The MLB offseason isn't officially over, with Zac Gallen headlining the list of remaining free agents. But with pitchers and catchers set to report in just a matter of days, most of the available talent has found a home, and attention has officially turned to the season ahead.
With that in mind, let's give each of the 30 MLB teams one final offseason grade and determine who the biggest winners are.
Arizona Diamondbacks
- Offseason grade: C-
- Notable additions: Merrill Kelly, Nolan Arenado
Ketel Marte trade rumors dominated the Arizona Diamondbacks' offseason ... only for him to stick around after all. Keeping Marte, arguably the best second baseman in the game, obviously isn't a bad thing, but keeping him only for your best additions to be Merrill Kelly and Nolan Arenado is a bit frustrating. Arizona should score plenty of runs, but its pitching projects to be among the worst in the league, and that, in a tough NL West, is an issue that figures to cost them as they attempt to push for the postseason.
Athletics
- Offseason grade: Jeff McNeil
- Notable additions: C-
The Athletics did well in extending core players like Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom, but when it came to improving their roster, they didn't do much. Jeff McNeil is an upgrade at second base, and Mark Leiter Jr. is a decent veteran to add to the bullpen, but the A's didn't do much of anything to address a rotation that ranked 27th last year with a 4.85 ERA. They could've seriously pushed for a Wild Card spot had they added some starting pitching, but their refusal to do so will likely lead to yet another losing season.
Atlanta Braves
- Offseason grade: A-
- Notable additions: Robert Suarez, Mike Yastrzemski, Mauricio Dubon
The Atlanta Braves didn't make any major splashes, but they addressed virtually all of their needs. Their bullpen was their biggest Achilles heel in 2025, so not only did they re-sign Raisel Iglesias and Tyler Kinley, who dominated down the stretch, but they also signed Robert Suarez, forming one of the best late-game duos alongside Iglesias in the NL in the process.
Their other major weakness was the shortstop position, and when healthy, Ha-Seong Kim is a rock-solid option to turn to. Add in bench upgrades like Mike Yastrzemski and Mauricio Dubon, and the Braves figure to be one of the most improved teams in 2026. They could use more starting pitching depth, but Atlanta is deeper than they've been in recent years and should have a big season.
Baltimore Orioles
- Offseason grade: B+
- Notable additions: Pete Alonso, Taylor Ward, Shane Baz, Ryan Helsley
The Baltimore Orioles made a strong effort to win now with the moves they made, and for that, I applaud them. The reason I don't have them with an A grade has to do with just how much they spent to make these moves.
Pete Alonso cost them five years, in a contract they might very well come to regret. One year of Taylor Ward cost them four years of Grayson Rodriguez. Shane Baz cost four prospects and a draft pick. Ryan Helsley cost a $14 million AAV coming off a very subpar season. They paid high prices for all of their upgrades, and while they're obviously much better, where do they rank in the AL East? Would it even be shocking if this was a fourth-place team that missed the playoffs because of how good the rest of the division is? Had the Orioles added a true frontline starter, they'd have put together one of the best offseasons in the league. Their inability to do so has them in the B range.
Boston Red Sox
- Offseason grade: B-
- Notable additions: Ranger Suarez, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo
The Boston Red Sox were active this offseason, particularly on the trade market. They improved their rotation by adding Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. But their lineup being what it is played a role in their grade being what it was.
The Red Sox had a clear need to add power, and while Willson Contreras does just that, they also let Alex Bregman walk and whiffed on strong offensive players like Ketel Marte, Brendan Donovan, Pete Alonso and Bo Bichette. Their lineup is still missing the big bat it needed to replace the void left by Rafael Devers, and Craig Breslow's refusal to make that kind of marquee addition despite the bevy of options available is really hard to overlook. This is likely a playoff team, but the Red Sox had a chance to position themselves among the World Series favorites and failed to do so.
Chicago Cubs
- Offseason grade: A-
- Notable additions: Alex Bregman, Edward Cabrera, Phil Maton
The Chicago Cubs have had a strong offseason, winning the Alex Bregman sweepstakes somewhat unexpectedly, trading for a dynamic starter in Edward Cabrera and remaking their bullpen by signing five different relievers. It was refreshing to see a big-market team act like it by spending big money on a marquee free agent and trading a top prospect for a needed rotation upgrade. With that being said, the Cubs did let Kyle Tucker go and replaced him with an inferior bat. And Cabrera, while supremely talented, comes with some major red flags. The Cubs are probably the NL Central favorites now, and they tried harder than they have in quite some time to seriously improve, but losing an MVP-caliber bat and acquiring Cabrera's risks leaves their offseason just short of an A grade.
