The top 2020 offseason addition for each MLB team

In a winter that found teams hard-pressed to find centerfield options on the open market, Marte was the most widely pursued one in the game. The Diamondbacks emerged late in the game but were able to secure the services of the former two-time Gold Glove winner. Since 2012, only Mookie Betts has more seasons of 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 30 doubles than Marte.

Ozuna comes over to Atlanta on a one-year, $18 million deal, looking to rebuild his stock. However, his power upside remains undeniable; Ozuna hit 29 home runs in 130 games a year ago. He will join a Braves lineup looking to lessen the blow of losing Josh Donaldson’s bat, and he could be the biggest impact short-term contract of the winter. No left fielder has driven in more runs than Ozuna since 2017 (301).

It was a predictably quiet winter for the Orioles, as their prolonged rebuild continues. The only notable external addition was Iglesias, who signed a one-year, $1.3 million contact with an option for 2021. Long known for his prowess with the glove, the 30-year-old is coming off the most productive season at the plate in his career. Over 146 games in Cincinnati, Iglesias hit .288 with a .724 OPS and a career-best 11 home runs.

As the main part of the return in the Mookie Betts trade, the expectations are high for Verdugo. However, coming off a year when he produced a 3.1 WAR over 106 games, he could have the goods to deliver...once he finally reaches the lineup. A back injury that limited his 2019 campaign has carried over into the new year, creating questions about when he will be able to debut in Fenway. However, when he does, Boston will boast a promising pair of young corner outfielders in Verdugo and Andrew Benintendi.

The departure of Ben Zobrist opened up a need at second base, and the Cubs decided to take a flier on the veteran Kipnis, whose market was slow to take shape. While it has been a long time since he was the player who made AL All-Star teams in 2013 and 2015, Kipnis still possess substantial upside for a one-year, $1 million contract.

Grandal received the biggest free agent contract in White Sox history when he inked a four-year, $73 million deal in November. It was money well spent, as Grandal has been among the most productive backstops in the game over the past few seasons, leading all catchers in OPS (.833) over the past two seasons. He’ll take over a retooled White Sox pitching staff while providing a proven bat at the heart of a lineup bursting with upside.

The clear offseason mission in Cincinnati was to add impact throughout its lineup, by any means necessary. Adding Moustakas as its everyday second baseman was the clearest sign of that, as he will make the full-time move to the middle infield at an age when most (31) are doing the opposite. But in an effort to add the undeniable impact of his bat to the friendly confines of Great American Ballpark — including 43 home runs and an .806 OPS since moving to the NL Central — his potential defensive limitations become a secondary concern.

While much of the Indians offseason was based on who could — and did — leave town, Santana stood out as the top add to the everyday collective for 2020. A year after the Indians outfield finished in the bottom five in OPS, the hopes are that Santana can channel the player he was in the early going for Seattle a year ago for a bit longer. In the first half of 2019, Santana produced a .286/.354/.496/.850 split…before tanking to a .128/.234/.234/.468 line following the All-Star break.

There are some teams that did very little this winter…then there are the Rockies. If things stand as they are, Diaz, who has a shot at competing for backup catcher, is the only external addition with a chance at making the Rockies roster. A year ago in Pittsburgh, Diaz was a -1.3 WAR producer, producing a .241 on-base percentage and was a disaster behind the plate, allowing eight passed balls and committing 12 errors.

The Tigers were in desperate need of adding a boost of power to their lineup after finishing 29^th in home runs a year ago. The addition of Cron should help in that department, as he has consistently been one of the most underrated and consistent power hitters in the game. He has hit 55 home runs over the past two years, along with a .482 slugging percentage. His presence also ensures that Miguel Cabrera can leave his glove in the dugout permanently, which could help extend his productivity as well.

It was a quiet offseason in terms of additions to the Astros roster, so the top one is actually a familiar face who is returning. Prior to Tommy John surgery in late 2018, McCullers positioned himself as one of the most promising young arms in the American League, being named an All-Star in 2017 and winning 10 games for Houston in 2018. With the departures of Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley from the Astros rotation, his return couldn’t be timed better.

