Not only are pitchers and catchers set to officially report for the first spring training game but full-squad workouts will soon follow and most offseason moves have been made, so even though some big names are still unsigned, this is a good time to rank the league in anticipation of Opening Day.
Here is my assessment of each MLB team, rated from best to worst, based on my evaluation of each team’s trades, signings, incoming prospects, developing big-league players, and overall rosters across all 30 teams.
The Braves have the best lineup in the majors, with players ranging from one to twenty-six; at the top of the order are National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and reigning MLB strikeout king Spencer Strider. They also play excellent defense, with the best corner infield tandem in the game in Matt Olson at first and Austin Riley at third. Behind Strider, their lineup is strong, with veteran lefty Chris Sale and righty Bryce Elder combined for nearly 175 innings last season; they have a deep bullpen led by closer Raisel Iglesias; up the middle, they have a unique combination of speed and power in Ozzie Albies at second, Michael Harris II in center, and Sean Murphy behind the plate. This offseason, the Braves made two major trades: they acquired veteran lefty Chris Sale from the Red Sox to bolster the rotation, and they added Jarred Kelenic from the Mariners, taking a chance on the 24-year-old outfielder as a reclamation project. The Braves’ season will depend greatly on Sale, 34, and Morton, 40, pitching close to their usual standards and maintaining good health. If they do, the Braves might be planning a parade for the World Series by Halloween.
As the team with by far the largest player salary commitment of any offseason, the Dodgers inked the best free-agent starter pitcher in the game (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) and the best player overall in the majors (Shohei Ohtani). The Dodgers have done an incredible job of adding quality and depth to their starting pitching ranks and are now poised to win the NL West for the eleventh time in the last twelve years. As spring training commences, they are the favorites in Vegas to win the World Series once more. They also signed a corner outfielder with 25 home run power (Teoscar Hernández), traded for an ace (Tyler Glasnow), and re-signed franchise legend Clayton Kershaw.
The Cubs signed Jon Lester before the season in 2016, the Astros traded for Justin Verlander in 2017, and the Orioles followed that script when they acquired Corbin Burnes. The Orioles needed to add one more piece to their roster in order to be a World Series-or-bust type team, and they did so with the trade of Burnes. This team is loaded with young players who are ready for breakout seasons and/or significantly improved performances. Burnes joins a rotation that includes Kyle Bradish, who is coming off a breakout season, and Grayson Rodriguez, who is on a path to be the team’s future ace. The team’s opening day second baseman, Jackson Holliday, has the best hit tool of any baseball prospect and is probably going to be the favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year. The team’s left infield, which includes shortstop Gunnar Henderson and third baseman Jordan Westburg, is among the best in the league, and Adley Rutschman is currently the best overall catcher in sports. The Orioles have a strong bullpen in Craig Kimbrel, Yennier Canó, Danny Coulombe, and lefty John Means, who will be a strong candidate for AL Comeback Player of the Year. The outfield, which includes Anthony Santander in right, Cedric Mullins in center, and Austin Hays in left, is more than solid, and the team is loaded with rookie outfielders ready to step in if any of them struggle or need to be traded for more pitching. But the Orioles will probably need to add more depth and quality to their pen before the trade deadline.
With a strong core of position players surrounding Altuve (third baseman Alex Bregman, left fielder Yordan Alvarez, and right fielder Kyle Tucker), the Astros surprised everyone in baseball by agreeing to a five-year deal with Josh Hader, a talented closer who, when paired with Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu, may have the strongest bullpen in the majors. Yainer Diaz takes over as their everyday catcher, replacing Martín Maldonado, who signed with the White Sox this winter. The Astros’ rotation, which consists of Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, José Urquidy, Hunter Brown, and J.P. France, will be crucial to their success. Brown, 25, is expected to have a breakout season. The Astros have a new manager in Joe Espada, who succeeded future Hall of Famer Dusty Baker, and some new faces, but the championship standard remains the same: they are once again serious contenders for the World Series.
