2025 MLB season: Familiar faces who are in brand new places

There's really only one place this gallery could start, right? Juan Soto's free-agency was perhaps the most frenzied pursuit of a single player in baseball history, with a bidding war that culminated in the richest contract in American sports history. What that means long term remains to be seen, but in the here and now it's hard to argue that Soto joining the Mets doesn't dramatically swing the balance of power in the National League. The defending champion Dodgers still remain the favorites on the senior circuit, but Soto and the Mets are positioned to overtake the Phillies and Braves in the East and attempt to dethrone the new Evil Empire on the West Coast. 

While Soto's free-agency reached its dramatic conclusion in December, longtime Astros' icon Alex Bregman had to wait until spring training had already begun to find a new home. Bregman somewhat surprisingly chose the Red Sox over the likes of the Tigers and Cubs, and will look to help accelerate Boston's ascension back into serious contention in the American League. The only potential issue is his position, as Bregman may well play second base in Boston, as early in camp Rafael Devers was very vocal about not giving up third base in favor of being a full-time DH. Assuming that can be worked out, Bregman will add a proven winner and a consistent right-handed run producer to a line-up and team that could close the gap between themselves and the Yankees and Orioles in 2025. 

In one of the more surprising moves of the winter, right-hander Corbin Burnes, one of the prizes of this free-agent cycle, agreed to a six-year deal to join the Diamondbacks. Burnes was rumored to have actually taken less money to join the D'Backs, a decision that was heavily influenced by the fact that he lives in Arizona and it presented an opportunity for him to be closer to his family. That was a fortuitous development for the Diamondbacks, who pounced on the opportunity to add the four-time all-star and 2021 National League Cy Young winner to the top of their rotation. 

While Burnes was arguably the cream of the crop among available free-agent starting pitchers, longtime Braves lefty Max Fried was right behind him. The 31-year-old was at times bit by the injury bug during his Atlanta tenure, but there's no denying that when he was on the mound he was a difference maker. In 168 career outings across eight years, Fried pitched to a 3.07 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP, while making two all-star teams, winning three Gold Gloves, and helping Atlanta win the 2021 World Series. All of that and more prompted the Yankees to hand Fried the largest free-agent contract ever given to a left-handed pitcher, and he'll almost certainly pitch the rest of his career in the Bronx. 

One of the more interesting moves of the offseason was the Astros trade of their all-star right fielder Kyle Tucker. The 28-year-old left-handed swinging superstar is entering the final season of his contract, and it's clear Houston felt he was going to command a much more lucrative deal next winter than they would be able to afford. The Cubs, eager to end a four-year playoff drought, jumped at the opportunity to swing a deal to bring Tucker's offense to the Windy City. In the veteran, they're getting a hitter who has averaged well over 30 home runs and 100 RBI per 162 games, and is motivated to deliver a big season in a contract year. 

Two-time Cy Young award-winning lefty Blake Snell was one of the high-profile Scott Boras clients stuck in free-agent purgatory well into March a year ago before finally landing a deal with the San Francisco Giants. That contract included an opt out after 2024, something Snell exercised after an excellent campaign, and this time around he was able to secure the long-term deal he was looking for a year ago. The defending champion Dodgers were excited to add Snell to their rotation mix, and with him (and many others) on board, it's hard not to consider them the favorites to repeat. 

The Toronto Blue Jays entered this offseason with a sense of urgency, as with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette both set to become free agents after this season, they're under significant pressure to compete right now. That attitude prompted Toronto to be involved in every big free-agent pursuit, but unfortunately for them they came up empty on almost every one. Except for Anthony Santander. The switch-hitting slugger spent the first eight years of his career in Baltimore, and is coming off easily his best season. In 155 games in 2024, he slashed .235/.308/.506 with 44 home runs, 102 RBI, and 25 doubles. He was selected to his first American League all-star team and won his first Silver Slugger, and the 'Jays are counting on him bringing significant power north of the border. 

Shortstop Willy Adames was one of the first big dominoes to fall this winter. After spending the last four years as a critical part of a very good Milwaukee Brewers core, in early December, Adames left Wisconsin in favor of the Bay Area in California, signing a massive seven-year deal with the Giants. In Milwaukee in '24, the veteran slashed .251/.331/.462 with 32 homers, 112 RBI, 33 doubles, and 21 stolen bases. The Brewers knew he had likely played himself out of their price range, and the Giants are hoping his addition will help them contend in a very difficult and competitive NL West. 

