Winners and losers of the MLB offseason

I’ve long denounced how MLB handles its finances, specifically in regard to the disadvantage every small-market team has when attempting to sign free agents and/or retain their star players. When other teams can always pay players more, the ability to build a perennial contender is damn near impossible. For years, scientists pondered what the answer to such a conundrum could be. Obviously, you don’t want to discourage rich teams from spending and you want the players to earn what they’re worth, but the disparity between rich teams and poor teams has never been larger.

The Padres might have solved the equation this offseason though. The answer? Spend money anyway.

After going all-in by acquiring Juan Soto at the trade deadline last season, the Padres weren’t satisfied with an already excellent young roster and an NLCS appearance. No, not only did they go out and sign standout shortstop Xander Bogaerts (pictured), pushing subpar defensive shortstop Fernando Tatís Jr. to right field, but also extended third baseman Manny Machado through 2033 (previous slide).

Three of the Padres’ Big Four will be Padres for the next decade. That’s a win for small-market organizations in my book. Sure, the bullpen is still a little suspect, but there’s reason to believe that closer Josh Hader can bounce back to 2021 form after a rough second half last year. The starting rotation is solid, and with how many pieces the Los Angeles Dodgers lost this year, there’s plenty of reason to believe San Diego could become the new frontrunner in the NL West.

Look at you! You who were once so proud and daunting..how far you’ve fallen.

The once-mighty Red Sox did accomplish several feats this offseason including signing Justin Turner, Corey Kluber (pictured), and Kenley Jansen as well as re-signing Rafael Devers to an 11-year deal. However, those victories pale in comparison to the losses they suffered including coming up $100 million short in their offer to Xander Bogaerts, losing longtime DH J.D. Martinez as well as Nathan Eovaldi, Tommy Pham, and Rich Hill.

Bogaerts was the big fish that Boston desperately needed to retain and they failed to do so. In the gauntlet that is the American League East, such losses cannot be overcome with guys past their primes like Turner, Jansen, and Kluber. Perhaps Trevor Story (pictured) can return to form, but at best, all that would do is mitigate the loss of Bogaerts, not improve the team. Considering this team just finished last in their division, that’s not going to cut it.

Being overshadowed in your own state is tough, especially when your team name literally claims that you represent the entirety of said state. Well, the Rangers had had enough of that and made the most of their offseason, bolstering their pitching staff and bringing on one of the most well-respected men in baseball to lead their clubhouse.

The man I’m referring to is none other than three-time World Series-winning manager Bruce Bochy (pictured). A few months ago, I had the privilege of speaking with another World Series-winning manager, Joe Maddon. He seemed absolutely certain that Bochy was going to have near-total control over his roster in Texas, and that’s a good sign for a team looking to crawl out of a decade-long drought having not won a single playoff series in that time.

The offense was never going to be the issue. Nate Lowe, Adolis García, Marcus Semien, and Corey Seager are enough to help carry this team to prowess with the lumber. The problem was the lack of depth on the mound. Even with incredible defensive catcher and framer Jonah Heim behind the plate, outside of Martín Pérez, the Rangers’ pitching staff was atrocious. Sure, the Rangers have some young studs they could wait on, but instead of hoping those prospects pan out in the Majors, they went out and acquired three proven, veteran arms in Andrew Heaney, Nathan Eovaldi, and arguably the biggest fetch of the offseason, Jacob deGrom (pictured).

Perhaps those additions won’t be enough to lead Texas to the postseason. The lineup is still rather shallow, and the bullpen could definitely be improved, but these moves showed the world that the Rangers are ready to give the Houston Astros a run for their money. People are excited in Dallas, and that’s all this team could’ve asked for considering they haven’t finished above .500 since 2016.

Striking out on a big-name free agent is bad. Striking out on two is heartbreaking. Striking out on three? Okay, that’s just pathetic. However, that’s what the San Francisco Giants managed to accomplish this offseason.

Whether it was Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, or Carlos Rodón, the Giants couldn’t manage to land their superstar. The team headed into the winter with that singular goal in mind and instead was forced to settle for the likes of Ross Stripling, Mitch Haniger, and Michael Conforto (pictured).

It’s a damn shame really. The Giants know what they need to do in order to compete — hit dingers. When the Giants led all of Major League Baseball with 107 wins in 2021, they also happened to lead the National League in home runs. The next season, that power dropped off significantly, and so did the Giants. Re-igniting that offensive prowess should be the Giants’ ultimate goal, but it’s incredibly unlikely to happen if the Giants only have two guys with more than 20 round-trippers.

The Giants definitely made some smart moves this offseason, particularly letting both Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria go and signing closer Taylor Rogers (pictured with his brother, who also pitches for San Fran) to a $33 million deal, but they failed to land that franchise cornerstone they could build around for the next decade. With Buster Posey gone, this team lacks identity, and it certainly won’t find it in 2023.

While the team failed to gather its franchise shortstop it sought out, the Mariners did manage to make money moves at other important positions, particularly outfield and second base.

Both moves came in the form of trades. On one hand, the Mariners needed more power in the middle of their lineup, so they went out and got Teoscar Hernández (pictured). They also needed better defense up the middle, so they acquired two-time Gold Glover Kolten Wong. The Mariners know where their strengths lie, and they didn’t try to change their team, just make it better. While it’s tough to imagine this team taking over the Astros still, the Mariners are headed in the right direction, and another postseason run shouldn’t shock anybody.

It wouldn’t have taken much for the Dodgers to retain their place as the bona fide best team in the National League West. After all, they’d won more than 100 games in each of the last three full seasons and four of the last five. Their roster was built to succeed right now and for a long damn time. So what if they lost a few key pieces? Their farm system and immense payroll would keep them at the top of the division, especially considering only one team — the Padres — was an immediate threat.

Well, the Padres are no longer just a threat, they are serious contenders, with arguably a better lineup. Sure, the Dodgers still hold the edge in their rotation, but Los Angeles hasn’t faced such a menacing lineup in several, several years. Bogaerts, Soto, Machado, Tatís, Jake Cronenworth, Trent Grisham. That’s the stuff of nightmares. How do the Dodgers counter? Mookie Betts (pictured), Will Smith, and Freddie Freeman are great. Then, who? 35-year-old J.D. Martinez (pictured)? Miguel Rojas? Two men who just had the worst seasons of their careers in Chris Taylor and Max Muncy? I don’t love it.

Obviously, there’s still lots of hope for the Dodgers to win the division. They’re still the betting favorites after all. However, the Dodgers are in dire need of another World Series title to cement themselves as a legitimate dynasty. Sure, the 2020 ring feels good, but it will always feel hollow when compared to World Series won during full seasons. It certainly doesn’t feel good when their own fans refer to that title as a “Mickey Mouse Ring.”

That World Series window is closing, not particularly quickly, but the gap is narrowing. While the Dodgers’ incoming prospects could swing it wide open once again, I would’ve hoped a team as free-spending as the Dodgers would’ve opted for a little more security heading into 2023. Alas, they’re one of this offseason’s losers.