Franco has been one of the players whose breakout has been long awaited but has never quite taken shape. This led the Phillies to let him go over the winter and for Kansas City to inherit the potential of the 27-year-old. He topped 20 home runs every year between 2016-2018 but struggled to reach base with any regularity. His .299 on-base percentage was the eighth-lowest in the game since 2016 for players who appeared in 500 games.

The breakout star of the 2019 season, Rendon inked a seven-year, $245 million deal to leave the world champion Nationals for Anaheim. The contract makes him the highest-paid third baseman of all-time in terms of average annual value and instantly gives the Halos one of the most dangerous successions of hitters in the game, with Rendon, Trout and Shohei Ohtani making up the heart of Joe Maddon’s lineup. Since 2017, Rendon has led all MLB third basemen in OPS (.953), doubles (129) and batting average (.310).

With the addition of Betts, the Dodgers everyday lineup looks more the part of an All-Star team than an everyday one. The 27-year-old has already been Most Valuable Player in 2018, a batting champion and winner four consecutive Gold Glove Awards in right field. It is the type of win-now, superstar acquisition that fits the Dodgers perfectly, as they acquire a guaranteed year of Betts services before he hits free agency. A year after fumbling away a club-record 106-win season in the NLDS, the addition of Betts makes this the most talented roster the Dodgers have had while pursuing their elusive World Series title.

Last year in Baltimore, Villar was quietly one of the most consistent players in the game. He suited up in all 162 games, hitting .274 with 27 home runs, 111 runs scored and 40 stolen bases, good for a 4.0 WAR. As the Marlins looked to add more mature talent to their rebuilding roster, they brought in Villar for his final year before hitting the open market and will move him to a new position: center field. With another strong season, the 28-year-old could become a sought-after piece on the trade market this summer.

Far from strangers to having a talent-packed outfield, the Brewers added Garcia to a group that already boasts Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Ryan Braun. The goal was to add in more options and the ability to move Braun to the infield on occasion as well. If Garcia can stay at the hitting level he had in Tampa a year ago, the strategy could prove to be a solid one. The 28-year-old produced a .796 OPS, with 10 stolen bases and 72 RBI in 2019.

Opting to double down on the formula that saw them set the record for single-season home runs in 2019, the Twins opted to add the top power bat on the market in Donaldson this winter. The 2015 AL MVP inked a four-year, $92 million contract, with an option for fifth year at $16 million, the largest free agent contract in team history. It is the caliber of the move that underscores how dedicated the usually cost-conscious Twins are to getting over the hump in the AL this season.

One of the most dominant setup men of the last decade, Betances suffered through a frustrating 2019, where a shoulder injury left him out until Sept. 15 when he then suffered a partial tear of his ACL in his return appearance. However, his pedigree still saw him earn a one-year, $7.5 million deal that includes incentives that could see him add another $5.5 million. Betances joins a Mets pitching staff with a number of arms looking for bounce-back seasons, including fellow newcomers Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha.

Arguably, no pitcher in history hit free agency at a better time than Cole. Runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award, the 29-year-old led the American League with a 2.50 ERA and all baseball with 326 strikeouts. His presence on the open market triggered the Yankees into their spending ways of years past, as they signed him to a nine-year, $324 million contract, the fourth-largest contract in MLB history and highest for a pitcher by $79 million. His addition is a clear-cut, final-piece type of addition to a Yankees team that has desperately needed an ace to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

In comparison to most years, it was a relatively quiet offseason in Oakland, as the A's did far less tinkering than usual. The most significant addition came in the form of second baseman Tony Kemp, who came over from the Chicago Cubs on the heels of trading Jurickson Profar to the San Diego Padres. Kemp will see time alongside promising youngster Franklin Barreto in what could amount to a platoon split, with the lefty Kemp seeing action against right-handers.

A lack of starting pitching depth hurt the Phillies a year ago, especially with a failure from ace Aaron Nola to build upon his excellent 2018 season. As a remedy, the club signed its former divisional foe Wheeler to a five-year, $118 million pact. The 29-year-old should immediately amplify the starting depth of the club, as they look to make good on their aggressive spending and acquistions of the past two winters. In 2019 Wheeler worked 195.1 innings with 195 strikeouts over 31 starts, all career-best marks.

