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Lingering issues for each 2016 MLB postseason team
Cleveland Indians second baseman Erik Gonzalez (left) starting pitcher Danny Salazar (center) and second baseman Ronny Rodriguez (right) pose for a picture during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 19, 2017. Can the Indians make another run at the pennant this season without Rajai Davis? Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Lingering issues for each 2016 MLB postseason team

Hopes spring eternal this time of the year across most camps in Major League Baseball, as the spring washes away the lost ambitions of the previous summer. Yet in the same vein, it also can carryover outdated expectations of prior successes as well. In 2016, only two teams that had won their division the previous year were able to repeat (Dodgers & Rangers), while the World Champion Kansas City Royals missed the postseason as a whole.

So what was is not always an indication of what will be, and the issues that a team was able to overcome a year before may not be as easily surmounted again. The odds say many of the teams that made it to last year’s October will fall short of this year’s, and when they inevitably do, those carryover issues from a year ago could very well be the reason why.

As opening day inches nearer and nearer, let's have a look around last year’s postseason participants and what could be their biggest hurdle heading into the new year.

Toronto Blue Jays - Will their new lineup be able to meet last year’s productivity levels?


Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Ezequiel Carrera tries to lay down a bunt during the second inning of an MLB spring training baseball game on March 10, 2017. Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

With Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Saunders having departed via free agency, the team is down a pair of All-Star bats from a year ago, and now will look to retool with bit parts from a year ago. Ezequiel Carrera, Justin Smoak, Melvin Upton Jr. and Kendrys Morales will be called upon to not only play bigger roles, but also simply better as a whole. The four combined for a .231 batting average and .689 OPS. While there is the need for Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin and Jose Bautista to rebound from down years as well, the supporting cast will have to do more of their part than they ever have before.

Chicago Cubs - Can they set the table with the same efficiency as last year?


Chicago Cubs catcher Kyle Schwarber singles during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game on Feb. 27, 2017. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The Cubbies find themselves without a traditional leadoff hitter, in the void of the contact/on-base/speed threat that Dexter Fowler uniquely personified a year ago. Albert Almora and Jon Jay are set to divide time in center field this year, but neither is a leadoff hitter at this point in their respective career. So Joe Maddon will turn to a non-traditional option initially in the form of Kyle Schwarber, who has a natural knack for getting on base, but has never worked in the role on a full-time basis before. If he can acclimate to the role, then the problem is solved, if not, the Chicago lineup will likely have to fit a very square peg into the on-deck circle to begin ballgames all year.

Los Angeles Dodgers - Can they stay healthy and consistent enough?


Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson hits a solo home run during a spring training game on March 20, 2017. Pederson is hoping for a bounce back year this season.  Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

No team was as ravaged by injuries to critical performers last year than the Dodgers were, as they set an MLB record for most players sent to the DL in a season. Despite that fact, they were able to stagger along those injuries, have key components return along the way and ride an MVP finalist level performance from Corey Seager to win the NL West for the fifth straight year. Entering this year, they have a very injury prone rotation that could be the balance between the team reaching its potential yet again. Of their eighth starting pitching options, five spent time on the DL last year.

Outside of their pitching worries, they will also need to get a more consistent offering from their outfield options. Yasiel Puig, Andre Either, Andrew Toles and Joc Pederson are all coming of years where a mixture of injuries, decline and general unavailability drastically diminished the potential of the Dodger lineup.

San Francisco Giants - Will the bullpen be markedly better with Melancon?


San Francisco Giants pitcher Mark Melancon throws in the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game on Feb. 25. 2017. USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the most no doubt expenditure of the offseason was the $62 million the Giants gave to Mark Melancon. The Giants bullpen collapse last year was singularly responsible for their departure from a postseason where they had the eventual champion Chicago Cubs on the ropes. The onus will fall on him to remain the model of ninth inning conversion efficiency that he has been for both the Pirates and Nationals over the past handful of years, but the balance of the Giants bullpen must also step up their game around him.

