A new year is almost upon us. As the NBA, NFL and NHL absorb a surge of Omicron-related coronavirus cases, Major League Baseball sits stuck in self-inflicted stasis, the sport ground to a halt after the owners unanimously agreed to lock out the players. The negotiators from the league and the MLBPA have not engaged in meaningful discussion about the various financial disagreements since the collective bargaining agreement expired on Dec. 2 and commissioner Rob Manfred announced the shutdown. The two sides are expected to resume talks in January.
Until then, there’s isn’t much going on. Teams cannot make additions to the big-league roster. Executives and managers can’t even talk to players. So there is plenty of time for all involved parties to resolve toward improvements in 2022. With that in mind, here is a New Year’s resolution for each of the 30 teams.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (52-110): Let Brent Strom work his magic.
By almost every metric, Arizona put together one of the worst pitching staffs in the majors in 2021: 5.11 ERA (29th in the majors), 19.7 percent strikeout rate (tied with Baltimore for last), 4.88 fielding-independent ERA (29th). In November, the team still managed to snag Strom, who had stepped down from his post with the Astros, as Torey Lovullo’s new pitching coach. In Houston, Strom helped reshape the careers of Gerrit Cole, Charlie Morton and Justin Verlander, while developing a new crop of talent including Luis Garcia and Framber Valdez. Strom will get a chance to work with Zac Gallen, who was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2019 and 2020 before getting run down by injuries in 2021. He will also get a crack at fixing Madison Bumgarner, who has posted a 5.07 ERA in Arizona.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (52-110): Win 60 games.
Is this too much to ask? Maybe. Maybe a .370 winning percentage is a tall order, given the difficulty of life in the American League East combined with Baltimore’s abject refusal to make even cosmetic additions to a roster that won 47 games in 2018, 54 games in 2019 and 52 in 2021. Maybe the impending arrival of catcher Adley Rutschman, the industry’s No. 1 prospect on The Athletic’s midseason list, will present beleaguered Baltimoreans with a reason to watch the latest tank job. Maybe Grayson Rodriguez can jumpstart the rotation — if he continues to improve and the Orioles decide to start his service-time clock. Maybe this will be the year the Orioles win a third of the games they play.
TEXAS RANGERS (60-102): Publish a how-to guide for the rest of the industry.
Let me tell you: Spending half a billion dollars on your middle infield buys a lot of goodwill. Texas altered the trajectory of its organization by dropping $175 million on Marcus Semien and another $325 million on Corey Seager in those frantic days before the lockout. The duo should provide excellent production and steady leadership as the team graduates prospects like Jack Leiter, Josh Jung and Cole Winn to the majors in the coming years. The expenditures authorized by owner Ray Davis also presented a blueprint for the other middling franchises on how to yank oneself out of the muck of losing. Sometimes it costs a lot of money. All the owners can afford it.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (61-101): Make the right call on Bryan Reynolds.
This one looks like a hedge — and it is. There are arguments for Pirates head honcho Ben Cherington to move Reynolds, the All-Star outfielder who will turn 27 in January, and there are arguments to keep him. Reynolds won’t become a free agent until 2026, which should be enough time for Pittsburgh to welcome a fleet of prospects, including Henry Davis, Liover Peguero and Quinn Priester. But if Cherington can find an opposing team willing to part with a haul of young talent, it might be worthwhile to flip Reynolds. It is a difficult balance. What Cherington cannot afford to do is repeat the fiasco of his predecessors, who didn’t get enough back for Gerrit Cole only to pay far too much for Chris Archer.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (65-97): Offer Juan Soto a 13-year extension worth $500 million.
Max Scherzer is gone. Stephen Strasburg hasn’t stayed healthy. The crew that buzzed its way to a championship in 2019 is not walking through that door. Except for Soto, the 23-year-old offensive maestro, the best hitter in baseball who just keeps getting better. Our Jayson Stark compared him favorably to Ted Williams. Our Maria Torres projected why a mega extension for Soto would likely be a good value for the Nationals. So why not offer him something nuts? He might not take it. If the team wants to keep him, this is probably along the lines of what it will require.
MIAMI MARLINS (67-95): Add some pop to the lineup.
By trading for catcher Jacob Stallings and utility infielder Joey Wendle, Marlins general manager Kim Ng shored up her club’s defense. Stallings is an excellent framer, and Wendle can play all over the diamond. The signing of Avisaíl Garcia bolstered the offense. But the group could still use more heft. With the likely implementation of the universal designated hitter, how about a deal for local hero Nick Castellanos? If a long-term deal doesn’t materialize for Castellanos, the Marlins could structure something similar to what Cincinnati offered heading into 2020.