2023 MLB Offseason Outlook
Tier 5: The Rebuilders
With the 2022 season in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward to 2023. The Astros took some pressure off of themselves with a World Series victory, but 29 other teams are tasked with figuring out how to be in Houston’s position next fall— or, in some cases, at some point down the road.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a look at each team’s outlook for the coming offseason and beyond. The first installment highlights the league’s worst teams, all of whom are in the midst of a rebuild.
30. Oakland Athletics
Young core- Shea Langeliers, Nick Allen, Ken Waldichuk
Key veterans- Sean Murphy, Ramón Laureano
Prospects knocking at the door- Tyler Soderstrom, Zack Gelof
Needs- veteran depth, dart throws
Free agent targets- Wil Myers, Joey Gallo, Miguel Sanó, Brandon Belt, Tommy Pham, Michael Wacha, Andrew Heaney
Trade targets- N/A
Trade pieces- Sean Murphy, Ramón Laureano, Seth Brown, A.J. Puk
40-man candidates- Logan Davidson, Colin Peluse, Hogan Harris, Jake Cushing
Things are bleak in Oakland. The A’s have shipped off five key pieces over the last 10 months, and yet their farm system sits firmly outside of the top 10 in most rankings. They are likely headed for a second straight 100-loss season, so why not continue the purge?
That said, it’s important to field a respectable team, relatively-speaking. The formula for getting back on the right track should be loading up on Major League-ready pieces and filling the gaps with veterans on one-year deals. No version of this 2023 team is competitive, so plan for 2024 and beyond.
29. Cincinnati Reds
Young core- Tyler Stephenson, Jonathan India, Spencer Steer, Jose Barrero, Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene, Alexis Diaz
Key veterans- Joey Votto
Prospects knocking at the door- Brandon Williamson, Elly De La Cruz
Needs- veteran depth, dart throws
Free agent targets- Adam Duvall, Carlos Santana, Miguel Sanó, Mike Minor, Drew Smyly, Wade Miley
Trade targets- N/A
Trade pieces- N/A
40-man candidates- Daniel Vellojin, Nick Quintana, Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, Brandon Williamson, Levi Stoudt
The Reds decimated their roster over the last 12 months, so there really isn’t much to do this offseason. They’re not going to compete in 2023 – or probably 2024, for that matter – so it’s all about building a strong core. Cincinnati is still in the early portion of its rebuild, but its foundational pieces, Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte, are quickly clawing their way through the minor leagues and should be able to contribute at the big league level by 2024.
Despite being a bottom-five unit in 2022, the Reds’ lineup doesn’t have any specific holes that need to be plugged for the short term– although some veteran depth never hurts. The key for this upcoming season is to tread water, give one last shot to struggling former prospects like Nick Senzel and Jose Barrero, and then begin to make a push next offseason.
28. Washington Nationals
Young core- Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia, Carter Kieboom, Cade Cavalli, MacKenzie Gore, Josiah Gray
Key veterans- N/A
Prospects knocking at the door- Cole Henry, Matt Cronin
Needs- veteran depth, dart throws
Free agent targets- Elvis Andrus, José Iglesias, Kevin Kiermaier, Michael Wacha, Andrew Heaney
Trade targets- N/A
Trade pieces- N/A
40-man candidates- Drew Millas, Drew Mendoza, Jake Alu, Jeremy De La Rosa, Jackson Rutledge, Tim Cate, Mason Denaburg, Aldo Ramirez, Matt Cronin
How do you begin to navigate a post-Juan Soto world? There’s certainly no clear answer, but it begins with stockpiling young talent. Time has run out on Victor Robles’ time in the capitol, and Carter Kieboom may follow suit if he doesn’t start to hit, but plenty of exciting pieces remain.
