As we near May, teams are beginning to evaluate where they stand, assessing their respective strengths and weaknesses. It's a time for taking inventory. Even the best teams -- even the Astros -- have weaknesses. With that in mind, let's find potential fixes for all 30 major league teams.
Arizona Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks are playing their best outfield defender -- Jarrod Dyson -- out of position in right field. While A.J. Pollock is a fine defender and has clubhouse seniority, the Diamondbacks could squeeze some more value by moving Dyson to center against right-handed pitching.
Atlanta Braves: Although it takes two parties to come together on a contract agreement, the Braves should aggressively pursue a long-term contract with Ronald Acuna one game into his MLB career. As the Indians learned last offseason, even waiting a year or two into the career of a young star can be too late to try to buy out arbitration and free-agent years. Francisco Lindor reportedly rejected a $100 million contract extension last spring. Getting Acuna locked up on the field now, rather than waiting another five or six weeks to avoid Super Two status, could be the biggest impact move the club could make.
Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles are desperately clinging to hopes of contention in their final year of control over Manny Machado. What the Orioles need is Kevin Gausman to pitch like an ace and to encourage him to rely more on his split-finger fastball, which he employed to post a nine-pitch, three-strikeout inning -- an immaculate inning -- against the Indians on Monday.
Boston Red Sox: The red-hot Red Sox do have a weakness: They rank 23rd in defensive runs saved (minus-7) and have a below-average UZR score (minus-5.1). Mookie Betts is the club's best defensive outfielder, and while he's excellent in right, he could get even more opportunities in center.
Chicago Cubs: Javier Baez has elite power, is launching more balls into the air, is swinging at more strikes and is better at laying off the low-and-away slider. He's also the club's best infield defender. The Cubs ought to move Baez to shortstop over struggling Addison Russell and open second-base reps for Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist.
Chicago White Sox: When he makes contact, Yoan Moncada is making some of the highest-quality contact in the majors. Although his 14 percent walk rate is excellent, the White Sox should encourage Moncada to be more aggressive earlier in counts, when he will face fewer breaking pitches.
Cincinnati Reds: The Reds were never expected to contend, and they're off to a horrible start. But that could allow interim manager Jim Riggleman the freedom to experiment. One idea worth pursuing? Having Billy Hamilton enter as a pinch runner early games and remain in the game to artificially increase his on-base opportunities. If Hamilton reached base an additional 140 times, the effect would be significant. Last season, non-Hamilton baserunners scored 28 percent of the time for the Reds. Hamilton, however, scored 44 percent of the time he reached base. With an additional 140 baserunning opportunities last season for Hamilton, he would have created around 16 additional runs via baserunning. That's nearly two wins.
Cleveland Indians: The Indians could improve themselves by calling up right-handed hitting Yandy Diaz to play against left-handed pitching. To date, the Indians have been leaving Jason Kipnis (.683 career OPS versus lefties) and Yonder Alonso (.554 career OPS versus lefties) in the lineup against lefties. Diaz can play either infield corner, and switch-hitting Jose Ramirez could play second against lefties, allowing Diaz to play third.
Colorado Rockies: The Rockies had some of the worst corner production in the majors last season at first base, right and left field, with those positions ranking between 28th and 30th in wRC+. One fix? It's time to see what prospect David Dahl can do in a full-time role in an outfield corner.
Detroit Tigers: The Tigers are using Francisco Liriano as a starter, but it would be interesting to see him employed as a left-handed, situational reliever, as he has limited lefties to a career .218/.294/.303 slash line. That could enhance Liriano's performance and trade value.
Houston Astros: The Astros are a team without weakness, but if you're going to nitpick, Lance McCullers Jr. has been struggling to pitch through five innings in his starts. McCullers is working in too many deep counts in part because of his extreme breaking ball usage. He's throwing his curveball on 52 percent of his offerings. Perhaps McCullers could look for some earlier contact and reduce his breaking ball usage while increasing the usage of his darting two-seamer. The Astros don't want to tax their bullpen early in the season.
Kansas City Royals: The Royals need Danny Duffy to be what he was in 2016 when he was healthy: a borderline ace. Duffy believes he might have been tipping pitches earlier this season, but he could do well to perhaps rely less on his fastball, which he is throwing at a career-high rate, and more on his plus slider and changeup.
Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout is still the best player in baseball. Shohei Ohtani has, remarkably, exceeded expectations, pitching like an ace on the mound and surprising many observers by how quickly he has transitioned his raw power into game power. But even if the Angels have a pair of 8-plus WAR players, a baseball team requires more than two superstars. While the Angels have upgraded other areas of their team beyond Ohtani, such as their infield defense, their rotation has already lost J.C. Ramirez to Tommy John surgery, and Matt Shoemaker is on the DL with an elbow strain. Ramirez pitched 146 innings last season and was third in pitching WAR (1.1). Shoemaker was one of the club's best arms in 2016 but was limited to 77 innings last year and again is having injury problems. The Angels ought to be in search of pitching help.
