Ideally, teams fix whatever holes they have in the offseason through signings and trades and bringing up young players to replace the departed and ineffective. Baseball doesn't always work out that way, though. Sometimes injuries strike in spring or right as the season begins. Sometimes, those minor league free agents signed with the hope of winning a job in spring training just don't work out. And sometimes, all the boxes on the offseason checklist just don't get checked off and teams end up with Tyler Naquin and Greg Allen as starting corner outfielders.
A few contenders still, or already, have holes to fill as the season begins, so let's take a look at a few of those teams and what options they might have this early on.
Chicago Cubs
Hole: Bullpen
Every team could use Craig Kimbrel. The Red Sox certainly make sense for a reunion given their bullpen, but given the offensive firepower in Boston and the relative lack of playoff contenders, the team might be able to get by. Chicago, on the other hand, is in a tough division in a competitive league and Kimbrel would solve a lot of their problems even if Morrow does come back healthy. The Cubs did little in the offseason to bolster the club, opting to sit tight and let the free-agent market pass them by. Fears are being realized early on, and there's a solution out there for only money, which the Cubs are not short on.
Cleveland Indians
Hole: Corner outfielders
We should never make too much over one week's numbers, so the disappointing play for Cleveland corner outfielders wouldn't normally be too much cause for concern. However, when the outfielders receiving playing time are Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen and Jordan Luplow, weak hitting over a week isn't an aberration, it's fulfilling an already low expectation. Leonys Martin is doing fine in center field and Jake Bauers should be decent, but Cleveland has had a glaring hole in its outfield since Michael Brantley departed via free agency.
The team could sit tight and hope Carlos Gonzalez hits well enough in the minors to be ready to hit big league pitching after signing late. The team might be able to patch over its deficiencies in the outfield given its talent on the infield and in the rotation, but a rare, early-season trade might be in order. The Cardinals and Indians have been frequent trading partners over the years and St. Louis has five outfielders who are all better than anybody on Cleveland's roster. The logical offseason deal probably included Jose Martinez, but it might be fair to wonder how available Marcell Ozuna might be. The Cardinals have been dissatisfied with Ozuna's recovery from a shoulder issue that has been a problem since he joined the club. Despite those issues, Ozuna still hit .280/.325/.433 last season, an above-average line with decent defense despite the arm issues. That isn't what the Cardinals were looking for, but it is a lot better than what is on Cleveland's roster.
Assuming Ozuna's current side issues are minor and the Cardinals are willing to cut bait, Ozuna would be an upgrade for Cleveland. It's a high-upside move similar to the acquisition of Josh Donaldson a year ago. Other options to consider include trading for Scott Schebler or Jay Bruce.
Milwaukee Brewers
Hole: An innings-eating workhorse
Milwaukee is off to a great start, but the club got some bad news early on with loss of Corey Knebel. While that leaves a hole in the bullpen, the Brewers aren't the type of club to flash a bunch of cash at a reliever. The bullpen isn't a shambles with Josh Hader still dominating, but it could use some help. Bolstering the rotation might solve two potential problems. Rumors might surround Kimbrel, but Dallas Keuchel makes more sense for Milwaukee.
In Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee is betting big on three young starters without much of a major league track record and concerns about lasting the entire season for a potential playoff club. Bringing in Keuchel would relieve some of the innings burden on the youngsters and solve the depth issue in the rotation -- especially if Jimmy Nelson doesn't come back strong. As an added benefit, all three young starters could immediately slot near the end of games in the bullpen, potentially upgrading the team in two key areas.
Atlanta Braves
Hole: Rotation
If the Atlanta rotation were fully healthy, it might make sense to use the last few spots in the rotation on its bevy of young pitching talent. But the rotation is not fully healthy with Mike Foltynewicz still out and questions about Kevin Gausman's shoulder lingering. Making life more difficult, the team's best pitching prospect, Michael Soroka, has shoulder issues of his own that the club is likely to be careful with all year. While arguably the corner outfield and bullpen are weaker spots for the Braves, the rotation might be more important for a club trying to contend.
Signing Keuchel might be the easiest solution, but if the Braves are interested in keeping costs down a trade might be a better fit for them. Marcus Stroman struggled last season, though the ground ball getter might have suffered from some bad luck and poor defense in Toronto as his FIP was a solid 3.91. He's off to a good start this season and the Blue Jays aren't expected to contend. Stroman is making just $7.4 million and has one more year of arbitration eligibility after this season before becoming a free agent. Atlanta could use some of its young pitching talent to obtain Stroman and put the team in much better position in what should be a very tough National League East.
Cincinnati Reds
Holes: Center field and second base
Cincinnati was hoping to move up in the standings this year after a busy offseason, but the Reds haven't gotten off to a great start. Scooter Gennett's injury might keep him out until July, so the team has been forced to use Derek Dietrich and Jose Iglesias more than it would have liked before the season began. In center field, Scott Schebler is probably better served as a fourth outfielder rather than being pressed into every-day duty. Fortunately for the Reds, the solution to both issues is already in the organization.
Nick Senzel is a great prospect and originally came up through the minors as a third baseman, but in Cincinnati that position is already filled by Eugenio Suarez. As a result, the team had him play some second base last year in a minor league season shortened by injuries. With Gennett expected to play second base this season, Senzel worked all spring on playing center field and by most accounts, acquitted himself fairly well. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck again as Senzel has been sidelined by an ankle sprain. When healthy, Senzel represents an upgrade at second base and center field. He should help fill at least one of Cincinnati's holes within the next few weeks as the team tries to recover from its tough start.