Offseason In Review: Athletics
Motivated by their temporary move to Sacramento and the fear of an MLBPA grievance that could have cut into their revenue sharing money, the A's were busy. The result: three of the four largest contracts in franchise history, and a realistic (if long shot) hope of competing for a playoff spot.
Free Agent Signings
- RHP Luis Severino: Three years, $67MM (including opt-out after '26)
- RHP José Leclerc: One year, $10MM
- 3B Gio Urshela: One year, $2.15MM
- LHP T.J. McFarland: One year, $1.8MM
- 2B Luis Urías: One year, $1.1MM
2025 spending: $40.05MM
Total spending: $82.05MM
Option Decisions
- None
Trades and Claims
- Traded LF Daz Cameron to Orioles for cash
- Claimed RHP Justin Sterner off waivers from Rays
- Claimed RHP Anthony Maldonado off waivers from Marlins (later outrighted off 40-man roster)
- Traded SS Nick Allen to Braves for minor league RHP Jared Johnson
- Selected RHP Noah Murdock from Royals in Rule 5 draft
- Acquired LHP Jeffrey Springs and LHP Jacob Lopez from Rays for RHP Joe Boyle, minor league RHP Jacob Watters, minor league 1B Will Simpson, and Competitive Balance Round A pick (#42 overall)
- Traded RHP Will Klein to Mariners for international bonus pool space
- Claimed RHP Elvis Alvarado off waivers from Pirates
- Acquired C Jhonny Pereda from Marlins for cash
Notable Minor League Signings
Extensions
- RF Lawrence Butler: Seven years, $65.5MM (including buyout of 2032 club option)
- DH Brent Rooker: Five years, $60MM (includes vesting/club option for 2030)
Notable Losses
- Joe Boyle, Ross Stripling, Scott Alexander, Kyle McCann (released), Alex Wood (still unsigned), Austin Adams (outrighted), Will Klein, Trevor Gott, Dany Jiménez (non-tendered), Tristan Gray (lost on waivers), Armando Alvarez (outrighted), Ryan Noda (lost on waivers), Kyle Muller (outrighted), Tyler Nevin (outrighted), Royber Salinas (lost on waivers)
The A's played around .500 ball in the second half. While their rotation remained largely uninspiring, things were starting to fall into place in the lineup. As the team officially closed the book on their 57 years in Oakland, fans who are sticking with the club in Sacramento and Las Vegas could start to dream on the team pulling out of a three-year rebuild.
There were a few clear areas to address. They needed multiple starting pitchers and a third baseman, at least. The A's rarely plug holes in free agency. They'd spent less than $55MM over the previous three offseasons combined. Owner John Fisher has suggested he'd raise payroll with expected revenue increases once they get to Las Vegas in 2028. It's hard to argue the A's deserved the benefit of the doubt after years of bottom-tier spending. There were no promises about the next three seasons anyhow, as those will be played at a Triple-A park in Sacramento.
At the beginning of the offseason, general manager David Forst firmly stated that designated hitter Brent Rooker wouldn't be available. It was fair to assume the same of star closer Mason Miller. They were no longer in the "tear it down" section of the rebuild, but it wasn't clear how aggressively they'd supplement their developing lineup.
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Offseason In Review: San Diego Padres
The Padres had a fairly quiet offseason coming off a 93-win season. They were working with limited payroll room for the second straight winter, but they decided not to move any key pieces in cost-cutting trades. A few late signings -- including a backloaded four-year deal for a mid-rotation starter -- rounded out the offseason.
