Players Currently In DFA Limbo
The few days leading up to the start of the season bring a lot of roster shuffling. Many teams will promote a minor league signee or two who had impressed in camp. There are always a few players who are out of options who don’t break camp, meaning they’ll be made available to other clubs.
That movement will continue over the next few days. Players who are designated for assignment will know their fate within a week. That gives teams up to five days to explore trade scenarios. If they don’t line up a deal, they need to place the player on waivers, which take 48 hours to resolve. Rounding up the recent activity around MLB, here are the players currently in DFA limbo.
- Angels: LHP Angel Perdomo, LHP José Quijada
- Astros: C/1B/OF Cooper Hummel
- Blue Jays: RHP Tommy Nance, RHP Zach Pop, RHP Nick Robertson
- Brewers: OF Brewer Hicklen
- Cubs: RHP Cody Poteet
- Diamondbacks: C René Pinto
- Giants: 2B David Villar
- Marlins: RHP Seth Martinez
- Mets: OF José Azocar, OF Alexander Canario
- Padres: 3B/2B Eguy Rosario, SS/OF Tyler Wade
- Phillies: 2B/3B Buddy Kennedy
- Pirates: OF Joshua Palacios, RHP Peter Strzelecki
- Reds: OF Stuart Fairchild
- Rockies: OF Sam Hilliard
- White Sox: OF/1B Oscar Colás, LHP Jake Eder, OF Dominic Fletcher
Poll: Who Will Win The NL Central?
With Opening Day just over the horizon, 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 will now move on to the NL Central. Teams are listed in order of their 2024 record.
Milwaukee Brewers (93-69)
The perennially underrated Brewers won the NL Central for a second consecutive year last season, finishing ten games up on the second-place Cubs and Cardinals. Impressively, they did so after losing both star manager Craig Counsell and ace right-hander Corbin Burnes the previous offseason. They’ll need to work that same magic to stay on top of their division this year after a winter that once again saw them part ways with major pieces. This time, longtime shortstop Willy Adames departed for San Francisco in free agency while the club traded star closer Devin Williams to the Yankees in exchange for prospect Caleb Durbin and southpaw Nestor Cortes.
Even without those stars, the Brewers could make some noise in a relatively weak division. A strong outfield anchored by Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio figures to impress once again in 2025, and William Contreras has blossomed into a true star behind the plate. Meanwhile, veteran ace Brandon Woodruff is expected back sometime early this year after missing 2024 due to shoulder surgery, joining existing rotation pieces like Freddy Peralta and Aaron Civale to form a strong group. The club’s first challenge of the year will be getting through the early weeks of the season with a patchwork rotation, as each of Woodruff, Tobias Myers, DL Hall, Aaron Ashby, and Robert Gasser figure to open the year on the injured list.
Chicago Cubs (83-79)
After a second consecutive 83-79 finish in 2024, the Cubs made some major changes over the offseason. The club said goodbye to its longest-tenured player as Kyle Hendricks departed for Anaheim, replacing him in the rotation with southpaw Matthew Boyd, and swapped out Cody Bellinger for Kyle Tucker, a clear offensive upgrade that cost them third baseman Isaac Paredes to pull off. A reconstructed bullpen featuring Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier, Caleb Thielbar, and Eli Morgan looks strong on paper than the relief corps that was expected to be anchored by Adbert Alzolay and Hector Neris last year, as well. Despite those on-paper improvements, the Cubs face plenty of questions entering 2025. Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and even Miguel Amaya offer plenty of upside at third base, in center field, and behind the plate respectively but none are surefire offensive contributors.
There’s still plenty to like, however. Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ provide an incredibly strong floor in the outfield, and the addition of Justin Turner offers protection against a sophomore slump for 2024 standout rookie Michael Busch at first base while Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson figure to offer their perennially excellent defense alongside league average offense up the middle. Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga offer a quality one-two punch at the front of the club’s rotation, as well. It’s not too difficult to see a path back to the playoffs for the Cubs this year despite the questions, and adding a true star like Tucker ahead of his walk year could be the boost they need to recapture the division in 2025.