Cleveland Indians - Can they coordinate the same magic again?


Danny Salazar of the Cleveland Indians throws a warm up pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals during the spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark on March 11, 2017.  Tim Warner/Getty Images

The Indians were a run creating force last year via creating runs on bases better than any other club in the game. That was fueled in large part by the impact of Rajai Davis’ league-leading 43 stolen bases. However, with Davis having departed for Oakland, there is no player on the roster now that can fill that void. Will the Indians be able to keep the pressure on opposing pitchers in the same fashion?

New York Mets - Can the everyday lineup work out together?


New York Mets right fielder Curtis Granderson (3) celebrates after scoring on a sac fly by left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training game on March 17, 2017. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The domino effect of the Mets fighting for the postseason last year have now left them with an imbalanced outfield alignment. Resigning Yoenis Cespedes was a no-brainer, but the experiment of using him in center field is over. They were not able to find a trade partner to take on deadline acquisition Jay Bruce over the winter, so he’ll be back in right field, a decision that forces Curtis Granderson back into center field in a full-time capacity since 2012. Meanwhile, two of the team’s best fit options, Michael Conforto and Juan Lagares, are relegated to bench roles. At some point, the Mets will have to make a move of some sort, because this is a defensive alignment that could sabotage the best efforts of their greatest strength, in their pitching staff.

Washington Nationals - Can they close things out in the ninth?


Washington Nationals relief pitcher Shawn Kelley throws during spring training workouts at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

After ending up on the outside looking in on the free agent closer bidding and being unable to secure a deal on the trade market as well, the Nats enter the season with a big red flag at the back of their bullpen. As a result, they have to tap into their setup depth and hand the initial closer responsibilities to Shawn Kelley, who has 11 career saves in eight years. If he does not pan out, the buck would be passed to Joe Blanton, Blake Treinen, Sammy Solis or eventually back to general manager Mike Rizzo, who could be forced into an overpay scenario to acquire a solution back on the trade market that was unyielding this winter.

Baltimore Orioles - Can Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy make the leap?


Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dylan Bundy throws a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox on March 1, 2017. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The O’s have long awaited for the emergence of their two prized young arms, and finally a year ago they were able to deploy both in the same starting rotation. While the returns were expectedly inconsistent, as the two went through the learning process of being young starters, the talent was clear. However, the training wheels are off and the organization is entrusting the two of them to lead their pitching staff and to pick up where last year left off, which was in the AL Wild Card game. It is a big gamble to base the year around two pitchers who have yet to put together a complete year of success between the two of them.

Texas Rangers - Do they have enough starting pitching?


Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels will anchor the Rangers pitching staff in 2017. Max Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS via Getty Images

Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish provide an enviable duo atop their rotation, capable of pairing off against any other team’s offering in the AL. However, past that point, there are varying degrees of questions about the efficiency of their pitching staff. Martin Perez is solid, not spectacular and behind him is a mixture injury rehab upside options (Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross), but nothing that can offer certain promise to be productive this summer. The glass ceiling over the Rangers is clear, and it cannot be broken without an uptick in their pitching performances.

Boston Red Sox - Can the pitching staff carry its share of the weight?


Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello delivers a pitch against the New York Mets at First Data Field on March 8, 2017. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Before the Boston bullpen found its way late in 2016, it nearly capsized their entire season. And while it is far from the strength of the team now, until recently, it seemed as if their upgraded rotation, which now features Chris Sale, would be able to carry more of the weight. However, David Price’s elbow injury complicates things tremendously, as it is now believed that he will not return until May at best.

If Rick Porcello can have a strong encore to his 20-win, Cy Young season and if Drew Pomeranz can stay healthy and (wait for it) if Eduardo Rodriguez can continue to develop into the frontline arm he has shown promise to be, the woes around the Red Sox pitching staff will be lessened, but that is an awful high amount uncertainty to carry into a season with such high expectations.

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