In Part 4 of our team unit rankings, we have the top 10 outfield combinations in Major League Baseball, based on the input of evaluators. Let's get right to the ranks:
Center fielder Andrew McCutchen has created a nice foundation for future Hall of Fame candidacy, finishing in the top five in the National League MVP race in each of the past four seasons, including a first-place finish in 2013. He is one of the best players right now and in the prime of his career. Right fielder Gregory Polanco, 24, took a big step forward in his development last season, fighting through a midseason slump to post a .787 OPS in July and an .880 OPS in August.
But the continued development of Starling Marte into a star-level performer is a big part of why the Pirates' outfield is No. 1 here. Marte worked through injuries to play in 153 games last season and racked up 5.3 WAR, while winning a Gold Glove for his defensive work in left field. Marte "took a step forward last year in the consistent application of his tools offensively and defensively," Pirates GM Neal Huntington wrote in an email. "What is intriguing to think about is that we can help him become even better." As the Pirates attempt to reach the postseason in 2016 for a fourth consecutive season, the outfield will be the team's backbone.
2. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs felt sure enough about Jason Heyward -- particularly his defense -- to agree to spend $184 million to sign him, and they're confident left fielder Kyle Schwarber will continue to be a high-impact hitter, with his short swing, power and intense approach.
They're not quite sure what to make of Jorge Soler, which is why they've been reluctant to move him to date for less than what could turn out to be equal value. After playing well in a small sample in 2014, Soler struggled in 2015, especially in chilly conditions and on defense. Chris Coghlan provides depth in the outfield, and starting second baseman Ben Zobrist could always move out there as well.
As good as this group appears, the Cubs still have room for a center fielder, and could always move Heyward back to right field. Dexter Fowler had a good season for the Cubs last year, reaching base 238 times and scoring 102 runs, but apparently he has not been able to find traction in the free-agent market. As the offseason began, there seemed to be no chance for the Cubs to re-sign Fowler. But it will be interesting to see if there could be some middle ground on a short-term deal.
Schwarber, meanwhile, says he'll take the scoreboard home run ball -- the one he hit in the decisive Game 4 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) -- if the Cubs don't want it.
In just 74 games last season, Giancarlo Stanton mashed 27 homers and drove in 67 runs, allaying some concerns that his beaning in 2014 would derail him. Left fielder Christian Yelich was one of the league's best hitters after bouncing back from a slow start; he hit .342 in the second half, the fifth-best mark in the majors. The frustration with center fielder Marcell Ozuna grew so much last year that he was sent to the minors, and the Marlins have talked about moving him in a deal this winter. If he's moved, Yelich likely will shift to center field, with the left-handed-hitting Derek Dietrich getting a lot of at-bats and Ichiro Suzuki, who is just 65 hits from 3,000 for his MLB career, serving as the fourth outfielder.
No team has more outfield depth than the Red Sox, who added Chris Young to an outfield consisting of rising star Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo. Betts appears to be fully established; he batted .328 after June 10, with 50 extra-base hits and a .552 slugging percentage, and might be a sleeper MVP candidate behind Mike Trout. But there are questions about whether Bradley Jr.'s late-season burst of offense was an aberration, and just how good Castillo is. Collectively, though, their outfield defense should be great, and manager John Farrell seems to have enough options to protect them -- and the Red Sox -- from deepening slumps and bad matchups.
Boston is not positioned to take advantage of the corner-outfield trade market, writes Brian MacPherson.
A track record means something, which is why the Yankees are placed this high on this list, but for the team's regular outfielders, 2015 was a very strange year. Right fielder Carlos Beltran was sick in spring training and got off to such a terrible start that there were questions about whether he was finished as an MLB player at age 38. But from May 1 to the end of the season, he batted .295 with 19 homers and an .862 OPS. Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury essentially carried the offense through the early part of the season, but in the second half, they were among the worst run-producers in MLB. Of the 256 players with at least 150 plate appearances after the All-Star break, Gardner and Ellsbury had the 12th and 13th-lowest OPS, respectively.
