MLB offseason Power Rankings: Astros reign supreme
The Winter Meetings are right around the corner, and rosters are sure to go through a ton of change before pitchers and catchers report. But thus far, all has been quiet on the free-agent front.
The offseason power rankings aren't exactly a reflection of where teams finished 2017, but an attempt to see how they shape up going into 2018:
1. Houston Astros
The World Series champions. It will take some outrageous shenanigans to move them from the top spot before the season starts. The Astros have the makings of a dynasty.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers came incredibly close to winning the World Series, and should be the class of the NL once again. They're young and have the money to make necessary tweaks.
3. Cleveland Indians
Yes, they got bounced by the Yankees in the ALCS, but this is a team that ran roughshod over the baseball world to the tune of a 22-game win streak, and most of the core should stick around. With little competition, they've basically already locked up the AL Central.
4. Washington Nationals
The playoff-choking narrative gets a lot of play, but they never actually go down easily. The Nats have taken three of their past four playoff opponents to the limit, and only the 2014 Giants made it beyond the following round after a grueling NLDS. If injuries abate, they're a lock for another postseason run, and will have an opportunity to prove doubters wrong before Bryce Harper becomes a free agent.
5. New York Yankees
What a 2017 season for the Bronx Bombers. They're young and ahead of schedule. There's a possibility Aaron Judge regresses, but if he adjusts as the league responds to him, the Yankees could be sitting pretty.
6. Chicago Cubs
Their growing dynasty doesn't seem as assured as it did after 2016, but this is still an outstanding offensive team. Depending on possible moves in the rotation and bullpen, they should be in the thick of things again.
7. Boston Red Sox
Adding an impact power bat is the top priority. Landing Giancarlo Stanton would leapfrog them back ahead of the Yankees, but there's work to be done on the offensive side of things even if the core is mostly stable.
8. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers need a little help on both sides of the ball, but Jimmy Nelson emerged as a legitimate Cy Young threat with an excellent 2017. After narrowly missing the postseason last year, they should punch their playoff ticket in 2018.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks arguably featured the best rotation from one to five in the National League, thanks to a resurgent Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray finally living up to his potential. It will hurt if they lose out on the J.D. Martinez sweepstakes, but pitching can keep them afloat if they don't panic.
10. St. Louis Cardinals
Plenty is up in the air for the Redbirds. The rotation looks mostly set, but the bullpen is in shambles. They have a million outfielders, but no world-changing hitter. Expect a trade or two to bring clarity, but they aren't that far off from being a top contender in the NL Central once again.
11. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies didn't solely rely on swinging the lumber to reach the postseason for the first time since 2009, as the young rotation, led by ace Jon Gray, out-performed expectations. They need more consistency from the lineup beyond Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado.
12. Los Angeles Angels
A full season of Justin Upton joining the fray alongside Mike Trout could easily vault the Angels to a wild-card spot. The pitching staff needs an overhaul, and that Albert Pujols contract is looking worse by the day. Still, any team with Trout will be dangerous.
13. Minnesota Twins
Honestly, this probably feels high. The Twins fell backward into a playoff spot with an unimpressive pitching staff after bouncing between being buyers and sellers at the deadline (see: Garcia, Jaime). There's a decent offensive core between Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, and Brian Dozier, but they need to re-stock the farm system and find a ton of pitching help.
14. New York Mets
Injuries. Jacob deGrom finished the season as the team's only qualified starter. If the rotation - starting with Noah Syndergaard - is healthy, it has the potential to be the best in the business. However, the lineup looks like a mess, especially if Michael Conforto isn't 100 percent in April.
15. San Francisco Giants
Wait, what? Didn't the Giants finish with baseball's worst record? Yes, but injuries decimated the team, derailing the seasons of Madison Bumgarner and Brandon Belt. If word is true that the Giants are the front-runners for Giancarlo Stanton, their time as basement dwellers will be brief.
16. Seattle Mariners
And you thought the Mets had trouble keeping the rotation healthy. Seattle didn't feature a single qualified starter on the roster - Ariel Miranda was the closest with 160 innings - and it had 17 different starters during the season - the most in baseball. Fortunately, with the addition of Ryon Healy, the offense is mostly set so the offseason focus can stay on pitching.
