As the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series to win the first World Series in team history, the other 28 teams were focused on the upcoming free agency period. Each team has an offseason to-do list and players that they are interested in bringing in to join their team. You can see the to-do list for the AL Central teams here.
The AL West predictably went through Houston again in 2019 with the Houston Astros winning 107 games on their way to a second World Series in three years. The Oakland A’s won 97 games for the second straight year before again losing in the Wild Card game. The Texas Rangers rode a hot first half to 78 wins and will be looking to take the next step in 2020. The Los Angeles Angels again disappointed with only 72 wins and continue to waste Mike Trout’s immense talent. The Seattle Mariners continue to struggle to find the right combination of players as they attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros won over 100 games for the third season in a row and were one game away from their second World Series title in three seasons. Despite the loss, the Astros will be among the favorites to win the World Series in 2020.
The Biggest Need: A replacement for Gerrit Cole
While no one can replicate the dominance that Gerrit Cole showed in 2019, the Astros need to find another starter that can act as the third ace behind Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke. Lance McCullers Jr. will return from Tommy John surgery in 2020 and young starter Jose Urquidy will be asked to fill a bigger role. If the Astros bring in free agents, look for veterans like Cole Hamels and Kyle Gibson to be near the top of their list.
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics won 97 games for the second straight year despite having the sixth-lowest payroll in the MLB. Buoyed by an elite defense, the A’s are built for the long-run despite their limited budget.
The Biggest Need: Lock up their young talent
Sean Manaea, Matt Chapman, and Matt Olson are, among others, part of the young core Oakland is building. AJ Puk is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and should join the A’s rotation in 2020. Instead of looking outward for help to get them over the hump, the A’s should have retaining their own talent at the top of their offseason to-do list.
Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers stood pat at the trade deadline despite a rough July and long odds to make the playoffs. Slugger Joey Gallo only played 70 games and the starting rotation was decimated by injuries.
The Biggest Need: A strong retool
The once young and promising core of the Rangers has not lived up to its lofty potential. Nomar Mazara and Rougned Odor along with Gallo were once seen as the future of the Rangers. While Gallo looked the part in limited action Odor struggles with strikeouts and Mazara has failed to unlock his sky-high potential. An average farm system with most of their best pieces in the low minors adds up to the Rangers needing to hit the reset button.
Los Angeles Angels
For years the Los Angeles Angels have struggled to field a strong team around Mike Trout. Hamstrung by Albert Pujols’ mega-deal, and unable to field a consistent pitching staff, new manager Joe Maddon has his work cut out for him.
The Biggest Need: Starting Pitching that is not Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole grew up in Southern California and attended UCLA. Cole was heavily linked with the Angels all offseason. While the Angels would certainly get better with Cole as their staff ace, the Angels need two or three pitchers to fix their rotation problems. Some combination of Madison Bumgarner, Zack Wheeler, Jake Odorizzi, and Cole Hamels would be more impactful for the Angels.
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners playoff drought was extended in 2019 now making it 18 years since the Mariners were in the playoffs. GM Jerry Dipoto is the most aggressive GM in the MLB and will do anything to bring playoff baseball back to Seattle
The Biggest Need: A serious rebuild
The current core in Seattle is not going to take them to the playoffs anytime soon. Trading Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets was a good first step. Now Dipoto needs to do what he does best, get on the phone and trade. The Mariners offseason to-do list should be short and sweet, trade anyone that can fetch a potential impact prospect.
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