So, as we prepare for the hot stove to cool down, let\u2019s take stock of where things stand. Which teams have been active, which are lying dormant and which seem to be stuck in between, neither making significant additions nor committing to a true rebuild.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll group the 30 teams into these seven tiers \u2014 aggressively adding; shaking it up; threading the needle; running it back; rebuilding; and half-measures \u2014 with the league roughly halfway to spring training.<\/p>\n
Tier 1: Aggressively adding<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Dodgers \u2014 They haven\u2019t done a lot this winter, but they also didn\u2019t lose a lot to free agency (and much of what they did lose could be addition by subtraction). Despite having their championship roster largely intact, they\u2019ve signed Edwin D\u00edaz to the largest relief pitcher salary in history, continuing their recent history of aggressive \u2014 and expensive \u2014 offseasons.<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays \u2014 Trying to build upon their return to the World Series, the Blue Jays made an early splash with Dylan Cease, doubled down on their rotation with a $30-million wager on Cody Ponce, and added a sneaky elite reliever in Tyler Rogers. They could still use a bat, but the Blue Jays have been actively building on last year\u2019s breakthrough season.<\/p>\n
Baltimore Orioles \u2014 After trading for Taylor Ward, then signing Pete Alonso and Ryan Helsley, the Orioles finally addressed holes in their rotation by acquiring starter Shane Baz from the Rays.<\/a> Their offseason was aggressive even before last week\u2019s in-division trade. It\u2019s still worth wondering whether they have enough starting pitching, but the Orioles are certainly active.<\/p>\n Philadelphia Phillies \u2014 The Phillies could fit in the running-it-back tier, but they\u2019ve done more<\/a> than re-sign Kyle Schwarber and remain in contact with J.T. Realmuto. Brad Keller and Adolis Garc\u00eda are meaningful additions at positions of need, and trading Matt Strahm to the Royals<\/a> could open payroll to add more. Now, what to do with Nick Castellanos?<\/p>\n Tier 2: Shaking it up \n Marcus Semien has changed teams, moving from one club shaking it up to another. (Dan Hamilton \/ USA TODAY)<\/p>\n New York Mets \u2014 The Mets remain a work in progress in part because they went all-in on this shake-it-up approach. They swapped bad contracts to stabilize second base (Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien) and then traded Jeff McNeil<\/a>; lost Pete Alonso then quickly signed Jorge Polanco<\/a>; lost Edwin D\u00edaz but signed Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.<\/a> They\u2019re probably not finished, but already, their team looks a lot different than it has in recent years.<\/p>\n Boston Red Sox \u2014 We\u2019re still waiting for the big free-agent addition \u2014 and they could still re-sign Alex Bregman<\/a> \u2014 but the Red Sox have completed 10 trades this winter. Most have been relatively small (opening 40-man spots, basically) but early additions of Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo began to reshape their rotation, and Sunday\u2019s deal for Willson Contreras added some much-needed right-handed power. There remains the possibility of trading an outfielder for another pitcher or infielder.<\/p>\n Atlanta Braves \u2014 The Braves best rank somewhere between \u201crunning it back\u201d and \u201cshaking it up,\u201d but we\u2019ll put them closer to this end of the spectrum. Ha-Seong Kim was technically a re-signing, but only because they acquired him late last season specifically looking to bring him back for 2026. Raisel Iglesias is back, and now he\u2019s paired with Robert Suarez in the late innings. Mike Yastrzemski brings left\/right balance, and Mauricio Dub\u00f3n is an offensive upgrade as a utility man. A lot of the key players are going to be the same, but the Braves are shaking things up enough to improve their depth and their chances.