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Bowdens Final Off Season Grades
This winter’s unusual free-agent market has left a number of big-name players unsigned, even in the last week of February. So there’s still time for teams to improve their standing. But as spring training heats up, here’s where each franchise grades out.
Boston Red Sox -- Grade: A+
Red SoxKey acquisitions to date: David Price, Craig Kimbrel, Carson Smith, Chris Young, Roenis Elias.
Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski and general manager Mike Hazen had the best offseason of any front office in baseball, checking off every box they had set as a goal this winter. They wanted an ace and landed Price in a seven-year, $217 million dollar deal. They needed a closer, and they made a blockbuster deal with the Padres to land arguably the game’s best over the last several years in Kimbel. They wanted to acquire a fourth outfielder, so they signed Young. And while looking for another power arm in the bullpen, they were able to pick up Smith from the Mariners. They needed rotation depth, and they acquired Elias. Thanks to those major offseason wins, the Red Sox are serious contenders once again.
Chicago Cubs -- Grade: A+
CubsKey acquisitions to date: Jason Heyward, John Lackey, Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler, Adam Warren, Rex Brothers, Trevor Cahill.
The Cubs have had a dominant offseason, highlighted by the signing of star outfielder Heyward, the best defensive right fielder in the game. Even before that signing, things were looking pretty rosy in Chicago. The Cubs made one of the best-valued free-agent signings of a starting pitcher when they landed Lackey on a two-year deal. They really improved themselves with the acquisition of Zobrist, who will give them better balance in the lineup, as well as improved defense at second base and the corner outfield positions and important leadership for their young players. Fowler fell back in their lap this week, agreeing to a one-year deal that will allow Heyward to remain in right field and gives the Cubs the solid lead-off hitter they had last year. Warren, who will also compete for a spot in the starting rotation, should help shore up the bullpen, and Brothers might end up being one of the best under-the-radar signings of the offseason. I predict that the Cubs will be the only team to win 100 regular-season games in 2016. It’s only a matter of time before Cubs president Theo Epstein becomes the highest-paid baseball executive in baseball history. He’s on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
Atlanta Braves -- Grade: A
BravesKey acquisitions to date: Dansby Swanson, Aaron Blair, Ender Inciarte, Erick Aybar, Sean Newcomb, Gordon Beckham, Jim Johnson, Bud Norris, A.J. Pierzynski, Tyler Flowers, Ian Krol, Casey Kelly, Ricardo Rodriguez.
President John Hart and general manager John Coppolella made the best trade of the year when they dealt Shelby Miller to the Diamondbacks for Swanson, Blair and Inciarte, a real haul and a lopsided trade for the Braves. It's amazing that they turned one year of Jason Heyward into all three of those players. The Braves also earn high marks for picking up Newcomb, a future Jon Lester-caliber pitcher. The Braves are sticking to their long-term plan, which means probably another year of 90 losses, but by the 2018 season should be a team back in contending mode. They've also signed several veteran players whom they'll be able to trade for more prospects come the July trade deadline.
Detroit Tigers -- Grade: A
TigersKey acquisitions to date: Justin Upton, Jordan Zimmermann, Francisco Rodriguez, Mark Lowe, Justin Wilson, Cameron Maybin, Mike Pelfrey, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Mike Aviles.
Tigers general manager Al Avila told me when Detroit entered the offseason that his goal was to acquire two starters, two relievers and an outfielder. This was not an easy goal for a team that already had a $180 million payroll, one of the highest in the sport. Avila, in his rookie year as the Tigers' GM, was able to acquire one of the four best starters in the free-agent class when he landed Zimmermann, formerly of the Nationals. He also traded for a solid closer in Rodriguez, then picked up a solid back-of-the-rotation-type starter in Pelfrey and improved the setup role considerably with both Wilson and Lowe. Then came Avila's biggest move, after Detroit owner Mike Illitch decided he wanted to spend the money to land Upton, giving the Tigers one of the top two lineups in baseball, along with the Blue Jays. Maybin was reacquired in a deal with the Braves, and he's expected to share center field, with Anthony Gose moving to left. Bottom line: The Tigers accomplished all of their goals this offseason and are primed for not only a comeback season, but a contending one, as well.
San Francisco Giants -- Grade: A
GiantsKey acquisitions to date: Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Denard Span, Kyle Blanks.