The Rangers signed relievers Kirby Yates and David Robertson to replace Aroldis Chapman, and they believe rookie slugger Wyatt Langford—who has a real shot of making the big-league team out of spring training—to be a better bat in the order than Garver and Grossman combined. In addition, they released designated hitters Mitch Garver and Robbie Grossman via free agency. Mitch Garver is still unsigned. The Rangers have position players that are on par with or better than anyone in the American League, but the team’s biggest question is when its three injured starting pitchers (Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Tyler Mahle) will be ready to return to the rotation and how well they will perform when they do. Right now, the Rangers’ starting rotation for the season consists of Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning, and Cody Bradford; while this is a respectable lineup, it is not as good as that of the Astros or Mariners. All three teams seem to be playoff contenders this year, so it should be an exciting pennant race in the AL West. With one of the finest team defenses in the game, the Rangers are hoping that Corey Seager, who underwent surgery in late January to treat a left sports hernia, will be ready by Opening Day or soon thereafter. Seager will miss the most of spring training.
The Phillies had a quiet offseason aside from signing Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract. (They did add a few pitchers and could bolster their bench, looking to the outfield, this spring.) They lost reliever Craig Kimbrel in free agency, but they feel comfortable with their holdovers in the bullpen, which includes Jim Hoffman, José Alvarado, Seranthony Domínguez, and Gregory Soto. Their rotation, which includes Wheeler, Nola, Ranger Suárez, Taijuan Walker, and Cristopher Sánchez, is still playoff-caliber. The Phillies are a playoff team, but it will likely be with the first wild-card berth as overtaking the Braves in the NL East is a tall order. The Phillies are much improved defensively with Johan Rojas taking over in center field, Brandon Marsh (currently sidelined with a minor knee injury) moving to left field, and Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm making huge strides in the field at second and third, respectively; plus do not forget about J.T. Realmuto, arguably the National League’s best overall catcher, who should be better than last year.
The Diamondbacks, who are currently the defending National League Champions, had a fantastic offseason. They signed Eduardo Rodriguez for a four-year contract worth $80 million, giving them a strong overall rotation of Rodriguez, Merrill Kelly, Rodriguez, Ryne Nelson, and Brandon Pfaadt. They also traded for closer Paul Sewald. This is an elite defensive team with game-changing speed, and while I doubt they can defeat the Dodgers in the West, their roster looks primed for a postseason return. The Diamondbacks added left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a three-year, $42 million deal, which was a good value. Corbin Carroll should be in the running for MVP once again, and Gold Glove winner Gabriel Moreno should become one of the NL’s top four (overall) catchers. These two significantly increase the team’s power, and their occasional three-run home runs could be a huge difference-maker, especially in close regular-season games.
A thorough examination of the Yankees’ offseason has to start with the acquisition of superstar Juan Soto, who will bat second and play right field. With Soto, the Yankees will have the advantage of hitting before Aaron Judge in the order and spending half of his games at Yankee Stadium’s right field short porch. During his free agent walk year, he will be especially driven, and I believe he will win the American League MVP Award. Additionally, I believe shortstop Anthony Volpe will join the 30/30 club this season. Lastly, the addition of Soto and the trade of left fielder Alex Verdugo should greatly raise the Yankees’ on-base percentage. The Yankees will primarily concentrate on keeping first baseman Anthony Rizzo and DH Giancarlo Stanton healthy and productive, as well as on keeping the players in their rotation behind ace Gerrit Cole off the disabled list, especially Carlos Rodón, Stroman, and Nestor Cortes. Snell has declined a five-year, $162 million contract from the team. They also signed righty starter Marcus Stroman to a two-year contract and acquired two lefty relievers in Caleb Ferguson and Victor González.
