1) Washington Nationals
Unless you’re lucky enough to be a Mets fan - yeah, that’s right, a New York Mets fan - watching the Washington Nats play baseball on Monday and Tuesday made you feel dirty. Two games over two days that delivered the death knell to the sorriest sack of ballplayers you’ve seen in some time, and two games that told you absolutely everything you need to know about these odorous under performers.
Their ace, Max Scherzer, was signed for seven years and $210m. He should be winning late season division match-ups with the season on the line, but couldn’t hold down the Mets lineup Monday, while Washington bats couldn’t hit the most hittable part of New York’s bullpen. Bryce Harper went 0-4, then lashed out at his own fans for leaving before the 8-5 Nats debacle was finished. Could you blame them for heading to the exits early? They may have left even earlier if they knew what was coming.
On Tuesday, Washington bats beat up on Matt Harvey, the Mets’ incredible shrinking ace, for seven runs. Then in the seventh inning, Nats relievers issued six walks, a wild pitch, a single and a double, giving all of it back in eye-popping fashion. Washington manager Matt Williams, who, at least right now, couldn’t make a right move if John McGraw whispered it in his ear, left his one-time closer Drew Storen on the hill despite being visually shaken. Then, in the away eighth, a pinch-hitting Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who has his own monorail to shuttle him between the minors and the majors, hit an unlikely solo homer giving New York an 8-7 lead. Mets closer Jeurys Familia finished off D.C. in the bottom of the inning, and somehow, New York had extended their division lead to six games instead of Washington whittling it down to two.
And now it’s up to seven after yet another Amazin’ comeback victory by the rollicking Mets on Wednesday.
That is what baseball misery looks like. A team that should have walked away with this division in June, one with a Vegas-supplied over/under number of 93, failing in every way shape and form, handing the NL East to the New York Mets along the way. All while failing to meet expectations and wasting an MVP-like performance from Harper to boot. Blame injuries, blame Williams, blame the stalling starters, and certainly blame GM Mike Rizzo. The dynasty that never was is dead.
2) Boston Red Sox
Thanks to a unique clause in his contract, John Lackey was set to lead the 2015 Boston Red Sox as something of an ace, all for the grand total of $500,000. Now, that label may be slightly more generous than the salary the Sox would have paid the big righty from Kentucky, but considering Boston’s pitching staff this season, well, they certainly could’ve used what he would’ve given them. The trade value of such a highly prized inexpensive commodity is what got GM Ben Cherington in trouble back at the 2014 trade deadline: sensing he could turn a cheap season of Lackey into something more, he dealt for starter Joe Kelly and outfielder Allen Craig. Well, that didn’t really work out, and set the tone for the Sox pitching woes this season. So did losing Jon Lester to the Chicago Cubs.
Despite the mixed performance of the an offense that was without Dustin Pedroia for long stretches of 2015, it was Cherington’s overspending and an inability to build a legitimate pitching staff that led to his ouster and the irresistible hiring of Dave Dombrowski as President of Baseball Operations, potentially to bulldoze what’s been built, or, more precisely, what hasn’t.
Wade Miley: bust. Justin Masterson: bust. Rick Porcello: mostly bust. Kelly: better late than never. Then on offense, there was Pablo Sandoval, paid $17.6m for a lowly OPS of just .672. Hanley Ramirez, admittedly brought in for his bat, not his left field defense, made $19.75m for a WAR of -1.2. By June the indecisive Sox had already tried four right fielders, while the catching tandem of Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan suffered injuries. A mess of a season took a sad, real-life turn, when manager John Farrell left the club in mid-August to deal with stage-1 lymphoma.
The Red Sox’ third World Series title in 10 years feels like a decade ago after two long losing seasons, but with Dombrowski aboard, another lightning quick turnaround is possible.
3) Seattle Mariners
This was supposed to be the season the M’s got their mojo back and made the playoffs for the first time since the 116-game winning Mariners reached the 2001 American League Championship Series. The front office continued to empty its pockets to bring big names to the Pacific Northwest, and this time it was Nelson Cruz who was signed to a large multi-year deal to help push a once meek lineup into new territory. Instead, the expected progression turned into a surprise step backwards - the 2014 team ranked 11th in runs scored, and this season, despite a monster mashing campaign from Nelson Cruz, who is currently responsible for nearly a quarter of Seattle’s home runs, they rank 13th. Five regulars saw their OPS’ drop from a season ago, including Robinson Cano. The franchise second baseman’s first-half output was shocking to all onlookers, and while his season was saved by a sizzling second-half, most of that production came during extended garbage time.
