10 quiet teams that still could make a noisy move

It’s quiet. A little too quiet.

Though we’ve had what, by any measure, qualify as monster moves this winter with the Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto signings and the Juan Soto trade, that’s a far cry from a complete offseason.

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The good news is that, according to our new 2024 calendar (with really cute puppies on it), there are still seven weeks until Spring Training exhibitions begin and 12 weeks until Opening Day. Plenty of time to satiate our innate desire for transaction action.

Here are 10 teams that have been especially quiet this offseason but could still heat up the Stove one way or another.

1) Cubs

The Cubs did make headlines with what is -- by managerial standards -- an enormous investment in Craig Counsell. But if the focus is player transactions (and at this stage of the Hot Stove, it most certainly is), then, yes, they’ve been quiet as can be. They’ve yet to add anyone from the outside to their 40-man roster.

That’s bound to change. Unsuccessful in their pursuit of Ohtani, the Cubs, who finished just a game back in the NL Wild Card race, have holes to fill with Cody Bellinger, Jeimer Candelario and Marcus Stroman having all reached free agency (and Candelario signing with the Reds). The NL Central looks wide open for an aggressive team.

Noisy moves that make sense: Bring back Bellinger, duh. But if his price tag is truly unpalatable, it would be interesting to see the Cubs get offense elsewhere by adding Rhys Hoskins as a first base/DH bat and then going all-in on the glove front by signing third baseman Matt Chapman and handing center field off to prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong.

2) Blue Jays

Sure, there was that reported dalliance in Dunedin, Fla., with Ohtani during the Winter Meetings and then the breathless (and fruitless) public tracking of flight N616RH from Santa Ana, Calif., to Toronto. The Blue Jays also took a swing at Soto. Oh, and they inked a two-year deal with Isaiah Kiner-Falefa and brought back Kevin Kiermaier.

But forgive us for thinking none of the above significantly moves the needle for a club that disappointed in 2023, and the Ohtani courtship at least tells us the Jays would go to a big number for the right fit. Maybe Kiermaier’s return indicates that they won’t be giving that big number to Bellinger, unless George Springer has a lot of DH in his immediate future. Whatever the case -- and whether the Jays continue to prioritize defense, as they did a year ago, or try to up the ante offensively -- there are still moves to be made here.

Noisy moves that make sense: It’s far from Ohtani-level loud, but, taken in tandem at the DH spot, bringing in Joc Pederson to wallop righties (and play some outfield) and Justin Turner to rock lefties (and play some third) would potentially provide this club some of the thump it sorely needs.

3) Orioles

While the O’s did make some noise with the signing of longtime closer Craig Kimbrel, they still qualify for this discussion because A. People have short attention spans; B. Kimbrel took the “L” for the Phillies in two games in the NLCS, thereby affecting the vibes of that signing; and C. Baltimore general manager Mike Elias has said repeatedly that he’d like to upgrade the rotation.

So we’re waiting for that Baltimore blockbuster. If it’s like last offseason and last Trade Deadline, we’ll be waiting a long time and nothing will happen. But on the heels of the O’s 101-win season and abrupt October exit, it feels like something big is possible here.

Noisy moves that make sense: You’ll see that the White Sox’s Dylan Cease, Brewers’ Corbin Burnes and Guardians’ Shane Bieber all have a place in this piece. The O’s have the trade capital to land any of them. Heck, they have the trade capital to land ALL of them if they wanted to get completely crazy. Whether it’s one of those names or something else that materializes on the market, the O’s can make it happen.

4) White Sox

The 2023 season was a bummer for the White Sox, and their biggest move in the wake of a front office overhaul was a trade in which they received five players (including Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster and Nicky Lopez) for reliever Aaron Bummer. They also declined a $14 million option on shortstop Tim Anderson.

That was an intriguing start to the Chris Getz regime, but it hardly seems as though it will be the extent of what could be a significant shakeup on the South Side. The Sox are included here because they have the potential to make one of the biggest pitching trades of the winter if they deal 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up Cease, who comes with two years of contractual control, to a contending club. A Luis Robert Jr. trade looks way less likely, but Eloy Jiménez is an interesting trade chip in a market light on bats.

Noisy move that makes sense: We’re reluctant to suggest that the Dodgers could get even better this winter, but ... they can. Though they would be particularly reluctant to move Bobby Miller, they do have the controllable young pitching the Sox would likely want in return for Cease. Perhaps a package deal could be built around Emmet Sheehan and/or Gavin Stone.

5) Angels

The Angels left no stone unturned at last year’s Trade Deadline, and all it left them with was 73 wins in Ohtani’s last hurrah in Anaheim. Not fun.

But the Halos are widely expected to continue to try to push things forward with pitching improvement in the first year of the Ron Washington era, and they are roughly $70 million below the Competitive Balance Tax threshold for 2024. Oh, and because Ohtani did not just pitch for them but also DH, they could use a bat or two.

Noisy moves that make sense: If the Angels do intend to be aggressive despite a shaky outlook at both the big league level and in the farm system, then, sure, they might as well play at the top of the remaining market and pursue reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and perhaps make a bet on a bounceback season from right-handed slugger Teoscar Hernández.