It was a quiet offseason in Pittsburgh on the on-field personnel front, leaving the addition of Cherington to the front office as the most significant investment since the close of 2019. The former Blue Jays executive and Red Sox GM has moved deliberately over his first winter at the helm, adding only a handful of projected bench contributors (JT Riddle, Luke Maile and Guillermo Heredia) to the projected 26-man roster. Meanwhile, his sights are firmly placed in the future, as he has inherited an organization with promising prospects but clearly behind the immediate curve in the competitive NL Central.

The Padres have been among the most ambitious teams in the National League over the last two winters, spending $444 million on Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer alone. They were more conservative on the spending this winter but still managed to add an impact everyday talent in the form of Pham. Since 2017, Pham is top 10 in WAR among MLB outfielders (13.2) and is rated within the top 25 in runs prevented among outfielders over the same time span.

Gausman has regularly been on the move of late, playing for the Orioles, Braves and Reds over parts of the last two seasons. After a promising 2018 between the Orioles and Braves, Gausman took significant steps backward last year, posting a 5.72 ERA over 31 appearances and finishing the season in the Cincinnati bullpen. The Giants are hoping to land the pitcher that Gausman was becoming prior to 2019, when he went 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA over 10 starts in Atlanta.

Kwang-hyun Kim has been one of the top pitchers in South Korea and posted a 2.51 ERA over 190.1 innings in 2019 in the Korean Baseball Organization. Over his 12-year career in the KBO, Kim reached double digits in victories nine times and owns a 1.32 WHIP. For the Cardinals, he is the most significant external addition of the winter and profiles to fit in potentially as a swingman between the rotation and bullpen, based on the health of the Cardinals rotation, where there are questions around the availability/role of both Miles Mikolas and Carlos Martinez, respectively.

Much of the Mariners offseason was based around retooling their pitching staff, especially in the bullpen. A key cog is Hirano, who will be heavily leveraged late in games. He will be looking to recapture the form he had in his first American season in 2018, in Arizona, when he posted a 2.44 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 75 games. His ERA ballooned over two runs to 4.75 in 2019, but he did improve his strikeout rate from 8.0 per nine to 10.4. The Mariners hope to get a blend of the two versions of the 35-year-old hurler this season.

The Rays paid a steep price to acquire Martinez, who came over from the Cardinals along with speedy outfield prospect Randy Arozarena and a Competitive Balance draft pick in January. The cost was promising left-hander and 2018 first-round draft pick Matthew Liberatore, who has ace upside in the next few years. However, the Rays needed the power potential of Martinez now, who could see substantial at-bats at designated hitter. Martinez crushes left-handed pitching to the tune of a .331/.405/.570 lifetime split and could quietly become a major contributor with the likely increase in playing time.

Not too long ago, Kluber was considered among the handful of top pitchers in the game. However, after struggling with injuries late in 2018 and being limited to just seven starts last season, the Indians moved on from the two-time Cy Young Award winner over the winter. The Rangers were willing to bet on a bounce back from the 33-year-old, who, if he recaptures even the majority of his previous form, could create one of the AL’s best rotations alongside Mike Minor, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.

Ryu finished 2019 as the National League’s All-Star Game starter and runner-up for Cy Young Award honors, after posting a 14-5 record alongside an NL-Best 2.32 ERA. However, headed into free agency it seemed unlikely that he would land in Toronto of all places, but here we are. Ryu inked a four-year, $80 million deal to lead a Blue Jays rotation that has added two other new arms in Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson, along with the looming potential of top prospect Nate Pearson.

Last fall, Harris’ season ended by surrendering what would ultimately be the decisive run in a World Series loss for his Astros vs, the Nationals. What a difference a few months can make, as Harris has switched sides in that equation after signing a three-year, $24 million agreement with the Nats. He has been one of the most versatile and effective relievers in the American League over the past half-decade, owning a 2.36 ERA over 309 appearances. Considering the Nationals finished with the worst bullpen ERA in the majors, his defection is well timed.