1 team at each position most in need of an upgrade

The offseason is a time for reflection and evaluation as clubs do a full inventory of their rosters and look for ways to be better in the year ahead. Front offices scour the free-agent and trade markets, aiming to improve at any spot on the field. No team is singularly focused on improving at just one position.

But for this article, we're playing a little bit of matchmaker, highlighting one team at each position -- including three outfield spots -- where an offseason addition is vital.

Note: While it would be easy to say that the Orioles need to upgrade their starting rotation or that the Astros have a hole to fill at third base, we've tried wherever possible to stay away from position-team pairings where the obvious solution would be re-signing a player that team had during the 2024 season.

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Catcher: Rays
There isn't a glut of game-changing options readily available at catcher this winter; Kyle Higashioka is the top player available at the position in free agency. But upgrading this position is a priority for the Rays, according to president of baseball operations Erik Neander. Tampa Bay has ranked inside the bottom 10 in catcher OPS in each of the past three seasons. Ben Rortvedt was the club's leading backstop in 2024, and he produced a .228/.317/.303 slash line over 328 plate appearances. The Rays will concentrate on adding offense wherever possible this offseason after scoring the second-fewest runs in MLB and finishing with a sub-.500 record for the first time since 2017. But there should be greater emphasis paid to fixing this long-standing weak point.

First base: Astros
The Astros may be most focused on bringing back third baseman Alex Bregman, but they have had a glaring issue on the opposite corner of the diamond for the previous couple of years. Outside of a five-week hot streak at the end of the 2023 season, José Abreu didn't make much of an impact with Houston. He owned a .362 OPS through 120 plate appearances before he was released in mid-June. Jon Singleton received the majority of the reps at first from that point, but his inability to hit left-handed pitching (.457 OPS in 82 PA this season) leaves him best suited as more of a platoon bat who can excel against righties.

Second base: Mariners
It's been seven years since Seattle's second basemen logged an OPS of .700 or better. The club thought it had solved its woes at the start of this year with Jorge Polanco, but the veteran hit .213 with a .651 OPS and a career-worst 29.3% strikeout rate while being dogged by a left knee injury. The Mariners declined his $12 million option for 2025, leaving them searching for an answer again at the keystone position. The solution may come from overseas; the Mariners are reportedly interested in Hyeseong Kim, who has been one of the best hitters in the KBO in recent years. The 25-year-old second baseman said earlier this week that he expects to be posted for MLB teams soon.

Shortstop: Braves
Orlando Arcia, a 2023 All-Star, is penciled in as Atlanta's starting shortstop for 2025, but since appearing in that Midsummer Classic, he has batted .228 with a .652 OPS. His 78 wRC+ over that span is tied for third-worst in the Majors. By run value, Arcia was the least valuable batter in the big leagues this season. It's no wonder Atlanta is one of many teams linked to top free-agent shortstop Willy Adames. The Braves' lineup can still be one of the best in the Majors when it's at full strength, but that strength could be stronger if Atlanta addresses this position.

Third base: Brewers
If the Brewers don't re-sign Adames, they can either replace him with a shortstop from outside the organization or shift one of their in-house infielders over to short. We'll assume they go with the latter choice and plug in third baseman Joey Ortiz, who spent most of his college career and his time in the Orioles' Minor League system as a shortstop. However, filling one position creates questions about another.

Oliver Dunn is a possible option at the hot corner, but the 27-year-old ended his injury-shortened rookie season with a .598 OPS. Manager Pat Murphy said that moving Sal Frelick to third base "is on the table, for sure." But no qualified hitter packed less of a punch at the plate than Frelick this year. He registered a 19.5% hard-hit rate and a 0.8% barrel rate (three barrels in 400 batted balls). Perhaps Milwaukee's most impactful third baseman isn't on the roster yet.

Outfield: Blue Jays
Not every team with a flaw in its outfield can go get Juan Soto, but the Blue Jays are reportedly one of the five teams that have extended a contract offer to the 26-year-old superstar. Of course, there is fierce competition for the No. 1 free agent, so Toronto won't put all its eggs in a single basket. The Blue Jays ranked 23rd or worse in OPS at each of the three outfield spots. Collectively, their outfielders put up a 26% strikeout rate, tied for fifth-highest in the Majors. They also had a .210/.283/.362 slash line. To put it another way: 30th in MLB/29th in MLB/28th in MLB.

Outfield: Phillies
The Phillies have been mentioned in recent rumors regarding White Sox left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet. Maybe bolstering their already great rotation with another ace is what will finally lift the Phillies to their first World Series title since 2008. They have been knocking on the door for a few years, only to be left empty-handed in October. Yet there is a more obvious need in the outfield, where general manager Dave Dombrowski has suggested that Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh are locked into starting roles. The Phils were offensively anemic in center field this season (.353 slugging percentage, 80 wRC+), although they could choose to put Marsh back in center for the majority of the time and take a shot on a corner-outfield slugger such as switch-hitter Anthony Santander.

Outfield: Royals
Adding offense is a must for the Royals, who scored 15 runs in their six postseason games. They landed their next leadoff hitter when they traded for infielder Jonathan India about 10 days ago. Kansas City should turn its attention from the dirt to the grass at some point this winter. Royals outfielders compiled a .648 OPS and hit 47 home runs, fifth-fewest in the big leagues. Even though their starting trio from 2024 -- Hunter Renfroe, Kyle Isbel and MJ Melendez -- are all under contract, the club's search for upgrades could be a wide one after that group slashed .221/.284/.386 across 1,249 plate appearances while playing the outfield.

Designated hitter: D-backs
This stresses how important Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk were to Arizona's offensive success this season. Pederson produced a career-best 151 wRC+ while Grichuk batted .310 with an .899 OPS as a designated hitter. They combined for a .276/.378/.517 slash line across 487 plate appearances at DH, helping Arizona lead the Majors in runs scored. D-backs designated hitters had 3.3 FanGraphs WAR, tied for the fourth-most in MLB. But with Pederson and Grichuk now free agents, FanGraphs projects Arizona will be tied for 24th in designated hitter WAR next season (0.6). Between that duo and free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, the D-backs' lineup could look quite different in '25.

Starting pitcher: Guardians
A bevy of postseason contenders will be eying the starting pitching market this offseason. That includes the reigning AL Central champions. The Guardians basically ended the season with two reliable starters: Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively. Bibee began the season as Cleveland's No. 3 starter, but injuries to Triston McKenzie and staff leader Shane Bieber, among others, effectively turned the 25-year-old Bibee into the Guardians' ace. Lively was a pleasant surprise in his age-32 season, but he was the only other Cleveland starter who pitched at least 105 innings. Now, Bieber, Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb are free agents, and the franchise must find ways to lessen the burden on its world-class bullpen.

Relief pitcher: Cubs
The Cubs made a significant bullpen move recently, acquiring right-hander Eli Morgan, one of the top arms from that aforementioned Guardians 'pen. But there is more work to do. The Cubs lost 11 games this year when leading after the seventh inning -- tied for the most in the National League -- and had a 59.4% save rate. Only four teams converted a lower percentage of their save opportunities. The cupboard isn't bare here; Porter Hodge and Luke Little look like a couple of young building blocks for this squad. But experience is in short supply. Morgan and Keegan Thompson are the only relievers on the Cubs' 40-man roster who have thrown at least 200 innings in MLB. No one has thrown 300.