St. Louis Cardinals (83-79)
2024 was a mixed bag for the Cardinals, as they managed to get back over .500 following a disastrous 2023 campaign but saw both Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt fail to live up to expectations as they fell short of the playoffs once again. The struggles of the last two years prompted the Cardinals front office to put a focus on developing young players and parting ways with veterans this winter, though no-trade clauses wielded by Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Arenado prevented that goal from coming to fruition outside of the departures of veterans like Goldschmidt and Kyle Gibson via free agency.
That’s left the Cardinals with a roster that looks simultaneously similar and slightly downgraded from last year. Phil Maton was the club’s only big league free agent addition this winter, offering a veteran set-up option for closer Ryan Helsley after Andrew Kittredge departed in free agency. Outside of that, the club’s moves were largely internal. Contreras replaced Goldschmidt at first base to make room for a catching tandem of Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages, Matthew Liberatore is sliding into the club’s rotation from the bullpen, and the club appears committed to giving more regular opportunities to younger players like Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Alec Burleson. St. Louis’s hopes of finding success in 2025 likely hinge on those young players making the most of their opportunities this year and taking big steps forward.
Cincinnati Reds (77-85)
2024 was a deeply disappointed season in Cincinnati, as a club that many expected to blossom instead fell apart in the face of injuries all over the roster. Strong performances from stars Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene aside, there were few positive takeaways from last season. Fortunately, the club made substantial changes ahead of the 2025 season. They got things started in October by hiring future Hall of Famer Terry Francona to manage the club, and since then they’ve added Gavin Lux, Taylor Rogers, Jose Trevino, and Brady Singer in free agency while bringing back Nick Martinez and signing Austin Hays.
It was a busy offseason that added a number of solid complimentary pieces, all of whom should help the Reds avoid a total collapse like they suffered last year. Even so, the club will need better health from its core players to contend. The return of Matt McLain should offer a big boost, while healthy seasons from TJ Friedl in center field, Jeimer Candelario at third base, and Nick Lodolo in the rotation could be game changing as well. The pieces appear to be in place for brighter days in 2025, but whether that will be enough to get the Reds back to the postseason for the first time in a 162-game season since 2013 remains to be seen.
Pittsburgh Pirates (76-86)
Pittsburgh hasn’t finished above fourth place in the NL Central since 2016, and even a full season from reigning NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes won’t be enough to pull the club back into postseason contention on its own. The Pirates had a relatively quiet offseason this winter as they brought Andrew Heaney into the rotation alongside the additions of Spencer Horwitz and Tommy Pham to the lineup but made few additions beyond that trio. Those additions join a solid enough nucleus that includes Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Oneil Cruz, and Bryan Reynolds, but a lineup light on impact and a bullpen still anchored by David Bednar even after a 5.77 ERA season last year raise questions about the club’s ability to compete before even considering the fact that Jones and Horwitz are both presently nursing injuries.
That’s not to say there’s no hope for the Pirates this year, however. Skenes is perhaps the best young pitcher in the entire sport, and even if Jones misses time Keller, Heaney, and Bailey Falter make for a solid rotation that should keep the club in most games. A big season from Horwitz once he returns from the IL along with steps forward for young players like Cruz, Endy Rodriguez, and Nick Gonzales could lift the lineup well above its projections even if the club continues to get little value from former 1-1 pick Henry Davis, and Bednar returning to the form he showed in his previous back-to-back All-Star campaigns would go along way as well.
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It was a fairly busy offseason in the NL Central, and while the division still appears weaker at the top than its rivals on the coasts it nonetheless stands out as the only one in the National League where all five clubs are making some attempt to contend in 2025. Will the Brewers be able to hold onto the division crown for a third consecutive season? Will an up-and-coming club like the Cubs or Reds take a big enough step forward to wrest control? Or, perhaps, the Cardinals or Pirates will get the steps forward from young pieces necessary to surprise? Have your say in the poll below:
Who Will Win The NL Central?
