If you can believe it, sub-.500 teams comprised the majors’ five lowest-scoring offenses in 2019. With the offseason a couple months old and with most of the top free agents off the board, those teams have all had time to improve at the plate. But have they? Let’s take a look…
Detroit Tigers (582 runs, 77 wRC+)
- Among Tigers regulars, only outfielder Nicholas Castellanos (whom they traded to the Cubs in July) and fellow outfielder Victor Reyes posted league average or better numbers last season. But the non-contending club has at least made an effort to upgrade its offense this winter. The Tigers have signed first baseman C.J. Cron and second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who were members of the division-rival Twins last year, as well as ex-Yankees catcher Austin Romine. None of those players will strike fear in the hearts of the opposition, but they’re respectable contributors who should be vast improvements over the hitters the Tigers ran out in those spots in 2019.
Miami Marlins (615 runs, 79 wRC+)
- Like the Tigers, the Marlins have made a legitimate effort to get better this offseason. They’ve remade a good portion of their infield, where first baseman Jesus Aguilar and Jonathan Villar (who could play a super-utility role in 2020) are now aboard. Miami has also grabbed outfielder Corey Dickerson, who was the most productive offensive player of the trio last season. And former Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli, who was highly valuable in 2018 before concussions helped stall his career in 2019, is in the mix as a backup to Jorge Alfaro. The Marlins should still be a sub-.500 club in the upcoming season, but at least they’ve put in some work to step up on offense.
San Francisco Giants (678 runs, 83 wRC+)
- Aside from letting go of center fielder Kevin Pillar and deciding not to re-sign catcher Stephen Vogt or third baseman Pablo Sandoval, this has been a quiet offensive offseason for the Giants. Their projected lineup for 2020 includes nothing but familiar faces from last year. So, unless the likes of Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria and Brandon Crawford channel their younger selves next season, it could be another lean showing for the Giants.
San Diego Padres (682 runs, 88 wRC+)
- As far as spending on hitters goes, the Padres were one of the active teams in the game during the previous two offseasons. They added first baseman Eric Hosmer on an eight-year, $144MM guarantee two winters ago and third baseman Manny Machado on a 10-year, $300MM pact less than a year back. Neither decision has worked out all that well for the team thus far, and now it has taken a more modest approach. But that’s not to say the Padres have been silent. They picked up high-OBP outfielder Tommy Pham from the Rays, young OFer Trent Grisham from the Brewers and second baseman Jurickson Profar from the Athletics in separate trades. Pham’s the lone member of the trio who inspires much confidence at the plate, but the Padres are banking on all three to help them break a long playoff drought in 2020. And if the team has its druthers, it’ll find a taker via trade for outfielder Wil Myers, but his albatross contract (three years, $60MM) could prevent that from happening.
Kansas City Royals (691 runs, 84 wRC+)
- The Royals, who lost 207 games from 2018-19, have done little to nothing at the plate this offseason. Third baseman Maikel Franco, who failed to live up to the hype in Philadelphia, joined KC on an affordable contract. There hasn’t been much otherwise, though, and the Royals continue to await left fielder Alex Gordon’s decision on whether to retire. Even if Gordon sticks around, he hasn’t been a legit threat at the plate since 2015. Maybe catcher Sal Perez will provide an impact bat after sitting out all of 2019 because of Tommy John surgery?
Padres should be much better offensively and I hope they beat the Dodgers with regularity, but it’s so disappoint to see such mismanagement with a small market team that has had a great farm system. I think Preller is a fool. San Diego is probably the best place to live and play baseball, it should be easy to build a champion there.
I couldn’t agree more on Preller… he ruined the Padres when he first came on trading guys like Max Fried, Grandal, Eflin, Ross, Trea Turner, Smith, while bringing in Kemp, the Upton’s and other just horrible, disastrous moves.
I cannot even give him props for building that farm system, when you suck as long as they have sucked they better have a damn good farm system!
Cant think of a worse GM then Preller. That Hosmer contract just never made any sense. 4 years and 72mil would have been an overpay and somehow they gave him double that. They’ve done nothing with their deep farm system as far as cashing in some of those chips for high end ML talent. I have a feeling Preller wont be around long enough to enjoy the fruit of those budding prospects.
