With Christmas right around the corner, each MLB team will be asking Santa for the perfect gift to improve in 2016.
Whether it’s by adding the big free agent or making the necessary front office moves, every MLB team has its own, unique Christmas list.
Going in order of the 2016 draft, we decided to list out each team’s Christmas wish list.
Philadelphia Phillies: A major rehaul of its farm system
Coming off their worst season since 1972, the Phillies finally recognized that they are in a rebuilding phase. After trading away home-grown fan favorites Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, Philly has restocked its minor league system with top prospects.
The Phillies also made a number of front office moves. They named Pete Mackanin as their manager, removing the interim from his title, hired Andy MacPhail as their President of Baseball Operations and Matt Klentak as their General Manager.
Philly has the first overall pick in 2016, and needs to restock its starting pitching. The top two names on the Phillies list are University of Florida LHP A.J. Puk and New Jersey High School LHP Jason Groome.
Philadelphia wants to keep improving its farm system so that one day the franchise can return to the top of the baseball world. The Phillies can do this by drafting well and not fast-tracking any of their minor leaguers. With an entirely new regime at the top, it shouldn’t be too long before the Phillies can compete in the NL East again.
Cincinnati Reds: Trade veterans for prospects
Cincinnati could be climbing an uphill battle in the NL Central for a number of years. Without a doubt, the NL Central is the best league in the entire MLB, with three teams making up the best records in the league.
If the Reds want to compete, then they will need to really ramp up their rebuilding process, which will require trading four-time All Star Joey Votto at the 2016 trade deadline.
I know this is hard for Reds fans to hear, but he is 32 years old and deserves a real chance at winning a World Series ring before he retires. By trading Votto at the trade deadline, the Reds will be able to acquire some top-tier minor league prospects. Many contending teams are willing to over-pay at the deadline in order to win now.
If we want to go one step further, the Reds could also clear up some serious salary cap room by trading away Aroldis Chapman, Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier and Brandon Phillips. These former All Stars will attract some top young talent, primarily in starting pitching.
If the Reds are serious about competing in the stacked NL Central, they will need to clean house and stock up the entire minor league system.
Atlanta Braves: Commit to contending now or rebuilding
As bad as the Braves were in 2015, they aren’t too far away from being a true NL East threat. The New York Mets and Washington Nationals are the clear leaders of the division, but the Phillies and Miami Marlins are going to be cellar dwellers for many years to come.
After failing to sign highly sought-after free agents Ben Zobrist and Darren O’Day, the Braves proved they are in the “win now” mode by even going after these high price tags. But once they failed to sign these free agents, they went and traded away their top pitcher Shelby Miller. So, are the Braves trying to win now or are they starting the long rebuilding process?
Atlanta will be playing in a new stadium, SunTrust Park, beginning in 2017. They historically see poor attendance, so in order to sell tickets in a brand new ballpark, they will need to add a big name — not rebuild. Clearly not signing O’Day or Zobrist hurt them, so they should really commit to rebuilding.
Colorado Rockies: Stack the minor leagues, clear up cap space
The 2015 last place NL Central Rockies have been rebuilding for quiet some time now. They made some serious strides at the 2015 trade deadline by shipping Troy Tulowitski to the Toronto Blue Jays, acquiring their top prospects in exchange. They also had the third overall pick in 2015 and selected high school short stop Brendan Rodgers, who will be groomed to replace Tulowitski.
For a team as bad as the Rockies were in 2015, they had an astronomically high payroll at $100 million. This can mainly be attributed to Jose Reyes’ $22 million per year and Carlos Gonzalez’s $17.43 million contract. There is no reason to be carrying two players with such high contracts, so they should consider moving Reyes and/or Gonzalez this offseason.
Clearing up some serious cap space is on the top of the Rockies’ Christmas wish list, and they can restock their minor league system while improving their financial situation at the same time.
