As we method the vacation season, the MLB offseason has had some large moments via free-agent signings and trades to date. There stays a wide range of nice choices for groups in want. Groups that may add a major game-changer to their employees or lineup can in the end change all the outlook for the season forward. That mentioned, allow us to take a gander at the place a few of these key items would match finest.
Pete Alonso – Seattle Mariners
It has been no secret that the Mariners have had their offensive struggles previously couple of seasons. Regardless of having a dominant quintet of beginning pitchers, it has been their lack of offensive manufacturing that has saved them from the postseason. It appears as if Jerry Dipoto has recognized this himself, as there have been numerous rumors this offseason that the Mariners have been purchasing their beginning pitching, particularly Luis Castillo, in trade for a productive bat. Shifting Castillo makes sufficient sense, because the objective can be to amass a bat via the commerce itself, whereas additionally clearing cap house to probably add one other via free company.
That is the place the Polar Bear enters the fray. Pete Alonso, whereas not a five-tool participant, is somebody you possibly can at all times rely on to mash along with his bat. Even in a “down” season, Alonso nonetheless managed to hit 34 HRs with a .788 OPS. That HR whole would have tied him with Cal Raleigh on the Mariners final season and would have led the crew in OPS, as soon as once more chatting with the anemic offense Seattle offered final season. If Alonso might bounce again to even half of his 2022 or 2023 kind, it will be an absolute godsend to this Mariners crew. As of now, Seattle has Luke Raley slated to play first base after Ty France was in the end waived final season. Whereas there positively may very well be worse choices, having somebody like Alonso who has had constant reps there since he got here into the league, can be a significantly better match that will let Raley stick with a constant place within the outfield, and maybe assist focus extra on enhancing offensively.
As previous historical past would inform us, Dipoto would probably stick with extra cost-efficient choices like Carlos Santana, Justin Turner, or Paul Goldschmidt. Nonetheless, this appears like the large transfer that the Mariners must make as a way to jumpstart their offense right into a aggressive state this season. Because it feels just like the Houston Astros might lastly be taking a step again from their dominance, now can be the time to attempt to seize the AL West for the Mariners.
Corbin Burnes – San Francisco Giants
The Giants lastly made their large transfer in buying their star within the type of shortstop Willy Adames. Whereas this can assist increase the thump of their lineup, Buster Posey shouldn’t be content material simply but. Their beginning rotation, whereas nonetheless promising with Logan Webb and Robbie Ray concerned, nonetheless has a Blake Snell-sized gap in it. Positive, Snell was not precisely his typical Cy Younger caliber self the entire season. The Giants, nevertheless, had been a way more harmful crew with him down the stretch. If the tea leaves converse the reality, it appears like San Francisco understands that as effectively, trying to herald a former Cy Younger winner in Corbin Burnes.
Burnes has acquired a plethora of curiosity from a number of groups this offseason, together with the Giants, Pink Sox, Orioles, and Blue Jays. Many consider that Burnes becoming a member of the Giants is a assure contemplating he reigns from the West Coast. Nonetheless, there’s way more than simply the hometown issue that makes Burnes an incredible slot in San Fran. Ending fifth within the AL Cy Younger race final season marks his fifth consecutive season ending within the High 10 within the Cy Younger race, accompanied by 4 consecutive All-Star seasons as effectively. Whereas all these accolades have the marking of a typical ace, Burnes has the chance to function beneath the radar in entrance of the Giants’ already current ace in Logan Webb. This is able to permit them to regain the two-headed monster atop their rotation, and provides them extra flexibility of their rotation in the event that they attain the postseason. Burnes himself has additionally carried out effectively in Oracle Park, a predominantly pitcher-friendly ballpark. Though a smaller pattern measurement than most, Burnes has posted a 1.61 ERA and 1.030 WHIP in 22 innings in his begins in San Francisco. If these numbers might proceed to translate, Burnes might give his single-season ERA low (excluding 2020) of two.43 a run for its cash.
In fact, that is all dependent if the Giants are capable of afford such a luxurious. With the record-breaking signing of Juan Soto happening, yesterday’s costs for all of the gamers will not be at present’s costs. If Buster Posey can pony up the funds to revive this Giants rotation, it actually takes them up a notch from their earlier expectations. Whereas it doesn’t seem the division will probably be in any hazard with the Dodgers round for the following decade, the objective for the Giants needs to be the postseason, and Corbin Burnes would vastly enhance their possibilities to get there.