To help cover up for some of the uncertainty in the team's aging outfield -- and to get younger -- the Yankees added Aaron Hicks, a talented player who sometimes frustrated the Twins with what they felt was an inconsistent approach. The Yankees also will use Dustin Ackley in their outfield mix; he showed good bat speed at the end of last season.
Left fielder David Peralta emerged in the Diamondbacks' lineup last season and did a ton of damage, including 26 doubles, 10 triples and 17 homers in 517 plate appearances, most of them against right-handed pitching. The Diamondbacks fended off trade inquiries for center fielder A.J. Pollock, who was eighth among all players in FanGraphs WAR last season. The other Arizona outfield spot will be manned by Yasmany Tomas, who apparently has been shifted out of the infield for good and will get a chance to establish himself in Arizona's outfield. In 118 games last year, the rookie from Cuba hit .273 with nine homers, demonstrating hyper-aggression at the plate; he had 17 walks and 110 strikeouts.
One major concern about this group: The Diamondbacks will need to identify another outfielder to replace some of the at-bats left behind by Ender Inciarte, who was dealt to Atlanta.
It seems possible that the Cardinals will add another hitter before spring training, and reportedly they've had conversations with the Rockies about one of their surplus outfielders. Even if St. Louis sticks with the group it has, it should be solid, with Randal Grichuk now getting a chance to play every day in center field, Stephen Piscotty in right and Matt Holliday in left. Brandon Moss and Tommy Pham could also be in the outfield mix.
With Alex Gordon having re-signed, the Royals have put the band back together again for at least one more and probably two more summer tours. Gordon is in left field, where his defense has regressed somewhat, according to metrics, but he is still a very good defender. Lorenzo Cain is in center field, still seemingly growing as a player after getting a late start on his baseball career. Cain's .838 OPS last season was a career high, as were his 58 extra-base hits and 37 walks. Jarrod Dyson could get a lot of time in right field, along with Paulo Orlando.
Dyson's hometown has named a street after him.
The aforementioned Inciarte, 25, had a really nice season last year, hitting .303 in 132 games for the Diamondbacks, which is why the Braves wanted him as part of the return in December's Shelby Miller deal. Inciarte reportedly has drawn interest from other teams -- the Astros have discussed him, reports Jerry Crasnick -- and could theoretically be flipped as Atlanta continues the rebuilding process. Right fielder Nick Markakis doesn't hit for power anymore, but he still had a nice first year in Atlanta, playing in 156 games and generating a .370 on-base percentage. The X factor in this group is Hector Olivera, who will get a chance to play left field for the Braves after being transitioned from third base.
The Giants' $31 million signing of Denard Span was widely panned within baseball because of concerns about the 32-year-old's injury history and medical files, as well as doubts about whether he can still be an effective center fielder. But when Span plays, he gets on base consistently, and veterans tend to respond well when surrounded by the Giants' great clubhouse of professionals. Meanwhile, Hunter Pence should be able to play in more than the 52 games he played in last year, and Angel Pagan enters the final year of the four-year deal he signed after the 2012 season.
Hard to place: Colorado Rockies
The Rockies have a nice array of outfielders -- recent acquisition Gerardo Parra joins Charlie Blackmon, Corey Dickerson and Carlos Gonzalez -- but there's a lot of talk within the industry that they'll move at least one of those players.
General manager Jeff Bridich has told Gonzalez to ignore the trade talk, writes Patrick Saunders, which is not the same as saying flatly he won't be dealt. CarGo probably remembers how surprised Troy Tulowitzki was when the shortstop was dealt to Toronto last summer.
Best of the rest: The Nationals and Los Angeles Angels … for the same reason: Both teams have one of the two best players in the world. Bryce Harper is coming off one of the greatest seasons in recent history, and Mike Trout's first four-plus seasons in the big leagues have been unprecedented. That said, there are questions about both teams. Who will play left field for the Angels, and how much will Jayson Werth contribute for the Nationals?
