Top 5 MLB Offseasons (So Far)
Even the offseason can be exciting for Major League Baseball fans. Every November, free agents are on the move to new teams. This year was no exception. In fact, it was a more active month than normal in terms of new free-agent signees. With the bargaining agreement between the MLB and the Player’s Associating expiring on December 1st, a lockout was inevitable. During a lockout, players can’t sign contracts with teams. This caused urgency for the players to get deals completed with a team before the lockout fell into place at the start of December. Due to this, there were quickly many big-name free agents off the board and many teams that have turned themselves into playoff competitors. Here’s a look at five teams who have done the best job of that so far this offseason.
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5. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners only signed a few free agents this offseason, but one of them was a big one. Seattle picked up southpaw Robbie Ray, this year’s American League Cy Young winner. Ray signed a 5-year, $115 million contract. The mariners made an unexpected playoff push last season and are obviously looking to build on their surprisingly strong 2021 campaign. Adding a Cy Young winner is one of the best moves a team can make if trying to make a championship push. They also acquired second baseman Adam Frazier from the Padres, which should make a much-needed improvement to Seattle’s middle infield. The other reason they made this list is that even though they’ve only signed a couple players so far, they’ve also been very active in discussions with other big-name free agents. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another top free agent go to Seattle post-lockout. The Mariners push to compete this year, and their impressive activity in the free-agent market leads me to believe that they will pick up a few more solid players and round out their team before the 2022 season.
4. Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels have possibly the two best players in baseball: Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. They’re just putting that talent to waste though, as they have only brought Trout to the playoffs once during his whole career. The Angels are trying to change that this year though, as they have signed multiple solid pitchers this offseason. Their main signing was a one-year deal with former Met, Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard’s ceiling is elite, and if he returns to his pre-injury form, he could bolster the Angels rotation significantly. Over to the bullpen, they had three big additions in Michael Lorenzen, lefty Aaron Loup, and the Angels’ previous Closer, Raisel Iglesias. With this pitching improvement, the Angels could easily make a strong playoff push in 2022.
3. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers haven’t been good for a while in the MLB, but things are finally starting to look up for them after adding shortstop Javier Baez and starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez. Both Baez and Rodriguez are still only 28 years old and have very high ceilings. They are both fitting additions to the team, as the Tigers present a very young, high ceiling roster. Baez brings power and defense to the middle infield, and Rodriguez is lining up to be Detroit’s ace this year. They still need one or two more pieces to make themselves true contenders. With that said, the Tigers are definitely on the right track after making some very necessary improvements.
2. New York Mets
The Mets went on a shopping spree this Black Friday as they signed three big free agents all in one day. They signed third baseman Eduardo Escobar and two of the Athletics 2021 outfielders, Mark Canha and Starling Marte. Escobar and Canha are both all-around hitters who will provide the Mets with more options in the field. Marte was a much-needed pickup for the Mets, as he will be able to field the centerfield position, a hole that the Mets have had in the past few years, as well as rack up stolen bases. Marte was the stolen base leader in 2021, and he will definitely contribute to that aspect of the game that the Mets are currently pretty weak in. However, the biggest signing of this offseason for the Mets was Starting Pitcher Max Scherzer. The 37-year-old righty signed a whopping 3-year, $130 million deal, giving him the largest annual salary in MLB history. Even if the Mets don’t sign anyone else, they will have already turned themselves into legitimate world-series contenders. Their new General Manager, Billy Eppler, has made a big splash upon arriving, and it doesn’t seem like he’s done spending just yet.
1. Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers turned their middle infield from one of the worst in the MLB to one of the best in just two days. With two blockbuster signings in all-star Second Baseman Marcus Semien and the young Shortstop Corey Seager, the Rangers have proven that they’re going all in. The two contracts add up to a whopping $500 million. Not only did the Rangers improve their bats massively, but they also signed right-handed pitcher Jon Gray. Gray is a severely underrated player as his stats have been dragged down due to pitching in Colorado his whole career. In Colorado, the high altitude makes the ball jump off the bat, giving pitchers a significant disadvantage. A change of scenery is exactly what Gray needs, and he could see major improvements this year. Overall, the Rangers have shocked everyone with their massive moves and have definitely won the offseason so far. They could be strong contenders in the 2022 season.