I think the offense takes a step back next year and there's not much we can do about it, but we can still improve the team. We won't be able to fully replace Hammy and Nap's production through either trades or FA, and Kinsler and Cruz will continue to decline hitting-wise. What to do? Improve the starting pitching to compensate. It's still about plus-minus after all. Right now M. Perez looks like our leading candidate for the 5th spot next year. Forget that. Use him + Olt + whoever to get Price. He's going to arby and will get really expensive for TB, plus they've needed a 1B for years and Olt is young and cheap which they'll like. If we're going after a starter, might as well go all in and get an impact ace-type, someone awesome and YOUNG instead of someone just good but older like Shields. I have no faith anymore that Holland will ever be anything more than a #3 starter and Harrison isn't that dominating ace-type that every contending team seems to have. Price-Darvish-Harrison-Lewis-Holland could match up with anyone, and OAK has shown us that you can win with good pitching and a just-OK offense.

Add a vet FA setup guy like maybe Madson who might come cheap as he's coming off injury. Jason Grilli had an insane year with PIT (90 K's in only 58 IP, 2.91 ERA), maybe Casey Janssen if he's willing to go back to a setup role. Scheppers was horrible this year when he faced more than 1 batter. He'll be 26 already next year and unless he plays winter ball and shows some improvement there and in spring training, it'll be hard to not be disappointed with his slow development.

So basically IMHO, the offense will get worse and we can't do much about that but we can compensate with better pitching. We need another top-end starter to fill out the top-3 because Holland doesn't have it and Perez is iffy as the 5th starter (he needs more time next year in AAA-level), and we need more vet late-inning bullpen depth because Scheppers is a huge question mark. We'll be a little less balanced and look more like WAS or OAK next year with pitching more a strength than the O, but those teams did pretty well this year.

Santana is trash. Haren could potentially be a Colby Lewis innings-eater kinda guy. No way Dempster will be back because the Rangers won't give him that expensive qualifying offer and some desperate team will throw a 3 or 4 year deal at him.

Soria would be a great 8th inning guy IMO, could have him set up nathan in 2013, closer in 2014

I wonder what David Price will get at Arby's. Maybe a roast beef sandwich?