Grading every MLB GM's offseason on the curve they deserve: Stearns, Breslow need to get aggressive

While it's important to make it clear that the offseason is nowhere near over, enough time has gone by and enough moves have been made in the MLB offseason that we can grade how teams have done thus far. Grading every team as if they have the same resources to work with and expectations on their shoulders, though, would be disingenuous.

With that in mind, let's grade how each general manager has done with the appropriate curve they deserve.

AL East offseason grades

Baltimore Orioles

Few teams, if any, have been more active than the Baltimore Orioles. They've revamped their lineup by adding two right-handed boppers, Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward, have improved the back end of their bullpen by signing Ryan Helsley, and even addressed their rotation by trading for Shane Baz. The only thing holding the Orioles back a bit is their lack of an established frontline starter, but there's more time for Mike Elias to make that move. It's good to see the Orioles aggressively adding to their roster, and it was very cool to see them spend what it took to sign Alonso, a marquee free agent, even if it's probably likely that contract won't look so great in 2028.

Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox fans had high hopes entering the offseason, and so far, Craig Breslow has fallen very short of what they had hoped he'd accomplish. Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo make a solid rotation even better and deeper, but neither of those pitchers profiles as the No. 2 starter Breslow said he wanted to acquire. To make matters worse, the Red Sox whiffed on both Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber, making it less likely they add a potent bat to their lineup that they desperately need. There's still time for the Red Sox to check those boxes, but so far, it isn't looking too promising on either end.

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are the hardest team in this division to grade. On one hand, the Yankees haven't done much of anything outside of bringing guys like Trent Grisham, Amed Rosario and Ryan Yarbrough back on one-year deals. On the other hand, it's not as if the team's top targets have gone anywhere. Both Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker remain on the open market, free for the Yankees to sign. Tatsuya Imai is still a free agent as well. The Yankees could still do plenty of damage on the trade market. They don't deserve a high grade because they haven't done anything of note, but they also shouldn't be punished too harshly, given that most of their targets remain available. The Yankees are victims of slow-moving markets among outfielders and starting pitchers.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are a whole lot worse now than they were in 2025. They traded both Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz in separate deals on Friday and are likely to lose Pete Fairbanks in free agency. As depressing as that sounds, I'd still say they've had a good offseason thus far because they got good returns in both of those trades, and the deals they made open the door for Erik Neander to either do more selling or use some of the assets he acquired to make a Ketel Marte-sized splash. Either of those paths is smarter than keeping Lowe and Baz and running it back.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays were within two outs of winning the World Series this past season, and are acting like a team desperate to get over the hump and win it all in 2026. Dylan Cease, arguably the best pitcher available, agreed to come north of the border. Cody Ponce gives the Jays even more rotation depth. Tyler Rogers gives the team the reliable and consistent back-end reliever it needed. The Jays do have more work to do, particularly in their lineup and bullpen, but assuming they, at the very least, re-sign Bo Bichette, this team is better than it was in 2025. That's frightening for their AL rivals.

AL Central offseason grades

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox had done what was expected — practically nothing of note. Their biggest addition was Anthony Kay, a starting pitcher who has dominated the past couple of years in Japan, but hasn't done much at the big league level. It was a fine gamble for a team not expected to compete like the White Sox to take — they were able to get the most out of Erick Fedde in a similar situation recently — but it doesn't move the needle much. But the Munetaka Murakami surprise addition in free agency is a smart gamble, especially on a two-year deal. He can help the club's rebuild, either on the field or as a future trade asset.

