There are no perfect offseasons, though Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington came pretty close last offseason.
Signing Ryan Dempster (4.57 ERA) to a two-year deal may not have been the best use of $26.5 million of ownership’s money. And acquiring closer Joel Hanrahan backfired as he sustained a season-ending elbow surgery early in the season. Aside from those two moves, though, Cherington’s very busy offseason was nearly flawless. He acquired several players who were integral to the team’s World Series title.
It’s also rare for a team not to have one bright spot in all of their offseason acquisitions, though the Los Angeles Angels and general manager Jerry Dipoto came dangerously close.
Free-agent acquisitions Joe Blanton, Sean Burnett and Josh Hamilton didn’t pan out in Year 1 of their respective deals—Burnett missed most of the season due to injury; Blanton and Hamilton had unproductive seasons on the field— and Tommy Hanson, whom they acquired in a trade with Atlanta, posted a 5.42 ERA and was non-tendered after the season.
If not for minor league free agent Dane De La Rosa, who posted a 2.86 ERA in 75 relief appearances, it might qualify as one of the worst offseasons of all time.
After two busy months of free-agent signings, trades and waiver-wire pickups, it’s time to take a look at each team and decide which was their best and worst move (or non-move).