The Giants went all-in during free agency, shoring up their pitching by landing both Cueto and Samardzija to slot in behind Madison Bumgarner in the rotation. The moves led Bruce Bochy -- a future Hall of Famer who has also managed teams that featured Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Bumgarner in their primes -- to declare it the best rotation he has ever had. Span will improve both the top of the Giants’ lineup and their outfield defense. His acquisition will allow Angel Pagan to move to left field, which means the Giants will have a true center fielder playing all three outfield positions. Bottom line: San Francisco’s offseason moves make it team to beat in the NL West.
Arizona Diamondbacks -- Grade: A-
DiamondbacksKey acquisitions to date: Zack Greinke, Shelby Miller, Jean Segura, Tyler Clippard, Gabe Speier, Sam McWilliams.
They made the worst move of the offseason in their trade for Miller and they still earn an A-. How? It's simple. They added Greinke and Miller to the top of their starting rotation, and suddenly they are legitimate contenders, along with the Dodgers and Giants. They also improved their middle infield offense and speed with the acquisition of Segura and added depth to the bullpen by landing Clippard. Their offseason mission -- to become contenders -- has been accomplished. It will be a legitimate three-team race in the NL West.
New York Mets -- Grade: A-
Mets
Key acquisitions to date: Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera, Bartolo Colon, Jerry Blevins.
The defending National League champions were able to retain Cespedes, their cleanup hitter, when both sides were willing to get creative on a shorter-term deal that should set the stage for a long-term deal down the road. They lost out on signing Ben Zobrist, who inked a deal with the Chicago Cubs. But they rebounded nicely with their trade for Walker and signing of Cabrera. The Mets' middle infield should be better both offensively and defensively than last year. They were also able to bring back Colon, a veteran starter who will help them until Zack Wheeler returns from Tommy John surgery later this summer. Overall, it was a solid offseason for the Mets and put them in a strong position to repeat as NL East champions and take another shot at a World Series title come October.
New York Yankees -- Grade: B+
Yankees Key acquisitions to date: Aroldis Chapman, Starlin Castro, Aaron Hicks, Ronald Herrera, Luis Cessa, Chad Green.
The Yankees have been trying to get younger as they wait to clear a lot of money off their books over the next couple of years. They were, however, able to solve their immediate offseason goals by getting younger and more right-handed with the trades for Castro, who will solve their issue at second base, and Hicks, an outfielder whom they were able to pry away from the Twins before he had completely developed in Minnesota. Hicks can play all three outfield positions and should get plenty of at-bats. GM Brian Cashman saved his biggest move for last, acquiring Chapman when the Reds dropped their asking price for the closer after the Dodgers pulled out of their deal for Chapman because of the domestic violence allegations against him. The addition of Chapman gives the Yankees arguably the most dominant trio of relievers (along with Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller) since the Nasty Boys Rob Dibble, Randy Myers and Norm Charlton) of 1990 Reds.
Seattle Mariners -- Grade: B+
MarinersKey acquisitions to date: Hisashi Iwakuma, Leonys Martin, Nori Aoki, Adam Lind, Joaquin Benoit, Wade Miley, Nathan Karns, Chris Iannetta, Boog Powell, Franklin Gutierrez, Steve Clevenger, Justin De Fratus, Luis Sardinas. Anthony Bass, Evan Scribner, Jonathan Aro, Ryan Cook, Joel Peralta, Steve Cishek.
The Mariners have remade their team. Jerry Dipoto has been the most aggressive of all general managers this offseason, making more moves than anyone. He has improved the team's on-base percentage and athleticism while adding depth throughout the roster. The starting rotation is deeper and stronger, thanks to the return of Iwakuma and the trades for Miley and Karns, which will take pressure off of Taijuan Walker and James Paxton. Seattle kept its core four of Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager together. All of them must have big years for the Mariners to be serious contenders.
Baltimore Orioles -- Grade: B
OriolesKey acquisitions to date: Chris Davis, Yovani Gallardo, Mark Trumbo, Darren O'Day, Hyun Soo Kim, Odrisamer Despaigne, C.J. Riefenhauser, Edgar Olmos, L.J. Hoes.
