Spring training is in full swing and actual baseball is less than a week again. Last year’s champs, the Boston Red Sox, are no longer champions. They are just like everyone else now, just another team chasing the trophy. So with free agency virtually over, this is how the teams rank based on a mixture of how they finished last year and what they added via free agency.
30. Chicago Cubs
The Cubbies finished in dead last in the NL Central in 2013, and as they are in full fledge rebuilding mode they will probably finish there again in 2014. They did not do much to improve the team for right now other than adding closer Jose Veras and trading one underachieving outfielder for another when they got Justin Ruggiano from the Miami Marlins. Bright spots are in the future as the prospects develop in the minors and guys like Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo continue to grow at the major league level.
29. Houston Astros
The Astros rank slightly above the Cubs for one reason, they added veteran pitching depth to try to improve the team. The improvement is not great, but it is good enough to take this team from bad to mediocre. If the young hitters improve upon their 2013 seasons this team could spoil some teams and be ready to take the next step sooner rather than later.
28. Miami Marlins
One step above the Astros and the Cubbies are the Marlins. They were atrocious in 2013 except for one bright surprise starting pitcher Jose Fernandez, but they made the offensive moves to make this team respectable. Garrett Jones the pop at first base, Rafael Furcal adds a veteran leadership in the middle infield and Jarrod Saltalamacchia adds a leader for the pitching staff behind the plate. If everything lines up right this team could leap frog a few teams and go from atrocious to decent before you know it.
27. Colorado Rockies
The Rox have a good team on paper, but that’s on paper. Beyond the ink they have a team that is built off of players with injury risks left and right, and their new additions have added even more injury risks. They added Brett Anderson at starting pitcher who is a bona fide ace, but he hasn’t been healthy since his rookie season in 2010. They also added veteran first baseman and former AL MVP Justin Morneau who has not been the same since suffering a severe concussion. They also added closer LaTroy Hawkins who has been relatively healthy but is 42-years-old. Add those three to a team whose best players are already injury prone and you have a recipe for disaster.
26. Minnesota Twins
The Twins spent a lot of money to fix the pitching staff that let them down in 2013 signing Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes and Mike Pelfrey, but none of them are the frontline starter this team needs. On top of the lack of a true ace, they did not add anything to the offense and will continue to struggle. The team ranked 25th in batting average and 25th in runs scored in 2013, so there is no reason to believe that they will fare any better in 2014.
25. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies were old in 2013, and it didn’t seem possible, but they got older in 2014. Their top additions were Marlon Byrd and A.J. Burnett who will both by 37-years old this season. Those two added to the roster that is built around an aging, overpaid and injury prone core and this could be end up as a huge train wreck. The only thing that raises them above the teams below them is the fact that if this team plays to full potential and stays relatively healthy, they could be a playoff team.
24. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers will probably be about as good as they were in 2013. Their only major additions are the return from suspension of Ryan Braun and the signing of Matt Garza, and while both are solid players, there is no way to tell how they will rebound in 2014. Garza rebounded from injury to have a solid season, but he has never pitched in the NL and Braun has to rebound from a lack of steroids, allegedly.
23. Toronto Blue Jays
The super team failed in year one and the cornerstone of the offense finished the year on the DL. Overall it was a huge disappointment of a season. 2014 should be better, right? I seriously doubt it because they have a huge hole at second base, an aging knuckleballer as their ace and their corner outfielders are both recovering from injuries. The strongest part about this team will be their bullpen, but if they are struggling and in last place at midseason that will probably be traded off when they finally realize it’s time to build toward the future.
22. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox were one of the biggest letdowns of the 2013 season. They went from nearly winning the division away from the Detroit Tigers in 2012 to dead last in the division in 2013. They will get better this season with the additions of Cuban slugger Jose Abreu and speedy outfielder Adam Eaton, but their pitching is not good enough to expect them to compete again. After Chris Sale there is only one starting pitcher that you can count on and they traded away their closer of the last two seasons. It’s going to be another long season for fans in Chicago.