The Blue Jays have brought back Gold Glove center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, signed Cuban reliever Yariel Rodriguez to a four-year, $32 million contract, added versatile Isiah Kiner-Falefa to provide positional flexibility off the bench, and added DH Justin Turner to strengthen the middle of their lineup. However, they are still working to re-sign third baseman Matt Chapman. The Blue Jays still have one of the best rotations in the AL East (Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi, Alek Manoah) and a strong bullpen, highlighted by closer Jordan Romero and set-up reliever Erik Swanson. How will Manoah fare after a nightmare season? Their position player core is still led by shortstop Bo Bichette and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but they haven’t been able to sign either of them long term; both are eligible for free agency after the 2025 season, so if the Blue Jays aren’t in the pennant race at the trade deadline, could one or both of them be moved? I don’t see the Blue Jays in that position though. They need to improve the bottom half of their lineup but are still a serious playoff contender.
10. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have a strong defensive team up the middle with Cal Raleigh behind the plate, J.P. Crawford at shortstop, and Julio Rodríguez in center field; they made a big trade with the Twins to acquire second baseman Jorge Polanco, who drastically improves their offense and offers 20-plus home run power at the position; the bullpen is dominant, led by closer Andrés Muñoz and set-up relievers Matt Brash and Gregory Santos. The Mariners, with the exception of Luis Castillo, who is 26 years of age or younger, have perhaps the strongest young starting rotation in the American League. The Mariners will miss the power of Teoscar Hernández, who signed with the Dodgers in free agency, and Eugenio Suárez, whom they traded to the Diamondbacks. On the plus side, the lineup should make more contact and strike out much less, but I think they still need to add one more significant hitter to be a real postseason threat. DH Mitch Garver’s signing will also help, especially against left-handed pitching.
11. Minnesota Twins
I think the Twins did a great job getting what they wanted in the Jorge Polanco trade with the Mariners, acquiring plus-plus power and a strong arm in outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez in addition to starting pitching depth in Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa in the five-player deal. The Twins lost Sonny Gray in free agency, but they are confident that a healthy Chris Paddack can replace him, and the rest of their rotation is solid with Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober leading the way. The Twins were the best at “standing pat” this offseason because they had so many major-league-ready prospects in their farm system to cover the gaps. Third baseman Royce Lewis, a superstar in the making, is poised for a big year. Now let us just hope Byron Buxton can avoid injuries for one season. The Twins should repeat as AL Central champions. Brooks Lee, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 draft, can replace Polanco at second base. The Twins also dealt utilityman Nick Gordon to the Marlins for lefty reliever Steven Okert.
Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Noelvi Marte at shortstop lead one of the best infields in the game. The Reds also signed veteran Jeimer Candelario to replace Joey Votto at first base, and they still have Jonathan India and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to help on the right side of the infield and in the DH position. With the exception of Candelario, who turned thirty last November, every starting lineup member is in their 20s; the Reds remind me a lot of the 1999 team that I managed in Cincinnati; that season, nobody predicted us to win 96 games, but we did. The Reds’ prospects for success will depend on how their rotation, which is led by Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, and Graham Ashcraft, develops. In the outfield, they will have Tyler Stephenson, a strong offensive catcher, in left, Spencer Steer in left, and TJ Friedl in center. The best part of their offseason, though, was the depth they added to the pitching staff, which, in addition to Frankie Montas, includes Nick Martinez (who can start or relieve), relievers Emilio Pagán and Brent Suter, and re-signed Buck Farmer, who made 71 appearances last season. I am predicting an NL Central title in 2024 for this up-and-coming team. They made a smart free-agent bet on Montas in the hopes that he stays healthy and can pitch like he did a few years ago with the Oakland A’s.
Extending the contracts of two of the best in the business, manager Kevin Cash and president of baseball operations Erik Neander, were the best moves the Rays made this offseason. In terms of player transactions, they traded ace Tyler Glasnow to the Dodgers for outfielder Manuel Margot and talented righty Ryan Pepiot, who is expected to start in the rotation right away, as well as outfielder Jonny DeLuca, who is 25 years old and thought to be major league ready. While it is unlikely that Wander Franco will return this season due to legal issues, the Rays still have a competitive team and it is tough to bet against a team that contends year in and year out. That being said, it appears that this season will be more difficult for the Rays to make the playoffs than it has been in the previous few years. The Rays also strengthened their bullpen depth by signing relievers Phil Maton and Chris Devenski.
