Jorge CastilloCloseJorge CastilloESPN Staff WriterESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.Follow on X, Bradford DoolittleCloseBradford DoolittleESPN Staff WriterMLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com Been with ESPN since 2013, Alden GonzalezCloseAlden GonzalezESPN Staff WriterESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.Follow on X, Jesse RogersCloseJesse RogersESPN Staff WriterJesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.Follow on X, David SchoenfieldCloseDavid SchoenfieldESPN Senior WriterCovers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995Multiple AuthorsMar 23, 2026, 07:00 AM ET
O’s sign Alonso, add to Mets fans’ growing frustration
Not long after their historic late-season collapse, the New York Mets started an offseason overhaul that continued throughout the winter. Fresh off their 2025 World Series appearance, the Toronto Blue Jays added an ace to their rotation, the Baltimore Orioles brought in a slugging bat to anchor their lineup, and the Chicago Cubs finally made the big-name free agent signing their fans had been craving.
But in the end, it was the two-time reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers who sent shock waves through the sport by signing the offseason’s No. 1 free agent to a record deal.
Whether you are just realizing that Pete Alonso left the Mets for the AL East or the Dodgers spent … well, let’s just say it was a lot of money per year to add to their loaded lineup — or you know every signing and trade and still aren’t quite sure what to make of the chaos, we’ve got you covered for Opening Day.
ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield break down all the moves that rocked the winter, what they mean for the teams involved — and how they’ll impact the season ahead.
What it means for the team(s): The Mets were expected to make changes after missing the postseason — an unacceptable showing for a roster with the second-highest payroll in the majors and World Series aspirations. President of baseball operations David Stearns said as much during his end-of-season news conference. But trading Brandon Nimmo was a stunning move that signaled Stearns was open to a major overhaul.
Dominoes: Second base wasn’t a glaring need for the Mets with Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuna still on the roster. Adding Semien made McNeil and Acuña expendable, and they were soon out the door. Trading Nimmo opened an outfield spot that the Mets would eventually attempt to fill with the top free agent on the market before deciding to move Juan Soto from right field to left field and create a competition for playing time in right field. — Castillo
What it means for the Red Sox: Boston’s rotation was fine in 2025, finishing 12th in the majors in ERA — or, should we say, Garrett Crochet was outstanding and the rest of the rotation was mediocre. With Lucas Giolito a free agent, the Red Sox needed some veteran stability and had a deep arsenal of young pitchers to deal from. They sent Richard Fitts and lefty Brandon Clarke to the Cardinals for Sonny Gray (and $20 million to help pay Gray’s $31 million salary for 2026).
In all, the Red Sox upgraded the rotation and the infield. Contreras and Durbin, who was third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, both hit right-handed, creating more balance to what was a lefty-heavy lineup. Breslow did all that without increasing the team’s payroll — John Henry approves — and while keeping the team’s two top pitching prospects, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early.
Dominoes: The Gray trade was the first indicator that it was going to be a busy offseason in the AL East, as it felt like each team would counter each other’s latest move. The Blue Jays and Orioles would eventually match the Red Sox with a series of trades and signings and it’s possible, after three AL East teams made the playoffs in 2025, that four playoff teams could emerge from the division in 2026. — Schoenfield
What it means for the team(s): The Blue Jays agreed to a deal with Dylan Cease in the same calendar month that they dropped Game 7 of the World Series to the Dodgers. Toronto, and everyone else watching the postseason, saw firsthand that in this age of bullpen-heavy postseason pitching strategies, having a deep well of quality starting pitchers remains a viable path to a title.
The Blue Jays had Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage in hand, along with Jose Berrios and depth options such as Eric Lauer, but it was clear that Toronto needed to make a splash in the rotation department. They jumped the market with Cease, whose seven-year, $210 million pact ended up far outstripping the total value of any other free agent contract signed by a starting pitcher this winter.
How it will shape the 2026 season: If Cease’s every-other-season pattern of dominance continues, the first year of his deal with the Blue Jays should be a high point. As good as Cease’s stuff is, his success has vacillated in direct correlation with his consistency of command. For Toronto, an average Cease season will do fine in helping them get back to the playoffs. But they need a dominant Cease to show up once October arrives. That’s why the Blue Jays gave him the big bucks.
