Poll: Who Will Win The AL Central?
Opening Day has finally arrived, and teams all around the league are gearing up for another pennant chase in hopes of being crowned this year’s World Series champion. Of course, there’s still another seven months to go before someone raises the Commissioner’s Trophy. Until the playoffs begin, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. We’ll be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. That series has already covered the National League, with the Dodgers, Cubs, and Phillies each coming out on top in their respective divisions. In the American League, meanwhile, the Rangers were voted as the most likely AL West winner. Next up is a look at the AL Central. Teams are listed in order of their 2024 record.
Cleveland Guardians (92-69)
The Guardians surprised the baseball world by not only storming back to the top of the AL Central in Stephen Vogt‘s first year replacing Terry Francona as manager in Cleveland, but by pushing past the Astros to secure a playoff bye alongside the Yankees. Though the club ultimately fell to New York in the ALCS, their strong showing inspired plenty of optimism about the club’s future. The offseason saw some major changes come to the organization as Andres Gimenez departed the club in a series of moves that ultimately brought back righty Luis Ortiz. The addition of Ortiz should help bolster a rotation that was the club’s clear weakness last year, as should getting more out of Shane Bieber after he returned to the club in free agency over the offseason.
Aside from that stronger rotation mix and the aforementioned loss of Gimenez, the 2025 Guardians don’t look much different than the 2024 club. Josh Naylor departed via trade but was swiftly replaced with Carlos Santana in his third stint with the club, and the club swapped Tyler Freeman for Nolan Jones just before Opening Day. Meanwhile, Jakob Junis and Paul Sewald add depth to a bullpen that was already baseball’s best last season. A stronger rotation mix should help the Guardians stay at the top of the AL Central this year, though they’ll need strong performances from players like Jones, Brayan Rocchio, and Kyle Manzardo in order to match last year’s output in the lineup without Naylor’s bat and Gimenez’s glove in the fold.
Kansas City Royals (86-76)
After making it back to the playoffs for the first time since their World Series championship in 2015, the Royals stayed busy in the offseason. They retained their strong front three of Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, and Michael Wacha in the rotation while trading fourth starter Brady Singer to the Reds to land Jonathan India, who has split time between left field and third base for the club so far this year. Meanwhile, the Royals made a splash at the back of their bullpen by signing closer Carlos Estevez to handle the ninth inning, bolstering a relief group that was a big source of frustration last year. Overall, the pitching staff seems to be in an even better place than 2024 with Singer set to be replaced in the rotation by some combination of Kris Bubic, who excelled in a short stint with the bullpen last year, the eventual return of Kyle Wright from the injured list.
Less certain is how the club will stack up on offense. India was the club’s only major addition to the lineup, though swinging a trade for Mark Canha just before Opening Day should raise the floor offensively and bringing in Cavan Biggio could also improve the club’s depth. India and Canha should help to balance out a lineup that was far too reliant on Bobby Witt Jr. last year. Even so, the club will either need Witt to repeat his otherworldly production or significant steps forward from players like MJ Melendez and Maikel Franco if they’re going to be even an average offense in 2025, given that last year’s club managed a wRC+ of just 96. Will the club’s modest improvements be enough to take control of the Central?
Detroit Tigers (86-76)
As is a theme throughout the AL Central, the Tigers were relatively quiet this winter. The lineup is largely unchanged from last year, with second baseman Gleyber Torres and outfielder Manuel Margot standing as the club’s only additions of significance. The duo’s right-handed bats should help to balance out a Tigers lineup that leans heavily to the left, but the more significant additions to the Tigers this year are in the rotation. The return of Jack Flaherty after the club traded him to the Dodgers over the summer should give the club an impressive prospective playoff rotation, with Flaherty joining reigning AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal, 2024 breakout righty Reese Olson, and perhaps top prospect Jackson Jobe to make what could rival the Royals for the division’s best rotation. Alex Cobb, meanwhile, should add some veteran depth to the rotation and has been extremely effective when healthy in recent years.
Impressive as the rotation mix might be, the Tigers’ lackluster offensive additions mean a lot will need to go right for the club in the lineup if they’re going to make it back to October. Strong, healthy seasons from Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter will be a must, and steps forward from youngsters like Colt Keith and the ever-streaky Spencer Torkelson would go a long way to getting the club back to the postseason. As for the club’s bullpen, little changed outside of the addition of right-hander Tommy Kahnle, so the club will once again need strong performances from pieces like Tyler Holton and Will Vest in 2025. Will all of that be enough to overcome the Royals and Guardians in 2025?
Minnesota Twins (82-80)
After a disappointing season where the club appeared poised to make the postseason before collapsing in dramatic fashion down the stretch, the Twins are more or less running back the same club they put forward in 2024. Carlos Santana, Max Kepler, and Caleb Thielbar all departed the club with reasonable facsimiles of their expected production entering the door in their place when the club signed Ty France, Harrison Bader, and Danny Coulombe. Aside from that trio of modest additions to replace outgoing free agents, the Twins did very little to augment the club this winter. That’s not to say another weak season should be expected, however. On paper, the Twins have long been the most talented club in the AL Central and that figures to once again be the case in 2025.
Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, and Byron Buxton all have star potential when healthy, though Lewis has already opened the season on the injured list. Brooks Lee (also on the IL) and Matt Wallner provide plenty of upside to the club’s lineup, and steady contributors like Willi Castro, Ryan Jeffers, and Jose Miranda should help make for a strong offensive nucleus. The rotation, meanwhile, has a solid front three in the form of Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober to go along with a handful of interesting back-end options like Simeon Woods Richardson and David Festa. Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax make for a frightening combo at the back of the bullpen, leaving the club without any clear holes. With that being said, health and consistency have always been difficult to come by in Minnesota despite a deep and talented group of players. Will they be able to put it all together in 2025?
Chicago White Sox (41-121)
After the worst season in MLB history, the White Sox did little to inspire optimism about the 2025 season. Arguably, the club is weaker on paper than it was last year after losing Erick Fedde at the trade deadline and Garrett Crochet over the offseason. Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery should arrive sometime this year to pick up the slack, and a fully healthy and productive season from Luis Robert Jr. would go a long way to getting the White Sox away from that 120-loss threshold. Even with those potential upsides, however, it would be perhaps the most shocking turnaround in baseball history if this club managed to bring a division title back to the south side of Chicago in 2025.
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The offseason didn’t see any status-quo-altering changes in the AL Central. While the three postseason clubs from last year all made at least some modest additions, the story of the division is not all that dissimilar from 2025. After a 92-win season in 2025, the Guardians’ pitching additions seem likely to be enough to make them a potential favorite as long as Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan continue to play up to lofty expectations, though the additions Detroit and Kansas City made can’t be ignored. The Twins lurk in the background, meanwhile, even after a quiet offseason thanks to their strong in-house group of talent. With four of the division’s five clubs likely to be in the mix for the AL Central crown once again, who do you think is most likely to come out on top? Have your say in the poll below:
Who Will Win The AL Central?
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Detroit Tigers 30% (1,849)
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Kansas City Royals 26% (1,580)
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Cleveland Guardians 23% (1,416)
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Chicago White Sox 11% (640)
-
Minnesota Twins 10% (600)
Total votes: 6,085
Offseason In Review: Detroit Tigers
After Detroit surprised the baseball world by sneaking into the playoffs off the back of a late-season surge and wound up making it within a game of the ALCS, the club entered the offseason looking to assert itself as a contender but fell short in many of its most significant pursuits.
Major League Signings
- Jack Flaherty, SP: Two years, $35MM (can opt out after 2025)
- Gleyber Torres, 2B: One year, $15MM
- Alex Cobb, SP: One year, $15MM
- Tommy Kahnle, RP: One year, $7.75MM
- John Brebbia, RP: One year, $2.75MM
- Manuel Margot, OF: One year, $1.3MM
- Jose Urquidy, SP: One year, $1MM (plus 2026 club option)
2025 spending: $67.8MM
Total spending: $77.8MM
Option Decisions
- Casey Mize, SP: Team declined $3.2MM club option; retained control via arbitration
Trades and Waiver Claims
- Traded RP Devin Sweet to the Phillies for cash
- Traded RP Alex Faedo to the Rays for minor league C Enderson Delgado and cash
- Traded RP Mason Englert to the Rays for minor league RP Drew Sommers
- Acquired RP Bailey Horn from the Cardinals for cash
- Acquired OF Brewer Hicklen from the Brewers for cash
Notable Minor League Signings
- Jordan Balazovic, Andrew Chafin, Dietrich Enns, David Hensley, Matt Gage, Jahmai Jones, Ryan Miller, Brian Serven
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
Fans in Detroit and many around the game believed that 2024's surprise success would spur the Tigers to act more aggressively this winter than they had during president of baseball operations Scott Harris's previous seasons at the helm. Those expectations made plenty of sense on paper. After all, Detroit had just made the postseason for the first time since 2014 amid a season where they enjoyed a breakout from superstar southpaw Tarik Skubal. He asserted himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning both the Cy Young award and the Triple Crown in the American League, but now has just two seasons remaining before he's scheduled to reach free agency.
When the final years of team control over a breakout superstar were combined with an excellent season from Riley Greene, positive signs from other foundational youngsters like Colt Keith and Reese Olson, and a barren payroll that featured less than $40MM in guaranteed salary commitments for 2025, it seemed clear that this offseason was as good of an opportunity as the Tigers could expect to push their chips in and build a World Series contender. That's not how the 2024-25 offseason panned out for the club, however. While the Tigers were involved on at least some level with a number of potentially impactful players on the market, the vast majority of those efforts to acquire impact talent did not pan out.
