The offseason needs for every MLB team

With the exception of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, 2022 wasn't a great year for D'Backs pitching, and there's not much relief in sight. While youngsters Ryne Nelson and Drey Jameson showed flashes late in the year, they can't be relied on after struggling at Triple-A. Madison Bumgarner continues to struggle, and the pen doesn't have man bullpen holdovers with proven track records. The lineup is on the upswing, particularly with a host of young, exciting outfielders. Nick Ahmed's return from injury does shore up the left side of the infield, though third base becomes a possible position to address with an upgrade over Josh Rojas and Emmanuel Rivera.

Lost in the disappointing NLDS elimination for the Braves were their forthcoming pitching concerns. Atlanta's pitching was elite in 2022 (5th best ERA), but they lost Tyler Matzek to Tommy John surgery late in the year and are set to lose Kenley Jansen, Jesse Chavez, and Darren O'Day in free agency. While the roster looks loaded for another run, they could use more starting rotation insurance and potentially a late-inning reliever to complement Raisel Iglesias and A.J. Minter.

The O's were one of the biggest surprises of 2022, despite falling short of a playoff berth. The promotions of hyped prospects Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Kyle Stowers put Baltimore in a good position long-term, but they have some moves to make in order to keep their momentum. For all their strengths, middle infielders Ramon Urias and Jorge Mateo were inadequate regulars offensively. The starting pitching also looks concerning despite the pending arrivals of Grayson Rodriguez and D.L. Hall, as Jordan Lyles is a free agent and it could be difficult to rely on repeat campaigns from Dean Kremer and Austin Voth. Baltimore has stated they will finally spend money this offseason, but it's unclear what that means after mostly staying out of the free agent sweepstakes over the last several seasons.

This could be one of the most interesting offseasons for the Red Sox in recent memory after a disappointing 2022. The first order of business will be re-upping Xander Bogaerts, who's expected to opt out of his contract, though Trevor Story is highly capable of sliding back to his natural shortstop position. Right field is also a concern after the team's ill-fated trade of Jackie Bradley Jr. for Hunter Renfroe last offseason. There are plenty of plus arms, both young and old, including Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, Brayan Bello, and Tanner Houck, but the overall depth of the pitching staff is lacking with Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha, and Rich Hill entering free agency. The team's decision at closer could also be telling, as Matt Barnes started to come on late in the year but still hasn't been quite right.

The Cubs remain in a bit of a rebuild, but they have big decisions to make this offseason again. Fans would love to see long-time catcher Willson Contreras return, but Yan Gomes is a viable fallback option. We know center field is likely to be addressed with at least a placeholder until top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is ready, but first base could also be a position of need if the team isn't convinced minor league Matt Mervis' breakout season was real. The team gave Marcus Stroman big money last offseason and would be well-served to make more moves, with Wade Miley and Drew Smyly headed for free agency. Chicago saw a lot of promise from Justin Steele, Adrian Sampson, Hayden Wesneski, and Keegan Thompson, but can't count on all of them to repeat.

After a terribly disappointing season, the White Sox need to assess their problem areas. There is some thought the team will allow long-time first baseman Jose Abreu to walk in free agent, moving Andrew Vaughn to first base. That allows top outfield prospect Oscar Colas, to compete for a starting job, but the team would be smart to at least give him some competition. Second base is also unclear after Josh Harrison's sub-par season, though Romy Gonzales does show some promise. The potential loss of Johnny Cueto creates a major need for at least one and possibly multiple starting pitchers, given the lack of organizational depth.

After losing 100 games, the Reds still aren't as far away from competing as we'd expect. The bones of a competitive team are there with an excellent farm system and building blocks like Jonathan India, Tyler Stephenson, Jake Fraley, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Graham Ashcraft, and Alexis Diaz. That said, they have several lineup holes, particularly in the outfield, with little immediate relief in sight. The pitching depth is also lacking after trading Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, and Tyler Mahle over the last year, so the team would be well-served to add veteran innings eaters even if they don't plan on competing for an NL Central title just yet. Slowly but surely, the Reds can work in top prospects Elly De La Cruz, Brandon Williams, and Matt McLain as they look toward 2024.

Cleveland was oh-so-close to an ALCS berth and is in great shape for another run in 2023. The roster remains mostly intact, and elite prospects Daniel Espino, George Valera, Bo Naylor, Tanner Bibee, and Gavin Williams could be set for big contributions. For all the clutch hitting in the playoffs, Cleveland's lineup was thin for most of the year and could use a powerful first baseman or DH to make the lineup deeper. The starting rotation returns its core five, though some competition for Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac would be a good thing. Espino and Bibee could replace them eventually, but a veteran might be useful in the meantime.

There are probably too many problems for the 94-loss Rox to make a complete turnaround, but they can at least look like they're trying. Colorado can do better than Elias Diaz at catcher, who produced a .648 OPS last season, and the outfield also needs more consistent production than what they saw from Randal Grichuk and Yonathan Daza. A healthy Kris Bryant and the arrival of top shortstop prospect Ezequiel Tovar will go a long way in fixing other offensive deficiencies, but the pitching prospects are too many to count. Kyle Freeland and Daniel Bard were seemingly the only reliable arms on the entire staff last year, and there isn't much on the farm to help. It's a story that we've heard all too often in Colorado.