-
Chicago Cubs 33% (3,256)
-
Milwaukee Brewers 28% (2,749)
-
Cincinnati Reds 21% (2,106)
-
St. Louis Cardinals 10% (1,024)
-
Pittsburgh Pirates 8% (743)
Total votes: 9,878
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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Poll: Who Will Win The NL West?
With Opening Day just over the horizon, 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. And 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, and that series begins today with the NL West. Teams are listed in order of their 2024 record.
Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64)
The Dodgers have already notched two wins over the Cubs in the Tokyo Series for 2025, and they did so coming off a season where they finished the year with the best record in baseball and went on to win the World Series over the Yankees in five games. The club’s core of MVP-caliber talent remains in place with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman all set to once again anchor the lineup this year. Meanwhile, a pitching staff that already included Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Clayton Kershaw has been bulked out further not just by Ohtani’s impending return to the mound but also the additions of Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki.
In the bullpen, the team’s solid late-inning mix of Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Michael Kopech, and Evan Phillips got a pair of major additions in the form of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, while the lineup is largely unchanged from last season with Hyeseong Kim set to replace Gavin Lux eventually and Michael Conforto stepping into the outfield in place of Jason Heyward. There are few clear places to nitpick a team that appears to be a clear juggernaut on paper, although the combination of Betts and Max Muncy on the left side of the infield figures to be below average defensively and the club’s strategy of stacking talented, oft-injured rotation arms always runs the risk of health problems.
San Diego Padres (93-69)
While many view besting the Dodgers as a mountain that’s near impossible to climb, it’s worth remembering that San Diego came within just one game of toppling them during the NLDS back in October. The Padres were restricted in their offseason activities by financial limitations, but the core of the 2024 club remains largely in place with Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. poised to anchor the lineup, Xander Bogaerts and Luis Arraez providing support and a front-of-the-rotation duo of Dylan Cease and Michael King who will be motivated to build on their excellent 2024 campaigns ahead of free agency this winter.
That’s not to say the club made no additions this winter, of course. The Padres waited out the market to sign talented right-hander Nick Pivetta to anchor the middle of their rotation alongside Yu Darvish, allowing them to make a splash on a tight budget. Other additions were less flashy, but could still prove valuable. While a supporting cast of Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Jose Iglesias, and Yuli Gurriel may not look like much on paper, no one expected Jurickson Profar, David Peralta, and Donovan Solano to be as impactful for the club as they were last year. If the Padres are to win an NL West that got even more loaded this winter, they’ll need to hit on those dice rolls once again.
Arizona Diamondbacks (89-73)
While the Diamondbacks missed the playoffs by a hair in 2024 when they finished tied with the Mets and Braves for the final two NL Wild Card spots, the 2023 NL champions put together an excellent team in 2024. The Diamondbacks led the majors in runs scored last year, and many core pieces like Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll are back for more this year alongside supporting veterans Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Eugenio Suarez. The losses of Christian Walker and Joc Pederson will certainly sting, but Josh Naylor should help to make up for some of that lost production and it wouldn’t be a shock to see longtime top prospect Jordan Lawlar break into the majors this year, either.
The pitching side of things is where Arizona figures to improve the most over last year. Zac Gallen is now complemented at the top of the Diamondbacks rotation by a co-ace in Corbin Burnes, and Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez should be able to offer far steadier mid-rotation production than they did in injury-marred 2024 campaigns. The club also enjoys a deep group of back-of-the-rotation options, with Brandon Pfaadt set to get the first crack at starting. Should injuries once again complicate matters, Ryne Nelson is one of the best sixth starters in the league and there’s nowhere for Jordan Montgomery to go but up after last year’s disastrous campaign.
San Francisco Giants (80-82)
The Giants enjoyed a reasonably strong offseason during Buster Posey‘s first winter at the helm, but after finishing with a middling record for the third consecutive season it would take a lot of things going right for the club to make significant gains in the standings. The addition of a star-caliber shortstop in Willy Adames alongside Matt Chapman should make for one of the stronger left sides of the infield in the sport this year, but it would take a renaissance from Justin Verlander to even match Blake Snell’s production down the stretch last year. Meanwhile, the club has no established talent at DH and faces questions about the productivity of its outfield after Jung Hoo Lee‘s debut season was sidetracked by injuries.
That’s not to say 2025 is a season without hope for fans in San Francisco, however. Verlander and Robbie Ray are both former Cy Young winners, and vintage performances from the duo in conjunction with Logan Webb‘s ever-steady production could make an impressive front-end of the rotation. Young players like Heliot Ramos, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Patrick Bailey could build on solid 2024 campaigns and take further steps forward. And if they do so while the rotation plays up to its potential, it’s possible to see the Giants surprising this year.
Colorado Rockies (61-101)
While the division’s other four teams all have reasonable paths to contention this year, the Rockies would need to move heaven and earth just to get to .500 after a season where they finished 37 games back in the NL West and made no significant additions during the offseason. The club has a few potentially exciting pieces in place, with center fielder Brenton Doyle and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar creating an exciting up-the-middle duo, but the supporting cast leaves much to be desired.
The club traded its highest-ceiling offensive player, left fielder Nolan Jones, for utility man Tyler Freeman over the weekend. And exciting top prospects like Zac Veen and Chase Dollander remain in the minor leagues. Even a return to form from $182MM man Kris Bryant wouldn’t be enough to return playoff baseball to Colorado this year unless it was paired with strong performances from those aforementioned prospects in addition to veteran arms like German Marquez and Kyle Freeland turning back the clock to 2018.
__________________________________________
With four of the division’s five teams making an effort to get back to the playoffs this year, which club do you expect to come out on top? Will the Dodgers remain the league’s dominant force, or will they be overcome by a big season from one of their rivals like San Diego or Arizona? Have your say in the poll below:
Who Will Win The NL West?
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Los Angeles Dodgers 67% (4,769)
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Colorado Rockies 9% (632)
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Arizona Diamondbacks 9% (627)
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San Diego Padres 8% (560)
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San Francisco Giants 7% (534)
Total votes: 7,122
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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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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Poll: The Cardinals’ Center Field Battle
As the Cardinals look to embrace a youth movement in John Mozeliak’s final year at the helm of the club, their inability to trade Nolan Arenado this winter has caused some complications. With Arenado ticketed for everyday playing time at third base, St. Louis now has five players for three spots in the lineup: second base, left field, and center field. While none of those five players can play all three of those positions, the versatility of Brendan Donovan to play either second base or left field connects the decisions made in the outfield to those at the keystone.
Donovan and Lars Nootbaar are both more or less guaranteed everyday playing time with the Cardinals, and one of them figures to be the club’s starting left fielder. Should Donovan start in left field, it would push Nootbaar to center, and that would open up second base for Nolan Gorman, who would have taken over for Arenado if the veteran were traded. Meanwhile, starting Nootbaar in left would push Donovan back onto the infield, and in doing so would open up center field for one of Michael Siani or Victor Scott II.
Scott and Siani are very similar players. Siani is a little over a year older than Scott, headed into his age-25 season while Scott has only just turned 24, and the pair combined for nearly 85% of the club’s innings in center field last year. Both are left-handed hitters who have struggled to hit in the majors so far, but are very well-regarded for their speed and defense nonetheless.
Of the two, Siani has the edge in terms of big league experience. After brief stints in the majors with the Reds and Cardinals in 2022 and ’23, Siani enjoyed his first extended taste of big league action last year when he appeared in 124 games for St. Louis and stepped up to the plate 334 times. He hit a paltry .228/.285/.285 in that time, good for a 64 wRC+ that was 36% worse than the league average hitter and the eighth-lowest slash line among hitters with at least 300 plate appearances. With that being said, Siani went an excellent 20-for-23 on the basepaths while posting +16 Outs Above Average, a 99th percentile figure that placed him behind only Nationals defensive standout Jacob Young among outfielders.