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Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays made some notable trades and signings this offseason but so much focus was on the stadium drama, as hurricanes blew in and threw the entire trajectory of the franchise off course.
Major League Signings
- IF Ha-Seong Kim: Two years, $29MM (includes opt-out after 2025)
- C Danny Jansen: One year, $8.5MM (including $500K buyout on 2026 mutual option)
2025 spending: $21.5MM
Total spending: $37.5MM
Option Decisions
- Team exercised $10.5MM club option on 2B Brandon Lowe
Trades and Claims
- Traded OF Jose Siri to the Mets for RHP Eric Orze
- Traded IF Austin Shenton to the Mariners for cash
- Traded RHP Sean Harney to the Mets for international bonus pool space
- Traded LHPs Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez to the Athletics for RHPs Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, 1B/OF Will Simpson and Competitive Balance Round A draft pick
- Acquired LHP Brandon Eisert from Blue Jays for cash (later lost to White Sox via waivers)
- Acquired RHP Alex Faedo from Tigers for C Enderson Delgado
- Traded IF Osleivis Basabe to Giants for cash
- Acquired RHP Mason Englert from Tigers for LHP Drew Sommers
- Traded RHP Nathan Wiles to Braves for cash
Notable Minor League Signings
- Michael Flynn, Jake Brentz (later released), Joey Gerber, Eloy Jiménez, Coco Montes (later selected to 40-man), Joey Krehbiel, Andrew Wantz, Jonathan Hernández, Connor Seabold, Tres Barrera, Kodi Whitley, Jamie Westbrook
Extensions
- RHP Jacob Waguespack: one year, $1.3MM plus club option (Associated Press link)
- RHP Drew Rasmussen: two years, $8.5MM plus club option
- IF Yandy Díaz: 2026 club option picked up ahead of schedule, 2027 option added
Notable Losses
- Dylan Carlson (non-tendered), Tyler Alexander (non-tendered), Colin Poche (non-tendered), Richard Lovelady (non-tendered), Rene Pinto (waivers), Justin Sterner (waivers), Austin Shenton, Osleivis Basabe
The Rays played their final game of the 2024 season on September 29. A 3-1 loss to the Red Sox sealed a losing record of 80-82. It was a relative disappointment, the club's first time under .500 since 2017. In typical Rays fashion, they made the most of it. At the deadline, they traded away some players who were getting more expensive and closer to free agency, such as Zach Eflin, Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes and Jason Adam.
Going into the winter, there was some decent stuff in place for the future. The long-term payroll was fairly clean and the farm system was in healthy shape. The big league roster seemed to be in decent position to bounce back in 2025, thanks in large part to the return of several pitchers who were injured in 2024.
The club also had a deal in place with local government agencies to fund a new stadium. The plan was to play at Tropicana Field through 2027, with the Trop to be knocked down and replaced by a new ballpark/commercial real estate complex by 2028.
But barely a week later, the whole stadium situation plan was altered. In late September and early October, Hurricanes Helene and Milton both passed through the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. The Trop sustained significant damage, particularly from Milton on October 9. Most notably, the roof was essentially gone. This was a big problem because the Trop had no drainage system in place, making it suddenly unusable.
At that time, it wasn't known exactly what would happen next. But in the following months, the club's short-term and long-term stadium plans would be shifted dramatically. They are going to play their 2025 homes games in a minor league park. They could be back in the Trop next year, but that's not clear. The deal for the new stadium is now dead and relocation talk has retaken a seat at the table.
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Offseason In Review: Boston Red Sox
After finishing 2024 with an 81-81 record, the Red Sox rose from their lengthy slumber to once again assert themselves as a force in the offseason market with substantial upgrades all around the roster. Will it be enough to get back to the postseason?
Major League Signings
- Alex Bregman, 3B: Three years, $120MM (deferrals knock NPV to roughly $95.1MM, deal includes opt-outs after first two seasons)
- Walker Buehler, SP: One year, $21.05MM
- Aroldis Chapman, RP: One year, $10.75MM
- Patrick Sandoval, SP: Two years, $18.25MM
- Justin Wilson, RP: One year, $2.25MM
2025 spending: $79.55MM
Total spending: $172.3MM
Option Decisions
- Lucas Giolito, SP: Exercised $19MM player option
- Rob Refsnyder, OF: Team exercised $2.1MM club option
Trades and Waiver Claims
- Acquired SP Garrett Crochet from the White Sox for minor league C Kyle Teel, minor league OF Braden Montgomery, minor league INF Chase Meidroth, and minor league SP Wikelman Gonzalez
- Acquired C Carlos Narvaez from the Yankees for minor league SP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool space
- Traded INF Enmanuel Valdez to the Pirates for minor league RP Joe Vogatsky
- Traded RP Cam Booser to the White Sox for minor league SP Yhoiker Fajardo
- Acquired RP Jovani Moran from the Twins for C/INF Mickey Gasper
- Acquired C Blake Sabol from the Giants for international bonus pool space
- Traded RP Chase Shugart to the Pirates for minor league RP Matt McShane
- Traded RP Noah Davis to the Dodgers for cash
Notable Minor League Signings
- Austin Adams, Matt Moore, Sean Newcomb, Adam Ottavino (later released), Robert Stock, Abraham Toro, Trayce Thompson, Seby Zavala
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Cam Booser, Noah Davis, Luis Garcia, Mickey Gasper, Wikelman Gonzalez, Bailey Horn (waivers), Danny Jansen, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery, Tyler O'Neill, James Paxton, Nick Pivetta, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, Lucas Sims, Chase Shugart, Kyle Teel, Naoyuki Uwasawa, Enmanuel Valdez
After four straight seasons without a playoff berth, the Red Sox entered the winter with plenty of positive signs. Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Richard Fitts looked like an enviable nucleus of young rotation talent under team control, while Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu enjoyed breakout seasons in the outfield. With the best young talent, including baseball's #1 prospect Roman Anthony, and three other top-50 talents in Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, and Kyle Teel knocking on the door, it seemed clear that the time was now for the club to push its chips in and force open a new competitive window.
While there was some skepticism about the club's intentions at the outset of the offseason, particularly after last winter's "full-throttle" comments led to a quiet offseason that brought little new talent into the fold, the club quickly showed itself to be a legitimate threat to spend when it emerged as a surprise finalist for the services of Juan Soto alongside expected contenders like the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. The Red Sox ultimately fell short of that pursuit, finishing alongside Toronto ahead of L.A. but behind the two New York teams. Even as Soto landed in Queens, however, Boston's apparent willingness to give out a contract in the range of $700MM made clear they were serious about improving this winter.
In the aftermath of Soto signing elsewhere, the Red Sox had two main priorities to address: adding a big right-handed bat to the lineup, and bringing in an ace (preferably one that throws left-handed) to lead their young but talented pitching staff. Initial attempts to bring in players like Max Fried (who eventually signed in the Bronx) and Teoscar Hernandez (who eventually returned to the Dodgers) fell apart, but the Red Sox didn't let the league's biggest spenders nabbing their top targets stop them from addressing their needs in a big way. During the Winter Meetings, the Red Sox echoed the Chris Sale trade by swinging a blockbuster with the White Sox that saw them surrender a bevy of talented prospects in exchange for an extremely talented southpaw.
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Poll: Who Will Win The AL West?
Opening Day has finally arrived, and teams all around the league are gearing up for another pennant chase in hopes of being crowned this year’s World Series champion. Of course, there’s still another seven months to go before someone raises the Commissioner’s Trophy. Until the playoffs begin, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. We’ll be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. That series has already covered the National League, with the Dodgers, Cubs, and Phillies each coming out on top in their respective divisions. Now, the series moved on to the American League with a look at the AL West. Teams are listed in order of their 2024 record.
Houston Astros (88-73)
The only club to make the playoffs from the AL West last year, the Astros enter the 2025 season on the heels of a postseason that snapped their nearly decade-long run of trips to the ALCS. After a winter where the team parted ways with longtime franchise stalwarts such as Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Justin Verlander, and Ryan Pressly, the team is looking very different than it has in previous years. There’s some clear signs of weakness, most notably the fact that the club’s outfield depth is thin enough that their starters in the outfield corners are two infielders: longtime second baseman Jose Altuve has moved to left, while top third base prospect Cam Smith is patrolling right field with just five games of experience outside of A-ball.
Flawed as the club’s roster may be, there’s still plenty to like about the Astros in 2025. Christian Walker is an upgrade at first base and Isaac Paredes is an All-Star caliber hitter who should benefit greatly from the Crawford Boxes as he steps into the third base job vacated by Bregman. Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown have a chance to form a strong front-of-the-rotation duo, while few teams boast a pair of arms better than Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu at the back of their bullpen. Whether that will be enough to maintain a stranglehold over the AL West in 2025 even after this winter’s departures remains to be seen, however.
Seattle Mariners (85-77)
2025 ended in soul-crushing fashion for Mariners fans as they missed the playoffs by just one game for the second consecutive season. The club’s offseason was similarly disappointing as well; despite rumors of trades that would’ve sent players like Triston Casas, Nico Hoerner, and Alec Bohm to the Pacific Northwest making their way through the rumor mill this winter, the club was content to simply re-sign Jorge Polanco and bring in veteran infielder Donovan Solano to augment a lineup that was in the bottom ten for runs scored last year.
Fortunately, there’s still some reason for optimism headed into 2025. The club’s elite rotation remains in place, and a quintet of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, and Luis Castillo should still give them an excellent chance to win on any given day, particularly with a strong bullpen that features fireballers like Andres Munoz and Matt Brash on the back end. A big year from Julio Rodriguez would go a long way to correcting last season’s offensive woes, but even if Rodriguez starts out slowly again in 2025 he’ll have support from a full season of deadline addition Randy Arozarena, who posted strong numbers down the stretch after being acquired from the Rays last summer. Will that be enough to get the club their first division title since 2001?