Left-handed swinging Joc Pederson is predominantly a DH at this point in his career, and even without playing the field he is well regarded as the type of player every team would like to have. Pederson is a proven winner who owns a pair of World Series rings, and he's been a productive offensive player for five different Major League teams. The Texas Rangers are hoping that trend will continue with a sixth. In Arizona in 2024, the veteran crushed 23 homers in 449 at-bats, and Texas is looking for more of the same in '25 when he'll be penciled in as arguably their most important left-handed bat. 

Second baseman Jonathan India was the National League Rookie of the Year winner in 2021, and after four productive seasons in Cincinnati found himself included in one of this winter's most interesting trades. The Reds sent India to Kansas City in a one for one deal that netted them starting pitcher Brady Singer. Cincinnati has a talented young group of position players that made them feel like India was expendable. The Royals, meanwhile, plan to deploy him as their leadoff hitter, where he'll be counted on to set the table for the likes of Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino. 

Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer has already pitched for six different Major League teams, and the Blue Jays are about to be his 7th. Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young award winner, an eight-time all-star, and a two-time World Series winner. At 40-years-old he's no longer the dominant ace he was for the majority of his career, but he remains the ultimate competitor, and the Blue Jays are hoping he can bring leadership and production in 2025. 

One of the strangest sights early in spring training was veteran righty Justin Verlander in a San Francisco Giants jersey. Verlander was an iconic figure in both Detroit and Houston, and watching him play out the tail end of his career in San Francisco will take some getting used to. The 42-year-old is about to embark on his 20th Major League season, and already has 262 career wins on his resume. Like Scherzer, he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer, but in the meantime the Giants are betting on him adding value both on and off the field in '25. 

Righty Devin Williams spent the first six years of his career in Milwaukee, and is firmly established as one of baseball's premier late inning relievers. The Brewers made him available this winter ahead of his contract year, in anticipation that they wouldn't be able to afford to keep him at years' end, and quickly found a willing trade partner in the Yankees. In 241 career outings to date, Williams has pitched to a 1.83 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP in 235.2 innings, and New York is expecting him to anchor the backend of its relief corps. 

A few slides ago we discussed the trade that sent Brady Singer from Kansas City to Cincinnati from the opposite perspective, but for their part Cincinnati was thrilled to add the high upside starter to its rotation. At 28 years old, the right-hander is conceivably just coming into his prime. He's made 124 Major League starts to date and owns a 4.28 lifetime ERA, and is coming off a season that just saw him set new career highs in starts, innings, and strikeouts. The Reds boast a promising position player core but lacked impact starting pitchers, and they're hoping Singer can pair with Hunter Greene to lead their rotation. 

The first base position felt like one big game of musical chairs this winter, and when the music stopped Christian Walker found himself as one of the newest members of the new look Houston Astros. The 33-year-old had spent the last eight years of his career in Arizona, where especially lately he'd been a difference-making run producer. In '22 and '23 Walker gave the Diamondbacks back-to-back seasons with more than 30 homers and over 94 RBI, and had he not missed a little bit of time last year he likely would have accomplished that feat a third time. An added bonus of bringing in Walker is that he's likely the premier defensive first baseman in the game, as he already owns three Gold Glove awards. 

Speaking of first basemen changing addresses this offseason. Left-handed swinging Nathaniel Lowe spent the last four seasons as a key member of the Texas Rangers and helped the club capture its first ever World Series title in 2023. He's won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger, and while he may not be a household name nationally, Lowe is well respected as a legitimate impact Major Leaguer. Texas acquired Jake Burger from Miami early this winter which set the table for Lowe to eventually be traded to D.C. just before Christmas. The Nationals have some exciting young talent and look to be a team on the rise, and they're hoping Lowe can help accelerate their rebuild.

At the winter meetings in December the Blue Jays swung a deal with Cleveland to acquire second baseman Andres Gimenez in what could play out to be one of the more underrated transactions of the winter. The 26-year-old Gimenez was an all-star in 2022 and has a well-earned reputation as one of the best defensive players in baseball. He's won three Gold Gloves and one Platinum Glove, and he's certainly no slouch with the bat either. With the Guardians last season, Gimenez slashed .252/.298/.340 with 32 extra-base hits and 30 stolen bases. The Blue Jays are going to be an interesting team to watch in 2025, and Gimenez certainly makes them better.

Josh Naylor just spent the last five years as a somewhat underrated run producer for the Guardians, though after a career year in 2024 he's starting to generate more well deserved attention. In 152 games a year ago, Naylor slashed .243/.320/.456 with 31 home runs and 108 RBI. He made his first all-star team, and in the process might have priced himself out of Cleveland's long-term plans. With free agency looming at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign, the Guardians decided to cash in on their slugging first baseman, sending him to Arizona where he'll replace the departed Christian Walker. 