Chicago White Sox
- Offseason grade: B
- Notable additions: Munetaka Murakami, Seranthony Dominguez, Austin Hays
The Chicago White Sox did many good things this offseason, headlined by the Munetaka Murakami signing. I have no idea how his bat will translate to the Majors, but given his absurd power upside, getting him to agree to a two-year, $34 million deal was as low-risk, high-reward as it gets. I didn't love the Luis Robert Jr. trade, but I did like how they used the money they shed to land Austin Hays and Seranthony Dominguez, both of whom can be traded for prospects at the trade deadline, while also taking on much of Jordan Hicks' salary to acquire an exciting prospect in David Sandlin. The White Sox won't be good in 2026, but they're making the right moves to aid in their rebuild.
Cincinnati Reds
- Offseason grade: B
- Notable additions: Eugenio Suarez
It looked as if the Cincinnati Reds' offseason was headed towards disaster after their heartbreaking Kyle Schwarber whiff, until the team rebounded and signed Eugenio Suarez to a one-year deal at the last moment. He won't get on base as much as Schwarber, but he should hit 40+ home runs playing half the time at Great American Ballpark. I do wish the Reds did a bit more to address their lineup, but Suarez should help them a ton, while their pitching remains elite.
Cleveland Guardians
- Offseason grade: D-
- Notable additions: N/A
The Cleveland Guardians won their division unexpectedly after a torrid second half, but they followed that up by losing in the Wild Card Series and then doing absolutely nothing to improve over the winter. Their biggest addition was probably Shawn Armstrong, a decent middle reliever. They always find a way to exceed expectations, so who knows, maybe they can grit their way back into the playoffs. But it's hard to envision this team doing much of anything in October as constructed. The only thing saving this offseason from being an F is Jose Ramirez agreeing to yet another extension, which the Guardians likely won't even reward by trying to win.
Colorado Rockies
- Offseason grade: C-
- Notable additions: Willi Castro, Michael Lorenzen
The Colorado Rockies finally brought some outside faces to run their baseball operations, and after doing nothing for the first bit of the winter, they signed veterans Willi Castro and Michael Lorenzen to short-term deals. The Rockies also took low-risk fliers on former intriguing prospects like Jake McCarthy and Edouard Julien. This team is still likely going to be the worst in the league, but they could very well trade Castro and Lorenzen at the trade deadline for additional pieces, aiding their rebuild.
Detroit Tigers
- Offseason grade: B+
- Notable additions: Framber Valdez, Kenley Jansen
It looked as if the Detroit Tigers were going to essentially run back a roster that wasn't good enough in what could be Tarik Skubal's last season with the team, but the Framber Valdez signing salvaged their winter. Their rotation is now very good with Skubal and Valdez leading the way, and their bullpen is improved with the Kenley Jansen signing. But their issue this past postseason was their offense, and Scott Harris did not address that at all. Their inability to get a big bat like Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette or Eugenio Suarez really hurts and lowers their offseason grade.
Houston Astros
- Offseason grade: C+
- Notable additions: Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows
The Houston Astros didn't have much money to work with this offseason, but made the most of what they had by taking a wise gamble on Tatsuya Imai and trading for an intriguing young arm in Mike Burrows. Their rotation is full of question marks after Hunter Brown, particularly after losing Framber Valdez, but given the lack of funds and prospect capital they had, the Astros did pretty well. Their lineup is awfully right-handed and lacks outfielders, but a healthy Yordan Alvarez could save this team. I liked the pitching pickups they made; still, the question marks remaining have the Astros in a bit of a tough spot.
Kansas City Royals
- Offseason grade: B
- Notable additions: Matt Strahm, Issac Collins
The Kansas City Royals didn't make any major additions, but believe it or not, Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas are major upgrades over what they had in their outfield in 2025, and Matt Strahm is a rock-solid left-handed reliever. Their lineup is still extremely flawed beyond the star-studded trio of Bobby Witt Jr., the newly extended Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino, but their rotation is very good, their bullpen is better and, as underwhelming as the lower end of their lineup is, that, too, is improved.
Los Angeles Angels
- Offseason grade: C
- Notable additions: Grayson Rodriguez, Josh Lowe
The Los Angeles Angels did what they seemingly love to do now: Take gambles on players who used to have high pedigrees and hope they pan out. From Alek Manoah to Vaughn Grissom to Kirby Yates, the examples of this are prevalent in recent years. One of these moves I did like, though, was taking a chance on Grayson Rodriguez, a starting pitcher with legitimate frontline upside if he can stay healthy. The Angels won't be good in 2026, but there's a chance Rodriguez can figure it out in Anaheim, and that alone somewhat salvaged their offseason.
