF
Winners and losers from brutal offseason for free agents
There were no ceremonies to see if a varmint sees his shadow, and snowstorms are still pummeling the Northeast. But mercifully, baseball’s interminable winter is over.
One hundred thirty days after the Houston Astros were last seen jumping into one another’s arms and even proposing to girlfriends, we can finally celebrate the end of the coldest baseball winter on record.
Oh, sure, there are a few stranded free agents left on the market, led by closer Greg Holland and starting pitcher Alex Cobb, but after the Philadelphia Phillies’ signing of Jake Arrieta, the last big chess piece is off the board.
Just a couple of weeks remain before baseball’s opening day, but only now can we actually judge the offseason, providing the biggest winners.
The torn, frayed and soiled envelopes, please.
Best winter, player
Giancarlo Stanton, New
York Yankees: Stanton is the only man in baseball who gets to play where he wanted, and he received every penny he felt that he deserves, transferring from Major League Baseball’s swamplands to baseball’s most iconic franchise.
The Miami Marlins threatened Stanton during the winter that if he didn’t accept a deal to the San Francisco Giants or St. Louis Cardinals, he’d be stuck in Miami for the rest of his career. Stanton called their bluff. He wound up with the powerful Yankees less than a week later, and, yes, still gets the remaining $295 million of his salary — and an opt-out clause after 2019, if so inclined.
Worst winter, player
Mike Moustakas, Kansas
City Royals: Moustakas produced the finest season of his career last season, hitting a franchise-record 38 homers for the Kansas City Royals, believing free agency would land him a five-year contract worth about $95 million.
The entire winter passed, and his phone never rang with a single contract offer.
He wound up back in Kansas City last weekend on a paltry one-year, $6.5 million deal, barely one-third of reliever Tommy Hunter’s guarantee with the Philadelphia Phillies.
He had to take a $2.2 million pay cut just to play baseball again this year.
It was the easily ugliest outcome of the winter.
Best winter, team
Philadelphia Phillies: What do you know, a baseball team spent money this winter?
The Phillies, perhaps perturbed by five consecutive losing seasons and the notion of the NFL Eagles’ grip on the Philly market only growing firmer, dropped $169 million on the free agent market. They signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million contract in December, shored up their bullpen by signing Pat Neshek and Hunter and then jumped on Arrieta’s fallen market with a three-year, $75 million contract.
Finally, a team that shrugged at the loss of draft picks, forfeiting their second- and thirdround picks, and pronouncing that their rebuild is over.
And the Phillies did it without the risk of being stuck with a long, unwieldy contract.
In fact, Arrieta’s and Santana’s contracts will expire in what would be just the second year of a mega-deal for one (or more) of the many superstar players hitting the market next winter.
The Phillies are not quite ready for contention, but a year from now when Bryce Harper leaves the Washington Nationals, the National League East will be wide open.
Worst winter, team
Miami Marlins: Remember when South Florida wildly celebrated the departure of owner Jeffrey Loria and the arrival of Yankees icon Derek Jeter?
The honeymoon was over by last call at the Clevelander.
Sure, it was time for the Marlins to face reality and rebuild, but it still was stunning to see the swiftness of the wrecking ball to this franchise.
The entire star-studded outfield is gone in Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich.
So is their batting and stolen base champion in Dee Gordon.
Oh, and if you need a veteran infielder in Martin Prado or a reliever in Brad Ziegler, all it takes is a call.
Jeter is not Loria, but twicebitten fans in South Florida can be forgiven if it takes them a minute to believe in this regime.
Best winter, executive
Billy Eppler, Los Angeles
Angels GM: Eppler, taking shrewd advantage of the strange market, spent conservatively without surrendering a draft pick while still staying under the luxury tax, lured the only player everyone in baseball wanted (Shohei Ohtani), retained a marquee slugger (Justin Upton), signed a third baseman who was an All-Star shortstop (Zack Cozart) and traded for a four-time All-Star second baseman (Ian Kinsler).
Just like that, the Angels have their best team since the arrival of Mike Trout.
They’re not going to challenge the powerful Houston Astros in the American League West but are finally legitimate wild-card contenders.
Candor champion, executive
Seattle Mariners GM Jerry
Dipoto: Dipoto was speaking from his heart, but perhaps not his head, not realizing the ramifications when he became the first club executive to agree with the union that the system is grossly flawed.
“You could argue you’re going to compete with more clubs to get the first pick in the draft,” Dipoto said, “than you would to win the World Series.”
It was the quote the union is using to wallpaper its office, much to Commissioner Rob Manfred’s chagrin, and it’s safe to say Dipoto might never address that topic again. Welcome to the 2018 season. It finally has arrived.