Spring training begins this week and before we know it, it will be Opening Day. During the 2016 season, there was much success for so many MLB teams, but there is always work that needs to be done during the winter months and up until the last minute.
The Chicago Cubs did not have a lot of work to do following a World Series Championship, but moves always need to be made. The Indians gained a slugger, and the Houston Astros have a first-base situation they hope to take care of.
With all that said, here are the eight hyped teams that have some glaring needs for the 2017 season.
Chicago Cubs
Glaring need(s): Bullpen
The Cubs are filled to the brim with talent. Joe Maddon’s “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality will be something worth watching this season. Even with the departures of Dexter Fowler and David Ross the team has multiple All-Stars and award winners heading into the 2017 season.
So what could they possibly need?
The Cubbies could absolutely use some help in the bullpen, and according to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report the favorites could be Rule 5 pick “Caleb Smith and veteran free-agent signing Brian Duensing — who inked a one-year, $2 million deal earlier this offseason.”
Looks like the team isn’t invincible after all.
New York Yankees
Glaring needs(s): First base, right field, starting rotation
The team in the Bronx went from possessing some of the youngest bats in baseball to having their average age on the team about even when they signed veteran slugger Chris Carter on a one-year deal worth $3.5 million.
They also made other big moves during the offseason with Matt Holliday, Aroldis Chapman, and Brian McCann.
At the moment it’s a question of ‘who is going to play where and who is going to get the starting job.’
In right field, the job is up for grabs between Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and MLB.com’s no. 24 prospect Clint Frazier. With the recent signing of Carter, the competition opens up between him and Greg Bird at first base. Bird missed a lot of playing time last season with a shoulder injury, but still, has a promising future after dominating the minors and having a solid transition to the bigs.
The starting rotation at the moment has Masahiro Tanaka on top. The rest of the rotation may result in New York still having some things to figure out in Michael Pineda, C.C. Sabathia, Luis Severino, Luis Cessa, Chad Green and Bryan Mitchell. Which means a lot of inconsistencies in the mix at the moment.
Yankees fans could be worried.
Cleveland Indians
Glaring need(s): Left field
“BELIEVELAND.”
Cute, right?
The recent signing of left-handed reliever Logan Boone was a huge gain to strengthen the Indians bullpen.
With that addition putting the bullpen worries to rest, the team acquiring slugger Edwin Encarnacion. And with the infield positions relatively solid, one of the remaining questions is the outfield presence.
Tyler Naquin and Lonnie Chisenhall made cases for themselves last season, so the right and centerfield positions could very well go to them. The big questions is whether Michael Brantley will stay healthy. The 29-year-old was limited to only 11 games last season with a right shoulder issue that resulted in surgery for a torn labrum.
The latest update at the end of January says the outfielder is “ahead of schedule” according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Boston Red Sox
Glaring need(s): Designated hitter
The big blockbuster trade for Chris Sale in the offseason wasn’t the only storyline to hit the Boston Red Sox.
David Ortiz said goodbye to the sport of baseball after two decades of play. This is following a solid season that saw Big Papi lead the league in doubles, RBI, slugging percentage and OPS. He finished 2016 with a .315/.401/.620 line and 38 home runs.
There will never be another David Ortiz, we all know that, so how will the team make sure they go on without him?
They currently house the number one prospect in 22-year-old Andrew Benintendi, who across two teams in the minors batted a .312/.378/.532 line. When he was promoted to the Sox he had a .295 batting average with 31 hits and seven bombs during 34 games.
Will he be worth the hype? Only time will tell.
Sale, of course, will be one of the top stories to watch, which we discussed here. Red Sox fans are also eager to see if David Price will host a bounce-back season. He’s been good, but the team wants great.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Glaring need(s): Starting rotation
Do you guys care about the PECOTA predictions? Whether you do or you don’t, the predictions for the Los Angeles Dodgers have the team taking another National West title.
While PECOTA just creates pressure for teams, there is a lot of evidentiary support.
The re-signing of Justin Turner, Corey Seager being Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw simply existing and Yasiel Puig finally getting his attitude under control are a few key notes that will add to the team’s success this season. Chase Utley was also recently re-signed to boost the team’s confidence.
The question for this team is who will be the fifth starter?
So far, that job can go to Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Ross Stripling or Alex Wood.
Between most of the injuries in the rotation, it looks like the arrow could be going towards Stripling. Let’s just hope Dave Roberts keeps him in long enough to prove himself this time.
Houston Astros
Glaring need(s): First base
The offseason brought some more security to pitching, but when it comes to the Astros we just want to know who is going to play first base.
Sometimes too much of a good thing could be considered bad. In this case, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, just crowded.
Between Yulieski Gurriel, Marwin Gonzalez. A.J. Reed, Tyler White and Evan Gattis, there is a lot of competition to start at that position. We haven’t even mentioned Jon Singleton, who is no longer on the 40-man roster and still has major league experience at the position.
At the moment it seems the job will go to Gurriel, but ignoring the Reed and White aspect seems like a risky move.
St. Louis Cardinals
Glaring need(s): Center field
When a team gains a member from the previous World Series Championship team, all eyes will be on him.
Dexter Fowler recently inked a five-year, $82-million deal with the Cardinals shortly after being a part of the best team in 2016, the Chicago Cubs.
The investment in the 2016 All-Star is a big one, but the ROI could work in the Cards’ favor after falling just two games short of the postseason last year.
Manager Mike Matheny recently told MLB.com that not only is he a great fit in the lineup but a strong clubhouse presence that seemed “stiff last season.”
“I think he’s going to be a great fit, all the way around, in this community, on this team, in the lineup, in our clubhouse,” manager Mike Matheny said to Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com. “[I’m] very, very excited about having him with us.”
Fowler brings athleticism, and now, outfielder Randal Grichuk can make his home in left.
The centerfielder finished the 2016 season with a .276/.393/.447 line and 126 hits and 13 home runs.
San Francisco Giants
Glaring need(s): Starting rotation
So the San Francisco Giants are mortal. Even they needed a break from the even year, but they will once again be another team to beat this time around. If their pitching can handle it.
The outfield “situation” isn’t something to worry about, but more or less this team’s hopes lie on what will be happening on the mound.
Veteran pitchers Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija are returning, but Cain has a history plagued with injuries and only pitched in 17 games last season.
The young arms include Ty Blach (poised for a breakout campaign), Albert Suarez, Chris Stratton, Kyle Crick and Clayton Blackburn. They don’t all have major league appearances, but even the ones who do aren’t exactly walking on to the starting rotation easily.
Blach showed promise last season for the Giants with a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings, but it goes without saying that’s a small sample size. He also proved himself during the NLDS pitching in 3.1 scoreless innings. He’s the top contender so far for that fifth spot, but more evaluations will occur during spring training.