MLBTR’s annual Offseason Outlook series is in the books for another year, as we’ve now completed all 30 of our previews of what each team might have in store for their winter transactions. A new feature also debuted this year — a live chat devoted to every club, so fans could contribute to the discussion about their favorite team’s offseason. This post contains the full sets of links to each Outlook post, and transcripts of the reader chats.
AL East
- Baltimore Orioles (chat)
- Boston Red Sox (chat)
- New York Yankees (chat)
- Tampa Bay Rays (chat)
- Toronto Blue Jays (chat)
AL Central
- Chicago White Sox (chat)
- Cleveland Guardians (chat)
- Detroit Tigers (chat)
- Kansas City Royals (chat)
- Minnesota Twins (chat)
AL West
- Houston Astros (chat)
- Los Angeles Angels (chat)
- Oakland Athletics (chat)
- Seattle Mariners (chat)
- Texas Rangers (chat)
NL East
- Atlanta Braves (chat)
- Miami Marlins (chat)
- New York Mets (chat)
- Philadelphia Phillies (chat)
- Washington Nationals (chat)
NL Central
- Chicago Cubs (chat)
- Cincinnati Reds (chat)
- Milwaukee Brewers (chat)
- Pittsburgh Pirates (chat)
- St. Louis Cardinals (chat)
NL West
The Mets have a lot of work to do, 3/5 of their rotation are free agents, I’m not sure I would resign any of them especially what they’re asking $$,(deGrom, Bassitt,Walker) , a lot of their bullpen are free agents (Diaz, Ottavino, Lugo, May, Givens) I would resign def Diaz and maybe Ottavino and look elsewhere for others, they need to find 2 power bats behind Alonso a righty and a lefty ( JD Mart, Josh Bell, N. Cruz, J.Abreu) ?
And they should keep their young guys up Baty (3b), Alvarez (C) and Vientos (OF/3b/DH/bench).
You just gave the solution for the power bats with Baty and Alvarez. I definitely would sign Bassitt for four years. No way Diaz goes anywhere. Degrom will be interesting and will probably get huge money from Cohen. I would let Walker walk depending on how high his price goes.
Can’t sign Martinez AND Bell. Need a few guys that can actually field a position ya know.
It’s worked so far for the Phillies.
Not a good plan. Don’t base your expectations on an outlier. Or do you suggest having 3 DHs in your lineup us s good idea?
It was a joke… I’m really surprised the Phillies made the post season with all the extra runs they give away.
I’m interested to see what the Phillies do in the off-season regarding Castellanos.. correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t Harper still need Tommy Johns? And I also don’t know about time-line as it relates to being able to hit but do you still try to have Castellanos and Schwarber still play the outfield all 2023 or do you sell low on Castellanos?
Ah, got ya. I’ve no idea what the Phillies should do. I would never have signed Castellanos in the first place.
If I was the Phillies, I’d try to workout a trade with the Cubs to take Castellanos (as a Cub fan, I’d be interested in being Castellanos back). The Phillies would be selling low, would have to eat some money or send a prospect to offset money, but they should be in on a short stop and freeing up Castellanos, who, as you said, they never should have signed, would be paramount.
From the Cubs perspective, he isn’t ideal, rather get Martinez or Abreu on a shorter term deal, but we are comfortable with him and he seemed to thrive in the NL Central.
Or maybe the Phillies let Nick rediscover his offensive abilities once Harper returns to right field after surgery
I believe Castellanos focused so much on improving his defense (which he did) that his offense suffered. If I were Dombrowski I would not sell low.
jvent;
The Mets are in danger of being a one year wonder.
Once Mr. Cohen got suckered in to radically overpaying Lindor then going even more crazy for Schurzer, all Mets players now want to be overpaid as well…..and the team is already well over the pseudo-salary cap.
Furthermore, I believe there is something radically wrong when a teams veteran players want out. Wheeler started the exodus, Conforto and Syndergaard next, and now a bunch of players.
Something’s not right there.
Sam, I’ll definitely keep what you said in mind. I don’t follow them close, though I was under the impression that this year was the beginning of many similar for them.
The Mets need to figure out if winning a Championship is important enough to them because you’re not winning a title with the moves you make in the off-season.
The Mets have talked at length about being afraid to make another PCA trade and trying to buy players until prospects are ready… that’s all good in theory but not in practice… not when you’re shelling out 300 million dollars and giving out multi-year deals.
The Mets need to make sly moves and augment their roster needs at the trade deadline, if you’re so scared of making a Baez type move, trade for players for more years of control but don’t attempt to build a complete roster in the off-season.
What’s going to happen is the Mets will panic, re-sign DeGrom, Diaz and Nimmo and then they’re payroll will choke them out in two years.
