Toonstruck 1 » The MLB offseason is officially underway.

This winter should bring plenty of excitement thanks to a free-agent class headlined by Bryce Harper and Manny Machado http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-patrick-corbin-jersey , and a trade market that could really shift the balance if a few teams on the fringe decide to start rebuilding.With the Red Sox and Dodgers still in the spotlight, let's take a look at what awaits both World Series participants this offseason, including their incumbent free agents and various areas of need.Boston Red SoxNathan EovaldiBob Levey/Getty ImagesNotable Free Agents:RP Craig Kimbrel, SP Nathan Eovaldi, 1B/OF Steve Pearce, 2B Ian Kinsler, RP Joe Kelly, SP/RP Drew Pomeranz, 2B Brandon Phillips, IF Eduardo Nunez (player option)First and foremost, the Red Sox will need to decide whether re-signing closer Craig Kimbrel is a priority.The 30-year-old is the game's active saves leader with 333, including 42 this season in 63 games, while posting a 2.74 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings.Craig KimbrelSean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesWhile he nailed down all six of his save chances during the postseason, he struggled to the tune of a 5.91 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over 10.2 innings. As the top closer on the market, a big payday is coming his way, and the Red Sox might prefer to let someone else pony up for his post-prime years.Zach Britton, Cody Allen, Kelvin Herrera, David Robertson and Jeurys Familia are among the alternatives on the free-agent market who have closing experience.Next on the to-do list will be deciding whether to bring back deadline-addition and postseason standout Nathan Eovaldi.Nick Cafardo of theBoston Globeoffered up the following on his likely asking price:"Most executives think a comparable isAlex Cobb, who also came back from Tommy John and landed a four-year, $57 million deal with Baltimore last offseason. Eovaldi's pedigree exceeds Cobb's at this point, so his contract should be more lucrative. The Red Sox should be interested in re-signing him, particularly withChris Sale'scurrent physical condition."With Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez likely locked into four rotation spots, the team will need to add at least one starter, whether it's a reunion with Eovaldi or an outside pickup.Beyond those two key free agents, the team could also explore a reunion with World Series MVP Steve Pearce, who made for an excellent platoon partner with first baseman Mitch Moreland thanks to his strong work against left-handed pitching.The team could also conceivably look for upgrades at catcher and second base.Christian Vazquez, Sandy Leon and Dan Butler hit a combined .194/.246/.288 during the regular season, so it wouldn't be hard to find an offensive upgrade behind the plate. Vazquez signed a three-year extension in March and remains a plus defender, so it's unlikely the team will move on from him entirely.What role will Dustin Pedroia play in 2019?Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty ImagesAt second base, the health of 35-year-old Dustin Pedroia is the big question mark. Veterans Brandon Phillips and Ian Kinsler were brought in as stopgap solutions during the season, but they're now free agents.Eduardo Nunez will be back if he exercises his $5 million player option and Brock Holt can play second, but the team might prefer keeping them two in utility roles and exploring more of an everyday solution. A reunion with Kinsler is a possibility at the right price.Beyond that, expect a few bullpen arms to be added the mix. Re-signing Joe Kelly is a possibility, but the Sox will likely cast a wide net.The other focus of the offseason could be on in-house extensions.Sale andXander Bogaerts are free agents in two offseasons and Mookie Betts hits the open market after 2020, so locking up at least one of those cornerstone players would be nice.The rival New York Yankees aren't going anywhere, and both the Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians are built for long-term success, but there's no reason to think the Red Sox won't again be among the World Series favorites in 2019. Los Angeles DodgersManny MachadoSean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesNotable Free Agents:SS/3B Manny Machado, C Yasmani Grandal, SP Hyun-Jin Ryu, 2B Brian