Sure, CC Sabathia is Bronx-bound and the Mets' bullpen has really been deodorized, but otherwise baseball's winter meetings provided more noise than signal.
It's still another three weeks or so until arbitration filings begin — there's still plenty of time for teams to fill holes and flesh out rosters. With that said, it's still somewhat surprising that certain names remain unsigned and certain teams remain in a holding pattern. For instance:Jake Peavy is not a Chicago Cub
Jake Peavy: Career stats
Jake PeavySan Diego PadresStarting pitcher
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No team faced a more challenging offseason than the Dodgers. The reigning NL West champs stand to lose Manny Ramirez, Rafael Furcal, Derek Lowe and Brad Penny unless they loosen the purse strings. Thus far, they've re-upped with Casey Blake and brought in Mark Loretta, but that's it. GM Ned Colletti is wisely waiting for the Ramirez market to crater, but he's still got serious concerns in the rotation. That is unless they're content to open the season with James McDonald as the fifth man and the terminally injured Jason Schmidt slotted in just ahead of him. If Furcal is indeed headed to Oakland, then the Dodgers must dig up another shortstop (not easy ... um, Jack Wilson?) or hope that Chin-Lung Hu is ready to hit major-league pitching (he's almost certainly not). So even if L.A. brings back Ramirez, they'll still have much work to do. Otherwise, they cede the West to the Diamondbacks.
The Yankees have yet to address the offense
The signing of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett helps the Yankee rotation quite a bit, but what of the lineup? In recent seasons they've been known for their offensive prowess, but the Yankees attack is trending downward. Last season, the Yanks ranked a middling seventh in the 14-team American League in runs scored and they did so with the oldest gaggle of hitters in the league. Now, Jason Giambi, who had a productive 2008, is gone. Jorge Posada is an uncertainty after coming off shoulder surgery and stalwarts like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Hideki Matsui are well into their decline phases. Oh yeah, Xavier Nady and Johnny Damon figure to regress in 2008. The Yanks badly need an impact bat in the outfield, but even that won't solve their offensive problems.
The Twins still don't have a third baseman
By all accounts Minnesota made a hardy run at Casey Blake. They've also explored trading for Adrian Beltre, and Kevin Kouzmanoff while Jorge Cantu, and Ty Wigginton have all been on the organizational radar at one point or another. There's a reason for all the activity: the Twins badly need better production from third base. Last season, Minnesota third basemen ranked 11th in the AL in OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), and that's one of the primary reasons they missed out on the postseason. Brian Buscher held his own, but he lacks the power to man the position on a long-term basis. Beltre, with his thump and stellar defense, would be an ideal fit, but is he willing to go to Minnesota? GM Bill Smith needs to find a solution.