14. Chicago Cubs
To put it mildly, the Cubs’ decision to fire David Ross and hire Craig Counsell—the highest-paid major league manager—to begin the offseason was audacious. Aside from signing right-hander Héctor Neris and left-hander Shota Imanaga—Imanaga is a reliable set-up reliever who had a 1.71 ERA in 71 appearances last season, and Neris is a back-of-the-rotation type starter—they had a quiet winter in terms of player movement. Both players should add to their clubhouse culture. Moreover, the Cubs acquired reliever Yency Almonte and 26-year-old first baseman Michael Busch from the Dodgers, in Los Angeles. Busch was thrown out by Freddie Freeman. However, the trade came at a steep cost as lefty Jackson Ferris, a top pitching prospect, was included in the deal. Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery are still available as free agents, and maybe president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer will make a significant addition. If this is all the Cubs accomplish, they will once again resemble a contending squad rather than a postseason squad.
The Padres had to deviate from their original plan in order to reduce payroll, get younger, and rebuild their roster after they were unable to extend the contract of Juan Soto. They traded Soto to the Yankees, gaining four pitchers in the seven-player deal—Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vasquez—all of whom could potentially be added to the team by spring training. They also further reduced payroll by waiving the contracts of free agents Blake Snell, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Nick Martinez, and Josh Hader, among others, as well as trades of reliever Scott Barlow and infielder Matt Chapman. Finally, the Padres strengthened their bullpen by signing former Yankees lefty Wandy Peralta to a four-year contract. They also signed Japanese reliever Yuki Matsui to a five-year deal and Korean reliever Woo-Suk Go to a two-year contract. The Padres will miss Soto and Trent Grisham, who was a part of the Soto trade. The top half of the lineup will still be competitive with Ha-Seong Kim, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Manny Machado. On the other hand, the Padres have appointed Mike Shildt as manager, having enjoyed a successful managerial tenure with the Cardinals before losing his job due to philosophical differences. In order to bolster their bullpen, the Padres inked former Yankees lefty Wandy Peralta to a four-year contract. They also signed Japanese reliever Yuki Matsui to a five-year deal and Korean reliever Woo-Suk Go to a two-year contract. While the Padres will be without Soto and Trent Grisham, who was acquired in the Soto trade, they will still have a competitive top half of the lineup in the form of Ha-Seong Kim, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Manny Machado. On the other hand, Mike Shildt has been named manager of the Padres.
16. Miami Marlins
The Marlins, without their ace Sandy Alcantara, will miss the entire season due to Tommy John surgery last October. The team’s wild-card-contending rotation consists of pitchers who are all 26 years of age or younger: right-handers Eury Pérez and Edward Cabrera, and lefties Jesús Luzardo, Braxton Garrett, and Trevor Rogers. Luis Arraez, a two-time batting champion, and Jazz Chisholm Jr., a center fielder who offers a unique blend of speed and power, lead the Marlins’ position-player group. Peter Bendix, who was appointed by the Marlins to oversee baseball operations, has been corresponding with rival general managers for the past few months in an attempt to steal his young starters. He has not done much to significantly improve the major-league roster yet as he is focused more on building the front office and organizational infrastructure. They hope they get enough power from Josh Bell, Jake Burger and Bryan De La Cruz but will certainly miss the presence of Jorge Soler, who signed with the Giants. The Marlins need another bat or two for their lineup if they want to return to the postseason this year.