Texas Rangers (78-84)
When looking at clubs that finished below .500 in 2024, there’s arguably no team with more helium entering the 2025 campaign than the Rangers. The 2023 champs didn’t have the most explosive offseason, but nonetheless enter the season with an overhauled bullpen highlighted by Chris Martin and Robert Garcia as well as a pair of solid additions to the lineup in Joc Pederson and Jake Burger. The upside a healthy season from Jacob deGrom could offer the rotation is impossible to overstate, and the middle infield tandem of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien once again figures to be among the best in the sport.
If there’s a flaw in the club’s present construction, it’s a heavy reliance on youth. The club’s vaunted Vanderbilt duo of Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker are supremely talented and were always expected to be a big part of the team in 2025, but leaning on both youngsters as members of the Opening Day rotation is a tall ask given the pair’s inconsistency and inexperience at the major league level and highlights the lack of reliability in the club’s rotation outside of Nathan Eovaldi. In the lineup, meanwhile, Wyatt Langford appears to be as good as bet as any sophomore player can be to have a big year, but both he and Evan Carter struggled to stay healthy in 2024. Will those youngsters be able to carry the Rangers back to the playoffs?
Athletics (69-93)
West Sacramento’s temporary baseball team showed signs of life for the first time in a while during their final months in Oakland, even ending the season with a solid 32-32 record after the All-Star break. After departing Oakland, the club aggressively attempted to improve this winter. They signed right-hander Luis Severino and traded for southpaw Jeffrey Springs to bolster the rotation while adding Gio Urshela to the lineup and Jose Leclerc to the bullpen. That group of additions join a solid core featuring Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, Mason Miller, and Shea Langeliers.
As solid as that collection of talent is, however, the A’s will need a lot more to go right in order to compete this year. Steps forward from homegrown arms like JP Sears and Joey Estes would go a long way, as would former and current top prospects in the lineup like Tyler Soderstrom, Max Muncy, and Jacob Wilson breaking out and playing up to their ceilings. It’s certainly not impossible to imagine most of that happening. And if it did, the team surprising and making it back to the postseason for the first time since they tore down their core from the late 2010s should be on the table.
Los Angeles Angels (63-99)
Anaheim’s first year post-Shohei Ohtani could hardly have gone worse. Franchise face Mike Trout played just 29 games last year, and very few things went right for the club as they narrowly avoided a 100-loss season. That didn’t stop them from making an effort to improve this offseason, however. The club added Jorge Soler to the lineup for a stable source of power, with Yoan Moncada, Travis d’Arnaud, and Tim Anderson filling out the bench. Meanwhile, Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Hendricks, and Kenley Jansen were added to the pitching staff to deepen the rotation and bring a proper closer into the bullpen.
Kikuchi, Soler, and Jansen are all solid pieces, but the club will need more than those ancillary additions to bounce back from a dreadful 2024 campaign. Trout putting together his first fully healthy season in half a decade would go a long way, and the club’s decision to shift him to right field could help in that goal. Outside of that, the club will need its young position players like Nolan Schanuel, Zach Neto, and Logan O’Hoppe to step up and put together big seasons if it has any hope of catching up to the top dogs in the AL West.
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Just two seasons after the top three AL West clubs finished within a game of each other in 2023, that same trio appear set to jockey for the top spot in the division once again. After years of being the prohibitive favorite on paper, the Astros look more vulnerable than ever. Will their offseason additions be enough to keep them on top, or will the Mariners’ impressive rotation or the Rangers’ infusion of young talent be enough to finally overtake Houston? Or, perhaps, you think the Athletics or Angels will surprise with their respective collections of offseason additions and talented youngsters. Have your say in the poll below:
Who Will Win The AL West?
-
Texas Rangers 37% (2,219)
-
Houston Astros 22% (1,311)
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Seattle Mariners 20% (1,228)
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Los Angeles Angels 12% (736)
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The Athletics 10% (578)
Total votes: 6,072
Offseason In Review: Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are one of the few teams in the majors will no real shot at contending this year, so their offseason was understandably very quiet.
Major League Signings
- IF Thairo Estrada: One year, $4MM (includes $750K buyout on 2026 mutual option)
- IF Kyle Farmer: One year, $3.25MM (includes $750K buyout on 2026 mutual option)
- C Jacob Stallings: One year, $2.5MM (includes $500K buyout on 2026 mutual option)
- LHP Scott Alexander: One year, $2MM
- OF Mickey Moniak: One year, $1.25MM
2025 spending: $13MM
Total spending: $13MM
Option Decisions
- C Jacob Stallings declined mutual option (later re-signed)
Trades and Claims
- Acquired IF Owen Miller from Brewers for cash considerations
- Claimed RHP Jimmy Herget off waivers from Cubs
- Acquired IF/OF Tyler Freeman from Guardians for OF Nolan Jones
Notable Minor League Signings
- Jack O'Loughlin, Austin Nola, Diego Castillo, Jake Woodford (later released), Keston Hiura, Nick Martini (later added to 40-man), Tommy Doyle
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Charlie Blackmon (retired), Jake Cave, Dakota Hudson, Peter Lambert, Elehuris Montero, Brendan Rodgers (non-tendered), Cal Quantrill (non-tendered), Justin Lawrence (waivers), Nolan Jones, Greg Jones (waivers)
There wasn't a lot of momentum for the Rockies going into the winter. 2024 was their sixth straight losing season. It was their second in a row getting to triple-digit losses. In the age of the expanded playoffs, most clubs are at least theoretical contenders, but the Rockies are one of a few that are clearly on the outside.
Such a team could perhaps find itself in plenty of offseason rumors anyway. The White Sox were coming off an atrocious 2024 season but still had notable trade candidates to talk about in Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. The Rockies have been reluctant to make such moves, however. Ryan McMahon could have been an exciting offseason trade candidate if there was any indication the Rockies were open to moving him, but that has never seemed likely.
There were some reports early in the offseason with a bit of smoke, to a degree. The Rockies were reportedly looking to lower payroll, not surprising given their circumstances. They had some openness to trading Brendan Rodgers, Cal Quantrill and Justin Lawrence. They clearly didn't find much interest. Rodgers and Quantrill were later non-tendered. Lawrence was put on waivers and claimed by the Pirates.
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Offseason In Review: St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals began their offseason by announcing major changes to the baseball operations staff and pledging to refocus on player development. Their efforts to free up playing time for younger players came up empty, however, and they'll run it back with nearly an identical roster.
Major League Signings
- Phil Maton, RHP: One year, $2MM
Option Decisions
- Declined $12MM club option on RHP Kyle Gibson
- Declined $12MM club option on RHP Lance Lynn
- Declined $6MM club option on RHP Keynan Middleton
Trades and Waiver Claims
- Acquired INF Michael Helman from Twins in exchange for cash
- Claimed RHP Roddery Munoz off waivers from the Marlins
- Claimed LHP Bailey Horn off waivers from the Tigers (later traded back to Tigers for cash)
Extensions
- None
Minor League Signings
Notable Losses
- Paul Goldschmidt, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Andrew Kittredge, Keynan Middleton, Matt Carpenter
"The message is, 'we're going young,'" Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said at the conclusion of the regular season. DeWitt's comments came on the heels of a press conference wherein longtime president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced the 2025 season would be his last running baseball operations in St. Louis. Former Red Sox chief baseball officer and Rays senior vice president Chaim Bloom, hired as an advisor the prior offseason, would take the reins in 2026. He'd already agreed to a five-year contract.
It was a jarring change in tone for a Cardinals club that had perennially sought to compete in the National League Central. Mozeliak candidly acknowledged that the team's primary focus would not necessarily be on building the best roster for 2025, but rather on bolstering the organization's player development practice and building out the type of modern baseball operations systems and infrastructure that the Cardinals no longer possessed.
"Yes, this is a reset," Mozeliak said at the time. "Yes, this is going to be where we’re not focusing on necessarily building the best possible roster we can."
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Poll: Who Will Win The NL East?
Opening Day has finally arrived, and teams all around the league are gearing up for another pennant chase in hopes of being crowned this year’s World Series champion. Of course, there’s still another seven months to go before someone raises the Commissioner’s Trophy. Until the playoffs begin, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. We’ll be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. That series already covered the NL West, where the Dodgers were viewed as an overwhelming favorite, and the NL Central, where the Cubs narrowly beat out the reigning division champs in Milwaukee. Now, the series continues with a look at the NL East. Teams are listed in order of their 2024 record.
Philadelphia Phillies (95-67)
After the Phillies fell to their division-rival Mets during the NLDS, it appeared the club may consider making some considerable changes as they put Alec Bohm on the market and searched for outfield help rather than rely on internal options like Brandon Marsh and Josh Rojas. Ultimately, however, the club’s additions this winter were fairly modest. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski swung a trade for a big-name pitcher in need of a bounce-back in Jesus Luzardo. The signings of Jordan Romano and Max Kepler should help out as well but both are coming off down seasons due to injuries. With Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez departing, the bullpen is arguably weaker than last season.
The Phillies will mostly rely on the same core players they trotted out last year. Fortunately, that’s the same core that allowed them to sail into the postseason with a bye through the Wild Card series last year. Zack Wheeler remains one of the very best pitchers in the entire sport, and a rotation featuring Luzardo as the likely fifth starter behind Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez when fully healthy is in the conversation for the sport’s best. In the lineup, meanwhile, Bryce Harper returns as one of the sport’s most talented hitters, and his supporting cast of battle-tested veterans like Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto all figure to contribute with the same consistency they’ve offered in previous years. It was more than enough to win the division last year, but will the same be true in 2025?
Atlanta Braves (89-73)
This past offseason was a relatively quiet one in Atlanta, as the club’s winter was defined more by the departures of franchise stalwarts like Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Travis d’Arnaud than any major additions, even as Jurickson Profar profiles as a substantial upgrade over last year’s platoon of Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall in left field. Other relatively marginal additions like Alex Verdugo, Nick Allen, and Hector Neris should help out somewhat as well, but the main thing Atlanta has going for it in 2025 is hope for better health. The Braves’ core was ravaged by injuries last year, with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider both missing virtually the entire season while Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy and Michael Harris II all also missed significant time.
While health is never guaranteed, the club is all but certain to get more out of its two superstars in Acuna and Strider this year, and is overall unlikely to run into the same rash of injuries on the positional side even as Murphy is already out for the start of the season due to a cracked rib. The team that led baseball in runs scored in 2023 has brought in even more talent on offense since then while also building an impressive bullpen anchored by Raisel Iglesias and Aaron Bummer. All of that is before even considering that the club will once again enjoy the services of reigning NL Cy Young award winner Chris Sale, as well as Reynaldo Lopez as he tries to follow up on a 1.99 ERA campaign in 2025. In some ways, 2024 looked like a floor for the Braves’ talented floor. Will a bounce back be enough to win a tough division in 2025?
New York Mets (89-73)
For as talented as the Phillies and Braves are, it was the Mets who made the deepest run into the 2024 postseason of the NL East, getting all the way to Game 6 of the NLCS before falling to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers. Steve Cohen and David Stearns weren’t content to rest on their laurels this winter and made the biggest splash of any team when they signed Juan Soto to a record-shattering $765MM deal that will land him in Queens for the next 15 years. None of the club’s other moves matched that level of flash, but the returns of Sean Manaea, Jesse Winker, and Pete Alonso as well as more modest additions like Clay Holmes and A.J. Minter leave the Mets looking like a stronger club overall than they were this time last year.
Impactful as pairing Soto with Francisco Lindor at the top of the lineup figures to be, however, that won’t necessarily make the club a clear division favorite with many of the issues that made the Mets such underdogs last season still lingering. A rotation that featured little certainty on paper entering Spring Training is already getting tested by a number of injuries, and the club will rely on Mark Vientos avoiding a sophomore slump in order to lengthen a lineup that looks softer at the bottom than its counterparts in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Still, a lineup featuring two MVP finalists, two other 30-homer sluggers, and Brandon Nimmo looks impressive on paper, and a late-inning mix of Edwin Diaz, Minter, and Jose Butto should be able to preserve late leads. Will that be enough to overtake their rivals?
Washington Nationals (71-91)
The Nationals showed some signs of development last year, but ultimately sold at the trade deadline and fell well short of playoff contention when all was said and done. Still, an emerging core of James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, Dylan Crews, and CJ Abrams inspired enough confidence for the Nationals to make some modest buy-side additions this winter. Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell should provide a notable upgrade over Joey Meneses and Joey Gallo at first base, while Paul DeJong and Amed Rosario offer the sort of depth on the infield that was sorely lacking last year.
With three juggernauts at the top of the division, the path to a division title in D.C. is a murky one. With that being said, every member of that aforementioned core is young, talented, and capable of breaking out before even considering the potential impact other young pieces like Brady House, Cade Cavalli, and Robert Hassell III could offer at some point in the year. The addition of Michael Soroka to a rotation that already featured solid youngsters like Gore and Jake Irvin should also offer plenty of upside. Steep as the climb to the summit of the NL East would be, it’s certainly not impossible to imagine the Nationals being the surprise of the NL this year.
Miami Marlins (62-100)
Things were bleak in Miami last year as they lost 100 games for the first time since 2019. And unfortunately for fans, there’s little reason for optimism about the potential for better days in 2025. The club made virtually no additions this winter, and moves to ship out solid pieces like Luzardo and Jake Burger figure to be far more notable than the additions of minor pieces like Matt Mervis and Cal Quantrill. The return of stalwart ace Sandy Alcantara from Tommy John surgery provides a nice story early in the year, and young phenom Eury Perez could return later this season as well. Even the club’s vaunted collection of arms seems unlikely to be enough to get them back to the playoffs given a lineup that will rely on players like Jesus Sanchez and Connor Norby to carry its run production this year, and it would likely take a miracle for them to actually come out on top in such a tough division.
