6 MLB teams that will be better in 2024

As baseball's offseason continues, many front offices have been actively enhancing their clubs. Here are six teams that should win more games in 2024, with their 2023 win totals for reference, after improving via free agency or trades.

Arizona Diamondbacks (84 wins)

Sure, it might be tough for the Diamondbacks to do better than they did in 2023 when they were crowned National League champions before losing to the Texas Rangers in the World Series. But don't forget Arizona squeaked into the postseason by one game over the Chicago Cubs.

The D-Backs should eclipse their 84 regular-season wins after trading for power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suárez and signing left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez in free agency.

Arizona badly needed an upgrade at third after Evan Longoria and Emmanuel Rivera combined for 10 home runs and 0.7 fWAR last season. Suárez had a down year compared to previous campaigns, but he still managed to trump Longoria and Rivera's combined total homers and fWAR by quite a margin while providing solid defense at the hot corner.

The Diamondbacks filled a glaring need in the rotation by signing Rodriguez, who gives them another solid arm alongside Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt. E-Rod has been a dependable starter and posted a career-best 3.30 ERA in his terrific 2023 campaign with the Detroit Tigers.

Cincinnati Reds (82 wins)

The Reds were one of baseball's biggest surprises last season, remaining in the playoff hunt late thanks to a budding youth movement of star-caliber talent.

Cincinnati's ownership decided it was time to pony up a little dough to surround the youngsters with good veteran players as the team eyes its first division title in more than a decade.

The Reds beefed up their rotation by signing right-handers Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez in free agency while adding Emilio Pagán to the bullpen and shoring up the infield with Jeimer Candelario.

Montas and Martinez should give the Reds' rotation a boost after Cincinnati's starters ranked 28th in ERA last season. Montas has elite stuff when he's healthy and Martinez has shown a knack for success in various roles, authoring an ERA under 3.47 in back-to-back campaigns.

Pagán should help anchor the back end of the bullpen along with Alexis Díaz after putting together a career year with the Minnesota Twins. Candelario, meanwhile, should lengthen the Reds' lineup while offering some defensive versatility, as he can rotate between first and third base.

Detroit Tigers (78 wins)

It's been a busy winter for the Tigers, who improved on paper after a promising second-place finish in the AL Central.

Detroit added on-base machine Mark Canha to an offense led by Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and Kerry Carpenter. The team went heavy on pitching by signing Kenta Maeda, Jack Flaherty, Andrew Chafin, and Shelby Miller.

Canha is an undervalued performer who ranks 16th in the majors in on-base percentage since 2019. That's better than Shohei Ohtani and on par with 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt. He's the exact kind of player the Tigers need after finishing 26th in OBP a season ago.

Maeda should help compensate for the loss of Rodriguez (who opted out of his deal and signed with Arizona) if he's right. The right-hander missed 2022 because of Tommy John surgery, but he was a Cy Young runner-up prior to the injury. He looked solid in his return last season, striking out more than 10 hitters per nine innings and keeping his WHIP at a reasonable 1.16.

The Tigers are banking on a bounce-back campaign from Flaherty, who was one of the best young pitchers in the game before injuries derailed his career. He posted a 4.99 ERA last season, but he also showed flashes of his old self, including a 10-strikeout performance against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 15.

Kansas City Royals (56 wins)

The Royals look a lot different in 2024 after a tremendously busy winter, reeling in Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Kyle Wright, Hunter Renfroe, Will Smith, Nick Anderson, and more.

Kansas City's front office focused on strengthening a rotation that ranked 25th in FIP and 27th in ERA last season, adding Wacha and Lugo on nearly identical two-year deals. The Royals also traded for former 21-game winner Wright, who will start the 2024 season on the injured list.

The bullpen, one of baseball's worst in 2023, got some veteran upgrades, and Renfroe brings some power to a Royals lineup generally lacking that kind of impact outside of superstar Bobby Witt Jr.

The AL Central looks ripe for the taking, and the Royals should have a better chance of securing the division crown with this squad.

New York Yankees (82 wins)

The Yankees vowed to be aggressive after a disappointing campaign, and they've delivered so far. New York added one of the game's best hitters in Juan Soto, plus Alex Verdugo, Trent Grisham, and more.

The key piece is Soto, who offers some additional protection for Aaron Judge and relieves some of the pressure on Giancarlo Stanton. Soto has not only produced a .400 OBP or higher in all but one of his six seasons, but he's also coming off a terrific campaign with the San Diego Padres where he hit 35 homers and 109 RBIs to go along with 32 doubles and 132 walks.

New York made an aggressive run at Yoshinobu Yamamoto before he signed with the Dodgers, offering the hurler a $300-million deal, so the club could still bring in a starting pitcher.

If the Yankees can stay healthy and add another arm or two, they'll have no issues improving their win total from a season ago. Heck, they could even win the division.

St. Louis Cardinals (71 wins)

The Cardinals dominated the early offseason, signing veteran rotation upgrades in Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn. They should bring length to a St. Louis rotation that averaged around five innings per start last year.

Offensively, the Cardinals remain a gifted club despite a disappointing 2023 campaign. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are near the top of the class at their respective positions, and trading Tyler O'Neill to the Red Sox appears to have solidified the lineup, leaving St. Louis with an outfield rotation of Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, Dylan Carlson, and Tommy Edman.

Edman's transition to center field also creates a huge opportunity for prized shortstop prospect Masyn Winn. The 21-year-old struggled during a 37-game MLB stint last season, but he looked terrific in the minors.

With this kind of offense and these pitching upgrades, the Cardinals should easily win more than 71 games.