MLB: Five teams still stuck in no man’s land this offseason

Amidst a quiet MLB offseason, there are a handful of teams that find themselves in a pointless middle ground. It’s time they commit to a strategy.

There are four possible positions for an MLB team to be in each offseason: on the prowl for contention (preferred), restructuring for the present and the future (wise), rebuilding for the future (understandable), and stuck in no man’s land (regrettable).

Here’s each club’s current position:

On the prowl: Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Braves, Mets, Nationals, White Sox

Restructuring: Rays, Indians, Royals, Astros, Red Sox, Reds, Giants

Rebuilding: Rangers, Pirates, Tigers, Orioles, Cubs, Mariners, Diamondbacks

There is also a “gray area” group consisting of playoff-capable teams that are either content with where they stand or lack the financial resources to join the prowl. The Marlins and Athletics meet both conditions, while the Twins and Blue Jays qualify as playoff teams that are either content or delayed in their efforts to improve.

If your team is one of the five that has yet to appear, that can only mean one frightful thing: they’re stuck in no man’s land.

From here, we’ll explain the dilemma that the five remaining clubs are in and how they can find direction.