Win-now moves are tricky in baseball. One player can't take over a baseball game the way LeBron James can in basketball or Patrick Mahomes can in football, and with teams so closely matched due in large part to the randomness in the sport, playoff success in baseball is a bit of a roulette wheel. But win-now moves in baseball certainly are fun, and when they work, there's little in the sport that's better. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series this year after trading for Mookie Betts, and no matter what happens from here on out, that deal will go down as a watershed moment in team history.
With all the uncertainty surrounding the economics of the game and COVID-19, it has been a quiet offseason so far. So let's cook up some fun win-now moves contenders could make to address their weaknesses. At the very least, it's more fun than watching legitimate players such as Kolten Wong or Brad Hand simply being cut by their teams.
New York Mets
Sign J.T. Realmuto
For a team that finished below .500 in 2020 and even missed the supersized 16-team playoffs, the Mets don't have that many serious holes. They've already added an important arm to the bullpen in Trevor May, and getting Marcus Stroman on his one-year qualifying offer was a pretty big deal for the rotation. Tomas Nido and Ali Sanchez are perfectly respectable backup catchers, but the Mets can -- and should -- try to do a lot better.
If new owner Steve Cohen wants to make a splash, there aren't many free agents more tempting than Realmuto. Signing the former Phillies catcher instantly moves the Mets from a bottom-five team behind the plate to a top-five one. And if you want to get off on the right foot with your new team, dunking on a divisional rival is a good move.
Toronto Blue Jays
Sign Trevor Bauer
OK, the Blue Jays probably aren't willing to invest the kind of cash in a starting pitcher that it will take to land Bauer this offseason. But they should consider it. The team's young lineup of sons of former MLB stars has come along nicely, but there is still a bucketload of questions in the rotation after Hyun Jin Ryu. Bauer is the best pitcher in free agency, and perhaps he can sell himself as the grandson of former Yankees slugger Hank Bauer. OK, he actually isn't Hank Bauer's grandson, but I like to pretend.
Atlanta Braves
Sign George Springer
Springer likely is the next-best position player available in free agency behind Realmuto, and the Braves have to replace Marcell Ozuna; given the absurd performance he had in 2020, they'd likely have to replace some of that production even if he returned. If the season started right now, right field would be in terrific shape with Ronald Acuna Jr., but in center, Cristian Pache's bat is still a work in progress and left field is ... who knows after Atlanta non-tendered Adam Duvall. I wouldn't want to count on Springer playing center over the long haul, but he would give the Braves added flexibility in case Pache isn't quite ready.
Cincinnati Reds
Trade for Francisco Lindor
The Reds have been in win-now mode for two offseasons now and are still in search of their first postseason win in this run. Shortstop is the weakest position in a weak Reds lineup, and with the Cubs looking like they're headed into a rebuild, the NL Central appears to be there for the taking. So why not do a Midwest version of the Betts trade and add a superstar for a season? A Nick Senzel/Jonathan India package with a lesser third prospect, such as Tony Santillan, isn't a drastically different trade from the one that landed Betts.
Milwaukee Brewers
Sign Andrelton Simmons
With the team likely using Luis Urias at third this season, there's room to bring in someone as an Orlando Arcia upgrade, a good idea for a contender even after Arcia had one of his better seasons in 2020. Simmons will be less expensive than he would have been a few years ago, and while his bat has declined, his defense is still strong. Bringing in a shortstop would give the Brewers the option of moving Arcia to second and Keston Hiura to the non-Christian Yelich corner outfield spot.
Chicago White Sox
Sign Marcell Ozuna
Taking a flier on a low-risk upside play like the White Sox did with Nomar Mazara last year makes less sense this time around with the Sox an actual contender. Mazara didn't work out for the team in 2020, but some combination of Adam Engel and Leury Garcia is no more desirable in 2021. I already have Springer going to the Braves, but Ozuna, who led the NL in homers in 2020, is a good fit for Guaranteed Rate Field. Can I also have the team acquire a new name for its stadium?
Houston Astros
Sign Masahiro Tanaka
OK, this one isn't the sexiest signing around, but an innings-eater is extremely important for a Houston team that has already lost Justin Verlander for the 2021 season. The Astros have a lot of interesting young pitchers who haven't shown they can go deep into games, and having Tanaka around to throw 180 innings as the No. 2 starter would take some of the workload off the bullpen.