The MLB free agency period can be a lot of fun for the fans of teams that find ways to sign big name free agents, but it can also be a nightmare for teams that lose key players from their roster. The Boston Red Sox landed a major haul when they signed Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval to massive free agent deals but the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants were on the other end of that transaction. Both squads were left with holes to fill when they watched their key players sign in Boston. Those teams along with a couple others highlight the biggest losers so far this MLB offseason.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers either couldn’t beat the Red Sox offer for Ramirez or chose not to, but either way, it’s a loss. Ramirez batted .283 with 13 home runs and 71 RBI’s in 128 games last season. The Dodgers are a team known for signing big names but so far, they haven’t been able to add to its roster through the first month of the MLB offseason.
Los Angeles has reportedly pushed hard to acquire free agent pitcher Jon Lester but Boston could once again get in its way as they, too, are one of the favorites to bring home the biggest name still left on the market. The Dodgers made it clear they are committed to do what it takes to land Lester and if they miss out on their prime target while at the same time losing Ramirez, there is no doubt they will be among the biggest losers of this free agency period.
Kansas City Royals
The biggest problem with an underdog team that makes a Cinderella postseason run is that when it is all said and done, the players want to get paid. The Royals stole all of the headlines during their run to the World Series but now other teams have spent the offseason inquiring about their players. That’s what happened with Billy Butler, who left town to sign a three-year, $30 million with the Oakland Athletics.
Kansas City was able to sign Jason Frasor and bring Luke Hochevar back, but they don’t have the cap room to compete for some of the big name free agents on the market. Truth be told, they needed to add more pop to the lineup as they were dead last in the MLB with just 95 home runs and just 14th in runs scored. Instead, they lost a key contributor in the lineup.
San Francisco Giants
Fresh off their World Series win, the Giants were unable to convince one of their longest tenured players to return as Sandoval opted to sign with the Red Sox instead. Kung Fu Panda hit .270 with 16 home runs last season but he was outstanding when it mattered the most in the playoffs as he batted .366 with five RBI. San Francisco hasn’t been able to sign any big names so far in the free agency period and the loss of Sandoval has them among the biggest losers through the first month of the offseason.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates might not have lost Ramirez or Butler, but they did lose a key piece in catcher Russell Martin. He may not be a superstar player or even an All-Star hitter, the advanced stats show how good he was defensively. He was one of the under-the-surface reasons why the Pirates were competitive last season. He took command behind the plate and helped the Pirates pitchers look better than they were.
The Pirates brought back pitcher A.J. Burnett in free agency because they couldn’t compete for the biggest names on the market, but that might be more of a lateral move then a major gain. Even though this is a small market team, the Pirates made the playoffs last season and were hoping to improve. Instead, they went in the other direction. Losing Martin and not being able to sign one of the top free agent arms on the market is enough for Pittsburgh to get a spot on this list.
