After MLB headquarters operated at a frigid pace for much of the winter in recent off-seasons, many teams were eager to make a splash before the collective bargaining agreement expired. More than half of our top 50 free agents had signed when the lockout began on Dec. 2. Nonetheless, even the best teams from last season still have at least one clear area that needs a facelift ahead of their quest for the 2022 World Series title.
For now, we can only dream of the frantic post-lockout flurry of transfers and trades that is sure to take place when GMs try to line up their ducks before spring training begins. With all transactions suspended during the lockout, it’s a good time to examine how the contending teams will approach the “second half” of the offseason once another CBA is agreed.
Today we will address the most important needs of the five National League teams that qualified for the playoffs last season. Next week, we’ll cover their American League counterparts.
All projected payroll figures and record payroll figures are from MLB trade rumors.
Atlanta Braves: First base
We’ll start with the defending World Series champs, who, as they stand, have the most pressing issue to address: Freddie Freeman, the face of the franchise and the 2020 NL MVP, is still a free agent. And unsurprisingly, it appears to be attracting interest of the richest franchises in the league, according to the athleticit’s Jim Bowden. The Yankees have a clear opportunity at first base with Anthony Rizzo still in the market and Luke Voit’s future uncertain amid the business rumors. The Dodgers are a less obvious choice, but they could move Max Muncy to second and Trea Turner to shortstop to replace the late Corey Seager.
It would certainly be a dramatic offseason story if Atlanta lets its friendly leader leave right after winning a championship. If that happens, there are some replacements available through free agency (Rizzo) or trade (Matt Olson, Voit). But none are likely to come close to the contributions of the man Braves fans call “MVFree.”
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Milwaukee Brewers: One Big Bat
The NL Central champs were a mediocre group on offense last season. They had just six runs in their four-game divisional series loss to Atlanta, and they ranked last among the 10 playoff teams and in the bottom third of the entire league in batting average (.233), slugging percentage ( .396), OPS (.713) and wRC + (91). Then the Brewers watched as their 2021 home run leader Avisaíl García, key trade deadline acquisition Eduardo Escobar and half of their receiving platoon, Manny Piña, signed with other teams in free agency before the close. patronal. President of Baseball Operations David Stearns partially smoothed out those losses by acquiring former Red Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe in a trade for Jackie Bradley Jr., who had historically failed during his only season in Milwaukee, and two prospects. But the goal for the rest of the offseason has yet to be clear: improve the lineup.
That goal becomes especially obvious if the National League adopts the designated hitter. The Milwaukee bench is full of squad pieces and uninspiring options. The Brewers’ best backup to promote would likely be Tyrone Taylor, but that would leave them without a fourth outfielder. Kyle Seager would have been a great fit here if he hadn’t retired; Even if the designated hitter is not included in the next collective bargaining agreement, his presence would have pushed third baseman Luis Urías into the kind of super-utility role he is best suited for.
Stearns must maneuver without much room to spare on wages; After factoring in umpiring increases, the Brewers are already projected to nearly match their franchise record payroll of $ 123 million, which was set in 2019. The best way forward may be to trade for an underrated hitter like Garrett. Cooper of Miami, whose excellent exit velocity hints at a possible breakout. Cooper is entering his second year of umpiring and it would be relatively cheap because he is not projected to start with the Marlins. If team ownership grants greater flexibility in payroll, a slugger willing to a short team deal like Nelson Cruz or Michael Conforto, who may be looking to restore his value after a disappointing 2021 campaign, would be a blessing.
Ultimately, the biggest variable in Milwaukee’s offense will be Christian Yelich’s production. The 2018 NL MVP was a below-average hitter by OPS + (99) last season, a fact that can’t be repeated if the Brewers are going to make some noise in October.
St. Louis Cardinals: starting pitcher, shortstop
The Cardinals didn’t initially impress anyone with the acquisitions of Jon Lester and JA Happ on last season’s trade deadline. Sure, St. Louis was in dire need of a starting pitcher, but were those two aging southpaws with an ERA above 5.00 the answer for a team on the brink of postseason contention? The Redbirds had the last laugh after those gray beards worked well. Now, with Lester retired and Happ persistent in free agency alongside former Cardinals starter Kwang Hyun Kim, St. Louis could once again look to add another arm to its rotation to join newly signed Steven Matz.