Los Angeles Dodgers
- Offseason grade: A+
- Notable additions: Kyle Tucker, Edwin Diaz
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a knack for winning offseasons, and this winter was no exception. The biggest weakness with last year's World Series-winning team was in the bullpen, so they signed Edwin Diaz, the best reliever available. Their second-biggest weakness was their corner outfield situation, so they signed Kyle Tucker, the best outfielder and overall player available, to a massive four-year deal. Now, the back-to-back defending champions are in a prime position to three-peat.
Miami Marlins
- Offseason grade: B-
- Notable additions: Pete Fairbanks, Owen Caissie
The Miami Marlins have had a fascinating offseason. Trading Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, two young starters with immense upside, figures to hurt, but the Marlins have a good amount of starting pitching depth even without them. Miami also upgraded its bullpen by signing Pete Fairbanks, and Owen Caissie headlining the Cabrera return gives them a potential future star to build around in the outfield. I do wish the Marlins added another bat, particularly at first base, but they were a team on the rise in the second half of last season and could be poised to make things interesting in the NL Wild Card race if things break their way this year.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Offseason grade: B-
- Notable additions: Angel Zerpa, Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams
The Milwaukee Brewers had arguably the most polarizing offseason of any team. Fresh off a 97-win season, Milwaukee not only held back from making any major additions, but the team traded its ace, Freddy Peralta, along with Tobias Myers, to the Mets for two prospects. That trade should help them immensely in the future, but it's inarguable that the Brewers are worse off for 2026. Milwaukee always seems to find a way to exceed expectations, but it's hard to believe in this team going on a long postseason run after trading Peralta.
Minnesota Twins
- Offseason grade: D
- Notable additions: Josh Bell, Victor Caratini
The Minnesota Twins declined to choose a path forward. They refused to trade stars like Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton after gutting much of their team at last year's trade deadline, and they also refused to try to seriously compete by only adding veterans like Josh Bell and Victor Caratini. The Twins, as constructed, aren't good enough to win a very winnable AL Central, and they didn't help themselves get closer to doing so or bolster their future at all.
New York Mets
- Offseason grade: A
- Notable additions: Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta, Devin Williams, Jorge Polanco
It's pretty rare to see an offseason go from an F to an A at any point, but the New York Mets have done just that. The losses of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz were painful, but David Stearns rebounded, filling a long-standing hole in their rotation by trading for Freddy Peralta, improving the team's defense with Marcus Semien and winning the Bo Bichette sweepstakes (stealing him away from the Phillies in the process). I don't know if I'd pick the Mets to win the NL East, but they're better, deeper and younger than they were in 2025, and their contract flexibility is as good as it's been in a while.
New York Yankees
- Offseason grade: C+
- Notable additions: Ryan Weathers
The New York Yankees opted to essentially run it back, re-signing Cody Bellinger and making Ryan Weathers their only notable external addition. Running it back isn't the worst thing in the world, as this Yankees team won 94 games in 2025 and could be even better with full seasons from guys like David Bednar and Ryan McMahon, but it'd be dishonest to say such complacency after an ALDS elimination wasn't at least somewhat disappointing. New York didn't add the big-time starter many wanted them to, and they're still extremely left-handed in the lineup. They're very good, but with clear holes Brian Cashman still has to address.
Philadelphia Phillies
- Offseason grade: C+
- Notable additions: Brad Keller, Adolis Garcia
The Philadelphia Phillies are in a similar spot to the Yankees in that they re-signed their biggest free agent, Kyle Schwarber, but didn't exactly get better on top of that. Adolis Garcia is probably a slight upgrade over the likes of Nick Castellanos and Max Kepler, and Brad Keller is probably a slight upgrade over Matt Strahm, but they lost Ranger Suarez, a historically great postseason pitcher, and did not really improve a lineup that's consistently fallen short in October. Not to mention they greatly overpaid to re-sign J.T. Realmuto, a declining catcher, mere hours after whiffing on Bo Bichette. With one of the worst outfields in the league and a lack of power beyond Schwarber and Bryce Harper, it's really hard to believe in this team.
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Offseason grade: B
- Notable additions: Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, Jhostynxon Garcia
The Pittsburgh Pirates came into the offseason with a clear need to upgrade their lineup, and by acquiring Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn, they've absolutely done that. Have they done enough, though? I love their young rotation, but even with Lowe and O'Hearn, I don't know if I see their lineup scoring enough runs to make serious noise in the NL Central.
I mean, as of right now, their best right-handed hitter is Nick Gonzalez; that isn't good enough. The Pirates were in on needle-movers like Kyle Schwarber, Eugenio Suarez and Framber Valdez but fell short in all three pursuits, and didn't wind up spending nearly as much money as they made people think they would. They're improved, and deserve credit for that, but I did have higher hopes.
