As another regular season ends, one might take solace in the boundless potential of the future. However, not all teams have the resources for the bright future that fans are envisioning.
An MLB team’s future is, of course, determined by an assortment of factors. Part of the proverbial equation is the current roster, the contract status of the main contributors, and most importantly those in control.
A team like the Mets could have very easily been an entry on this list. They have surrendered a copious amount of prospects with seemingly no benefit in return. Their first-year general manager has paid multiple players to multi-year deals that have ultimately been unmitigated disasters.
Despite this cloud of negativity that has seemed to engulf the team, they have prevailed and made a legitimate push for the postseason. The ultimately splendid seasons of Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, as well as the perennially great Jacob deGrom, provide enough of a long-term future to avoid placement here.
Most teams with farm systems that verge on barren are likely in playoff contention. They have reached this state because good players are expensive and a team has to make the best use of them when they are cheap. One of the most efficient forms of currency is MLB futures- prospects.
These five MLB teams are either on the verge of collapse or in the opening stages of a lengthy rebuild. The Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles play a putrid brand of baseball, however, they are beginning to accumulate prospects. The other examples on this list not so much.
Five MLB Teams With The Grimmest Future
Boston Red Sox
The reigning World Series champions are in a precarious spot in many regards. Their contracts have become an issue, in recent years they have depleted their farm system, and their leadership is in flux.
The last drops have been rung from a long-arid farm system. They have almost been unanimously ranked at the last rung of every farm system power ranking list. They lack a top 100 prospect talent.
Such a situation tends to ensue from many years of competing, going all in. Boston signed players like J.D. Martinez and David Price at salaries that pushed the payroll to its limits. They traded hoards of prospects for Chris Sale, leaving nothing else for them to reinforce their expensive and aging roster.
They assuredly have a team that can compete next season and possibly after that as well. However, Martinez appears ready to opt-out and Mookie Betts has one arbitration year left. How could they possibly let both of these massive assets go without recouping any value?
One might reply that they have to be extended, yet that would take a fair amount of cash, which they do not have. Price is locked in at over $30 million for the next three seasons, Nathan Eovaldi– who has been massively disappointing after the extension- is owed $17 million per season over that span, and Sale has just under $30 million per season owed to him in the next five years.
This is not to mention the upcoming pay increases looming for Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers as the arbitration system takes hold. Even Xander Bogaerts will earn $20 million per year for the next six seasons. Although nearly all of these players are quality, they no longer can all be members of the same team.
Management cannot justify such an outlandish payroll if they are not serious playoff contenders. Therefore, the trading will likely begin and significant names will move. However, they do not have the farm system to replaces these valuable players. They need to make good trades and find bargains to remain relevant.
A savvy GM with the right plan may be able to pull such a feat off. Yet, with the organizational leadership in flux once again it seems very unlikely that this will occur. The issue is not that they will be awful, but rather they will be mired in mediocrity for a number of years.