This offseason is slower than the last five minutes of school. There are dozens of free agents who remain unsigned, and many of them are not even named Manny Ramirez!
Not that clubs are running scared in this economy, but the Toronto Blue Jays were last seen banging on the shuttered doors at the Lehman Brothers.
Where they are in the American League with spring training a month away, and where they're going:
Baltimore Orioles
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| If nothing else, the O's add height with 6-feet-9 Mark Hendrickson. (Getty Images) |
Accomplishments: The most underreported story of the winter in all of baseball might be the incredible job the Orioles have done in actually increasing the average height of their rotation. They lost 6-7 Daniel Cabrera to free agency yet brought in 6-9 Mark Hendrickson. They'll still lose to the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays, but they'll win more jump balls in 2009.
What's left: Hold that thought on the first baseman who can hit. According to MacPhail, the Orioles might simply go with Aubrey Huff, sultan of Bubba the Love Sponge's radio show. Cesar Izturis is no Cal Ripken Jr., but he'll man shortstop. The big deal for Baltimore this season will be the growth of catching prospect Matt Wieters, who should take over the No. 1 job now that the O's have cleared the way by dealing Ramon Hernandez.
Boston Red Sox
Offseason objectives: Offer more proof that they have the smartest front office in baseball. Sign Mark Teixeira. Settle on a catcher. Add pitching depth. Continue daily brain exercises. Get a bulk deal on extra batteries for club Blackberries.
Accomplishments: They whiffed on Teixeira, and worst thing is, the Red Sox will be reminded of it during their 65 or 70 games against Yankees this summer (check local listings for national television times) when they see Teixeira in pinstripes. Still, the Sox made several moves to like, including adding John Smoltz (when he returns from injury in June) and Brad Penny to a staff that already includes Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz and signing New England-native Rocco Baldelli. Everything they do makes sense, including the non-marquee stuff.
What's left: Jason Varitek ... Jaaaa-son ... where are you?
Chicago White Sox
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| Bringing back Bartolo Colon? That's a good move by the White Sox. (Getty Images) |
Accomplishments: Loaded up on a couple of exciting young prospects in infielder Brent Lillibridge and catcher Tyler Flowers in a trade with Atlanta. Dealt outfielder Nick Swisher, so manager Ozzie Guillen will report to spring training with big smile on face. Dealt Javier Vazquez, so there will be no more false hope around here of him winning 20 games. Signed Bartolo Colon apparently so they, like Boston and the Angels before them, can get some good restaurant recommendations.
What's left: Undoubtedly, about 50 more bad Jermaine Dye rumors for Williams to puncture. The White Sox do need a leadoff hitter.
Cleveland Indians
Offseason objectives: Weather shrinking economy. Sign a closer. Find an infielder, second or third base. Add starting pitching. Send reminder cards that it's Progressive Field, not Jacobs Field.
Accomplishments: Participating in cool, old-fashioned three-team, 12-player trade with Mets and Mariners at winter meetings. Signing closer Kerry Wood, which might become one of the more underrated moves of the winter. Working within tight budgetary parameters, the Indians got most of what they needed done. Mark DeRosa was a nice pickup and fills the hole at third. Carl Pavano is the perfect gamble for a mid-market team like Cleveland -- not much money down, and a player looking to rehabilitate his image.
What's left: Trolling the bargain bins now that the Indians pretty much are at budget. Family get-togethers for GM Mark Shapiro and new Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini, who happens to be Shapiro's brother-in-law.
Detroit Tigers
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| Congrats, Tigers, you have a 'live arm' in starter Edwin Jackson. (Getty Images) |
Accomplishments: Not that the Tigers need a new start, but after they acquired catcher Gerald Laird from Texas and signed shortstop Adam Everett, manager Jim Leyland spoke of both in such glowing terms it was as if Sparky Anderson was talking about Chris Pittaro all over again. Starter Edwin Jackson, acquired from Tampa Bay, has what they call a "live arm" (as opposed to Joel Zumaya's often "dead" arm).
What's left: Ask new backup catcher Matt Treanor whether they can see wife Misty May-Treanor's Olympic Gold Medals (beach volleyball).
Kansas City Royals
Offseason objectives: Find a shortstop or second baseman. Add pitching. Add a bat in the outfield. New one just added: Hire personal publicist for new infielder Willie Bloomquist.
Accomplishments: Turning Bloomquist into perhaps the most hated man ever to play for the Royals before he's even played a game. The ink wasn't even dry on Bloomquist's two-year, $3.1 million contract before the bloggers, fans and others started crushing him. Their point: He represents every reason the Royals have been in the crapper for the past two decades. He doesn't get on base. He doesn't have power (yeah, I can see where that one extra-base hit in 193 plate appearances in Seattle last year might be not exactly be, how do you say it, desireable). And he's being paid money that could be spent more intelligently to do it. Especially when the Royals also have picked up outfielder Coco Crisp and first baseman Mike Jacobs -- not exactly on-base demons themselves -- this winter.
What's left: Gotta find some starting pitching somehow. Jon Garland or Ben Sheets, if the price is right, could help. And maybe throw some meat in another direction to lure the howling pack of wolves away from poor Bloomquist?
Los Angeles Angels
Offseason objectives: Re-sign Mark Teixeira. Sign CC Sabathia. Add a set-up man or closer. Re-draw plans for how to play baseball in October. Coronate manager Mike Scioscia. Feed Rally Monkey.
Accomplishments: Finally got the city of Anaheim off their backs. Yes, the city dropped a lawsuit attempting to force the Angels to use "Anaheim" in their name. Good thing, too, because the judge was about to strip the city of its name based on stupid lawsuits and rule that it henceforth will be known as That Anonymous City Just to the Left of Angels Stadium (Depending on Where You're Standing).
What's left: The Angels - Teixeira - Francisco Rodriguez - Jon Garland - Garret Anderson + Brian Fuentes + Vladimir Guerrero another year older sure doesn't seem to equal New and Improved. The Angels need another bat, more at first base than in the outfield. Perhaps Adam Dunn could be handed a first baseman's glove?
Minnesota Twins
Offseason objectives: Bullpen help. Add a third baseman and a shortstop. Locate igniter switch on dynamite that will blow up Metrodome after season (who cares if the Vikings still play there).
Accomplishments: The Twins did successfully make it to the winter meetings and back without getting lost, you know.
What's left: What's not left? Their only move so far has been to add knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. The Twins should immediately speak with Texas about acquiring Michael Young. Failing that, third baseman Joe Crede is worth a gamble, questionable back and all.
New York Yankees
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| Got cash? Yes, the Yanks do ... Kevin Cash. (Getty Images) |
Accomplishments: Writing all of those zillion-dollar checks before the pens ran out of ink. In signing pitchers A.J. Burnett and Sabathia, the Yankees' message essentially is, "We will club you to death with the simple interest we make on our cable television contract, peons." In adding Mark Teixeira, their message is, "In your face, Red Sox." And in adding backup catcher Kevin Cash on a minor-league deal, well, with a name like that, it was too good to resist.
What's left: The Louisiana Purchase, and perhaps annexing Texas.
Oakland A's
Offseason objectives: Make fans love them again so they can get that new ballpark on the books.
Accomplishments: Acquiring slugger Matt Holliday from Colorado, which immediately gave the A's street cred again with their tiny fan base. The triumphant return of Jason Giambi -- well, OK, the return of Giambi. Unloading closer Huston Street before he deteriorated even further. Nearly convincing shortstop Rafael Furcal to sign with them before Furcal's double-dealing agents moved along, leaving a path of garbage and litter in their wake.
What's left: The A's needs are many. Their pursuit of Furcal signals that Bobby Crosby is yesterday's news. Orlando Cabrera remains available. They've spoken with Washington about acquiring first baseman Nick Johnson (the Nats are high on outfielder Daric Barton). A high on-base percentage outfielder like Bobby Abreu makes a lot of sense, too (if his price drops).
Seattle Mariners
Offseason objectives: Identify a new general manager who could change their philosophy. Hire a new manager of whom Ichiro Suzuki would approve. Add outfield bats. Add a first baseman. Keep Safeco Field coffee warm.
Accomplishments: There are reasons to believe the M's scored in hiring GM Jack Zduriencik (those reasons are all the young guys playing in Milwaukee, where Zduriencik oversaw the scouting and signing of many of them). New manager Don Wakamatsu won't be the worst manager the M's have hired this decade (see: Hargrove, Mike, among others). They've improved their speed and defense in the outfield with Endy Chavez and Franklin Gutierrez. They've added arms in Aaron Heilman and Tyler Walker. A few more smart moves and the M's will be to the point where they will have, gasp, the audacity of hope.
What's left: Make Brandon Morrow a starter today, not to-Morrow.
Tampa Bay Rays
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| Tampa Bay's offseason goal: Get Joe Maddon married. Done. (Getty Images) |
Accomplishments: The Rays played it smart in signing Pat Burrell after his price went down. Reasonable dollars (two years, $16 milllion) and a bat that will really help. Outfielder Gabe Kapler was a very nice pickup as well. And Matt Joyce isn't a big name, but acquiring him for an extra pitcher (Edwin Jackson) gives Maddon another left bat who could play large. Maddon did get married and had a swell honeymoon in Italy.
What's left: Settle on a closer. Maddon is eclectic, but Dan Wheeler and a closer-by-committee system could turn him conventional in a heartbeat.
Texas Rangers
Offseason objectives: Find. Starting. Pitching. Before. President Nolan Ryan. Has. A Stroke. Ugh.
What they've accomplished: They've pissed off shortstop Michael Young. They've been named as having the top farm system in baseball by Baseball America. They've replaced manager Ron Washington's bench coach Art Howe with Jackie Moore.
What's left: Sign Ben Sheets. Or Jon Garland, Andy Pettitte, Braden Looper or Randy Wolf. They can't go through another season with Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla "anchoring" the rotation, right?
Toronto Blue Jays
Offseason objectives: Retain A.J. Burnett. Add starting pitching help. Figure out a way to keep the Canadian dollar from devaluing.
Accomplishments: Stopped themselves from wishing Burnett "good riddance" when free-agent dollars got so big that it squeezed Toronto out. No team has been hit with the bad economy as harshly as the Jays, because players are paid in U.S. dollars and the conversion rate is ugly right now. Consequently, the Jays have been forced to mostly watch this winter's player movement from the sidelines. They did sign catcher Michael Barrett and pitcher Mike Maroth, if that counts.
What's left: With the glut of players still on the market, the Jays are still hoping to score an infielder like Orlando Hudson if prices hit rock bottom.