What a difference a year can make. After all the optimism from last offseason in Detroit, the team is coming off a 96-loss season and cleaned house in the front office. Almost every move the team made last offseason turned into a disaster, and the team's young pitching trio of Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Tarik Skubal are all fighting arm injuries. The needs go beyond only catcher, second, third, and pitching, but those areas are most obvious. Tucker Barnhart is set to hit free agency, while the team certainly needs to upgrade from Jonathan Schoop and Jeimer Candelario offensively. The bullpen was quietly effective (eighth-best ERA in MLB), but the rotation needs more depth behind Eduardo Rodriguez, Joey Wentz, Spencer Turnbull, and Beau Brieske.

Houston is in great shape heading into the offseason, but the status of Justin Verlander is the obvious big issue. He was a bargain at $25 million in his return from Tommy John surgery and will be set for a big raise. The pending losses of Christian Vazquez and Jason Castro create a need at catcher, but perhaps prospect Yainer Diaz can fill it if the team is confident enough in his defense. Yuli Gurriel has probably worn out his time as a regular at first base, but there should be plenty of options on the market to replace him. The only other major losses are Michael Brantley, Trey Mancini, and Rafael Montero, three risky players to re-sign due to age.

GM Dayton Moore's firing was long overdue with the state of KC's pitching, both in MLB and the farm, in shambles. The lineup has some outstanding young building blocks led by Bobby Witt Jr., M.J. Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Drew Waters, Michael Massey, and Nate Eaton, but the pitching is in a very rough spot beyond Brady Singer and a few bullpen pieces. That said, Daniel Lynch, Jonathan Heasley, and Kris Bubic have shown flashes, but the Royals likely need 3-4 more quality arms before they can think about competing for a playoff spot.

It's the same old story for a disappointing Angels, and they enter a pivotal offseason with rumors of a sale and the possibility that Shohei Ohtani will be traded before his walk year. Such a move would create a giant void at both DH and starting pitcher. The team likely needs to address first base, second baseball, and/or shortstop with sub-par seasons from Jared Walsh and David Fletcher in 2022, and the bullpen needs more depth. Still, the foundation of the team is strong, considering an 89-loss season, with Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Taylor Ward, Patrick Sandoval, and Reid Detmers.

Anything short of a World Series is disappointing for the Dodgers, but that shouldn't take away from a historic 111-win season. With seemingly limitless resources, it would be an upset if the team didn't bring back free agents Trea Turner and Clayton Kershaw, though that still leaves other holes with Tyler Anderson, Andrew Heaney, Craig Kimbrel, Chris Martin, and Tommy Kahnle heading toward free agency. The saying that you can never have enough pitching was certainly true for the Dodgers last season, so baseball ops president Andrew Friedman and company are likely to be very busy.

A half-hearted effort to address their lineup last offseason resulted in the fewest runs scored in the NL. Simply put, the Marlins will have to do better than Jorge Soler and Avisail Garcia this offseason, and there isn't much immediate help on the way from their farm system. Trading some of their pitching for hitters seems inevitable, but Miami must also look at the free-agent route. There are clear needs at nearly every position, with the exception of shortstop (Jazz Chisholm).

Milwaukee came up just short of a playoff spot, with starting pitcher injuries a big reason. Still, they have some immediate holes to fill with Omar Narvaez and Kolten Wong as potential free agents. Another power bat would be helpful now that Christian Yelich has settled in as more of a leadoff type. The criticism is still rampant from the Josh Hader trade, but the team is set up very well at the end of games with Devin Williams and Matt Bush. It's the long relief innings that could now use some TLC.

Few teams have more depth than the Twins, and it was certainly needed after all the injuries they suffered in 2022. The pending returns of Byron Buxton, Alex Kirilloff, and Trevor Larnach give the outfield viable options, but a more reliable corner outfielder would be welcome. The starting rotation is loaded with Kenta Maeda, likely to replace Sonny Gray, but the bullpen needs middle relief help to set up Jorge Lopez and Jhoan Duran.

Not many teams have more consequential free agents than the Mets, who will need to spend big to retain Brandon Nimmo, Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, Taijuan Walker, Carlos Carrasco, Edwin Diaz, Seth Lugo, and Adam Ottavino. Fortunately, the readiness of top prospects Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos addresses some of the hitting issues, but the Mets will need to be aggressive the second consecutive offseason to remain in the NL East leader conversation.

Aaron Judge bet on himself in his walk year, and that decision is about to pay off handsomely after hitting 62 home runs. The big question is whether the Yankees want to chance re-signing a 30-year-old whose contract is likely to extend beyond his usefulness. The team is likely to need to make a shorter-term decision on Anthony Rizzo. The depth of the pitching staff is a concern, with Jameson Taillon, Aroldis Chapman, and Zack Britton among the possible pitching departures.

