Major offseason need for every 2017 MLB non-playoff team

The Braves have the building blocks of a solid lineup with youngsters Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte and minor league star Ronald Acuna trailing Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp. However, the rotation didn't have a starter with an ERA below 4.00 this season, and even if Julio Teheran rebounds, the team desperately needs some stability while Mike Foltynewicz, Lucas Sims and Luiz Gohara continue to develop.

The O's allowed the second most runs in the AL, and while Kevin Gausman came on late in the year, the state of Baltimore's rotation was dire all season. It was telling when the team acquired Jeremy Hellickson at the trade deadline as an upgrade, as he proceeded to post an ERA near 7.00. The team needs at least three new starters to slot behind Gausman and Dylan Bundy.

After a quick start, Chicago's season went as poorly as expected. It was a clear rebuilding year, but the team did have positive signs, particularly with the development of Avisail Garcia and the young starting pitcher. There's plenty more pitching where that came from, but the bullpen was obliterated at the trade deadline. With the development of the starters, we can't rule out a run at the Wild Card next season if the bullpen is addressed.

It was the same old story for the Reds. They showed solid hitting, led by Joey Votto, but the pitching was bleak. Cincinnati allowed the most runs in the NL and took a major hit with Anthony DeSclafani's elbow injury. The team has plenty of high-upside young pitching, getting impressive late-season contributions from Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle, but finding an innings eater or two this offseason will be key.

As the Justin Verlander trade indicated, this is a complete rebuild. Miguel Cabrera remains on the roster with chronic back issues, and Jordan Zimmermann has an immovable contract after posting an ERA above 6.00. The Tigers brought in some promising young players late in the year, notably third baseman Jeimer Candelario, and need to continue building on them.

Give GM Dayton Moore credit for making a last-ditch effort at the trade deadline, but now it's clearly time to rebuild. The Royals have pending free agents Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Jason Vargas and Alcides Escobar in what's set to be a painful offseason, and their farm system ranks among the worst in the game. K.C. should consider trading its remaining assets for prospects and looking toward the future.

The Angels ranked near the bottom of the AL in runs despite adding Justin Upton and Brandon Phillips late in the year. Retaining those pending free agents would solve some of their issues for 2018. The Angels struggled to score runs when Mike Trout was absent from the lineup, Kole Calhoun had a down year and the breakdown has clearly started for Albert Pujols.

It shouldn't have been a shock to anyone that the Marlins failed to have enough starting pitching in 2017. The tragic death of Jose Fernandez late in 2016 left the organization in a terrible spot, and it failed to address the major voids in the rotation other than acquiring Dan Straily and Edinson Volquez. The acquisition of Straily cost the Marlins top youngster Luis Castillo, which now looks like a negative, and the team got more than 60 starts from pitchers who finished with ERAs above 5.00. New ownership will have to shell out some money to solidify the rotation, though it sounds like the new owners might do the opposite.

The Brewers were one of the biggest pleasant surprises for 2017 but just ran out of gas at the end of the regular season. They did see their pitching develop with Chase Anderson, Jimmy Nelson and Zach Davies putting together huge years. The hitting let the team down in the second half, finishing near the bottom in runs after the All-Star break. Retaining Neil Walker could fill a huge void for the team, and catcher also became an issue in the second half when Manny Pina slumped. Elsewhere, the team has depth with a core that includes Ryan Braun, Domingo Santana, Travis Shaw, Eric Thames and Orlando Arcia.

The injury situation couldn't have been much worse for the Mets in 2017 with Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz, Jeurys Familia, Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto missing significant time. Almost no team could compete under those circumstances, but the organization's lack of depth was still apparent. The team has a strong core that could compete with better luck in 2018 but needs to fill some holes behind those players.

Oakland is in another rebuild as it looks toward a new stadium. The A's did promote several promising hitters this season, including Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Franklin Barreto and Chad Pinder. The pitching lags behind, however, with limited upside at the MLB level. The A's front office has always been aggressive, and it won't be surprising if Oakland moves prized pieces like Khris Davis this offseason for future assets.

The Phillies ranked in the top half of the league in hitting during the second half due in large part to young stars Rhys Hoskins and Nick Williams. They have plenty of exciting players behind them, including Jorge Alfaro, Scott Kingery and Dylan Cozens. Unfortunately, most of the the organization's strong pitching prospects are in the low minors. The rebuilding organization still has time to develop Aaron Nola, Ben Lively and Vince Velasquez at the major league level, but adding a few more pitchers could speed up the process toward contention.

There was a laundry list of bad luck for the Pirates in 2017, starting with Jung Ho Kang's absence. The team ranked 23rd in OPS at third base this year without him and was similarly mediocre at shortstop (20th) and second base (21st). The Pirates should be better next season if they can get full seasons out of Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Jameson Taillon, but the infield issues need to be addressed.

It's almost a miracle that the Padres didn't finish last in the NL West given what they had on paper entering spring training. They had some bright spots this year, including Jose Pirela, Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot and Dinelson Lamet. The team is still in the thick of a rebuilding plan and currently lacking much intriguing pitching talent in the upper minors.

It was a remarkably awful season for the Giants, leading the NL in losses. They're not far removed from winning three World Series in five seasons and still have one of the best players in baseball (Buster Posey) and best starting pitchers (Madison Bumgarner) on their roster. However, the offense struggled to score runs, particularly with subpar performances from the outfield corners. The Giants falsely judged that they could address left field from within the organization, and Hunter Pence's offense is now unacceptable for a regular right fielder. The team desperately needs more punch, starting with the outfield corners.

It's hard to fault GM Jerry Dipoto for the Mariners' pitching problems. They lost Drew Smyly and Hisashi Iwakuma early on, and Felix Hernandez and James Paxton were lost later. Dipoto has already addressed next year's pitching by acquiring Mike Leake and Marco Gonzales, but the team needs to do more given the fragility of Hernandez and Paxton.

The Cardinals fell just short in the playoff race, but fans have reason to be excited for 2018 after the promotions of starters Luke Weaver and Jack Flaherty, along with the return of Alex Reyes from elbow surgery. Clearly, the lineup will be addressed this offseason after Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty were disappointments. The lineup did get a jolt from Tommy Pham and Paul DeJong, but the team lacks any hitters that opposing teams truly fear. The easiest remedy would be to add a big-time corner outfielder or a powerful first baseman, shifting Matt Carpenter elsewhere in the infield.

The Rays hung tough in the AL East for a while but simply didn't have enough offense down the stretch. The front office also made a costly error at the trade deadline, shipping off Tim Beckham before his breakout in Baltimore. The team desperately needs a rebound from Brad Miller if he sticks around and will also have to address shortstop. The cost-conscious Rays might simply rely on top shortstop prospect Willy Adames next year.

The Rangers found plenty of hitting in 2017, but their rotation was an issue for much of the year. That was especially the case after the team threw in the towel at the deadline and moved Yu Darvish. That's a massive void the Rangers have to fill, as well as a strong contribution from pending free agent Andrew Cashner. The crashing strikeout rate from Cole Hamels is also a major concern.

The Jays got old quickly with subpar years from Jose Bautista, Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki, not to mention another injury-plagued season from Devon Travis. Elite hitting prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette aren't far away, but in the meantime the team could try to make a run with Josh Donaldson, Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ. Getting Bautista off the books, the Jays could add an alternative big bat this offseason.