David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer 51d

2023-2024 MLB offseason grades for all 30 teams

MLB, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

We've been waiting to unveil our final offseason grades ... and waiting ... and waiting. We can wait no longer. Even though Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and J.D. Martinez remain unsigned among the major free agents, and useful players such as Michael Lorenzen, Adam Duvall and Tommy Pham are still out there, it's the middle of spring training. The Dodgers and Padres open in Korea in less than two weeks. We have to roll this out and move on.

As a reminder, we're grading on a bit of a curve: We don't expect the Pirates or Guardians to spend like the Dodgers or Yankees. But we do expect something, some sign that a club owner cares even a tiny little bit about winning. Granted, it was a strange offseason, with a risky top end of the free agent market beyond Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto -- and the Dodgers landed both. Throw in concerns over the financial fallout from the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy case, and the 12 teams contracted with Diamond for the regional sports networks had a convenient excuse not to increase payroll.

OK, let's get to it. You know the biggest winner ...

Jump to a team:

AL East: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
AL Central: CHW | CLE | DET | KC | MIN
AL West: HOU | LAA | OAK | SEA | TEX

NL East: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH
NL Central: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL
NL West: ARI | COL | LAD | SD | SF


Los Angeles Dodgers: A++

Offseason needs: Starting pitchers

Major additions: DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP Tyler Glasnow, OF Teoscar Hernandez, LHP James Paxton (re-signed LHP Clayton Kershaw, OF Jason Heyward, RHP Ryan Brasier)

Payroll: Up $67 million

Is this the greatest offseason a team has ever had? It's difficult to argue against it, although time -- and what happens in October -- will ultimately answer the question. For now, let's settle on the most ambitiously aggressive (and most expensive) offseason. What makes this potentially the best of all time is the long-term ramifications: Ohtani is signed for 10 years, Yamamoto for 12 and Glasnow was extended through 2028 -- and all are potential aces, although Ohtani won't pitch until 2025. No team faces more pressure this season, however, and the regular season will be merely a fun prelude to October.


Atlanta Braves: A-

Offseason needs: Starting pitching, bench

Major additions: LHP Chris Sale, OF Jarred Kelenic, RHP Reynaldo Lopez, LHP Aaron Bummer, LHP Ray Kerr, IF Luis Guillorme (re-signed RHP Joe Jimenez)

Payroll: Up $24 million

The more I look at it, the more I like what Alex Anthopoulos did. He added rotation depth in Sale and Lopez, with Sale a potential frontline starter -- albeit likely on a limited innings count. The bullpen is now incredibly deep, allowing the Braves to use their starters conservatively during the regular season in order to keep them stronger for October. Anthopoulos acquired Kelenic simply by taking on some bad contracts. The bench is still a little soft, but that can be addressed during the season if needed.


Arizona Diamondbacks: A-

Offseason needs: Mid-rotation starter, third base, DH

Major additions: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 3B Eugenio Suarez, DH Joc Pederson, OF Randal Grichuk (re-signed OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.)

Payroll: Up $20 million

The Diamondbacks didn't use reaching the World Series last season as an excuse to do nothing this offseason. Instead, they methodically addressed their needs, with Rodriguez solving a big hole in the rotation. If Brandon Pfaadt pitches like he did down the stretch, a top four of Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Rodriguez and Pfaadt could be pretty good. Arizona re-signed Gurriel coming off a 3.0-WAR season and the addition of Grichuk provides a decent right-handed platoon bat for the outfield. The D-backs could still use another bullpen arm, but they have some young, potentially impactful guys who could step up.


Kansas City Royals: A-

Offseason needs: Pitching, hitting, defense

Major additions: RHP Seth Lugo, RHP Michael Wacha, LHP Will Smith, RHP Chris Stratton, RHP Nick Anderson, OF Hunter Renfroe, 2B Adam Frazier, UT Garrett Hampson

Payroll: Up $25 million

The biggest move here isn't signing a bunch of veterans -- some of whom will help, some of whom probably will not -- it is the historic 11-year, $288.8 million deal given to Bobby Witt Jr., the largest average annual value contract for a player with two years of service time. It's not a team discount in any way and Witt has opt-out options from 2030 to 2033, but this would be a massive deal for a big-market team like the Yankees or Dodgers, let alone the Royals -- a franchise that had never given out a $100 million contract. As for the free-agent signings, Lugo and Wacha should help a weak rotation and, hey, at least the Royals are trying to do something. In the end, the grade reflects an A+ for the Witt contract and a B- for the other moves.


