MLB Winter Meetings takeaways: NL powers add while Red Sox hope for Wilyer Abreu boost

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers had money to spend this offseason. Both made long-term investments on Tuesday in the biggest moves so far of the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings.

Slugger Kyle Schwarber returned to the Phillies on a reported five-year, $150M deal while reliever Edwin Diaz joined the Dodgers on a three-year, $69M contract, spurning the New York Mets. With those two moves, big names on both the hitting and pitching front came off the board.

Diaz leaving the Mets was predicted by many in the industry after Devin Williams left the New York Yankees and signed with the Mets this offseason, becoming the team's closer in waiting. It also eased over some of the potential hurt of the Mets losing someone who posted 144 saves over six seasons in Queens.

"I got the call from David (Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations) and I was excited," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of the moment he learned Williams would be joining the team. "You're talking about one of the best relievers for the past few years, a guy that's used to pitching in high leverage and closing experience. We're looking for help down there, and the fact that we got one here, I was excited."

Schwarber, who turns 33 on March 5, will be one of the more interesting decisions to watch over the next few seasons. With the Phillies still having a window of contention, will Schwarber's contract pay off for itself as the masher ages? Likely continuing to be the full-time designated hitter in Philly in the coming years, will he continue to be the home run threat at the top of the order?

Those two questions may determine Philadelphia's chances of going deep into the postseason in 2026 and beyond.

Dylan Cease opens up on signing with Toronto Blue Jays

After signing a seven-year, $210M contract with the Blue Jays to bring even more firepower to an already impressive rotation, Cease discussed his new team on Tuesday.

Surrounding by Toronto general manager Ross Atkins and agent Scott Boras, the 29-year-old Cease spoke glowingly about choosing to spend the next few years trying to help the Blue Jays get back to the World Series after falling in seven games to the Dodgers in the 2025 Fall Classic.

"The biggest part really was being able to be a part of a championship team. With the run last year, they've proven they have championship-caliber players," Cease said. "How would they help me maximize and develop and reach my potential more often? That was important to me and probably the second-biggest consideration."

Could Wilyer Abreu be a key for Boston Red Sox?

While all of the talk this offseason has been about the Red Sox potentially adding a power bat to the middle of their lineup, Boston manager Alex Cora hinted on Tuesday that Abreu's presence could be a key for the Red Sox returning to the postseason in 2026.

Abreu was sidelined for more than a month last season with a right calf strain. Despite the injury, he finished the season with 22 home runs and an OPS+ of 116, giving Cora a taste of what could be come to come in 2026 from the left-handed-hitting outfielder.

"I truly believe that this year, probably I said it before, with Willy and some of the lefties, we have to see if they can do it," Cora said on Tuesday. "It's about that time, especially with Abreu. And if he can hit lefties and hit for power and play defense the way he's done the last few years, he can be the guy."

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.