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The last couple of seasons, toward the end of spring training, we've looked at the reasons behind why teams didn't make certain moves during the winter. Thanks to the glacial pace of this year's hot stove, we had to delay this, because we couldn't ask, "Why the heck didn't my team get X?" when it might then turn around and get X. The letter X, as you probably have guessed, represents a move that entering the offseason, you figured the team might make and then ... didn't. The X is different for every team. Now we're into the regular season, and the top free agents have all latched on with new or old teams, and we've seen more than a week of 2024 rosters in action. Finally, we can ask: Why the heck didn't my team get X?
Arizona Diamondbacks Why the heck didn't the Diamondbacks get a big bullpen arm? The soothing response: Really, is that all you can come up with? The Diamondbacks needed a few things when the offseason dawned, like an upgrade at third base, depth in the rotation and some options at DH. For the most part, Mike Hazen and his crew checked all the boxes from that to-do list, landing Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez, Joc Pederson, Randal Grichuk and Eugenio Suarez. This item -- a big-time reliever -- is kind of a reach because every team -- every single one of them -- could use another lockdown, swing-and-miss, high-leverage relief pitcher. Arizona added a number of depth options for the 'pen but opted to ride with Paul Sewald as closer. Sewald is solid, not elite, and right now he's out with an ailing oblique. Still, this is not a big deal. When Sewald returns, he should be fine and if the Diamondbacks want to make a targeted pickup to upgrade the high-leverage crew before the trade deadline, they'll be well-positioned to do so. After injuries to Jordan Lawlar and Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona may have a sudden need at shortstop, but we didn't know that heading into the winter.
Atlanta Braves Why the heck didn't the Braves get a shortstop upgrade? The soothing response: Managing the payroll. Whatever you might think of Orlando Arcia, one thing you can't deny is he provides excellent production for what he earns. It's kind of remarkable when you think about it: Arcia, an eight-year veteran, is the everyday shortstop for one of baseball's best teams and yet will be paid just $2 million this season. Atlanta surely wants to avoid tripping the third-tier luxury tax penalties, and having a starting shortstop at this pay level helps the Braves do that and leaves some space for pickups later on. While Arcia projects as a just-below-average shortstop, part of that is because of negative defensive metrics that bely his reputation as a glove guy. Chances are, the Braves' own evaluation of Arcia's defenses conflicts with the metrics and, since he's around league average as a hitter, that's a pretty good shortstop and an absolute bargain on a stacked Atlanta roster.
Baltimore Orioles Why the heck didn't the Orioles get Josh Hader? The soothing response: Felix Bautista will be back ... eventually. With Bautista out for the season, the Orioles' bullpen doesn't project to be at championship level even after Baltimore picked up veteran Craig Kimbrel to serve as a stopgap closer. For most of the winter, Baltimore's need of a No. 1 starter loomed at the top of the to-do list, but that item was checked when the O's traded for Corbin Burnes. Whether or not Hader was a real need, there were plenty of outsiders putting two-and-two together when surveying the free agent landscape and saw a natural fit with the Orioles. It did not happen and probably didn't need to. Kimbrel has been up and down since the brilliant first half of his career. In many ways, he personifies why you don't spring for someone like one-time Baltimore prospect Hader, at least on a deal as long as the five-year pact the lefty eventually landed from Houston. No matter how dominant and predictable a reliever is, you just don't know what they're going to do. Kimbrel can be serviceable, especially as Baltimore has proven to be a good place for acquired pitchers in recent seasons. Is he going to be the hammer the Orioles will want in October? We'll see. If Kimbrel proves unsteady, a short-term pickup can happen later, and perhaps no team is as loaded with trade ammunition as the Orioles. And then, of course, Bautista should be back in 2025, and he'll find a back-of-the-bullpen that's wide open for him to step into his old role.
