With many of the big fish off the board in MLB free agency, it seems like the right time to analyze which teams were the biggest winners and losers from the first month and a half of the offseason.
The MLB winter meetings are in the rearview and as 2022 comes to a close, baseball fans won’t have to head into the new year wondering where some of the best players on the market will end up. That’s because many of the top names have already inked deals in what has been a record-setting month of spending in MLB.
Also Read: MLB free agent tracker – Carlos Rodon heads to the New York Yankees
While there have been many surprises in MLB free agency thus far, there were also several signings that went the way many league insiders expected. With that in mind, let’s take a look at which organizations hit home runs, and which took some risks that could turn into major swings and misses down the line.
Winners – New York Yankees
The New York Yankees had one specific goal entering the offseason: Re-sign Aaron Judge at all costs. Well, mission accomplished. While they ended up shelling out way more than they offered him in the spring, they had to retain arguably the best player in the game, and their likely next captain.
However, beyond Judge’s return in MLB free agency, the Yanks re-signed his pal and a key member of the 2022 roster, Anthony Rizzo. Furthermore, they added one of the elite arms on this year’s market, Carlos Rodon.
New York did what was necessary to maintain its American League East-winning standard while also getting better. That’s how you win in the offseason
Losers – Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox entered MLB free agency with one major question: Will they re-sign homegrown All-Star Xander Bogaerts? They did not, and like another star they developed in Mookie Betts, Bogaerts will play out his prime years on the West Coast.
To make up for the loss of their best player, Boston boldly gave Japanese star Masataka Yoshida a five-year, $90 million deal. It’s a contract many MLB observers think was well above what the outfielder was projected to get and is worth.
They also signed three-time All-Star closer Kenley Jansen. While that move is an upgrade over what they had in that spot this past season, there certainly is risk in paying a reliever with 13 years of wear and tear on their arm $16 million per season — even for two years.
In the end, the Red Sox lost their best player and then handed out a pair of expensive contracts with a lot of risks. That is losing in MLB free agency.
Winners and Losers – New York Mets
The New York Mets have thrown around a serious amount of money in MLB free agency. Yes, they lost team legend Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers, but they replaced him with the 2022 AL Cy Young, Justin Verlander. Then they filled other rotation openings with a solid veteran in Jose Quintana, and highly touted Japanese ace Kodai Senga.
They also avoided a major blow to their lineup and defense by re-signing center fielder Brandon Nimmo. Plus, they brought back All-Star closer Edwin Diaz.
However, for all the positives of the Mets’ offseason, they will be paying a 39-year-old Verlander $43 million next year. Diaz got a record amount for a closer, and they gave Nimmo — a player who’s never made an All-Star game — $162 million. Not to mention the normal risk of Senga’s jump from Japan to the big leagues.
New York should be very good again in 2023, however, their signings are also heavy in short and long-term risk and didn’t necessarily make them more of a World Series contender than they were last season.
Losers – Texas Rangers
Losing deGrom was certainly a big loss for the Mets and a coup for the Rangers. However, the deal is a questionable one. No team better understands the two-time Cy Young winner’s injury history than the Mets, and they were unwilling to go more than three years on a deal for the 34-year-old. Texas went all the way to five and at nearly $40 million each season.
DeGrom could certainly be fantastic when he is on the field for the Rangers early in the deal, but there are just too many signs pointing to the contract being a massive failure for Texas as the years play out.
Winners – Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies’ goal heading into the offseason, after falling short of a shock World Series title, was to spend some money and improve the areas where they weren’t already locked into players with long-term deals. Shortstop was an area where they could do that, and they did.
Trea Turner was one of the best players at his position on the market, and the Phils were able to snag him to improve their chances to win the NL East and return to the World Series in 2023. Plus, they strengthened their starting rotation and hurt the Mets by adding a very solid arm in Taijuan Walker.
Winners and Losers – San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants went into the offseason hoping to break Yankees fans’ hearts and bring in Aaron Judge to set them on a new course of winning for the rest of the decade. Unfortunately, despite offering up a massive deal, he chose to stay in pinstripes over playing pro ball close to home.
Despite failing in that pursuit, and losing ace Carlos Rodon to the Yankees as well, the Giants have still made several worthwhile moves with the boatloads of money they have. They signed Carlos Correa, arguably the second-best everyday player on the market, to a massive contract. Improved their pitching staff with solid additions in Sean Manea and Ross Stripling, and added more thump to the order with Mitch Haniger.
It hasn’t been the splash-filled offseason they aimed for, but they still go much better heading into 2023.
Losers – Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have built a reputation over the last decade as the Yankees of the West coast. As rarely does an offseason or deadline go by without them making a big move. However, so far this winter the Dodgers have been quiet and are going with a seeming addition-by-subtraction approach.
They cut ties with one-time MVP Cody Bellinger and lost a couple of good arms in Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney in MLB free agency. The organization re-signed Clayton Kershaw and added Noah Syndergaard at discount rates — which is a plus — but neither are moves that make them better in 2023.
The Dodgers could eventually make a major deal this offseason, but so far they are losers during MLB hot stove season.
Winners – St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are more of a big move threat at the MLB trade deadline than during the offseason. However, that was not the case this winter. They went into the end of the year needing to replace what Albert Pujols brought to the lineup in his final legendary season, and find a new catcher after future Hall-of-Famer Yadier Molina also retired.
Replacing Molina was the bigger priority of the two and the Cardinals did that in a big way by signing the best backstop on the market in Cubs All-Star Willson Contreras. They hurt a rival team in the division while actually improving a division-winning roster. That is how you get better in MLB free agency.