MLB: 30 teams’ intentions are starting to clear
Baseball has lurched to the one-week mark until almost every spring training camp opens, and dozens of unsigned players won’t be walking through those doors.
But never mind the unknown destinations of Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and a cadre of others who can greatly improve your hometown nine. Who’s going for it? Who’s tanking? Who’s destined to languish in the middle? Here’s a look at the apparent intentions of all 30 clubs:
IN IT TO WIN IT
Red Sox: The defending champs are down a bullpen arm, but a dropoff from 108 wins is hardly cataclysmic. Yankees: Still pinching pennies but the Bombers are better with James Paxton, D.J. LeMahieu and a bullpen of death. Rays: Hey, everything’s relative. The Rays won 90 games last year, and dropped a franchiserecord $15 million (U.S.) per year on Charlie Morton. Indians: By not trading any of their dominant pitching, the Indians all but ensured another crack at October. Astros: The offence gets better with Michael Brantley. And maybe Dallas Keuchel, against all odds, comes back to the rotation. Braves: Haven’t yet “gone for it” but a $23-million rental of Josh Donaldson says plenty. Phillies: They’ll still get a chance to spend. Nationals: Slowly but surely becoming the gold standard for giving a damn. Brewers: More sock with Yasmani Grandal. Cubs: A terrible winter but a good team still in place. Dodgers: A.J. Pollock and Joe Kelly make them better.
NEED SOME BREAKS
Twins: Nelson Cruz can nudge them over .500. Athletics: Must get repeat performances from lineup and bullpen. Angels: Need small bets on Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill and Cody Allen to pan out. Mets: Friends-of-the-GM Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie make them better. Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Miller cost them hardly anything. Rockies: Teams churn through relievers all the time but deleting Adam Ottavino’s 112 strikeouts feels like a big deal.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
White Sox: Kelvin Herrera and Ivan Nova lend some stability to the pitching staff. But it’s the Harper/Machado interest that’s intriguing. Rangers: They spent $30 million on Lance Lynn? Pirates: Augmented an 82-win club with Francisco Liriano, Lonnie Chisenhall, Erik Gonzalez and Jordan Lyles. Reds: A fun dash for one-year relevance. Padres: Pointed toward 2020 with the signing of rehabbing Garrett Richards. But still in play for Machado and Harper. Giants: All signs point to significant teardown, except for this week’s Harper meeting.
WAIT ’TIL NEXT YEAR
Blue Jays: Any other division, and the holdovers and kids on the way would make them a threat. Orioles: Anything less than 115 losses is an improvement. Tigers: Might win a few more than expected since no one wants Nick Castellanos. Royals: Adalberto Mondesi leads off and Billy Hamilton finishes, which is probably how you’d arrange them on a relay team, too. Mariners: Can GM Jerry Dipoto make this a quick fix? Marlins: It was looking like J.T. Realmuto could look for retirement properties in South Florida, until the Phillies stepped up. Diamondbacks: They’re not terrible, which makes you wonder if the emotional fallout of dealing Goldschmidt was worth the return.