2024 MLB Thread; RIP Willie Mays & Pete Rose. Dodgers win #8!



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New York Yankees: A

Offseason needs/goals: Re-sign Juan Soto, first base, third base

Major additions: Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, Devin Williams, Paul Goldschmidt, Fernando Cruz

One thing to do: Trade Marcus Stroman? Trade for Nolan Arenado?

This might be Brian Cashman's best offseason since he signed CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett, and traded for Nick Swisher before the 2009 season -- a string of moves that resulted in the Yankees' most recent World Series title. Maybe this run of moves will produce the same result. Amazingly, the Yankees have earned this high grade despite losing Soto to the Mets. The rotation is better with Fried as another anchor and New York added bullpen depth with maybe the game's best closer in Williams plus Cruz (109 K's in 66 innings), who was stolen from the Reds for backup catcher Jose Trevino. The defense should also be improved with Bellinger in center and Aaron Judge shifting to right along with the addition of Paul Goldschmidt at first base and Jazz Chisholm Jr. possibly taking over for Gleyber Torres at second.


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New York Mets: A

Offseason needs/goals: Sign Juan Soto, starting pitching, first base, bullpen depth

Major additions: Soto, Sean Manaea (re-signed), Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes

One thing to do: Bring back Pete Alonso (and maybe sign a reliever)

They got their guy in Soto even though it took a 15-year, $765 million contract that blew away all the estimates everyone was predicting a year ago. It's fair to argue if that money could have been more efficiently distributed across multiple players, but Soto is a generational hitter and an attendance draw who will help steal some of the headlines away from the Yankees and make the Mets the team everyone is talking about in New York. Re-signing Manaea was key and Holmes will attempt to move from reliever to starter. Obviously, Alonso remains a free agent, but his options appear limited with a return to the Mets feeling more likely by the day. If that happens, the Mets could have the best lineup in the majors.


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Arizona Diamondbacks: A

Offseason needs goals: Starting pitching, first base, bullpen

Major additions: Corbin Burnes, Josh Naylor

One thing to do: Trade Jordan Montgomery? Sign a reliever?

The Diamondbacks came out of nowhere to sign the top starting pitcher available in Burnes, who should provide an immediate boost to a rotation that ranked 27th in the majors in ERA last season. When Christian Walker signed with the Astros, the front office moved quickly to acquire Naylor without giving up much. He's just a one-year fix unless they sign him to an extension, but he should replace Walker's offense (but without the same Gold Glove defense). Still, Burnes is a perfect combination of need and surprise that earns Arizona a high grade -- and gives the D-backs a great chance of returning to the playoffs after missing last season despite matching the Braves and Mets with 89 wins.


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Los Angeles Dodgers: A-

Offseason needs/goals: Starting pitching, sign Roki Sasaki, outfield

Major additions: Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez (re-signed), Blake Treinen (re-signed), Michael Conforto, Hyeseong Kim

One thing to do: Just wait for Sasaki to make his decision

It has been yet another near perfect offseason for the Dodgers. They acted quickly to sign Snell, who has beat up on them the past few years while pitching for division rivals in San Diego and San Francisco. Snell's usual dominance in the second half bodes well for October, but you do have to acknowledge his lack of durability and the big price tag ($182 million). Still, few -- if any -- starters are better than Snell when he's on one of his rolls. For a spell, it looked like the Dodgers and Hernandez were far apart, but he ended up coming back, although that corner outfield defense with Hernandez and Conforto will be a little shaky. But maybe the most interesting move of all is Mookie Betts moving back to the infield. And if Sasaki picks the Dodgers? Make this an A-plus.


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Chicago Cubs: B+

Offseason needs/goals: Power bat, late-game bullpen, starting pitching, catcher

Major additions: Kyle Tucker, Matthew Boyd, Eli Morgan, Carson Kelly

One thing to do: Pay attention to the Alex Bregman and Jack Flaherty rumblings out there

The Cubs had no glaring holes to fix but did swing big in acquiring Tucker. If they'd stopped there, this could be an "A" grade, but they turned around and traded Cody Bellinger to the Yankees, hurting the team's depth in the process, especially given Bellinger's defensive versatility. Otherwise, they've gone more of the second-tier route in signing Boyd and acquiring Morgan for the bullpen. Who knows if Bregman is a possibility, but adding one of top relievers still out there -- Kirby Yates, Tanner Scott, David Robertson -- makes sense.