Milwaukee Brewers: B+

Offseason needs: First base, third base, DH

Major additions: 1B Rhys Hoskins, SS Joey Ortiz, LHP DL Hall, RHP Jakob Junis, C Gary Sanchez (re-signed LHP Wade Miley, RHP Brandon Woodruff)

Payroll: Down $16 million

This grade includes Jackson Chourio's landmark eight-year, $82 million contract with two more club option seasons. That's a very big deal, the largest total value ever for a player with no major league experience, giving the Brewers a potential superstar at a reasonable discount. Not listed here is Milwaukee's big subtraction of the offseason: Ace right-hander Corbin Burnes, who went to the Orioles for Ortiz, Hall and a draft pick. Ortiz gives them a long-term replacement for Willy Adames, who hits free agency after 2024, while Hall will be given the opportunity to start, where he'll have to improve his control. If Ortiz and Hall pan out, the trade could end up being a big win even if the Brewers take a short-term hit in 2024.


Houston Astros: B+

Offseason needs: Bullpen depth, position-player depth

Major additions: LHP Josh Hader, C Victor Caratini

Payroll: Up $39 million

The Hader signing came a little bit out of left field -- perhaps a reaction to the Astros allowing 20 runs in the final two ALCS losses to the Rangers, including 14 by the bullpen. Closer Ryan Pressly wasn't a problem, but he wasn't quite as dominant in 2023 as he had been. Now he can shift into a setup role alongside Bryan Abreu to form a formidable late-game trio with Hader. Houston also signed Jose Altuve to a five-year extension that should make him an Astro for life -- although Alex Bregman looks like he'll be headed into free agency after the season.


New York Yankees: B

Offseason needs: Outfield, left-handed hitters, rotation depth

Major additions: OF Juan Soto, RHP Marcus Stroman, OF Alex Verdugo, OF Trent Grisham, LHP Caleb Ferguson, LHP Victor Gonzalez

Payroll: Up $24 million

The Yankees needed Soto and got him. The Yankees wanted Yamamoto and didn't get him. They did sign Stroman to a two-year deal and added two other left-handed outfield bats and some bullpen depth. Maybe not quite the dream offseason Brian Cashman desired, but you can't argue about landing the player who may be the MVP favorite in the American League now that Ohtani is in the other circuit. A mega-extension with Soto appears off the table, but maybe there's still a late deal to be had with Snell.


Baltimore Orioles: B

Offseason needs: Top-of-the-rotation starter, closer/bullpen depth

Major additions: RHP Corbin Burnes, RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Julio Teheran

Payroll: Up $31 million

The Orioles made the one move they had to make: Trading from their prospect depth to acquire a front-line starting pitcher. In Burnes, they got one of the best in the business. Unfortunately, that was followed by the news that Kyle Bradish and John Means will both start the season on the IL, with uncertain returns for both pitchers. Teheran was signed to a minor league deal after spring training started and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him make the rotation. Kimbrel as the closer? Maybe he'll be fine in the regular season, but October is a different concern given what happened last year with the Phillies. Don't let that $31 million payroll increase fool you: The Orioles are still under $100 million, although with new ownership coming in, maybe the pocketbook will expand in the future.


San Francisco Giants: B

Offseason needs: Middle-of-the-order bat, top-of-the-rotation starter

Major additions: CF Jung Hoo Lee, 3B Matt Chapman, DH Jorge Soler, LHP Robbie Ray, RHP Jordan Hicks, C Tom Murphy

Payroll: Down $14 million

Despite failing to land Ohtani or Yamamoto, I'll give the Giants credit for pivoting and bringing in an interesting haul of players. Chapman projects as the team's best position player (which may say more about the Giants than Chapman), Soler could be the team's best hitter if he matches last season's 36 home runs (the Giants haven't had a 30-home run hitter since 2004) and Lee may end up better than either while shoring up center field. (The Giants started 10 different players there in 2023.) Murphy is a solid backup catcher, Ray is supposed to return around the All-Star break and Hicks will be tried as a starter, although there is little evidence that will work. Now if the Giants could add Blake Snell to this group, they would have the No. 2 starter they need behind Logan Webb.


