MLB off-season grades
Photo courtesy of WIkimedia Commons
Alongside blockbuster moves, the New York Mets secured star first baseman Pete Alonso, reinforcing their championship ambitions in a stellar offseason.
While the Superbowl dominates early February’s sports headlines, it also marks the month in which Major League Baseball (MLB) best and brightest stars first report to spring training. February is the start of a grueling six-month period in which players are expected to give it their all to capture the ever-elusive prize of winning the World Series.
Some teams have already given themselves a head start in this race by loading their roster with star players during the league's offseason. On the contrary, many teams fell short of the expectations of their fans during this crucial period with a lack of key acquisitions. My grades are below for numerous MLB teams' offseasons: they either “knocked it out of the park” or “completely struck out.”
It would be fitting to start with the Mets as, in my eyes, they were the clear winners of the offseason. Coming off a surprise season that saw them win 89 games and make it to the National League Championship Series, the Mets deftly navigated this offseason. Their headline move shook the sports landscape by signing Yankees outfielder Juan Soto to a momentous 15-year, 765 million dollar contract. Adding a player of Soto’s caliber to an already prosperous lineup was a sign that Met’s owner, Steve Cohen, is willing to spend however much money if it means bringing a championship to Queens.
The Met’s subsequent moves were also impressive. They re-signed slugging first baseman Pete Alonso and savvy veteran pitcher Sean Manea, undoubtedly culminating in the most successful offseason in team history.
Off-season Grade: A+
After capturing their second championship in the last four seasons, Los Angeles seems too eager to repeat when analyzing its off-season moves. The Dodgers bolstered their starting rotation by signing Blake Snell and Japanese phenom pitcher Roki Sasaki.
Along with these moves, they strengthened their bullpen by re-signing reliever Blake Treinen and signing relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. These impressive transactions have cemented the Dodgers as a true powerhouse, difficult for any team to handle when the calendar turns to October.
Off-season Grade: A+
Even though the Yankees lost their superstar outfielder to their crosstown rivals, they still rebounded quite nicely and put forth a successful free agency. The most significant move that the Yankees made was signing former Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried to a lofty contract worth 218 million dollars over eight years. The Yanks were also active in the trade market, as they acquired all-star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers and former National League Most Valuable Player (NL MVP) Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs.
Both of these moves made it clear to Yankees fans who were still sullen by Soto’s departure that the “Bronx Bombers” weren’t gonna settle for an underwhelming offseason. The club's busy offseason didn’t end there either, as they managed to upgrade at first base by adding former NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt from the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees didn’t address the third base position, so I grade their offseason slightly lower than their rivals in the Dodgers and the Mets.
Off-season Grade: B+
Going into the offseason after the 2024 season, the Padres were in an eerily similar situation to the Mets. Both teams experienced a crushing postseason defeat to a potent Dodgers team in October. While the Mets responded by significantly improving their roster, the Padre's offseason has been extremely underwhelming.
The Padres have failed to make any significant moves. They were rumored to be in the running for the highly touted Sasaki, but their rival Dodgers ended up being Sasaki's destination. San Diego also has several integral players from last year's team. This includes pitcher Martin Perez, Tanner Scott, outfielder Jurickson Profar, and catcher Kyle Higashoka. San Diego fans can’t be thrilled with this lethargic offseason, especially considering this team’s high potential.
Off-season Grade: D
The Pirates are one of baseball’s youngest teams, led by transcendent talent in starting pitcher Paul Skenes. Skenes’s emergence gave a long-suffering franchise a glimmer of hope, and the starting rotation features a former all-star in Mitch Keller and a talented younger player in Jared Jones.
Fans and analysts were eager to see if the Pirates would break away from their past trends of settling for inexpensive players and not being ambitious enough to upgrade their roster significantly. Unfortunately for Pirates fans, old habits seem to die hard, as Pittsburgh's most notable offseason move was signing veteran leftfield Tommy Pham to a one-year deal. The Pirates last signed a free agent to a multi-year deal in 2016.
Pittsburgh’s trepidation about committing money to players in the long term might be a habit that costs the team dearly in the future.
Off-season Grade: F
This rendition of MLB’s offseason truly changed the landscape of the game. It’s become clear that some big-market franchises are willing to spend extraordinary amounts of money to best prepare their teams for the upcoming season. Many teams, however, still fail to capitalize on free agency and continually underspend—much to their fans' dismay.
My main hope for the offseason in the future is that the owners of the teams that regularly choose not to spend surpluses of money in free agency just to save profits will change their ways. It’s become inherently clear that to win championships, you must be willing to spend money. If this occurred, fans of these teams would be a lot more willing to consistently show support for their teams, resulting in a more balanced and greater league.