David SchoenfieldFeb 18, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseCovers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995Multiple Authors
Here we are, baseball fans. Spring training has started, the World Baseball Classic is just around the corner and the bright lights of the 2026 MLB regular season loom in the near future.
It has been an interesting offseason, with some impact trades, some surprising free agent signings and, of course, every team improving … right?
Well, it’s time to hand out our final 2025-26 offseason grades, so let’s find out who the big winners are.
AL East: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR AL Central: CHW | CLE | DET | KC | MIN AL West: ATH | HOU | LAA | SEA | TEX
NL East: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH NL Central: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL NL West: ARI | COL | LAD | SD | SF
Key departures: 3B Alex Bregman, RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Hunter Dobbins, LHP Kyle Harrison, OF Jhostynxon Garcia, LHP Shane Drohan
Key additions: RF Kyle Tucker, RHP Edwin Diaz, INF Miguel Rojas (re-signed), INF/OF Enrique Hernandez (re-signed), RHP Evan Phillips (re-signed)
2. Their closer situation was a bit of a mess by the playoffs. Fine, sign Diaz for $69 million on top of the $72 million for Tanner Scott a year ago.
Finally, do you believe in good luck charms and sentimentality? Fine, bring back both World Series heroes in Rojas and Hernandez for a combined $10 million.
Key additions: 1B Josh Naylor (re-signed), INF Brendan Donovan, LHP Jose A. Ferrer, DH/OF Rob Refsnyder
Key departures: DH/2B Jorge Polanco, 3B Eugenio Suarez, C Mitch Garver, C Harry Ford, RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje
There is no single blow-your-socks off move here, but the Mariners did what they had to do to remain favorites in the AL West. Bringing back Naylor on a five-year deal was the pivotal transaction, as he excelled in his two months in Seattle while becoming an instant fan favorite. First base has long been a problem for the Mariners going back two decades (save for a short stint of good play from Ty France), so Naylor provides a long-term fix there without blowing out the budget.
Key additions: RHP Freddy Peralta, 3B Bo Bichette, 1B/DH Jorge Polanco, 2B Marcus Semien, CF Luis Robert Jr., RHP Devin Williams, RHP Luke Weaver, RHP Tobias Myers
The biggest roller coaster in the world is Falcon’s Flight, located in Saudi Arabia. That’s what this offseason felt like for Mets fans. Fan favorite Alonso? Gone. Fan favorite Diaz? Gone. Fan favorite Nimmo? Gone. It looked as if it might turn into a disastrous offseason for the Mets. Then came the flurry of post-Christmas moves, including the three-year, $126 million deal for Bichette (which could turn into a one-year deal if he opts out) and the big trade for ace-like starter Peralta.
Key additions: RHP Dylan Cease, 3B Kazuma Okamoto, RHP Tyler Rogers, RHP Cody Ponce, OF Jesus Sanchez
But I’m hedging this grade just a bit on two accounts. First, while Cease is talented and durable and wouldn’t surprise anyone if he contended for a Cy Young Award, he’s also a player with an ERA over 4.50 in two of the past three seasons. A $210 million contract is a huge payout for an inconsistent pitcher who isn’t a guaranteed upgrade over Bassitt.
After years of neglecting their bench, the Braves finally went all-in this offseason, adding an excellent fourth outfielder in Yastrzemski and a top utility player in Dubon. They even threw $20 million at Kim on a one-year deal to fix shortstop and then signed Suarez in addition to Iglesias. That was $58 million just for Yaz, Kim and the two relievers, leading to a $50 million payroll increase. That’s a worthy, quality offseason.
Unfortunately, the injury bug has already hit. Kim tore a tendon in his finger in January and will probably sit out a couple of months. The Braves began spring training by announcing Spencer Schwellenbach will sit out at least two months because of bone spurs in his elbow. Sean Murphy was already set to sit out the start of the season, which necessitated the Heim signing. And while the improved bench will help, the Braves need some of the returning starters to up their performances.
Key additions: RHP Hunter Dobbins, RHP Dustin May, RHP Richard Fitts, RHP Ryne Stanek, RHP/LHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, LHP Brandon Clarke
Key departures: RHP Sonny Gray, INF Brendan Donovan, 1B Willson Contreras, 3B Nolan Arenado, RHP Miles Mikolas
Key additions: 3B Alex Bregman, LHP Shota Imanaga accepted a qualifying offer, RHP Edward Cabrera, RHP Phil Maton, LHP Hoby Milner, RHP Hunter Harvey
Key departures: RF Kyle Tucker, OF Owen Caissie, RHP Brad Keller, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Andrew Kittredge, 1B Justin Turner
Swooping in to sign Bregman to a five-year deal was a bit of a surprise considering how well Matt Shaw had played in the second half, but it was an aggressive play by a front office looking to guide the Cubs to their first full-season division title since 2017. From a value standpoint, Bregman won’t quite replace what Tucker provided (or will provide for the Dodgers), but Bregman is less expensive and provides intangibles that Tucker didn’t.