Cleveland Guardians

I know, I know, the Cleveland Guardians don't spend, and that isn't Mike Chernoff's fault, but it's also late December and the biggest addition made to this roster is Shawn Armstrong. Don't get me wrong, Armstrong is a very underrated reliever and a solid addition, but there simply has to be more in store. I mean, the Guardians ranked 28th in runs scored this past season and haven't made a single move to address their lineup. It'll be hard to be too optimistic about the Guardians without a notable lineup addition, whether that comes in free agency or via trade.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers have re-signed Kyle Finnegan and signed Kenley Jansen, forming a rock-solid back end of their bullpen. While the 'pen is better, will the Tigers make other additions? Their lineup still lacks a big right-handed bat to sandwich between left-handed mashers Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene. Their rotation still lacks a No. 2 starter behind Tarik Skubal. Keeping Skubal rather than capitalizing on his absurdly high trade value is only fine if the Tigers drastically improve for 2026. That hasn't happened yet, even if their bullpen is in a better spot.

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals have had the best offseason of the five AL Central teams, and by a wide margin. They're the only team that appears to be desperate to win in 2026. Their bullpen is now very deep after adding Matt Strahm and Nick Mears, and their outfield is better with Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas in the mix. The Royals would benefit by adding a big outfield bat, probably in a trade, but it's good to see them acting somewhat aggressively this winter after a rough 2025 season.

Minnesota Twins

Perhaps my Minnesota Twins grade is too harsh, but what, exactly, is the plan here? Sure, ownership makes it so that the Twins can't meaningfully add to their roster, but if that's the case, why are they keeping stars like Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez in town when they could all be traded for hauls? The Twins won't be good as constructed, and Josh Bell won't make them much better. It's disappointing that they're refusing to sell high and fully commit to a rebuild while simultaneously not actually trying to compete in what's a very winnable division.

AL West offseason grades

Athletics

The Athletics are another team with a limited budget, but Mark Leiter Jr. is their only addition. Leiter is a fine reliever, but it's hard to get too excited about that. Honestly, the most exciting revelation of the offseason for the A's is that they reportedly offered Ha-Seong Kim a four-year, $48 million deal before he re-signed with the Atlanta Braves. Maybe that means they have money to make a substantial move. Until that happens, their grade isn't going to be particularly high.

Houston Astros

It was hard to know what to expect with the Houston Astros this offseason, and early returns are pretty mixed. I honestly liked the Mike Burrows trade more than most from Houston's point of view, but knowing that he's the best starting pitching addition they've made thus far, with Framber Valdez still lingering around in free agency, is a bit painful. The Astros began their offseason with needs in their rotation and outfield, and those needs still persist. They haven't improved their rotation enough to get into the B range.

Los Angeles Angels

I loved the risk that the Los Angeles Angels took by trading Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez, given Rodriguez's ace-level upside and the Angels' need for starting pitching. What I don't like, though, is that every move the Angels have made has been predicated on upside that players likely won't reach. I mean, adding players like Vaughn Grissom, Alek Manoah and Jordan Romano might've gotten Angels fans excited in 2022, but we're entering 2026. The Rodriguez addition had me somewhat optimistic, but every move since then has been more and more disappointing, since, for whatever reason, the Angels are shying away from adding proven players.

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners struck quickly, re-signing Josh Naylor after he helped guide them to the ALCS. The Harry Ford trade stung a bit, but it did make the Mariners better for 2026 - I think people are going to learn how good Jose A. Ferrer is. As good as those moves were, the Mariners still have holes in their infield that need to be addressed, and Jorge Polanco, a player they coveted, ended up signing elsewhere. I do think Jerry Dipoto will make at least one more notable addition to the lineup, though, turning a solid offseason into a really good one sooner rather than later.

Texas Rangers

Trading Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo was shocking, but made sense for the Texas Rangers for a couple of reasons. They got younger, less expensive in the short-term, and Nimmo is a better hitter than Semien right now. The Rangers need to improve their offense, and Nimmo should do that. Danny Jansen was a solid addition, too, given their limited budget and the lack of options. Losing Shawn Armstrong and Merrill Kelly hurts, but the Rangers did bring Chris Martin back and probably have enough money to add a starter. It's a B for now, but with room to grow.

