Christmas is right around the corner and some teams saw Christmas come early this year with free agent signings and trades that have vastly improved their teams. The following are the five moves that have caught my eye. They may not make their teams immediate contenders, but they will for sure change the franchise in a positive way. It could just be attendance or ticket sales, but these are the top moves so far this offseason.
5. Seattle lands Robinson Cano
This may turn out to be the biggest move of the offseason if the M’s can build an offense around the former Yankee slugger, but for me it just seems like another team in the AL West overpaying for aging talent. Sure Cano is perennial all-star, but he is 30-years-old and will be making $25 million all the way through the downslide of his career. The only reason the move is on the list is because of the amount of money it will make the M’s in return. Jerseys with Cano’s name and number are probably already wrapped and under hundreds of Christmas trees in the Seattle area, and it will surely be one of the highest selling jerseys of the 2014 season.
4. Yankees sign Brian McCann
The Yankees lost a huge piece last season when back stop Russell Martin left for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he then helped lead his new team to the playoffs while the Yankees sat and watched their rivals win the Series. The Yankees were quick to remedy that situation as they went out and signed the best catcher on the market in McCann. McCann has struggled with health in the past, but he offensive skills along with his ability to control a pitching staff are exactly what this team needs, and the best part about the deal is that they didn’t give him the ten years that other teams seem to be handing out to soon-to-be 30-year-olds.
3. Athletics get Jim Johnson from the Orioles
In the first really shocking move of the offseason the Oakland Athletics found their replacement for free agent Grant Balfour, and a stop gap between Sean Doolittle or Ryan Cook, in the form of Johnson. The move was shocking because it is so rare that a team will move the guy who led the league in their position’s main statistical category, let alone without every writer in the world knowing the player is about to be traded. What makes this move so great is that the A’s get the closer with the most saves over the last two seasons and all they gave up was a player who had fallen out of favor in Jemile Weeks and a minor leaguer.
2. Orioles Rage
It may seem odd that the Orioles are on the list in a negative way for trading their closer away, but they have that move combined with the signing of Grant Balfour could be the best move of the year so far. They got rid of Johnson who was going to cost them $10 million and was against renegotiating a new contract and replaced him with an all-star closer for less money a year, and have control over him for an extra year. Balfour may not be as effective as Johnson has been over the past two seasons in terms of number of saves, but he at one point converted 44 straight saves without blowing an opportunity. On top of his abilities, they receive a player that will instantly be a fan favorite.
1. Angels, White Sox and Diamondbacks make a Three-Way
The first big move of the winter meetings was a blockbuster trade between three teams, but didn’t involve any seriously big names, but it involved three teams getting everything they needed in one trade. For the White Sox they received a cheap option in centerfield that gives the Sox the speed at the top or bottom of the lineup that they haven’t had since Scott Podsednik was atop the lineup during the World Series run of 2005 in Adam Eaton. The Angels got two starting pitchers, the team's biggest need in the offseason, without spending big money like they have in the past. Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago aren’t huge names that Angels fans are used to the team obtaining in the offseason, but they will the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation admirably. The last part of the trade, and possibly the most important the biggest immediate impact, the Diamondbacks got the power bat that they coveted to protect MVP Candidate Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup with Mark Trumbo. Trumbo has 30 home run a year power and can drive in 90 plus runs a year, and with that kind of guy in the lineup it will free things up for Goldschmidt who is only getting better every single year. All of the teams are winners on paper making this the best move so far this offseason.
If you agree, or disagree, feel free to let me know on twitter or in the comment section. This is all my opinion on how I think these moves will help their relative teams. Any one of these moves could play out to be the best move ever, or possibly be complete busts. For now, this is how I see them playing out.