The Orioles were able to keep the core of their team together, thanks to owner Peter Angelos' willingness to open his checkbook and overpay to keep key free agents Davis, Matt Wieters and O'Day. Baltimore did lose starter Wei-Yin Chen to the Marlins but replaced him with Gallardo, who should be able to provide similar innings and overall production if his shoulder holds up. The trade for Trumbo gives the O's a DH capable of hitting 30 home runs, but he is likely to have a low on-base percentage. Kim, a left-fielder, brings a high on-base percentage but not much power. Baltimore lost out at the last minute on outfielder Dexter Fowler, who chose the Cubs' one-year offer over the Orioles' three-year proposal, dealing a real blow to the O’s front office. Overall, it was an expensive offseason for Baltimore, and the 2016 squad doesn’t appear to be much better than the one that went 81-81 last year. The starting pitching will determine how far this team can go.
Houston Astros -- Grade: B
Astros
Key acquisitions to date: Ken Giles, Colby Rasmus, Tony Sipp, Doug Fister, Brendan McCurry.
The Astros' No. 1 priority this offseason was to acquire a closer, and they were able to land one of the best young ones in the game in Giles. He is not eligible for free agency until 2020 and won't be arbitration eligible until 2018. The Astros overpaid for Giles in terms of prospects but were able to do so because they have one of the best farm systems in baseball. The Astros made a surprising qualifying offer to Rasmus, who quickly accepted before the Astros could change their mind. They also resigned Sipp, which was imperative, and make a shrewd, under-the-radar signing in Fister, who could end up being a candidate for comeback player of the year this season.
Kansas City Royals -- Grade: B
Royals Key acquisitions to date: Alex Gordon, Ian Kennedy, Joakim Soria, Chris Young, Tony Cruz, Dillon Gee, Mike Minor.
They lost Ben Zobrist to the Cubs and Johnny Cueto to the Giants. But the defending world champions weren’t afraid to spend money elsewhere, doling out $142 million just to bring Gordon back and add Kennedy to replace Cueto in their rotation. The Royals also shored up their bullpen by signing Soria and their starting pitching depth with the additions of Young, Gee and Minor. Cruz, formerly of the Cardinals, will be a solid backup option at catcher.
Miami Marlins -- Grade: B
Marlins
Key acquisitions to date: Manager Don Mattingly, hitting coach Barry Bonds, catching coach Brian Schneider, Wei-Yin Chen, Chris Johnson, Don Kelly, Jeff Mathis and Edwin Jackson.
The Marlins' best signing of the offseason was Mattingly, who is respected throughout the league. They also made a bold move by hiring Bonds, who could be a significant influence on outfielders Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna, and signed the game’s best catching instructor in Schneider. Miami's best player was move was landing Chen as a free agent; the left-hander should provide 185 innings and a low ERA.
Oakland Athletics -- Grade: B
AthleticsKey acquisitions to date: Khris Davis, Rich Hill, Ryan Madson, John Axford, Yonder Alonso, Marc Rzepczynski, Jed Lowrie, Henderson Alvarez, Liam Hendriks, Trey Cochran-Gill, J.B. Wendelken, Zack Erwin.
The A's have completely rebuilt their bullpen with both quality and depth thanks to the additions of Madson, Axford, Hendriks and Rzepczynski, which will not only help them be more competitive but should give them trade pieces at the deadline. Hill should help the rotation -- if he can prove that September wasn’t a fluke -- while Davis and Lowrie will certainly improve Oakland's offense. The A’s were once again aggressive in the offseason and should be a much better team in 2016 -- albeit still a last-place one.
Washington Nationals -- Grade: B
NationalsKey acquisitions to date: Daniel Murphy, Ben Revere, Oliver Perez, Shawn Kelley, Trevor Gott, Stephen Drew, Chris Heisey, Yusmeiro Petit.
The Nationals had a strong offseason, during which they made precise moves to improve both the top of their lineup and the quality and depth of their bullpen. Murphy brings a much-needed left-handed bat and high on-base percentage, while Revere gives Washington the lead-off hitter it so desperately needed after Denard Span departed for the Giants. Revere and Murphy should produce enough traffic at the top of the lineup to allow Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman to drive in runs and give the Nats' pitching staff enough run support to once again win 90-plus games. GM Mike Rizzo has done an excellent job in building quality depth in the bullpen with the signings of Perez, Kelley and Petit and his trade of Yunel Escobar to the Angels that brought back another power arm in Gott. Provided that Nationals stay healthy this season, they should be serious contenders for the division title or a wild-card berth.