NL East offseason grades

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have checked off just about every box on their offseason checklist. They needed to upgrade their bullpen, so they re-signed Raisel Iglesias and signed Robert Suarez, adding two of the five best relievers available. They needed a shortstop, so they re-signed Ha-Seong Kim. They needed to bolster their bench, so they traded for Mauricio Dubon and signed Mike Yastrzemski. The Braves' bullpen is as good as any non-Padres team in the National League, and their depth drastically improves their floor. It's hard not to expect a bounce-back campaign in 2026 from Atlanta, and if they're able to add a starting pitcher on top of what they've already done, watch out.

Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins were one of MLB's biggest surprises last season, winning 79 games and narrowly missing out on a postseason berth. Sure, it was unrealistic to expect them to make major splashes this winter, but is Christopher Morel really the best they can do over a month into the offseason? They haven't gotten any better, and haven't traded from their glut of starting pitchers either. It's been a strange offseason so far.

New York Mets

On paper, losing Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso in a two-week span is virtually impossible to come back from. As bad as this looks, though, the New York Mets have made some good moves this offseason. Trading Nimmo for Marcus Semien drastically improves the defense and shortens the length of a bad contract from five years to three. Not handing a bloated five-year deal to Pete Alonso will probably prove to be the right decision long-term, even if it hurts in the short-term. Jorge Polanco is a really good hitter, and both Luke Weaver and Devin Williams were strong additions to the bullpen. They aren't better in 2026 than they were in 2025 yet, and that's not good, but they still have money to spend, and they're better set up for the future than pessimistic Mets fans might admit to. It's a subpar offseason right now, with a chance to end on a very high note if played out correctly.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies did what they absolutely had to do by re-signing Kyle Schwarber, and that alone makes their grade a very good one. I also really liked the Brad Keller signing. The rest of their offseason has been a bit confusing. Why are they, a team vying to win the World Series, trading a proven reliever like Matt Strahm for Jonathan Bowlan? Perhaps there's another move coming, because that deal by itself is really hard to justify for a team in the position the Phillies are in. Another move to ensure that Adolis Garcia isn't their best external addition to their lineup would go a long way.

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals probably won't be better in 2026 after trading their best reliever, Jose A. Ferrer, for Harry Ford, a catcher with minimal big league experience, but that deal does set them up better for the future. Ford is a very exciting prospect that Washington can build around. The Foster Griffin signing also has some upside after he pitched really well in Japan. The Nationals are in rebuild mode, and so far, they're doing well on that front. Whether that continues with guys like MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams reportedly on the block, though, remains to be seen.

NL Central offseason grades

Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs fans hoped to see Jed Hoyer act with aggression this offseason, but that just hasn't happened yet. The bullpen is better with the additions of Phil Maton and Hoby Milner, and re-signing Caleb Thielbar was a good move, but there were also better options out there than the ones Chicago ended up with. Additionally, the Cubs haven't really done much outside of their bullpen. Shota Imanaga is back on the qualifying offer, but the Cubs still lack an ace. They're likely going to let Kyle Tucker walk, too, making it likely that they'll essentially run back a lineup that underwhelmed in the second half without its best player. There's still time for Hoyer to make a splash, but mediocre bullpen additions won't get anyone excited, even if the 'pen is a bit better than it was this past season.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds were in on Kyle Schwarber, but refused to meet his asking price and wound up losing him to the Phillies. Beyond that, it's been mostly crickets in Cincinnati. Emilio Pagan re-signed, and Caleb Ferguson was a pretty good addition, but the Reds' lineup was not good enough in 2025, and all indications are they won't spend to make a meaningful move on that front this winter. I'd love for Nick Krall to prove me wrong, and I do know that ownership is at fault for restricting him, but it's time for the Reds to make a meaningful lineup addition, either in free agency or via trade. Their starting rotation is too talented not to. The fact that we've seen the Reds linked more to Hunter Greene trades than to productive hitters is so demoralizing.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers did bring Brandon Woodruff back on the qualifying offer, but the rest of their offseason has been rather uneventful. Their only major move thus far saw them trade Isaac Collins and Nick Mears for Angel Zerpa. There's upside with Zerpa, and the Brewers didn't exactly need Mears or Collins, but Mears was a decent reliever and Collins was one of their most valuable players in 2025. It's never wise to doubt the Brewers, but I don't see how this team will be any better than it was in 2025 as constructed.