The Mets’ rotation is a complete mess, save for ace Kodai Senga, who I do believe is a legitimate No. 1 starter; José Quintana, 35, who pitched just 75 2/3 innings (13 starts) with a fastball that sat at 88-90 mph last season, had an ERA of 3.57. The team signed free agents Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, as well as acquired Adrian Houser, to round out the rotation, but none of them had an ERA lower than 4.10 in the previous campaign, and only Manaea had more strikeouts than innings pitched. The squad is also thin in the starting pitching department, with five of the nine scheduled starters slated to be 30 years of age or older. However, the bullpen is expected to be strong, with returning closer Edwin Díaz leading the way along with a solid group of short-inning relievers. The lineup is wild-card material, and the Mets are hoping that Brett Baty, 24, and Francisco Alvarez, 22, both improve on both sides of the ball. The organization has a lot of good prospects coming up, including Ronny Mauricio, shortstop, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford, infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, and several of them could make their major league debuts this year (Mauricio did so last September). However, the Mets appear to be a third- or fourth-place team at best and merely a fringe contender.
The Brewers embarked on a new chapter in their history with the trade of ace Corbin Burnes to the Orioles and the non-tendered of their other ace, Brandon Woodruff. Freddy Peralta leads a rotation that includes Wade Miley, Jakob Junis, Colin Rea, and DL Hall, whom they acquired in the Burnes trade. The Brewers’ best offseason move was signing top prospect Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million contract extension this offseason. Chourio is expected to play center field, with speedsters Sal Frelick in right and Garrett Mitchell in left. The team will miss the skillful management of Craig Counsell, who left for the rival Cubs, but they still have one of the best closers in baseball in Devin Williams. The Brewers will have the best corner infield group in years with first baseman Rhys Hoskins and third baseman Joey Ortiz acquired in the Burnes trade; shortstop Willy Adames is going to enter his free agent walk year, so it will be interesting to see if he is traded before the deadline; if he is, do not be surprised to see Gold Glove caliber defender Brice Turang move from second to short to replace him. The assignment of replacing Counsell with Pat Murphy will not be an easy one. The Brewers will be competitive, but can they make it to October with this rotation?
19. Boston Red Sox
This offseason, the Red Sox made some great trades, such as sending Chris Sale to the Braves in exchange for Vaughn Grissom, who will be their long-term second base option. However, adding Theo Epstein to the ownership group was the best move they made, and it will eventually help the major league team. The Red Sox have a strong young infield with the highly skilled Triston Casas at first base, Grissom at second base, Trevor Story at shortstop, and Rafael Devers at third. Theo Epstein also backed the hiring of Craig Breslow as chief baseball officer earlier in the offseason. Verdugo is a better hitter, but I did not fully understand the trade of Tyler O’Neill to the Yankees for the frequently injured Tyler O’Neill. Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, and Kutter Crawford round out the rotation; they are all competitive but not playoff-caliber. The Red Sox also signed Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million contract to replace Sale in their rotation; however, after watching him pitch for the Angels and Guardians at the end of the previous season, I could not help but wonder if he was hurt, declining, or simply struggling to adjust to his new teams. That decision will be closely watched from the start because Boston is not the easiest place to pitch if you are not succeeding.
20. St. Louis Cardinals
Miles Mikolas, 35, and Steven Matz, 32, make up the oldest rotation in the sport, so it is reasonable to wonder how it will perform overall this season. In the bullpen, Keynan Middleton signed for $6 million as the team made a slew of smaller transactions for relievers. Sonny Gray, 34, signed a three-year, $75 million deal to lead the rotation. While the team prioritized adding three starting pitchers and a reliever in free agency, is it enough to get the Cardinals back to the postseason? Additionally, the Cardinals signed two 36-year-old starters, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn, both of whom appear to be in decline. The starting lineup for the Cardinals is led by Paul Goldschmidt, 36, and Nolan Arenado, 33, who both have games left to play in the All-Star Game. Jordan Walker, the outfielder, and Nolan Gorman, the second baseman, appear to be primed for breakout seasons, but I do not see this rotation leading the team to the postseason.
