Every MLB team's most pressing free-agent need in 2019 offseason

Joe Rivera

Every MLB team's most pressing free-agent need in 2019 offseason image

There's never truly an offseason, is there?

The second the World Series wraps, teams are looking to the next season to make a run at the whole thing again. It's a tireless, endless cycle. Time is a flat circle. Eat Arby's.

Sandwiched in between the final out of the World Series and spring training is the "offseason," and, as we know, there is no such thing as a perfect team. It's easy to say every team needs starting pitching and good players in general. That goes without saying. 

MORE: Five potential landing spots for Gerrit Cole

SN takes a look at all 30 MLB squads and their most pressing need entering the 2019 offseason.

Angels

2019 record: 72-90

Needs: Starting pitching

It's a tale as old as time: The Angels needing quality starting pitching.

They spent $10 million on Matt Harvey last offseason, a curious but low-risk, high-reward signing that went up in smoke like Cheech and Chong at the Cannes Film Festival. That said, Arte Moreno won't be afraid to open up the checkbook to try to rectify that and get Griffin Canning a running mate for 2020.

Astros

2019 record: 107-55

Needs: Starting pitching? Maybe?

How do you improve a former World Series champion that's as complete as the Astros? It's hard to imagine that a team this deep needs any help, but here we are, just a day after a 2019 World Series loss talking about it.

With Gerrit Cole likely leaving in free agency, the Astros are going to have a hole in the rotation. While José Urquidy will likely slide in next year to replace an also departing Wade Miley, the Astros could look to bring on someone like Zack Wheeler to fill out the rotation. He seems like the perfect candidate for Houston to work their pitcher voodoo.

Athletics

2019 record: 97-65

Needs: Starting pitching depth

The A's likely won't be ones to back up the Brinks truck in free agency, nor are they a team in desperate need of upgrades this offseason. They do have holes in the rotation with Homer Bailey, Tanner Roark and Brett Anderson hitting the market. Even with Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk likely big answers to two of those rotation voids next season, they'll need veteran starters to help carry the load later in the season, when rookies and younger guys are prone to hitting the wall.

Blue Jays

2019 record: 71-91

Needs: Veterans

With Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Danny Jansen, the Blue Jays have arguably the most impressive young core in baseball. While that didn't translate to wins in 2019, they're on the up and up. They could certainly use more veteran leadership on the team — not that this is a group of malcontents at all, but well-traveled and experienced vets can always help push a young team and provide guidance.

Braves

2019 record: 97-65

Needs: Starting pitching, third base

The Braves can't continue to play cheap in free agency. Last offseason, they brought back Nick Markakis on a cheap, one-year contract. They also surprisingly signed Josh Donaldson to a one-year deal at $23 million, and he played to his former MVP levels, amassing a 6.1 bWAR over the season.

That said, getting by on cheap deals won't fly for a team that was bounced by an incredibly flawed Cardinals squad in the NLDS. For the Braves to prove they're committed to winning, they need to spend spend spend, and bringing back Josh Donaldson should be Priority 1A this offseason.

Brewers

2019 record: 89-73

Needs: Rotation depth

The Brewers got hot at the right time again in 2019, but it was for nothing when the Brewers blew the wild card game to the eventual NL champ Nationals. 

The Crew's bullpen-heavy attack is very 2019 baseball, but it has yet to pay off for them in the postseason. Waiting to bring back Gio Gonzalez this season also kind of hurt them, too, as Gonzalez dealt with injuries that might have been an effect of not having a spring training.

If Milwaukee wants to get serious again about winning the NL Central, it should look to improve and reinforce the rotation this offseason — not in April.

Cardinals

2019 record: 91-71

Needs: Power

With Marcell Ozuna hitting free agency, there are questions about where the power will come from in an alredy power-light lineup. With an already bloated outfield, it's tough to see Ozuna re-signing there. 

That said, with Ozuna's potential departure, the Redbirds' outfield will be in need of some serious pop. Harrison Bader had a very underwhelming season, and while Tommy Edman looks to be a piece of the outfield for years to come, he isn't going to really bash for you. Look for St. Louis to give Paul Goldschmidt some middle-of-the-lineup help this offseason.