Brodie Van Wagenen or Dave Stewart, maybe…
BVW won 86 games last year and was in the top 15 teams. You honestly think you could do a better job?
You can’t just take a few bad moves and judge a GM without also including his good moves.
Preller has brought in much better prospects than the ones he traded away.
The Shields/Tatis trade easily wipes out any other “one or two” bad trades you can come up with….for instance.
The Pomeranz contract is this year’s version of the Hosmer contract. One year off a 1-yr 1.5M “flyer” he gets 4 and $34M guaranteed. Off about 25 good innings.
nypadre66 except you’re saying it before he even throws a pitch in Brown.
Trying to sound smart cause In two years if you’re proven wrong no one will remember you said this.
Gotta love the anonymity of the internet!
Exactly! It’s a real long shot that he will be worth that kind of money.
Trea Turner is the only one of the bunch that is really worth his salt. the others have been traded several times already.. Those trades like all GM’s are in the past and believe me from looking at other teams fans there all mostly ready to tank their GM’s.
Grandal was traded only twice, and one of those times was as a minor-leaguer. Preller was the only guy to trade him after his age of 22. Since Grandal was universally considered the best FA catcher available, and signed a $72MM contract, I think it’s safe to say he well worth his salt.
The teams that Preller traded Fried, Eflin, Ross and Grandal to have not traded them. And Grandal and Fried have certainly been worth their salt. You know not what you talk about.
Ross has had an ERA over 5.00 for the last 3 years. Eflin has a 4.73 lifetime. Fried has a 3.83 lifetime ERA. Last year was his first full year and his ERA was just over 4.00. That makes him average. Maybe.
@Javia the Padres had exactly ONE starter in 2019 who made at least 10 starts and had a lower ERA than Max Fried. They could have used him.
And perhaps more importantly, they got basically nothing from trading him.
Javia there is more than one reason why what you said is wrong.
1. His FIP was 3.72 so he is better than the one and only stat you used to justify your statement.
2. His OPS+ is 113, which means that ONE stat you used is still better than average.
3. He is 25 and had his first full season.
You simply don’t know how to evaluate ball players.
Grandal if not mistaken was busted for steroids and had a major injury in a collision at home plate, probably why they dumped him. His framing is ave. at best and the number of passed balls he had in the playoffs was embarrassing for sure. I wish him well but not on the Padres as a player.
@nowheretogobutup…
The things you mentioned haven’t stopped Grandal from being one of the game’s premier catchers the past few seasons. And it’s ludicrous to say that his framing is “average at best.” He is one of the best pitch framers in the game. But most important is who the Padres traded him for. They’d have been better off just non-tendering Grandal than trading him for Matt Kemp if we’re being honest.
We’ll see what happens now that Grandall has a long term contract if he goes back to being ave. at best. I wouldn’t want him on my team
Grandal was overpaid and he’ll show it in 2020 thru 2023, you’ll see.I call him Mr pass ball, ave. D and two decent yrs. offensively. He’s like a roller coaster.
Maybe, but no matter what trading him for Matt Kemp was stupid
Grandal was a monster during 2015 – 2018, which is what the padres gave up (along with Eflin) for Matt Kemp. What he does in 2020- 023 is irrelevant to this point.
best place to live…if you can afford the incredibly high taxation.
It’s called the sunshine tax and it’s worth it.
Worth it for arguably the best climate in America.
Seriously.
Every place has its pros and cons.
So sick of these lame California bashers.
People always gotta hate on the best though
California? The land of unfettered illegals, cities full of homeless encampments and sewage and needles littering the streets of your major cities? Few would call that “the best”. And it’s why people are leaving, just like they’ve been escaping NY for years to states with better governments.
We’ll its eident you haven’t been to S.D., quite the opposite of your statement. Yes S.F home of Pelosi and L.A. are scum cities.
The Pomeranz deal Preller agreed to this year will be his final nail in the coffin. Pomeranz got hot for 6 weeks in Milwaukee last year. Prior to that, he was God-awful for the previous 3+ seasons and Preller decides to give him a 4 year deal @ $8M per year? I’ll be shocked if Pomeranz has an ERA under 5.00 in 2020.
I like the Padres too; it’s just a shame to watch Preller mismanage this team and all of the young talent they’ve had over recent years.
Pom was pretty good in 2017.
