Fix Your Broken Team in One Offseason: AL East
Your favorite baseball team is broken. There is lots of work to do this winter, whether they need a shortstop, more starting pitching, or a front office facelift. If they took the field today, they would be a total disaster. Hell, they probably don’t even have enough players! Don’t despair— here are three reasons why everything will work out just fine (probably).
- Your 29 rivals are also broken. They all exist on the spectrum between “moderately flawed” and “Colorado Rockies.”
- It’s only November. There’s a cold, dark, expansive offseason ahead of us to suck the joy out of life— possibly including a work stoppage— in which your team’s front office can maneuver, supplement, and revise the roster.
- (Most important) Off the Bench knows how to fix everything! With our years of part-time blogging experience, we have the panacea for each of the 30 MLB clubs.
In an act of pure largesse, we have decided to tell each franchise how to fix itself. You’re welcome, MLB.
Baltimore Orioles
Optimists are never pleasantly surprised, which is important to keep in mind because there’s no cause for optimism in Baltimore. Since 2018, the Orioles have finished 47-115, 54-108, 25-35, and 52-110. Furthermore, all four of their division rivals won more than 90 games last season.
What went right: They may not have a young core to build on, but they do have a duo. Cedric Mullins will receive down-ballot MVP votes and John Means is at least a number-two starter. Cole Sulser discovered a dominant changeup and became an elite bullpen weapon. Yes, their third-best player is a relief pitcher.
What went wrong: Everything else. They were outscored by 297 runs in 2021. Their pitching staff allowed 63 more runs than any other team in MLB. Bruce Zimmerman’s 5.04 ERA was second-best on the team among starting pitchers. Other than him and Means, all the rest had ERAs north of 6.00.
How to fix them: High-end prospect talent is on the way. Catcher Adley Rutschman is the top prospect in the game. He’s ready to start on Opening Day. Grayson Rodriguez and D.L. Hall ought to bolster the rotation in about a year or so. Hopefully, they’ll pull out of the never-ending nosedive in 2023 or 2024. Anyone on the major league roster other than Means or Mullins can be scrapped for prospects who are reasonably close to contributing. This includes fan-favorite Trey Mancini and young slugger Ryan Mountcastle. Lovable as they are, they wouldn’t fit in a contending team’s lineup. Besides, it’s not like this club can get much worse.
Boston Red Sox
92 wins and a deep playoff run into the ALCS was certainly unexpected following a 25-35 finish in 2020. There’s fire to go along with the smoke, but they need to add a log or two to keep the flame going.
What went right: The Red Sox relied on a fearsome lineup gauntlet of Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Alex Verdugo, and Hunter Renfroe. Kiké Hernandez was a revelation in center field. On the pitching side, Nate Eovaldi somehow morphed into a strike-throwing ace. Chris Sale returned to health and made a mirror-image clone of himself named Tanner Houck.
What went wrong: The starting pitching and (especially) bullpen had ups and downs all year. At the lowest points in the season, it seemed like no one was trustworthy enough to get outs in a tough spot.
How to fix them: Pitching is the primary focus of the offseason in Boston. Eduardo Rodríguez and Martín Pérez are free agents. They will strive to get better and deeper in both the rotation and the bullpen. That being said, they can’t ignore the lineup. Fans will pound the table to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, but the more important player to retain is catcher Christian Vázquez, who has a club option. It’s a weak market for catchers, and if he walks, he might be the most desirable free agent at the position. They should also pursue a second base upgrade over Christian Arroyo if they can find one.
New York Yankees
Prior to 2021, the Yankees were widely predicted to finish with the best record in the American League. Several players faltered, and the club stumbled to one of the most disappointing 92-win seasons in baseball history.
What went right: As it pertains to the lineup, not much. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton stayed healthy, but that’s about all there is to say. Their pitching featured more bright spots. Gerrit Cole is a Cy Young finalist and Nestor Cortes, Jr. was a revelation. Jordan Montgomery and Jameson Taillon proved capable and durable. The bullpen was a strength as well.
What went wrong: Several young players absolutely collapsed. Miguel Andújar, Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, and Luke Voit all went from lineup fixtures to borderline unrosterable. D.J. LeMahieu and Gio Urshela sputtered offensively as well. Aaron Hicks succumbed to a season-ending injury for the second time in three years since signing a seven-year extension. Gary Sánchez could lose a popularity contest to Rudy Giuliani. Their -43 Defensive Runs Saved were second-to-last in the AL.
How to fix them: They’ve already accomplished step one, which was to fire the hitting and third base coaches. Step two is to break out the famous Yankee checkbook. Torres flunked out of shortstop, so they will be major players in a market that includes Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Trevor Story. Frankly, if they don’t sign one of those four, the offseason will be a failure. They have an opening at first base and must decide whether to roll with Voit again or possibly bring back Anthony Rizzo. In center field, they shouldn’t rely on Hicks with a Brett Gardner fallback plan one more time. They need to get creative and find their own version of Kiké Hernandez.
Tampa Bay Rays
Without question, the 100-62 Rays were the best team in the American League, regardless of the early postseason exit. They’ve been the class of the junior circuit for the past three years, despite an ever-churning roster.
What went right: Not many clubs get 72 home runs from their second baseman (Brandon Lowe) and catcher (Mike Zunino). Not-yet-21-year-old shortstop Wander Franco is already a superstar. The lineup is loaded top-to-bottom with at least above-average hitters. As usual, Tampa Bay blurred lines between traditional pitching roles, but no team is better at discovering, refining, at reinventing arm talent.
What went wrong: On the field, very little— until October, when their deemphasis on starting pitching came back to bite them. They surrendered 31 runs to the Red Sox in four ALDS games, winning just one.
How to fix them: They need to reload their pitching staff— and they undoubtedly will— but their biggest stormcloud is their dalliance with Montreal. Club president Chris Auld told the Wall Street Journal it’s “next to impossible that full-season baseball can succeed in Tampa Bay today,” and the team announced a plan to play a slate of home games north of the border. It’s an embarrassment and an insult to fans, as well as a naked ploy to bilk taxpayers for a new stadium in downtown Tampa. The franchise is worth more than $1 billion and principal owner Stuart Sternberg has an estimated net worth of $800 million. Taxpayer-funded stadiums are a disaster, and if rich people want to build one, they should pay for it themselves. Instead, they’ll use the Montreal/Tampa Bay ExRays for negotiating leverage. It’s a black eye for the franchise and the entire league.
Toronto Blue Jays
On one hand, the Blue Jays finished in fourth place for the fourth time in five years and missed the playoffs. On the other hand, they won 91 games. Either way, this young, exciting lineup should keep them in contention for the next several years.
What went right: These dudes can hit! Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Marcus Semien were two of the top three position players in the AL (depending on how you classify Shohei Ohtani). Bo Bichette, Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., Teoscar Hernández, and George Springer all absolutely raked. On the mound, Robbie Ray is the likely winner of the Cy Young. Rookie Alek Manoah impressed, as did Stephen Matz and midseason trade acquisition José Berríos.
What went wrong: With the exception of Jordan Romano and a few others, the bullpen didn’t get the job done. Additionally, Hyun Jin Ryu started to show his age.
How to fix them: There’s certainly nothing wrong with the lineup, though they will need to figure out the Cavan Biggio/Santiago Espinal situation at third base and juggle their three fringey catchers. Their biggest goal will be not losing the ground they’ve gained. It is imperative that they retain at least two of their key free agents: Semien, Ray, and Matz. Finally, they need to revamp much of their bullpen depth.