Unfortunately, there’s little in Siani’s profile that suggests a significantly higher offensive ceiling than he demonstrated in 2024. His actual batting average and slugging percentage both outstripped his expected numbers in those categories by more than 20 points last year, and his .322 BABIP, while not necessarily unsustainable due to his excellent speed, is already at the higher end of the expected range for a regular player. That limited offensive ceiling could open the door for Scott, a consensus top-100 prospect entering last season who has previously shown flashes of offensive potential in the minor leagues. Scott’s .179/.219/.283 (40 wRC+) slash line in 53 games for the Cardinals last year was actually worse than that of Siani, though his peripheral and expected numbers suggest the pair’s underlying performance was roughly the same.
Most notably, Scott flashed more power potential than Siani with a 5.7% barrel rate during his time in the majors last year that more than doubled Siani’s 2.3% figure. Scott also had 35 hard-hit batted balls to Siani’s 43 despite being afforded less than half of the playing time. All of that, as well as Scott’s excellent .323/.373/.450 slash line at the Double-A level in 2023, suggests that Scott has a higher offensive ceiling than Siani and could be a more impactful all-around player if given the opportunity. Scott is also a potential game changer on the basepaths, having stolen an unbelievable 94 bases between High-A and Double-A in 2023 and having followed that up with 35 steals between Triple-A and the majors last year.
Scott grades out extremely well in center field on scouting reports and posted solid (+3 OAA) numbers in defensive metrics with relatively minimal playing time last year, but he would need improve those numbers substantially to offer the sort of league-leading defense Siani has shown himself to be capable of. What’s more, Scott’s bat took a concerning step backwards even at Triple-A last year, when he slashed just .210/.294/.303 in 82 games. That lackluster showing could suggest that Scott simply isn’t ready for another jump to the major leagues, particularly given that the gap between MLB and Triple-A is even bigger than that between the Triple- and Double-A levels.
Of course, another viable option would be simply placing Nootbaar in center field. An above-average big league hitter in each of his four MLB seasons so far, Nootbaar is obviously the most talented hitter of the bunch but will be in the lineup in some capacity regardless of whether he’s playing center field or not. Playing Nootbaar in center, then, would actually open up playing time for Gorman. The club’s first-rounder back in 2018, Gorman was a league average bat during his rookie season in 2022 before taking a big step forward the following year, slashing .236/.328/.478 with 27 homers and a 118 wRC+ in 119 games that year. Unfortunately, things fell apart for Gorman last year as he struck out at a worrisome 37.9% clip and watched his slash line plummet to a lackluster .203/.271/.400 (87 wRC+).
Even last year’s subpar offensive output is likely better than what can be expected from either Siani or Scott this year, but to get Gorman’s bat into the lineup the Cards would have to sacrifice on defense. Nootbaar has logged 109 games in center field over the course of his career, with a rather pedestrian +1 OAA during that relatively sporadic playing time. While it’s possible that Nootbaar’s numbers could tick up with more regular playing time at the position, it’s clear he lacks the impactful defense ability of Siani or Scott. The club’s baserunning would suffer if Gorman replaced Siani or Scott in the lineup as well, as Gorman has never swiped more than seven bags in a season and has been a net negative on the basepaths throughout his career according to FanGraphs’ BsR metric.
How should the Cardinals handle their center field conundrum? Should they stick with Siani’s elite glove despite his lackluster offense? Pass the baton to Scott despite questions about his offensive ceiling thanks to his elite speed and baserunning abilities? Or should they slide Nootbaar over to center despite pedestrian defense in order to maximize their lineup’s potential by making room for Gorman? Have your say in the poll below:
Who should play center field for the Cardinals in 2025?
-
Victor Scott II 60% (2,106)
-
Lars Nootbaar 32% (1,140)
-
Michael Siani 8% (280)
Total votes: 3,526