<\/p>\n Texas Rangers \u2014 Hard to say the Rangers are definitely better, but they\u2019re certainly different. They let Jonah Heim and Adolis Garc\u00eda go, then swapped second baseman Marcus Semien<\/a> for left fielder Brandon Nimmo. A new leadoff hitter (Nimmo), catcher (Danny Jansen) and a few middle-inning relievers (Alexis D\u00edaz, Tyler Alexander, Chris Martin) don\u2019t make for a massively exciting offseason, but the Rangers clearly are creating a different look after missing the playoffs two years in a row.<\/p>\n Pittsburgh Pirates \u2014 Have they built a contender? Maybe not. But the Pirates are making moves to swap pitching depth for much-needed offense. Most notably, they\u2019ve traded starter Mike Burrows for slugging second baseman Brandon Lowe<\/a> and another starter, Johan Oviedo, for young outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia.<\/a>\u00a0 They\u2019ve also shown at least surface-level interest<\/a> in some notable free agents. Could they more meaningfully add<\/a> before spring training?<\/p>\n Tier 3: Potentially threading the needle<\/p>\n Milwaukee Brewers \u2014 The Brewers had the best record in baseball last season, and so far, their biggest offseason signing is extending a qualifying offer to Brandon Woodruff, who accepted it. Their biggest addition came from a need-for-need trade of Isaac Collins for Angel Zerpa. The big question remains: Are the Brewers going to trade No. 1 starter Freddy Peralta, and if they do, can they get back big-league-ready talent that can make a difference in 2026?<\/p>\n Houston Astros \u2014 After previously swapping one utility man for another<\/a> and signing a couple of low-cost depth starters, the Astros made a more meaningful addition last week when they gave up prospects to get young starter Mike Burrows<\/a> from the Pirates. With Yordan Alvarez at DH and Carlos Correa at third base, though, the Astros seem likely to trade<\/a> either Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker as they work within payroll restrictions to try to stay postseason relevant.<\/p>\n Kansas City Royals \u2014 The Royals have addressed their outfield by non-tendering MJ Melendez, trading for Isaac Collins and signing Lane Thomas, but those moves aren\u2019t going to radically improve their offense. They\u2019ve built a strong bullpen with the addition of Matt Strahm,<\/a> but that wasn\u2019t exactly a blockbuster move. To make a bigger splash, the Royals could end up trading one of their starting pitchers<\/a> (Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron) to significantly upgrade their lineup.<\/p>\n Arizona Diamondbacks \u2014 Hard to tell how far the Diamondbacks are willing to go. They brought back Merrill Kelly and added Michael Soroka \u2014 basically rebuilding their rotation without Zac Gallen \u2014 but the big question is, are they going to trade second baseman Ketel Marte? And if they do, could they replace Marte with Alex Bregman<\/a>? And is it possible they keep Marte and still add Bregman?<\/a> There seems to be potential to thread the needle, shake things up or add aggressively.<\/p>\n San Diego Padres \u2014 Until last week, the Padres were a Tier 5 team lying in wait, but in the past few days they\u2019ve re-signed Michael King<\/a> and taken a shot on Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song<\/a>. So, now what? The Padres are not a team to settle for a predictable offseason. They have the trade chips to potentially get creative<\/a> \u2014 Ram\u00f3n Laureano, Jake Cronenworth, Jeremiah Estrada, Nick Pivetta \u2014 and A.J. Preller clearly likes thinking outside of the box.<\/p>\n \u00a0Tier 4: Running it back \n Josh Naylor fit well in Seattle, and so both sides opted to extend that relationship. (Luke Hales \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Seattle Mariners \u2014 The Mariners shook things up at last year\u2019s trade deadline, and their biggest splash of the winter has been re-signing one of those summer additions, Josh Naylor, to remain at first base. The Mariners also made a significant trade for bullpen lefty Jose A. Ferrer and signed a new utility man (Rob Refsnyder) and a new backup catcher, but generally speaking, the Mariners roster still looks awfully familiar. There\u2019s still time to change that.