Milwaukee Brewers: Groom the next MLB stars
The Brew Crew are in a similar situation as the Reds, meaning they will have a tough time contending in the NL Central anytime soon. That being said, they should focus on developing their top prospects.
Shortstop Orlando Arcia is the top Milwaukee prospect, and Baseball America ranked him as the 8th best prospect in America. This is a serious improvement for the Brewers organization, as their last prospect to be named in the top 10 was Rickie Weeks in 2005.
By continuing to develop Arcia and other top prospects like outfielder Brett Phillips and pitcher Jorge Lopez, the Brewers can look to be serious contenders in the next five years.
Oakland Athletics: Get back to Moneyball
Oakland had a tough 2015 campaign in which they finished dead last in the AL West- 20 games behind the Texas Rangers. The A’s made the “Moneyball” method of scouting famous, using detailed analytics and stats to sign and draft players. However, they got away from that system in recent years, which has led to their decline.
They traded for starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija at the 2014 trade deadline, sending top prospect Addison Russell to the Chicago Cubs, who ended up starting and contributing significantly for the Cubs in 2o15. Oakland also traded for Jon Lester at the same time, sending away the young stud Yoenis Cespedes.
Trading away their two top young performers for two veteran starting pitchers goes against all the A’s believe in. Cleary they thought they could make a real run in 2014, but lost in the Wild Card game to the eventual World Series runner-up Kansas City Royals.
In order for the A’s to compete again, they need to get back to their “Moneyball” ways, and really develop their minor league system. Look for GM Billy Beane to retain its minor league talent at the 2016 trade deadline and continue to develop its minor league system.
Miami Marlins: Believe in Don Mattingly
Miami has had a big offseason by adding some top names to its coaching staff. Don Mattingly was hired as manager and Barry Bonds was recently hired as the hitting coach. By signing two big-named coaches, the Marlins believe they can be a factor in the weak NL East in 2016.
The Marlins need to hope that their flame-throwing ace, Jose Fernandez, doesn’t demand a trade as influenced by his agent Scott Boras. Fernandez is an elite pitcher and posted a 2.92 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 2015. If the Marlins can build a rotation around him and add a bat or two, they should have no problem competing for the NL East for many years to come.
San Diego Padres: A unique identity
It’s hard to pinpoint one need for the Padres as they head into the 2016 season. They need improvements at pitching, fielding and hitting, but most likely won’t be willing to dish out top-talent cash. However, they did just sign James Shields to a $75 million contract, so the money is tight.
One name they are interested in is free agent shortstop Ian Desmond, who would come at a reasonable price. Desmond could also be a solid addition as the club awaits the arrival of top prospect Javier Guerra, who could make his MLB debut in 2016.
San Diego should focus on developing its young talent that is already on the MLB roster, like infielder Cory Spangenberg, who was their first round pick in 2011. The Clarks Summit, PA native has showed signs of promise with his bat, glove and speed. In 2015, he batted .271 while swiping nine bags.
If Spangenberg can develop into an All Star player, and the Padres add a couple solid arms, they could make some noise and a possible playoff run in 2016. But most importantly, they need to build their own unique identity.
Detroit Tigers: Healthy starting pitching
Detroit had an uncharacteristically upsetting 2015 season by finishing in dead last in the AL Central. Luckily for the Tigers, the AL Central is only dominated by one team, the Kansas City Royals.
The Tigers signed starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey to a two-year, $16 million deal. He is going to be a serious help to the starting rotation. The Tigers also signed high-profile free agent Jordan Zimmermann to a five-year, $110 million contract early in the offseason. So it is clear the team is serious about contending for a division title for many years to come.
Both Pelfrey and Zimmermann have undergone elbow surgery in their careers, so Detroit needs to ask Santa that these two pricy pitchers stay healthy in 2016.
Chicago White Sox: Regain the AL Central Crown
The lone bright spot of the 2015 White Sox was the stellar pitching by ace Chris Sale. The lefty went 13-11 and racked up a career high 274 strike outs for the South Siders.
