FIVE MLB TEAMS THAT NEED TO BLOW IT ALL UP AND FIVE THAT SHOULD NOT

It's less than a month since the World Series ended, but already baseball fans and certainly major league organizations find themselves looking ahead to 2019. We know teams like the recently crowned champion Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees will be in next year's World Series discussion. Houston and the Los Angeles Dodgers will be as well.

Of course, there will be teams that come out of nowhere to contend, like Oakland and Atlanta did this season, and those that will disappoint, perhaps following in the path of the Washington Nationals.

Then there are clubs in limbo, at a crossroads, perhaps — ones that can go either way next season and beyond. With that in mind, here are five teams that should remain on their current paths to potential greatness and five that might as well fold their hands and begin anew.

STAY THE COURSE

CHICAGO CUBS: Aren't they supposed to be in the midst of a dynasty? Not the way things went last season when scoring runs became a major issue in the final month or so of the regular season. With Milwaukee now a proven threat in the NL Central, the Cubs' perennial success is no longer a given. Theo Epstein and Co. are certainly not ready for a rebuild at this point, but they also don't appear to have the cash to spend on the likes of Bryce Harper, and to a lesser extent, Manny Machado. What the Cubs do have is a solid core — with or without Kris Bryant — in Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Willson Contreras and one of the top starting pitching staffs in baseball.

MINNESOTA TWINS: The drop-off from postseason participant in 2017 to 84-loss club this past season made the Twins one of the bigger disappointments of 2018. But there's still reason to believe they can bounce back in 2019 and remain on a successful course over the following seasons. New manager Rocco Baldelli will bring a fresh approach to a roster that includes young talent in Miguel Sano and Max Kepler. However, the club is still waiting for both to truly break out. Minnesota will also have some money to spend on established talent. And don't forget: It still plays in the worst division in the majors, meaning the potential for a rebound season is quite possible.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:  A 12-28 record down the stretch proved the Phillies were not ready for prime time. However, they have the money to be major players this offseason, reportedly with an eye clearly set on Bryce Harper. Aaron Nola is a stud ace, but there are still holes — a defense that committed the second-most errors in the majors (123). But Philadelphia saw first-hand what Atlanta was able to accomplish in 2018, and with the right veteran acquisitions that make sense on the field and the payroll, a postseason berth is looming.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: It's now three straight seasons without a postseason appearance; that hasn't happened in St. Louis since the late 1990s. Sure, some of the "Best Fans in Baseball" would like to see a rebuild, but that doesn't make sense. Despite the playoff drought, the Cardinals still won at least 83 games in each of the last three years, were contenders well into September and enjoyed a rebirth of sorts when Mike Shildt took over for fired manager Mike Matheny in mid-July. The Cardinals will aim for a big bat this winter, and that along with some improved defense (major league-leading 133 errors in 2018) should keep them in postseason contention.

TAMPA BAY RAYS: Winning 90 games in 2018 didn't get the Rays into the postseason, but if asked to pick between them, Oakland (97 wins) and Seattle (89), the group in Florida seems to have the better future. Don't forget: Tampa Bay was bothered by injuries this season yet had the second-lowest ERA (3.74) in the AL thanks to Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. Former Cardinal Tommy Pham might have found the right home in Tampa and infielder Willy Adames looks like a budding star. The small-market Rays are always one bad season away from a rebuild, but that should not be the case at the moment.

TEAR IT DOWN

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:  What seemed to be a promising 2018 season, ended with 11 wins in the final 35 games and an 82-80 mark. Now, the Diamondbacks reportedly are looking to rebuild since a good number of their key players are free agents. They also have plenty of intriguing pieces to help complete the puzzle of most would-be contenders, beginning with stars Paul Goldschmidt and Zack Greinke. Arizona currently can't seriously compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers, or even Colorado, in the NL West. So why not start from scratch and begin a process that will eventually make that a reality again?

CLEVELAND INDIANS: OK, maybe there's not a complete rebuild needed in Cleveland. But while an average Indians team could still win the AL Central for another year, or two, they've taken steps back in terms of being a true postseason contender. Free agency will hit their bullpen hard this offseason. However, if the Indians can find a way to successfully develop even more youth around young stars in Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Carrasco and Mike Clevinger, they should be able to perennially compete with the likes of the Yankees, Astros and Red Sox.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS: They have arguably the majors' best player in Mike Trout, but where has that gotten the Angels? Only one postseason appearance in his eight seasons — and Los Angeles was swept by Kansas City in that 2014 Division Series. Brad Ausmus is a seasoned manager, but the pitching staff is in shambles, Shohei Ohtani's health should be a concern and there is not much depth to work with. Trading Trout might seem drastic, but if the club doesn't improve, it needs to see what the most valuable commodity in baseball is worth.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS:  An aging, expensive roster that's lost 187 games over the last two seasons does not make for an enticing future. New president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi is tasked with deciding the Giants' direction. A rebuild would seem to make the most sense, and ace Madison Bumgarner seems like as good a piece as any to get the ball rolling. The Giants must find a way to get back to the level of every-other-year champions, and Zaidi seems like a good choice to lead the charge. It just might take more lean years to make it happen.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS: Don't fault the Blue Jays for trying to go all in, and it almost worked with back-to-back postseason trips and a run to the ALCS in 2016. However, that window for greatness looks to have closed, following a second straight fourth-place campaign. What's exciting for Toronto is a farm system that boasts baseball's No.1 prospect in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and top-10 talent Bo Bichette. If both names sound familiar, they should. A youth-infused overhaul should actually be exciting for Jays' fans, knowing that the potential for established major league success doesn't seem too far away.