Boston Red Sox Why the heck didn't the Red Sox get a splashy free agent? The soothing response: They tried? The start of the season has been bittersweet for the Red Sox. On one hand, Boston has played really well in posting a winning record on an extended season-opening road trip. When the Red Sox finally open their season at Fenway Park, however, they'll do so with a roster beset with significant injuries. That misfortune has already tainted what little luster was generated during a rough offseason. After being one of the names in the whisper markets for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Boston's biggest offseason addition via free agency was righty Lucas Giolito, added on a two-year deal with an opt-out. And then Giolito underwent Tommy John surgery during spring training. Boston did fill its gap at second base by trading for Vaughn Grissom, but he has yet to debut in 2024 because of a bum hamstring. Now, with Trevor Story down with a shoulder injury, Boston's offseason looks increasingly inadequate, even as the club holds its own on the field.
Chicago Cubs Why the heck didn't the Cubs get an everyday mashing first baseman? The soothing response: Maybe they did. The Cubs' offseason was a mixed bag, and was arguably salvaged when the team re-upped with free agent Cody Bellinger late in the process. Still, you could argue Chicago needed one more middle-of-the-order bat and had room for one at first base. Sure, trade acquisition Michael Busch was overdue for an extended big league audition, but it felt like Chicago could have swung a little bigger for that need. However, Busch may be the guy after all. It's early, but Busch's advanced approach and consistent hard contact have stood out in a well-balanced Cubs lineup, and he's even flashed some nice glovework as well. Busch languished for a long time in the deep Dodgers organization, and he looks like a player ready to seize the chance he's been waiting for.
Chicago White Sox Why the heck didn't the White Sox get ... everything? The soothing response: The new regime is just getting started. When it comes to a team that's at the start of a full reset, you can't boil it down to one thing. White Sox GM Chris Getz is new at this, and he has not been shy about keeping the transaction wire working overtime. It's going to be some time before we can assess any of this, whether it's the acquisitions that have been made or the ones that are yet to come. We don't know how well the Getz front office will scout and develop, or if the internal processes have been upgraded. For impatient South Siders, none of this is appealing news, but that's the reality. The Getz White Sox are still in the starting blocks.
Cincinnati Reds Why the heck didn't the Reds get a cleanup hitter? The soothing response: Someone will emerge. Even after last year's improvement, the Reds remain a young club with all sorts of breakout potential on both the hitting and pitching side. They needed to cement the rotation with a couple of veterans and did so by landing Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez. But as dynamic as Cincinnati's group of young hitters appears to be, the Reds lack a middle-of-the-order presence even after their one major offseason position player acquisition in Jeimer Candelario. Candelario is a nice complementary player, and it's certainly true the free agent market was light in players of this description. It's also possible the Reds simply think one of their young sluggers, primarily Spencer Steer or Christian Encarnacion-Strand, can go to the next level. Indeed, Steer has been one of baseball's hottest hitters out of the gate.
Cleveland Guardians Why the heck didn't the Guardians get a center fielder? The soothing response: Outfielders are coming. It's probably not fair to ask why the Guardians didn't get some return for Shane Bieber now that the ace righty's season is over with a record-setting 0.10 FIP (minimum 12 innings). So instead we'll focus our head-scratching on Cleveland's perennial shortfall in the outfield, especially in center, where infielder Tyler Freeman has been the regular despite having never played an inning in center as a big leaguer. In George Valera and Chase DeLauter, the Guardians have two top-100 outfielders getting close to the majors, though both of them profile as power-hitting corner players. You could see Steven Kwan becoming a classic leadoff-hitting center fielder, but he has hardly ever played there. Talent is the main thing, and at the very least, Cleveland's outfield outlook is growing in that regard.
Colorado Rockies Why the heck didn't the Rockies get pitching? The soothing response: The more you lose, the better your shot at a No. 1 overall draft pick. The Rockies had the worst pitching staff in the majors last year. The only free agent hurler they signed to a big league deal was Dakota Hudson, though they did trade for Cal Quantrill as well. That's probably all for the best, because Colorado isn't going to spend its way out of this mess. That might be the saddest news of all for the ever-loyal Rockies fan base.