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Athletics: B+

Offseason needs/goals: Starting pitching, third base, left field

Major additions: Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Gio Urshela

One thing to do: A bat for left field would be nice

They've added two starters, overpaying a bit for Severino and acquiring Springs from the Rays. If Springs is healthy in his full season back from Tommy John surgery, that could prove to be one of the best moves of the offseason considering his breakout performance in 2022. Urshela is a low-rent signing who is unlikely to help much at third base. The A's also get credit for signing Brent Rooker to a five-year, $60 million extension. The old A's might have looked to trade Rooker; instead it looks as if he'll be the face of the franchise during the team's pitstop in Sacramento as he has publicly embraced the transition. In that park, maybe he'll hit 50 home runs.


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Chicago White Sox: B

Offseason needs/goals: Get a big return for Garrett Crochet

Major additions: Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Mike Tauchman, Bryse Wilson, Josh Rojas

One thing to do: Maybe get a veteran reliever to flip at the deadline

The White Sox had one primary objective and Chris Getz fared well in his return for Crochet. It's not a home run for a couple of reasons: (1) They already had an strong catching prospect in Edgar Quero, but Teel probably rates a little higher and there's nothing wrong with letting them share the job, maybe as early as 2025; (2) Montgomery has yet to play a game in pro ball and while he has big-time tools, he also had a lot of swing-and-miss in college, making him a high-ceiling/high-risk kind of prospect. Still, for two years of team control of Crochet, getting 12-plus potential seasons from Teel and Montgomery could end up as a huge win.


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Philadelphia Phillies: B

Offseason needs/goals: Closer, deep rotation depth, outfield

Major additions: Jesus Luzardo, Jordan Romano, Max Kepler

One thing to do: Re-sign Carlos Estevez

There's nothing super sexy here, but the Phillies didn't have a lot of obvious needs. They've lost Jeff Hoffman and Estevez remains unsigned, so the ninth-inning situation remains up in the air. They did sign former Blue Jays closer Romano, but he's coming off an injury. Luzardo is also coming off an injury but had impressive results in 2022 and '23 for the Marlins. He's an upgrade over Taijuan Walker and is more than just deep rotation depth if he's healthy. Kepler is also a nice fit as a third/fourth outfielder. At some point, the Phillies are going to get old, but this remains a team that can win it all and Dave Dombrowski has once again helped maintain that possibility.


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Boston Red Sox: B-

Offseason needs goals: Starting pitching, impact right-handed bat, closer

Major additions: Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Aroldis Chapman, Patrick Sandoval

One thing to do: Look into Bregman, who has a career 1.240 OPS at Fenway in the regular season

It has been a good offseason for the Red Sox -- but not worth classifying as a great one just yet. The Crochet deal was expensive but expect him to be every bit as good as he was in 2024. Buehler is a roll of the dice coming off a bad season, but he had a couple of better outings in the postseason. It feels as if signing him has been a bit overhyped as people remember the pitcher he was in 2021 before Tommy John surgery and a couple of clutch innings in the World Series. They've yet to acquire that right-handed bat (while losing Tyler O'Neill) and Chapman is hardly a dependable answer at closer if he ends up in the role.


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Kansas City Royals: B-

Offseason needs/goals: Starting pitching, outfield, bullpen depth

Major additions: Michael Wacha (re-signed), Michael Lorenzen (re-signed), Jonathan India, Joey Wiemer

One thing to do: Add a corner outfielder who can hit ... Anthony Santander?