Cubs

2019 record: 84-78

Needs: Infield depth, center field

The Cubs are very close to being a complete team again. Their issues in 2019 went beyond the roster; one was their inexplicable inability to win on the road (they were 15 games under .500 away from Wrigley in 2019). 

Center fielder Albert Almora hasn't been a consistent offensive threat. Addison Russell's time in a Cubs uniform is winding down, which will leave Chicago thinner in the infield. Could Ian Happ get another shot at second base? Could Javier Baez slide back over there and give the club an opening to pursue another shortstop? There are a million ways the Cubs could attack the offseason.

They don't have to make a lot of moves in the winter, or even one splashy move. They just need to smartly add depth pieces. That should make things better once next season rolls around — assuming the David Ross hire works out.

Diamondbacks

2019 record: 85-77

Needs: Outfield help

The Diamondbacks hoped to squeeze more baseball out of Adam Jones, who signed for an insultingly low one-year, $3 million deal before the season. Despite the hot start to his season, he finished with a negative WAR by both Baseball Reference (-0.4) and FanGraphs (-0.1) formulas. That said, with Jones a free agent again, 'Zona needs to add help to that outfield if it wants to be sneaky-good again next year.

Dodgers

2019 record: 106-56

Needs: Starting pitching

The Dodgers are still the deepest team in baseball, regardless of the early round playoff exit this season. Where they go this offseason is a bit of a question mark: Are they going to be the big spenders of old, or are they going to continue to follow the blueprint and not worry about signing big-name free agents while the farm continues to produce?

Starting pitching isn't usually the issue with the Dodgers, but with Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill hitting the market, could they be major players for Gerrit Cole? Only the checkbook knows. They're going to need rotation help to flank Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler. 

Giants

2019 record: 77-85

Needs: Outfield

It's officially the end of an era in Giants baseball, with San Francisco saying goodbye to Bruce Bochy and Madison Bumgarner. A team that's been so desperate for outfield help for so long still hasn't fixed that problem, so adding another outfielder to help stay competitive would only make sense. But this is going to be Year 1 of a complete rebuild, so don't expect San Francisco to make majors splashes.

Indians

2019 record: 93-69

Needs: Outfielders

Cleveland needs to pony up and start paying guys. A team that was in the World Series not too long ago shouldn't be worried about breaking up its core and trading one of the best players in baseball, but here we are.

That aside, the Tribe shouldn't partake in the same organizational malpractice they did last season, ignoring clear areas of need. The outfield was one of the worst in baseball all year, and they tried bandaging it with Carlos Gonzalez before the season. That did not work out well.

That said, there will be impact outfielders to be had to help lengthen the lineup, which was one of the most blah in baseball last season. Marcell Ozuna makes a lot of sense, if the Indians want to go that direction. (Probably not.)

Mariners

2019 record: 68-94

Needs: Pitching, all over

It's Jerry Dipoto season, but will we see more trades or signings? Prior history says trades, but that doesn't preclude the Mariners from having to make some signings, too. They need it.

On paper, the Mariners' lineup is better than it should have been last year. But after that first two weeks of the season, we saw what they really were as an offense — a bottom-of-the-barrel troupe in the American League. That said, there are holes all over with this pitching staff. To not be a complete embarrassment, the Mariners need to make some pitching signings, even if they're middle-of-the-road guys.

The Mariners should be better than what they were in 2019, but with a farm system that's on the upswing, better days could be ahead. 

Marlins

2019 record: 57-105

Needs: Infield help/second base

The Marlins have serious needs all over the field with the rebuild fully underway. For the moment, they look to be set at the corners with Brian Anderson at third and Garrett Cooper (Garrett Cooper?) at first base. They also had a pretty good squad on the mound, which was better than many realized, with a lot of talented pitching on the way up.

Starlin Castro, though, is a free agent, so that's the one apparent area of need for Miami that's easily fixable.

Mets

2019 record: 86-76

Needs: Bullpen help

The most pressing need for the Mets this offseason is to find a manager, which we're still waiting on. But beyond that, the bullpen needs a serious facelift.