Chicago White Sox -- Grade: B-
White Sox Key acquisitions to date: Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie, Alex Avila, Mat Latos, Dioner Navarro, Jimmy Rollins, Jacob Turner, Tommy Kahnle.
The White Sox made one of the better trades of the offseason when they landed Frazier, an All-Star and team leader, from the Reds in a three-team deal. They also upgraded at second base by acquiring Lawrie from the A’s and improved behind the plate by signing Avila and Navarro. But signing veterans Rollins and Latos, two players in serious decline, were questionable moves, and Chicago did not improve offensively in right field or at designated hitter. Overall, The White Sox had mixed offseason that likely wasn’t enough to make them a serious postseason contender this year.
Los Angeles Dodgers -- Grade: B-
Dodgers Key acquisitions to date: Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Howie Kendrick, Frankie Montas, Chase Utley, Trayce Thompson, Micah Johnson, Joe Blanton.
The Dodgers had a bizarre offseason. They walked away from Zack Greinke because he wanted a sixth year in his contract, which would have him paid him into his late 30s. That was surprising considering the way they've been throwing money around the past couple of years. They replaced him with Hisashi Iwakuma, which was a solid signing, but then lost him to the Mariners after he flunked their physical. They did have an agreement to acquire Aroldis Chapman, but they later backed out because of domestic-violence allegations against him and a subsequent investigation by Major League Baseball -- and watched Chapman get traded to the Yankees. Los Angeles was involved in a three-way deal with the Reds and White Sox but passed on the opportunity to trade for Todd Frazier, opting for a prospect package from Chicago instead. Frazier would have been a long-term solution at third base, providing home run power and veteran leadership for Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig. To make up for all those blunders, the Dodgers did what they always do: throw money around to try to fix it. They spent tens of millions to resign Kendrick and ink starting pitchers Kazmir and Maeda, while continuing to break the bank in the international signing market. They also brought back veterans Utley and Blanton. The highlight of their offseason is what they didn’t do: hoard all their top prospects instead of trading them. When the dusts settles, Los Angeles will still be a 90-win team that should contend all year for the division title or a wild-card berth.
Milwaukee Brewers -- Grade: B-
Brewers Key acquisitions to date: Jacob Nottingham, Chase Anderson, Aaron Hill, Chris Carter, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Ramon Flores, Will Middlebrooks, Javier Betancourt, Jonathan Villar, Daniel Missaki, Carlos Herrera, Freddy Peralta, Garin Cecchini, Mickey Pina, Isan Diaz.
Rookie GM David Stearns has earned the nickname “Dealer Dave” after wheeling and dealing like he’s playing fantasy baseball since taking over for Doug Melvin in September. Stearns has done a good job of getting legitimate prospects in return for his trades; the downside is that the best ones are still years away from being ready for the major leagues. His acquisition of Nottingham, a catcher who projects to be a 20-homer player, from the A’s in exchange for Khris Davis could be one of the offseason’s best long-term trades, and Diaz, an infielder acquired in the Jean Segura trade, could be another real sleeper.
Philadelphia Phillies -- Grade: B-
Phillies Key acquisitions to date: Peter Bourjos, Jeremy Hellickson, David Hernandez, Vincent Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer, Charlie Morton, Mark Appel, Thomas Eshelman, Jonathan Arauz, Peter Bourjos, Edward Mujica, Andrew Bailey, David Hernandez.
The Phillies are clearly “tanking” as they attempt to rebuild through scouting, player development and trades for young players. They got a good return for Cole Hamels at the trade deadline last season and plenty back in the trade that sent Ken Giles to the Astros. Philadelphia netted four pitchers, highlighted by Appel and Velasquez. The Phillies also improved their rotation for 2016 by getting Morton from the Pirates and Hellickson from the Diamondbacks. Both could be used to deal for more prospects before the trade deadline. The Phillies have a long way to go before they become contenders again, but they have a solid plan and strong leadership -- led by Andy MacPhail and Matt Klentack -- to help get them there.
