MLB: Five Teams Who Have Won the Offseason…So Far

Houston Astros

Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and George Springer make for a lethal top of the Astros’ lineup, however, they can only do so much by themselves, as there are six other places in a lineup. The team was weakened by the supporting cast in 2016, so they made it a point to rid of that issue in 2017.

Notable offseason additions: Josh Reddick, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran.

The Astros targeted veteran power hitters for the upcoming season. A perfect approach for a team whose best players are in their low-to-mid 20s. With the goal to add veteran leadership, Houston also turned their weaknesses into strengths.

For years now, the Astros have not had a quality offensive catcher. A position of utmost importance, the catching position has been a revolving door for Houston. Three years of Brian McCann resolves the issue. McCann is not the offensive threat he once was, that being said, he is still a worldly upgrade from Jason Castro. McCann will still benefit from a hitter’s ballpark like in New York, therefore, he will still post competitive power numbers.

The signing of outfielder Josh Reddick provides outfield depth and allows George Springer to transition to center field. Reddick possesses an outstanding outfield arm and a quality outfield glove. He struggled with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season after being moved from the Oakland Athletics, but the Astros have reasonable expectations for Reddick now that he has the comfort of a four-year contract.

Of course, there is no more reliable signing than that of Carlos Beltran. Beltran will turn 40-years-old on April 24th of 2017. Naturally, he’s lost his athleticism over the years, however, he can still hit. At 39 years of age, he slashed .295/.337/.513. He also hit 29 long balls in 2016. Although he was added on a one-year deal, Houston will receive more than their deserved share from Carlos Beltran this season.

Many experts thought the Astros should place their focus on improving their starting pitching staff this offseason. Houston, like many teams, saw a weak starting pitching market and decided to look elsewhere to improve. Houston will get a healthy Lance McCullers back on the mound in 2017. Their rotation will likely be middle of the pack, but they more than make up for it with their high-powered offense and a solid bullpen. McCann, Reddick, and Beltran could all hit in the top of the order for numerous MLB teams. For the Astros, they’ll likely spread from fifth to eighth in the lineup.

Those three moves may very well help the Houston Astros jump a very quiet Texas Rangers team as AL west favorites.