With less than a month until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, it’s time to look at the “winners” and “losers” of this offseason — at least to date. Of course, teams still have plenty of time to significantly improve their rosters through free agency, trades and waiver claims.
Any assessment of this offseason must start with Juan Soto’s record-breaking mega-contract, but let’s have some fun with takeaways on the teams, players, executives and more that have been among the stories of the winter — for good reasons, and bad.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of the offseason so far. Let me know yours in the comments section.
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Winners
1. Juan Soto
As great as Soto is, it’s mind-boggling to think the Mets were willing to commit $765 million over the next 15 years. Yes, he was the best available free agent, a mere 26 years old, and arguably this generation’s Ted Williams, but when you think about the next-biggest contracts in baseball — despite the strong market Soto commanded from motivated, deep-pocketed clubs — it still doesn’t seem real.
Consider the rest of the top-five contracts of all time and you realize what a game-changing deal this was: Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million pact with the Dodgers has a net present value of $460 million when factoring in the deferrals; then there’s Mike Trout ($426.5 million, Angels), Mookie Betts ($360 million, Dodgers), and Aaron Judge ($360 million, Yankees). So yeah, Soto is by far the biggest winner of this offseason.
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2. Agent Scott Boras
Boras stands out as another clear winner this offseason, based on the staggering Soto contract alone. He’s represented Soto for years and advised him along the way, which included turning down a $440 million extension offer from the Nationals in 2022. Two and a half years (and two trades) later, Soto hit the market at the perfect time, and together they made history.
Boras has been consistent in charging the players he represents 5 percent across the board. It’s easy to do the math on 5 percent of $765 million to come up with his $38.25 million commission. But of course he also represents many of this winter’s other top free agents, including Corbin Burnes (who signed for $210 million), Blake Snell ($182 million) and Sean Manaea ($75 million), among other Boras Corporation clients who have put pen to paper this offseason, along with Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman, who are still on the board. Last offseason Boras had less success as several of his top free agents ended up with short-term deals that included player opt-outs. This offseason, while he still has work to do, has already been a big win.
Will Roki Sasaki sign with the Dodgers, Padres or Blue Jays? (The Yomiuri Shimbun via Associated Press)
3. Whoever gets Sasaki
We’re nearing the conclusion of another free-agent sweepstakes, for 23-year-old Japanese star Roki Sasaki. Congratulations to the three finalists, the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays. Imagine adding a talent like Sasaki without having to use a first-round draft pick, or having to unload five prospects to acquire him in a trade, or having to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to sign him as a free agent.
Sasaki profiles as a future ace and Cy Young Award candidate. He comes to the United States without the polish of Yu Darvish, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Masahiro Tanaka when each arrived, but with more upside than any of them. Whichever team ends up landing Sasaki with international bonus pool money will then only have to pay him the major-league minimum this year and will control him at an affordable salary for six years. This is an unbelievable opportunity for these clubs. So … who will it be?
4. New York Yankees
The Yankees lost Soto to the Mets and yet have still had a better offseason than their cross-town rivals, thanks to an outstanding pivot by GM Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner. They added to the top of their rotation by signing Max Fried, giving them the best starting pitching staff in the AL East. They traded for closer Devin Williams, who has the best changeup in the game and seriously strengthens the back of their bullpen. And, to replace the offense of Soto, they traded for outfielder Cody Bellinger and signed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
One of the keys to the Yankees’ pivot is the potential upgrade of their team defense, as they now should be much better at second base (if Jazz Chisholm Jr. moves there as expected), in center field (if Bellinger ends up playing there), in right field (with Aaron Judge moving there) and even at third base (if Oswaldo Cabrera can win the job with improved offense).
5. Left-handed pitchers
This was the offseason to be a free-agent left-handed starting pitcher. The market kicked off with the Dodgers handing Snell a five-year, $182 million deal. The Yankees promptly topped that, inking Fried to an eight-year, $218 million pact that was the most lucrative ever for a lefty pitcher and the fourth-largest pitching contract overall. And it didn’t stop there as Manaea re-signed with the Mets for three years and $75 million.