Cincinnati Reds: B

Offseason needs: Experienced pitching depth

Major additions: 3B Jeimer Candelario, RHP Frankie Montas, RHP Nick Martinez, LHP Brent Suter, RHP Emilio Pagan

Payroll: Up $13 million

The Reds have never been an organization that spent much in free agency, with the exception of when they signed Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos to twin $64 million deals during the 2019-20 offseason. That plan didn't work as hoped, so it was soon back to rebuilding and lower payrolls. But after surprising with an 82-win season in 2023 -- and with Joey Votto's big contract coming off the books -- the Reds had money to spend this winter. They chose to play it fairly conservatively with a series of short-term moves that didn't raise the payroll all that much, but they did improve the floor of the pitching staff enough that it could push Cincinnati into the postseason -- especially if the holdover young starters improve.


Philadelphia Phillies: B-

Offseason needs: Re-sign Aaron Nola, closer, maybe a big bat for the outfield

Major additions: Signed Nola, 2B/OF Whit Merrifield

Payroll: Same

On one hand, the Phillies re-signed Nola to a $172 million deal and then just inked Zack Wheeler to a three-year, $126 million extension, keeping the top of their rotation intact through 2027. On the other hand, they whiffed on Yamamoto. But if that doesn't happen, maybe the Wheeler deal doesn't otherwise get done. Bottom line: It's nice to have Nola and Wheeler locked up, but the Phillies are bringing back much of the same team that has finished 14 games behind the Braves each of the past two seasons -- though they have also knocked Atlanta out of the playoffs in consecutive Octobers.


Tampa Bay Rays: B-

Offseason needs: Catcher, starting pitching depth, shortstop

Major additions: RHP Ryan Pepiot, OF Jonny Deluca, OF Richie Palacios, IF Jose Caballero, SS Amed Rosario, RHP Phil Maton, C Francisco Mejia

Payroll: Up $20 million

The Rays had one major task this offseason: Trading Tyler Glasnow. That wasn't going to be an easy deal to pull off given Glasnow had just one year left until free agency and a hefty $25 million salary, but they did pretty well in acquiring Pepiot, who should factor into the rotation, and Deluca, who projects at least as a solid fourth outfielder. Caballero is a plus defender with some speed who provides another shortstop option, while Rosario and Maton were under-the-radar late signings who provide more depth.


Chicago Cubs: C+

Offseason needs: 1B, starting pitcher, late-innings reliever

Major additions: LHP Shoto Imanaga, RHP Hector Neris, IF Michael Busch, OF David Peralta (re-signed OF/1B Cody Bellinger)

Payroll: Up $34 million

The Cubs remained patient in negotiations with Bellinger and ended up with a compromise agreement: Bellinger is guaranteed $80 million even if he regresses in performance, while the Cubs aren't stuck with a riskier long-term commitment. If Bellinger plays well, he can opt out and enter free agency again -- which isn't the worst-case scenario for the Cubs, since that means he'll provide excellent value for 2024. I'm not as high on Imanaga as some others as I think he'll be homer-prone and might even be a downgrade from Marcus Stroman, the guy he's replacing in the rotation. Overall, it wasn't a super exciting offseason but one that could have been a disaster had they not at least re-signed Bellinger.


St. Louis Cardinals: C+

Offseason needs: Starting pitchers

Major additions: RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Lance Lynn, RHP Kyle Gibson, SS Brandon Crawford

Payroll: Up $7 million

The Cardinals had a glaring area to fix and did it, more or less, in typical Cardinals fashion: by being responsible and not getting silly with the payroll. It's also not super exciting, although we'll see if Gray can match last year's 184 innings after averaging 128 over 2021-22. (He's already hurt this spring.) They didn't do anything on the offensive side, however, despite finishing 10th in the NL in runs. That means along with the three 30-something pitchers they signed, the keys to a successful 2024 may be two more 30-somethings, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, hitting more like they did in 2022.


