#ROADBLOCK REVIEW BLEACHER FREE#

They returned essentially the same staff this season, but saw that starters' ERA climb to 4.53, and in the process they went from a 96-win team and AL East champs to an 81-win team and third in the AL East standings. SP Ubaldo Jimenez Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sportsīiggest Roadblock: An unwillingness to spend on starting pitchingĭespite lacking a true stud starting pitcher, the Baltimore Orioles reached the postseason in 2014 behind a strong staff top-to-bottom that ranked 12th in the league with a 3.61 ERA. There is a good core of young talent in place and more on the way as those prospects make their way through the minor leagues, and spending big now for a shot at short-term success would likely get in the way of their long-term outlook. The Braves have quietly built up one of the deeper farm systems in baseball with a handful of big trades, and trimmed the payroll in the process.

#ROADBLOCK REVIEW BLEACHER FREE#

The Miami Marlins spent aggressively in an effort to put a winning team on the field ahead of moving into their new stadium, adding Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell in free agency, and by the next offseason they were tearing down the roster and rebuilding once again.

Teams like the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros have drawn a pretty good blueprint on the right way to rebuild in recent years, and it takes patience. The Atlanta Braves will open SunTrust Park after the 2016 season ends, and ahead of moving to their new stadium they could feel compelled to put the rebuilding efforts on hold in favor of a push at winning now. RF Nick Markakis Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sportsīiggest Roadblock: Not fully committing to the rebuild, trying to contend in 2016 The Diamondbacks are headed in the right direction, but if they can't find a way to lure an ace to the desert, it will be hard to truly call their offseason a success. Landing an ace will mean contending with big-market teams and teams already in a position to reach the postseason, and that could be tough. There is also legitimate ace potential in top prospect Archie Bradley, but the 23-year-old has struggled with arm and shoulder problems and needs to prove he can stay healthy before the team counts on him.

Patrick Corbin went 6-5 with a 3.60 ERA in 16 starts in his return from Tommy John surgery, and there is still reason to think he can be a front-line starter another year removed from surgery. The starting rotation ranked 23rd in the league with a 4.37 ERA, and the staff is clearly missing a bona fide ace to lead the way. Pollock, but the pitching staff will need to improve substantially if they are going to take that next step. The team has a good offensive core in place led by Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Their 79-83 record represented a 15-win improvement over the previous season, and they climbed from fifth to third in the NL West standings. SP Patrick Corbin Ralph Freso/Associated Pressīiggest Roadblock: An inability to lure marquee starting pitchersĭespite posting a losing record, the Arizona Diamondbacks were still one of the most improved teams in the league in 2015.

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