<\/a><\/p>\n Detroit Tigers \u2014 Sure, they signed Kenley Jansen and Drew Anderson, but they also re-signed Gleyber Torres and Kyle Finnegan. All told, it\u2019s a meaningful tweak in the ninth inning<\/a> for a roster that otherwise looks basically the same as last year. You know what could really move the Tigers into a different tier? Trading Tarik Skubal.<\/a> Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen.<\/p>\n Cleveland Guardians \u2014 Look, they did just make the playoffs for the seventh time in 10 years, so maybe this is working? But the Guardians seem to be in a bit of a holding pattern \u2014 unless you count roster turnover due to a gambling scandal \u2014 and despite a clear need for offense, they have apparently focused on adding relief pitchers,<\/a> but Shawn Armstrong is so far the most notable one. But they certainly wasted no time re-signing backup catcher Austin Hedges.<\/p>\n Cincinnati Reds \u2014 There\u2019s some chance that the Reds move out of this tier with a meaningful splash, but their pursuit of Kyle Schwarber<\/a> was a unique set of circumstances because Schwarber lives near Cincinnati. Without him, the Reds seem more likely to add a lesser source of offensive pop. Their biggest signing so far is a reunion with closer Emilio Pag\u00e1n, and the broad strokes of their roster remain basically unchanged.<\/p>\n Tier 5: Lying in wait<\/p>\n New York Yankees \u2014 Trent Grisham accepted a qualifying offer, Amed Rosario, Ryan Yarborough and Paul Blackburn returned on one-year deals \u2026 and that\u2019s it? The Yankees are notoriously aggressive and have made a splash each of the past three offseasons (Carlos Rod\u00f3n, Juan Soto, Max Fried). Now, they\u2019ve lost Cody Bellinger to free agency and there are question marks all over their pitching staff. They have to do something big at some point,<\/a> right?<\/p>\n Chicago Cubs \u2014 So far, the Cubs are in the run-it-back group with re-signings of Shoto Imanaga and Caleb Thielbar, but unless they also re-sign Kyle Tucker, the Cubs are almost certainly going to make some sort of meaningful change (Tyler Austin is interesting,<\/a> but he\u2019s not filling Tucker\u2019s shoes). Maybe they go forward with a youth movement,<\/a> but we\u2019re waiting for them to strike a deal for a meaningful upgrade.<\/a><\/p>\n San Francisco Giants \u2014 A Rule 5 catcher<\/a> and a back-end starter<\/a> might be useful, but they\u2019re not going to push the Giants back into October. Maybe they could trade for Brendan Donovan<\/a> or sign one of several remaining free agent starters? Six months ago, this team traded for Rafael Devers. Surely, the Giants are going to do something of note<\/a> before spring training starts.<\/p>\n Tier 6: Rebuilding \n Willson Contreras was a strong performer in St. Louis, but with the Cardinals fully rebuilding, he was sent elsewhere. (Joe Puetz \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n St. Louis Cardinals \u2014 Last winter, the Cardinals hinted at rebuilding. This winter, they seem to be really doing it. They\u2019ve already dealt Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, and trades of Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado and Lars Nootbaar \u2014 maybe others \u2014 seem at least possible.<\/a> Dustin May was an obvious risk-reward signing<\/a> that fits a team in this mode.<\/p>\n Tampa Bay Rays \u2014 Are they rebuilding, or are they just the Rays? Sometimes it\u2019s hard to tell the difference. After making some short-term additions with veterans Cedric Mullins and Steven Matz, the Rays last week traded second base mainstay Brandon Lowe<\/a> and arbitration-eligible starter Shane Baz<\/a> for mostly young prospects who probably won\u2019t help in the short term. That sort of thing would signal a clear rebuild in most markets, but the Rays do this sort of thing a lot.<\/p>\n Washington Nationals \u2014 In the midst of rebuilding their front office and coaching staff,<\/a> the Nationals have also traded a reliever for a catcher who was a somewhat recent first-round pick,<\/a> and they\u2019re at least contemplating blockbuster deals involving<\/a> top starter MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams. Maybe they\u2019ll stop short of a total rebuild, but this is clearly the Nationals\u2019 direction.