New York NL's two biggest acquisitions to bolster the bullpen prior to this season — Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz — both came at pretty high prices, in cash in Familia's case and prospects in Diaz's. Neither reliever worked out for the Mets, which means they're going to have to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to get that done.

Nationals

2019 record: 93-69

Needs: Bullpen help

The biggest need would have been second base if Carter Kieboom didn't look like a legitimate major leaguer, but even after the Nats rebuilt their bullpen, it didn't go well for them. Their 5.16 bullpen ERA since Aug. 1 was one of the worst in baseball.

Sure, bullpen help is pretty important for a team that featured one of the worst relief corps in baseball this year, but Washington can't complain too much after taking home a World Series win.

Orioles

2019 record: 54-108

Needs: Oh, boy.

This isn't to disrespect the Orioles, who are finally moving in the correct direction with an apparent plan in place for the future. Simply put, this team has too many needs at too many spots. And with a farm system still in development, that youth likely won't be around to make an impact anytime soon.

Baltimore owner Peter Angelos hasn't been afraid to spend some money in the past, so don't be surprised if they dip their toe a bit into free agency to make their team just a bit more respectable for 2019. Maybe they spring for some starting pitching help, where they've had a lot of difficulty developing arms in the past.

Padres

2019 record: 70-92

Needs: Veteran starting pitching

New Padres manager Jayce Tingler is a very good position. Their farm system is still among the best in baseball, their rotation is laoded with young, controllable arms and they have cornerstone position players, as evidenced last season.

San Diego has been on the hunt for established starting pitching to head up that young rotation — they were in on Dallas Keuchel and Noah Syndergaard in the past — so that door is probably still open for them. 

Could they be a dark horse candidate for Gerrit Cole?

Pirates

2019 record: 69-93

Needs: More power

With a total organizational shake-up, the Pirates are in a difficult spot and likely heading for a full rebuild. While there are players in place who could be answers for the future, the new GM is going to have to break it all up or stick with what they have and evaluate next offseason.

Should the Pirates keep it together, though, they could really try to help give Josh Bell a running mate. Their 163 home runs ranked second-to-last in the NL and with Jung Ho Kang a free agent (and seeming non-answer) they really could use another big bat in the middle of a potential-laden lineup.

Phillies

2019 record: 81-81

Needs: Bullpen help

The Phillies dealt with a lot of unfortunate, untimely injuries to the bullpen in 2019, but they also sat idly by and watched as both Washington and Atlanta acquired six relievers between them at the deadline.

Matt Klentak would do well to try to fix up the bullpen and the rest of the rotation. Aaron Nola can't do it himself anymore, and with Jake Arrieta coming off his worst season since 2013 (and aging), Philadelphia needs to look to build a better rotation and a better bridge to get to closer Hector Neris.

Rangers

2019 record: 78-84

Needs: Infield help

What Chris Woodward did in his first year with Texas is nothing short of miraculous. With career years from virtually everyone on the roster, the Rangers were faced with serious roster deficiencies entering the 2019 season and they escaped with a 78-84 record — not great, but a lot better than some expected.

As it stands, Texas has a middle-of-the-road farm system and a pretty weak middle infield. Rougned Odor is coming off a horrible 30-homer season and Elvis Andrus was worth 1.9 bWAR, the fourth worst season in his career. The Rangers don't have immediate help in the farm system, so look for them to scour free agency for infield help, especially at short and second.

Rays

2019 record: 96-66

Needs: Catcher

The Rays are another really good team that's young in all the right spots and has plenty of talent coming up. They'll never be the team to blow away the field when it comes to free agency, but we saw last offseason that they may have some tricks up their sleeve (signing Charlie Morton to a two-year deal), so we could see the same again this offseason. 

Travis d'Arnaud is free agent, and depending on price, the Rays could bring him back. D'Arnaud was a surprisingly great addition for a team which had serious catching issues early in the season, having his best season since 2015.

Red Sox

2019 record: 84-78

Needs: First base

Unfortunately for Boston, "payroll flexibility" is a false need, and they won't get any pity from anyone across MLB for their current situation. A year removed from winning a World Series adds to that, too.

