One benefit of baseball’s long 162 game schedule is that it serves to clarify a team’s hindsight at the end of the year. Not everyone plays their way into the World Series. In fact, most don’t even make it into the playoffs at all. Luckily, teams are able to look back at many events of the previous six months and get a good indication of exactly what went wrong.
Sometimes the factors are out of the team’s control, such as a tough season of injuries, an amazing year by two division rivals, or that midseason scandal involving your two best players, a hotel room and a trained monkey. Any of those can throw off the rhythm of a team for long enough to fall from playoff contention.
Other times though, the weakness is a shoddy bullpen, weak defense or an anemic lineup. Recognizing these deficiencies and plugging in the right pieces to complete the team are the moves which will separate proactive teams from those that are “hoping and praying” that their existing shell will get the job done. If last night’s opener was any indication, the Red Sox look to be one of the beneficially proactive teams, with their newcomers Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro combining to go 5/9 with 2 walks, 2 runs and 2 RBI. And the Red Sox aren’t even on this list, since they had a complete enough team last year that these three players weren’t necessary, but rather simply desired.
Here are the top three acquisitions of 2010 from teams who refused to remain stagnant and instead pulled the trigger to complete their teams. (Playoffs, however, are never guaranteed).
3. Aubrey Huff (1B) and Mark DeRosa (LF), San Francisco Giants
Sure, the Giants managed to squeeze out 88 wins last year. But with 2 of the best pitchers in the league on their staff, and Barry Zito managing 10 wins, you can’t help but wonder what would happen if anyone besides Pablo Sandoval had tried to hit the ball on offense. This year, the Giants are hoping for repeat performances from their top 3 starters and a breakout year for Jonathan Sanchez. Still, it won’t be enough without some offense.
By adding Huff and DeRosa, the Giants place two veteran hitters in a lineup that desperately needs consistency. The older bats of Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe and Aaron Rowand certainly didn’t get the job done last year and the younger players are still a bit wobbly (with the obvious exception of Sandoval). Adding DeRosa and Huff isn’t a sure bet, but will likely alleviate these concerns to a large extent. Based on their track records, don’t be surprised if the two new additions pump a combined 45 homeruns and 160 RBI into the Giants’ offense. Sure, it may come with a combined .265 average, but the Giants will take the production any way they can get it.
2. Chone Figgins (IF/OF/C/P/Manager/Owner), Cliff Lee (SP), Milton Bradley (OF), Seattle Mariners
What’s that, you say? Chone Figgins can’t play catcher, pitcher or manage a team? If you’ve followed Figgins over his career, then you’ll know why I don’t doubt his ability to do anything. His versatility is a tremendous asset. And, if we’re being honest, the 2009 Mariners were a team in need of many tremendous assets.
With a rotation that consisted of Cy Young candidate “King” Felix Hernandez plus some guys who could hopefully throw the ball all the way to the catcher, Seattle didn’t stand much of a chance last year. Additionally, their offense was sluggish and in need of a spark. Credit the Mariners’ management for boldly addressing these concerns with moves for Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins and Milton Bradley.
Cliff Lee adds talented depth to the rotation behind Hernandez. Many would argue that these two represent the toughest 1-2 punch of any rotation in the AL. Despite Lee’s seemingly minor abdominal injury, Seattle fans are drooling at the opportunity to see his poise and dominance. He’ll provide much needed innings to help keep the Mariner’s talented bullpen fresh.
Chone Figgins may be the most underrated talent in the Majors over the last 5 years. He’s averaged 46 SB per year over that period, racking up 42 last year to show that he’s not slowing down. (Get it? OK nevermind). He’s a career .291 hitter who slaps out doubles and triples at a steady pace thanks to his speed. He’s the sparkplug that the Mariner’s lacked last year, and he does it while providing nearly universal position coverage in the field.
Milton Bradley deserves a blurb, too. I doubt that he’ll have a monstrous break-out season, but I think people will be surprised by how solid his numbers will be this year. Don’t be shocked to see his stat line finish at .310/24/85.
1. Rafael Soriano (RP), Tampa Bay Rays
By all accounts, the Rays had a strong lineup in 2009. They trotted out Carl Crawford, Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena, a nightmarish gauntlet for opposing pitchers. Similarly, their starters held down the fort with an acceptable season. While this combination allowed them to stay in games until the late innings, once they got to the 9th, their closer situation seemed to involve drawing straws rather than having a “go-to” guy to finish the game. In 2009, Tampa Bay had 9 different relievers notch a save. That number doesn’t even include Jason Isringhausen, who attempted a few times but wasn’t able to ring anything up except one blown save.
Clearly, this was a bad situation for the Rays. Enter Rafael Soriano. Since 2006, Soriano has tacked down a 2.77 ERA with 253 K over 221 IP. Simply put, the guy is absolutely dominant. Opposing batters hit a measly .194 against him, a number lower than the BAA for fellow closers Rivera, Papelbon and Bell. Soriano had health issues in 2008, pitching only 14 innings before succumbing for the season, but he showed in 2009 that he was just as dominant as before. His transition from setup man to closer went seamlessly. His presence at the end of games will provide both actual and mental relief to a Rays team without either in the closer role last year.
Honorable Mention:
Rich Harden (SP) and Vladimir Guerrero(DH), Texas Rangers
- Both will continue to be among the best at their craft, if they can stay healthy. But that’s kind of like saying you can earn $1,133 for every ounce of gold you find laying on the street: it’s true, but I wouldn’t count on it happening.
Randy Wolf (SP) and Doug Davis (SP), Milwaukee Brewers
- Adding some veteran pitchers, including the most underrated pitcher of the last few years in Randy Wolf, will help provide quality starts for a team whose offense can do the rest.
Jason Bay (OF), New York Mets
- Bay definitely fills a hole for the Mets. Problem is, they still have a dozen more that they didn’t fill.
Hideki Matsui (DH), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California in Los Angeles
- Matsui will continue to provide stellar hitting, but he’ll do it for a team which needed to fill a void in their ace slot.
Look for these and many other acquisitions of the offseason and trade variety to drastically affect each team’s overall performance in the hunt for a World Series Championship
Personally, I really like the Rich harden and Guerrero pickups on the Rangers side. Everyone thinks Guerrero is old and done, but he defintely still has some pop left, as proven today. And harden (without injury) is a top-notch 2nd or third starter in the rotation. i would have Harden on my roster any day
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