MLBTR Originals

A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:

• Just days ago, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes unveiled his 2017 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings.  Stephen Strasburg takes the No. 1 position on the list as he looks to break David Price’s record deal for starting pitchers.
• Chuck Wasserstrom sat down with Andy MacPhail to discuss the 25-year anniversary of the Twins’ 1991 World Series championship.  One of the key moves in building the Twins’ championship roster came in July 1989 when they dealt fan favorite Frank Viola.  MacPhail admits that trading the pitcher was difficult.  “I remember just wanting to have to sit down for a moment and sort of collect myself. Independent of the market size, it clearly was not an easy decision,” MacPhail said.  “It was not going to be popular, because you are trading a known for multiple unknowns to some degree. While I felt conviction that it was the right thing for us to make the trade … I wouldn’t say I was conflicted, but I recognized back then that of all the trades I had made in my career, this one was going to have the most riding on it. If it was not successful, it was going to come back and bite you personally – probably in a big way. You trade a potential 20-game winner to a New York club, you better be getting something back.”
• Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart surprised everyone in baseball this winter with his moves.  Recently, Brett Ballantini sat down with the agent-turned-GM to discuss his offseason overhaul in Arizona.
• Speaking of Stewart, MLBTR’s Steve Adams looked back on the Diamondbacks’ aggressive offseason.  Arizona committed a whopping $206.5MM over six years to pitcher Zack Greinke while trading a sizable package to the Braves for right-hander Shelby Miller (and left-hander Gabe Speier).  Now, the D’Backs are hoping to go from 79 wins to the top of the NL West.
• On the latest edition of the MLBTR Podcast, host Jeff Todd spoke with former big league catcher John Baker to discuss his role with the Cubs organization.  Jeff also spoke with Tim about his power rankings for 2017.   A new episode of the podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
• This winter, the Braves continued their build towards contending in 2017 in an effort to boost fan interest when their brand new ballpark opens up.  Jeff looked back on Atlanta’s moves, including deals for Shelby Miller and Andrelton Simmons.
• The Astros’ success in 2015 was a pleasant surprise.  In 2016, they’ll enter the season with some very real expectations for success.  Steve reflected on Houston’s offseason dealings, including the acquisition of reliever Ken Giles.
• Faced with a payroll crunch, new GM Billy Eppler was somewhat limited in what he could do this past winter.  Still, as MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk writes, the Halos made a couple of trades to improve their infield situation while making some other low-cost moves.
• The Rays needed offense this offseason and president of baseball operations Matthew Silverman wasted little time in getting that accomplished, as Mark writes in his Offseason In Review for Tampa Bay.  While Tampa brought some new bats into the mix, however, there are plenty of questions remaining for the team in the wake of their winter dealings.
• The Orioles spent more than ever this winter in an effort to try and win the AL East.  Mark looked back on all of the O’s moves, including headline-grabbers like Chris Davis’ deal, the Darren O’Day re-signing, the addition of Yovani Gallardo, and the trade for Mark Trumbo.
• After adding David Price and Craig Kimbrel, the Red Sox are hoping to make David Ortiz’s final season a memorable one, as Mark writes.
• The Pirates’ offseason wasn’t splashy, but there are still additions that are worth paying attention to, as MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth writes.
• The rebuild continues in Philly and Jeff looked at the deals made by the Phillies’ new forward-thinking regime.