21. San Diego Padres
The Padres were a huge surprise in 2013. No one expected them to finish ahead of the Giants and the Rockies but they did and their young players are starting to come into their own. With the additions of Josh Johnson and Joaquin Benoit they may be ready to surprise again.
20. New York Mets
Matt Harvey was one of the biggest stories in baseball in 2013, but now he will sitting on the bench as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. So you shouldn’t expect much from the Mets without their best pitcher right? Wrong. The Mets added one of the best starting pitchers available in Bartolo Colon and a solid rotation behind him starred by youngster Zack Wheeler. With that pitching if David Wright can stay healthy this offense has just enough to keep the Mets relevant.
19. Los Angeles Angels
With names like Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols in the starting lineup you would expect this team to be ranked higher, but they won't be until they can prove they can win out of the gates. They made a bold move by trading their young slugger Mark Trumbo to add starting pitching depth, but the pitching they acquired is young and relatively untested. If they can get started faster this team will be dangerous and could be a World Series contender, but that seems to be a big if at this point.
18. San Francisco Giants
They have won two championships in the last three seasons and after a horrible 2013 they seem ready to rebound and make another run in 2014. They added veteran Tim Hudson and veteran slugger Michael Morse to nearly the same team that won the championship in 2012, but they are going to have to leapfrog two teams that are better than them on paper, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.
17. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are a toss-up which is why they’re right in the middle of the rankings. With all of the offensive changes and young players in the starting lineup they could either mesh well and be great, or fail to mesh and struggle and be horrible. They failed to add any help in the starting rotation for Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma so that will still be a weakness, but adding Fernando Rodney to close allows Danny Farquhar to move back into the setup role. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out for this team because if it fails there will be some people looking for jobs next offseason.
16. Kansas City Royals
The Royals could finally be ready to end that playoff drought. The filled their most glaring hole with one of the most consistent players in the league when they signed Omar Infante to play second base and made a trade to acquire and excellent on-base guy when they landed Norichika Akoi. They also went out and replaced Ervin Santana who left via free agency with Jason Vargas who is one of the most consistent pitchers in the league when healthy. All of this is added to a team that fought for a wild card spot till the very last week of the season makes this the team to watch in the AL Central.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
The D-Backs had a need for a power hitter behind MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt and they went out and filled that need with Trumbo from the Angels. After acquiring Trumbo the team added depth to the pitching staff by picking up free agent starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo and trading for closer Addison Reed. The acquisition of Reed gives them a solid back end of the bullpen with Brad Ziegler and J.J. Putz that could end up being one of the best bullpen trios in the league. The problem for the D-Backs is going to be getting past the superteam that the Dodgers have built and holding off a Giants team that is coming into the season healthy. Expect the D-Backs to push the Dodgers but ultimately going to have to settle for a shot at the Wild Card.
14. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have a solid team, but a serious lack of starting pitching doomed them last season. Because of that deficiency in the starting rotation the O’s have been in on nearly every starting pitcher available this offseason signing Ubaldo Jimenezand are still in on Santana. Even if they add Santana and create what would be a great starting rotation they are still going to have a problem getting past the defending champion Red Sox, the Rays, and hold off the much improve New York Yankees.
13. Washington Nationals
There is no question that the Nats have one of the best starting rotations in the league, but that rotation dealt with injuries and inconsistency and it cost them a shot at the playoffs. If they can overcome that this season after replacing Dan Haren with Doug Fister in the rotation this not could, but WILL be one of the most dangerous teams in the National League.
12. Texas Rangers
The Rangers replaced the loss of Nelson Cruz with on-base machine Shin-Soo Choo. They replaced Ian Kinsler with slugger Prince Fielder and finally opened up a spot for number one prospect Jurickson Profar in the process. They also replaced departing A.J. Pierzynski with fellow initial using catcher, J.P. Arencibia. They did everything they needed to do to improve the team, but injuries to the starting pitching staff are still holding them back from surpassing the A’s for the division.