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers didn't do much to upgrade their bullpen beyond trading for Scott Alexander this offseason. What the Dodgers could do is move top pitching prospect Walker Buehler, who has a plus curveball and a fastball that can touch 100 mph, to the bullpen. That would also help limit Buehler's innings.
Miami Marlins: Sandy Alcantara throws 100 mph, but his questionable command makes his future as a starter unlikely. The Marlins ought to find out whether Alcantara can be a dynamic bullpen arm.
Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers' most talented arm belongs to a natural starter who has excelled in a bullpen role in Josh Hader. In fact, Hader might be the most valuable reliever in the game this season. Exploring what Hader could do in a role in which he would take a greater share of innings, as a starter, would be interesting. If the Brewers have a lefty ace on their hands, they ought to find out.
Minnesota Twins: The Twins need pitching help, and it's time they call upon lefty prospect Stephen Gonsalves, who has struck out 25 in 20 innings in Double-A, where he owns a 1.77 ERA.
New York Mets: Brandon Nimmo is ready to emerge as an above-average major league outfielder -- this was clear entering the offseason -- which made the club's decision to award Jay Bruce a three-year, $39 million contract in the offseason curious. Nimmo is too good and too young to deal unless he's returning a star-level catcher. Since last summer, Nimmo has had a Joey Votto-like batting eye. He deserves everyday at-bats.
New York Yankees: While going away from the fastball is en vogue and has its merits, the Yankees might have pivoted too far from the fastball. The Yankees rank 30th in fastball usage (41.5 percent) despite ranking first in fastball velocity (95.3 mph).
Oakland Athletics: The A's lead the majors in position player WAR (5.6) but have a modest 4.35 staff ERA. Trevor Cahill has been a ground ball machine in two starts since being recalled. If there's one thing the A's should do about their pitching, it's make sure Cahill gets a long look in the rotation.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies are beating timetables and expectations. They've filled a number of holes this winter and spring through external and internal upgrades. The rotation looks legit. However, Maikel Franco continues to struggle at third. Trading for Manny Machado would provide a massive upgrade, and getting him in-house would perhaps improve the club's ability to sign him next winter.
Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates planned to return Joe Musgrove to the rotation after acquiring him in the Gerrit Cole trade. Musgrove was a middling starter in Houston, but he was intriguing in a bullpen role. Opponents slashed .300/.356/.526 against Musgrove as a starter last season and .195/.244/.321 against him as a reliever, a role in which his velocity increased by 3 mph in the second half of the season. The Pirates ought to try to lengthen their bullpen with Musgrove.
St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals ought to carve out a permanent rotation spot for Jack Flaherty. He's one of the club's top five pitching options, and the Cardinals project as a postseason bubble team. Adam Wainwright has a balky elbow and has excelled in a bullpen role before. Wainwright's stuff and health might be aided by a move to a relief role.
San Diego Padres: The Padres made a $144 million investment in ground ball machine Eric Hosmer this offseason. Hosmer has been one of the game's most extreme ground ball hitters the past three seasons, and his ground ball rate is actually up 4 percentage points early this season. No hitter could benefit from joining the fly ball revolution more than Hosmer, and the Padres ought to push the issue.
San Francisco Giants: The Giants badly need an infusion of youth, and it's time to commit to outfield prospect Steven Duggar, who looks like a potential multi-tool player with plus plate discipline.
Seattle Mariners: James Paxton has emerged as one of the more dominant pitchers in the majors and one of the most fastball-dominant pitchers. Fastball usage, especially for those with upper-90s velocity, has been shown to be linked to Tommy John surgery. Paxton spent time on the DL last season with a forearm strain, which is often a precursor to elbow surgery. Paxton might do well to reduce his fastball usage; the Mariners need him healthy.
Tampa Bay Rays: Although the Rays seem committed to reducing their starting pitchers' innings, Yonny Chirinos deserves a chance to pitch deeper into games.
Texas Rangers: The Rangers signed Mike Minor to start, and he has been serviceable in that role early his season. But where he dominated last season was as a left-handed reliever, recording 2.1 WAR and sub-3.00 ERA and FIP in Kansas City. His velocity spikes in the bullpen, where he provides a greater impact -- and potential trade value.
Toronto Blue Jays: In light of Josh Donaldson's shoulder issue -- his throws have looked painful across the infield, and he has already landed on the DL -- he should start taking the lion's share of DH duties. Kendrys Morales posted a 91 wRC+ last season, 9 percent below average, and is off to another slow start.
Washington Nationals: Last season, Matt Wieters' pitch framing was below average for a fifth consecutive year, falling to a career-worst minus-13.6 runs below average, according to Baseball Prospectus' framing metrics. That ranked him 108th out of 110 major league catchers. Moreover, his bat produced a career-worst 62 wRC+ (100 is league average). Wieters' glove is again costing Max Scherzer & Co. strikes. The Nationals ought to elevate 24-year-old Pedro Severino, an average framer, from backup catcher to starter in place of Wieters and/or find an external upgrade.