Detroit Tigers Why the heck didn't the Tigers get veteran stability for a young rotation? The soothing response: They recognized the need. Detroit acquired veteran starters Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty to fulfill the exact need we've pointed out here. Obviously, that we repeat the need now isn't really a strong endorsement of this plan. The thing is, either Maeda or Flaherty, or even both, would be fine as upside plays, as both have excelled at a high level in the majors in the past. However, this is a club that could really have reached a tipping point in the AL Central with a run at one of the top free agent options, someone with more surety and durability, with Jordan Montgomery leaping to mind. As it is, not only are both Maeda and Flaherty in the rotation, but one of those young starters that needed support -- Matt Manning -- is in the minors.
Houston Astros Why the heck didn't the Astros get more bullpen depth? The soothing response: There is more than one way to build a bullpen. A five-year deal for a reliever is a bold move, even for someone with the track record of Josh Hader. It's also an all-in kind of move when the Astros needed to bolster their pitching depth in general. It's not likely their fans need solace because their club added the game's top closer. It just feels like the Astros have been addressing roster needs by overpaying for a shiny new acquisition. This is how dynasties slide into bloat and decline.
Kansas City Royals Why the heck didn't the Royals get more bullpen help? The soothing response: At least this now seems like a thing. Unless your offseason checklist for the Royals was topped by having George Brett come out of retirement, it's hard for anyone to quibble with Kansas City's active winter, especially when you accept that the Royals aren't going to play at the top of the free agent market. Kansas City has been fun to watch so far this season. Some of that is because the lineup is athletic and full of both power and speed. Much of it is because a rotation that looked much improved on paper has been one of MLB's best over the opening stretch of the season. And some of it is because the leaky bullpen has meant a few more exciting finishes than Matt Quatraro might prefer. Really though: Aren't you just glad that it seems to matter?
Los Angeles Angels Why the heck didn't the Angels get Mike Trout a new team? The soothing response: Ernie Banks. The question isn't really fair because Trout has control over whether or not he can be traded, and it doesn't seem like an outcome he is seeking. The question is more aimed at the front office and/or ownership and whether or not they see a path to getting Trout back into the postseason with the organization as it stands. If there isn't, then it feels like a full reset is the right play, in which case discussions with Trout need to be had. But maybe Trout stays and becomes a one-team Hall of Famer for the Halos. And if he ends up with one career postseason hit, that's one more than Banks, another one-team Hall of Famer. Banks was always a beloved figure in Chicago, even without the championships, and if it's Trout's fate to be that in Orange County, there are probably worse things. Still, it would be nice to see Trout in a World Series.
Los Angeles Dodgers Why the heck didn't the Dodgers get a new manager? The soothing response: They got their guy. That this question even comes up, and it inevitably does in any season the Dodgers don't win the World Series, is really just because there is so little else to nitpick when it comes to L.A. A manager deflects the slings and arrows. It's not that Dave Roberts has been a perfect postseason manager, but think about this: Yes, the format has expanded but, nevertheless, only five managers have more career playoff wins than Roberts, who has 45 over his nine seasons in L.A. Those five managers ahead of Roberts all logged at least 26 seasons to win that often in the playoffs. Also, Roberts has the highest regular-season winning percentage of any manager in MLB history. It would be hard for the Dodgers to upgrade this slot.
Miami Marlins Why the heck didn't the Marlins get more offense? The soothing response: It probably doesn't matter. There is no way to sugarcoat pretty much anything that has happened since the Marlins' surprise run to the National League Division Series last fall. They parted ways with a successful exec in Kim Ng. Despite the on-field progress in 2023, they sat out the free agent season until inking Tim Anderson to a late one-year deal. Instead of building on the momentum, the Marlins have just kept right on doing the things the Marlins have always done. Now that the young group of talented starters has been battered by injury, maybe the business-as-usual approach is irrelevant. Either way, the last few months have been a bummer for this team, one that got even worse when Miami dropped its first nine games amid a way-too-early swirl of whispers that yet another Marlins teardown might be taking shape.
