AL West team needs heading into winter meetings
Welcome to theScore's MLB offseason team needs, where we'll break down every club's roster and key departures, along with how holes could be filled in free agency ahead of the winter meetings (Dec. 4-7).
AL EAST I NL EAST I AL CENTRAL I NL CENTRAL I NL WEST
Houston Astros
2022 record: 106-56 (1st in AL West)
Projected 40-man payroll: $191M
Key departures: Michael Brantley, Jason Castro, Aledmys Diaz, Yuli Gurriel, Trey Mancini, Will Smith, Christian Vazquez, Justin Verlander
Needs: Left-handed reliever, starting pitcher, catcher
Where the lineup stands
| ORDER | PLAYER | POSITION | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jose Altuve | 2B | 6.6 |
| 2 | Alex Bregman | 3B | 5.5 |
| 3 | Yordan Alvarez (L) | DH | 6.6 |
| 4 | Jose Abreu | 1B | 3.9 |
| 5 | Kyle Tucker (L) | RF | 4.7 |
| 6 | Jeremy Pena | SS | 3.4 |
| 7 | Chas McCormick | LF | 2.0 |
| 8 | Jake Meyers | CF | 0.3 |
| 9 | Martin Maldonado | C | 0.5 |
The Astros don't seem to be resting on their laurels after a second World Series title in six seasons. Owner Jim Crane made a stunning move when he parted ways with general manager James Click. The upheaval in the front office hasn't disrupted business as Houston made a splash, signing Abreu to a three-year deal. The 2020 AL MVP will provide some much-needed stability at first base after the Astros mustered only 10 home runs from the position in 2022.
How the rotation looks
| ORDER | PLAYER | THROWS | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Framber Valdez | L | 4.4 |
| 2 | Cristian Javier | R | 3.4 |
| 3 | Lance McCullers Jr. | R | 0.8 |
| 4 | Luis Garcia | R | 2.1 |
| 5 | Jose Urquidy | R | 1.1 |
Even if Verlander signs elsewhere, the Astros are still loaded in the rotation with a bevy of talented, homegrown arms. Valdez looks primed to anchor the staff for years to come. It'll be interesting to see if the club reallocates Verlander's salary to make a splash elsewhere on the starting pitcher market.
Los Angeles Angels
2022 record: 73-89 (3rd)
Projected 40-man payroll: $198M
Key departures: Archie Bradley, Matt Duffy, Michael Lorenzen, Jonathan Villar
Needs: Starting pitcher, reliever, shortstop
Where the lineup stands
| ORDER | PLAYER | POSITION | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Rengifo (S) | 2B | 1.6 |
| 2 | Mike Trout | CF | 6.0 |
| 3 | Shohei Ohtani (L) | DH | 3.8 |
| 4 | Taylor Ward | LF | 3.8 |
| 5 | Anthony Rendon | 3B | 0.8 |
| 6 | Hunter Renfroe | RF | 2.5 |
| 7 | Jared Walsh (L) | 1B | -0.6 |
| 8 | Gio Urshela | SS | 2.4 |
| 9 | Logan O'Hoppe | C | 0.0 |
The Angels can continue to hang their hats on the consistent excellence of Trout and Ohtani. The club desperately needs Rendon to stay on the field and find a way to produce closer to the past. Ward enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2022 and emerged as another strong option in manager Phil Nevin's lineup. Adding Renfroe and Urshela will help boost an offense that finished 22nd in wRC+ last season.
How the rotation looks
| ORDER | PLAYER | THROWS | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shohei Ohtani | R | 5.6 |
| 2 | Tyler Anderson | L | 4.0 |
| 3 | Patrick Sandoval | L | 3.8 |
| 4 | Jose Suarez | L | 1.6 |
| 5 | Reid Detmers | L | 2.3 |
For the first time in several years, the Angels have a reason to be excited about where things stand in the rotation. Sandoval authored a tremendous breakout campaign in 2022. Detmers and Suarez also showed flashes of their talent. There's risk associated with adding Anderson fresh off a career year. Still, he should provide Los Angeles with reliable innings more often than not. The club might need to add another right-handed starter.
Oakland Athletics
2022 record: 60-102 (5th)
Projected 40-man payroll: $52M
Key departures: Jed Lowrie, Chad Pinder, Stephen Piscotty
Needs: Outfielder, infielder, starting pitcher, reliever
Where the lineup stands
| ORDER | PLAYER | POSITION | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tony Kemp (L) | 2B | 1.5 |
| 2 | Sean Murphy | C | 5.1 |
| 3 | Seth Brown (L) | 1B | 1.8 |
| 4 | Ramon Laureano | RF | 0.9 |
| 5 | Vimael Machin (L) | 3B | -0.1 |
| 6 | Shea Langeliers | DH | 0.1 |
| 7 | Conner Capel (L) | LF | 0.7 |
| 8 | Cristian Pache | CF | -1.0 |
| 9 | Nick Allen | SS | 0.5 |
The A's have some solid foundational pieces in Murphy and Brown. However, with the team firmly in a rebuild, it wouldn't be surprising if the front office tested the market to see what they could fetch as they continue to stockpile prospects. Laureano is another player who could find himself on the move this offseason.
