On Thursday, Feb. 22, the Dodgers and Padres kick off spring ball with a Cactus League showdown less than a month before the same two teams kick off the regular season in South Korea. A few more teams open the next day, and all 30 Major League clubs will play in Cactus and Grapefruit League games on Saturday, Feb. 24.
It is a good time to look back at the off-season winners as we prepare for another season of MLB baseball. If you followed along at all this offseason, you are probably aware that Shohei Ohtani was the prized jewel of free agency. Baseball’s most versatile player signed a $700 million contract that the Dodgers will pay over the next 20 years.
Ohtani may have been the most sought-after free agent ever, but many other players moved around the league to new teams. We will examine the teams that made the most of their offseason.
One Billion Dollars. 😮pic.twitter.com/JHkyOkptLi
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) February 21, 2024
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers were the clear winners of the offseason. Ohtani finished last season with a batting average of .304 and 44 HRs, starting 23 games as a pitcher and finishing with a 3.14 ERA. He is a top-five pitcher and a top-five batter, which hasn’t been seen in the MLB since Babe Ruth. The Dodgers won the bidding war for generational talent but didn’t stop there.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, another star player from Japan’s NPB, also joined the Dodgers this offseason. He has yet to pitch in the MLB, but he has nasty stuff and proved he can go against MLB batters in the World Baseball Classic last year. Los Angeles didn’t stop there and traded with the Rays for RHP Tyler Glasnow and OF Manuel Margot. Glasnow gives the Dodgers a much-needed starter at the top of their rotation since Ohtani will probably not pitch this season.
Joe Kelly, a player the Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline last season, was signed to a one-year deal, giving the Dodgers much-needed veteran arms in the bullpen. More recently, the Dodgers retained their ten-time All-Star pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, who is coming back from an injury.
Not content with making the franchise’s first World Series appearance since 2001, the Diamondbacks’ front office has been aggressive in the trade and free-agent markets. Their first move was acquiring third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the Mariners. Suárez is coming off a season in which he slashed .232/.323/.391 with an OPS+ of 101. He brings tremendous power to a club that needs it, hitting over 30 homers in four of the past five seasons.
They then re-signed right-hander Eduardo Rodriguez as a piece of their starting rotation. Rodriguez was the second of three signings that GM Mike Hazen said they would target this offseason. Hazen said they would get a right-hitting third basemen, a starting pitcher, and another right-handed batter. He made good on his promise on December 17, when the D-backs signed right-handed outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Arizona surprised many last season by making it to the World Series after barely sneaking into the postseason with 84 wins. They have a young core anchored by reigning NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll, and they are doing what they need to fill the holes in their roster to run it back.
Suárez in slo-mo. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/uAZ4KczkG9
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) February 21, 2024
The Brewers were swept by the D-backs in the Wild Card round last fall but made some moves to get further this year. They traded their ace Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for Joey Ortiz, DL Hall, and a draft pick. It is always a big loss when a team loses one of the league’s best-starting pitchers, but they believe they received some good young talent in return.
Before they made one of the biggest offseason trades, Milwaukee acquired OF Jake Bauers from the Yankees in mid-November, then brought back pitcher Wade Miley. Last month, the Brewers added the power bat they sought, signing Rhys Hoskins to play first base. Just yesterday, the Brewers continued their aggressive offseason by signing two-time All-Star catcher Gary Sanchez.
Many experts believe that the Brewers' biggest signing was Jackson Chourio. Chourio, MLB’s No. 2 prospect, signed an eight-year, $82 million extension – the largest in history for a player with no service time. Chourio hasn’t proved anything, but if his upside is close to what people believe, then the Brewers locked in a top player for relatively cheap, which could keep them competitive for years to come.
There was only one team with fewer wins than the Royals last year: the historically bad Oakland Athletics. Even so, the Royals were busy acquiring many players on short-term deals this offseason. Their division was the weakest in baseball last year, so they may think they can win this year, and if not, they are adding assets that they can move at the deadline for younger players and draft picks.
The Royals signed Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton, Will Smith, Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson. The first half of the season will determine the future of many of the guys listed above. The Royals were aggressive during the offseason because they have one of the best young shortstops to build around.
Kansas City locked up star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year, $288.7 million contract extension. The 23-year-old became the first Royals player to reach the 30-30 club last season, batting .276/.319/.495 with 30 home runs, 96 RBIs, and a league-leading 49 stolen bases. He is the first player in MLB history to record 30 home runs, 10 triples, and 45 stolen bases in one season.
Seth Lugo faces Bobby Witt Jr. in live BP today in #Royals camp. pic.twitter.com/XhZBlhS7Bg
— Jaylon T. Thompson (@jaylonthompson) February 21, 2024
New York Yankees
Last season was the first time in six years that the Yankees missed the playoffs, but they did not let that stop them from making some big moves this offseason. The Yankees made two big trades a day apart. First, they traded three pitchers to the Red Sox for outfielder Alex Verdugo. Then, on December 6, they traded five players to the Padres for Trent Grisham and Juan Soto.
Soto, who is only 25 years old and already one of the MLB’s biggest stars, joins his third team in as many years. He had a down year in his final season with the Padres before joining the Nationals last year for a nice rebound season. In New York, he will have a batter-friendly ballpark and Aaron Judge behind him in the lineup, forcing many pitchers to deal with Soto. Soto is known for his plate discipline and ranks near the top of the league in walk and on-base percentages, making him a perfect fit to set the table for the league's best power hitter.
As always, the Yankees were busy in the offseason, and it doesn’t seem like they are done yet. They are in desperate need of an ace, which is why there are reports that Blake Snell has an offer on the table from the Yankees. The Yankees will not stop until they bring in an ace, but it may not be until the season starts and we get closer to the trade deadline.
Get used to this 👀
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) February 21, 2024
(via @Yankees)pic.twitter.com/VTUiTguCx0