Abrams, Ruiz and García have shown plenty of promise, but this rebuild will likely come on the backs of Cavalli, Gore and Gray. All six guys are under 25 as of Nov. 1, and are all under control through at least 2026. With better health, right-hander Cole Henry could crack the big league rotation at some point in 2023, and an exciting offensive quartet of Robert Hassell III, Brady House, James Wood and Elijah Green should help Washington get back to playoff contention within a few years– plus, whomever they draft with the top pick this coming July. Still, the short-term will be rough for Nationals fans.
27. Kansas City Royals
Young core- MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Bobby Witt Jr, Nick Pratto, Drew Waters, Brady Singer
Key veterans- Salvador Perez, Scott Barlow
Prospects knocking at the door- Maikel Garcia, Nick Loftin, Alec Marsh
Needs- veteran depth, dart throws
Free agent targets- Martín Pérez, Kyle Gibson, Michael Wacha, Andrew Heaney
Trade targets- N/A
Trade pieces- Nicky Lopez, Michael Taylor
40-man candidates- Samad Taylor, Alec Marsh, T.J. Sikkema
Kansas City’s youth movement has gone well so far– at least on the offensive side. That once-promising 2018 draft class has seen only Singer emerge as a legitimate rotation piece, but Witt Jr, Pasquantino, Melendez and Waters all made an impact as rookies in 2022. It would make sense for the Royals to give Kowar and Lynch one more opportunity as starters, but it’s important to fortify that rotation with a couple of veterans, as well.
Lopez and Taylor are strong defensive players who don’t project as part of Kansas City’s future and could provide value for a contending team. Kansas City might as well get some young talent for them as it continues to look towards the future.
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
Young core- Rodolfo Castro, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Oneil Cruz, Roansy Contreras
Key veterans- Bryan Reynolds
Prospects knocking at the door- Endy Rodriguez, Liover Peguero, Nick Gonzales, Travis Swaggerty, Quinn Priester
Needs- Triple-A/Major League-ready players, veteran bats, dart throws
Free agent targets- Eric Hosmer, Wil Myers, Andrew McCutchen, Ben Gamel, Tucker Barnhart, Omar Narvaez, Christian Bethancourt
Trade targets- N/A
Trade pieces- Bryan Reynolds, David Bednar
40-man candidates- Endy Rodriguez, Matt Fraizer, Mike Burrows, Tahnaj Thomas
Pittsburgh has done a nice job adding talent through the draft and international free agency, and it boasts a top-10 system without doing a complete fire-sale. But perhaps that would be the right move? Trading Reynolds and Bednar may not sit well with the fanbase, and that is plenty of reason not to do it. But I pulled the trigger here because the returns from those deals would provide a major spark for Pittsburgh’s rebuild, particularly on the pitching side. This team has a ton of talent in the pipeline and should be able to compete in the NL Central within the next couple of years.
25. Colorado Rockies
Young core- Ezequiel Tovar, Brendan Rodgers, Michael Toglia
Key veterans- Kris Bryant, C.J. Cron, Charlie Blackmon, Germán Márquez, Kyle Freeland
Prospects knocking at the door- N/A
Needs- veteran pitching, short-term impact bats, dart throws
Free agent targets- Gary Sanchez, Brandon Drury, Justin Turner, Corey Kluber, Kyle Gibson, Martín Pérez, Jordan Lyles, Chad Green, Matthew Boyd, Matt Moore
Trade targets- Mitch Garver, Gleyber Torres
Trade pieces- Ryan McMahon, Germán Márquez, Brendan Rodgers
40-man candidates- Grant Lavigne, Karl Kauffmann
Tovar and Toglia should make an impact in 2023, but most of Colorado’s top prospects are a couple of years away. Still, the Rockies invested heavily in Kris Bryant a year ago, so they should at least try to field a competitive team. Colorado is the perfect destination for a guy like Gleyber Torres, who could attempt to rebuild his value over his final two years of team control. It also makes sense to move a couple of players who maintain some trade value for a legitimate top-100 prospect, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Rodgers is on the move this winter, as well.