That debate seemed to kick into high gear with the Dodgers\u2019 signing of outfielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract, producing plenty of hand-wringing among baseball fans<\/a> and more than a little consternation among baseball ownership<\/a>. Of course, Tucker\u2019s megadeal wasn\u2019t the only mammoth contract handed out this winter, even if it was the noisiest.<\/p>\n In all, MLB teams handed out nine contracts that reached nine figures, six more that topped $50 million and 40 that covered multiple seasons. There were blockbuster trades that saw All-Star players changing uniforms in exchange for top-end prospects. If this was the last offseason under what\u2019s long been viewed as \u201cnormal\u201d circumstances, it\u2019s certainly been an eventful one.<\/p>\n Here, we\u2019ll opt not to focus on the headline moves, but instead several transactions that might have flown underneath the hot-take radar. These acquisitions might not have caused an upheaval among baseball\u2019s most easily outraged fans, but they look like they will provide plenty of surplus value (to steal a buzzy front office term) for a savvy group of clubs.<\/p>\n Ryan Helsley, RP, Baltimore Orioles<\/p>\n Signed a two-year, $28 million contract<\/p>\n This is the richest free agent contract included in this list, but Helsley\u2019s pact with Baltimore still qualifies as underrated. In terms of total value, his $28 million deal represents the fifth-highest guarantee among free agent relief pitchers this winter, behind Edwin D\u00edaz (three years, $69 million), Devin Williams (three years, $51 million), Robert Su\u00e1rez (three years, $45 million) and Tyler Rogers (three years, $36 million).<\/p>\n From 2022 to \u201824, Helsley posted a 1.83 ERA and 34.6% strikeout rate over 167 2\/3 innings. He imploded after a midseason trade to the Mets last year, with his struggles tied largely to a pitch-tipping issue that he acknowledged in late August<\/a>. His average fastball velocity remains near 100 mph, his stuff still looks elite and it\u2019s a little surprising that no other team was willing to top the offer that Baltimore gave him. The Orioles are betting that the seven rough weeks to end last season were more aberration than a new norm, and for a relatively low-cost, short-term commitment (the second year of the deal is a player option), this seems like a pragmatic gamble.<\/p>\n Mike Burrows, SP, Houston Astros<\/p>\n Acquired via trade from Pirates<\/p>\n Last year, Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez were the only Astros starters to top 90 innings. Outside of that pair, Houston starters combined for a 4.69 ERA. With Valdez off to Detroit, it was clear that reinforcements were needed.<\/p>\n Japanese star Tatsuya Imai will get most of the attention as the big-ticket acquisition, but Burrows will be just as important to the Astros\u2019 2026 success. In his first extended run in the big leagues last season, Burrows posted a 3.96 ERA and a 24.1% strikeout rate across 96 innings, leaning on an elite changeup that ranked as the fifth-best on a per-pitch basis among those who threw at least 300 changeups, per Statcast<\/a>. With six more seasons of team control, the 26-year-old righthander looks set to be a fixture in the Astros\u2019 rotation.<\/p>\n Jeff McNeil, 2B, Athletics<\/p>\n Acquired via trade from Mets<\/p>\n After eight years with the Mets, McNeil is headed to Sacramento, where his steady production will be a welcome addition for his new club. A\u2019s second basemen ranked dead last in the majors with a .211 batting average in 2025, a mark McNeil should easily clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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