Major League Signings
- RHP Nick Pivetta: Four years, $55MM (includes opt-outs after 2026 and '27 with conditional injury protection for the team)
- C Elias Díaz: One year, $3.5MM (including buyout of '26 mutual option)
- LHP Kyle Hart: One year, $1.5MM (including buyout of '26 club option)
- LF Jason Heyward: One year, $1MM
- LF Connor Joe: One year, $1MM
2025 spending: $11MM
Total spending: $62MM
Option Decisions
- SS Ha-Seong Kim declined $8MM mutual option in favor of $2MM buyout
- LHP Wandy Peralta exercised $4.25MM player option; deal includes respective $4.45MM player options for 2026 and '27
Trades and Claims
- Selected RHP Juan Nuñez from Orioles in Rule 5 draft
- Acquired RHP Ron Marinaccio from White Sox for cash
Notable Minor League Seasons
- Andrew Bellatti, Wes Benjamin, Trenton Brooks, Mike Brosseau, Austin Davis, Jose Espada, Logan Gillaspie, Moises Gomez, Oscar González, Niko Goodrum, Yuli Gurriel (will be added to 40-man roster), Jose Iglesias (will be added to 40-man roster), Reiss Knehr, Tim Locastro, Martín Maldonado (will be added to 40-man roster), Mason McCoy (added to 40-man roster), Luis Patiño, Gavin Sheets (added to 40-man roster), Forrest Wall, J.B. Wendelken
Extensions
- Signed SS Tyler Wade to one-year, $900K deal with $1MM club option for 2026
Notable Losses
- Tanner Scott, Jurickson Profar, Ha-Seong Kim, Kyle Higashioka, Donovan Solano, David Peralta (still unsigned), Martín Pérez, Nick Ahmed, Bryce Johnson (non-tendered)
The Padres faced a pair of injuries late last season that had a significant impact on their offseason. In August, Ha-Seong Kim injured his shoulder diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt. He underwent a season-ending labrum repair a few weeks later. Joe Musgrove left a start early in the postseason with elbow tightness. He required Tommy John surgery that'll cost him the entire '25 season.
Kim's injury was "only" expected to carry into the early part of this season, though it came with a nebulous enough timeline that it's possible he'll miss most of the first half. The Padres never seemed likely to meet the asking price to retain free agency's #2 shortstop. However, there's a decent chance they would have issued Kim a qualifying offer if he were fully healthy.
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Offseason In Review: Cincinnati Reds
The Reds swung a few notable trades to bring some new talent onto the roster, as manager Terry Francona will try to lead the team back into contention.
Major League Signings
- Nick Martinez, SP: One year, $21.05MM (accepted qualifying offer)
- Austin Hays, OF: One year, $5MM (includes $1MM buyout of $12MM mutual option for 2026)
- Scott Barlow, RP: One year, $2.5MM (includes $1MM buyout of $6.5MM club option for 2026)
2025 spending: $28.55MM
Total spending: $28.55MM
Option Decisions
- Nick Martinez, SP: Declined $12M player option for 2025 (prior to being issued qualifying offer)
- Emilio Pagan, RP: Exercised $8MM player option for 2025
- Jakob Junis, RHP: Declined his end of $8MM mutual option for 2025, received $3MM buyout
- Luke Maile, C: Reds declined $3.5MM club option for 2025 (Maile received $500K buyout)
Trades & Claims
- Acquired SP Brady Singer from Royals for 2B Jonathan India, OF Joey Wiemer
- Acquired IF Gavin Lux from Dodgers for minor league OF Mike Sirota, and Competitive Balance Round A selection in 2025 draft (41st overall)
- Acquired RP Taylor Rogers and $6MM from Giants for minor league RHP Braxton Roxby
- Acquired C Jose Trevino from Yankees for RP Fernando Cruz and C Alex Jackson
- Acquired cash considerations from Mariners for RP Casey Legumina
- Acquired minor league OF Arnaldo Lantigua from Dodgers for $1.5MM in international bonus pool space
- Claimed IF/CF Cooper Bowman in Rule 5 Draft, but later returned Bowman to Athletics
Notable Minor League Signings
- Wade Miley, Austin Wynns, Bryan Shaw, Alex Young, Josh Staumont, Albert Abreu, Ian Gibaut, Reiver Sanmartin, Joe La Sorsa, Levi Jordan, Aaron Wilkerson
Extensions
- Jose Trevino, C: Two years, $11.5MM ($6.5MM club option for 2028 with $1MM buyout)
- Brent Suter, RP: One year, $2.25MM ($3MM club option for 2026 with $250K buyout)
Notable Losses
- India, Junis, Cruz, Legumina, Maile, Jackson, Wiemer, Justin Wilson, Buck Farmer, Ty France, Roansy Contreras, Amed Rosario, Nick Martini, Casey Kelly, Brandon Leibrandt
Starting with some bigger-picture news from the Reds' winter, the club gained some slight stability on the broadcasting front when it signed a one-year contract with the FanDuel Sports Network, a.k.a. the rebranded Bally Sports Network. The Reds' broadcasts were previously handed by Bally and parent company Diamond Sports Group, but Cincinnati was one of many teams whose TV future was thrown into question when DSG went into bankruptcy proceedings in March 2023. DSG and Bally re-emerged under the Main Street Sports and FanDuel Sports Network banners, and several MLB teams chose to re-engage with their old partners under short-term agreements.
The Reds had reached a deal with Major League Baseball itself to handle broadcasts for the 2025 season, but in choosing to re-up with Main Street Sports, the Reds may be giving themselves some flexibility for future deals if all goes well this year. It is also fair to assume that the Reds are getting at least a bit more money off this new deal than they were getting from MLB, even if terms of the new contract (or the terms of the MLB broadcast deal) weren't made public.
Here's the bottom line as it relates to the club's on-field endeavors --- the Reds had a bit more cash to invest in payroll, as president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in January. Given the timing, it could be that the Reds might not have been able to trade for Taylor Rogers or sign Austin Hays without those extra funds coming into the team's revenue stream.
Team COO/CFO Doug Healy said in November that the Reds' payroll would either remain stable or go up in the aftermath of the broadcast deal with MLB, and that proved to be the case even with the change in broadcast partners. The Reds finished last season with an approximate payroll of $100MM (as per RosterResource) and the club now has roughly $115.3MM committed to its 2025 roster as we approach Opening Day.
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MLBTR's Steve Adams hosted a chat today at 3pm CT, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers.
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Offseason In Review: Seattle Mariners
Despite some glaring needs for offense, the Mariners only ended up tinkering a bit with their lineup after a pretty quiet offseason.
Major League Signings
- Jorge Polanco, 2B/3B: One year, $7.75MM (including $750K buyout of $8MM mutual option for 2026, converts to $6MM player option if Polanco has 450 PA in 2025, and $8MM player option if Polanco has 550 PA in 2025)
- Donovan Solano, IF: One year, $3.5MM
2025 spending: $11.25MM
Total spending: $11.25MM
Option Decisions
- Mitch Haniger, OF: Exercised $15.5MM player option for 2025
- Jorge Polanco, 2B/3B: Mariners declined $12MM club option for 2025, paid Polanco $750K buyout
Trades & Claims
- Acquired RP Casey Legumina from Reds for cash considerations
- Acquired IF/OF Miles Mastrobuoni from Cubs for cash considerations
- Acquired IF Austin Shenton from Rays for cash considerations
- Acquired RP Will Klein from Athletics for international bonus pool money
- Acquired minor league C Blake Hunt from Orioles for cash considerations
- Acquired minor league RP Michael Hobbs from Mets for cash considerations
- Claimed RP Hagen Danner off waivers from Blue Jays
- Claimed minor league C Nick Raposo off waivers from Blue Jays (later outrighted off 40-man roster)
Notable Minor League Signings
- Rowdy Tellez, Trevor Gott, Josh Fleming, Adonis Medina, Shintaro Fujinami, Casey Lawrence, Garrett Hill, Jacob Nottingham, Jack Lopez, Jhonathan Diaz, Luis F. Castillo, Neftali Feliz (released), Drew Pomeranz (released), Jesse Hahn (released)
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Haniger, Justin Turner, Yimi Garcia, Josh Rojas, Luis Urias, Sam Haggerty, Austin Voth, JT Chargois
After a few months of scouring the free agent and trade markets for a replacement for second baseman Jorge Polanco, the Mariners ended up signing....third baseman Jorge Polanco, brought back on a one-year deal worth $7.75MM in guaranteed money, and with a vesting option that could guarantee Polanco at least $6MM in 2026. Polanco has played the vast majority of his nine MLB seasons as a middle infielder, but he does have 24 games of experience as a third baseman, with 15 of those games coming as recently as the 2023 season when he was still a member of the Twins.
Polanco's defensive metrics as a second baseman were mostly subpar, and his lack of a strong throwing arm raises questions about how well he'll translate to the hot corner. However, the bigger issue might be whether or not Polanco can rebound from a rough year at the plate. The infielder hit only .213/.296/.355 over 469 plate appearances with Seattle in 2024, while also missing a month due to a hamstring strain, and undergoing surgery in October to correct a lingering left knee problem.
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Offseason In Review: New York Mets
The Mets gave out the largest contract in the history of baseball and all professional sports, but they otherwise avoided the top guys and tried to spread their money around to a wide variety of targets.
Major League Signings
- OF Juan Soto: 15 years, $765MM (Soto can opt-out after 2029 but club can override by adding extra $40MM to final ten years)
- LHP Sean Manaea: Three years, $75MM ($23.25MM deferred)
- 1B Pete Alonso: Two years, $54MM (Alonso can opt out after 2025)
- RHP Clay Holmes: Three years, $38MM (Holmes can opt out after 2026)
- RHP Frankie Montas: Two years, $34MM (Montas can opt out after 2025)
- LHP A.J. Minter: Two years, $22MM (Minter can opt out after 2025)
- OF/DH Jesse Winker: One year, $7.5MM
- RHP Ryne Stanek: One year, $4.5MM
- RHP Griffin Canning: One year, $4.3MM
- IF Nick Madrigal: One year, $1.3MM
- RHP Drew Smith: One year, $1MM (plus $2MM club option for 2026)
- RHP Dylan Covey: split deal (later outrighted and elected free agency)
- RHP Justin Hagenman: split deal
- IF Jared Young: split deal
2025 spending: $236.475MM (not including split deals or accounting for deferrals)
Total spending: $1.0066 billion
Option Decisions
- LHP Sean Manaea declined $13.5MM player option (later re-signed)
- Team declined $7.75MM option on RHP Phil Maton
Trades and Claims
- Claimed RHP Kevin Herget off waivers from Brewers
- Claimed IF Luis De Los Santos off waivers from Blue Jays (later outrighted)
- Acquired OF Jose Siri from Rays for RHP Eric Orze
- Acquired RHP Sean Harney from Rays for international bonus pool space
- Claimed RHP Austin Warren off waivers from Giants
- Acquired OF Alexander Canario from Cubs for cash considerations
Notable Minor League Signings
- Chris Devenski, Rico Garcia, Donovan Walton, Rafael Ortega, Joey Meneses, Jakson Reetz, Génesis Cabrera, Grant Hartwig, Alex Ramírez, Oliver Ortega, Brandon Waddell, Chris Williams, Anthony Gose, Luis Ortiz, Adbert Alzolay, Connor Overton, José Ureña
Extensions
- None.
Notable Losses
- Luis Severino, Jose Iglesias, Harrison Bader, Jose Quintana, J.D. Martinez (still unsigned), Adam Ottavino, Brooks Raley (still unsigned), Phil Maton, Joey Lucchesi, Adrian Houser, DJ Stewart, Alex Young (non-tendered), Nate Lavender (Rule 5), Mike Vasil (Rule 5)
Going into the winter, it was still hard to get a firm grip on what the Steve Cohen and David Stearns relationship would really look like. Cohen had made the Mets one of the top-spending clubs in baseball. That would have been even more true if the Carlos Correa deal had gone through. But Cohen could easily sign top players on his own and presumably brought in Stearns to make wise decisions about how to allocate resources. Stearns, for his part, had previously been running the small-market Brewers. He had obviously been conservative with that club, only twice giving out a contract larger than $24MM, but how would he act with deeper pockets?
Stearns was hired prior to the 2023-24 offseason but it was hard to draw conclusions from that winter. The club had a disappointing 2023 and ended up having a midseason selloff, sending away Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, David Robertson and others. They ended up having a fairly modest winter ahead of 2024. They spent a decent amount of money but by signing multiple players to one- or two-year deals.
They went on to engineer a somewhat surprising season in 2024. They snuck into a playoff spot and then got by the Brewers and Phillies in the postseason before getting felled by the Dodgers in the NLCS.
On the heels of a better season and with the club in overall better shape, would Stearns and the Mets behave differently than they did in the previous winter? Many expected the aggression to be ramped up but it wasn't known for sure. It was an important wild card factor in an offseason that was highlighted by Juan Soto, the most sought-after free agent in recent baseball history, perhaps ever. But on top of that, the market also featured guys like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell, Willy Adames, Alex Bregman and Mets legend Pete Alonso. Would Stearns use Cohen's resources to own the offseason?
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Offseason In Review: Minnesota Twins
The Twins' front office was constricted by payroll limitations for a second straight offseason -- this time in the wake of announcement that the Pohlad family was looking to sell the team. After a quiet winter, they'll hope for better health and improvement from within.
