4 Teams With a Failing Grade This Offseason (So Far)

 


New York Yankees

Perhaps no one is feeling the pain of the lockout more than Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. It was bad enough that he wasn't able to get anything done while his competition were involved in a flurry of activity, but now he has to endure a couple of extra months of Yankee fan fury before he's able to do anything about it.

 Cashman had labeled shortstop as an "area of need". Carlos Correa and Trevor Story are still out there. Or do we believe the rumors that the Yankees are not shopping in the expensive aisle for shorstop? 

First base is also an area of need, and while the Matt Olson trade rumors have been out there, nothing had happened as of the lockout. 

Oakland A's

If it wasn't bad enough allowing one of the game's best managers, Bob Melvin, to escape down the coast to San Diego, the A's have also made it clear that they're ready to clean house by trading any/all of their star players and pitchers in order to "rebuild' (i.e. save money). 

Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas. Come and get 'em. 

But hey, A's fans can always hang their hat on this Jon Heyman rumor: they're "shooting for the moon" in any Olson trade. 

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds are coming off their first two winning seasons in 8 years, and looked to be close to contending in the NL Central. But rather than adding this offseason, they've already subtracted perhaps their best pitcher last season, Wade Miley, along with starting catcher Tucker Barnhart, in what were essentially salary dumps. 

They also appear poised to lose slugger Nick Castellanos to free agency, and have sent out signals that when the lockout is lifted, they're ready to trade their other two top starters, Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray. Yikes. Not an offseason to write home about in Cincinnati.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Look, if this was any other team adding a couple of potentially decent pitching pieces like Daniel Hudson and Andrew Heaney, and re-signing a key free agent in Chris Taylor, they would be thrilled and chilled. But this is the LA Dodgers. 

They've already lost two superstar talents in Max Scherzer and Corey Seager, while Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen could be on their way out as well. 

If the post-lockout offseason isn't better than the pre-lockout section, this will not be seen as a successful winter for the Dodgers by their standards. 

But these four teams all have a chance at redemption whenever baseball and its union settle their differences, and the lockout is lifted. 

Photo Credit:  Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports