Here are the winter's most active teams

Here are the winter's most active teams

January 19th, 2020

Have you checked out the Brewers' roster lately? Of the 25 players on their National League Wild Card Game roster, 13 are gone. That includes seven of 15 who played in the game.

While Brewers general manager David Stearns had some interest in re-signing catcher and infielder , most of the changes were by choice. (Grandal signed with the White Sox, Moustakas with the Reds.)

And the Brewers aren’t really an outlier. Virtually every team will go to Spring Training with double-digit changes to the Major League roster.

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This amount of change isn’t new. When the Braves finished first 14 straight seasons from 1991 to 2005 (excluding the 1994 strike-shortened season), they averaged 10 changes a year.

Yes, axing half the roster of a postseason team could be a gamble. In Stearns’ case, he saw it as an opportunity to sort through the market and improve his team.

That’s what D-backs general manager Mike Hazen has done over the last 12 months as he has jettisoned salary, replenished his farm system and -- drum roll -- improved his club.

Here are the seven teams that have changed the most this offseason:

1. Brewers

Departures/additions: 18/13
MLB free agents signed: 8

Notable acquisitions: OF , RHP , LHP , 1B
Notable departures: C Yasmani Grandal, 2B Mike Moustakas, LHP , 3B/1B , 1B

Stearns isn’t done, but the Brewers already have replaced three-fifths of their rotation and added new starters in left (García), third (), catcher () and first ( moving from left to first).

And the Brewers could be good enough to make the playoffs.

2. Rangers

Departures/additions: 11/9
MLB free agents signed: 5

Notable acquisitions: RHP , RHP , RHP , 3B/1B , C
Notable departures: OF , OF and OF

General manager Jon Daniels has had a tremendous offseason in adding three starters behind aces and . Daniels continues to pursue third baseman Nolan Arenado.

3. Angels

Departures/additions: 12/8
MLB free agents signed: 3

Notable acquisitions: 3B , RHP , RHP , RHP , C
Notable departures: OF , RHP

The Angels added the best position player available in free agency in Rendon, but the larger question is whether they’ve done enough to improve a rotation that had a 5.64 ERA, second-highest among Major League teams.

4. D-backs

Departures/additions: 12/6
MLB free agents signed: 5

Notable acquisitions: LHP , OF Kole Calhoun, C , RHP , RHP
Notable departures: OF , RHP , OF , C , RHP Matt Andriese

Hazen is still in the market for a center fielder and might include southpaw in the right package. Given the number of prospects he has acquired in the last year, the D-backs are going to be one of 2020’s more interesting teams.

5. Blue Jays

Departures/additions: 12/6
MLB free agents signed: 4

Notable acquisitions: LHP , RHP Shun Yamaguchi, RHP , RHP , 3B/1B Travis Shaw
Notable departures: 1B Justin Smoak, 2B , RHP

The Blue Jays are going to be interesting. A remade rotation elevates them into the postseason conversation as the young players continue to get accustomed to the Major League game.

6. White Sox

Departures/additions: 11/6
MLB free agents signed: 5

Notable acquisitions: C Yasmani Grandal, 1B , LHP , LHP , OF Nomar Mazara
Notable departures: RHP , C

This is what the White Sox said they would do once their top Minor Leaguers were ready for the big leagues. Things are going to be fun on Chicago’s South Side.

7. Twins

Departures/additions: 10/6
MLB free agents signed: 5

Notable acquisitions: 3B , LHP , RHP , RHP
Notable departures: RHP Kyle Gibson, 1B , 2B

After hitting 307 home runs, a Major League record, the Twins added Donaldson, who hit 37 for the Braves in 2019. If Hill can make 15 starts in the second half of the season, the Twins are nicely positioned to win the American League Central again.