Major League Signings
- Harrison Bader, OF: One year, $6.25MM
- Danny Coulombe, LHP: One year, $3MM
- Ty France, 1B: One year, $1MM
2025 spending: $10.25MM
Total spending: $10.25MM
Option Decisions
- Declined $12MM mutual option on OF Manuel Margot
- Declined $6.25MM mutual option on INF Kyle Farmer
- Exercised $1.5MM club option on RHP Jorge Alcala
Trades and Waiver Claims
- Acquired C/INF Mickey Gasper from Red Sox in exchange for LHP Jovani Moran
- Acquired C Diego Cartaya from Dodgers in exchange for RHP Jose Vasquez
- Traded INF Michael Helman to Cardinals in exchange for cash
- Selected RHP Eiberson Castellano from the Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft
Extensions
- None
Minor League Signings
- Mike Ford, Anthony Misiewicz, Erasmo Ramirez, Huascar Ynoa, Darren McCaughan, Alex Speas, Armando Alvarez, Yunior Severino (re-signed), Scott Blewett (re-signed), Daniel Duarte (re-signed)
Losses
- Carlos Santana, Max Kepler, Alex Kirilloff (retired), Caleb Thielbar, Kyle Farmer, Manuel Margot, Michael Helman, Anthony DeSclafani, Caleb Boushley, Diego Castillo, Brent Headrick (lost to Yankees via waivers), Ronny Henriquez (lost to Marlins via waivers)
On Oct. 10, executive chair Joe Pohlad announced that his family would explore a sale of the team after 40 years of ownership. The 42-year-old had been elevated to oversee day-to-day ownership duties for the family just two years prior and quickly signed off on a club-record deal to re-sign Carlos Correa and an extension for Pablo Lopez just weeks after acquiring him via trade. The Twins entered 2023 with a club-record $154MM payroll, but as their television revenues were upended by the bankruptcy proceedings for Diamond Sports Group/Bally Sports, ownership mandated a payroll reduction of some $30MM in 2024 and placed strict financial limitations on the front office again this offseason.
The composition of that front office, it should be noted, changed dramatically this winter.
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Offseason In Review: New York Yankees
The Yankees found themselves in the rare position of being outbid by the Mets for the top free agent. They responded with multiple lesser but still significant pickups, including an eight-year deal to add a top-of-the-rotation arm.
Major League Signings
- LHP Max Fried: Eight years, $218MM
- 1B Paul Goldschmidt: One year, $12.5MM
- RHP Jonathan Loáisiga: One year, $5MM (including buyout of '26 club option)
- LHP Tim Hill: One year, $2.85MM (including buyout of '26 club option)
2025 spending: $52.35MM
Total spending: $238.35MM
Option Decisions
- RHP Gerrit Cole rescinded decision to opt out of remaining four years and $144MM on his nine-year deal
- Team declined $17MM option on 1B Anthony Rizzo in favor of $6MM buyout
- Team declined $5MM option on RHP Lou Trivino
- Team exercised $2.5MM option on RHP Luke Weaver
Trades and Claims
- Traded LF Taylor Trammell to Astros for cash
- Traded C Carlos Narváez to Red Sox for minor league RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool space
- Acquired RHP Devin Williams from Brewers for LHP Nestor Cortes, 2B Caleb Durbin and cash ($2MM)
- Acquired CF Cody Bellinger and cash ($5MM) from Cubs for RHP Cody Poteet
- Acquired RHP Fernando Cruz and minor league C Alex Jackson from Reds for C Jose Trevino
- Acquired RHP Michael Arias from Cubs for cash
- Claimed RHP Allan Winans off waivers from Braves (later outrighted off 40-man roster)
- Claimed RHP Roansy Contreras off waivers from Orioles (later lost on waivers back to Baltimore)
- Claimed SS Braden Shewmake off waivers from Royals
- Claimed RHP Owen White off waivers from Reds (later lost on waivers to White Sox)
- Claimed LHP Brent Headrick off waivers from Twins
Notable Minor League Signings
- Colten Brewer, Carlos Carrasco, Brennen Davis, Geoff Hartlieb, Ronaldo Hernández, Brandon Leibrandt, Tyler Matzek, Pablo Reyes, Wilking Rodríguez, Dominic Smith, Andrew Velazquez, Rob Zastryzny
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, Clay Holmes, Nestor Cortes, Tommy Kahnle, Jose Trevino, Anthony Rizzo (still unsigned), Alex Verdugo, Jon Berti (non-tendered), Tim Mayza (non-tendered), Cody Poteet, Carlos Narváez, Caleb Durbin, Lou Trivino
The Yankees' season ended with a blown five-run lead in the World Series Game 5 clincher. The front office didn't have much time to think about that defeat. They faced a number of crucial decisions within the opening days of the offseason.
Some of those were straightforward. They exercised a $2.5MM option on Luke Weaver while moving on from Anthony Rizzo and Lou Trivino. They exercised their option on manager Aaron Boone, a precursor to the two-year extension he would sign early in Spring Training. They made the qualifying offer to Juan Soto. The biggest question of the offseason's first week: would Gerrit Cole test the market?