This may not look like an Achilles heel at first glance; Matz seems poised to team up with Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas and Dakota Hudson in a solid stable of headlines. But there are concerns with each of those boys, ranging from Wainwright’s age to Matz’s terrible 2020 and concerns about the injuries of the other three after they missed significant time with shoulder / arm ailments in the 2021. With a projected payroll approximately $ 14 million below last season’s figure, this appears to be a good area to strengthen in the coming months. As the old adage goes, you can never have enough pitches.
The Cardinals could rejoin Kim, but he suffered elbow problems himself last year, and the coaching staff never seemed to fully trust the soft pitcher as a starter despite his strong shallow-level stats. Zack Greinke fits the profile established by Lester and Happ as a canny veteran who could exceed expectations with St. Louis’ stellar defense behind him. If the president of baseball operations, John Mozeliak, values speed, left-handers Carlos Rodón and Yusei Kikuchi are the only remaining free agents to top 95 mph on the radar.
St. Louis may choose to participate in the shortstop market. Edmundo Sosa performed reasonably well down the stretch after taking over from Paul DeJong, who got stuck under Mendoza’s line amid his continued struggles against lefties. Sosa, however, did benefit from some luck with the batted ball and does not offer much success. However, the Cardinals are likely to let Sosa and DeJong fight, as betting on Carlos Correa or Trevor Story just doesn’t stick to the way the Cardinals typically operate, especially given that DeJong is guaranteed $ 15 million for the next two. seasons.
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San Francisco Giants: starting pitcher, designated hitter (?)
Even after bringing in Alex Cobb and retaining Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood from last year’s surprisingly elite rotation, the Giants could use another starter if they hope to repeat as NL West champions. It looks like there will be some drop in going from the late Kevin Gausman to Cobb, and Tyler Beede, a 28-year-old who last started in the majors in 2019, is currently singled out as San Francisco’s No. 5 starter. The Giants were also very lucky last season when it came to pitcher injuries, or lack thereof. His top five projected starters made at least 20 starts, with Johnny Cueto, who has yet to sign, the only one who did not represent at least 26. They will likely need more depth in 2022.
The good news is that San Francisco believes it has plenty of cash to spare with a projected payroll of $ 126 million, $ 75 million below its record set in 2018. The bad news is that the market for starting pitchers has dried up in its tracks. most injured – Prone Rodon who represents the highest ceiling of any unsigned free agent. You could easily see the president of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi, taking advantage of a Reds team looking to dump pay by signing Sonny Gray or Luis Castillo, who have two years of control of the club left and could perform much better after escape from Cincinnati.
San Francisco is another team that would likely look for another bat if the designated hitter makes it to the National League. Jorge Soler would be an attractive power option who would have no problem throwing balls into the expansive outfields of Oracle Park. A cheaper and lower-cost option would be Tommy Pham, who could also take on the field innings for Darin Ruf, whose defense is what you would expect from someone who is a clumsy first baseman by trade. Pham is the kind of underrated player the Giants could try to revitalize after his StatCast metrics indicated he experienced some bad luck in San Diego over the past two seasons.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Starting pitcher (s)
Like the Cardinals and Giants, Los Angeles needs reinforcements in the rotation. Like the Braves, the Dodgers have yet to meet an icon of the team whose number is likely to be retired one day. The president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, could partially solve both problems by re-signing Clayton Kershaw.
However, bringing the future Hall of Famer back probably wouldn’t be enough, even if Kershaw manages to surpass 180 innings for the first time since 2015, an unlikely proposition. The Dodgers’ No. 4 and No. 5 projected starters are Andrew Heaney (5.83 ERA in 21) and David Price, who completed five innings in just two of his 11 starts last season. His initial shortcomings were exposed in October, when manager Dave Roberts sent all three of his healthy starters (Max Scherzer, Walker Buehler, Julio Urías) on a short layoff to no avail.
The Dodgers couldn’t have imagined being in such dire straits after starting 2021 with the most stacked pitching staff in recent memory. But Trevor Bauer is still under investigation for allegations of sexual and domestic assault and remains on administrative leave, Dustin May is recovering from Tommy John surgery and Scherzer is going to New York; Los Angeles doesn’t have the depth it once did.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.