Cody Bellinger's career has been a bit of an enigma. He burst onto the scene in 2017 and crushed 39 home runs en route to winning the NL Rookie of the Year award, and two years later was the best player in baseball as he captured the NL MVP. He then immediately, and inexplicably, fell off a proverbial cliff, struggling mightily for three straight years in LA before ultimately being traded to the Cubs. He was excellent for Chicago in 2023, and while he wasn't quite as good last year, he still hit 18 homers, drove in 78 runs, and played great defense in center field. Bellinger has been a superstar, a bust, and a solid role player all before the age of 30, and after swinging a trade to bring him to the Bronx, the Yankees are hoping the short porch in right field helps him recapture some former magic. 

Veteran right-hander Luis Severino was one of the real feel good stories in 2024. After five straight seasons dealing with injuries off and on and struggling with consistency, Severino enjoyed a true renaissance in Queens. In 31 starts for the Mets, he pitched to a 3.91 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP, while notably throwing 182 innings. He became a huge piece of what was a very fun Mets clubhouse, and was a key reason for the club's success. He was also able to parlay his personal rebound into a lucrative three year free-agent deal with the Athletics, with whom he'll be asked to lead a young staff hoping to surprise some people.

In a classic example of the rich continuing to get richer, electric left-handed closer Tanner Scott signed a four year free-agent contract with the Dodgers in late January. Scott began last season in Miami where he was absolutely dominant, pitching to a 1.18 ERA and converting 18 saves across 44 outings, setting himself up to be the most sought after reliever on the market at the trade deadline. The Marlins did indeed move him, sending him to San Diego where he continued his impressive campaign. This winter Scott was the prize of the free-agent relief market, and it definitely raised some eyebrows around the league when he, too, took his talents to Hollywood. 

There is really no reason a 25-year-old left-handed ace in his prime should be made available on the trade market, but the situation surrounding Garrett Crochet this winter was a bit of a perfect storm. His White Sox had just come off a season in which they were historically bad. Chicago set a new single season record for losses in a single year, and with the team desperate to add talent to its roster, the most logical place to start was to deal their most valuable asset. In mid-December, the White Sox sent Crochet to Boston in exchange for four highly touted minor leaguers, and while it will take time to judge this trade as a whole, Chicago's motivation to pull the trigger was obviously understandable. 

Players in every sport change teams all the time, but some just look so out of place in something other than the uniform we're all used to seeing them. That's how I feel right now about Walker Buehler. The 30-year-old had spent his entire career with the Dodgers, making two all-star teams and winning a pair of World Series titles before entering free agency this winter. Los Angeles boasts a star-studded rotation and after a pair of disappointing seasons bracketing the 2023 campaign in which he missed the entire year due to Tommy John, the Dodgers obviously felt comfortable letting Buehler depart. He found a new home with the Red Sox and it will be interesting to see if he can reestablish himself as one of the game's top starting pitchers in Boston. 

The Phillies swung what I think was an underrated in-division trade in late December to acquire left-handed starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins. The 27-year-old Luzardo was at one point considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and while his Major League career got off to a rocky start, he's shown plenty of flashes to indicate he's figuring it out at this level. While last season was a bit of a disappointment thanks to injuries, just two years ago Luzardo made 32 starts for the Marlins and pitched to a 3.58 ERA. Philadelphia doesn't need him to be a star; they're just asking Luzardo to be a reliable middle-of-the-rotation starter. Don't be surprised if he ends up delivering a career season. 

Canadian born Tyler O'Neill is one of baseball's most interesting players. The 29-year-old has as much pure right-handed power as any hitter in baseball, and while at times he's struggled to make contact, it's hard not to be captivated when he does connect. St. Louis grew tired of his inconsistency and traded him to Boston prior to last season in a move that worked out swimmingly for both O'Neill and the Red Sox. In his one year calling Fenway Park home, O'Neill slashed .241/.336/.511 with 31 home runs. That production helped him land a three-year free-agent contract with the Orioles, who will ask him for more of the same moving forward. 

Not long ago Gleyber Torres was considered a cornerstone member of both the Yankees present and future, but towards the end of last season it had become clear he'd sort of worn out his welcome in the Bronx. Torres struggled mightily defensively at second base to the point where New York traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr. to replace him--only to have Torres refuse to change positions. He was still a productive hitter, slashing .257/.330/.378 with 15 home runs and 26 doubles, but committing more errors than any second baseman in baseball for two straight years had become alarming. Torres needed a fresh start, and he found one this winter with the Tigers. It will be interesting to see how he fares in Detroit on both sides of the ball.