Which Team Had The Most Disappointing Offseason?

Image credit: MESA, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: Manager Mark Kotsay #7 of the Oakland Athletics in the dugout with his coaching staff during a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at HoHoKam Stadium on February 26, 2024 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)

In a series of MLB predictions and preview posts, BA’s editorial staff goes on record with their bold—and not so bold—thoughts about what’s to come in the 2024 season.

We ask the question: Which team had the most disappointing offseason?

Our nine prognosticators this year are Ben Badler (BB), Mark Chiarelli (MC), Carlos Collazo (CC), JJ Cooper (JJ), Matt Eddy (ME), Savannah McCann (SM), Josh Norris (JN), Geoff Pontes (GP) and Dylan White (DW).

Athletics

They tanked their way to 50 wins in 2023 and still didn’t land a top-three pick in the draft. Their short-term future is bleak and their long-term future is unsettled. Plus, they have to watch while some of their shrewd draft choices, such as Matt Olson and Sean Murphy, find success with another club. (JN)

Do I really have to explain this? (CC)

Red Sox

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner proclaimed Boston would go “full throttle” this offseason, while introducing new baseball czar Craig Breslow in November. He walked those comments back two months later. Boston’s notable offseason moves include swapping out Alex Verdugo and adding Tyler O’Neill, acquiring Vaughn Grissom for Chris Sale and signing Lucas Giolito to a $38.5 million deal coming off his worst season since 2018. That feels more like failing to get out of first gear. The Red Sox seem content to let their payroll tick down and wait for calmer weather in the AL East. The optics of Fenway Sports Group’s desire to push into other sports, namely golf, don’t help either. There are so many teams that deserve to be criticized for their lack of urgency to compete, with the Red Sox chief among them. (MC)

One playoff appearance in the last five years, two straight last-place finishes in the American League East, and despite the financial advantages of being the Boston Red Sox, the organization had another mediocre offseason and looks headed for another painful season. (BB)

Blue Jays

Toronto took a big swing at signing Shohei Ohtani, who would have been a perfect fit for their roster as a dynamic lefthanded hitter. With those hopes dashed, the Blue Jays return most of an 89-win core that hasn’t won a playoff game together—and now they’re one year older. Toronto will get as many as two more bites at the apple before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette can become free agents. But key players like Kevin Gausman, George Springer and Chris Bassitt are in their mid 30s, and the farm doesn’t have a lot of help on the horizon. (ME)

After reportedly offering Shohei Ohtani about $1 billion Canadian dollars only to see him sign with the Dodgers, the Jays front office pivoted to Plan B: Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Justin Turner, and Daniel Vogelbach . . . ? While re-signing Kevin Kiermaier continues the recent focus on run prevention, seeing Matt Chapman sign elsewhere for roughly $18 million AAV raises the collective eyebrows of a restless fan base fearing their contention window is rapidly narrowing. In reality, the disappointment mostly comes from waxing nostalgic over what might have been if Ohtani had not just been at home with his dog on that fateful day. For the Toronto faithful, it feels like perhaps it was better to have never loved at all. (DW)

Orioles

Yes, the Orioles landed Corbin Burnes in a trade that gives them a front-of-the-rotation starter. But as Baltimore tries to take the next step with postseason success to follow on last year’s breakout regular season, the team’s lack of interest in the free-agent market seems odd. The addition of reliever Craig Kimbrel on a one-year deal was the only significant signing, even as multiple useful pitchers like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery remained available well into spring training. (JJ)

Everyone But The Dodgers And Yankees

Overall, this was a dead offseason for a majority of January and February. Among the unsigned players as spring training opened were reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell as well as impactful veterans like lefthander Jordan Montgomery and Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman, who later signed with the Giants along with Snell. One or two older veterans signing late is reasonable, but multiple potential all-stars unable to find employment before the beginning of spring training is a poor reflection of MLB teams’ willingness to invest in winning in the short term. (GP)