There have been many big deals so far this year, with teams like the Red Sox, Blue Jays and A's headlining them (read about them in the entry below these), but the Hot Stove is far from empty and moving forward we can expect to see lots of pitching buzz with names like, Lester, Scherzer, and Santana as free agents and rumors of Hamels, and Samardzija deals brewing. Below are the teams that have been quiet in the first part of the offseason but who you can expect to see headlines from moving forward.
San Francisco Giants
| At first glance it appears the Giants have been incredibly silent since winning the World Series, but that is not the case. In fact they were very involved in talks with both Yasmany Tomas (a Cuban prospect who signed with the D-Backs) and Pablo Sandoval, but after losing out on both of these players the Giants must fill the 3rd Base hole, among other needs they have to even attempt a defense of their title. What do they need? The Giants need a 3rd baseman and Joaquin Arias simply won't cut it for the defending champions. They also must fill the starting rotation spots left by Jake Peavy and Ryan Vogelsong, and their bullpen is weakened by the departure of Sergio Romo. The bat of Michael Morse will be missed as well, although this is a smaller priority because of left fielder Gregor Blanco who is likely to take his place. In conclusion the Giants need a 3rd baseman and at least one starter as well as some kind of bullpen boost and maybe an outfield bat. Who might they go for? For third basemen free agents the Giants have some options such as Chase Headley, Mark Reynolds, or Casey McGehee. Their have been no reported rumors of talks with any of these players but the Giants do need to acquire someone to fill the hole at third. The Giants also have Marco Scutaro who's job has been taken by younger second baseman Joe Panik and Scutaro could be a trade piece or maybe even moved to 3rd base although at 39 years old a position switch would be very difficult and his trade value is minimal. The Giants have been very involved in talks with all of the top starting pitchers who are currently free agents. These pitchers are Lester, Scherzer, and Shields, and although it is still possible that they resign Peavy or Vogelsong it is looking less likely now. |
Baltimore Orioles
| The Orioles need to make some serious moves to keep up with the Red Sox and Blue Jays in the AL East. The AL East has been powerful for years and now that the Sox and Jays have revamped their team it will be harder than ever for the Orioles to defend their title as AL East champions. What do they need? Their outfield is very weak without Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis, and Delmon Young. They are also losing Andrew Miller which is a big blow to their bullpen. The Orioles are also slightly weak at second base with only Jonathan Schoop a mediocre second baseman. Who might they go for? The Orioles are looking less likely to retain Nick Markakis but are involved in some talks with Nelson Cruz and there are many rumors of a trade sending Matt Kemp to Baltimore. There are also rumors that Orioles have talked with Andrew Miller but that they have been unsuccessful in hopes to resign him. They may go for another reliever instead such as Pat Neshek to bolster their bullpen. |
Kansas City Royals
Both pennant winners have lost a lot and must sign new players to contend again. They must replace a lot of players just like the Giants. What do they need? The Royals have to replace Billy Butler, who signed with the A's as well as James Shields, Josh Willingham, Scott Downs and Luke Hochever. The Royals Outfeild is a man short and they are weak at DH. The Royals could also use help in their rotation and their bullpen. Who might they go for? The Royals are likely to go after a starter such as Francisco Liriano or Ervin Santana they are not a very rich team, so they're unlikely to be able to contend for Lester, Scherzer, or Shields especially because they also must acquire an outfielder and another strong bat as their DH. For DH they are likely to go after Kendrys Morales, and a possible outfielder who fits is Torii Hunter or less likely is Jose Tabata. |