Dominoes: Even after signing reliever Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million deal, the Mets maintained hope they’d bring Diaz back. Ideally, Williams would be the setup man. Diaz and his iconic trumpets would continue to shut down the ninth inning in Queens. The Dodgers swooping in not only allowed L.A. to shore up its biggest hole; it weakened one of its biggest threats in the National League. — Gonzalez
Dominoes: Schwarber’s signing led directly to Pete Alonso inking his deal with Baltimore a day later — for $5 million more — and eventually to Eugenio Suarez signing on with Cincinnati. The Reds wanted Schwarber, a Cincinnati-area native, but had to shift focus after he spurned them. The Mets’ pursuit of Kyle Tucker — whom they lost to the Dodgers — might not have been a direct result of Schwarber’s signing, but it would have helped them keep pace with the division’s top offense. — Rogers
Dominoes: The Pirates went on to add Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna later in the offseason, creating their deepest lineup in years. But it also continued a pattern of heavily weighting the offensive considerations of a move over the defensive fit. That’s worth watching. But all of this laid the groundwork for a scenario in which an early promotion for budding star shortstop Konnor Griffin actually makes sense. — Doolittle
Date of the deals: Dec. 21 — White Sox sign slugger Murakami; Jan. 1 — Astros sign starter Imai; Jan. 4 — Blue Jays sign 3B Okamoto
What it means for the team(s): The Cubs needed an offensive replacement after moving on from Kyle Tucker — and Bregman fits the bill, assuming age doesn’t catch up with him anytime soon. He has long been a favorite of Cubs exec Jed Hoyer, who pursued him last winter as well.
Bregman’s leadership will come in handy on a team that might need another glue guy after employing Justin Turner on the roster last year. On the field, Bregman rounds out one of the best defensive infields in baseball, pushing Gold Glove finalist Matt Shaw to the outfield. But when Bregman needs a day at DH, the Cubs won’t lose anything on defense moving Shaw back to the dirt. Bregman adds front-line production while making the deepest Cubs team in nearly a decade.
Dominoes: Not long after Bregman chose the Cubs over the Red Sox, his old team pivoted to pitching for its marquee offseason signing. Then Boston traded for infielder Caleb Durbin to fill the third-base void. He’s not going to replace the production Bregman provided, but at least his arrival from Milwaukee covers his new team at the hot corner.
The biggest domino for Boston might have come via media and fans — they weren’t happy with how Bregman’s departure went down. If Boston struggles early, criticism directed toward the front office will only grow. — Rogers
What it means for the Dodgers: The Dodgers went into the offseason thinking they had only a slim chance to land Edwin Diaz — and basically no chance to land Kyle Tucker. They were willing to offer only a short-term deal, the type a 29-year-old five-tool player at the top of a free agent class never takes. Then Tucker did, signing a four-year, $240 million deal — with deferrals and opt-outs — that solidified the Dodgers as the best team in the sport and the envy of an entire industry.
Two years earlier, the Dodgers landed Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow in the same month. A year after that, it was Blake Snell, Tanner Scott and Roki Sasaki. With Diaz and Tucker, they had completed a third consecutive offseason in which they landed the best players at their targeted positions.
How it will shape the 2026 season: There was only one real way to upgrade the Dodgers’ lineup — through a left-handed-hitting outfielder who could also improve their defense. Tucker does that, bringing Gold Glove-caliber defense to right field and allowing Teoscar Hernandez to shift to left. But he will have a much bigger impact on their lineup.
Date of the deals: Jan 14 — Red Sox sign Suarez to five-year deal; Jan. 21 — Mets acquire Peralta from the Brewers; Jan. 22 — Rangers acquire Gore from Nationals; Feb. 4 — Tigers sign Valdez to three-year contract
Nimmo was the Mets’ longest-tenured player with a no-trade clause in his contract. He was part of the team core and has remained productive. Stearns wasn’t intent on moving him, but Marcus Semien, though three years older, has a shorter contract and is a Gold Glove second baseman. Stearns valued the increased financial flexibility and prioritized bolstering the defense. So when the Texas Rangers presented a rare one-for-one deal of veterans, he accepted and brought it to Nimmo, who waived his no-trade clause. It was the start of a transformative offseason in Queens.