Spending a ton of money isn't the be-all end-all in MLB, but it certainly does give teams a better shot of winning it all. I mean, spending a lot of money usually results in a team getting a lot of good players.
The offseason is still a couple of months away from concluding, and the bevy of high-end talent available makes it likely that this list will change a ton in the coming weeks, but a look at how much money the teams have spent thus far, as reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, is still very interesting.
MLB offseason spending: Total outlay
Team | Total Outlay |
|---|---|
Toronto Blue Jays | $277M |
Baltimore Orioles | $206.9M |
Philadelphia Phillies | $174.5M |
Atlanta Braves | $108.3M |
Seattle Mariners | $99.8M |
San Diego Padres | $92.2M |
New York Mets | $78.7M |
Los Angeles Dodgers | $74.5M |
Detroit Tigers | $59M |
Boston Red Sox | $56.4M |
Chicago White Sox | $55.6M |
Arizona Diamondbacks | $50.3M |
Pittsburgh Pirates | $46.3M |
Texas Rangers | $44.9M |
Chicago Cubs | $38.6M |
New York Yankees | $29M |
San Francisco Giants | $25.4M |
Cincinnati Reds | $24.5M |
Milwaukee Brewers | $22.9M |
Miami Marlins | $15M |
Kansas City Royals | $13.2M |
Athletics | $13M |
Cleveland Guardians | $11.9M |
Tampa Bay Rays | $9.4M |
Minnesota Twins | $7M |
Colorado Rockies | $5.5M |
Houston Astros | -$1.7M |
Los Angeles Angels | -$5.7M |
St. Louis Cardinals | -$43M |
The Toronto Blue Jays leading the way is no surprise. They've been willing spenders for quite a while, and are coming off a World Series appearance. It'd be surprising if they didn't add to their spending.
With that being said, there are quite a few teams that stand out among the offseason spenders. Here's a look at some of them.
MLB teams that stand out with their offseason spending
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles have spent over $200 million this offseason, the second most in the sport only behind Toronto. Sure, there was reason to believe Baltimore would spend big, but who had them this high? The O's took on Taylor Ward's expiring contract, projected to be around $11 million per Spotrac, signed Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million deal, and most notably, gave Pete Alonso a five-year, $155 million deal.
The Orioles faced immense pressure to spend this offseason after an infuriating 2025 campaign, and Mike Elias wasted no time. The O's still need an ace, but there's reason to believe this team will be much better in 2026 thanks largely to their new additions.
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves found themselves in a similar spot as the Orioles entering this offseason, as they had an underwhelming 2024 offseason and followed that up with a brutal 2025 regular season. As has been the case with Elias, Alex Anthopoulos has responded in a big way. No, the Braves haven't signed a free agent of Alonso's caliber or traded for a player like Ward, but they've brought in several players to fill clear holes.
Not only did the Braves re-sign Raisel Iglesias, but they also signed Robert Suarez, adding two of the five best relievers in this offseason's free agency class to bolster the back end of the bullpen. They greatly improved their bench by signing Mike Yastrzemski and trading for Mauricio Dubon. They also re-signed Ha-Seong Kim to play shortstop. They could probably use another starter, but the bullpen, shortstop and lineup depth were the three biggest needs, and Anthopoulos filled them by Christmas. Not bad!
San Diego Padres
I had no idea what to expect from the San Diego Padres this offseason, but I was pleasantly surprised when the team re-signed Michael King to a three-year, $75 million deal. Now, there's a good chance King will opt out of the deal after 2026, assuming he can stay healthy, but still — the Padres locked in an ace for the 2026 campaign when I wasn't sure they'd be able to. The Padres even added Sung Mun Song to improve the right side of their infield.
There's still more work to be done for the Padres to get into the World Series conversation, but the fact that they clearly have more money to spend than most expected is a good sign. Padres fans can only hope A.J. Preller has more big moves in him.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are one of two teams that have not signed a single free agent to a big league contract, yet they still find themselves in the top 10 of the league's biggest spenders thus far. The reason for that has to do with the damage Craig Breslow has done in the trade market.
The Red Sox have acquired Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo in three separate deals, and there's always the chance they'll make another big blockbuster. I'd argue they need a legitimate No. 2 starter and a big power bat to make this a perfect offseason, but even though they have been silent in free agency, Red Sox fans can't say the team isn't trying. At least not yet.
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox appear eager to improve after finishing their third straight 100+ loss season. Anthony Kay and Sean Newcomb should help their pitching staff, and the White Sox even made a splash by signing Munetaka Murakami.
Murakami obviously has his flaws, but signing him to a two-year, $34 million deal was really a no-brainer. If he can tap into his light-tower power, it'll be a steal for Chicago. If he struggles, it's only a two-year commitment. This is the kind of deal any team could make, and it was good to see Chicago make it. They won't be a playoff team, but the White Sox are trying to get better for the first time in years, and that's a good thing.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are usually the big spenders in Chicago, but so far, they've been outspent by the White Sox. It's not as if the Cubs have done nothing — Phil Maton, Jacob Webb, Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar were all added to the bullpen, and Tyler Austin is an intriguing bench bat - but they've also shied away from making any major moves.
The Cubs passed on all of the high-end relievers, appear set on letting Kyle Tucker walk, and who knows if they'll add the ace they desperately need. There's more time for Jed Hoyer to make moves, but the Cubs stand out in an underwhelming way.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have spent only $29 million this offseason, and $22.05 million of that went to Trent Grisham when he accepted the qualifying offer — an outcome I don't even know if the Yankees actually wanted. They've re-signed players like Amed Rosario and Paul Blackburn, but for the most part, Brian Cashman has been asleep at the wheel.
To be fair, most of their targets, both in free agency and on the trade market, haven't moved yet, so there is reason to believe the Yankees will eventually strike. For now, though, fans are upset as they've had to watch the AL East get considerably better, and it's hard to blame them.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros say they want to stay competitive in the American League, but their actions this offseason suggest otherwise. Trading Mauricio Dubon for Nick Allen straight up was nothing more than a money-saving measure. Speaking of saving money, the Astros have saved $1.7 million thus far.
I don't expect the Astros to refrain from spending all winter, but the fact that they haven't really done so yet to this point gives the impression that they don't have much money to work with, making it hard to believe they'll be much better in 2026.
St. Louis Cardinals
If it wasn't already clear that the St. Louis Cardinals were going to enter a rebuild, it certainly is now. The Cardinals have traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras already, and could easily wind up moving any of Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and JoJo Romero.
The Cardinals have parted with $43 million more than they've spent - an astonishing number that could get even higher before the end of the winter. That, even for a rebuilding team, is pretty wild.