Grading every MLB team's biggest offseason move after 100 games

The MLB season is chugging along, with tight AL and NL Wild Card races shaping up to create intriguing buy or sell decisions for fringe contenders. A lot of the work for said contenders was done this past offseason, when every team made some important decisions to set themselves up for the 2026 campaign and beyond.

Which offseason decisions have aged gracefully and which have left teams with buyer's remorse? Let's look back at the biggest offseason move for all 30 teams and grade them after 100 games, beginning at the top of the alphabet with Arizona.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Move: Trading RHP Jack Martinez to the St. Louis Cardinals for Nolan Arenado

It's been an up-and-down year for the Diamondbacks, but the Arenado trade hasn't been an issue. St. Louis paid down $31 million of the $42 million owed to the third baseman through 2027 and he has been largely solid for Arizona, hitting .244 with 13 home runs, 44 RBI and a .739 OPS in 93 games. That production has been worth 1.6 WAR, easily exceeding the 1.3 Arenado posted in 107 games for the Cardinals last year — and that's a big win for the Diamondbacks, considering they picked him up in a salary dump.

Grade: B-

Athletics

Move: Trading RHP Yordan Rodriguez to the New York Mets for Jeff McNeil

This is the other end of the salary-dump spectrum, in which the Mets picked up $5.75 million of McNeil's $15.75 million salary to get him off their roster. The veteran started hot in Sacramento but has been unplayable for a while, hitting .233 with three homers, 28 RBI and a .605 OPS in 87 games — and showing his decline in New York was not an aberration. The acquisition cost was so low that it was worth a shot, but you'd have to think the A's would like the opportunity to reallocate the $10 million they're paying McNeil right now.

Grade: D

Atlanta Braves

Move: Signing Robert Suarez to a 3-year, $45 million deal

After re-signing Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta bulked up its bullpen with the addition of Suarez on a three-year deal paying him $15 million per season. That AAV looks like a bargain so far, as Suarez has been lights-out for the Braves while recording a 0.56 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 32 innings pitched before landing on the IL with forearm inflammation in late June. There isn't any long-term concern with the righty, who has been one of the best offseason additions for any team and played a big role in the Braves' surge to the top of the NL East.

Grade: A

Baltimore Orioles

Move: Signing Pete Alonso to a 5-year deal worth $155 million

After getting rebuffed by Kyle Schwarber, the Orioles pivoted quickly to Alonso, giving the Polar Bear the long-term deal he coveted as a free agent. Alonso has delivered his typical production, leading Baltimore in homers (21) and RBI (66) so far. A slow start for the slugger helped contribute to Baltimore's deficit in the AL East, but he has heated up as the team is climbing closer to a Wild Card spot — offering hope they can sneak into the postseason with the right deadline moves.

Grade: B+

Boston Red Sox

Move: Signing Ranger Suarez to a 5-year deal worth $130 million

The Willson Contreras trade was a consideration here as well, as it has been a massive win, but the biggest outlay Boston made over the winter was its five-year contract for Suarez. The Red Sox have gotten solid production thus far from the lefty, who is 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts, but durability remains a question after he missed some time with a groin injury. Suarez should be back soon, but he is yet to exceed 157.1 innings in a season in his career — a trend that will probably continue in 2026.

Grade: B

Chicago Cubs

Move: Signing Alex Bregman to a 5-year, $175 million deal

A year after hesitating on Bregman's long-term contract demands, Chicago gave the star third baseman a five-year deal to be a leader and anchor for their lineup. Bregman has scuffled at the plate, but his typically sturdy defense has helped him generate 2.4 WAR so far. This contract might not age well moving forward, and the Cubs may wish to have spent that money elsewhere. His two-way floor and veteran leadership are nothing to scoff at, though.

Grade: B-

Chicago White Sox

Move: Signing Munetaka Murakami to a 2-year, $34 million deal

MLB teams were very hesitant to engage on Murakami, fearing his strikeouts and questionable defense would make him unplayable in the Majors. The White Sox took the plunge on a two-year deal worth $34 million and have been handsomely rewarded, as Murakami has slugged 20 homers and delivered a .901 OPS in just 63 games after missing time during the first half with a hamstring injury. Murakami is back now and poised to help Chicago make a stunning push for the AL Central crown, making this the best value play of the entire offseason.