Flipping Brady Singer for India added some much-needed OBP presence to the top of the lineup and the Royals did a nice job to bring back both Wacha and Lorenzen to help cover for the loss of Singer. The Royals get dinged for not adding a better corner outfield bat then holdovers MJ Melendez (.273 OBP) and Hunter Renfroe (.297 OBP), who combined for minus-0.9 WAR. Wiemer is a better defender than those two but hardly a good bet to improve those low OBP figures, and Santander is probably out of K.C.'s range.


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San Francisco Giants: C+

Offseason needs/goals: Sign a big-name free agent, first base

Major additions: Willy Adames, Justin Verlander

One thing to do: Sign Alonso?

Well, Buster Posey got his big name -- unfortunately, it's a guy coming off a 5.48 ERA. We'll see if Verlander has anything left in the tank. If he does, and if the Giants get 30 starts from Robbie Ray and improvement from youngsters Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong, this could be a nice rotation lined up behind Logan Webb. As for Adames, he's a good player and fills a need at shortstop, but $182 million feels a little steep for a player who might have to move off shortstop in a couple of years and strikes out as often as he does. On paper, this team gives off its usual .500-ish vibe.


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Texas Rangers: C+

Offseason needs/goals: Starting pitcher, closer, DH

Major additions: Nathan Eovaldi (re-signed), Joc Pederson, Jake Burger, Kyle Higashioka

One thing to do: Bring back Kirby Yates

Swapping Nathaniel Lowe (traded to the Nationals) for Burger at first base feels like a bit of a step backward with more power but less OBP and worse defense. Pederson should be a significant upgrade at DH, where the Rangers ranked last in the majors in OPS. Bringing back Eovaldi was a good move and he actually has been decently durable the past four seasons, averaging 27 starts and 152 innings (yes, that qualifies as decently durable these days). At this point, they're still counting on some combination of Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle, Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter to fill out the rotation. It remains a guess to what kind of quality and quantity they'll receive from that group.


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Baltimore Orioles: C

Offseason needs/goals: Starting rotation, bullpen, outfield

Major additions: Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Tyler O'Neill, Andrew Kittredge

One thing to do: Bring back Santander (on a short-term deal)

There are certainly those who want to crush the Orioles for an offseason in which they've lost Corbin Burnes and didn't replace him with an ace -- didn't trade for Garrett Crochet, didn't sign Max Fried or Blake Snell, didn't land a sure thing in the bullpen. Morton is solid but also older so it's fair to wonder when he will decline. Sugano is a 35-year-old veteran from Japan with plus-plus command and below-average velocity. The O's also backed out of a deal with Jeff Hoffman over medical concerns and then signed Kittredge, who is coming off his first healthy season since 2021. O'Neill destroyed lefties for Boston in 2024 and could help, but he has also been inconsistent and injury prone. There are lot of "ifs" in this group.


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Toronto Blue Jays: C

Offseason needs/goals: Land a star free agent, add offense, fix the bullpen

Major additions: Andres Gimenez, Jeff Hoffman, Nick Sandlin, Yimi Garcia

One thing to do: Sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a mega-extension

The first goal is still in play as the Jays are one of the three finalists for Sasaki, but they swung and missed on the likes of Soto and Burnes. Gimenez was a nice trade pickup for Spencer Horwitz, but he doesn't bring much with the bat. Still, in Gimenez and Daulton Varsho, they have maybe the two best defenders in the sport. They've added three relievers, getting Hoffman on a three-year deal after a couple of other clubs flagged his medical reports, but the offense still needs help. They can save this offseason with Sasaki and a Guerrero extension while rumors they could sign Santander or Alonso to add some power certainly make sense.