<\/p>\n Miami Marlins \u2014 Technically, they have yet to actually do any rebuilding this offseason, but there\u2019s enough smoke<\/a> \u2014 about a potential Sandy Alcantara trade, or an Edward Cabrera trade \u2014 to assume the Marlins are going to continue in that direction after making a couple of rebuilding trades last summer. Buying low on Christopher Morel was a rebuilding-type addition in the same vein as the Cardinals\u2019 signing of May.<\/p>\n Chicago White Sox \u2014 Hard to really rebuild when the roster has so few desirable players, but this clearly is still where the White Sox fit even after their surprising addition of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami,<\/a> who could be a tremendous trade chip if he succeeds. Is this the winter when they finally trade Luis Robert Jr.?<\/a><\/p>\n Tier 7: Half-measures<\/p>\n Minnesota Twins \u2014 The Twins were in full rebuild mode last summer, but rather than continue on that path, they\u2019ve signaled a desire to at least marginally add this offseason<\/a>. So, rather than aggressively dangle Joe Ryan, Pablo L\u00f3pez and Byron Buxton in trade talks, the Twins have signed Josh Bell to provide some thump at first base. A partial sale of the team could help them financially,<\/a> so maybe that\u2019s a factor?<\/p>\n Los Angeles Angels \u2014 The Angels traded Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez, acquired faded infield prospect Vaughn Grissom, and took a one-year gamble on Alek Manoah, and signed veteran relievers Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano. Does that add up to anything? The Angels have lost at least 89 games four years in a row, and they\u2019ve probably been a bit distracted this winter.<\/a> It\u2019s tough when the team\u2019s supposed-to-be-second-best player doesn\u2019t play at all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Athletics \u2014 As usual, it\u2019s hard to tell what the Athletics are trying to do. They acquired second baseman\/outfielder Jeff McNeil from the Mets, moved on from J.J. Bleday in their outfield and signed Mark Leiter Jr. as a bounce-back candidate in their bullpen, but what else? They apparently have some willingness to spend<\/a> ($10 million will go to McNeil next season). Maybe they could sign a starter? Maybe they could trade a position player? Who knows? The Athletics might feel perpetually stuck in-between until they get to Las Vegas.<\/p>\n Colorado Rockies \u2014 The Rockies could go into full sale mode \u2014 like the Cardinals, or like the Twins last summer \u2014 but they seem inclined to keep<\/a> center fielder Brenton Doyle, who should be one of their best trade chips. The Rockies do have a new front office,<\/a> so maybe they\u2019re going to become more definitive, but they\u2019ve been stuck for a while in this directionless tier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There was a time, not all that long ago, when the baseball offseason was mostly finished by mid-December.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":366596,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[558],"tags":[592,4996,64,63,1186,5156,5158,5256,5257,5258,5259,5260,5163,5261,5262,1187,1188,5159,2364,591,1830,2704,5263,2365,5160,1189,5157,5162,85,2366,1190,2367,5161,5264],"class_list":["post-366595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-arizona-diamondbacks","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-baltimore-orioles","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-chicago-white-sox","tag-cincinnati-reds","tag-cleveland-guardians","tag-colorado-rockies","tag-detroit-tigers","tag-houston-astros","tag-kansas-city-royals","tag-los-angeles-angels","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-miami-marlins","tag-milwaukee-brewers","tag-minnesota-twins","tag-mlb","tag-new-york-mets","tag-new-york-yankees","tag-oakland-athletics","tag-philadelphia-phillies","tag-pittsburgh-pirates","tag-san-diego-padres","tag-san-francisco-giants","tag-seattle-mariners","tag-sports","tag-st-louis-cardinals","tag-tampa-bay-rays","tag-texas-rangers","tag-toronto-blue-jays","tag-washington-nationals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_21419195-scaled.jpg\")
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