Pittsburgh Pirates

I will admit that I didn't believe that the Pittsburgh Pirates would actually make a meaningful addition to their lineup this offseason. He isn't Kyle Schwarber or even Pete Alonso, but Brandon Lowe will make a difference for Pittsburgh. Jhostynxon Garcia is a really fun prospect, too. The Pirates are still a bat or two short from really being in the postseason picture, and could use another reliever beyond Gregory Soto for their bullpen, but trading for Lowe, a position player on an expiring contract, goes to show that the Pirates are actually as serious as they've been about spending money and winning now as they've been in quite some time.

St. Louis Cardinals

Chaim Bloom has made it abundantly clear that the St. Louis Cardinals are entering a rebuild, and are prioritizing future success more than winning games in 2026. With that in mind, I didn't expect the Cardinals to make any major moves, but I did expect more activity than I've seen. The Cardinals traded Sonny Gray, and got a pretty good return, headlined by pitching prospect Brandon Clarke, but that's about it. Other veterans like Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado remain on the team, and Dustin May is the only free agent signed. The Gray trade was a good start, but there are more players the Cardinals should be trading this offseason.

NL West offseason grades

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks have improved their biggest weakness, their starting rotation, by bringing Merrill Kelly back and signing Michael Soroka, but it's not as if those moves on their own will get this team back to the postseason, and the Diamondbacks are still dangling Ketel Marte on the trade block. Given Marte's uncertain status, I have no idea what the Diamondbacks' plan is. Kelly, in particular, makes them better, but there's still a lot more to accomplish. Adding that onto not knowing what'll happen with Marte makes this just a weird start to their offseason.

Colorado Rockies

There was nothing that the Colorado Rockies could do to get into postseason contention after a historically bad 2025 campaign, but that doesn't mean they should just sit on their hands all winter. I understand not wanting to trade potential franchise cornerstones like Brenton Doyle, Hunter Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar, but can the Rockies sign somebody? Can they make a different trade? It's been nothing but crickets. The Rockies are one of two teams to not sign a single free agent to a big league deal. At least the other team, the Red Sox, have made trades. The Rockies have done nothing.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers had few needs, obviously, but the bullpen had to be addressed. What better way to address it than by signing the best closer in the game, Edwin Diaz? Getting him on a three-year deal instead of having to go overboard for four or five years makes it even sweeter. They could probably use an outfielder and maybe one more reliever, but it's hard not to feel good about their odds of pulling off a three-peat with Diaz in the back end of that bullpen.

San Diego Padres

Given the San Diego Padres' financial situation, I had little hope that they'd be able to re-sign either one of their star pitchers, Dylan Cease or MIchael King, this offseason. Cease bolted to Toronto, but the Padres were able to re-sign King on a three-year deal. It's entirely possible that he'll choose to opt out and test free agency next offseason or the one after that, but getting King, an ace when healthy, back for 2026 was such a huge win. San Diego still has needs in its rotation and the right side of its infield, but King really improves their ceiling.

San Francisco Giants

I have absolutely no idea what Buster Posey is doing. Last year, the San Francisco Giants appeared desperate to win now, signing Willy Adames and trading for Rafael Devers and his bloated contract. They fell short in their postseason quest, but were seemingly a big rotation arm and a big bat away from really making things interesting in the NL Wild Card race. So far, their biggest addition has been Adrian Houser, a decent back-end starter. In a division that includes the Dodgers and Padres, that just isn't good enough. Without a major splash, I don't see why this team should be taken seriously as postseason contenders.

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