The main area of improvement for the 2016 White Sox should be its offense, and they addressed that through free agency by signing All Star Todd Frazier. Frazier is a phenomenal addition to the White Sox infield as he is coming off a career high 35 home runs and a respectable .255 batting average for a power hitter.
Chicago had a respectable team batting average of .250 but lacked in RBI with 595. Frazier is a serious upgrade at the hot corner, which has been a position of disappointment in recent years for Chicago.
With young studs like Sale and Jose Abreu, the White Sox need to continue to develop its minor league system while also being cognizant of not over spending on veteran players. They have a legitimate shot at a 2016 AL Central title, but they cannot afford to trade away their prospects to do so.
Seattle Mariners: Adam Lind contributes right away
The Mariners are committed to turning their organization around. Many thought they would be serious contenders in 2015 after signing Robinson Cano to a monstrous 10-year, $240 million contract. But that didn’t happen as they finished 12 games out of first place in the AL West.
Seattle’s new General Manager Jerry Dipoto has his work cut out for him this offseason. He needed to address starting pitching and accomplished this at the Winter Meetings by trading for former Boston Red Sox pitcher Wade Miley. The Mariners now have two solid starting pitchers, the other being Felix Hernandez.
The Mariners also made a big splash by trading for power-hitting first baseman Adam Lind of the Milwaukee Brewers. They had to give up some of their top prospects, but it wasn’t too hefty price for a team that is fought in between contending and rebuilding.
Because the AL West is one of the strongest divisions in all of baseball, the Mariners will have a tough battle to contend for a division title. But with two top pitchers, an All-Star second baseman and the addition of Lind, they could shake up the AL West and make a real run in 2016.
Boston Red Sox: David Price carries his weight
The team will also have extra motivation since David Ortiz announced this will be his last year in baseball. The fearless leader for Boston over the past 12 years has been accountable for much of the team’s success, including three World Series in the past decade.
If the aging Red Sox can stay healthy, Price pitches like a true, dominating ace and Big Papi can provide one more season of heroics, then Boston should have no problem making an AL East run while returning to the World Series.
Tampa Bay Rays: Starting Pitching
Tampa Bay is another organization that is at a crossroads of rebuilding or contending. With a nice mix of young and veteran players, the Rays will most likely try to add some depth to their roster, rather than rebuild their minor league system.
If the Rays are going to commit to contending in 2016, then they absolutely cannot trade away RHP Chris Archer or 3B Evan Longoria. Archer is the real future of the organization and had a stellar 2015 campaign, earning a 3.23 ERA and 252 strike outs. Longoria has had his ups and downs but brings valuable experience and leadership Tampa Bay desperately needs. He should only be considered being traded if the Rays have a brutal first half of the season and can get some top prospects at the trade deadline.
The AL East is one of the most consistent divisions in the MLB, and any team can be crowned the winner. If the Rays want to have a serious shot at contending in the division, they will need to add some starting pitching to support Archer in 2016.
Baltimore Orioles: Sign Chris Davis to a long-term deal
The Orioles were one of the favorites to win the AL East, but a mid-season collapse led them to a third place finish in their division.
The main priority for Baltimore this offseason needs to be signing 3B Chris Davis. He led the entire MLB in home runs in 2015 with 47, and was second in the AL in RBI with 117. The lefty is one of the most sought after power-hitting free agents on the market, and is a valuable piece to the Orioles lineup.
According to ESPN.com, Baltimore offered Davis a seven-year, $150 million deal but have since retracted that offer. If they are serious about winning the AL East, then they need to at least get close to Davis’s number to ensure he stays in Baltimore.
Cleveland Indians: Joey Votto
Terry Francona’s squad had a respectable 2015 season, but it was not good enough to make the playoffs as they finished 4.5 games back for the second wild card spot. The Indians have the tools to compete now but could use some veteran players to round out their lineup, like Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto.
