MLB Off-season Winners (so far)

The winter meetings have come to a close in San Diego, and there have been several teams making a lot of noise this off-season. We've seen top prospects get dealt, aces sign with new clubs, and what appears to be a total overhaul in Oakland. Let's take a quick look at some of the winners from the off-season so far. 

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres ranked dead last in baseball last season in runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, leading them to the realization that they need to add a few bats. Matt Kemp had been in talks with several teams around the league, but San Diego was able to trump all over offers and bring in Kemp for the price of catcher Yasmani Grandel and pitcher Joe Wieland. The Padres will miss Grandal behind the plate, but adding another bat to a putrid outfield was a number one priority this off-season. The Padres weren't satisfied bringing in just one new bat. Earlier this week the Padres completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that sends them 2013 Rookie of the Year Wil Myers and catcher Ryan Hannigan for several prospects including Burch Smith and Rene Rivera. Myers struggled last season batting only .222 with a .614 OPS after dealing with a wrist injury last season, but the Padres are confident that with a full off-season to heal Myers will be back to his 2013 form in no time. The Padres also signed RHP Brandon Morrow to a 1 year $2.5 million incentive rich contract, which could see Morrow earn up to $8. Morrow has spent much of the last few seasons on the DL, but if he can stay healthy, the former first round pick could bolster an already good San Diego staff. EDIT: Since this article was posted yesterday it seems that the Padres have made a few more huge moves to add to their already improved offense. First, they dealt for A's All-Star catcher Derek Norris, who batted .270 last season while smacking 10 home runs in a platoon role with the club. Norris should help fill the void left by Yasmani Grandel after he was dealt to the Dodgers in the Matt Kemp trade. San Diego has also agreed in terms with Atlanta to acquire outfielder Justin Upton for a handful of prospects. Upton, who was entering the final year of his contract, brings another power-hitting outfielder to San Diego. Upton smashed 29 long balls last season with the Braves, and at only 27 years-old, he could be the type of bat that San Diego could try to sign for the long run. The Padres also signed former ace Josh Johnson to a 1 year $1 million incentive rich contract similar to the one handed out to Brandon Morrow. Johnson missed all of last season after having Tommy John surgery, but if there is one place Johnson could hope to revitalize his career, it's San Diego. San Diego already has a very full rotation, but injuries always happen, and a buy-low type guy like Johnson could be very useful to a team trying to make a real playoff push this next season. 

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers have already made several big moves this off-season, and I'm not sure if they are done dealing quite yet. I have already discussed the Matt Kemp trade that brought LA promising young catcher Yasmani Grandal. Grandal struggled at the plate last season in the confines of Petco Park, but he is regarded as one of the better defensive catchers in the game. Throw in the fact that he is a switch-hitter, and the Dodgers may have just acquired their catcher of the future, and they also cleared up the logjam in the outfield to free a starting spot for prospect Joc Pederson. The Dodgers also acquired veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins in exchange for a couple of pitching prospects. After losing Hanley Ramirez earlier this off-season to the Red Sox, the Dodgers needed to acquire another everyday shortstop, and they did just that. Rollins brings some veteran leadership to a clubhouse that has been dysfunctional over the past few seasons, and although he is on the wrong side of 35, he still has a lot to offer. The Dodgers weren't done their however. They also sent speedy second baseman Dee Gordon and pitcher Dan Haren to the Miami Marlins in exchange for top left-handed prospect Andrew Heaney. The Dodgers held onto Heaney for around an hour before flipping him to their cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, for second baseman Howie Kendrick. It has been known for years that the Dodgers have coveted Kendrick, and with a sudden void at second base, the Dodgers made their move. Gordon put up flashy numbers at the beginning of the 2014 campaign, but then regressed and finished the season with a .289/.326/.378 slash line. Haren just turned 34, and his better days are behind him, so getting Kendrick and a handful of prospects in exchange for him and Gordon can only be viewed as a positive for the new-look Dodgers. The Dodgers also signed 26 year-old Brett Anderson, formally on the A's and Rockies, to a one-year $10 million deal. Anderson has battled injuries, and has not pitched over 100 innings since 2010, but when healthy Anderson has proved to be a dynamic pitcher. The $10 million price tag is too high for a pitcher of Anderson's talent, but if one team can afford to over spend, it's the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox made headlines very early in the off-season by signing third baseman Pablo Sandoval to a five-year deal deal and shortstop/outfielder Hanley Ramirez to a four-year contract. After a disappointing 2014 season, which saw Boston send pitchers Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jake Peavy and Felix Doubront out of town, Boston felt it was time to spend some big money, and get back to their winning ways. Ramirez and Sandoval will add some power and pop to a lineup that was a mediocre 18th in runs scored last season. Adding Ramirez and Sandoval to a lineup that already features dangerous hitters in David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, and Mike Napoli should certainly make for an exciting season in Boston. The Sox lost out on the Jon Lester sweepstakes after he agreed to a huge deal with the Chicago Cubs. Boston took the money they planned on spending on Lester, and acquired a slew of middle-of-the-rotation starters to fill the void. First they sent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who was acquired in the Jon Lester trade during the 2014 season, and pitchers Alex Wilson and Gabe Speier to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for righthander Rick Porcello. Porcello threw over 200 innings last season in Detroit showing great command, walking only 41 batters. With the acquisition of Ramirez, Cespedes became expendable, and Boston turned him into a potential number 2 starter in their rotation. The Sox then signed Justin Masterson to a one year deal. Masterson began his career with the Sox, but was traded to Cleveland as a part of the Victor Martinez trade in 2009. He struggled last season, posting a 5.88 ERA, and was limited to only 128 innings, but he is a ground-ball pitcher who should see better days in Boston. The Red Sox weren't done there. They also acquired former All-Star Wade Miley from the Diamondbacks in exchange for pitchers Ruby De La Rosa and Allen Webster as well as infielder Raymel Flores. Miley pitched alright for Arizona last season, but again he is a big ground-ball pitcher, and that is exactly what Boston is looking for out of their staff. Miley has pitched right at 200 innings the last three seasons, and he comes to Boston with a price tag of only $523,500 in 2014. With the savings from not signing Lester, the Sox added three solid starters that can eat innings, and produce a lot of ground-ball outs, and if I had to guess, I would say they are still a move or two away from being done. Look for Boston to add a reliever or another big bat to their lineup before opening day 2015. Check back later this week for the losers of the off-season.

Origianally posted to http://beardedsportsreport.sportsblog.com/posts/1446105/mlb_off_season_winners__so_far.html