8) Have we seen the end of Andrew McCutchen in Pittsburgh?
It looked like McCutchen was going to be dealt last offseason, but he stuck with Pittsburgh and put together a solid bounceback season. He has a team option for 2018 of just under $15 million, and the Pirates may well pick it up and try to trade him as he enters what would be the final year of his deal. They entertained doing something similar to that at the trade deadline, but held off. Now, with the Pirates looking like they may be entering a retooling phase, it would make sense to ship McCutchen to a contender.
9) Cardinals could be major players
The last time the St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons was 2007 and 2008. Only a few years later, they were winning the World Series in 2011. This is a team that appears to have money to spend and won’t hesitate to do it after a very disappointing 2017.
So far, we have heard that the Cardinals may look into pursuing free agent closer Greg Holland and Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson to ensure they aren’t absent from October for three straight seasons. The last time that happened? 1997-1999.
10) Rebuilding Tigers will be open for business
Detroit’s rebuilding effort started in earnest at the end of August, when Justin Upton and Justin Verlander were dealt within hours of each other. That effort is not yet finished. Ian Kinsler appears likely to be moved, and the Tigers would probably be willing to make Miguel Cabrera available. Dealing Miggy just doesn’t appear realistic given the season he had and the money he’s owed. Other cheaper players such as Jose Iglesias, who may not factor into the next contending Tigers team, may be on the move as well. Expect to see the Tigers active in trade talks.
11) Which young teams are ready to take the next step?
It remains to be seen if any teams decide now is the time to begin throwing money around in a bid to contend in 2018. The Philadelphia Phillies may be waiting a year to do that, while the Chicago White Sox are probably a year or two away from being ready to enter that phase of the rebuild. Still, it will be worth watching which teams that weren’t particularly successful in 2017 are ready to pony up big money for free agents — watch out for the likes of the Mets and Giants. The latter could beef up with a trade, as the Giants have been said to be contenders for Stanton if the Marlins trade him.
12) Toronto could be tempted to sell
The Blue Jays appear to have missed their championship window after consecutive ALCS exits in 2015 and 2016. Jose Bautista is on his way out, and Edwin Encarnacion already departed last offseason. Understandably, the question has been raised as to whether the Jays will be tempted to move third baseman Josh Donaldson. For now, the answer appears to be no — the Blue Jays may actually end up trying to buy this offseason with an eye on contending in 2018. If a big offer comes in, though, you have to wonder what it would take to move him.
13) Can the Cubs hold the veteran core together?
Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, and the rest of Chicago’s young studs will definitely be back, but the veteran core that helped propel this team into contention is looking at a few possible departures. The aforementioned Jake Arrieta doesn’t appear close to signing a new contract and will likely hit the open market. Closer Wade Davis is also poised to become a free agent.
The bullpen will definitely need some help, and they may invest in either Arrieta or a veteran starter to replace him. Either way, Theo Epstein and company will have to get a bit creative to offset these impending free agents.
14) Will the Giants aggressively try to prove 2017 was a fluke?
The Giants’ “Even Year Magic” was blown up by the Cubs in 2016, and everything else was blown up in 2017. The Giants ended up with the joint-worst record in all of baseball last year, losing 98 games while being plagued by injury and underperformance. Where do they go from here? Considering the Giants were one of the teams linked with Giancarlo Stanton, they may jump into that sweepstakes. The Giants’ reported interest in Stanton may serve as a sign that they believe locking down good talent long-term will allow them to turn things around quickly, provided some of their veterans can bounce back. They may not behave like a rebuilding team this offseason.
15) Can the new-look Mets rebuild around their pitching staff?
The New York Mets can still win with Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz in their rotation — we’ll leave Matt Harvey out of this — provided they can keep them all healthy. If the Mets believe they can do that, what will their strategy be this offseason? They’ve brought in a new manager with a pitching mind, and it will be interesting to see if New York — which has been hesitant to spend in the past — may try to bring in another big bat. The hope will be that if they can score enough runs, a healthier pitching staff could launch them back into contention after a year away from the playoffs.