The Astros belong here as well, with George Springer, Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez patrolling their outfield. … So do the Blue Jays, with Jose Bautista, defensive wizard Kevin Pillar and a platoon in left field … And finally, the Rangers could have a nice group if Delino DeShields continues to progress.
Notables
• I wrote here in November about how there could be an eventual fit between the Royals and Ian Kennedy, who has a history with current K.C. pitching coach Dave Eiland when both were with the Yankees. But the Royals would have to give up their first-round pick to sign Kennedy, which is no small matter for a small-market team. The Brewers faced a similar situation a few years ago when they decided to give up a first-round pick -- that pick was in the middle of the first round rather than at the end, where the Royals sit -- in order to sign Kyle Lohse.
Jeff Sullivan presents a thorough consideration of Kennedy here, writing that for every positive regarding Kennedy, there's a negative, and for every negative, there's a positive.
• The Jays haven't talked about trading pitcher R.A. Dickey in recent weeks. There's hope within the organization that Dickey could be pretty good again in the final year of his contract thanks to tangible adjustments he made during the 2015 season. Dickey tied for 10th in the majors in ERA in the second half among all pitchers with more than 60 innings.
The Jays haven't decided yet what they will do with pitcher Aaron Sanchez, but they have informed him that they intend to stretch out his pitch count in spring training in the event he is used as a starter.
• The Pirates have scouted a cricket player just as another one is looking to transition to baseball.
• Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon got a $50 million extension.
Moves, deals and decisions
1. The Pirates cut a former first-round pick, catcher Tony Sanchez.
2. The Red Sox signed outfielder Brennan Boesch.
3. Allen Craig has been invited to spring training by the Red Sox. I wonder if, at some point, he might become a target for the Pirates if Craig shows signs of bouncing back, and if the Red Sox essentially ate the money owed to him.
4. The Diamondbacks traded for a pitcher.
5. The Dodgers signed reliever Chris Hatcher. They also signed outfielder Jordan Schafer, writes Bill Plunkett.
6. The Padres signed relief pitcher Carlos Villanueva, and could offer a deal to former closer Fernando Rodney, writes Dennis Lin.
7. The Brewers announced their Double-A manager.
8. The Tigers added John Mayberry Jr. to provide outfield depth.
NL East
• Bryce Harper spoke with Rolling Stone.
• What will the Braves' record be?
NL Central
• Tony Watson will be the only proven lefty in the Pirates' bullpen.
• Pirates pitcher Jeff Locke is looking to simplify his delivery.
NL West
• The Padres will play the Astros in Mexico.
AL East
• The Rays' prospects are looking up, writes Roger Mooney.
• The Rays are looking for better focus from one of their top prospects.
• Yankees GM Brian Cashman explained why Aroldis Chapman will be the closer.
• Roch Kubatko wraps up the Orioles' minicamp.
• The Blue Jays will require a state-of-the-art spring facility.
AL Central
• Tigers manager Brad Ausmus wants his outfielders to play deeper.
• Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos wants to be more consistent, writes Lynn Henning.
• Hawk Harrelson says next year could be his last.
AL West
• Here's more on the Rangers' No. 2 prospect.
• The Angels and Dodgers are projected to be worse.
Lastly
• Dan Shulman will be joined in the booth by Jessica Mendoza and Aaron Boone on Sunday Night Baseball. Curt Schilling will call Monday night games, and John Kruk will be in studio.
• MLB has ordered interpreters for players from Latin America.
• Derrick Goold writes about the time that a St. Louis baseball team tried to move to L.A.
• There is sad news about a World Series hero.
• The NFL's L.A. decision means more waiting for the Oakland Athletics, writes Susan Slusser.
• Vanderbilt snapped its losing streak Tuesday.
And today will be better than yesterday.