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Cleveland Guardians: C

Offseason needs/goals: Rotation depth, power bat, keep payroll in check

Major additions: Shane Bieber (re-signed), Carlos Santana, Luis L. Ortiz, Slade Cecconi

One thing to do: They'd probably like to trade Lane Thomas

The Guardians' offseason is more notable for who they traded rather than who they brought in: Andres Gimenez to Toronto, Josh Naylor to Arizona (sadly breaking up the Naylor brothers) and a couple of relievers. They did re-sign Bieber to a one-year, $10 million deal (with a $16 million player option). If he makes it back in the second half, he could be a nice addition to the rotation. Ortiz is a power arm acquired via Pittsburgh in the Gimenez deal. He had a 3.22 ERA in 15 starts and has sneaky upside; the Guardians needed a starter, but they'll miss Gimenez's glove. Counting on a 39-year-old Santana to replicate his 2.5-WAR season feels a bit optimistic and it's not clear they've improved a team that relied so heavily on a dominant bullpen (one that is unlikely to be so dominant again).


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Houston Astros: C

Offseason needs/goals: First base, outfield, re-sign Alex Bregman, sign Kyle Tucker

Major additions: Christian Walker, Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith

One thing to do: Sign Framber Valdez to a long-term extension

That certainly didn't go as planned, although the Astros shifted to Plan B and should remain competitive in 2025. But that will harder to do after losing a combined 8.8 WAR in Tucker and Bregman (and Tucker played only 78 games). Once Soto signed his megadeal, it was clear Tucker's price in free agency next offseason shot way up and well beyond where the Astros would be willing to go, so they traded him rather than make a final run with him. That's a debatable strategy and Paredes' 2023 season with the Rays (4.2 WAR) might very well prove his career best. Walker should be a nice addition to plug a hole at first, but everyone said that about Jose Abreu. The key to this offseason will be Smith, the Cubs' first-round pick in 2024 out of Florida State. He tore it up in 32 games in pro ball, but Double-A will tell us if his bat is the real deal.


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Los Angeles Angels: C

Offseason needs/goals: Find good players

Major additions: Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Hendricks, Jorge Soler, Travis d'Arnaud, Kevin Newman

One thing to do: Sign Alonso?

To be honest, this is probably a bit of a generous grade -- but at least the Angels are trying to do something after a franchise-record 99 losses. Still, signing a bunch of players in their 30s generally doesn't work out and Kikuchi is probably the only one who might make a major impact. Those five will make $48 million in 2025. Maybe that could have been spent on two better players? Or maybe there's still room to go after Alonso. He's an odd fit with Nolan Schanuel at first and Soler at DH, but maybe they think Soler or Schanuel can fake it in left field. You never know with the Angels.


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Cincinnati Reds: C-

Offseason needs/goals: Some combo of 1B/DH/LF/RF, starting pitching

Major additions: Brady Singer, Nick Martinez (re-signed), Gavin Lux, Jose Trevino, Brent Suter

One thing to do: Add Santander? Or Jurickson Profar? Alonso? Flaherty?

To summarize: The Reds ranked 25th in the majors in combined OPS from left field/right field; they ranked 29th in OPS at first base; they ranked 29th in OPS at DH. So they traded for ... a second baseman, even though they have Matt McLain coming back after sitting out all of 2024. They'll probably try to shove Lux into an outfield corner and hope for the best. Trading away a good reliever in Fernando Cruz for a backup catcher who can't hit in the Trevino deal was a bad move. They also probably didn't expect Martinez to accept the $21 million qualifying offer; he's a useful swingman, but that's a hefty price for a small-market team. The Singer-Jonathan India challenge trade makes sense, but it feels as if the Reds are just spinning their wheels instead of moving forward. There are free agents who could help, but Cincinnati lacks the owner willing to go the extra dollar(s).


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Washington Nationals: C-

Offseason needs/goals: First base, third base, general pitching depth

Major additions: Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, Trevor Williams (re-signed), Jorge Lopez, Amed Rosario

One thing to do: Barring a surprise move for Bregman, probably just add some bullpen depth

There was the possibility the Nationals might be a little bolder this offseason, looking to make a splash as they did years ago with Jayson Werth, but instead it has been kind of underwhelming. Lowe will certainly help at first considering how bad the Nationals were there, but he's not the big power hitter they needed after ranking 29th in the majors in home runs. Bell has been a league-average hitter the past two seasons, which makes a below-average DH. They have payroll room; maybe they're saving up to go after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next offseason.