Then there was the Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, a former lefty pitcher, who must have decided he was going to acquire as many southpaws as he could. His biggest offseason move was trading for Garrett Crochet, who he’s now trying to extend to a long-term deal. He signed another lefty starter, Patrick Sandoval, to a two-year deal. He also signed two lefty relievers, Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson, to one-year deals, and to top it off, he even traded for another lefty, Jovani Moran, in a deal with the Twins. Look out lefties — you might be next.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers
The world champion Dodgers improved their star-studded team even more this offseason, highlighted by the early signing of Snell, who gives them another ace to go with Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow at the top of the rotation. They brought back Teoscar Hernández on a three-year deal and improved the other corner-outfield spot by signing Michael Conforto, who is expected to play left field. They re-signed righty reliever Blake Treinen to pitch in high-leverage situations and made a shrewd move in landing South Korean middle infielder Hyeseong Kim, who could fill a super-utility role.
Moreover, the Dodgers completed one of the best contract extensions of the offseason, agreeing to a five-year, $74 million deal with Tommy Edman, who is entering his age-30 season. Edman’s ability to play second base, shortstop and center field gives the Dodgers valuable positional flexibility and protection from injuries.
7. City of West Sacramento
The Oakland Athletics didn’t spend much money to improve their roster over the past several years, but the minute they moved to West Sacramento to a Triple-A ballpark, they opened up the checkbook. They signed right-hander Luis Severino to a three-year, $67 million deal, the largest contract in A’s history. They extended outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker with a five-year, $60 million pact. They landed lefty starter Jeffrey Springs in a trade with the Rays, among other moves. (The Athletics risked a grievance from the MLB Players Association if they didn’t add significant payroll this winter.)
It looks like the Athletics are ready to try to contend. West Sacramento, not Oakland, their longtime home, is the city that will benefit from this surprising spending spree.
8. Dick Allen (RIP) and Dave Parker, Hall of Fame inductees
After being passed over for years, sluggers Dick Allen and Dave Parker were finally elected to the Hall of Fame in December by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Allen, who died at 78 years old in 2020, posted a career .912 OPS with 351 home runs, 1,119 RBIs, and 58.7 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. Parker, who is 73 and has been fighting Parkinson’s disease, put up an .810 OPS with 339 home runs, 1,493 RBIs and 40.1 WAR.
Many years ago, when I worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates, I remember going into a major-league clubhouse for the first time and seeing Parker ranting and raving that he was going to hit .300 with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. His presence in the clubhouse was amazing, as was his magnetism. Parker was a huge personality who commanded every room he entered. What also stood out for me was his line drives up the middle, two feet off the ground. I have never seen anyone hit that ball harder in games or in batting practice.
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9. Ken Kendrick, Diamondbacks owner
Kendrick stretched the Diamondbacks’ budget to sign Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract, a move that shocked the baseball world. He understands that his team has a chance to contend, so he took bold action. He recognizes that as an owner you have to invest in the team to build an organization and gain the respect of your customers, who in turn will be more understanding if the Diamondbacks have to cut their budget in a few years when their contention window closes. It’s too bad more teams in a similar position, such as the Mariners, don’t follow suit.
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10. Tom Hamilton, Guardians announcer
The voice of the Cleveland Guardians learned at the Winter Meetings in December that he had won the Ford C. Frick Award and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this July in Cooperstown, N.Y. Hamilton has one of the best voices in MLB history. He has truly special energy and enthusiasm and a great baseball mind. Hamilton deserves this honor, which recognizes a broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball,” and I’m so happy for him.
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Losers
1. Nick Pivetta, RHP
I was taken aback when Pivetta declined the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer from Boston after a season in which he went 6-12 with a 4.14 ERA. That brought the right-hander’s career record to 56-71 with a 4.76 ERA over eight seasons. The most he had ever made in a year was $7.5 million, in 2024. However, Pivetta decided to bet on himself, believing he could beat that deal with a multiyear contract in free agency, even though he was now tied to draft pick compensation. To date, I am not aware of a single team that has made Pivetta an offer, because they don’t want to give up the draft pick(s). I think he made a costly miscalculation in declining the QO.
2. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have one of the best five-man rotations in baseball, but don’t have the offense to match it — not even close. They didn’t make the postseason last year because of their middling offense, and struck out more than any team in the sport. If they could just put together a middle-of-the-road lineup, they would be a playoff team, and with their pitching staff they have the talent to run the table in October.