Rebuilds can get ugly, and it's hard to remember a rebuild much uglier than this one in recent memory. The A's string of four straight winning seasons ended with a 102-loss campaign in 2022, and the losses are likely to build further after trading Frankie Montas. It seems like only a matter of time before Ramon Laureano, Sean Murphy, Seth Brown, and Cole Irvin are traded, and the effort to improve the on-field prospect hasn't shown much muster. Organizations with similar teardowns, like the Astros, Cubs, Braves, and Orioles and have been rewarded in recent years, and the A's ownership continues to cry about its financial viability in the process. We can probably count on one hand the number of current A's players who will still be around when the team gets back to contention, led by Shea Langeliers, Cristian Pache, and J.P. Sears.

As usual, Dave Dombrowski pulled out all the stops to win in the majors. There will be repercussions over the long term, but the window remains open for Philly in 2023. The team will need to address second base if they don't re-sign Jean Segura, and there are a lot of pitching spots up for grabs with Noah Syndergaard, Zach Eflin, Kyle Gibson, Corey Knebel, Brad Hand, and David Robertson free agents. The bullpen is of particular concern in spite of the strides made in 2022.

For all the struggles the Pirates had in the majors, it was a strong year for their farm system. They're beginning to see the fruits with Oneil Cruz, Ji Hwan Bae, and Roansy Contreras, and several more top prospects will arrive in 2023. The team will continue their rebuild and could use a placeholder at catcher until top prospect Henry Davis is ready, along with more veteran pitching depth so that their young arms aren't taxed too much. There are also questions about Bryan Reynolds' future in the organization, as the star center fielder has been the subject of trade rumors constantly over the last two years.

The acquisitions of Juan Soto and Josh Hader were not only for 2022 but also set up the Padres well, at least for 2023. The pending return of Fernando Tatis Jr. from suspension is potentially like another star acquisition, though first base and DH need addressing with free agents Wil Myers, Josh Bell, and Brandon Drury. The starting rotation is also thin with free agents Mike Clevinger and Sean Manaea, and now nothing in the hopper to replace them after MacKenzie Gore was traded.

The magic we saw from the Giants in 2021 wore off, and the team has big decisions ahead. Brandon Belt and Joc Pederson are notable free-agent bats, while the potential loss of ace free agent Carlos Rodon could be crushing. San Francisco clearly needs to add power hitters, and it would probably be best if they don't rely on oft-injured starting pitchers Alex Cobb, Anthony DeSclafani, and Alex Wood.

Seattle finally broke through with a playoff berth in 2022, and has the core to stick with budding stars Julio Rodriguez, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, along with pitching workhorses Luis Castillo and Robbie Ray. The team still has some areas to address with Mitch Haniger, Carlos Santana, and Adam Frazier headed for free agency, along with uncertainty from the production of Jesse Winker and Jarred Kelenic.

The retirements of Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols leave clear needs for St. Louis this offseason, though a strong farm system puts the team in good shape. The pending arrival of top prospect Jordan Walker to a corner outfield spot is a luxury, though another early-season option would help. The team brought back Adam Wainwright, though Jose Quintana's free agency and recent injuries to Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz create a need for more starting pitching depth.

A spectacular farm system continues to feed the Rays, putting them in fine shape to make the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Improving on Ji-Man Choi at first base is a possibility, though young Jonathan Aranda is an option from within the organization. With Shane Baz sidelined for the year, the fifth starter spot is also a need, though Ryan Yarbrough, Yonny Chirinos, and top prospect Taj Bradley are expected to get starts at some point. The return of Tyler Glasnow, along with the emergence of Shane McClanahan and Jeffrey Springs, puts the Rays in great shape.

The Rangers already made a splash by hiring Bruce Bochy, and could be big players for the second consecutive offseason with the revenue generated from their new stadium. The infield appears elite with Josh Jung joining Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Nathaniel Lowe, but the outfield corners and DH are obvious needs. Jon Gray got in a groove late in the year along with the relief trio of Jose Leclerc, Jonathan Hernandez, and Brock Burke, but it's hard to find much else that's reliable in the current pitching staff.

Toronto's 92 wins was the best total since 2015, but there was enough disappointment from last year's roster to go around. The Jays needed better from Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi, who both posted ERAs above 5.00. The potential loss of Ross Stripling in free agency makes a thin starting staff even thinner, while the bullpen needs to do something to replace Anthony Bass and David Phelps. The entire starting lineup does remain intact, which is great news after the Jays finishing fourth in runs scored last season.

The Nats have experienced a firesale both on the field and behind the scenes, as the team goes through a literal sale. If the trade of Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in 2021 didn't already seal the team's short-term fate, trading Juan Soto last season completed the teardown. Washington probably can't do much about the contracts of Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, but they can fill-in with tradeable veterans in the meantime. The core players on the roster include Keibert Ruiz, Joey Meneses, Luis Garcia, C.J. Abrams, Joshiah Gray, Cade Cavalli, and MacKenzie Gore, with needs in almost every other area.