While the winter continues to get colder and colder, baseball’s Hot Stove has been burning since December. For baseball fans, the winter is a time where we all pump up our expectations and think every move made will make our team the next World Series Champion. Although this typically is not the case, many teams have made drastic improvements this off-season.
The Chicago White Sox and Cubs, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres have made the most noise, while teams like the New York Yankees who usually make the most noise have stayed fairly quiet.
Here are some of the biggest moves made this off-season and how I feel they will affect the division standings:
In the National League, the Washington Nationals landed the most coveted free agent on the market this winter by signing Max Scherzer, creating one of the most talented pitching staffs in recent memory.
The Padres have led the league in quantity of moves by trading for outfielders Wil Myers, Matt Kemp and Justin Upton, catcher Derek Norris and third baseman Will Middlebrooks, and by signing pitcher James Shields. Finally, the Cubs came through in the early stages of the Hot Stove season by luring pitcher Jon Lester from his original team, the Red Sox.
In the American League, the Red Sox signed two of the biggest bats on the market in ‘Kung-Fu Panda’ Pablo Sandoval and shortstop-turned-outfielder Hanley Ramirez from the NL West. However, it was the White Sox who, I believe, have had the most productive off-season in the AL.
On offense, they signed first baseman Adam LaRoche and outfielder Melky Cabrera while also adding pitchers Jeff Samardzija and David Robertson. The Toronto Blue Jays added plenty of pop to their lineup by trading for third baseman Josh Donaldson and signing stud catcher Russell Martin.
Finally, the Oakland A’s found themselves turning their lineup over once again. They traded away All-Star’s Norris, Donaldson, Brandon Moss and Samardzija, while losing Lester and shortstop Jed Lowrie to free agency. However, they added second baseman Ben Zobrist from the Rays, shortstop Marcus Siemen from the White Sox, designated hitter Billy Butler from the Royals and third baseman Brett Lawrie from Toronto. It should be another interesting year in Oakland.
Some other notable moves throughout the MLB include outfielder Michael Cuddyer to the Mets, designated hitter Nelson Cruz to the Mariners, second baseman Howie Kendrick and shortstop Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers and, of course, the return of third baseman Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees, whose playing time and effectiveness are still in question. After sifting through all the moves made by teams this off-season, here is how I think they will finish in their respective divisions.
NL East:
1. Washington Nationals
2. New York Mets
3. Miami Marlins
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central:
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Pittsburgh Pirates
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Cincinnati Reds
NL West:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Colorado Rockies
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
AL East:
1. Baltimore Orioles
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. New York Yankees
AL Central:
1. Kansas City Royals
2. Chicago White Sox
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Minnesota Twins
AL West:
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Seattle Mariners
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Houston Astros
5. Texas Rangers
NL Wild Cards: Pirates, Padres
AL Wild Cards: Mariners, White Sox
