Part II of the AL West analysis is both entertaining, yet boring. We know the Athletics won't be active in free agency and, seriously, what more can the Angels do? Nonetheless, options remain. The most interesting case is the Seattle Mariners.
Seattle Mariners (87-75), 3rd in AL West
Seattle missed the playoffs by one game as they were inched out by their division rival, the Oakland Athletics. If you're one game away, that likely means you're just one player or one adjustment away from the postseason. You would think looking at their pitching stats (2nd best ERA in baseball and best opposing batting average) the Mariners would have been an easy bid for the postseason. But some work needs to be done elsewhere. They acquired center fielder Austin Jackson in the three-team deal that sent David Price to the Tigers, and he'll join Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders in the outfield, but that's perhaps where there biggest problem is. They could also use an upgrade at first base and/or designated hitter position. Let's take a more in-depth look.
Outfielder: The Mariners could use an upgrade in either corner outfield position. Dustin Ackley has largely been unimpressive (.245 average with 36 home runs and 182 RBIs in four seasons with Seattle) and Michael Saunders isn't a long-term solution or a good enough quick fix. This gives them a number of options. Right now their payroll is at $65 million, but they'll have to give third baseman Kyle Seager a pretty solid contract since he's arbitration eligible and has performed incredibly well over the past few seasons. Others are arbitration eligible as well, but none will command as much as Seager, so this gives them room to sign a big name outfielder. Nelson Cruz, Melky Cabrera, Nick Markakis and Yasmany Tomas are perhaps the best (and most costly) options who are all corner outfielders. The Mariners could use a power bat, which would limit their selections to Cruz and Tomas, but Cabrera and Markakis would be good acquisitions as well. They could address their power bat at the DH position and sign a contact-hitting outfielder like Cabrera, Markakis or Nori Aoki. Even Alex Rios, Michael Morse, Torii Hunter or Michael Cuddyer would be better in the outfield. Victor Martinez is also available and could provide a tremendous upgrade at ...
First Base/DH: Seattle could give Martinez the contract he wants and immediately add a great bat and significant threat in their lineup. He'll be turning 36, but he just had a career year with Detroit (.335/.409/.565 with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs) and showed that he's still effective, especially with other bats in the lineup. Billy Butler is another possibility here since the Royals declined his $12.5 million option for 2015. These two can both play some games at first base as well if needed. Adam LaRoche can play the same role since he became a free agent after the Nationals declined his option. They have some money to play with, so they should be adding at least one big name before 2015. One of their top prospects, first baseman Jordy Lara, may also be ready for the majors next season after posting a .337 average with 26 home runs and 104 RBIs in advanced Class-A High Desert and Double-A Jackson.
Oakland Athletics (88-74), 2nd in AL West
At one point it looked like the Athletics were going to run away with it all. But a second half collapse and an unbelievable surge from the Angels derailed that notion fairly quickly. Many believe general manager Billy Beane made one too many moves when he traded Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester, but Beane has asserted the A's wouldn't have made the postseason without Lester. That's partially true, but once Cespedes was out of the lineup the offense experienced a significant decline, which is why Lester was essential down the stretch. Beane traded the team's No. 1 prospect in Addison Russell for starters Jeff Samardzija (one year left in Oakland) and Jason Hammel (free agent), and now Cespedes is in Boston while Lester is becoming a free agent. The team is also losing assistant general manager Farhan Zaidi, as he was hired for the Dodgers GM position on Tuesday. Their payroll is around $30 million as of right now and will likely double, so let's see where they can address their needs.
Second Base/Shortstop: There's a glaring need in the middle infield, especially since Jed Lowrie is a free agent and will likely seek a decent contract elsewhere, unless the A's can bring him back. Right now they have Nick Punto at short and Eric Sogard at second, which isn't going to be suitable for their opening day lineup. They don't have anyone in the prospect pipeline to call up this year, so they're probably going to have to sign an affordable free agent. Kelly Johnson and Rickie Weeks will be affordable second baseman and Stephen Drew will be another at shortstop. Asdrubal Cabrera could be an option, but as of right now it's not very clear what his market value will be. They could even make a splash again with international signings if they want to go after Cuban infielders such as Jose Fernandez, Hector Olivera or Yoan Moncada if they can be purchased for the right price. If the A's want to continue their streak of postseason appearances they'll need to upgrade the middle infield.
Starting Pitcher: I don't think they're in dire need of a starter, but they'll be losing Lester and Hammel, so it's worth at least taking a look. Right now the rotation is comprised of Jeff Samardzija (who could be traded at some point), Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin. Both Parker and Griffin underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 so their ability to perform effectively is unknown, despite having success in the past. Some names they could potentially afford include A.J. Burnett, Hiroki Kuroda and Chris Young - all of whom are old, but still have enough juice in them and want to play for a contender. However, it's unknown what Billy Beane wants to do.
Los Angeles Angels (98-64), 1st in AL West
Throughout July and August, it didn't look like any team would be able to compete with the Angels by the time the postseason rolled around. But a season-ending injury to their ace Garrett Richards, an ailing Josh Hamilton and another injury to starter Matt Shoemaker really altered their course. Their offensive dominance disappeared in the ALDS and they were swept by the Kansas City Royals. So what do the Angels need? They don't have any free agents that demand immediate attention (and none of them contributed much to the team, for that matter) and their entire lineup is nearly flawless. Let's see what they can do.
Starting Pitcher: This has been a need throughout the season, ever since C.J. Wilson began struggling and Tyler Skaggs underwent Tommy John Surgery. Beyond Jered Weaver, Garrett Richard and Matt Shoemaker, they had nobody that was reliable. And after Richards went down, they had even more problems. When Shoemaker was injured at the end of September, it truly looked like a wreck. In fact, we don't really know how the Angels would have performed this season if Shoemaker didn't have a career year. The rumors have already started in regards to acquiring another starter, and the team might try to trade second baseman Howie Kendrick or third baseman David Freese to acquire another arm. They can sign a solid starter, but have to be careful because they're awfully close to pushing themselves over the $189 million payroll mark for 2015, which means they would have to pay the luxury tax. If those options don't work out, they can test out prospect Kyle McGowin, who started 12 games in 2014 and recorded a 3.03 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in advanced Class-A Inland Empire, Double-A Arkansas and the Arizona Fall League. Franciso Liriano, Brandon McCarthy, Edinson Volquez, Jason Hammel and other mid-tier free agents could suffice as well.
Relief Pitcher: The Angels' eighth and ninth inning pitchers are set with Joe Smith and Huston Street, but their bullpen can still improve. They held a 3.52 ERA, which was good enough for 14th in the majors. Maybe they can trade Kendrick, Freese or Gordon Beckham for a good middle reliever. If not, there are plenty of solid arms on the market, including Luke Hochevar, Neal Cotts, Zach Duke, Tom Gorzelanny and more.
That's it for the AL West. Let us know what you think by commenting below. Next up is the NL East.