San Diego Padres -- Grade: B-
Padres Key acquisitions to date: Javy Guerra, Manuel Margot, Logan Allen, Carlos Asuaje, Enyel De Los Santos, Nelson Ward, Jon Jay, Drew Pomeranz, Jose Pirela, Jose Torres, Christian Bethancourt, Josmil Pinto, Skip Schumacher, Alexei Ramirez.
The Padres went for it last year when they traded for Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Craig Kimbrel and signed free-agent starter James Shields. That strategy didn’t work, and instead of continuing down that path, they did the smart thing and completely changed course this offseason, building instead for the long term. San Diego made a sharp rebuilding trade when it dealt Kimbrel to the Red Sox for an extremely strong package that included long-term solutions at shortstop, center field and in the rotation. The Padres also picked up Ramirez, a veteran shortstop who should be a good stopgap at shortstop and give them a bargaining chip for the trade deadline, at a bargain salary.
Tampa Bay Rays -- Grade: B-
Rays Key acquisitions to date: Corey Dickerson, Steve Pearce, Hank Conger, Danny Farquhar, Brad Miller, Logan Morrison.
The Rays needed to improve their offense and did a solid job given their limited financial parameters. They acquired Dickerson from the Rockies, Morrison in a trade from the Mariners and Pearce via free agency. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash will have to mix, match and platoon to get the results he needs out of this lineup, but it should be an improvement over last year’s offense, at the very least. They did acquire some undervalued players with some upside like Farquhar, who could bounce back and help them in the bullpen next season.
Texas Rangers -- Grade: B-
RangersKey acquisitions to date: Tom Wilhelmsen, Colby Lewis, Jeremy Guthrie, James Jones, Tony Barnette, Ian Desmond.
The Rangers' last-minute move to sign Desmond saved their grade, as he should be a huge upgrade in left field, with his expected 20-home-run and 20-stolen-base expected production If we counted the July trade deadline, the Rangers really should get an A here. Unfortunately, these grades are based on just offseason moves, and besides Desmond, all they’ve done is acquire another power arm for the pen in Wilhelmsen, bring back Lewis, sign Guthrie and trade for a backup center fielder in Jones. The good news is that the Rangers have a postseason-caliber roster and are serious World Series contenders -- especially if Yu Darvish returns to form.
Pittsburgh Pirates -- Grade: C+
PiratesKey acquisitions to date: Jon Niese, Neftali Feliz, Ryan Vogelsong, John Jaso, Juan Nicasio, Kyle Lobstein, Jesse Biddle, A.J. Schugel, Cory Luebke Eric O'Flaherty.
I thought GM Neal Huntington did a great job in turning one year of control of Neil Walker into three years of control of Niese, who is a solid, back-of-the-rotation starter capable of throwing 170 to 180 innings per year. And when your pitching coach is Ray Searage, who knows? Niese's ERA, with some adjustments, could get under 4.00. The loss of Walker and Pedro Alvarez make Pittsburgh's lineup too right-handed, however; Huntington tried to compensate for that by signing Jaso to platoon at first base. The rest of the Pirates' offseason revolved around signing reclamation projects for Searage, who is one of the game’s best pitching coaches. In all likelihood, they’ll strike gold with a few of them. They always do.
Colorado Rockies -- Grade: C
Rockies
Key acquisitions to date: Jake McGee, Gerardo Parra, Jason Motte, Chad Qualls, Mark Reynolds.
The signing of Parra allowed the Rockies to trade Corey Dickerson to the Rays and get a closer in the left-hander McGee. With Parra playing half of his games at Coors Field, the Rockies believe that he’ll be able to put up Dickerson-type numbers. Colorado also added two more veteran relievers, in Motte and Qualls, to their bullpen, which should help the development of their young, back-end power arms. Reynolds should help them against left-handed pitching and provide 30 to 35 homers.
St. Louis Cardinals -- Grade: C
Cardinals Key acquisitions to date: Mike Leake, Seung Hwan Oh, Jedd Gyorko, Jonathan Broxton, Brayan Pena.
The Cardinals had a disappointing offseason, losing both John Lackey and Jason Heyward to their archrivals, the Cubs, and then coming up short on their bid for David Price. St. Louis did sign Leake, who should provide the quality innings it will lose without Lance Lynn, who underwent Tommy John surgery. Gyorko and Pena will improve the bench, and Oh and Broxton will help upgrade the bullpen. The Cardinals will need young players like Randal Grichuk, Stephen Piscotty and Matt Adams to step up in a big way or this could be the year that they take a step back in the NL Central.
