How AL Groups Have Addressed Their Weakest Positions Of 2024

We’re nonetheless over a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Coaching, and the 2025 season received’t start till the Dodgers and Cubs play in Tokyo on March 18 (and the remainder of baseball will get underway on March 27).  So, whereas there’s nonetheless tons of time for golf equipment to maintain shoring up their rosters, let’s check out how all 30 groups have up to now tried to repair their largest weak factors from final season.  Baseball Reference’s position-by-position bWAR rating identifies every how every workforce fared at each place in 2024, so let’s begin by specializing in the American League’s 15 golf equipment…

Angels (Second base, -0.9 bWAR): This was the least manufacturing any workforce obtained from the second base place in 2024, as 9 completely different gamers noticed motion on the Los Angeles keystone with little success.  The Angels made a push to signal Gleyber Torres earlier than he joined the Tigers, and the membership added to its infield combine by buying Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery.  This extra depth may permit the Halos to simply set up super-utilityman Luis Rengifo because the common starter at second base, however they could need to hold bouncing Rengifo across the infield to fill different holes.  Shortstop Zach Neto’s shoulder surgical procedure may hold him from making the Opening Day lineup, whereas Anthony Rendon’s lack of outcomes has left the Halos searching for third base assist.

Astros (First base, -1.0 bWAR): Jose Abreu’s continued struggles led the Astros to launch him earlier than even the halfway level of the three-year, $58.5MM deal he signed within the 2022-23 offseason, and whereas Jon Singleton had a 105 wRC+ in 405 plate appearances, Singleton additionally completed the 12 months with replacement-level manufacturing.  Houston responded to its obvious first base drawback in a giant means, inking Christian Walker to a three-year, $60MM contract.  Walker and Isaac Paredes now look to be the Astros’ new nook infield mixture, with Paredes stepping in at third base within the doubtless occasion that Alex Bregman indicators elsewhere.

Athletics (Third base, -0.6 bWAR): The problems on the scorching nook narrowly edged out first base (-0.5 bWAR) because the Athletics’ largest drawback place, and the A’s are hoping Tyler Soderstrom’s continued improvement may help shore issues up at first base.  As for the opposite nook infield slot, Gio Urshela was signed to a one-year, $2.15MM so as to add no less than a little bit of veteran stability at third base.  Darell Hernaiz additionally figures to get some at-bats at third base if and when Urshela spells Soderstrom towards some left-handed pitchers.

Blue Jays (Bullpen, -3.9 bWAR): This was far and away the bottom bWAR for any workforce at any single place, which isn’t too shocking given how accidents and ineffectiveness torpedoed the Blue Jays’ bullpen final 12 months.  Toronto began the overhaul from the highest down, non-tendering former nearer Jordan Romano after he missed many of the 2024 season because of elbow issues.  Previous good friend Yimi Garcia was re-signed to a two-year, $15MM contract, and Nick Sandlin was acquired from the Guardians as maybe the neglected a part of the Andres Gimenez commerce, however the Jays determine so as to add no less than a pair extra relievers earlier than Opening Day rolls round.

Guardians (Catcher, 0.2 bWAR): Bo Naylor hit solely .201/.264/.350 in 389 plate appearances throughout his first full Main League season, although his glovework was wonderful.  Defensive specialist Austin Hedges was re-signed to once more act as Naylor’s backup, so if nothing else, Cleveland may effectively have the perfect defensive catching tandem in baseball.  The Guardians are certainly hoping for Naylor to contribute much more on the plate now that he has extra expertise towards huge league pitchers, they usually’ll want the youthful Naylor brother to select up a number of the general offensive slack now that huge brother Josh Naylor has been traded.

Mariners (First base, 1.1 bWAR): Luke Raley and commerce deadline pickup Justin Turner helped stabilize the primary base place later within the season, and the left-handed hitting Raley specifically did sufficient to have earned himself no less than a platoon function on the 2025 workforce.  Re-signing Turner remains to be a risk if the Mariners wished to easily run it again, and another first basemen linked to Seattle this winter — Carlos Santana, Paul Goldschmidt, Christian Walker, Josh Naylor — landed elsewhere. Rumors persist that Triston Casas may find yourself in Seattle if the Mariners and Purple Sox can lastly line up on a pitching-for-hitting commerce, however for now, Raley seems to be the highest possibility.  If one other first baseman is certainly introduced in, Raley might additionally get some at-bats on the DH spot, because the M’s solely obtained 1.3 bWAR from their designated hitter group in 2025.

Orioles (Bullpen, 1.8 bWAR): Shedding Felix Bautista to Tommy John rehab for the season understandably took a chew out of the Orioles’ reduction corps, and Bautista’s anticipated return will alone assist bolster the pen.  Aside from signing Matt Bowman to a minors deal, the O’s haven’t gone a lot else to handle their bullpen, and actually subtracted from final 12 months’s group when Jacob Webb was non-tendered and Baltimore declined its $4MM membership possibility on Danny Coulombe.  Nevertheless, it appears to be like like Albert Suarez might be returning to the reduction ranks now that Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano have been signed to hitch the rotation.  (We’re dishonest the put up’s premise a bit with this entry, because the Orioles’ 1.4 bWAR for pinch-hitters is technically their lowest of the positions listed by Baseball Reference.  Nevertheless, since that 1.4 quantity is without doubt one of the higher totals of any pinch-hitting group in baseball, the bullpen can extra precisely be described because the weakest of the 2 positions.)