They need offense on both infield corners, but despite the market being flooded with options for both, they haven’t been able to trade for anyone nor has ownership given the front office the financial flexibility to chase free agents such as Alonso and Bregman. How can you have this much talent but do nothing to address two glaring infield needs when you’re so close to cementing a playoff team? It’s really sad.
Can the Blue Jays’ brain trust, Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, end the offseason on a better note? (Nick Turchiaro / Imagn Images)
3. Toronto Blue Jays
Last year, the Blue Jays were a finalist in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, but couldn’t ultimately land the two-way superstar. This year, they lost out on Soto. Both times they offered close to market deals. They haven’t been able to extend the contracts of their two best offensive players, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, both of whom are eligible for free agency after the 2025 season. To make matters worse, their top two executives, team president Mark Shapiro and president of baseball operations Ross Atkins, aren’t signed past this year either.
This winter, they haven’t added much-needed upgrades to the offense (unless Andrés Giménez, acquired in a trade with the Guardians, somehow rediscovers his 2022 form). Their biggest free-agent signing, reliever Jeff Hoffman, failed his physicals with the Braves and Orioles. The Blue Jays could still make big moves — in addition to being finalists on Sasaki they’re among the teams in discussions with free agent Pete Alonso, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal — but if they can’t get anything done, this has the potential to become a total disaster north of the border, considering they don’t have much in the farm system to trade either.
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4. Houston Astros
I’ve been fortunate to cover the Astros in the postseason for eight consecutive years, including their World Series runs in 2017 and 2022. They boasted a special group of players that kept winning, even after losing stars such as George Springer and Carlos Correa in free agency. The Astros proved they could win it all without them.
However, this offseason, they’ve lost Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, who remains unsigned, replacing them in the lineup with first baseman Christian Walker and third baseman Isaac Paredes. Those are good players, but neither comes close to this offseason’s departed stars in terms of overall talent. Losing Bregman and Tucker, who will be eligible for free agency after this season, has nothing to do with the Houston front office and everything to do with ownership not wanting to pay them their market value.
Bottom line, it has put the Astros in a situation where they are coming back to the pack in a hurry. They are expected to have one of the worst offensive outfields in the league, and with the Rangers making shrewd improvements, the Mariners boasting a top rotation, and even the Athletics getting better, it’ll be tougher sledding this year in the AL West. For the first time since 2016, the Astros might not even be a playoff team.
5. John Mozeliak, Cardinals president of baseball operations
Mozeliak has led the Cardinals’ front office since 2007, helping guide St. Louis to 10 postseason appearances, including a World Series championship in 2011. His teams had a winning record in all but two of the seasons in that span. However, everyone has an expiration date and Mozeliak has decided to step aside at the end of this year. He’ll turn the keys to the franchise over to former Boston top executive Chaim Bloom, who will become the club’s president of baseball operations.
Mozeliak’s final offseason running the Cardinals has been a dud. He has not signed a single (major-league) free agent nor made a single trade. Paul Goldschmidt departed in free agency and signed with the Yankees. Most of Mozeliak’s winter has been spent trying to trade the declining Nolan Arenado and his bad contract to no avail.
“Mo” is a class act who has had a very respectable career. But, I’m sure this is not how he would have scripted the start of his final year running the show in St. Louis.
6. Atlanta Braves
The Braves lost Fried and Charlie Morton in free agency, depleting their starting rotation of talent, experience and depth. They announced that Spencer Strider, who is recovering from internal-brace elbow surgery, won’t be ready for Opening Day. They haven’t been able to upgrade at shortstop or in left field.
While the Phillies and Mets were getting better, the Braves were treading water — at best. The offseason isn’t over, but so far it’s been the most disappointing winter in the Atlanta tenure of Alex Anthopoulos, one of the best executives — and most aggressive — in the game.
(Top image: Meech Robinson / The Athletic. Photos: Mariners player: Lindsey Wasson / Getty Images; Juan Soto: Al Bello / Getty Images; Brian Cashman: J. Conrad Williams Jr. / Newsday RM via Getty Images; Blake Snell: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; Nick Pivetta: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