Dozier, RP Ryan Madson Randy Johnson Jersey , RP John Axford, RP Daniel Hudson, RP Tom Koehler, SP Clayton Kershaw (opt-out)The Dodgers will have a decision from Clayton Kershaw on whether he'll exercise his opt-out clause by midnight ET on Thursday, and he offered up the following to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on his current mindset:"I know the future questions are obviously coming for myself. ... I've got three days now to think about all of that stuff before anything happens. And so it will be an eventful three days for me, and I'll try to figure it out.I haven't made the decision yet. We have three days to talk, between us and the Dodgers, see what happens. And then we'll go from there."Even if he does decide to opt out, there's a good chance it will simply be to secure a longer deal from the Dodgers. You never know, though.At any rate, adding at least one starting pitcher will be on the to-do list, as Hyun-Jin Ryu is also a free agent.That leaves Walker Buehler and Rich Hill as the only two pitchers locked into rotation spots, while Alex Wood, Ross Stripling and Kenta Maeda split their time between starting and relieving last season.Ryan MadsonElsa/Getty ImagesBridging the gap to closer Kenley Jansen was also a struggle at times, so signing a setup reliever or two could go a long way.Ryan Madson filled the eighth-inning role after joining the team in August, and he'll be a candidate to be re-signed. Pedro Baez, Scott Alexander and Dylan Floro will be back, but more help is needed.Second base also looks like an area of need.Brian Dozier is a free agent, and the team would benefit from leaving Chris Taylor and Kike Hernandez in utility roles. Kansas City Royals standout Whit Merrifield could be a fit on the trade market, while guys like Jed Lowrie, DJ LeMahieu and Daniel Murphy are options in free agency.The recovery of Corey Seager is also a storyline worth watching.While it's unlikely the team will make an attempt to re-sign Manny Machado with theshortstop on the mend, a stopgap addition might be necessary if he's not on track to return by Opening Day.Yasmani GrandalEzra Shaw/Getty ImagesCatcher Yasmani Grandal is also a free agent and is likely headed for a nice payday as the top backstop on the market. Defensive-minded Austin Barnes will be back, but the team could opt to leave the position open with prospects Will Smith and Keibert Ruiz knocking on the door.Signing someone like Kurt Suzuki to a one-year deal to team with Barnes until the young guys are ready might make sense.The Dodgers have won six straight NL West titles, and a seventh could be forthcoming if they can fill in the roster gaps with another busy winter. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted. David Maxwell/Getty ImagesWhat if MLB's All-Star teams were comprised entirely of players 25-and-under, and what if those teams met in a completely hypothetical contest?Who would win?That's the question we're setting out to answer. First, a few ground rules:Both teams will feature 25 players, including 14 position players and 11 pitchers. The starting lineups must be populated by eight players who have logged at least an inning at the position in question in 2018, but we're not worrying about balancing the benches (like with a backup catcher, say).Players must be 25 years old or younger as of this writing (duh).Guys don't have to be healthy, but they need to have accumulated enough WAR while they were on the field this season.Speaking of which: Rosters were selected based on FanGraphs' WAR rankings for 2018 entering play Monday. Yes, WAR is an imperfect measure of player value. Granted, this inevitably sparked some controversial calls (for example: ride the pine, Bryce Harper). But we didn't have a big, fancy fan vote鈥攁nd it's tough to argue WAR didn't help us pick two pretty darn good squads stocked with some of the most exciting burgeoning talent in the game.In cases of a tie, we broke it based on career WAR.As for who would win? We'll tally up the totals and save that for the end.American League Starters1 of 7Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesCGary Sanchez, New York Yankees (age 25, 1.2 WAR)1BMatt Olson, Oakland Athletics (age 24, 1.6 WAR)2BAlex Bregman, Houston Astros (age 24, 4.5 WAR)SSFrancisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians (age 24, 5.3 WAR)3BJose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians (age 25 http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-a.