Potential rebound World Series winners for 2024

Ohtani. If Boston can land one or both of those high-profile arms, that would help stabilize the rotation for 2024. And while Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts remain anchors in the lineup, the Red Sox are going to need more production from that group as a whole. Hardly anyone who was not named Devers or Bogaerts boasted better than a league-average OPS+ in 2023. So the moves here may need to focus on securing a bat or two to make sure Boston can jump back into the thick of things in the AL East. Jarred Duran seems as though he’ll be a good player again in ’24, and Jeter Downs is slowly but surely making strides toward giving the Sox another middle infield option. Retaining Eduardo Rodriguez was also a tidy offseason move. But the franchise that boasts the AL’s second-longest postseason drought can’t be content with status quo, and Sox fans might set the venerable Fenway Park on fire if this team hasn’t taken meaningful steps toward contention by Memorial Day. 7. Astros2023 record: 77-85 (.475) What went wrong: It’s impressive that the Astros managed to keep hangin’ – banged up with a 2023 rotation that was without Zack Greinke almost all season and didn’t get anything substantial from Framber Valdez and José Urquidy. Offensively, a big chunk of the top of the order fell flat — but perhaps no one more than Yuli Gurriel, fresh off a career year, who fell to league-average levels as he embarked on age 39. While Kyle Tucker and Carlos Correa held their own, the club didn’t leave with its usual thump — they ranked 23rd in runs. The division, expected to at least be competitive, didn’t live up to the expectation set, freeing up the West for the Rangers’ surprising breakthrough. How it can turn: It could be as simple as getting Greinke to take that $18 million player option — when you’re down Urquidy and Valdez, and didn’t see enough from Pedro Leon, you could use that. Before you assume, no, the Astros won’t compete in the market for FREE AGENT XYZ — they’ve used that money to pluck from the international market, and their biggest offseason acquisition has often been a brilliant trade. Er, what was that now? You were waiting for me to name a specific target? Yeah, don’t hold your breath on that — about anything — as Houston could use quite a few of its farm chips to land something good. And while they’re gone at the deadline, some returning prospects or players under team control could be part of an important second-half run. Let me put it this way: While the Angels’ acquisition turned out to really set things off, a stone-cold last place turned into Houston winning 19 playoff games and two AL pennants in the next three years; several of the same executives and dozens of the same scouts have been in place, and they’re still in a situation with great flexibility.

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David Rodriguez

David Rodriguez brings the excitement of Major League Baseball to readers. With a deep appreciation for America’s pastime, he covers the latest MLB news, scores, and player achievements, keeping fans up to date with their favorite teams and players.