That said, the Red Sox are still a pretty complete team on paper. And much like their 2018 season, their 2019 season was something of an aberration. Not to take away what they did in 2018 at all, but good breaks here and there helped propel them to a monster season, and those same breaks didn't happen this past campaign.

With Mitch Moreland a free agent, could the Sox look to add a first baseman or move Michael Chavis over to first? That could also leave a vacancy at second, and who knows how Dustin Pedroia will respond in 2020? However you slice it, there's likely going to be a likely need at one of those two spots.

Reds

2019 record: 75-87

Needs: Middle infield help

The Reds were a better team than their record indicated in 2019, but they still need help at the plate. Could Nick Senzel slide back to an infield spot and potentially reinforce the middle infield? He was an infielder the minors and stood out at second base.

Jose Iglesias is a free agent, which means Jose Peraza — who played a lot of shortstop in the minors — could move over to open up the second base spot.

The Reds have a lot of ways they can go to try to alleviate the situation, but it's still a situation that needs alleviating.

Rockies

2019 record: 71-91

Needs: Bullpen

The Rockies will always have question marks surrounding their pitching given Coors (or, COOOOOOORS, I guess). But what's most disappointing if you're a Colorado fan is how the Rockies' super bullpen experiment that began prior to 2018 has failed miserably through two seasons. Wade Davis pitched to an ERA over 8.00 and was removed from the closer role. Bryan Shaw pitched to a 6.75 ERA over the last two months of the season (19 appearances). Jake McGee finished with the best ERA of the three at 4.35 but pitched to a 7.17 ERA in the second half of the season.

Sounds like the Rox could use some bullpen help again — especially if Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela and others can't help carry the load as potential starters.

Royals

2019 record: 59-103

Needs: Center field

The Royals tried building an identity based on speed before 2019 season and, uh, it didn't work out. Now, with a new manager coming in and a lot of heavy lifting ahead, the Royals are in one of the worst spots for a major-league team to be in.

The KC farm system is on the rise, but they still don't have that top prospect who's going to make a major impact in 2020. They could absolutely use outfielders, though. Jorge Soler will slot into right, and Alex Gordon and the Royals are left with a mutual option for $23 million. This team will be in desperate need of outfield help.

Tigers

2019 record: 47-114

Needs: Patience.

The Tigers are in the middle of a full-blown rebuild, but they haven't done a lot of tearing down just yet. They're very lucky to be deep with pitchers in their farm system, so don't look for them to go spend-crazy on arms this offseason.

More than anything, the Tigers need to approach this whole shebang with patience. The Tigers have done a good job drafting talented pitching help, but the hitters are still a ways away. Detroit — and its fans — just needs to be patient as this thing comes together.

Twins

2019 record: 101-61

Needs: Rotation depth

The Twins blew away the field this year, boasting one of baseball's best offenses from start to finish. They set a new home run record (308 on the year) and have plenty of young, talented players that are fixtures for the future. That offense couldn't mask the team's pitching problems when the Yankees took them to task with a three-game sweep in the ALDS.

The Twins are a good team now and will be moving forward, but they could certainly use rotation depth to help pair with José Berrios at the top, something they've needed for a long time. With Jake Odorizzi, Kyle Gibson and Michael Pineda all hitting free agency, the Twins are going to have no choice but to bring those guys back unless they hope to find help elsewhere.

White Sox

2019 record: 72-89

Needs: More power

The White Sox started to see the efforts of their tanking and rebuild bear fruit, with Yoan Moncada and Lucas Giolito having big years. Even with Eloy Jimenez having a pretty great rookie go, they could use another bopper either in center or at second base. They were one of the worst power-hitting teams in the majors in 2019, a season when everyone was hitting for power.

Yankees

2019 record: 103-59

Needs: Starting pitching

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Pitching. Or something.

It's easy to point to the Yankees' postseason success and say nothing needs to change, but when four pitchers (Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Patrick Corbin, Gerrit Cole) in the World Series could have been Yankees at some point, it's hard to ignore the fact that the Yankees still need pitching.

Hindsight is 20/20, and New York willingly stood pat at the trade deadline and passed on improving their team, something the Yankees won't be able to do if they want to make noise next year in the postseason and not continue to waste the window in front of them.

Joe Rivera