Seattle Mariners: C

Offseason needs: Middle-of-the-order bat, outfield, DH

Major additions: 2B Jorge Polanco, DH Mitch Garver, RHP Gregory Santos, OF Luke Raley, OF Mitch Haniger, 3B Luis Urias

Payroll: Down $4 million

I was harsh on the Mariners in my previous entry, but since then Jerry Dipoto's frenetic offseason -- one forced upon him by penny-pinching ownership -- has featured two more significant acquisitions in Polanco, who will fill a long-running hole at second base, and Santos, who gives them a potential quality reliever. Garver should provide their best DH production since Nelson Cruz. Raley hit 19 home runs in a part-time role with the Rays. Are they better though? They didn't increase payroll. They did keep all five of their starting pitchers -- the correct decision, I believe, even as everyone tried to create trade scenarios -- and if that group stays healthy, the Mariners can compete in the AL West.


New York Mets: C

Offseason needs: Starting pitching, bullpen help, outfield

Major additions: LHP Sean Manaea, RHP Adrian Houser, RHP Luis Severino, OF Harrison Bader, OF Tyrone Taylor, IF Joey Wendle, RHP Shintaro Fujinami

Payroll: Down $30 million

After the previous regime traded Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer last deadline, new president of baseball operations David Stearns is trying to reset things. It's not a teardown or rebuild by any means -- the Mets' payroll is still the highest in the game -- as he's constructed a roster that gives the Mets a chance at the playoffs without creating any drag on future payrolls. It wasn't the most riveting of winters though. We'll penalize the Mets for failing to land Yamamoto, who was the one big-name free agent they wanted.


San Diego Padres: C

Offseason needs: Starting pitching, closer, position player depth

Major additions: RHP Michael King, LHP Yuki Matsui, RHP Randy Vasquez, RHP Jhony Brito, RHP Drew Thorpe, C Kyle Higashioka, OF Jurickson Profar, LHP Wandy Peralta, RHP Woo Suk Go

Payroll: Down $95 million

We knew it would be a season of transition for the Padres after the death of owner Peter Seidler and reports that the team had to borrow $50 million last September to meet payroll, so the nearly $100 million cut in payroll is hardly a surprise. Five of those new faces listed above came over from the Yankees in the Juan Soto trade, giving the Padres some much-needed pitching depth. I think they did well enough in the trade and Matsui could replace Josh Hader as closer, but they didn't do anything to help the outfield after including Trent Grisham alongside Soto and now they're even trying shortstop prospect Jackson Merrill out there.


Miami Marlins: C

Offseason needs: Power, catcher, shortstop

Major additions: SS/2B Tim Anderson, C Christian Bethancourt, UT Nick Gordon, UT Vidal Brujan

Payroll: Down $8 million

Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make. Peter Bendix, the new president of baseball operations, told ESPN the team considered a lot of deals involving its rotation depth, but didn't want to force anything. That's the right call, especially with Trevor Rogers and Max Meyer returning from injuries. Even without Sandy Alcantara, that leaves the Marlins with Jesus Luzardo, Braxton Garrett, Eury Perez and Edward Cabrera, plus A.J. Puk, who is being given the opportunity to start. You can never have too much pitching. The offense? Still a problem -- one that won't be fixed with utility infielders, no matter their versatility.


Toronto Blue Jays: C-

Offseason needs: Third base, outfield, DH

Major additions: DH Justin Turner, UT Isiah Kiner-Falefa, RHP Yariel Rodriguez, DH Dan Vogelbach (re-signed OF Kevin Kiermaier)

Payroll: Up $22 million

Considering Ohtani was briefly believed to be on a plane headed to Toronto, this offseason ended up as a big letdown. The Blue Jays added a 39-year-old DH, a utility guy with a career OPS+ of 81, a Cuban reliever via Japan's Central League, and Vogelbach -- a journeyman who is in camp on a minor league deal. In the meantime, the Blue Jays didn't bring back Matt Chapman or Brandon Belt, two of the team's top hitters a season ago. I actually like the Turner and Rodriguez deals for the price, but the lineup still skews heavily right-handed and the pitching is heavily dependent on Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi repeating their 2023 numbers. The free agent market didn't align very well with the Blue Jays' needs, but landing Cody Bellinger or Jung Hoo Lee would have made sense.