Grade: A+

Cincinnati Reds

Move: Signing Eugenio Suarez to a 1-year deal worth $15 million

The Reds operated very frugally this past winter despite sneaking into the postseason late in 2025, adding on the margins with their biggest splash being a reunion with Suarez on a one-year deal. The move hasn't paid off for Cincinnati, as Suarez's second-half slump last year in Seattle has carried over to this season in which he's hit just .210 with 12 homers, 36 RBI and a .680 OPS. Despite the fact that the Reds are heading towards selling at the deadline, Suarez's poor performance and high salary mean the team won't get much back for him either, making this a misuse of financial resources.

Grade: D

Cleveland Guardians

Move: Signing Shawn Armstrong to 1-year deal worth $5.5 million

Few teams did less in the offseason than Cleveland, whose big splash was adding veteran reliever Shawn Armstrong on a modest one-year contract. While the Guardians' internal player development has them in the playoff hunt once again, Armstrong hasn't done much to help the cause. The righty was expected to be a key setup arm in the bullpen, but he's pitched to a 4.40 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 35 appearances — serviceable, but not what Cleveland paid for.

Grade: D

Colorado Rockies

Move: Signing Willi Castro to 2-year, $12.8 million deal

The Rockies haven't done more than give out one-year deals lately but decided to push their comfort zone by adding former All-Star Willi Castro on a two-year contract. Castro has helped raise the floor for Colorado, hitting .263 with nine homers and 40 RBI in 85 games, but it hasn't translated to many extra wins for the rebuilding Rockies. This grade could tick up if the team decide to flip Castro at the trade deadline for assets that help accelerate that rebuild.

Grade: C

Detroit Tigers

Move: Signing Framber Valdez to a 3-year, $115 million deal

After a surprisingly quiet start to the offseason, the Tigers took advantage of Valdez's stagnant market and added him on a three-year deal to be the co-ace alongside Tarik Skubal. Valdez has been fine in his Detroit debut, going 5-6 with a 4.10 ERA in 19 starts, but he hasn't been quite lived up to that billing. Skubal's return has helped the Tigers surge into an intriguing deadline dilemma, and now they could really use more from Valdez to push them firmly into the buyer category.

Grade: B-

Houston Astros

Move: Signing Tatsuya Imai to a 3-year deal worth $54 million

Japanese pitchers have traditionally drawn a lot of interest when they come Statesidem but the market wasn't biting on Imai, leaving him with a creative deal with Houston that paid him $18 million per year with opt-outs after each season. The righty has been a massive flop in Houston, spending time on the IL and registering a 6.06 ERA in 13 starts while walking 33 batters over just 54 innings pitched. There is zero chance Imai opts out of his deal after the season, and his struggles have helped put the Astros into a big hole they've spent most of the year trying to dig out of.

Grade: F

Kansas City Royals

Move: Signing Maikel Garcia to a 5-year contract extension

The best business the Royals did over the winter was locking up third baseman Maikel Garcia to a five-year contract extension after his breakout 2025 campaign. Garcia has had a fine if unremarkable follow-up to that campaign, hitting .261 with three homers and 30 RBI with a .693 OPS while playing good defense at the hot corner. The $11.5 million AAV shouldn't cripple Kansas City's salary structure going forward and he is playing at a roughly 2.5 WAR pace this season, which would be good for a foundational piece entering his prime. If he can unlock the power he showed last season again, it'll turn into a bargain given his speed and defense.

Grade: B-

Los Angeles Angels

Move: Trading Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles for LHP Grayson Rodriguez

The Angels made a surprising offseason pivot when they decided to shop Ward, an outfielder entering his walk year, for a longer-term addition. They settled on Rodriguez, who had flashed ace potential with the Orioles before injuries sent his career sideways. The righty hasn't lived up to Los Angeles' hopes, battling through another injury-plagued year while going just 3-3 with an 8.23 ERA in eight starts — an abysmal return for one of the best outfielders moved last winter.