11. New York Yankees
The Yankees went into free agency like a team that was upset that they missed the playoffs. They were easily the biggest spenders and added pieces that should put them back into the playoffs. Brian McCann brings a veteran leadership behind the plate that was lacking last season after Russell Martin left via free agency and Jacoby Ellsbury brings to the team one of the best leadoff hitters in the league. The cherry on top of their free agency, though, has to be the signing of Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka as he adds another ace quality arm to the rotation for the Yankees. The rest of the team is aging with two huge holes at third and second base, but if they can live up to potential they can overcome that and be back in the playoffs this year.
10. Cleveland Indians
The Indians surprised a lot of people by making the playoffs last season by making the playoffs and pushing the Detroit Tigers for the division lead for most of the season. This season they could be in for a letdown with the loss of Jimenez, Chris Perez and Joe Smith and they only added one replacement for the three in the form of John Axford who has struggled the last two seasons. Even with the lack of acquisitions it is hard to bet against Manager Terry Francona so I expect them to challenge for a playoff spot again this season.
9. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds lost their manager, their leadoff hitter and the wild card game so why do I have them ranked too high? Because they still have one of the best cores in the league, the most exciting young speed player in the game and hopefully a healthy Johnny Cueto. They went farther in the playoffs without Choo and I expect them to do the same this year.
8. Tampa Bay Rays
They have the best young rotation in the league, nearly all of their starting lineup is returning and they added two former all-star closers to take over the back end of the bullpen. On top of all of that they have Joe Maddon as their manager and as long as he is there they will compete. Expect the Rays to push the Red Sox for the division championship.
7. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers fell behind three teams that they were better than last season and that is because they lost Fielder and Fister. While many believe that losing Fielder won't hurt much because they needed Kinsler much more than they needed him, but they lost a lot when they traded him. He was not only Miguel Cabrera’s protection in the order but he was also one of his best friends on the team. There is no telling how that will affect the offense, but the bigger loss for me is the loss of Fister. It was a smart move because there is no way they were going to keep all of these starting pitchers after this season, but without Fister they are not the World Series favorite anymore that they would be with him.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
The streak is over! After all those years of mediocrity in Pittsburgh the Pirates are back as a team to be reckoned with, and they are geared up to make another run at the playoffs in 2014.
They lost the veteran presence in the starting rotation in Burnett, but have enough quality pitching already on the roster and added Edinson Volquez, who when on his game can be a top line starting pitcher. The other loss was veteran first baseman Jones and that could be an issue heading into the season, but otherwise this is the same team that captured the hearts of underdog lovers everywhere.
5. Atlanta Braves
The Braves were quiet in free agency this year, but they were one of the best teams in the league last season and are returning almost the entire team. What they did do this offseason was lock up all of their biggest young stars guaranteeing that they will continue to be good not just this season, but for years to come.
4. Oakland Athletics
They won their second consecutive division title and were also knocked out of the playoffs for the second consecutive year by the Detroit Tigers. So why are they ranked above the Tigers? It’s because they have done everything they could to replace their lost free agents with younger upgrades and added quality depth to their already deep team. If everything plays out right, this could finally be the year they step up to the next level.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
What can you say about the Dodgers? They have one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball and added more depth this offseason, a deep bullpen that has three pitchers who have closer experience, and a starting lineup that is a dream team. Expect them to repeat as NL West Champions and again fight for the opportunity to represent the NL in the World Series.
2. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cards filled all of their needs quickly in the offseason and got even better in doing so. The replaced the bat of Carlos Beltran with the bat of Jhonny Peralta and filled his defense by acquiring Peter Bourjos. Peralta doesn’t just replace the bat of Beltran, though, he also fills the biggest need the team had in the offseason at shortstop. Other than the loss of Beltran and David Freese in the trade for Boujos the team is bringing back the same team that made it to the World Series so there is no reason to believe they cannot do it again.
1. Boston Red Sox
They went from worst to first in 2013 and they look to stay on top in 2014. The loss of Saltalamacchia, Stephen Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury could hurt this team and chemistry can only take them so far. Of the three only one player was replaced and that was Saltalamacchia with an aging Pierzynski, though, so there can be some drop off from the defending champions. To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man, and until a team like the Yankees or the Orioles can prove they are far and away better than the Sox they will remain on top.