It's always been pitching with them.
They screwed themselves further by signing Quintana in the offseason. Least it was only for one year.
Team hitting they are ranked #21 at 3.7 fWAR. Behind the Cubs.
Team pitching they are ranked #20 at 2.7 fWAR
Team fielding they are 2nd to last at -12.9 Def
They are just bad in general.
We get wraped up in name value but Trout is all of their O at 2.4 fWAR. Rendon is at .5 himself and was a major investment.
Tossing cash will not fix them. They need to start producing.
If you want my opinion?
Let Ohtani be a full time starter. A ace costs more than a DH.
Most of the starters are at .6- through .2 fWAR. Otani has 3 less starts and 18 less innings than Bundy. They are tied at .5.
You make him the ace then we are looking at a 1+ WAR pitcher with some issues going on but not drastic. Q you drop into the pen. Bundy is a decent #4. Henaney is a decent back of the rotation lefty. As of now he would be my #5. Cobb has bad luck or D. It is 2nd to last in the league. His Fip is at 2.52 ERA 5.48. So ya this is a D issue.
Sandoval has been moved up into the rotation. This might be a in house fix if he can match 2018. 11-1 2.06 ERA over 4 levels. They also have Chris Rodriguez in the pen but also came up a starter.
So they have something going on already.
The reality is they need to rebuild to put stronger D players up the middle. Move Trout to RF maybe sign Jacky Bradley for CF next year. Then go after a better SS. Iglesias is not going to win you much. Rendon has been the best defender but his bat is not where it was.
So if I was them. Shed contract and be a big player in the SS market. Baez IMO is a match there. Cubs move Nico to SS until the next wave upwells. Like I said Bradley in CF to move Trout to RF and increase the over all D.
PS: Oh they have Marsh. Nix the Bradley. Marsh has the same level of D at AAA. They should just promote him and push Rodriguez into the rotation.
Regardless Iglesias is their heel. -8.5 UZR/150. The O is lite weight. So SS is their challenge going forward and their investment. Everything else should end up in house.
Ohtani
Sandoval
Rodriguez
Invest
Invest