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The Hot Stove has been cold through the first three weeks of November, but the action is expected to heat up soon with MLB’s winter meetings nearing. In the meantime, we’re examining each team to identify its three biggest needs this offseason and which free agents could fulfill them.
Our series begins with the National League East.
1. Outfield: The Phillies’ subpar outfield production ranked 18th in MLB this past year, with a 97 wRC+ that fell below league average. Even if they’re set on staying with Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas haven’t done enough to be guaranteed starting roles. Could top prospect Justin Crawford take the center field job as soon as Opening Day? Trading for someone like Luis Robert Jr. or Brent Rooker wouldn’t hurt, either.
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2. Starting pitching: They need to find a way to replace Taijuan Walker, and they could turn in-house for an arm at the back end of the rotation with top prospect Andrew Painter returning from Tommy John surgery next year. But the Phillies will likely have to wait at least until the summer months for Painter, so if they’re calling the White Sox for Robert, they might as well ask about Crochet, too. Otherwise, free agents Yusei Kikuchi, Walker Buehler and Frankie Montas, or even Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer for a year, could be good fits in Philly.
3. Bullpen: With Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez in free agency, the Phillies need to address their relief corps — and bringing one or both top arms back should obviously be on the table. Clay Holmes, Blake Treinen, and Tanner Scott are all premier relievers, and that’s where the Phillies should be shooting in order to remain a well-rounded threat to win the World Series. The bullpen would be a nice place to spend if they engage in trade deals for their other needs.
1. Starting pitching: After the complete robbery that Alex Anthopoulos pulled off by swapping Vaughn Grissom for Chris Sale last offseason, I’m expecting the Braves to upgrade their rotation by dipping back into the trade market, and it’s anyone’s guess whom the partner would be. If Atlanta goes the free-agent route, then Nathan Eovaldi or Nick Pivetta would be solid additions to a rotation that could still be without Spencer Strider at the beginning of next season and no longer includes Charlie Morton.
2. Shortstop: Outside of staying healthy, Orlando Arcia was abysmal last year, producing a 73 OPS+ and repeatedly falling short with runners in scoring position in the second half of the season. He seems like Atlanta’s likeliest trade candidate, and the club could use his return elsewhere because there are better infield options on the market. Free-agent shortstop Willy Adames would make terrific sense in Atlanta, as would jack-of-all-trades infielder Ha-Seong Kim.
3. Outfield: Since Atlanta will start the season without Ronald Acuña Jr., the club will need an effective stopgap in right field to get through the first part of the year, then slide over once the former MVP is back. So this outfielder doesn’t have to be a game-changer, but just serviceable and steady enough to fit in well with the rest of the lineup. Free-agent Michael Conforto could be an option, as well as Alex Verdugo or Travis Jankowski.
1. Starting pitching: On the Mets’ official team depth chart, there is only one starter listed in their rotation, and it’s Kodai Senga. With Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana all in free agency, the Mets have to rebuild their starting rotation, and while it makes sense to bring back some of those arms, they have $150 million coming off the payroll and should look to add from the top end of the market. Guys like Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried, Walker Buehler, and Jack Flaherty should all be in play.
2. Outfield: Beyond the obvious reasons the Mets should go and get Soto, they might have a Starling Marte problem in right field. He’s missed a ton of time due to injuries, and is a different, less impactful player after double groin surgery. Brandon Nimmo looks like the only everyday outfielder, with Jeff McNeil possibly shifting to play in a corner spot. Soto would solve their problem, as would fellow free agents Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández.
3. First base/third base: If the Mets don’t re-sign Pete Alonso, they could move Mark Vientos from third to first. And if they do re-sign Alonso, then Vientos looked plenty serviceable at third to run him back and negate this need altogether. But Alonso staying in Queens is no sure thing, so the Mets can look to add Alex Bregman to create one of the strongest infields in baseball. Otherwise, it’s a thin market at the hot corner, and it doesn’t seem wise for the Mets to turn to Brett Baty there again.
1. Power bat: So many of the Nationals’ roster spots are filled by young talent, and the thinking around the team is that this is the year to go for it and finally spend on high-end talent to fill the gaps in hopes of, at the very least, grabbing a wild-card spot. There are murmurs about Soto reuniting with the Nats for a reason, and though it’s still considered a long shot, their long-lost slugger would certainly solve a ton of their lineup/power issues. Other options are Anthony Santander, who won’t even need to change his home address if the Nats decide to make a big splash and land the coveted right fielder, and Joc Pederson.
2. First base: Speaking of big spending, the Nats should be playing at the top of the market to fulfill their corner-infield hole. We’re talking longer-term deals with Pete Alonso or Christian Walker, with the latter posing as the better fit in D.C. Even though he’ll be 34 on Opening Day, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, and the Nats should be prioritizing vets like him to help lead their club. Plus, due to his age, he’s in line for a shorter-term contract that could fit with Washington’s intentions.
3. Starting pitching: Perhaps Soto isn’t the only reunion Nationals fans could be focusing on. How fitting would it be for the Nats to land a one-year deal with Max Scherzer? Yes, a lot of their offseason plans seem to be surrounded by sentimentality, but Scherzer’s veteran presence on a young roster, in addition to whatever he has left in the tank, could go a long way. Other vets like free agents Nathan Eovaldi, Kyle Gibson and Jose Quintana, or bringing back Trevor Williams, could work, too.
1. Outfield: After dealing Jazz Chisholm at the trade deadline, the Marlins need someone to roam center field, and their best bet could be sitting near the bottom-third tier of this year’s outfield free-agent class. Some names that should be on Miami’s radar: Mark Canha, Jesse Winker, Harrison Bader and Max Kepler. They’re not elite offensive outfielders, but they’re significant upgrades over what the Marlins would be trotting out otherwise.
2. Shortstop: That being said, this is the Marlins we’re talking about, and their only free-agent signing last year was a one-year flier on Tim Anderson, and he was DFA’d by July. So, even though they have a few needs, they should be expected to be filled internally for the foreseeable future. Giving Xavier Edwards more runway is their likely scenario. The shortstop posted a 124 OPS+ in 70 games last year, but struggled on defense with -8 DRS.
3. Catcher: Nick Fortes needs a catching partner, and if Miami goes shopping near the bottom of the market, it will see names like Max Stassi, Martin Maldonado, Omar Narvaez and Luke Maile that could be of interest to them. High-end free-agent catchers like Danny Jansen or Elias Diaz would be terrific offensive upgrades to the lineup, but that would require the front office to spend. It’s clear that the Marlins are still in rebuild mode.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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