The four-time All Star could really help the Indians in the offensive category, but he would come at a very hefty price tag and Cleveland would have to give up some of its top prospects. If the Indians want to win now, they will need to land a big time, run producing free agent.
Cleveland has one of the best farm systems in the AL, which is perfect for the Reds as they are in a total rebuild mode. If the asking price isn’t too high, the Indians should definitely pull the trigger on the trade.
Minnesota Twins: All Star production from Byung Ho Park
The Twins made a huge splash this offseason by signing Korea Baseball Organization MVP, Byung Ho Park. Park was one of the most talked about international players that could receive a serious MLB contract, and that he did at four-years, $12 million.
While that isn’t an astronomical contract, the contract does include some serious incentives like $25,000 per year in airline tickets between Korea and the US and $5,000 per year in moving expenses.
Park will add much needed run production to the Twins. In the past two seasons for the Nexen Heroes, Park belted 50 home runs in each 140-game season. If veteran Joe Mauer can turn it around in 2016, the Park/Mauer combination could be deadly for Minnesota.
Washington Nationals: 2016 NL East Championship
It’s no secret that the Nationals had a terrible 2015 season, but that didn’t stop them from committing to excellence in 2016. Washington hired long-time MLB manager Dusty Baker, who came out of retirement to hopefully lead the Nationals to a World Series title.
After failing to sign Ben Zobrist, it is rumored that the Nats are the front-runners to land slugging infielder Daniel Murphy, who would be a phenomenal help in defense and run production. A 3-4-5 middle of the lineup featuring Murphy, Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth could be the firepower needed to give the New York Mets a serious run for their money in the NL East.
Washington needs to focus on signing Murphy, which will cost a pretty penny. If they can do so, the Mets dominating pitching staff will have some serious competition in 2016.
Los Angeles Angels: An AL West Championship
With a 2015 team payroll of $146 million, which was the seventh-highest in MLB, the Angeles failed to make the playoffs despite a late-season run. Albert Pujols had a disappointing 2015 campaign when he tallied double-digit RBI for only the fourth time in his stellar 14-year career.
With a great starting rotation led by C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver, the Angels’ bats need to carry their share of the workload in 2016 if they want to compete for a AL West title. Los Angeles recently traded for nine-year veteran Yunel Escobar from the Washington Nationals, and he will provide leadership and steady production in their lineup.
If Pujols can rebound from a poor 2015 season, Mike Trout can continue his jaw-dropping play both offensively and defensively, and Escobar can have a solid year at the plate, then the Angels should be in consideration to win the AL West and at least earn a Wild Card spot.
Houston Astros: Back end bullpen help
After coming off a terrific 2015 season, and its first one since recently joining the American League, the young and talented Astros are serious World Series contenders in 2016.
One of the only weaknesses of the 2015 Astros, who earned the second Wild Card spot, was the back end of their bullpen. The organization addressed this “weakness” by trading for the young, flame-throwing Ken Giles of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Houston had the lowest average fastball velocity of any bullpen in the MLB last season at 91.1 mph. Giles’ average fastball was 96.5 MPH — 11th-highest among big league relievers. Even more impressive is that Giles threw 193 fastballs in 2015 at 98 MPH or higher.
With a real shut-down reliever in its bullpen, the Astros won’t have to stretch its starters as much like they did with CY Young winner Dallas Keuchel, who threw a career-high 232 innings in 2015. Giles is going to add consistent late-inning performances for Houston, which now has a real shot a eclipsing 100 wins in 2016.
New York Yankees: For Starlin Castro to make an immediate impact
At the Winter Meetings in Nashville, the Yankees made a big splash by trading for three-time All Star Starlin Castro. If you ask any Cubs fan, Castro was considered traded a long time ago with the early surge of Addison Russell, and Chicago got some much needed bullpen help in return in Adam Warren.
Castro is the perfect fit for New York at only 25 years old and a right-handed bat at the top of the lineup. In 2015, Castro batted .265 with a .671 OPS, and will be paid $38 million over the next four seasons.
The new Yankees middle infield just became one of the most dynamic in the AL as Castro is now teamed up with young stud Didi Gregorious.
Texas Rangers: Consistent pitching from the starting rotation
Texas surprised many baseball pundits in 2015 by winning the AL West after a late season comeback, and are armed with pitching to repeat in 2016.
With a (hopefully) healthy ace in Yu Darvish and a complete season with 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, the Rangers have the best starting pitching staff in the AL West.
If 29 year-old Derek Holland can perform with more consistency in 2016 and lefty Martin Perez can continue to fan batters, Texas could easily find themselves playing for a World Series in the fall.
New York Mets: A healthy pitching staff
The Mets didn’t make their first trip to the World Series for the first time since 2000 by luck. They did it with hands-down the best pitching staff in the entire MLB. If you’re a Mets fan, you have to hope and pray that the young arms can return in full force and stay healthy in 2016.
With 42 year-old veteran Bartolo Colon signing a new one-year deal to return to New York, worth $7.25 million, the Mets young guns will have some much needed support in the starting rotation.
Matt Harvey had an interesting, and productive, 2015 campaign, all while on his controversial pitch count. Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard rounded out the dominating pitching staff by posting 2.54 and 3.24 ERA respectively.
The only thing stopping a repeat World Series appearance in 2016 would be the injury bug, as the starting pitching staff was unstoppable in the postseason.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Consistent offensive production
After losing Zack Greinke to the Arizona Diamondbacks via free agency, Los Angeles will need to step up its offensive production if they want to compete in the NL West.
Aging shortstop Jimmy Rollins most likely won’t return to the team, which means 21 year-old Corey Seager will have some big shoes to fill. After making his MLB debut in 2015 and 98 at bats, the Charlotte, NC native batted a very respectful .337. His speed will allow for more hit-and-run opportunities and his defense will only improve.
The Dodgers have arguably the best outfield in the entire MLB with Carl Crawford, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig, and will need some serious and consistent offensive production from the power hitters if they want to return to the playoffs.
Toronto Blue Jays: World Series or bust
Coming off a 93-win 2015 regular season, the Blue Jays have a “World Series or bust” mentality heading into the 2016 season.
After a relatively quiet offseason where they failed to sign David Price, Toronto believes they have all the right tools in order to cruise through the AL East.
With such high preseason predictions, there is certainly a ton of pressure for a World Series win in 2016. It’s imperative that the Blue Jays take it one game at a time, and do not look too far ahead in the future. If they can keep their heads on straight, they should have no problem reaching the Fall Classic.
Kansas City Royals: Eliminating the 2015 hangover
After an AL-high 95 regular season wins and a World Series title, anything short of another World Series championship would be a disappointment for Kansas City in 2016.
The Royals will send out the same offensive lineup to start the 2015 season, but they will be without their key trade deadline acquisition of Johnny Cueto, who signed with the San Francisco Giants this offseason.
A return to the World Series for three-straight years is unlikely, but not impossible. The AL Central will be one of the weaker divisions in 2016, with the Twins and Tigers being the only true competitors. Barring any major injuries or slumps, the Royals should have no problem winning their division and even making it back to the postseason.
Pittsburgh Pirates: A deep playoff run
Pittsburgh has really been one of the most consistent MLB organizations in the past three years, making the playoffs each year. The Pirates tallied an NL second-best 98 regular season wins in 2015 and are armed to go for 100 wins in 2016.
One key loss for the Pirates is Pittsburgh native infielder Neil Walker, who signed with the Mets this offseason. His replacement at second base will most likely be former Pirates 3B Josh Harrison, although this is contingent upon Jung Ho Kang’s return from his gruesome knee injury.
After disappointing losses in the NL Wild Card game the past two seasons, the Pirates have all the motivation they need to win and make a deep playoff run in 2016.
St. Louis Cardinals: Emerging performances from their young bucks
The three-time consecutive NL Central champs will have their work cut out for them if they want to make it four in a row come 2016.