-j.-pollock-jersey , 6.5 WAR)OFMookie Betts, Boston Red Sox (age 25, 6.3 WAR)OFAndrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox (age 24, 3.6 WAR)OFDaniel Robertson, Tampa Bay Rays (age 24, 2.2 WAR) We fudged a little sliding the Houston Astros' Alex Bregman from his natural position at third base to second, but he did log one start there this season.That said, he rounds out a superb infield that includes the Oakland Athletics' Matt Olson and Cleveland Indians cohorts Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor, who have hit like a latter-day Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig tandem in 2018.Behind the dish, New York Yankees receiver Gary Sanchez is out with a groin injury but is expected back after the All-Star break, per Marc Carig of The Athletic. He's hitting a subpar .190 but has cracked 14 homers with 41 RBI in 63 games.In the outfield, Boston Red Sox teammates Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi bring their enviable, toolsy skill sets and are joined by Daniel Robertson of the Tampa Bay Rays, a versatile wild card who's played left field, every infield position and even pitched a scoreless frame.National League Starters2 of 7Scott Cunningham/Getty ImagesCJorge Alfaro, Philadelphia Phillies (age 25, 1.1 WAR)1B Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers (age 23, 2.1 WAR)2BOzzie Albies, Atlanta Braves (age 21, 3.4 WAR)SSTrevor Story, Colorado Rockies (age 25, 3.0 WAR)3BJavier Baez, Chicago Cubs (age 25, 3.4 WAR)OF Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs (age 25, 2.6 WAR)OFBrandon Nimmo, New York Mets (age 25, 2.5 WAR)OFBrian Anderson, Miami Marlins (age 25, 2.1 WAR) That's one heck of an emerging infield.Occasional struggles aside, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Cody Bellinger and Trevor Story boast a combined 37 homers and 112 RBI at first base and shortstop, respectively.Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies was recently called "one of the best hitters I've ever seen" by no less an authority than the Astros' Jose Altuve, per Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Cubs' Javier Baez was a stretch at third considering he's spent far more time at the keystone sack and shortstop, but he's manned the hot corner, and his 19 homers, NL-leading 72 RBI and .892 OPS are too good to ignore.On the subject of Cubbies, Baez is the only North Side player with a higher WAR than Kyle Schwarber, who's cracked 18 home runs with an .873 OPS and gets a nod in the outfield next to the New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (13 HR, .863 OPS) and Miami Marlins' Brian Anderson, who CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson said might be "the most underappreciated rookie in the game" for his all-around play.American League Bench3 of 7Bob Levey/Getty ImagesINF Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox (age 25, 3.2 WAR)INF Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics (age 25 Yasmany Tomas Jersey , 3.0 WAR)INF Carlos Correa, Houston Astros (age 23, 2.4 WAR)OF Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers (age 25, 1.9 WAR)INF Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox (age 25, 1.8 WAR)INFJeimer Candelario, Detroit Tigers (age 24, 1.8 WAR)Baltimore Orioles superstar (for now) and likely trade deadline wave-maker Manny Machado turned 26 on July 6.That leaves the Boston Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts, the Houston Astros' Carlos Correa and the Chicago White Sox's Tim Anderson to form one of the most impressive collections of 25-and-under shortstops you'll ever see. Period.Rounding out the AL bench are the Detroit Tigers' Jeimer Candelario, A's first baseman Matt Chapman and Texas Rangers' utilityman Jurickson Profar.It's a versatile collection you'll be hearing a lot more from in the near future.National League Bench4 of 7Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesINFTrea Turner, Washington Nationals (age 25, 2.7 WAR)INF Addison Russell, Chicago Cubs (age 24, 2.0 WAR)INF Jose Peraza, Cincinnati Reds (age 24, 1.8 WAR)INF Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals (age 24, 1.6 WAR)OF Albert Almora Jr., Chicago Cubs (age 24, 1.6 WAR)OF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals (age 25, 1.5 WAR) Cue