MLB: Grading biggest offseason spenders
By: Will Aimette
Los Angeles Dodgers: A
Biggest Transactions: Re-Signed LF Teoscar Hernandez, Signed Rookie SP Roki Sasaki, Signed SP Blake Snell, Signed RP Tanner Scott, Re-Signed 2B/SS Tommy Edman, Signed RP Kirby Yates
The Dodgers went all-in this year. I mean, they have gone all-in like we’ve never seen before. Getting a HR Derby Champ, a Cy Young Award winner, TWO top 15 relievers, the NLCS MVP, and the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year in one offseason is crazy. And the craziest part? Their financial situation isn’t that bad. Rookie phenom Roki Sasaki from Japan is only making $760,000 for all of 2025. A lot of Blake Snell’s $182,000,000 contract is deferred. Same with reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani. But man, this team is good. Baseball has never seen a superpower like this. With Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani, all MVP Candidates, leading their lineup, starting pitchers have their work cut out for them. Oh, not to mention reigning Home Run Derby Champ, Teoscar Hernandez, batting behind them. And that staff. Man, that staff is great. Snell, Glasnow, Yamamoto, Ohtani, Sasaki, and Kershaw. Yeah that’s right. Future First Ballot Hall of Fame Clayton Kershaw is your sixth starter. (I know he’s getting old but he’s still great.) That’s how good this rotation is. And right when they take their starter out of the game and you think you have them beat? Think again. Veterans like Blake Treinen and new offseason acquirements Tanner Scott and Kerby Yates are coming out of that pen. Combined with young flamethrowers like Brusdar Graterol and Alex Vesia, this bullpen is brutal. All in all, this team is hard to beat. The Dodgers had a massive offseason, securing themselves as the best team in Major League Baseball.
New York Mets: A-
Biggest Transactions: Signed RF Juan Soto, Re-Signed SP Sean Manaea, Signed P Clay Holmes, Re-Signed 1B Pete Alonso, Signed SP Frankie Montas, Signed RP A.J. Minter, Re-Signed LF Jesse Winker
The Mets offseason would be considered all-in. If the Dodgers didn't get the whole all-star game on one team. However, don’t sleep on the Mets, as they made major moves this offseason. Signing Juan Soto, a top 5 player in the MLB, to the highest amount of money in a single contract over 15 years is a daring move. To complement him, the Mets re-signed 1B Pete Alonso, which made their lineup nearly unstoppable. The fact that they got him to agree to a two-year deal made that transaction a huge success, as they didn’t want to commit fully in the future with him, especially with star 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the trade block. The trio of SS Fransisco Lindor, RF Juan Soto, and 1B Pete Alonso makes a great counter of the Dodgers deadly trio. With breakout youngsters like 3B Mark Vientos, this team looks very deep, and a force not to be reckoned with. The only thing the Mets didn’t do this offseason was sign a dominant ace in their staff. They added pitchers like Clay Holmes, who they are converting to a starter, and Frankie Months, but neither of those pitchers are true SP1’s. Still, the staff looks very even between Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and the rest. They can certainly hold down the fort with such a talented offense behind them. The bullpen could use some work, but the signing of LHP A.J. Minter was massive for the Mets. While they wanted RP Kirby Yates, they got just enough in the bullpen to be considered successful. If the Clay Holmes experiment doesn’t work out, that just adds another elite arm to the bullpen too. Overall, this offseason was a massive success for the Mets, as they added key pieces while not overspending.
Toronto Blue Jays: B-
Biggest Transactions: Signed SP Max Scherzer, Signed DH Anthony Santander, Re-Signed 1B/OF Dalton Varsho
Honestly, I’m not quite sure what the Blue Jays are doing. In one of the first weeks of the offseason, they signed Anthony Santander, who hit 44 Home Runs in 2024, to a 5 year $92,000,000 contract. After, in the closing weeks of the offseason, they re-signed another first basemen, Dalton Varsho to a one-year contract. Then the front office sent signals of trying to trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr, then acquired SP Max Scherzer to try and help out the rotation. So, what exactly is going on? It seems the Blue Jays are tied up between rebuilding and chasing a ring. With All-Star SS Bo Bichette, All-Star 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and Future Hall of Fame Max Scherzer, it seems they are going all-in this season. They are the most underrated lineup in baseball. With solid role players like Dalton Varsho and Anthony Santander, be careful, the Blue Jays pack some pop. However, this team clearly cannot compete with teams like the Dodgers, as underrated isn’t going to win you the World Series. However, the Blue Jays signed some big names this offseason for a cheap amount, salvaging whatever was left for the Blue Jays this offseason.
New York Yankees: A+
Biggest Transactions: Re-Signed Jazz Chisholm Jr, Traded for RP Devin Williams, Signed SP Max Fried, Traded for OF Cody Bellinger, Signed 1B Paul Goldschmidt
This offseason for the Yankees was extremely successful. While they lost star RF, Juan Soto to their crosstown rivals, they added more around reigning MVP Aaron Judge. The problem with the 2024 Yankees was that they had no depth. Pitchers would walk Judge and Soto, and the rest of the team was easy to get out. Don’t get me wrong, they were still pretty good, just not comparable to teams like the Dodgers and Mets. This offseason, the team decided to change their approach. They got great role players like OF Cody Bellenger and 1B Paul Goldschmidt around Judge. This made their lineup so much deeper than last year, allowing for a more even offense. They also improved their rotation, with the signing of SP Max Fried, and RP Devin Williams. These are high leverage pitchers that can perform well in important games. The best part? The Yankees still spent less than last offseason with a better team this season.
(Image Credit: Shutterstock, Freepng) (Stats Credit: MLB.com)
