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#pounditThursday, March 28, 2024

Each MLB team’s biggest weakness to address

Jackie Bradley
The MLB season is in full swing, and advantages and flaws for teams are becoming quite obvious. Even the best teams have issues that could use addressing. It may be through calling up prospects, making trades, or simply hoping that people with a track record ultimately come good and start producing as they have in the past.

Here are the biggest weaknesses that each MLB team needs to consider.

Arizona Diamondbacks — Offense

Yes, we could easily single out one position here, but it wouldn’t make sense to do that, because the entire Arizona offense has been brutal. Most of the team’s players are hitting under .250, and Alex Avila, Jarrod Dyson and Chris Owings are all hitting under .200. On the whole, the team average is .213, the worst in baseball. That simply isn’t going to cut it, and it has to be fixed mostly internally, too.

Atlanta Braves — Back of the rotation

Surprisingly, the Braves haven’t shown many weaknesses so far this season. Their offense has produced and the bullpen has been more or less airtight. The one exception has been the back of the rotation, which hasn’t been quite as sharp as the rest of the team thanks in part to injuries and also some underperformance on the part of Julio Teheran. It’s premature to say it must be addressed, but it’s something to watch going forward.

Baltimore Orioles — Starting rotation

Very little about the Orioles is particularly good — in fact, it’s more or less limited to Manny Machado, who’s probably getting traded. That said, the real big issue is the starting rotation, which has long been a problem with the organization and only seems to be getting worse. Only Kevin Gausman has an ERA under 4, and the team has allowed Chris Tillman to make seven starts despite an ERA over 10. That’s either entirely too much patience or an admission that the other options are even worse.

Boston Red Sox — Center field

It’s an odd and surprising thing, as not long ago Jackie Bradley Jr. was considered one of the sport’s better young outfielders. He’s still good defensively, which is most of the reason he’s still allowed to play, but the guy has not hit above .233 at any point in the season and hasn’t shown much power either. His numbers are unacceptably bad, even for a defense-first player, and you have to wonder how long Boston can justify sticking with him.

Chicago Cubs — Back of the rotation

Similar to the Braves, the Cubs have guys whose numbers have underwhelmed so far despite a strong history. Jose Quintana and Yu Darvish have both been very good MLB pitchers, but they have ERAs over four right now. It’s nitpicky, but the Cubs’ roster is solid, and most of their issues are down to underperformance. Anthony Rizzo’s issues are another big one. Given time, they’ll probably straighten themselves out.

Chicago White Sox — Rotation

Only Reynaldo Lopez has performed well for the White Sox, and that could well be down to smoke and mirrors — his FIP is 4.80 and his underlying numbers indicate that regression is coming. Outside of Lopez, the White Sox rotation has been awful, with ERAs of 4.62, 7.53, and 8.07 among the other three starters who have received the most work (James Shields, Lucas Giolito, and Carson Fulmer, respectively). Even for a rebuilding operation, that’s bad.

Cincinnati Reds — Rotation

Seeing a trend? Only one Reds starter has an ERA under 5, and it’s Tyler Mahle with an unremarkable 4.53 mark. Homer Bailey is at 6.21, and the since-demoted Brandon Finnegan was at 7.40. With pitchers putting up numbers like those, it’s not that difficult to figure out why the team was so willing to give Matt Harvey a shot.

Cleveland Indians — Bullpen

Once one of the Indians’ strengths, the Cleveland bullpen has become something that manager Terry Francona has to be wary of turning to. Cody Allen has done a good enough job, but almost everyone else who has come out of the ‘pen to throw at least ten innings for Cleveland has an ERA over 5. The exception is Andrew Miller, but even he has struggled at times, missing time due to injury and then looking unconvincing upon his return.

Colorado Rockies — First base

Ian Desmond is very much not getting the job done. The Colorado first baseman has been hitting under .200 most of the season, and his eight home runs aren’t a big enough saving grace to make anyone happy. The five-year deal he signed with the team looks worse and worse, as he’s not known for his defense and he’s not hitting at all. They’re stuck in a bad place with him. One has to wonder how long they can send him out there every day.

Detroit Tigers — Bullpen

It’s always been the issue, hasn’t it? Though the Tigers don’t really excel in any department, the bullpen has been particularly deficient, with only youngster Joe Jimenez looking like he might have some long-term staying power. Shane Greene is alright, but he’s not a closer on a good team, and the remainder of the arms are not top quality at all.

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