Whew. What an offseason, right, folks?
It was an offseason to remember. Things got pretty nasty — there was this whole lockout thing. The ghost runner is back. People got mad at Max Scherzer for driving a Porsche. Rob Manfred practiced his golf swing. The Rays wanted to share their team with Montreal. Really, it was just a whole big thing.
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But, thankfully, mercifully, Major League Baseball is just about back, with Opening Day scheduled for April 7. The sultry, dulcet tones of gloves popping, bats cracking and that annoying vendor selling $13 beer in Section 134 are back in our ears, and hardball is back in baseball fans’ cynical, icy, cold hearts.
Before all that, business was halted, business was restarted, business was conducted. Some major free agents moved.
Here’s how every MLB team graded out for their moves this offseason, sorted in alphabetical order, for your viewing ease and pleasure:
MLB offseason grades
Angels: B
Key departures: P Dylan Bundy (free agent); P Alex Cobb (free agent)
Key acquisitions: P Noah Syndergaard (signed), RP Raisel Iglesias (re-signed), RP Aaron Loup (signed)
To shore up their rotation, the Angels signed Noah Syndergaard to a one-year, $21 million contract. There’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal, but Syndergaard has pitched just two innings over the past two years. They whiffed on Max Scherzer, despite being in the market, and somewhat confusingly let Alex Cobb walk for just two years and $20 million.
The Angels also made upgrades to their bullpen, bringing in Archie Bradley and left hander Aaron Loup to strengthen the ranks. They also made good to re-sign closer Raisel Iglesias after the season.
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In all, it was a relatively quiet, un-sexy offseason for the Angels, considering that they didn’t have a whole lot of moves to make. They have a ton of money wrapped up in the lineup, though their search for a top-of-the-rotation starter continues for at least another season.
Astros: B-
Key departures: SS Carlos Correa (free agent)
Key acquisitions: RP Hector Neris (signed); P Justin Verlander (re-signed)
Even without Carlos Correa, the Astros will still be good. After all, they did just make it to the World Series, and largely have the same roster as they did last year.
Losing Kendall Graveman in free agency will hurt, but the Astros moved quickly for Hector Neris on a two-year deal before the lockout to help in the bullpen. They didn’t do …….