17. Toronto Blue Jays
The Josh Donaldson speculation station is about to take off. He's entering his final arbitration year and will be a free agent in 2019. Accordingly, the Blue Jays are in a sort of limbo. A horrific 8-17 April buried them, but they were only marginally better afterward. The offense is old, and youth is coming in a year or two, so trading Donaldson may be the best move if they fall out of the race early.
18. Pittsburgh Pirates
Will Andrew McCutchen play out the season with the Pirates? Will Gerrit Cole, for that matter? Fans may get frustrated this season, but it looks to be a soft rebuild instead of a complete tear-down. Jameson Taillon looks like a future ace with a few reinforcements on the way.
19. Atlanta Braves
There is plenty to like on the surface with the Braves, and the future remains bright in spite of the fallout from the international signing scandal. But they're still a year or two away from making noise. Freddie Freeman and Ender Inciarte are great, and Ozzie Albies could make big progress, but Matt Kemp isn't the player he used to be.
20. Tampa Bay Rays
While trading Chris Archer seems to be a matter of when instead of if, it doesn't make a ton of sense unless he wants out of Tampa. The Rays have him on a sweetheart contract with a pair of friendly options in 2020-21. Granted, that could be a reason to sell as he'd bring in a crazy haul for a potential rebuild.
21. Texas Rangers
Who are the Rangers? The rotation is a mess outside of Cole Hamels, and even he's coming off the worst season of his career. If Rougned Odor can't rebound, and Shin-Soo Choo gets a lot of playing time, there's no chance they're competitive. Making a run at Shohei Ohtani would change things.
22. Baltimore Orioles
This coming season looks like the last possible chance for a core centered around Manny Machado and Adam Jones to bring glory back to Baltimore. Both are free agents after 2018, and it seems unlikely they'll be brought back. They'll need to fix the rotation behind (or ahead of) Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman to salvage things.
23. Philadelphia Phillies
After being a perennial contender in the late 00's, the Phillies have descended into the dregs of baseball. That could be on the verge of changing. Aaron Nola keeps getting better, and there were those Stanton rumors floating around, so they could be ready to spend. They remain a couple pieces away from contending.
24. Miami Marlins
The Marlins are frustrating. They have a core they could build around, but seem intent on blowing it all up by trading Stanton, among others, to save money. If the trade goes through, they may belong at the bottom of this ranking. If not, and a reversal of course is implemented with a focus on improving the pitching staff, they could rise.
25. Cincinnati Reds
Stability in the rotation has been a long time coming, but hope springs eternal after Luis Castillo's impressive rookie campaign. Expect growing pains. Joey Votto remains the real deal, but there are a lot of question marks up and down the roster. Will Jesse Winker have his breakout? Will Billy Hamilton finally find a way to get on base and fulfill his destiny by stealing 100 bases in a season?
26. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox might not be good, but they'll be fun to watch, except when James Shields is on the mound. They're in full-blown rebuild mode, which could spell the end of Jose Abreu's tenure with the team. Michael Kopech might even make his debut.
27. Oakland Athletics
The A's are intriguing, but don't inspire any confidence that they can escape the AL West basement. The rotation is tantalizing, which means half of them will probably be traded. Sean Manaea had very strong stretches in 2017, and should be in for his best season yet.
28. San Diego Padres
This might take a while. The Padres have a great farm system, but the results won't show at the big league level for another couple seasons. They could be fun to watch, though, as they project to carry a bunch of youth. Infielder Yangervis Solarte is currently the only position player over 30 expected to enter camp.
29. Detroit Tigers
Here comes the rebuild. With Ian Kinsler next on the list of aging veterans on the verge of being jettisoned via trade - Miguel Cabrera isn't going anywhere - the Tigers may challenge the 2017 debacle with their first 100-loss season since 2003.
30. Kansas City Royals
Long term, losing the bulk of their World Series core to free agency this offseason might not sting too badly - though teetering on the cusp of contention ensured the team received nothing more than compensatory picks in exchange. In the immediate aftermath, 2018 will be a long season.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)