A Tier of its Own:
1) Los Angeles Dodgers. The team is simply stacked with talent in the majors and one of the biggest budgets in baseball. The team flexed it’s financial muscle this offseason with a huge Kershaw extension. I think they may regret trading away Nomar Mazara, but they still have the talent to run away with the best record of any league.
Other Ballclubs with World Series-caliber talent:
2) New York Yankees: Unlike the Dodgers, the Yankees made no trades this offseason, but that should suit them just fine. Biggest moves of the offseason were likely the signing of CL Ryan Madson and Ramon Flores. But with so much young talent likely to remain on this team for the long haul, there is little reason to doubt them.
3) Chicago Cubs: I think the Cubs had a down year in 2018. Willson Contreras received a huge bump in defense, which could turn him into the league’s top catcher. The team also made very little moves, but are simply loaded with talent.
4) Houston Astros: The ‘Stros may have also had a down year in 2018. They still have an abundance of talent on their major league roster, and complemented their youth with veteran star Paul Goldschmidt. They have the talent to go all the way.
5) Washington Nationals: The Nationals finished 2nd last year and have most of their team intact from a season before. However, they have simply been victim to neglect this offseason, with GM turnover resulting in inactivity and not a clear chance to improve.
6) Cleveland Indians: The defending Champs have a long road ahead of them, mainly because of the sudden retirement of Carlos Carrasco. This will hurt them, and in such a talented league, one team is going to have to finish 6th.
Mid-level Teams that Should Worry:
7) Seattle Mariners: The Mariners were busy this offseason boosting a surprisingly effective lineup from last year. It remains to be seen if the changes will bear fruit, as the six projected teams in front of them are elite in terms of talent. The trade of Paxton has fans wondering if this team has its eyes set on… relegation?
8) Tampa Bay Rays: Another new member to the CLB, the Rays come into 2019 with a healthy Brent Honeywell. That could be huge, as this team is stocked full of high-potential specs and young major leaguers who could turn this small market team into a force. They seem determined to do all they can to stay.
9) Arizona Diamondbacks: The D-Backs were also quite active this offseason after barely surviving 2018 in the CLB. However, their days may be numbered simply due to the fact of being in such a competitive league. Like the Mariners, they traded one of their top players in Goldschmidt, which could turn out to be devastating for the team’s chances of staying.
Red Alert for Relegation:
10) Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox fared some poor luck in 2018, but a lack of development from key players and aging of others has them on the cusp of the PRO. They are victim to a lot of big contracts of ok-not-great players, and a very, very talented league.