Biggest Offseason Addition(s)
Robinson Cano, Logan Morrison, Corey Hart
Biggest Offseason Losses
Kendrys Morales & Raul Ibanez
Name to Watch in Spring Training: Taijuan Walker
There has been a ton of talk about the team’s top prospect this offseason and little of it had to do with his abilities on the mound. Unfortunately for Walker it all had to do with the fact that he would have to be included in any trade for Tampa Bay ace David Price and later the fact that the team gave away his jersey number to free agent signing Hart.
Once pitchers and catchers report to spring training, though, that will all be behind him. He will have competition with two other players, Brandon Maurer and James Paxton for the final two spots in the rotation, but he has an excellent shot at winning one of those spots as long as he can live up to the hype of being the clubs best prospect.
Biggest Spring Training Battle: Nick Franklin and Brad Miller
Both Franklin and Miller made a splash in the 2013 season when the middle infield positions came open due to inconsistent play by Dustin Ackley and Brendan Ryan. Miller hit eight home runs, scored 41 runs, and knocked in 36 in only 76 games while Franklin hit 12 home runs, scored 38, and knocked in 45 runs in 102 games.
Neither hit for a great average, but Miller hit 40 points higher with a .265 batting average. By the end of the season they were one of the brightest young middle infield duos in the game, but now they will be fighting it out for who gets the starting nod at shortstop with the signing of second baseman Cano taking Franklin’s spot in the lineup.
What Went Right in 2013
Not a lot went right in 2013 for the M’s. When they put together their team for the season they were hoping that they could do one thing, improve. Instead they finished in fourth place in the AL West for the fourth season in a row. They did, though, have a breakout star in Hisashi Iwakuma who combined with ace Felix Hernandez to make one of the best one-two punches in all of MLB. Offensively third baseman Kyle Seager continued to be the cornerstone of the offense while the rest of the lineup was eventually taken over by rookies making their major league debuts.
Biggest Areas of Improvement in 2014
Simply put, second base. They went out and made it a priority to get the best player available when they gave $260 million to Cano. He will give the M’s something that they have been missing for years, a true threat in the lineup. They then surrounded him with two power hitters who are very similar to the two power hitters they signed before the 2013 season making that not a huge improvement, but with Cano sandwiched in between Morrison and Hart, they will greatly improve the offense.
Overall Spring Training Preview
The M’s are in what is turning out to be one of the best divisions in all of baseball. They have to contend with the Los Angeles Angels who have what most people consider the best player in all of baseball, the Texas Rangers who made the playoffs or narrowly missed the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, and of course, the Oakland Athletics who have won the division for two years in a row now.
If they are going to take the next step and take the top spot in the division the offense is going to have to mesh as a team, and the best time for them to do that will be in spring training. Position battles will need to be resolved at shortstop, outfield, and the final rotation spots as well as some key positions in the bullpen. The lineup is going to be fairly consistent in the middle of the order, but the top and bottom of the order will need to be determined in spring training.