We now move on to the last division in the American League: The AL West. The Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Houston Astros comprise one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. What's in store for each of them during the offseason?
Let's start with the Texas Rangers...
Texas Rangers (67-95), Last in AL West
The Rangers perhaps had one of the most drastic fallouts in recent memory. They won at least 90 games from 2010-2013 and appeared in two World Series, but they had one of the worst records in baseball this past season and lost their manager. Ron Washington resigned in September citing a "personal matter" and Tim Bogar filled in as the interim before general manager Jon Daniels gave the job to Pirates bench coach Jeff Banister a few weeks ago. Bogar, the team's bench coach, opted to leave the organization and now the Rangers are moving on, but their roster has many issues. Prince Fielder missed most of the year with a serious neck injury; Shin-Soo Choo underwent two surgeries at the end of the year to repair bone spurs; Alex Rios had his $13.5 million option declined by the team and; Yu Darvish suffered elbow inflammation at the end of the year, among general performance issues from the rest of the team. If Daniels said "rebuilding is not an option," then what in the world are they going to do? We start with the outfield.
Outfielder: After declining Rios' option for the 2015 season, there's an obvious need here. Choo should be ready for the season opener and they have Leonys Martin in center field, which means they'll need a left fielder. If Daniels is saying rebuilding isn't an option then I would assume he's going to spend money on either Melky Cabrera or Nelson Cruz, who are the top-tier free-agent outfielders. They might be in the running for Cuban defector Yasmany Tomas, who is expected to land a $100 million contract because of his age (23) and power-hitting abilities. He would likely go to right field and they would keep Choo in left. Nick Markakis is also available, but the Orioles are reportedly working on a new contract to keep him in Baltimore. Either way, any of these players would provide an upgrade to the Rangers' outfield and offense.
Starting Pitcher: Darvish will still be the ace (as long as his health holds up), but beyond that they're a bit lost. Colby Lewis is a free agent and there's no guarantee he'll be back; Derek Holland started only five games in 2014 because of a knee injury that kept him out for most of the year; Tanner Scheppers missed just about the entire year with elbow issues and; Nick Tepesch hasn't been all that impressive over the past couple of seasons. Texas might be planning to keep youngsters Nick Martinez and Lisalverto Bonilla in the rotation, but that won't be the answer. If Darvish is healthy and they can add a top-tier free-agent pitcher behind him, they can immediately jump back into contention. The top pitchers include Jon Lester, Max Scherzer and James Shields, but they're going to cost a lot of money. Other mid-level guys include Jason Hammel, Francisco Liriano, Brandon McCarthy, Jake Peavy, Ervin Santana, Edinson Volquez and Justin Masterson. And if his Japanese team decides to post him, Kenta Maeda can join Darvish as the team's second imported pitcher.
Designated Hitter: You need one in the American League and we've seen how effective they can be. Maybe they'll return J.P. Arencibia on the cheap despite his poor career average (.207) because his power numbers might be worth it (74 home runs and 228 RBIs in 443 career games). But again, if they're going to spend, there are some pretty attractive designated hitters/first basemen out there that can immediately contribute and even give Prince Fielder some off days at first base. Billy Butler just had his 2015 option declined by the Kansas City Royals and Victor Martinez is entering free agency after a career year with the Detroit Tigers. Adam LaRoche, Michael Morse and Michael Cuddyer are available as well, which would be cheaper options. This is an interesting need the team needs to address and it could be solved within the next few weeks.
Houston Astros (70-92), 4th in AL West
With the exception of starting pitcher Scott Feldman, center fielder Dexter Fowler and designated hitter Chris Carter, this entire Astros team is filled with youngsters. It's been said that it's possible for this core of players to win a World Series later this decade because of the great talent, but they might need an experienced and decorated veteran to help the team moving forward. That veteran is likely needed in the starting rotation and the bullpen (ranked 19th in ERA for starting pitchers and 30th for relievers). Houston is expected to increase their payroll for next season by $20 million, which could mean they're looking to add a solid arm or a bat to improve the outfield. Let's check out their options.
Starting Pitcher: Many might not consider this an immediate need, but I am. If not this offseason then certainly in 2015. Scott Feldman is the staff's No. 1 right now and despite having a solid season on the fourth-worst team in the MLB (he posted an 8-12 record with a 3.74 ERA and 1.30 WHIP), this simply cannot be your ace moving forward. I understand that Astros are aware of this, but I just wanted to make sure I was coming across clearly. They're not going to attract/cannot afford some of the top-tier pitching free agents, but they can add some middle-of-the-pack guys who were effective last season and can help the young arms (Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, Brett Oberholtzer and Brad Peacock) progress accordingly. Francisco Liriano, Edinson Volquez, Ervin Santana, Hiroki Kuroda, Jake Peavy, and others highlight this group of pitchers that have had extensive experience on talented and successful teams. Some of these guys can jump in front of or behind Feldman to provide support. But it looks like Houston will stick with Feldman as they look to develop prospect and former No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel into the staff's ace, despite him having a rough year in advanced Class A Lancaster. Appel is 1-0 in five starts during the Arizona Fall League with a 3.43 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. We'll have to wait and see what they choose to do with the extra $20 million in payroll.
Relief Pitcher: Sure, last year it probably wasn't imperative that the team have a high-profile closer or setup man since they were in a difficult position to succeed, but next year and beyond they're going to need a consistent and powerful arm in the bullpen. Again, the bullpen ranked last in the MLB with a 4.80 ERA and also led the league in blown saves with 26 (tied with Colorado). The Astros improved from 51 wins in 2013 to 70 wins in 2014, so it looks as if they're progressing, which means they'll need someone to shut the door in close games or have reliable middle relievers to take over for a starter who was pulled early on. As for closers, David Robertson, Casey Janssen, Francisco Rodriguez, Jason Grilli, Sergio Romo and Rafael Soriano are available (pending some qualifying offers). Some proven relievers include Luke Hochevar, Luke Gregerson, Chris Perez, Neal Cotts, Zach Duke, Tom Gorzelanny, and many others.
Outfielder: This is definitely a need, but I would understand if they decided not to address the position because they probably want to see how Robbie Grossman starts off the year in left field. In 103 games, the 25-year-old switch-hitter batted .233 with 42 runs scored and nines stolen bases, and the team will expect to see more in 2015. However, adding a power hitter wouldn't be a bad idea, but there aren't too many available in their price range. Nelson Cruz, Yasmany Tomas, Melky Cabrera, Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, Nick Markakis, Alex Rios and Michael Morse will likely command more than Houston is willing to pay.
We'll finish up the AL West analysis with the Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels tomorrow.
