Three winners and losers of MLB's offseason

The MLB offseason has been fairly unpredictable thus far. Top free agents are not just still on the market but have yet to receive offers. Large market teams are acting like small market franchises while small market teams are spending. 

Of course, spring training remains a few weeks away and games have yet to be played, but there have been clear winners and losers of this offseason. Let's take a look at them.

Winners

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers came up short once again in 2023, but they have done their best to ensure that will not happen in 2024. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani signed a record-breaking $700 million contract to begin their spending spree. Starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow was acquired from the Rays and handed an extension. Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto received the largest contract given to a pitcher. Teoscar Hernandez and Manuel Margot were brought on board. Although their success will be measured in championships, Los Angeles has had one of the best offseasons in the majors.

2. Kansas City Royals

Since winning the World Series in 2015, the Royals have produced seven losing seasons, and are not known to spend big in free agency. That changed this year, however, as they drastically overhauled their pitching staff. Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Kyle Wright, Nick Anderson, Chris Stratton, and Will Smith were all brought on to fortify their rotation in 2024. A pair of hitters in Adam Frazier and Hunter Renfroe were also added to the roster. As the AL Central may be the weakest division in baseball, the Royals might have done enough to contend already.

3. Japanese pitchers

Japanese pitchers have already established themselves as valuable major league options. Yamamoto may have broken the bank for the next wave of prospects. As mentioned, his 12-year, $325 million deal is the largest contract given to a pitcher in both years and dollar amount. With impressive prospects such as Roki Sasaki, Shunpeita Yamashita, and Hiroto Takahashi on the horizon, Yamamoto's contract could have set a new standard.

Losers

1. Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger

Snell and Bellinger were considered the top pitcher and position player, respectively, in free agency. Both were expected to receive significant long-term contracts, but instead are languishing together in free agency. Teams have been linked to both players but nothing has come to fruition. Snell, at least, has received a contract offer, but his market may not extend beyond the Yankees. Meanwhile, Bellinger has yet to receive a formal offer. The reigning Cy Young Award winner and former NL MVP may still be on the market when spring training begins, something that no one would have imagined back in November.

2. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were close. They were a finalist for Shohei Ohtani, falling just short. They were a suitor for Juan Soto, again coming up short. Yamamoto spurned Toronto for the Dodgers. Other impact-free agents were linked to the Blue Jays but signed elsewhere. They did land Yariel Rodriguez, though, an intriguing talent who will help the pitching staff. They re-signed Kevin Kiermaier and added Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who are nice role players but are nowhere near the types of additions the Blue Jays needed. While there is time to make a splash, their offseason can be summed up in one word: disappointing.

3. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox raised expectations at the beginning of the offseason when chairman Tom Werner said the team would be at "full throttle" in regards to spending. Then the reality of the offseason hit. The addition of Lucas Giolito should help the rotation and former Braves top prospect Vaughn Grissom is a potential building block. Perhaps the biggest move of all was acquiring power-hitter Tyler O'Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals, but Boston did more to offload salary than anything else. Pitcher Chris Sale and outfielder Alex Verdugo were sent elsewhere to lower the payroll. In fact, the Red Sox reportedly told a free agent target that they would need to shed more payroll to bring him on board. So much for "full throttle."