Milwaukee Brewers Why the heck didn't the Brewers get more starting pitching? The soothing response: It's coming. There is no way you'd take the over on a Brewers rotation wager, at least when you're comparing this year's group to the Corbin Burnes-Brandon Woodruff-Freddy Peralta unit of the past few years. Only Peralta is back, and that's just an awful lot of production to replace. Still, the Brewers are a systems-oriented operation, and they have earned the benefit of the doubt. So maybe they are the right team to coax consistency out of D.L. Hall. And maybe they are ready to spin things forward with prospects when Robert Gasser gets healthy and if Janson Junk and others can push their way upward. In Milwaukee, just because you don't know the names doesn't mean they can't play. But no one just plugs and plays when it comes to replacing pitchers like Burnes and Woodruff.
Minnesota Twins Why the heck didn't the Twins get a veteran starter? The soothing response: They're still the best team in the division. Maybe. The Twins weren't in the market for the winter's top free agents, even as a reigning division champ trying to break through in the playoffs. Instead, they cut payroll. Because Minnesota is in a soft division, it may find its way back to October anyway. The players, the front office and the manager all deserve another shot. The owners, well, you decide. The Minnesota rotation was led by the AL Cy Young winner Sonny Gray last year; he's now with the Cardinals.
New York Mets Why the heck didn't the Mets get replacements for Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander? The soothing response: They're in it for the long run. Scherzer and Verlander remain among the Mets' top-paid players in 2024. The only problem is they will be plying their trade for opposing constituencies in MLB's fierce Texas rivalry between the Rangers and Astros. The Mets went all-in last year. We only describe it like that because there is no more emphatic description than all-in. Very-all-in? David Stearns was brought in to combine his powers of efficiency with Steve Cohen's spending might, in order to create a sustainable behemoth. There was bound to be a transition phase during which Stearns could reshape things to a new collaborative state of harmony, which is more or less how he's prone to describe it. The Mets' offseason was largely one of building up depth. It's not sexy, but New York still has the game's highest payroll and plenty of star power on the roster. It's just that not much of it is in the rotation, beyond the ledger entries for Scherzer and Verlander. This will not be an annual thing for the Cohen Mets, even if Stearns' background is in winning more with spending less. As a New York native and childhood Mets fan, Stearns didn't return to the Big Apple just to replicate what he had in Milwaukee.
New York Yankees  Why the heck didn't the Yankees get more bullpen stability? The soothing response: They aren't standing pat. Last season, the Yankees' outfield finished last in the majors by bWAR as a group, below the A's, White Sox, Rockies or any other cellar dweller you want to check. So over the winter, New York acquired Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham. Add those to a scenario in which Aaron Judge is around for most of a full season and you have what projects to be a worst-to-first outfield unit. This is pretty much how people in the Bronx think things are always supposed to go for the Yankees. But the bullpen projection is not as strong, and it's getting worse now that setup ace Jonathan Loaisiga has been lost for the season. Clay Holmes has been more or less spotless at the back end but hasn't been striking anyone out, so even he needs to be monitored. The Yankees seem to realize all of this, though, as they keep churning the bullpen roster mix. This may be a season-long juggling act for Brian Cashman, and his success at keeping all the bowling pins in the air may determine how far New York goes in 2024.
Oakland Athletics Why the heck didn't the Athletics get a big league venue to play in? The soothing response: Is there one? It really does become exasperating when you don't feel like it makes any kind of sense to break down baseball issues for the A's. They may not want a city designation after this year, but most databases need something that fits the city-plus-nickname convention, so we're open to suggestions. Vagabond A's? Easy A's?
Philadelphia Phillies Why the heck didn't the Phillies get a closer? The soothing response: They all can close. The Phillies are all about locking down the core of a roster, and continued in that vein this winter. Bryce Harper and Trea Turner were already secured as the foundation of the position group for the next half decade. Now Philly fans know that they can count on the one-two rotation punch of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola into the foreseeable future. This kind of construction seems to scream for a superstar closer and in Hader, one was available over the winter. The Phillies instead let incumbent closer Craig Kimbrel walk and enter the season with Jose Alvarado in the primary saves role. On paper, the Phillies' bullpen projects as one of baseball's strongest, and it takes a rigid mind to worry too much about specific roles. The Phillies, perhaps more than baseball's other leading contenders, need above-average health but beyond that, they look like a complete team built for October.