6) Rangers

No one is expecting the Rangers to have the kind of winter they did in 2021-22, when they invested half a billion dollars into their middle infield with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, or 2022-23, when they gave Jacob deGrom a five-year, $185 million deal. It remains to be seen how willing the Rangers are to venture toward luxury tax territory on the heels of the franchise’s first title.

But with Max Scherzer now joining deGrom (as well as the recently signed Tyler Mahle) on the shelf in the first half of 2024, the Rangers have incentive to upgrade their immediate rotation depth, beef up their bullpen or both.

Noisy moves that make sense: The most obvious move is to bring back Jordan Montgomery and prolong what was a successful post-Trade Deadline pairing in 2023. The next-most obvious move is to pair free agent Josh Hader with José Leclerc to give Texas a terrific tandem in the back end of the bullpen that eases the pressure on the injury-depleted rotation. Either move would be costly but, yes, noisy.

7) Mets

Having been unable to land Yamamoto, the team’s top target who dined at owner Steve Cohen’s house only to dash to the Dodgers, the Mets are disinclined to do as they did last year and just buy anything they can get their hands on. They’re in a choosy mood as they try to build a more sustainable future under new president of baseball operations David Stearns.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t moves to be made for a club that still intends to be competitive in 2024. The Mets brought Luis Severino and Adrian Houser into the fold yet still have a need in the rotation. And some bullpen, third base and outfield support would be welcomed, too, although they took a step in that direction by adding Harrison Bader on a one-year deal on Thursday.

Noisy moves that make sense: Though not as young and high-upside as Yamamoto, Shōta Imanaga profiles as a viable mid-rotation option who would pair nicely with the Mets’ previous (and quite successful) international investment in Kodai Senga. Tack on a short-term deal with DH J.D. Martinez, and you wouldn’t have to squint as hard to see the Mets pull themselves off the mat this year. Neither move would derail the club’s long-term plans.

8) Guardians

Everything Cleveland has done to this point has been low-key. The Guards made trades for outfield depth in the form of one-time top Yankees prospect Estevan Florial and a bullpen piece in the form of Scott Barlow, and they brought back veteran catcher Austin Hedges. Rather than replace the retired Terry Francona with some other well-tenured skipper, they went the rookie route with recently retired player Stephen Vogt.

We’re not expecting this club to veer drastically off-course and suddenly shake up the Stove with a fiery free-agent signing. But they do belong on this list because of their potential to stoke the trade market. A trade of 2020 AL Cy Young winner Bieber in his final year of arbitration would fit the modus operandi of a club that has often been down to deal established arms ahead of free agency. Closer Emmanuel Clase has also been a frequent source of trade speculation this winter.

Noisy moves that make sense: If the Guardians WERE to trade Bieber and Clase (and they obviously don’t have to), then we in the sports media biz are obviously going to advocate for a package deal to heighten the headline value! Here, the mind veers directly to a Baltimore team with a wealth of young Major League-ready position players like Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg and Heston Kjerstad -- any of whom could potentially bring Cleveland some power. Admittedly, though, a trade involving just one of Bieber or Clase is complicated enough on its own.

9) Brewers

The Brewers are technically older in the dugout, with Counsell replaced by his former college coach (and big league bench coach) Pat Murphy. But youth prevails on the field as a number of enticing prospects matriculate to the Major Leagues and fill impact positions.

What remains to be seen is just how far they’ll take this concept. They’ve already non-tendered Brandon Woodruff in the wake of his shoulder surgery, and it would surprise precisely no one if they moved 2021 NL Cy Young winner Burnes a year ahead of his free agency. If it actually happens, it would be one of the biggest moves of the offseason.

Noisy move that makes sense: The Orioles, as noted, are the best fit for any of the top starter trade targets. But for the sake of variety, we’ll propose something that very likely won’t happen -- Burnes straight up for the Giants’ top pitching prospect, Kyle Harrison, who would slot right into the rotation of the young Brewers. The point, ultimately, is that a Burnes trade is palatable in the winnable NL Central if it brings the Brewers immediate upside, as opposed to a longer-term proposition.

10) Marlins

After a surprise push to a playoff spot and then a shakeup in the front office, the Marlins are at an interesting juncture. Though new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has made some moves on the margins with the additions of outfielder Vidal Bruján, catcher Christian Bethancourt and a few relievers, what makes the Fish capable of a splash between now and Opening Day is their reported willingness to listen to trade offers on their starting pitchers – a group that includes Jesús Luzardo, Eury Pérez, Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rogers and Edward Cabrera.

Obviously, teams listen to all kinds of trade ideas, and it doesn’t mean a deal comes to fruition. But with a need at shortstop that will be difficult to fill in this free-agent class and with new blood at the top of the baseball operations food chain, we can’t rule out something dynamic happening here.

Noisy move that makes sense: With Sandy Alcantara on the shelf, it’s hard to advocate for the Marlins to part with an established arm in their rotation. But a deal involving 25-year-old right-hander Edward Cabrera, who has shown an ability to get strikeouts and groundballs but has had control problems, might be a way to address the infield need. An ideal scenario would be dealing Cabrera’s upside to the Padres for Gold Glover Ha-Seong Kim. But if that’s not realistic, perhaps there’s a “challenge trade” to be made for someone like the Yankees’ Oswald Peraza.