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Milwaukee Brewers: C-

Offseason needs: Starting pitching, third base

Major additions: Nestor Cortes

One thing to do: Try to lock up Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz to extensions

The big question entering the offseason was whether the Brewers would trade star closer Devin Williams -- and they did, sending him to the Yankees for Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin, who could get a shot to win the third base job. Cortes certainly filled a need, but the Brewers could have perhaps done a little better there as Cortes has only one season left of team control (like Williams) and sat out time because of an injury the final month of the season (and pitched only 12 games in 2023). The Brewers are always confident in their ability to build a bullpen, but they've always had Josh Hader or Williams or both and now will have neither for the first time since 2016. Let's see if that works out.


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Pittsburgh Pirates: C-

Offseason needs: First base, shortstop, bullpen, right field

Major additions: Spencer Horwitz, Andrew McCutchen (re-signed), Caleb Ferguson

One thing to do: Sign one of the relievers out there

Expectations are never high with the Pirates and this offseason is yet another winter of little adventure. Horwitz will take over at first base; he's a high-floor/low-ceiling player who should post a decent OBP but without the power you'd like at the position. Adding him cost the Pirates an intriguing arm in Luis Ortiz, who pitched well as a starter in the second half. That's a trade that could come back to haunt the Pirates, although they believe they have plenty of starting pitching depth, with Paul Skenes leading the way, plus Bubba Chandler on the horizon and Johan Oviedo returning from injury.


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Detroit Tigers: D+

Offseason needs/goals: Starting pitching, offense in the infield

Major additions: Gleyber Torres, Alex Cobb

One thing to do: Add Bregman? Flaherty?

This feels like a letdown after last year's surprise run to the playoffs, but the offseason isn't over. Maybe they bring back Flaherty, who was great in his time with the Tigers last season before he was traded to the Dodgers, or maybe they spend money to sign Bregman. The Torres signing means Colt Keith moves to first base. The Tigers did need somebody with on-base ability, which Torres can provide, but Keith's bat will have to improve a lot to profile at first. Cobb is 37 with a long list of injuries in his background, but he did post back-to-back 2.5-WAR seasons with the Giants in 2022 and 2023 before sitting out almost all of 2024.


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Tampa Bay Rays: D

Offseason needs/goals: Catcher, outfield

Major additions: Danny Jansen

One thing to do: They could use Santander's power

Even by their normal standards, the Rays' payroll situation was upended with the move to the Yankees' spring training stadium for 2025 after Hurricane Milton ravaged Tropicana Field. On the bright side, at least they've held on to trade candidate Yandy Diaz. Catcher Jansen has been the only addition to an offense that ranked 29th in runs scored. The Jeffrey Springs trade was more about potential future help than the present. They could surprise if some of the injured arms such as Shane McClanahan and Shane Baz return to good form, but the offense still looks like an issue.


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Seattle Mariners: D

Offseason needs/goals: Third base, first base/DH, bullpen depth

Major additions: Donovan Solano

One thing to do: A realistic thing? Maybe a reliable setup guy for the pen

Until signing Solano a few days ago, the Mariners hadn't made any major transactions. Solano moves on to his fifth team in five seasons but has remained a consistent role player, hitting .280-something each of the past four seasons. But he's probably not a full-time answer at third base, and he's turning 37, so this could be another one of those veteran moves that backfires in a big way for Seattle. Is there anything else in store? The Luis Castillo trade rumors are fun, but the Mariners don't really have a viable fifth starter if they trade him. A high-leverage reliever makes sense for a bullpen that is counting on Matt Brash and Gregory Santos to return from injuries to set up Andres Munoz (who always feels like an injury waiting to happen as well).


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Miami Marlins: D

Offseason needs/goals: Offense

Major additions: None

One thing to do: Who needs baseball players when Miami Live! is coming to loanDepot park in 2025 (yes, apparently "park" is lowercase ... who knew?)