Pittsburgh Pirates Why the heck didn't the Pirates get more rotation stability? The soothing response: Have you seen their Triple-A rotation? OK, we'll need to see a whole lot more of what the Pirates have shown us so far after last season, when Pittsburgh overachieved just long enough to generate a little buy-in before the Bucs found their real level. This time around feels different, and while it's still a flawed roster, it's an exciting mix of players having a lot of fun in a flawed division. The rotation starting the season is a little journeyman-heavy, even as the Pirates keep winning. The longer they keep it up, the more exciting it gets. Because as good as Mitch Keller is and as jaw-popping as Jared Jones has been, by the end of the year we could see them joined by Paul Skenes and possibly Quinn Priester. There's also a gaggle of interesting arms at Double-A. The Pirates don't have to force anything, especially as Ben Cherington has sprinkled in veteran rotation depth at Indianapolis, as well, in Michael Plassmeyer and Domingo German. But the potential for what the Pittsburgh rotation could look like very soon is really tantalizing.
San Diego Padres Why the heck didn't the Padres get one more big bat? The soothing response: A.J. Preller won't stop looking. The Padres have dropped beneath the initial luxury tax threshold, an outcome from this winter that seems a minor miracle considering San Diego's hefty tax payment after last season. The amount of space the Pads have to work with varies by source, but Cot's has them just $6 million under the threshold. If the Padres seem short a bat, this is the most obvious explanation for it. The NL West is not a division likely to be forgiving to any major roster shortcomings, but even considering Preller's aggressive baseline, the Padres might not have much choice but to do their best and let the season unfold. First, they need to get Manny Machado whole and transitioned away from the DH slot. Then we can see how the San Diego offense is performing and go from there. If all goes well, maybe the Padres can target a cost-efficient masher in July, if the money works. San Diego is threading a needle in 2024, but at least it hasn't waved any kind of white flag on contending.
San Francisco Giants Why the heck didn't the Giants get first-division shortstop? The soothing response: Marco is raking. There is no quibbling with the defensive quality of the left side of the Giants' infield, where two-time Gold Glove shortstop Nick Ahmed has teamed with four-time winner Matt Chapman, the third baseman. If this was the design, then fine -- but it wasn't. The plan was to turn shortstop, the domain of (new Cardinal) Brandon Crawford since 2011, over to prospect Marco Luciano. Instead, the Giants picked up Ahmed in spring training and ended up sending Luciano to Triple-A to start the season. Luciano struggled with health and production during spring training and simply didn't win the job. So Ahmed ended up with it. For all of his fine glovework, Ahmed has never been a league-average hitter even once in his career. The good news: Luciano seems to be responding well to the demotion. He's been getting on base more than half the time at Sacramento over the opening stretch of the season. Alas, he's also committed a couple of errors, so the transition might not happen immediately, but you know it's coming.
Seattle Mariners Why the heck didn't the Mariners get a power bat? The soothing response: The moves never stop. You have to love a baseball exec not afraid to take action. Jerry Dipoto wanted a lineup with less swing and miss, and he jumpstarted that program by dealing Jarred Kelenic and Eugenio Suarez and declining to make a qualifying offer to Teoscar Hernandez. That trio alone combined for 557 strikeouts last season. But you've got to replace them -- and the production that went with their 83 homers. When the dust settled, the Mariners looked like a club with a similar collective strikeout rate only with less surety of power. Once again, Seattle appears headed for a bottom-10 team batting average. Despite all that, it's a solid roster that with the recovery of a few dingers should hang in contention. We've got a couple months for this to take shape, but one thing we can be sure of is the midseason Mariners won't look exactly the same as they do now.