the superstar controversy.Harper is having an uneven year for the Washington Nationals. He's also won a Rookie of the Year and MVP award, has 23 home runs and an .833 OPS and is one of the most famous baseball players on the planet.If this were based on past accomplishments or jersey sales, he'd be in the starting nine. As it is, he scarcely squeaked onto a solid bench that features his speedy fellow Nat Trea Turner, Cubs teammates Addison Russell and Albert Almora Jr., plus the St. Louis Cardinals' Paul DeJong and Cincinnati Reds' Jose Peraza.Harper should be OK hanging with those guys while he waits to get in the game.American League Pitchers5 of 7Tom Szczerbowski/Getty ImagesRHP Luis Severino, New York Yankees (age 24, 4.0 WAR)RHP Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners (age 24, 2.4 WAR)RHP Jose Berrios, Minnesota Twins (age 24, 2.3 WAR)LHP Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays (age 25, 2.3 WAR)RHP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (age 24, 2.1 WAR)RHP Lance McCullers Jr., Houston Astros (age 24, 1.9 WAR)LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox (age 25, 1.9 WAR)RHP Jose Leclerc, Texas Rangers (age 24, 1.4 WAR)RHP Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers (age 25 http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-shelby-miller-jersey , 1.4 WAR)RHP Joe Jimenez, Detroit Tigers (age 23, 1.3 WAR)RHP Reynaldo Lopez, Chicago White Sox (age 24, 1.2 WAR) Yankees righty Luis Severino is the undisputed ace of this staff and obviously should start our imaginary contest.After that, the AL can turn to a bevy of emerging starting stars such as the Rays' Blake Snell and one of the best closers in the game in the Seattle Mariners' Edwin Diaz.The most eyebrow-raising addition here is the Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, who came on strong as a two-way star before succumbing to elbow trouble and is back with the bat in Anaheim but hasn't pitched in a game since June 6.The assumption is the 24-year-old will again take the mound in the majors, so we combined his WAR as a hitter and hurler and gave him a nod.National League Pitchers6 of 7Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesRHP Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies (age 25, 4.2 WAR)LHP Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers (age 24, 2.1 WAR)RHP Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets (age 25, 2.0 WAR)RHP Zach Eflin, Philadelphia Phillies (age 24, 1.9 WAR)LHP Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies (age 25, 1.8 WAR)RHP Nick Pivetta, Philadelphia Phillies (age 25, 1.7 WAR)RHP Seranthony Dominguez, Philadelphia Phillies (age 23, 1.5 WAR)RHP Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals (age 24, 1.5 WAR)LHP Andrew Suarez, San Francisco Giants (age 25, 1.4 WAR)RHP Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers (age 23, 1.4 WAR)RHP German Marquez, Colorado Rockies (age 23, 1.2 WAR) Noah Syndergaard returned to action July 13 for the Mets and threw five innings of one-run ball at home against the Nationals. It was a positive step forward for Thor, who missed extended time to a finger injury.Let's say he's fully healthy and throwing triple-digit bolts. He's your guy. If not, it's Phillies righty Aaron Nola, who has fanned 24 while allowing only three earned runs in 20 July frames.Oh, and after that the NL can hand the ball to the Milwaukee Brewers' Josh Hader, who pairs his 1.50 ERA with a no-that's-not-a-typo 16.7 strikeouts per nine innings.Might want to save him for the late innings. Or not.And the Winner Is...7 of 7Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesGames are played on the field, not on the stat sheet, to recycle one of sports' oldest cliches. Baseball, though, thrives on numbers. We love to play with the stats.In case you didn't dust off the abacus, here's how this one shook out:National League: 52.1 WARAmerican League: 69.5 WARThat's a decisive edge for the AL, based largely on the strength of its glitziest under-25 stars such as Ramirez, Lindor and Betts. On top of that, the Junior Circuit posted a better collective WAR in every category.Is that how it would end up on an actual ballfield? We'll never know. But it's a fun thing to chew on while we await the actual Midsummer Classic in the nation's capital. All statistics current as of Monday and courtesy of FanGraphs.