San Diego Padres
- Offseason grade: C
- Notable additions: N/A
The San Diego Padres, much like the Astros, didn't have much to work with financially or prospect-wise, and it shows in their offseason. Yes, they re-signed Michael King, and that was huge, but the Padres didn't wind up making a single notable addition to the team that just lost in the NL Wild Card Series. The lineup still lacks power, and their rotation is full of massive question marks. They should still be in the mix for a playoff spot, but it's clear that San Diego isn't nearly as threatening as it's been in previous years.
San Francisco Giants
- Offseason grade: C-
- Notable additions: Luis Arraez, Tyler Mahle, Harrison Bader
The San Francisco Giants had a chance to establish themselves as true postseason contenders, but instead of pursuing the kinds of high-end free agents they've struck out on in recent winters, they hung back and signed older veterans to cheap short-term deals. The Giants are undoubtedly better with the additions of Luis Arraez, Tyler Mahle and Harrison Bader leading the way, but I'm not really sure why they went out of their way to sign Willy Adames and trade for Rafael Devers only to stop pushing. I don't have the Giants as a playoff team as of now, and had they signed a guy like Kyle Tucker or Framber Valdez, both of whom lingered in free agency longer than expected, I might've thought differently.
Seattle Mariners
- Offseason grade: A
- Notable additions: Brendan Donovan, Jose A. Ferrer
The Seattle Mariners had as good an offseason as any team in the American League. Their winter began by re-signing Josh Naylor, and they closed out January by adding Brendan Donovan, a stout infielder who not only improves their defense but also greatly improves the contact ability in their lineup. They did lose Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez, but replacing them with Donovan and one of Cole Young or top prospect Colt Emerson could be an upgrade based on how inconsistent Suarez was for Seattle down the stretch this past season. Jose A. Ferrer was also an underrated addition, one that should greatly improve their bullpen. Seattle made it to Game 7 of the ALCS last season, and should be as good, if not better, this year.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Offseason grade: B
- Notable additions: Dustin May, Jurrangelo Cijntje
Chaim Bloom made it clear that the St. Louis Cardinals were entering a rebuild, and his actions backed that up. Out are Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray, and in are a slew of prospects who can help them in the future, headlined by Jurrangelo Cjntje, Brandon Clarke and Tai Peete. 2026 won't be a fun year, but Bloom has the Cardinals headed in the right direction. The short-term struggles will be worth the long-term gain.
Tampa Bay Rays
- Offseason grade: C
- Notable additions: Steven Matz, Cedric Mullins, Gavin Lux
The Tampa Bay Rays were extremely active this offseason, particularly on the trade market, where they dealt guys like Brandon Lowe, Shane Baz and Josh Lowe for an absurd number of prospects. I liked the return they got for Baz, in particular, and I think taking short-term fliers on guys like Steven Matz and Cedric Mullins can pay off, too.
But while the Rays didn't have a bad offseason, they didn't get any super-exciting prospects or sign any truly exciting players to get anyone in the mood to pay much attention to what'll almost certainly be the last-place team in the AL East.
Texas Rangers
- Offseason grade: B
- Notable additions: Brandon Nimmo, MacKenzie Gore, Danny Jansen
The Texas Rangers took several risks this offseason. They traded five prospects for MacKenzie Gore, a pitcher with a lot of upside but who hasn't quite put it all together yet. They traded Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo, a better and younger offensive player who is also under contract for two additional years and has seen his defense and athleticism decline rapidly. I liked both of these moves, but am not sold on the Rangers being much of a threat in the AL West or even making the playoffs as a result of them.
Toronto Blue Jays
- Offseason grade: A-
- Notable additions: Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers, Kazuma Okamoto, Cody Ponce
The Toronto Blue Jays' offseason got off to a roaring start with the team signing Dylan Cease, the pitcher who I believe was the best starter available, before Thanksgiving. Tyler Rogers gives them a consistent late-inning arm to turn to, and both Kazuma Okamoto and Cody Ponce should increase this team's floor after strong showings overseas. Where this Jays offseason takes a bit of a hit, though, was losing Bo Bichette and failing to sign Kyle Tucker. It feels like, while this is a very good team, they're one big bat short from being able to potentially overtake the Dodgers in the World Series chase.
Washington Nationals
- Offseason grade: B
- Notable additions: Harry Ford, Foster Griffin
The Washington Nationals aren't going to be competing anytime soon, so they were wise to trade MacKenzie Gore and Jose A. Ferrer away in exchange for prospects who better fit their timeline. Landing young talents like Harry Ford and Gavin Fien in the deals for those players was strong business from new GM Paul Toboni. The Nationals will be one of the worst teams in the game in 2026 and should probably trade CJ Abrams away pretty soon, but their rebuild is off to a flying start.
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