Even if they could’t hit, Seattle would be in the running for that last AL wild card if their pitching didn’t completely and totally blow up: we’re talking about 2014’s top ranked AL pitching staff slipping to 12th in ERA. King Felix Hernandez’ ERA exploded by more than a run. Hisashi Iwakuma was injury riddled and inconsistent, despite his no hitter. Rumors swirled that closer Francisco Rodney was tipping his pitches while his FIP nearly doubled.
Someone had to take the hit, and that was GM Jack Zduriencik, sacked in late August after failing to get his ream to the playoffs during a tenure that fell short of seven seasons.
4) Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles had a choice at the deadline: blow it up or hang on to their pieces and chase a third playoff appearance in four seasons. They chose wrong.
The O’s were always pretenders - going 25-38 since raching their high point, seven games over .500 on 28 June. Their rapid decline in their chase for a post-season place began on 17 August when they had just a 34% chance of reaching the wild card round. Since then the only numbers that’ve mattered in Camden Yards are the zeros Chris Davis adds to his free-agent payday. The O’s slugger has hit 41 home runs, six of which came in September. Baltimore fans would be happily surprised to see him next season, and the same can be said about catcher Matt Wieters. The Orioles have eight free agents in all, and so Buck Showalter’s team could look very different next season. Considering what they might have pulled back for Wieters and Davis, not to mention Darren O’Day and Wei-Yin Chen at the trade deadline, the mutiny from the fans probably would have been worth it.
5) Los Angeles Angels
I know what you’re thinking: the Angels still have a chance. Well yes, that’s technically true - the additional playoff spot means there’s plenty of teams that still aren’t officially out of it. Regardless, the Halos haven’t shown anybody enough this season to make you believe they can overcome a four game game deficit in the loss column and catch the surging Texas Rangers or even the water treading Houston Astros.
Mike Trout and Albert Pujols who both carried this meek offensive ballclub to a point where they had an 89% chance of making a wild card spot on 27 July, both sank into a deep August abyss, all while Texas got healthy and surged to the brink of an AL West title. The team is lifeless, with a middle of the road pitching staff and dismal lineup in desperate need of a makeover.
This is an organization that needs to look in the mirror and have a chat. Bringing back Bill Stoneman, who helped the Angels win the 2002 World Series, as in interim GM in place of the fired Jerry Dipoto, was a steadying move. They’ve only just started interviewing for the position, and who they select to lead the team forward will be crucial, obviously. Oh, and by the way, it’s probably worth mentioning that manager Mike Scioscia’s 10-year contract runs out in 2018, but does contain a clause that allows him to opt-out after this season. That means the veteran skipper could check out after 16 years, and I’m not sure too many Angels fans would protest.
6) Detroit Tigers
There was always something off about this Detroit team. Yes, they won four straight division titles for the first time in their 115 year history. But despite the bevy of talent Dave Dombrowski helped put on the field, it always seemed like something of a struggle. Detroit never had to compete with an intra-division team as good as the Kansas City Royals during their reign, and after some legitimate competition finally showed up the Tigers fell hard, currently sitting in last place despite a pre-season over under number of 86.5.
The bullpen was always the weak spot for Detroit, and in 2015 that disease spread to the entire staff. Justin Verlander arrived late and remembered how to pitch later. Alfredo Simon found life hard in the AL. Anibal Sanchez couldn’t rediscover the consistency that made him a stalwart in the rotation. And, of course, Max Scherzer couldn’t be replaced. David Price had to go, and so he did, to Toronto for prospects. Yoenis Cespedes was next out of town, weakening a lineup that lost Miguel Cabrera to a 35-game stint on the disabled list, his very first in a vaunted 13-year career.
If it feels like the end, that’s because it undoubtedly is. Aging owner Mike Ilitch, so desperate for his Gipper moment, will be leaning on Al Avila, Dombrowski’s former assistant to find away to turn around a franchise in rapid decline: he’ll have his work cut out for him.