Grade: F

Los Angeles Dodgers

Move: Signing Kyle Tucker to a 4-year, $240 million deal

The Dodgers came in from the top rope to land Tucker, the top free agent last winter, on a short-term deal seemingly just because they could. Tucker got what he wanted by going to a lower-stakes environment but has repaid Los Angeles' record-setting investment with middling production, hitting just .240 with seven homers, 47 RBI and a .702 OPS while staying healthy all year. Those are essentially replacement-level numbers, which is disastrous for a deal with a $60 million AAV.

Grade: D

Miami Marlins

Move: Trading Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs for Owen Caissie and two additional prospects

In a typical Miami move, the Marlins cashed out early on Cabrera and turned him into younger players to address other areas of the roster. The headlining piece was Caissie, a slugging outfielder who had no path to playing time in Chicago. Caissie has been a fine piece in the Marlins' lineup, hitting .239 with 12 homers and 50 RBI with a .755 OPS in 80 games while playing a supporting role in Miami's midseason surge.

Grade: C

Milwaukee Brewers

Move: Trading Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers to the New York Mets for Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams

With the odds of keeping Peralta around for the long haul slim, Milwaukee cashed out by sending he and Myers to New York for two top-100 prospects. Sproat has been inconsistent in the Brewers rotation while Williams has yet to make his big-league debut, but the team made the correct call to move on nonetheless given how badly Peralta is floundering for the Mets. There is even a possibility they could re-acquire the righty at the deadline for less than they gave up, which would be quite the turn of events for a first-place club.

Grade: B

Minnesota Twins

Move: Signing Victor Caratini to 2-year, $14 million deal

Catching is hard to come by in the Majors, so it's hard to blame Minnesota for adding more of it with Caratini's two-year contract. Caratini has been a perfectly serviceable compliment to Ryan Jeffers, hitting .240 with seven homers and 35 RBI in 72 games, and appears capable of being the starter if the Twins trade Jeffers prior to the deadline. Minnesota remains in the Wild Card mix, but Caratini's presence could allow them to stay relevant while capitalizing on Jeffers' value for their long-term build.

Grade: C+

New York Mets

Move: Signing Bo Bichette to a 3-year, $126 million deal

After getting spurned by Tucker, the Mets immediately pivoted to Bichette, giving him a three-year deal with opt-outs after each season in order to add a big bat to their lineup. Bichette struggled early in his transition to New York, flirting with the Mendoza Line well into May, and his issues played a huge role in the Mets' all-out collapse. They've gotten better production from Bichette since then, as he's slowly approached his career norms, but that could also be a loss if he opts out following the year to try again for a long-term contract.

Grade: D

New York Yankees

Move: Re-signing Cody Bellinger to a 5-year, $162.5 million deal

The run-it-back Yankees' biggest splash came by keeping Bellinger on a five-year deal that is heavily incentivized to get him to opt out after three. Bellinger has lived up to the contract thus far, making the All-Star team and serving as a lineup anchor while Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge are sidelined. New York has to be thrilled that Bellinger has generated 3.6 WAR so far, which should help him get some AL MVP votes if he finishes strong.

Grade: A

Philadelphia Phillies

Move: Re-Signing Kyle Schwarber to a 5-year, $150 million deal

The Phillies made it clear they were going to do whatever it took to keep Schwarber around after he finished as the runner-up in the NL MVP race with 56 homers and 132 RBI last season. Things started slowly for the slugger this year, but he is on pace for another outstanding season, hitting 33 more jacks and driving in 61 runs so far. Schwarber's heater has helped the Phillies overcome a dreadful 9-19 start and put them in position to catch the slumping Braves in the NL East.

Grade: A+

Pittsburgh Pirates

Move: Signing Ryan O'Hearn to a 2-year, $29 million deal

Few Pirates fans were knocked off their feet by the addition of O'Hearn, a steady player for the past few years in Baltimore and San Diego, on a two-year contract. The hope for the Pirates was that O'Hearn would raise the floor of their anemic offense and he has done more than that, hitting .278 with 16 homers and 64 RBI as a mainstay in the lineup. O'Hearn was certainly an All-Star snub and has been a huge reason why Pittsburgh remains in the Wild Card hunt at this point of the year.