Los Angeles Angels -- Grade: C-
Angels Key acquisitions to date: Andrelton Simmons, Cliff Pennington, Yunel Escobar, Geovany Soto, Daniel Nava, Al Alburquerque, Craig Gentry, Quintin Berry.
The Angels acquired arguably the best defensive shortstop in baseball in Simmons, but they did it at the steep price of trading their best two pitching prospects, including southpaw Sean Newcomb, whom several scouts have compared to a young Jon Lester. They solved third base with the trade for Escobar, but that too came at a high price, because they gave up an inexpensive and controllable power arm in reliever in Trevor Gott. The Angels weren’t able to solve left field or catcher with first-division players, and their lineup remains too right-handed. Overall, outside of improving the left side of the infield, they had a disappointing offseason.
Cincinnati Reds -- Grade: C-
Reds Key Acquisitions to date: Scott Schebler, Jose Peraza, Brandon Dixon, Eric Jagielo, Rookie Davis, Caleb Cotham.
The Reds are in full rebuilding mode and are being aggressive as they build for the future. They’ve traded Todd Frazier and Aroldis Chapman and almost had a deal in place to send Brandon Phillips to the Nationals before he nixed the transaction. The question is: Did they get enough in return? Peraza was the top prospect acquired in the three-way Frazier deal, but both teams that had him previously, the Braves and Dodgers, viewed him as a utility player at best. The return for Chapman included Davis and Jagielo, but neither one appears to have an All-Star-type ceiling. Cincinnati's plan is clear, but only time will tell if it got enough back in its offseason trades to make it start paying off.
Cleveland Indians -- Grade: C-
IndiansKey acquisitions to date: Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis, Juan Uribe, Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler, Tommy Hunter.
The Indians needed to improve the bottom half of their lineup, and although they made an attempt to do so with Cowgill, it doesn’t -- on the surface, at least -- look to be nearly enough. Napoli is entering his age-34 season and has been in a significant, three-year decline, although he still has 15-home run power. Davis, 35, is nothing more than a fourth outfielder but still could steal 30 bases, and Uribe, 37, is best suited for a utility role. Cleveland still has a strong farm system and deep rotation that it could have used to land a younger, more impactful bat, but the Indians weren’t able to find the right team to match up with for a trade. Therefore, they’ll just have to wait and hope that top prospects like Bradley Zimmer, Clint Frazier and Mike Papi develop faster than expected.
Minnesota Twins -- Grade: C-
Twins Key acquisitions to date: John Ryan Murphy, Byung Ho Park, Carlos Quentin.
The Twins' offseason was quiet outside of two moves. They added a potential impact power bat in Park, who is expected to be their full-time designated hitter as they move Miguel Sano to one of the outfield corners. Park, 29, was a star for Nexen in the Korean Baseball Organization, where he hit 105 home runs the past two seasons and drove in 270 runs. The Twins are hoping he has as easy a transition to major league pitching as Jung Ho Kang had with the Pirates last year. The Park signing also means that top power prospect Sano will be moved to a corner outfield spot. Murphy, picked up from the Yankees for Aaron Hicks, should eventually be Minnesota's long-term solution at catcher. But he came at a cost of outfield prospect Hicks, who never got the chance to fully develop with the Twins.
Toronto Blue Jays -- Grade: C-
Blue Jays Key acquisitions to date: Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, Drew Storen, Jesse Chavez, Gavin Floyd, David Aardsma.
The Blue Jays decided to not bid on David Price despite the fact he desperately wanted to come back and would have returned for probably less than what he signed for with the Red Sox. They prioritized roster depth instead and did a good job in getting Estrada for a year less than his market value, but they overpaid for Happ by a year, which lowered their grade. The Jays also lost one of their few speed players and leadoff hitter in Ben Revere when they landed Storen from the Nationals to improve the back end of the bullpen. They also haven’t signed or traded their top two potential free agents in Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. And they haven’t yet been able to rework their deal for the Reds' Jay Bruce, after the deal fell apart because of a medical issues with one of the players the Jays were sending to Cincinnati. For a team that was just two wins away from a World Series last year, it was a disappointing offseason.
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