MLB Power Rankings: 5 major changes thanks to free agency and trades
By Tim Boyle
The MLB Power Rankings continue to change thanks to free agency and trades.
There is no action on the field at the moment yet the MLB Power Rankings for the 30 teams continue to change thanks to free agency. The MLB Winter Meetings are now in the rearview. Many major dominoes have fallen with several still to come.
Free agency provides teams the best opportunity to get better or worse without having to give anything more than money. While we can expect several trades before Opening Day, the key to moving up the MLB Power Rankings is through free agency.
Based on what has already happened and what may still occur, here’s how several teams have been impacted in the MLB Power Rankings.
1) MLB Power Rankings: How Xander Bogaerts signing impacts Padres and Red Sox spot
Xander Bogaerts going from the Boston Red Sox to the San Diego Padres may have been one of the most impactful on the MLB Power Rankings. The Red Sox got substantially worse. The Padres loaded up on one more piece to continue building an elite lineup.
The Padres were looking like Winter Meetings losers until snagging Bogaerts. They had already lost out on the sweepstakes for Trea Turner and Aaron Judge. They had to come away with at least one major addition. It turned out to be Bogaerts.
By signing him, the Padres went from around 11th or 12th into the 8th or 9th best team in baseball right now. Let’s not forget how far they managed to go last year. They’ve lost very little and added something huge.
Meanwhile, the exact opposite effect has taken place for Boston. They have lost several important players in free agency. Bogaerts is now off the table for them. Now that we can eliminate him as a possible shortstop for the Red Sox next year, their spot in the MLB Power Rankings goes from around 16th or 17th toward pressing up against the dreaded number 20 spot.
The Red Sox look like they are in the bottom third of the league right now. Anything short of signing Carlos Correa might keep them there.