St. Louis Cardinals Why the heck didn't the Cardinals get a rotation upgrade? The soothing response: Wait, you mean they didn't? Sonny Gray is without question an upgrade, or at least he will be when he comes back from injury. But the Cardinals needed a lot more and are banking on extracting some value from former Redbird Lance Lynn and former Mizzou product Kyle Gibson, whom St. Louis signed early in the offseason, to fill out the rotation. Maybe it will work. The Cardinals have done well with veteran pitching acquisitions. So we maintain an open mind. It just doesn't seem like the Redbirds had to jump the market so aggressively, especially when it proved to be so slow in developing. With those rotation spots still open, could St. Louis have been in play for the deals that ended up going to Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell?
Tampa Bay Rays Why the heck didn't the Rays get one of those magic medical scanners from "Star Trek: The Next Generation"? The soothing response: If there is one R&D department in baseball capable of replicating that technology, it's the one in St. Petersburg. According to Cot's Contracts, the Rays' Opening Day payroll ranked 24th in the majors, their highest standing since 2010. Stand back, baby, the Rays are all-in! While the spending is up -- a little -- it's still not a first-division payroll, and the Rays' rotation depth chart to start the season looks thin. That is if you miss looking at the IL list, which features a fully-stocked championship-caliber rotation in Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, Shane Baz and Taj Bradley. It's really kind of stunning. Can we just wave one of those scanners over the ailing arms of that quintet? No? Well, maybe it won't matter. While McClanahan isn't walking through that (bullpen) door in 2024, Tampa Bay's rotation should grow healthier and stronger as the season unfolds.
Texas Rangers Why the heck didn't the Rangers get bigger rings? The soothing response: They may get to order new ones in a few months. Isn't this Texas, where everything is bigger? The Rangers' championship rings are stunning and have so many moving parts and symbols, Dan Brown is probably writing a novel about them as we speak. But they are just normal-sized rings, trinkets you could actually put on a finger. As for the roster, the Rangers have youth and experience, speed and power, and their offseason bolstered their depth in every area. It's a very solid roster provided the bullpen solidifies and the rotation, as expected, grows in strength as its stars graduate from the injured list. The Rangers may not win the AL West, but they may again be the team to beat once the postseason begins.
Toronto Blue Jays Why the heck didn't the Blue Jays get a splashy free agent? The soothing response: Joey Votto is home! Or he will be soon. Hopefully. Joey! The Blue Jays lost a lot off last year's roster, with Brandon Belt, Jordan Hicks, Matt Chapman, Hyun Jin Ryu and Whit Merrifield all elsewhere. As Toronto tried to make something of its current window of soft contention, you kept hearing them tossed into the periphery of a lot of splashy rumors. Which is great, but rumors don't win games. This is not a roster with glaring red flags; it's a solid unit that's been looking to become more than that for a few years now. For all the criticism that we've aimed at the Giants for swinging and missing at the top of the free agent market, at least they steadily signed good players until all of a sudden you realize they had a heck of a winter. So it's really the Blue Jays who look like an underachiever in the impact acquisition game. But it is awful fun that Joey Votto has joined his hometown team. It will be even more fun if he hits so well it forces the Jays to see if Justin Turner can still play third base on a full-time basis.
Washington Nationals Why the heck didn't the Nationals get stars? The soothing response: Look at our affiliates. When the Nationals won the World Series in 2019, their roster was heavily populated by aging, middling veterans. That probably scans as a putdown, but it's not. By filling out the team with players like Howie Kendrick, Gerardo Parra, Asdrubal Cabrera, Anibal Sanchez, Brian Dozier, Fernando Rodney and others, Washington was raising the floor. They could do that because the ceiling was so high thanks to a top of the roster that featured Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, Trea Turner, Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon, when he still was productive. This winter, the Nationals added a lot of aging, middling veterans, though the middling part might be generous: Eddie Rosario, Matt Barnes, Zach Davis (already gone), Jesse Winker, Robert Gsellman, Dominic Smith (gone) and Nick Senzel. If the Nationals had the equivalents of Scherzer, Soto & Co. on the roster, it might even work. They do not. Well, you can't blame Mike Rizzo for trying. The upside of the organization is still in the minors, most noticeably right now at Rochester (James Wood), Harrisburg (Dylan Crews, Brady House) and Fredericksburg (Elijah Green). Where there is youth, there is hope.
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