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The Phillies, Braves, and Mets all have strong cases to be the NL East’s best team after making the postseason last year. Philadelphia stands as the reigning champion, while Atlanta featured the best team in all of baseball just two years ago. New York, meanwhile, made a deep run in the postseason just last year and added arguably the most talented pure hitter in baseball over the winter. Meanwhile, D.C. is continuing to quietly assemble a young core that could break out and compete in its own right. Even with Miami deep in the trenches of a rebuild, it figures to be a deeply competitive division in 2025. Who do you think will come out on top? Have your say in the poll below:
Who Will Win The NL East?
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Philadelphia Phillies 43% (2,946)
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Atlanta Braves 32% (2,153)
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New York Mets 19% (1,268)
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Miami Marlins 4% (258)
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Washington Nationals 3% (203)
Total votes: 6,828
Offseason In Review: Texas Rangers
After a disappointing follow-up season to their first-ever World Series championship, the Rangers were the busiest team in the AL West over the offseason. Did they do enough to put themselves in the driver’s seat of the division?
Major League Signings
- Nathan Eovaldi, SP: Three years, $75MM
- Joc Pederson, DH: Two years, $37MM (Pederson can opt out after 2025. Rangers can override his opt-out by exercising their end of an $18.5MM mutual option for 2027.)
- Kyle Higashioka, C: Two years, $13.5MM (includes $1MM buyout on $7MM mutual option for 2027)
- Chris Martin, RP: One year, $5.5MM
- Hoby Milner, RP: One year, $2.5MM
- Luke Jackson, RP: One year, $1.5MM
- Jacob Webb, RP: One year, $1.25MM (Rangers can retain Webb in 2026 through arbitration)
- Shawn Armstrong, RP: One year, $1.125M
- Patrick Corbin, SP: One-year, $1.1MM
- Kevin Pillar, OF: One-year, $1MM (Rangers selected Pillar's minors contract ahead of Opening Day)
- Luis Curvelo, RP: Major league deal (Curvelo will earn a prorated portion of the league minimum $760K while in the majors and $90K while in the minors, per the AP.)
2025 spending: $56.225MM (not including Curvelo)
Total spending: $139.475MM (not including Curvelo)
Option Decisions
- Nathan Eovaldi, SP: Declined $20MM player option for 2025 (later re-signed)
- David Robertson, RP: Declined $7MM mutual option for 2025 in favor of $1.5MM buyout
- Andrew Chafin, RP: Rangers declined $6.5MM club option, paid Chafin $500K buyout
Trades & Claims
- Acquired 1B/3B Jake Burger from Marlins for minor league INF Max Acosta, minor league INF Echedry Vargas, and minor league SP Brayan Mendoza
- Traded 1B Nathaniel Lowe to Nationals for RP Robert Garcia
- Traded RP Grant Anderson to Brewers for minor league SP Mason Molina
- Traded RP Owen White to Reds for cash considerations
- Traded RP Matt Festa to Cubs for cash considerations (Festa was later DFA’d by Cubs and re-signed with Rangers on a minor league deal)
Notable Minor League Signings
- Joe Barlow, Tucker Barnhart, Caleb Boushley, David Buchanan, JT Chargois, Sam Haggerty, Codi Heuer, Adrian Houser, Patrick Murphy, Michael Plassmeyer, Hunter Strickland, Alan Trejo, Chad Wallach, Festa, Pillar
Notable Losses
- Nathaniel Lowe, Max Scherzer, Kirby Yates, David Robertson (still unsigned), Andrew Heaney, José Leclerc, Carson Kelly, José Ureña, Travis Jankowski, Matt Duffy, Sandro Fabian (released to sign in NPB), Sam Huff, Carson Coleman (Rule 5 draft pick returned to Yankees), Anderson, White, Acosta, Vargas, Mendoza
While the Rangers significantly increased payroll during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 offseasons, they weren’t nearly as active the winter after their World Series victory, despite the extra cash their success surely brought in. The reason? Declining television revenue and an unknown future for their TV broadcasts. Texas was one of many teams affected when the company then known as Diamond Sports Group filed for bankruptcy in 2023. The Rangers negotiated a new agreement with DSG for 2024, but it was only a one-year deal, and it paid them significantly less than they had received under their previous contract.
The Rangers did not re-up with DSG (now called Main Street Sports Group) for 2025, nor did they follow the path of teams like the Guardians and Twins, who will have their TV broadcasts distributed by MLB this season. Instead, the Rangers announced the brand new Rangers Sports Network in late January. RSN will partner with several TV providers to distribute games. Presumably, the team decided this would be a more lucrative option than signing away their exclusive TV rights to another broadcast company or MLB. Still, the whole ordeal meant the Rangers were facing quite a bit of financial uncertainty for the second consecutive winter. For the first time in four years, they did not increase their payroll. Indeed, the team made it a goal to drop below the luxury tax threshold in 2025. According to the estimates from RosterResource, those efforts were successful. The Rangers' payroll sits about $4MM lower than where it was at the end of last season, while their CBT payroll is $14.5MM lower – and $4.7MM below the first tax threshold.
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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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