Rangers (Catcher, -0.1 bWAR): Jonah Heim was a giant a part of Texas’ 2023 championship workforce, however he had a tough season in 2024.  The Rangers are primarily relying on Heim to bounce again, however since he performed in 279 regular-season and postseason video games during the last two seasons, the addition of Kyle Higashioka ought to permit Heim to get extra relaxation.  Higashioka signed a two-year deal price $13.5MM in assured cash, which signifies that he and Heim will most likely break up the taking part in time in one thing nearer to a timeshare reasonably than Higashioka appearing strictly as a backup.  So as to add much more depth behind the plate, Texas additionally signed former two-time Gold Glover Tucker Barnhart to a minor league contract.

Rays (Catcher, 0.2 bWAR): Loss of life, taxes, and the Rays looking for an on a regular basis catcher….some issues by no means change.  Tampa Bay was aggressive in making an attempt to acquire a one-year repair by signing Danny Jansen to a deal price $8.5MM in assured cash, within the hopes that Jansen can rebound from a tough 2024 marketing campaign.  Jansen typically posted sturdy numbers for the Blue Jays when he was capable of keep away from the injured listing, however it appeared just like the accidents caught as much as him final 12 months, significantly after he suffered a fracture in his wrist throughout Spring Coaching.  The Rays will fortunately welcome Jansen getting again to something near his outdated type, and Ben Rortvedt (final 12 months’s most common backstop) stays on the roster because the backup.

Purple Sox (First base, -0.1 bWAR): The aforementioned Triston Casas performed in solely 63 video games final season because of torn cartilage in his ribcage, and whereas he hit effectively over his 236 PA as a primary baseman, it wasn’t sufficient to pull Boston’s first base corps over the replacement-level threshold.  Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been insistent that the Sox aren’t seeking to transfer Casas, and that Rafael Devers will stay at third base reasonably than shifted over to first base (maybe to make room for a 3rd base improve like Alex Bregman).  For the second, the primary base spot appears to be like stable sufficient simply by dint of Casas having a wholesome and productive 2025 marketing campaign, however issues might be shaken up rapidly if a commerce does certainly occur.

Royals (Left discipline, -0.7 bWAR): The Royals additionally obtained -0.1 bWAR from the precise discipline place, and solely three groups obtained much less from their outfielders than Kansas Metropolis’s collective 1.0 outfield bWAR in 2024.  Former high prospect and incumbent left fielder MJ Melendez has but to interrupt out after three MLB seasons, plus veteran Hunter Renfroe is again in proper discipline after exercising his $7.5MM participant possibility for the 2025 season.  It wouldn’t be a shock if both is moved to bench responsibility now for the reason that nook outfield is a pure spot for the Royals to add a giant hitter.  Some left discipline assist may come from an uncommon supply, as each new acquisition Jonathan India and Michael Massey are apparently prepared to maneuver from second base to left discipline if it’ll assist the workforce (and garner them extra common taking part in time).  Keep tuned to this case, as now that Ok.C. is firmly again in playoff competition, the Royals ought to be extra aggressive in shoring up the lineup to try to make a deeper October run.

Tigers (Shortstop, -0.3 bWAR): No workforce obtained much less from the shortstop place than the Tigers, as Javier Baez endured a brutal season earlier than present process a hip surgical procedure in August.  With three years and $73MM nonetheless remaining on Baez’s contract, Detroit can solely hope that improved well being for Baez can salvage that has been a bust of a signing over the primary three seasons of that deal, however the Tigers have already eyed methods to cut back Baez’s taking part in time.  Trey Sweeney may effectively find yourself getting nearly all of shortstop time in 2025, however Ha-Seong Kim is additionally on Detroit’s radar as a attainable shortstop candidate.

Twins (Second base, -0.1 bWAR): There’s loads of fluidity round Minnesota’s infield, as any of Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Edouard Julien, or utilityman Willi Castro might be slotted in at second base subsequent season, relying on how the Twins may handle first base now that Carlos Santana has signed with Cleveland.  A wholesome breakout 12 months from Lewis or Lee at any place could be a large assist for a Twins membership in a payroll crunch, because it doesn’t seem like Minnesota can have a lot of something to spend on new upgrades.

White Sox (Catcher, -1.8 bWAR): Korey Lee, Martin Maldonado, and Chuckie Robinson mixed to offer Chicago the least manufacturing of any catching corps in baseball.  Matt Thaiss was acquired from the Cubs to pair with Lee because the catching tandem for now, however highly-touted prospects Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel ought to each make their huge league debuts in some unspecified time in the future in 2025.  It won’t shock you to study {that a} 121-loss workforce had loads of weak hyperlinks, because the White Sox obtained destructive bWAR totals from the DH, left discipline, proper discipline, second base, and third base positions.  To offer you an thought of how little the Sox obtained from their place gamers in 2024, take into account that the Marlins’ 2.1 bWAR from non-pitchers ranked Miami twenty ninth of 30 groups.  The Sox have been thirtieth, with a surprising -6.7 bWAR.

Yankees (First base, -0.1 bWAR): After Anthony Rizzo’s membership possibility was declined, the Yankees checked in a number of first base candidates and technically got here away with two, as Cody Bellinger was first acquired in a commerce with the Cubs.  Signing Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5MM deal will now push Bellinger into outfield responsibility, and the Yankees are hoping {that a} change of surroundings permits each former NL MVPs to rediscover a few of their outdated type.  Specializing in Goldschmidt, the 37-year-old was hampered by a really tough first half that resulted within the worst general season of his 14-year profession, however his stronger second half and general spectacular hard-contact numbers trace that Goldschmidt has extra to supply.  New York doesn’t even want prime Goldschmidt, as even getting a repeat of his stable 2023 numbers (122 wRC+ over 687 PA with the Cardinals) could be a considerable improve.