It's hard to figure out what the Marlins are trying to accomplish and what they want to accomplish. The organization is so bereft of talent, other than some starting pitchers trying to rebound to good health, and so unwilling to spend money on a roster, that the team is as adrift as ever. It doesn't help that Braxton Garrett has already been ruled out for 2025. They traded Jesus Luzardo to the Phillies and Jake Burger to the Rangers, with shortstop Starlyn Caba coming over in the Luzardo deal and arguably now the team's top prospect. He's a defensive wizard who hit .228 in the low minors, but he was just 18 and walked more than he struck out. Check back in three years, which is maybe when the Marlins will be interesting again.


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Atlanta Braves: D-

Offseason needs/goals: Starting pitching, position player depth

Major additions: Nick Allen, Bryan De La Cruz

One thing to do: Really, just hope Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. return ASAP

This grade isn't to suggest the Braves will be bad in 2025 -- they'll be good -- but they've lost Max Fried and Charlie Morton, who combined for 59 starts and 339 innings. That won't be so easy to replace. They hope about half of those innings will come from Strider and they have other options in Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson, Hurston Waldrep and Bryce Elder, so they're hardly bereft in that department, but it places a big need for Chris Sale to have another healthy season. Allen is an Orlando Arcia clone at shortstop -- all glove and no hit -- and De La Cruz is coming off a terrible season and has a career OPS+ of 90. Meh.


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Colorado Rockies: D-

Offseason needs/goals: Offense! And pitching!

Major additions: Jacob Stallings, Thairo Estrada, Kyle Farmer

One thing to do: Think about how many home runs Alonso would hit at Coors Field?

The Rockies have made three minor signings: Stallings was worth 1.8 WAR in 2024, the other two a combined minus-0.8 WAR. Let's see ... doing some quick math here ... punching in the numbers ... that adds up to one whole win of value. The Rockies rely on developing their own talent, but as Bradford Doolittle's recent analysis showed, they would rank 30th in the majors in a "what-if" scenario in which all players returned to their original teams. This isn't working.


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Minnesota Twins: F

Offseason needs/goals: First base, don't spend any money

Major additions: None

One thing to do: Trade Chris Paddack?

They've achieved their goal. The Twins were one of those teams we knew weren't going to do anything, so this is hardly a surprise, but there is still no option but to give them a failing grade. With ownership putting a hold on their payroll and Carlos Correa chewing up a $37 million salary, the Twins are up a creek. It doesn't help that Christian Vazquez and Paddack will make a combined $17.5 million in 2025. Jose Miranda probably gets first crack at first base with the departure of Carlos Santana.


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St. Louis Cardinals: F

Offseason needs/goals: Trade Nolan Arenado

Major additions: None

One thing to do: Trade Arenado

At least the Cardinals were clear about the offseason plans, which was to basically do nothing. And they've done nothing, including not doing the one thing they wanted to do, trading their eight-time All-Star third baseman. Arenado might have to relent on his no-trade clause and be open to going somewhere that wasn't on his original list, plus the Cardinals probably will have to wait until Bregman signs to see if there's any interest in Arenado (who has three years left on his contract). But it's also looking more likely that Arenado opens the season in a Cardinals uniform.


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San Diego Padres: F

Offseason needs/goals: Sign Roki Sasaki, left field, middle infield

Major additions: None

One thing to do: Wait for Sasaki ... and then re-sign Profar

The Padres have made no major additions while Profar and Ha-Seong Kim are free agents, creating two big holes to fill (plus Joe Musgrove will sit out all of 2025). They've reportedly tried to trade Luis Arraez without avail, although that would just open another hole. Now there's the lawsuit from late owner Peter Seidler's widow against her two brothers-in-law as she looks to gain control of the team. Lawsuit pending, the payroll is some $40 million above last year's -- and nobody knows if the new Seidler brothers are willing to spend the way Peter did. With even Profar perhaps out of their price range, it seems as if only Sasaki can rescue this offseason.

did not know that Goldschmidt signed with the Yankees, lol
 
Wish he would’ve gone to the padres. Credit to the dodgers. That rotation is filthy. Hopefully it lasts more than three months.
 
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