MLB Offseason Power Rankings: The Stove Warms
By Jason Burke
Oakland A's. 30. team. 96. The Oakland Athletics had the worst offensive WAR in baseball at 4.1, nearly six wins below the 29th ranked Atlanta Braves. Their pitching staff was slightly better with an 11.7 WAR, but that figure still ranks in the bottom third of all teams.<br /> Biggest Free Agent Loss: Ross Detwiler. The larger chunk that came off of their total was via the trades of Rich Hill (2.5) and Josh Reddick (1.2).<br /> How They Can Improve: A healthy and effective Sonny Gray would help out a ton, while the development of all of their young talent (Sean Manaea, Ryon Healy, Ryan Dull) would also go a long way. They’ll need to pick up some outfield help this winter, so there is hope that they can improve the offense via free agency.. 11.7.
127. The San Diego Padres traded away some talent this year, moving on from Drew Pomeranz (2.5), Fernando Rodney (0.8), Andrew Cashner (0.2), Matt Kemp (0.2) and James Shields (0.5). The Pads will be transitioning to a younger squad and have loads of prospects in the pipeline nearly ready to help out. There is nearly an eight win gap between them and the middle of the pack in terms of offensive production, which would either take one Kris Bryant or a smattering of one-win players to make that climb.<br /> Biggest Free Agent Loss: Adam Rosales (2.0)<br /> How They Can Improve: A full season out of Hunter Renfroe should certainly help the cause, as the rookie hit .371 with four homers and drove in 14–in eleven games. His 0.6 WAR rate won’t continue at that clip, but he could develop into a nice middle-of-the-order presence in 2017.. 13.9. . San Diego Padres. 29. team
. Cincinnati Reds. 28. team. 61. The Reds were the only team in baseball to have a cumulative negative WAR for their pitching staff. Free agency actually helped out the club, as both Ross Ohlendorf and Alfredo Simon rated as negative win players at -0.6 and -1, respectively. Even with the recent trade of John Lamb (0.1) and the deadline deal that sent Jay Bruce (0.5) to New York, the Reds still end up improving by subtraction. Their 2016 WAR total was 14.9, while their team WAR entering the offseason is a full win higher.<br /> Biggest Free Agent Loss: Alfredo Simon, I guess, but only because he caused the most damage.<br /> How They Can Improve: This one is simple.. 15.9
The Twins are in the same boat as the Reds, as they need pitching help–and lots of it. Their staff ERA was either tied for 29th or tied for last, depending on your disposition. Even the Rockies had a staff ERA that was under five. C’mon Twins!<br /> Biggest Free Agent Loss: Kurt Suzuki (0.6).<br /> How They Can Improve: How the Twins fare not only in 2017, but moving forward, will depend on how their young core develops. They have Miguel Sano and Max Kepler to provide some pop in the lineup while Byron Buxton appeared to put things together down the stretch. Jose Berrios can’t really be as bad as his -0.4 WAR and 8.02 ERA, right? The situation for the Twins won’t feel quite so dire if those four can turn in solid 2017 campaigns. With new leadership in the front office, this winter could be an interesting one for Minnesota. Outside of Cleveland, the rest of the division could be in flux in the coming months, which could mean good things for the Twins and their young team.. 18.9. . Minnesota Twins. 27. team. 2
17. The Braves have been acquiring talent like it’s nobody’s business. Young, old, it doesn’t matter.<br /> Biggest Free Agent Loss: Technically it’s not a loss due to free agency, but A.J. Pierzynski’s -1.0 WAR in 2016 sure didn’t help the club. The Braves’ pending free agents are taking -1.8 losses to the market with them, thereby improving the club.<br /> How They Can Improve: Adding some depth to the starting rotation would help the club out, with Julio Teheran pretty much locked into an Opening Day start already. The development of Folty, Wisler and Blair could play key roles on that side of things, while a full season out of former Diamondback great Dansby Swanson should be a joy to watch on the field. Freddie Freeman will lead the charge, and with some improvements to the lineup around him, Freeman could be set up for a big 2017.. 20.7. . Atlanta Braves. 26. team