Grade: A

San Diego Padres

Move: Re-signing Michael King to a 3-year, $75 million deal

The swashbuckling Padres were relatively quiet in the offseason as they awaited an ownership sale, with their big splash being the retention of King on a three-year deal that contained opt-outs after each season. King has done his part as the staff ace, pitching to a 3.34 ERA in 113.1 innings, but has just a 6-7 record thanks to a lack of offensive support. San Diego will likely buy given AJ Preller's nature, but they would be wise to consider a sale of King before his likely opt out this winter.

Grade: A

San Francisco Giants

Move: Signing Harrison Bader to a 2-year, $20.5 million deal

Seeking defensive improvement at spacious Oracle Park, the Giants gave Bader a two-year deal to patrol center field for them. The defensive that Bader is known for has carried over to the Bay Area but his bat hasn't, as he is hitting only .170 with a .557 OPS in 30 games. A foot injury has sidelined Bader for the better part of the last six weeks, meaning the Giants don't even have the opportunity to shop him at the deadline to get some assets to fuel a quick overhaul.

Grade: F

Seattle Mariners

Move: Re-signing Josh Naylor to a 5-year, $92.5 million deal

After an inspiring run to Game 7 of the ALCS, Seattle jumped the market to keep cult hero Josh Naylor in the Pacific Northwest with a lucrative five-year deal. Naylor has given the Mariners buyer's remorse, batting just .253 with eight homers and 37 RBI with a .671 OPS — a massive decline from his huge walk year in 2025. A team-wide offensive decline has prevented the Mariners from taking advantage of their tremendous pitching, and Naylor has been a huge part of those issues.

Grade: D

St. Louis Cardinals

Move: Trading away Willson Contreras

St. Louis opted to pivot towards a rebuild by selling off their veterans over the winter, but they would like a mulligan on the Contreras deal. Seeking to reload their pitching depth, the Cardinals added $8 million in cash to convince Boston to take on the remainder of his contract, which has seen him deliver borderline MVP form for the Red Sox. None of the prospects St. Louis added are helping significantly now, making this decision a big loss.

Grade: D

Tampa Bay Rays

Move: Signing Steven Matz to a 2-year, $15 million deal

Not everything the Rays touch turns to gold, as evidenced by Matz's contract. Tampa Bay added the veteran lefty on a two-year deal as a swingman only to watch him deliver awful returns, going 4-4 with a 6.28 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 15 appearances. A $7.5 million per year salary may not be a dealbreaker for most teams, but cash-strapped Tampa Bay needed more out of its investment here in a tight AL East.

Grade: F

Texas Rangers

Move: Trading Marcus Semien to the New York Mets for Brandon Nimmo

Things were getting untenable between Semien and Corey Seager towards the end of 2025, leading Texas to decide a trade was necessary. They swapped Semien's bad contract for a deal the Mets felt was underwater in Nimmo's, who's under team control for two years longer than Semien. The move has paid off in 2026, though, with Semien being an abject disaster in New York and Nimmo delivering 1.9 WAR as a leader for the first-place Rangers.

Grade: B+

Toronto Blue Jays

Move: Signing Dylan Cease to a 7-year, $210 million deal

Eyebrows raised around baseball when Toronto gave Cease, who'd mixed huge promise with inconsistent results for years, to a huge long-term contract. But the Blue Jays have won their big bet so far, as Cease has been the best pitcher in the AL outside of Cam Schlittler, starting the All Star Game while going 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA across 17 outings. With veteran Kevin Gausman set to hit free agency after the year, Toronto appears to have found his successor atop the rotation.

Grade: A

Washington Nationals

Move: Trading MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers for 5 prospects

The Nationals sold high on Gore, netting five prospects from Texas, and their call appears to have been a wise one. Gore has plateaued with the Rangers, going 6-8 with a 4.80 ERA in 21 starts, continuing a downward performance trend that started last season in Washington. Even though the Nationals have been a surprise Wild Card contender so far, it does appear that moving on from Gore will be more helpful in the long run than hanging onto him for another year would have.

Grade: B-

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