21. San Francisco Giants
The Giants have been busy this offseason; they signed center fielder Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year contract worth $113 million and righty Jordan Hicks to a four-year, $44 million contract with the idea of moving him from reliever to starter; they also made a trade with the Mariners to acquire 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, whom they hope will help come August after he finishes his Tommy John surgery rehab. This past week, the Giants agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract with Jorge Soler, who should provide much-needed power. In addition to replacing Gabe Kapler in the dugout with three-time Manager of the Year Bob Melvin, the Giants have attempted to position at least an average or above-average player at each position but have failed to sign any true stars in free agency. They are still in negotiations with multiple free agents so maybe they will be able to sign one more significant player, whether it be third baseman Matt Chapman or another starter like Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell. Their rotation will be led by Logan Webb, who finished second in the NL Cy Young voting last year, but they’ll have to rely on a trio of younger starters, including rookie left-hander Kyle Harrison, if this team is going to contend. But at this point, they still look like a .500 team to me.
The Tigers made only one major trade—acquiring Mark Canha from the Brewers to give them an option at DH or left field and an increase in on-base percentage but they turned things around and added veteran starters Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty in Eduardo Rodriguez’s place. The two best trades they made were extending manager A.J. Hinch’s contract and signing second baseman Colt Keith to a six-year extension with incentives, options, and escalators that could bring the contract’s value to $82 million over nine years. For now, the Tigers look like a second- or third-place team in the AL Central, but they have assembled a strong young core that includes future superstar Riley Greene at outfield, Parker Meadows at center field, Kerry Carpenter at DH, and Spencer Torkelson at first base. The team’s ability to contend will depend on a few key factors, like whether or not Tarik Skubal, their best starter, can continue to play at a high level, the health of Flaherty and Maeda, and the ability of their young starters, like Matt Manning and Reese Olson, to perform to their full potential.
23. Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are led by young, talented players Shane Bieber, Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, and Gavin Williams (ages 24 to 28); they have a strong bullpen that includes set-up relievers Trevor Stephan, Sam Hentges, and Scott Barlow; and they play above-average team defense, which is especially strong up the middle. The team looks more like a second- or third-place team than a playoff team, but they still need more offensive production from their corner outfield positions. Therefore, I am surprised that they have not made more attempts through free agency or trades to strengthen that position. José Ramírez is still the face of the team and one of the best third basemen in the game overall. Terry Francona will be replaced by rookie manager Stephen Vogt, and those are really big shoes to fill.
In terms of position players, I predict a healthy Oneil Cruz to have a breakout season at shortstop; they can also count on Bryan Reynolds to be reliable once more in left field and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to play Gold Glove-caliber third base. The Pirates are a team in between. They have a number of good young players on their roster and more prospects on the way. To bolster their rotation lead by Mitch Keller, the Pirates added veteran Martín Pérez and traded for lefty Marco Gonzales, whom the Braves wanted to dump after acquiring him from the Mariners. Jack Suwinski, their center fielder, should be more consistent at the plate and provides them with above-average range in the outfield. It remains to be seen if former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis can improve defensively enough to stay at catcher. In the bullpen, they added hard-throwing veteran Aroldis Chapman on a one-year, $10.5 million deal. The Pirates have made some progress over the past few years but not enough to contend.
Life after Shohei Ohtani is not expected to be fun for Angels fans; the best they can hope for is a fourth-place finish in the AL West. The Halos hope to finally get a healthy version of superstar Mike Trout and third baseman Anthony Rendon while they watch a trio of good young position players — first baseman Nolan Schanuel, catcher Logan O’Hoppe, and shortstop Zach Neto — continue to develop at the major-league level. The Angels will depend on a rotation of Reid Detmers, Griffin Canning, Patrick Sandoval, Tyler Anderson, and Chase Silseth to stay competitive. I thought Ron Washington was a smart hire; let us see what the new manager can do with this group. Los Angeles loaded up on relievers in free agency during the offseason, including Robert Stephenson (three-year, $33 million deal), Adam Cimber, Luis García, Zach Plesac, Adam Kolarek, Matt Moore, and José Cisnero. They also signed outfielder Aaron Hicks. Hopefully, they can move some of them at the trade deadline for prospects to aid what could be a lengthy rebuild.