Losing Jayson Heyward to division archival Chicago Cubs will really hurt in all offensive categories, but with a phenomenal farm system, St. Louis should have no problem finding his replacement.
As of December 17, 24 year-old Stephen Piscotty is penciled in to move to right field in replacement of the exiting Heyward. In 2015, Piscotty batted .305 with 35 RBI, compared to Heyward’s .293 and 60 RBI.
The pitching staff will also need to carry its weight 2016, led by stalwart Adam Wainwright, who posted a 1.61 ERA after coming back from injury. Look for St. Louis to tap into young lefty Tim Cooney should any starter go down with an injury. Cooney made six starts in 2015 posting a 3.16 ERA and an impressive 29 strike outs in only 31.1 innings pitch.
One would think after losing such strong offensive production in Heyward that the Cardinals are doomed, but they have one of the strongest minor league systems in all of the MLB and will be sure to groom their newest batch of studs who will see some serious playtime in 2016.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Pray that Greinke pans out
Many baseball pundits claimed that the Diamondbacks would enter a rebuilding season in 2016. But that all changed when they signed the highly sought-after Zack Greinke to a six-year, $206 million contract. The 32 year old has been straight up dominant in the past three years, finishing in the top-10 voting for the Cy Young award and compiling an MLB-best 1.66 ERA in 2015. However by signing Greinke, the club forfeited its first round draft pick in 2016 and won’t have a draft pick until the 35th pick.
General Manager Dave Stewart will be looking to build a lineup around young studs A.J. Pollock and Phil Gosselin. Pollock had a career year in 2015 in which he batted .315 and tallied 76 RBI. Gosselin was acquired from the Atlanta Braves in a 2015 trade and missed a majority of the season with a broken thumb. However, in just 24 games with Arizona he batted .303 and counted for a .927 OPS.
The Diamondbacks should address their starting lineup and relief pitching this off season if they want to compete for an NL West championship. If they can add a few more solid players in those areas, look for Arizona to be in Wild Card contention come October.
San Francisco Giants: Continuing the even years trend
As previously stated on Sportsnaut, the Giants are the kings at winning the World Series in even years (2010, 2012 and 2014). If the trend continues, they will be the MLB champs come 2016.
San Francisco was in desperate need of adding a top starting pitching arm, and they did just that by signing Johnny Cueto to a six-year, $125 million deal this offseason.
The Giants could add one more solid bat to its lineup via free agency. Daniel Murphy is still available and could be a long-term commitment for San Francisco, but they could also sign a veteran like Jimmy Rollins if they are truly in a “win now” mode.
If the Giants can’t add another solid bat for 2016, it wouldn’t be the end of the world considering their dynamic pitching staff. A one-two punch of Johnny Cueto and Madison Bumgarner will be the NL West’s worst nightmare in 2016, and could very well lead the Giants to their fourth World Series title in seven years.
Chicago Cubs: Zero injuries
The North Siders have every single tool they could possibly need to win the extremely competitive NL Central, and the only thing stopping them for doing so would be some serious injuries.
They return NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and strong lefty pitcher Jon Lester. They upgraded at centerfield with Jayson Heyward and received some much-needed bullpen help by obtaining Adam Warren in the Starlin Castro trade.
Chicago also returns NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant and power-hitting Kyle Schwarber, who will be entering their first full seasons in Chicago. As long as they don’t enter sophomore slumps, they will be key contributors in the RBI department in 2016.
Manager Joe Maddon is a true player’s coach, and his players love playing for him. His unconventional coaching methods and light clubhouse demeanor is perfect for a team comprised of young and old.
The Cubs could possibly use one more starting pitcher but also upgraded in that department by signing veteran John Lackey this offseason.
Chicago is in the best spot to win its division and compete for the Fall Classic title. As long as they can stay healthy, there is no reason why the Cubs won’t finally return to baseball elite.