Texas Rangers: C-

Offseason needs: Bullpen depth, re-sign Jordan Montgomery

Major additions: RHP Tyler Mahle, RHP David Robertson, RHP Kirby Yates (re-signed OF Travis Jankowski)

Payroll: Up $6 million

Some teams win a championship and push down on the gas. The Rangers could have done that. They'll be adding rookies Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford to an already deep lineup and could have reinforced the pitching staff -- bringing back Montgomery, rolling the dice on Blake Snell or signing Josh Hader. Even after the club announced in mid-December that Max Scherzer had undergone back surgery, they didn't make a move and are now counting on Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Mahle all to return in the second half. The risk is the rotation falls apart in the first half and they have too much ground to make up. If the ageless Robertson and injury-prone Yates hold up, passing on Hader will be forgotten -- and the baseball gods always shine on Bruce Bochy's bullpen in October anyway.


Pittsburgh Pirates: C-

Offseason needs: Impact bat, impact pitcher, first base

Major additions: LHP Marco Gonzales, LHP Martin Perez, LHP Aroldis Chapman, 1B Rowdy Tellez, C Yasmani Grandal

Payroll: Up $12 million

Let's see ... the combined WAR in 2023 for this group of veterans: 0.5. Perhaps the Pirates have a different definition of "impact" than I do. Gonzales and Perez at least provide the possibility of some bulk innings: Gonzales, while coming off surgery to address a nerve issue in his forearm, pitched 183 innings in 2022. Perez pitched 196 innings in 2022 with a 2.89 ERA, although that season stands out from the rest of his career and his ERA in 2023 was 4.45. With Johan Oviedo out for the season, Mitch Keller is the only returning pitcher who threw 90 innings in the majors in 2023.


Detroit Tigers: D+

Offseason needs: Middle-of-the-order bat, frontline starter

Major additions: RHP Kenta Maeda, RHP Jack Flaherty, RHP Shelby Miller, OF Mark Canha

Payroll: Down $11 million

Back when Mike Ilitch owned the club, the Tigers spent freely: the Miguel Cabrera extension, Prince Fielder, Justin Upton, Jordan Zimmermann, two separate deals with Victor Martinez. The Tigers ran top-10 payrolls every season from 2008 to 2017, ranking as high as third on multiple occasions. Since Illitch's death in 2017, the Tigers haven't cracked the top 20. That time has encompassed one rebuilding stretch and then another one, but now that the Tigers look ready to make a push. But they had a decidedly non-aggressive offseason. They're paying Maeda and Flaherty a combined $28 million in 2024, money that could have been given to a better pitcher, and the payroll is actually down from last season.


Cleveland Guardians: D+

Offseason needs: Outfield power

Major additions: OF Estevan Florial, P Scott Barlow, C Austin Hedges

Payroll: Down $1 million

This is why I remind you that we're grading on a curve -- nobody expected Cleveland to go out and sign Cody Bellinger and Shohei Ohtani, or even Jorge Soler and Teoscar Hernandez. Still, it was an uninspiring offseason even by the Guardinans' standards. Florial was a one-time top prospect with the Yankees who did hit .284/.380/.565 with 28 home runs in 101 games in Triple-A, but with a 30% strikeout rate; I don't expect an impact player. The quiet offseason doesn't mean Cleveland can't compete in the AL Central -- the rotation could be really good -- but failing to do something in the outfield is discouraging.


Minnesota Twins: D

Offseason needs: Starting pitcher, bullpen depth

Major additions: RHP Anthony DeSclafani, RHP Justin Topa, 1B Carlos Santana, OF Manuel Margot

Payroll: Down $35 million

The Twins were at least upfront about their desire to cut payroll -- and they have. Carlos Correa will eat up 25% of the payroll all by himself. I'm not exactly keen about the minor additions around the margins either. DeSclafani had an excellent 2021 with the Giants when he outpitched his peripherals but has made just 23 starts the past two seasons. Santana was better in 2023 than the previous three years, but he's 38. Topa could be a high-leverage guy if he can stay healthy and Margot is a low-OBP platoon outfielder. It's not that the Twins can't win the division, but they didn't replace Sonny Gray and are heavily dependent on Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis staying on the field.


Chicago White Sox: D

Offseason needs: Trade Dylan Cease for a big package of prospects

Major additions: SS Paul DeJong, IF Nicky Lopez, C Martin Maldonado, OF Dominic Fletcher, OF Zach DeLoach, RHP Prelander Berroa, RHP Mike Soroka

Payroll: Down $25 million

There's still time to trade Cease, but the deeper we go into spring training, the more likely it happens at the trade deadline. If Cease pitches well, that shouldn't affect his trade value as a team still gets him for two potential playoff runs, but if his numbers are more like 2023 than his Cy Young runner-up season of 2022, the White Sox may not get as much if they had traded him this winter. As for the other moves: At least there's some consistency in the thought process as Chris Getz obviously prioritized defense with DeJong, Lopez and Maldonado. I mean, those three won't give you anything with the stick, but at least it's a plan.