Key additions: 2B Brandon Lowe, DH Marcell Ozuna, 1B Ryan O’Hearn, LHP Mike Montgomery, OF Jake Mangum, LHP Gregory Soto, OF Jhostynxon Garcia
Key additions: 2B Luis Arraez, RHP Tyler Mahle, RHP Adrian Houser, CF Harrison Bader, LHP Sam Hentges
Key additions: RHP Nick Martinez, 2B/OF Gavin Lux, OF Jacob Melton, OF Cedric Mullins, OF Jake Fraley, LHP Steven Matz, 3B Ben Williamson
Key departures: 2B Brandon Lowe, RHP Shane Baz, RHP Pete Fairbanks, OF Josh Lowe, LHP Mason Montgomery, OF Christopher Morel, OF Jake Mangum
Key additions: DH Kyle Schwarber (re-signed), C J.T. Realmuto (re-signed), RHP Brad Keller, RF Adolis Garcia
Key additions: LHP MacKenzie Gore, LF Brandon Nimmo, C Danny Jansen, RHP Jakob Junis, RHP Chris Martin (re-signed)
This is the most difficult team to grade. On the one hand, I hate — hate! — that dealing Peralta and Durbin makes the Brewers less likely to win a World Series in 2026. They traded away their staff ace, a guy who finished fifth in the Cy Young voting last season, and a young infielder who finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. And though they have a bunch of infielders in the pipeline, they now have a hole at third base for 2026.
Key additions: OF Isaac Collins, LHP Matt Strahm, RHP Nick Mears, LHP Bailey Falter (re-signed), OF Kameron Misner, OF Lane Thomas
Key departures: OF Mike Yastrzemski, LHP Angel Zerpa, 2B Adam Frazier, RHP Michael Lorenzen, RHP Taylor Clarke
But what doesn’t make sense is that the White Sox failed to supplement the Murakami signing with more help on offense other than Hays. If Murakami does turn into a star, then he’s a free agent in two years. Have you added enough to win in that short window? The payroll remains under $100 million. You’d think an 89-year-old owner might have a little more urgency to win, but alas, go ahead and yell at the Dodgers.
Key departures: LHP Framber Valdez, INF/OF Mauricio Dubon, OF Jacob Melton, C Victor Caratini, OF Jesus Sanchez
Key additions: RHP Michael King (re-signed), OF/DH Miguel Andujar, INF Sung-Mun Song, OF/DH Nick Castellanos, RHP Griffin Canning
Key departures: RHP Nick Martinez, OF Austin Hays, 2B/OF Gavin Lux, RHP Zack Littell, LHP Taylor Rogers, LHP Brent Suter
Key departures: LF Taylor Ward, LHP Tyler Anderson, RHP Kenley Jansen, RHP Kyle Hendricks, 2B Luis Rengifo
The early February trade for Donovan gives them a guy who can play second or third, plus a leadoff hitter who had a .353 OBP last season, including .383 against right-handers (Seattle leadoff hitters ranked 24th in the majors with a .311 OBP). Ferrer is a premium left-handed bullpen arm, and Refsynder mashes lefties. The one quibble here is that the Mariners are weak at backup catcher, so Cal Raleigh will again have to carry a big workload, playing nearly every game behind the plate or at DH. The season-ending injury to Logan Evans announced just before spring training leaves the Mariners scrambling for a sixth starter if one of the top five goes down, but maybe Kade Anderson, the No. 3 pick last year, is as polished as hoped and ready to contribute if needed. Polanco is the only significant contributor gone from the 2025 roster, so the Mariners’ World Series dreams are bigger than ever.
It’s a remarkable roster shuffle. With Juan Soto now moving to left field, of the nine players who started the most games at each position in 2025, only Francisco Lindor is slated to start at the same position in 2026 — and even his Opening Day is now in jeopardy after surgery to repair his hamate bone. Will it all add up to a better Mets team? I believe so, although there is some risk here, particularly in the bullpen, where Williams and Weaver didn’t exactly lock down the late innings last year for the Yankees. Still, this Mets team will score plenty of runs while being more athletic and better on defense — much more of a David Stearns-type team.
Well, it’s done: The rebuild, the revamp, the step back — whatever you want to call it — is officially complete. The only players older than 30 on the 40-man roster are relievers Riley O’Brien and Stanek. The farm system has been improved, with five top-100 prospects led by infielder JJ Wetherholt, a top Rookie of the Year candidate for 2026. The payroll has been trimmed some $45 million from 2025, so that will make owner Bill DeWitt happy, although the organization will have to win back the fans with better results — eventually — on the field.
If you accept the premise of rebuilding, then Chaim Bloom did an excellent job. Improving the long-term viability of the rotation was the biggest need and Bloom did that with two separate trades with his old friends in Boston and then the Donovan deal. Dobbins and Fitts are more fourth/fifth-starter types, and Cijntje and Clarke are power arms with higher ceilings but reliever risk. They were two of the better prospects to switch teams this winter. What we don’t know: With a payroll now half of what it was just two years ago, where will the Cardinals go in the future?