The ace had to decide whether to opt out of the remaining four years and $144MM on his nine-year free agent deal. If he triggered the opt-out, New York could override it by exercising a $36MM club option covering the 2029 season. Cole took his decision to the wire before deciding to opt out. The Yankees balked at the option. For a day, it looked like Cole would be one of the biggest risk-reward plays on the open market.
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MLBTR’s Anthony Franco held a live chat today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!
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Offseason In Review: Atlanta Braves
The Braves scaled back spending this offseason, but still brought in an All-Star outfielder and a lot of depth options to bolster the roster.
Major League Signings
- Jurickson Profar, OF: Three years, $42MM
- Alex Verdugo, OF: One year, $1.5MM
- Bryan De La Cruz, OF: One year split contract, $860K prorated salary for time on active roster
- Carlos Rodriguez, OF: One year split contract
- Connor Gillispie, RHP: One year split contract (later lost on waivers to Marlins)
2025 spending: $13.5MM
Total spending: $43.5MM
Option Decisions
- Exercised $16MM club option on DH Marcell Ozuna
- Declined $8MM club option on C Travis d'Arnaud
- Declined $7MM club option on RP Luke Jackson ($2MM buyout)
Trades & Claims
- Acquired RHP Griffin Canning from Angels for OF/DH Jorge Soler (Canning was later non-tendered)
- Acquired SS Nick Allen from Athletics for minor league RP Jared Johnson
- Acquired RHP Davis Daniel from Angels for minor league LHP Mitch Farris
- Acquired cash considerations or a player to be named later from Angels for RP Angel Perdomo
- Claimed RHP Amos Willingham off waivers from Nationals
- Claimed RHP Royber Salinas off waivers from Athletics (Salinas later non-tendered but re-signed on a new minors contract)
- Claimed RHP Anderson Pilar from Marlins in the Rule 5 Draft (later returned to Miami)
- Claimed SS Christian Cairo from Guardians in the Rule 5 Draft (later returned to Cleveland)
Notable Minor League Signings
- Craig Kimbrel, Hector Neris, James McCann, Buck Farmer, Jake Marisnick, Chasen Shreve, Garrett Cooper, Chad Kuhl, Dylan Covey, Jordan Weems, Dany Jimenez, Ray Kerr, Enyel De Los Santos, Matthew Batten, Conner Capel, Wander Suero, Enoli Paredes, Eddy Alvarez, Charles Leblanc, Jose Devers, Zach Thompson, Brian Moran, Kolton Ingram, Chandler Seagle, Jake Diekman (released), Curt Casali (released)
Extensions
- Reynaldo Lopez, SP: Three years, $30MM (overwrote Lopez's previous contract, adding a guaranteed 2027 season and $4MM more in guaranteed money)
- Aaron Bummer, RP: Two years, $13MM
Notable Losses
- Soler, d'Arnaud, Jackson, Canning, Max Fried, Charlie Morton, A.J. Minter, Jesse Chavez, Ramon Laureano, Gio Urshela, Tyler Matzek, Allan Winans, John Brebbia, Cavan Biggio, Eddie Rosario, Huascar Ynoa
President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos traditionally makes several moves early in the offseason, and he got a particularly quick jump on things this winter by trading Jorge Soler to the Angels less than 24 hours after the World Series ended. Since exercising Marcell Ozuna's club option was a no-brainer, Soler became redundant in Atlanta's lineup, and an obvious trade candidate. Because return piece Griffin Canning was eventually non-tendered, the deal became a pure salary dump, as the Halos took the remaining $26MM of Soler's contract off the Braves' hands.
The Braves also moved quickly in signing Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer to contract extensions, though since the players were already controlled (Lopez via a previous extension and Bummer via club options), the new deals were more about reshuffling some money and creating some space under the luxury tax. More payroll space was freed up when the Braves declined club options on Travis d'Arnaud and Luke Jackson, and when arbitration-eligibles Ramon Laureano, Cavan Biggio, and Huascar Ynoa were all let go.
All of these moves indicated that Anthopoulos was preparing for another transaction that would cost his team a significant chunk of money. It took a couple of months for that next step to happen, but Atlanta finally struck in signing Jurickson Profar to a three-year, $42MM deal. Profar will now line up as the Braves' everyday left fielder, bringing some stability to an outfield that will still be without Ronald Acuna Jr. until likely sometime in May, as Acuna recovers from his torn ACL.
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