USA TODAY International Edition
Uncertainty surrounds Rangers, Rays
Though some appealing free agents remain available, the offseason’s heavy lifting has been done and major league teams are looking ahead to the beginning of spring training in less than three weeks. USA TODAY Sports’ Gabe Lacques examines which teams didn’t help themselves enough during the winter:
TEXAS RANGERS
Going away: 1B Mitch Moreland, LHP Derek Holland, DH Carlos Beltran, RHP Colby Lewis Coming back: OF Carlos Gomez, OF Josh Hamilton New blood: RHP Andrew Cashner, 1B James Loney, RHP Dillon Gee
Winter wrongdoing: For a team coming off 95 wins and consecutive American League West titles, the Rangers have lots of maybes and question marks. Most notably, a rotation headed by Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels drops off significantly thereafter. Lefty Martin Perez finally cracked the 30- start mark in 2016, though he posted a 4.39 ERA in doing so. The final two spots will be manned by some combo of A. J. Griffin, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross, all of whom were ineffective or injured last season. Ross has ace- level stuff but won’t be ready until at least May after surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. While a reunion with Mike Napoli remains a possibility, the lineup has similar questions: Can Gomez sustain his Arlington revival for a full season as leadoff man? Can Jurickson Profar make it all the way back and hit with enough power to hold down first base? Will Joey Gallo — just 23 — ever stop striking out? In fairness, two of their late- season acquisitions — catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress — were almost like offseason moves that happened in August. But it still doesn’t seem like enough.
TAMPA BAY RAYS Going away: 2B Logan Forsythe, LHP Drew Smyly, C Curt Casali, 1B Logan Morrison, OF Mikie Mahtook
New blood: RHP Jose DeLeon, C Wilson Ramos, OF Mallex Smith, OF Colby Rasmus, RHP Shawn Tolleson, OF Jason Coats, LHP Ryan Yarbrough
Winter wrongdoing: The Rays operate differently than all of their major league brethren — partly by circumstance, partly by choice — and they might yet emerge from another big winter churn with a superior future core, particularly if Smith and Yarbrough pan out in the deal with Seattle for Smyly. But the late trade of Forsythe for DeLeon again moves the goalposts on when the club might actually play for today. It’s a classic Rays move — gaining six years of control, a minimum salary and a potential rotation cog in DeLeon for two years of Forsythe, who slammed 20 homers last year. Veterans such as Evan Longoria were stung by the move, and it only serves to sow doubt in any player with more than three years’ service time that they, too, might be packing bags. As for DeLeon, keep in mind he’s never pitched more than 114 innings in a pro season, meaning it’s likely two years before he’s a fully serviceable starter. By then, who else will be gone?
CHICAGO CUBS Going away: CF Dexter Fowler, LHP Aroldis Chapman, C David Ross, OF Jorge Soler, RHP Jason Hammel, LHP Travis Wood New blood: RHP Wade Davis, CF Jon Jay, LHP Brett Anderson, RHP Koji Uehara, LHP Brian Duensing
Winter wrongdoing: Hey, even the Mona Lisa isn’t flawless. Certainly, most of the defending World Series champion’s moves were spot- on — particularly that maroon jacket first baseman Anthony Rizzo wore to the White House. Davis was the only elite closer available who didn’t re- quire an investment of at least $ 60 million. Jay and Albert Almora Jr. will team with Jason Heyward for an excellent look defensively, though they won’t replace Fowler’s production. This looks like a super team, but Chicago could have been more proactive with the back end of its rotation. John Lackey will be 38. Newly acquired lefty Brett Anderson has had one 30- start season in his last seven. Meanwhile, Jake Arrieta will be a free agent after the season. Mike Montgomery is probably best served in that swing role he played in the playoffs. Not that the Cubs needed to make a huge splash, but rotation depth remains the soul of a club. Strangely, they are a bit lacking in that department.
DETROIT TIGERS Going away: OF Cameron Maybin Coming back: C Alex Avila New blood: OF Mikie Mahtook, LHP Daniel Stumpf
Winter wrongdoing: Just because the Tigers have sworn off big- money deals doesn’t mean they had to gut the roster, and there’s gains to be made internally for a team coming off an 86win season — notably, better health from starter Jordan Zimmermann and another step forward from lefty Daniel Norris. That would give them a strong rotation with Justin Verlander and Michael Fulmer, along with an offense that finished third in the AL in slugging. Yet this offseason seems like a lost opportunity to retrench, possibly by pairing desirable players with more toxic assets. Ian Kinsler’s 10- team notrade clause certainly crimped general manager Al Avila’s ability to do just that. Instead, they’re likely to see slugger J. D. Martinez walk after this season or fetch an inferior return at the trade deadline, and they’re still saddled with DH Victor Martinez ( due $ 36 million through 2018) and starter Anibal Sanchez ($ 21.8 million). Keeping the core together might result in a playoff team. If they fall short, everyone will be a year older and the minor league system will still be lacking. MINNESOTA TWINS Going away: 3B Trevor
Plouffe, C Kurt Suzuki
New blood: C Jason Castro, RHP Justin Haley, C Chris Gimenez, OF J. B. Shuck, RHP Ryan Vogelsong
Winter wrongdoing: Brian Dozier turns 30 in May, has averaged 134 strikeouts in his four full major league seasons and is a lifetime .246 hitter. Oh, Dozier also slugged 42 home runs — an American League record 40 as a second baseman — in 2016. Combine those assessments, and it’s not a leap to say Dozier’s trade value reached its peak this offseason — particularly given that he is due just $ 15 million for the next two seasons. We can’t fault the Twins for rejecting low- ball offers, particularly since he’s the most marketable player on a team that lost 103 games. Yet it will be interesting if the team’s new front office will kick itself for losing out on DeLeon when they and the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t agree on complementary pieces. Dozier was their best asset, and now he might start to depreciate, and the Twins figure to take it on the chin again in the AL Central.