How the rotation looks
| ORDER | PLAYER | THROWS | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cole Irvin | L | 1.4 |
| 2 | Paul Blackburn | R | 0.8 |
| 3 | Ken Waldichuk | L | 0.3 |
| 4 | James Kaprielian | R | 0.3 |
| 5 | JP Sears | L | 0.1 |
Waldichuk and Sears showed glimpses of their potential after they were acquired from the New York Yankees in the Frankie Montas trade. Irvin quietly put together a strong season and is yet another player who could generate some interest if the A's decide to dangle him as trade bait. Oakland will likely be in the market for a veteran starter.
Seattle Mariners
2022 record: 90-72 (2nd)
Projected 40-man payroll: $173M
Key departures: Matthew Boyd, Adam Frazier, Mitch Haniger, Carlos Santana, Erik Swanson, Jesse Winker
Needs: Outfield, relief pitching
Where the lineup stands
| ORDER | PLAYER | POSITION | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julio Rodriguez | CF | 5.3 |
| 2 | Ty France | 1B | 2.5 |
| 3 | Eugenio Suarez | 3B | 4.1 |
| 4 | Cal Raleigh (S) | C | 4.2 |
| 5 | Teoscar Hernandez | RF | 2.4 |
| 6 | Kolten Wong (L) | 2B | 2.5 |
| 7 | Jarred Kelenic (L) | LF | -0.1 |
| 8 | Sam Haggerty (S) | DH | 1.5 |
| 9 | J.P. Crawford (L) | SS | 2.0 |
The Mariners have a handful of key free agents who will need to be replaced if they join new clubs. Jerry Dipoto is always aggressive when he identifies a hole on his roster. Seattle looked like a potential dark horse to sign one of the offseason's marquee infielders before trading for Wong. Acquiring Hernandez from the Toronto Blue Jays was a savvy move. Hernandez should provide a needed power presence in the middle of the order and act as a strong complement to the electric Rodriguez. Expect Diptoto to leave no stone unturned.
How the rotation looks
| ORDER | PLAYER | THROWS | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Castillo | R | 3.7 |
| 2 | Logan Gilbert | R | 3.2 |
| 3 | Robbie Ray | L | 1.8 |
| 4 | George Kirby | R | 3.0 |
| 5 | Marco Gonzales | L | 0.1 |
The Mariners are stacked in the rotation heading into 2023. The club traded for and ultimately extended Castillo through 2027. Gilbert and Kirby put together breakout campaigns and could easily take another leap into All-Star consideration next season. Dipoto might look to improve the fifth starter, but Gonzales is a perfectly solid option at the back end of the rotation.
Texas Rangers
2022 record: 68-94 (4th)
Projected 40-man payroll: $185M
Key departures: Kole Calhoun, Matt Moore
Needs: Starting pitcher, outfielder, reliever
Where the lineup stands
| ORDER | PLAYER | POSITION | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcus Semien | 2B | 4.2 |
| 2 | Corey Seager (L) | SS | 4.5 |
| 3 | Nathaniel Lowe (L) | 1B | 3.0 |
| 4 | Adolis Garcia | RF | 3.8 |
| 5 | Jonah Heim (S) | C | 2.8 |
| 6 | Josh Jung | 3B | -0.1 |
| 7 | Brad Miller (L) | DH | -1.1 |
| 8 | Leody Taveras | CF | 1.2 |
| 9 | Josh H. Smith (L) | LF | 0.0 |
The Rangers have a number of strong foundational pieces in their lineup. Seager and Semien performed reasonably well in their first season with the club after receiving huge free-agent contracts. Lowe looks like a star in the making. Garcia's unique power/speed combo makes him a valuable asset in the middle of the lineup. General manager Chris Young could look at adding another outfielder after Calhoun's departure. He could also pencil some unproven young players into the outfield spots.
How the rotation looks
| ORDER | PLAYER | THROWS | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob deGrom | R | 2.2 |
| 2 | Martin Perez | L | 3.8 |
| 3 | Jon Gray | R | 1.8 |
| 4 | Jake Odorizzi | R | 1.3 |
| 5 | Dane Dunning | R | 0.9 |
Texas made an enormous splash by adding deGrom with a five-year, $185-million deal. He was the top free-agent starter available but comes with major risk. He's thrown just 156 1/3 innings over the last two seasons and turns 35 in April. Still, this is a major commitment from ownership and a huge boost to a rotation that ranked in the bottom third of the league in fWAR and ERA in 2022. Trading for Odorizzi last month shores up the back end, but the Rangers will likely be in the market for at least one more starter.