The Royals made more moves this offseason than any other team as of the last count, prioritizing pitching and adding Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Will Smith, and Chris Stratton in free agency and Nick Anderson, Kyle Wright, Carlos Mateo, Ryan Brady, and Cesar Espinal in trades. The best move was awarding Bobby Witt Jr., the franchise face, an 11-year, $288.78 million extension that guarantees he will play his prime years as a Royal (the deal includes opt-out clauses four years in a row starting after the seventh season). Despite all the moves they have made, though, the Royals still have a ways to go before they can be considered contenders, but they are making progress. Wacha was my favorite of their moves at two years, $32 million, because it could give them a solid asset at the trade deadline.
Once again, the Rockies had a quiet offseason, adding veteran catcher Jacob Stallings and acquiring veteran pitcher Cal Quantrill in a trade with the Guardians that sent catching prospect Kody Huff to Cleveland. The team has a lot going for it in terms of position players: right-hander Chase Dollander, the team’s first-round pick from the previous season, is necessary to the team’s chances of contending again, but Colorado is not ready to advance from its current NL West position this season. Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and left fielder Nolan Jones have emerged as future stars, and the farm system is full of talented prospects, including infielders Adael Amador and Sterlin Thompson and outfielders Yanquiel Fernandez, Jordan Beck, and Zac Veen.
The Nationals, who have not won more than 71 games in a season in the previous four years, seem to be moving toward their rebuild. The team’s major-league position player core is led by CJ Abrams at shortstop and Keibert Ruiz at catcher, both of whom have more room to grow. Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore, and Jake Irvin lead the rotation. But the Nationals’ future lies in their deep farm system, which is led by pitchers Cade Cavalli (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Jackson Rutledge, as well as outfielders Dylan Crews, James Wood, and Robert Hassell III, plus top third-base prospect Brady House. If all goes according to plan, the majority of this group should be able to join the major league roster by September, at the latest, and that is when things will start to look up in Washington.
29. Chicago White Sox
In 2023, center fielder Luis Robert Jr. had a career-best season, and I expect DH/outfielder Eloy Jiménez to have a huge year if he can just stay healthy. The White Sox signed Erick Fedde and Chris Flexen and traded for Michael Soroka and Jared Shuster with the Braves. They also think they improved up the middle with the acquisitions of infielders Nicky Lopez and Paul DeJong and most importantly catcher Martín Maldonado, who despite his age (37) is still one of the best game callers in the sport. However, it’s still going to be a long season on the South Side of Chicago and what matters most could be whether they find the right trade partner for righty Dylan Cease, who is expected to be dealt between now and the trade deadline.
30. Oakland A’s
The move of the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas was approved by the 30 Major League Baseball owners. However, last week, Carolyn Goodman, the mayor of the city, stated: “I personally think they have gotta figure out a way to stay in Oakland and make their dream come true. I thought this does not make sense for them to move here so why is it happening?” She later retracted her statement, saying that she will “welcome” the team to Vegas if it decides not to stay in California. The A’s currently don’t have a stadium deal in Oakland or Las Vegas and I wonder how long it will be before a city like Nashville enters the conversation. In the meantime, it’s total chaos in the boardroom, on the field and with the fans. Let us focus on the positives. The A’s have two strong additions to strengthen their rotation: veteran left-hander Alex Wood and right-hander Ross Stripling, the latter in a rare cross-Bay trade with the Giants. These moves will not get the A’s out of last place or stop them from losing 100 games, but they should be a few wins better as their young players develop and their veteran pitchers stabilize a last-place roster. The A’s have quality young players who are developing at the major-league level, including second baseman Zack Gelof, catcher Shea Langeliers, first baseman Ryan Noda, and outfielders JJ Bleday and Esteury Ruiz.
(Top photo of Spencer Strider: John Adams / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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