Dorothy, I’ll take even money with you on the Pom statement you made, I see Pom with an ERA under 4. for 2020., would you like to place a wager let’s say $500. I live in CB and can meet you up in North County.
But worth $8M a year? For all 4 years of the deal? He overpaid again.
Our GM has to overpay to get them to come to the last place Friars, we’ll known fact. Three teams had Pom on three yr deals.
Yeah, someone’s totally gonna trade for Wil Myers lmfao
If the Red Sox can find someone to take Jackie Bradley Jr., don’t be surprised if Preller trades Meyers and a prospect to Boston for David Price.
I believe the BoSox would need to eat some of Price’s salary as well for any trade to take place even with Myers and a prospect. JB could be traded if so I’d trade Myers and Margot for Price with some monetary compensation from the BoSox coming back to the Friars.
The Sox are looking to trade Price to relieve salary, not because he’s bad. Myers for Price makes zero sense whatsoever
JB Jr. is a bust and I’d rather have Myers and that’s not saying much
No you wouldn’t
If AJ can at least get us a decent SP with an ERA around 3.50 and a WHIP around 1.20 it will make a difference. We have a very thin core of SP’s and if one or two goes down on the IL were in BIG trouble. It will more than likely be AJ out the door. He’s had his time and if the Friars do not hit .500 this year I’ll bet even money he’s gone. There’s a number of potential GM’s available who’d love to live in SD and make that $3M a year trading players.
The Marlins should still be a sub .500 club in the upcoming season. In other news, water is wet and grass is still green.
Can u do this for teams that were worst in starting and relief
Was anyone else shocked to learn that KC scored more runs than the Padres last season? I understand KC gets the luxury of a DH in the AL but they were just atrocious last year and never seemed to score more than 2 or 3 runs per game.
That’s 4.26 runs per game. After subtracting the blowouts over the Tigers, you are probably correct.
I believe that’s why AJ brought in some high OBP players and dumped Renfroe and Urias. We need guys to get on base not just hit a bomb now and then and K 35% of the time. With Tatis, Pham, Machado the first three hitters should produce some runs however from there unless Hosmer, Myers and Hedges can raise their OBP and BA it may not change much as far as runs scored. We have too many easy outs after Manny from the 4 hole to the pitcher.
Weird to call Myers’ contact an albatross after saying Hosmer “hasn’t worked out well.” Myers is less bad and less expensive with more upside.
Agree. Machado hasn’t worked out terribly so far either considering their production at 3rd base would have likely been below replacement level without him.
Yes but $30 million a year for that!!??
In two yrs from now Manny’s salary will be a steal at $30M a yr. Look at what is happening with these players getting $35M a yr. now it will only go higher.
Manny’s D is the best we’ve had in many yrs. and he hit 30 bombs last yr. considering the last two months he just floated along. With some of his previous coaches from the Orioles now on our staff things should up tick as well from Manny.
If they platoon Hosmer against RH pitchers with one of the up an coming Rooks from EP or one from the latest trades against LH pitchers Hosmer BA should be around .290. I hope the new GM does this and gives Tatis a day off now and then to rest his wheels and prevent him going to the IL again.
The only problem is will Myers be comfortable playing 1B against LH pitchers with Hosmer against RH pitchers it will be the most expensive platoon system in baseball, LOL, however if I were Tingler that’s what I’d do. I feel their BA’s would increase considerably if they were to platoon at 1B, unless of course Myers is traded with a top prospect for a SP by Feb. 1st..
The Cardinals have got to be in that lowest category for 2019!!!!
It is clear now the Gigantes FO has written off 2020. n
No upgrades to the offense. still going with 7 homerun-Buster, out-of-shape Crawford, never-gets-a-hit-when-it-matters Longo, and looking-at-strike-three-again Belt.
It’s hard to see how they avoid 100+ losses…
They aren’t trying to win this season, not tanking but restructuring. The truth is that they may have improved the offense by doing nothing. They do have a hole that should be upgraded in lf but otherwise we are likely to see more guys called up, yasremski- esqe claims and such that could very well be an upgrade (or not) but either way a lot of the next couple of years is like it or not waiting out the contracts on hand.
I see the Giants last in the NL West with the Rox in Fourth, Padres Third, D Backs second and Doyers in first with their $210M payroll