Colorado Rockies: D

Offseason needs: Everything

Major additions: RHP Cal Quantrill, C Jacob Stallings, RHP Dakota Hudson

Payroll: Down $27 million

Even by their own meager standards, it's been an underwhelming offseason for the Rockies and we're stretching to list "major" additions here. Quantrill was very good with Cleveland in 2021-22, going 23-8 with a 3.16 -- although even then, he didn't miss a ton of bats. In fact, among 119 pitchers who have thrown at least 200 innings over the past two seasons, Quantrill ranks 116th in strikeout rate and Hudson ranks 119th. It's difficult to envision either pitcher succeeding in Coors. More problematic, the Rockies did nothing to address the worst offense in the majors and the payroll has taken a big hit from 2023.


Washington Nationals: D-

Offseason needs: Pitching depth, power, first base

Major additions: OF Joey Gallo, 3B Nick Senzel, RHP Dylan Floro

Payroll: Up $16 million

The Nationals have followed up their World Series title in 2019 with four straight last-place finishes -- as Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez have both kept their jobs, which has to be unprecedented. Their payroll, as high as second in 2018 and sixth in 2019, has dropped to 18th in 2022 and 24th in 2023. (And that's only because they've been stuck with Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, who will make a combined $70 million this season.) The once star-studded roster is now devoid of stars. Does Mark Lerner have the desire to win? The lack of activity this offseason suggests he does not.


Boston Red Sox: F

Offseason needs: Starting pitchers, second base

Major additions: RHP Lucas Giolito, 2B Vaughn Grissom, OF Tyler O'Neill, RHP Isaiah Campbell, RHP Liam Hendriks

Payroll: Down $20 million

What's going on here? Good question. Perhaps the winter wouldn't look so underwhelming if minority owner Tom Werner hadn't exclaimed back in the November that the team would be going "full throttle" this offseason -- a comment that Werner eventually told MassLive's Sean McAdam "wasn't the most artful way of saying what I wanted to say." Maybe full throttle -- like a lot of teams -- only applied to signing Ohtani or Yamamoto. I wasn't a huge fan of the Giolito signing after he gave up 41 home runs (and now he's already hurt and could be facing season-ending surgery), and the structure of the deal means they are on the hook for 2025 no matter Giolito's status. The big question is why the Red Sox are running a $179 million payroll that is well below the $235 million payrolls they ran in 2018-19.


Los Angeles Angels: F

Offseason needs: Re-sign Shohei Ohtani, bullpen depth, right field, starting pitcher (and a DH if they didn't sign Ohtani)

Major additions: RHP Robert Stephenson, LHP Matt Moore, RHP Luis Garcia, RHP Adam Cimber, OF Aaron Hicks

Payroll: Down $41 million

These past few months couldn't have gone any worse for the Angels. First, they decided to keep Ohtani at the deadline for a desperate run at the playoffs. That meant trading an excellent catching prospect in Edgar Quero for Lucas Giolito, who went 1-5 as the Angels fell out of the race. Then, as everyone predicted, they couldn't re-sign Ohtani. Then owner Arte Moreno said in February that he's here for the "long term," which probably wasn't what Angels fans wanted to hear. At least Mike Trout hasn't asked for a trade -- yet.


Oakland Athletics: F

Offseason needs: I don't know, maybe at least iron out the whole Las Vegas thing and where they'll be playing in 2025?

Major additions: RHP Ross Stripling, LHP Alex Wood

Payroll: Same

The teardown of the 2021 team that finished 86-76 and led to some trades that haven't worked out -- combined with a series of questionable first-round picks -- has left the A's in a deep rebuild that may take years to work out. Of course, ownership doesn't care about the immediate future anyway, so the front office was left to scrounge around for the likes of Stripling (0-5, 5.36 ERA in 2023) and Wood (5-5, 4.33 ERA). Best-case scenario: The two veterans rebound and the A's trade them at the deadline for some prospects.

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