After FA departures, clubs need these 8 to step up
Plenty of consideration is paid to the entire massive signings and trades made throughout Hot Stove season, however the strikes that aren’t made will be equally essential.
Last offseason, the Astros didn’t herald an outdoor substitute after dropping Carlos Correa to the Twins in free company, opting as a substitute to provide rookie Jeremy Peña the chance to grab the beginning shortstop job. Peña went on to supply 4.8 wins above substitute within the common season, then earned each the ALCS and World Series MVP Awards because the Astros gained all of it.
Similarly, the highlight is now on the eight gamers beneath heading into 2023, given the holes that weren’t addressed by their golf equipment earlier than the entire elite free brokers got here off the board. Although the commerce market may nonetheless shake up the panorama, these eight are at present positioned to be pivotal gamers for groups with severe postseason aspirations in 2023.
Jack Flaherty, SP, Cardinals
While St. Louis added catcher Willson Contreras to an offense that already included 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt and third-place finisher Nolan Arenado, the workforce’s rotation seems to be awfully much like final season’s iteration, minus José Quintana. As a outcome, the Cards are relying on Flaherty to not solely keep wholesome but additionally recapture the ace kind he confirmed in 2019. After ending fourth within the NL Cy Young Award race that 12 months, Flaherty has recorded a 102 ERA+ and 4.36 FIP over the previous three seasons, lacking appreciable time resulting from accidents in every of the final two.
Vaughn Grissom, SS, Braves
The Braves have a gap at shortstop with Dansby Swanson becoming a member of the Cubs, and until they signal free agent Elvis Andrus or José Iglesias, the job could possibly be Grissom’s to lose. Grissom, who will flip 22 subsequent month, recorded a 121 OPS+ over 156 plate appearances as a rookie in 2022, however he limped to the end line with a .613 OPS in his ultimate 27 video games after placing up a 1.123 OPS in his first 14 video games. There are additionally considerations about Grissom’s capacity to deal with shortstop defensively, although Braves third-base coach and infield guru Ron Washington instructed The Athletic (subscription required) earlier this offseason that he noticed “big-time” enchancment from Grissom whereas working one-on-one with the teen in New Orleans.
Gavin Lux, SS, Dodgers
For the second straight offseason, the Dodgers have to interchange a departed free-agent shortstop. But not like 2022, once they had the luxurious of changing Corey Seager with one other All-Star in Trea Turner, their answer isn’t apparent heading into 2023. Lux could possibly be the man if he fulfills the promise he confirmed whereas ascending the ranks to develop into MLB’s No. 1 total prospect. The 25-year-old made strides on the plate final season, recording a career-high 105 OPS+, however he additionally hit simply six homers and slugged .399 (together with .354 vs. left-handed pitchers) over 471 plate appearances.
Anthony Rendon, 3B, Angels
The Angels improved their depth with the additions of Tyler Anderson, Hunter Renfroe, Gio Urshela and Carlos Estévez, however as at present constructed, they appear to be the fourth-best workforce within the AL West. To take advantage of Mike Trout’s age-31 season and what could possibly be Shohei Ohtani’s ultimate 12 months with the membership, the Angels want Rendon to be the participant they thought they had been getting once they signed him to a seven-year, $245 million deal after 2019. Through the primary three years of that deal, Rendon has supplied the Halos with 20 homers, a .779 OPS and three.3 bWAR in 157 video games.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Orioles
After posting a shocking 83-79 report in 2022, this was speculated to be the offseason when the Orioles dipped their toe again into the free-agent pool. However, their greatest additions thus far are right-hander Kyle Gibson and second baseman Adam Frazier. Baltimore has a powerful crop of younger place gamers led by budding star catcher Adley Rutschman, however the workforce’s rotation has a lot of query marks. If the O’s are going to make a leap into competition in 2023, they’re probably going to want Rodríguez, MLB’s No. 4 prospect, to hit the bottom working as soon as he makes his massive league debut. The flamethrower was on the cusp of becoming a member of Baltimore final season, however his ascent was stalled by a proper lat pressure.
Trevor Story, SS, Red Sox
Boston’s determination to signal Story to a six-year, $140 million contract final March was as a lot concerning the future because it was about 2022. The Red Sox knew Xander Bogaerts was more likely to train his opt-out clause to develop into a free agent this offseason, and Story represented an insurance coverage coverage in case Bogaerts didn’t re-sign. That insurance coverage coverage is about to be implement after Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million cope with the Padres. Defensively, the 2 could also be a wash, however the Red Sox want Story to do far more with the bat than he did in both of the previous two seasons (102 OPS+ each years). Bogaerts notched a 133 OPS+ in his ultimate 5 seasons in Beantown, finest amongst shortstops (min. 1,500 plate appearances) in that span.
Andrew Vaughn, 1B/DH, White Sox
With José Abreu departing as a free agent to signal with the Astros, the White Sox have a large void to fill in each the clubhouse and batting order. Vaughn will help with the latter if he takes one other step ahead after displaying promise final season. Vaughn’s numbers, together with a .271 batting common, 17 homers and a 111 OPS+, don’t leap off the web page, however the 24-year-old produced laborious contact (batted balls with 95+ mph exit velocity) on 20.7% of his swings in 2022. That tied him with Juan Soto for fourth highest in MLB.
Anthony Volpe, SS, Yankees
A crop of star shortstops hit the free-agent market in every of the previous two offseasons, however the Yankees weren’t severely concerned within the bidding for any of them resulting from their religion of their younger choices on the place — Volpe (MLB’s No. 5 prospect) and Oswald Peraza (No. 50), each of whom are anticipated to compete for the beginning job with the incumbent Isiah Kiner-Falefa this spring. After focusing their consideration elsewhere on the free-agent market, the Yankees want considered one of their younger shortstops to pop in 2023. Though Peraza is taken into account the higher defender, Volpe is the upper ranked prospect of the 2 and the higher guess to develop into a star on the extent of a number of the free-agent shortstops on whom the Yanks handed.
