7 offseason questions we’re still pondering

There has been a lot exercise — each on the Winter Meetings and in the course of the frantic week that has adopted — that it may look like all the foremost offseason points have been resolved. But with lower than two months till pitchers and catchers report, there are nonetheless loads of questions that want solutions. Here are seven:

1. Where’s Dansby Swanson going?
Of the 4 big-ticket shortstops on the free-agent market this offseason, three have discovered their vacation spot: Trea Turner is headed to Philadelphia, Xander Bogaerts will be part of all these stars in San Diego and Carlos Correa is the brand new centerpiece of the Giants. That leaves Dansby Swanson, who continues to be extremely expert and who has a World Series ring. (It’s a pleasant contact that every one 4 had already received championships.)

Even because the fourth choice of the quartet, Swanson is not going to be a discount for his suitor. Returning to the Braves continues to be an choice, and the Dodgers may use a shortstop. But the identical might be mentioned for plenty of groups, together with the Cubs, the Angels and the Red Sox. Swanson is basically the one huge one left.

2. Are the Dodgers appropriately fortified?
It’s honest to say that the remainder of the NL West continues to withstand ceding the division to the supposed juggernaut that’s the Dodgers. The Padres introduced in Bogaerts and the Giants signed Correa for thus lengthy that your youngsters will probably be lengthy out of the home by the point that 13-year contract ends. But the Dodgers? The Dodgers have been oddly idle, re-signing Clayton Kershaw and bringing within the former All-Star triumvirate of Noah Syndergaard, Jason Heyward and Shelby Miller.

There have been rumblings that the Dodgers are attempting to reset their luxurious tax to allow them to spend extra sooner or later, and whereas that is sensible (it’s not just like the group is not already loaded with expertise), it’s an odd time to maintain the established order whereas the remainder of the division is muscling up. Then once more: Los Angeles did win the division by 22 video games final yr. They’ve obtained some room to play with right here.

3. What’s the plan in Boston?
“Good question!” scream tens of millions of Red Sox followers. The challenges which have confronted chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom since taking on listed below are typically underappreciated, however in his tenure he has traded Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi and allowed Bogaerts to go away as a free agent, and Boston would not have a lot to indicate for it. In reality, they only designated Jeter Downs for task, and he was one of many key items of that Betts commerce.

We’ll see how Masataka Yoshida seems, and Kenley Jansen nonetheless has loads left, however within the wake of Bogaerts leaving (and Rafael Devers nonetheless unsigned long run as he heads into his stroll yr), it’s honest to marvel what precisely is taking place on Yawkey Way. This is meant to be one in all baseball’s superpowers. And but it’s seemingly that the Red Sox are going to be predicted to complete final within the AL East by most consultants and projections. Does probably signing Dansby Swanson assist them sufficient to make a distinction? What would make a distinction? Are they even looking for out?

4. Hey, weren’t the Orioles going to do one thing?
No offense to Kyle Gibson or Adam Frazier, however in the event you would have advised Orioles followers — who had expectations of an offseason splash — that their prime acquisitions as of mid-December could be Gibson and Frazier, it’s honest to say they’d be greater than slightly disenchanted. The Orioles’ long-awaited breakthrough final season was thrilling, and all of the expertise that made that occur continues to be there, however a part of the purpose of that breakthrough was that after the rebuilding years within the wilderness, the entrance workplace was supposed so as to add to the roster. This group actually wants extra pitching, however with all the massive names gone, one wonders how a lot of an improve stays in the marketplace.

And if the Orioles aren’t going to buy within the center tier, then they’re not likely going so as to add anyone. Which, once more, will not be the tip of the world: Baltimore goes to be good, and that may be a signal of plain progress. But O’s followers have been promised some huge strikes. And we haven’t seen that but.

5. Can the Cubs make themselves a contender?
It’s not fully clear why Cubs brass determined to take a step backward the final couple of years, to dismantle the World Series-winning group (solely Kyle Hendricks stays) regardless of taking part in in a division and not using a big-spending juggernaut. Cubs followers may have moderately anticipated, as soon as that selloff occurred, that there’d be a push to contend once more as quickly as doable. But Chicago appears a bit caught within the center. Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon make them higher, however not that a lot better, and definitely not adequate to offset shedding Willson Contreras to their division rival. They nonetheless want a shortstop, and Swanson might be a risk, however does he transfer the needle sufficient? This stays a winnable division, however the Cubs appear comfy to be ensconced in third place, hoping that the Cardinals and Brewers collapse. This is what all that roster churn was for?

Is that sufficient? It may be if Trout, Ohtani and Anthony Rendon (keep in mind him?) can keep wholesome. But if something goes unsuitable — and issues have tended to go unsuitable in Anaheim — it may all spin uncontrolled once more. It’s nice that they’re not giving up. But the chance right here is apparent.

7. Does anyone step ahead within the AL Central?
So right here’s one thing you don’t say day by day: The most energetic group in free company within the AL Central has been Cleveland. Sure, that’s principally the (sensible) addition of Josh Bell, however that speaks to the relative stasis of this division. The White Sox are literally worse with the lack of José Abreu — although they appear to be hoping that final yr was simply an unsalvageable mess that they now get to mercifully transfer on from — and the Twins mentioned goodbye to Carlos Correa, a good greater loss. And the Royals and Tigers have new management and all kinds of holes from which to dig out. Does anybody wish to win the division? Because it seems that somebody has to.