I wouldn’t count the exodus of players in the pre-Buck era – completely different team culture now, and there was a lot of great energy on the team this year. Jake looked out of place most of the time so I could see him leaving, but resigning him at $45m a year at this stage is a bad move in my opinion anyway. I was so upset when wheeler left btw.
I get the reluctance to do another “baez type” move, but most of us w a brain knew Baez was never that good and was an awful move, but they were desperate for a playoff push. If they trade 3-4 of their top 15 prospects for ohtani, they’re basically acquiring two premiere players. Far from a Baez move. It’s a risk they probably have to take if they’re really “win now.” Cohen has the money to resign everyone if he wants, so people need to stop worrying so much there – cano Escobar canha salaries all gone next year and scherzer McCann year after… money isn’t the concern it used to be. He’s already said he wants to be the east coast dodgers, who went way over the tax for years.
Out of curiosity, how was Baez a dumb move? Now I get being upset you awful gm was willing to move PCA for Baez on a year but Baez was terrific for the Mets and wasn’t anywhere close to the reason they collapsed.
As for all the Mets fans who are loving Cohen, Cohen has a reputation for being unreasonable and unpredictable, that is why the Mets had to settle for their poor gm and PBO. Literally everyone Cohen was willing to pay a dump truck full of money to said “thanks but no thanks”. I guess the silver lining is it worked for Steinbrenner but the Mets are going to be in trouble with such a volatile owner.
I’m rooting for the Mets to win the off-season and have a 350 to 400 million dollar payroll
Ridiculous why would you want to do that? need a 1-year and a 5-year plan for pay roll. Every 3 years you need to be under cap think long trrm.
It’s too soon for Alvarez. He’s still 20 and his defense needs work, but Baty, Vientos, and Escobar (with Vogelbach) might make a respectable 3B/LF/DH platoon / aggregate, especially when one of Nimmo-Marte-Canha are out, which will be often, though that might depend on what the team has in mind for Baty. Does he field well enough to start at 3B despite averaging 30-35 errors pro rated to full seasons in the minors? I wouldn’t count on it, making him at best your LF/DH option. Same with Vientos. Does that push Mauricio to 3B?—it’ll be interesting to see if the Mets play him there in his minor league assignment to begin the season, and will tell us something about how they seen Baty and Vientos..
This is a such a great feature you guys do. I am always excited to read these even for teams that I care little about. Very interesting to read about each team and how their fans might get some excitement next season. Great work!
You guys are off to a flying start. When you do the White Sox article, though, please focus on what the team is likely to do rather than what they should do. I’ll even write that section for you:
Hire a manager. Throw Abreu a going away party. No other major moves.
You’re welcome. Happy to help.
Grab your popcorn and your nuts this is a big one.
Popcorn AND Nuts???? You must live in the Land of Plenty. Must be nice.
Ahahhahaha your so funny.
Excellent series. You guys are doing a great job. I read each and every one so far. You give realistic options of what they may do.
I’m really enjoying this series, and the chats are great.
Farhan Zaidi has a ton of work to do this off-season. Luckily he has almost unlimited funds to work with.
The Giants needs to land a couple of top tier free agents or fans will stop going to the park. Not sure how they catch the Padres or Dodgers anytime soon.
“Not sure how they catch the Padres or Dodgers anytime soon.”
If you’re a Giants fan, you should be worried about the DBacks.
Good point, Diamondbacks too. They have some young studs coming up.
Back in 2017 Steve Adams said during a live chat that the Phillies and Padres would have the longest wait between that year and their next postseason appearance. 5 years later, here they are in the NLCS. 6 teams haven’t made the postseason since that happened. And some of the ones that have didn’t make it past the Wild Card.
Your comment bears no merit. If that comment was made 5 years ago by SA, there were no 3rd wildcards then. What a joke it is.
My comment bears every merit.
Dave Dombrowski leads another team to the World Series. Wow!! The guy sure knows how to win.
Anyone throwing $180m at Schwarber and Castellanos is a little goofy.
I see that all but 4(really 3 since toronto just came out) have had chats, A’s, Reds and Rangers. Those 3 came out as some of the first ones.
Why no CHAT?
Oh did you pay for these? No it appears you are a I want things for free loader. They will do a chat when they can.
Appreciate you guys doing the Chats. It’s an excellent way to include fans of specific teams. I enjoyed having a chat just devoted to the Cardinals, and on the other hand, reading what fans of another team are thinking and talking about. I’ve learned a lot. Thanks again.
can you guys do a preseason outlook during spring training?
Our annual “Offseason In Review” series will begin in March
will that gave team specific chats?
i can’t believe they did them all, before the season started