Alex Bregman – New York Yankees
What a flip of occasions this one can be, huh? After being mortal enemies of the Yankees fanbase (and almost each different one within the course of), Brian Cashman might should chew the bullet to assist his ballpark attempt to get again to the World Collection. After letting Juan Soto slip from their grasp from their crosstown rival Mets, the Yankees have executed effectively with Plan B, as buying Max Fried, Devin Williams, and Cody Bellinger won’t ever make your crew worse. Nonetheless, these 3 will not be almost sufficient to fill the offense void Soto has left in that lineup.
Surprisingly, the acquisition of Alex Bregman might enhance one thing on the crew that Soto by no means might, on and off the Yankees, and that’s the gap at third base. Throughout their World Collection run, the new nook was principally coated by Jazz Chisholm Jr., who deserves credit score for dealing with a place he had by no means performed earlier than in addition to he did. Nonetheless, it notably got here again to chew them in that nightmarish, error-filled fifth inning in Sport 5. Maybe if that they had a extra skilled choice at the moment, that sequence, or on the very least that sport, it might have turned out in a different way for them. Bregman would forestall them from this subject sooner or later. In his 9 seasons within the main leagues, he has 995 video games at third base beneath his belt. This is able to show him as a considerably extra reliable choice than Chisholm, and even Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza for that matter. Bregman’s offense would pack a punch in that Yankee lineup as effectively. Whereas he’s removed from his glory days in 2018 and 2019, you possibly can pencil Bregman in for at the least 20 HRs, 75 RBIs, and a .760 OPS, together with a Gold Glove-caliber effort each time he hits the sector. Whereas it will not match the bat of Juan Soto solely, including Bregman would assist soften the blow on the very least.
As we stand right here at present, Bregman is supposedly on the lookout for a $200M+ contract from a crew to signal, and with the Astros themselves not prepared to fork it over, this may be the proper time for the Yankees to money in and attempt to retake a stranglehold on the AL East. Nonetheless, that they had higher do it shortly. Latest stories say the Mets are focused on Bregman’s providers as effectively, and one can solely think about the carnage from the Bronx devoted in the event that they had been outbid by Steve Cohen twice in a single offseason.
Tanner Scott – Toronto Blue Jays
Coming from a Blue Jays fan’s perspective, this crew is at the moment at a crossroads. They’re seemingly not ok to make the postseason, however they don’t have the long run prospects to have the fanbase excited. They’ve swung and missed on two top-tier free brokers in Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, and have now left themselves able the place their two most marketable and profitable gamers in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette might stroll for nothing as effectively. To show to not solely the free brokers however their very own gamers as effectively that it is a aggressive product going ahead, the checkbooks must be opened and used subsequently to handle a wide range of points.
The primary subject needs to be fixing up a bullpen that was completely putrid final season. In 2024, the Blue Jays bullpen produced a -3.0 WAR, thirtieth within the league, and three.0 WAR away from the Rockies in twenty ninth. To make issues worse, administration determined to non-tender acclaimed nearer Jordan Romano as effectively as a result of their lack of religion in his elbow in 2025. Whereas maybe this determination may be understood from a cash-saving perspective, the actual fact of the matter is that there isn’t a set nearer in Toronto. Due to this fact, these financial savings had higher result in not solely a brand new nearer however an improved bullpen basically. Tanner Scott would clear up each of these issues. Scott was a lockdown nearer in Miami, racking up 18 saves to the tune of a 1.18 ERA and 1.007 WHIP in 45.2 IP. As soon as he was dealt to the Padres, he was used extra within the set-up position however nonetheless managed a 2.73 ERA and a couple of.33 FIP in 26.1 IP. An additional accolade is that Scott Shohei Ohtani’s kryptonite, as he made the NL MVP look foolish within the NLCS. Including that sort of firepower within the Blue Jays bullpen can be an incredible begin in that reclamation venture. Instantly, a reliable bridge from the sixth to the ninth may very well be fashioned in Chad Inexperienced, Erik Swanson, Yimi Garcia, and Tanner Scott.
The query mark in the end turns into, can the Blue Jays in the end put up the right funds to safe such a lockdown nearer? In years previous, a less expensive various can be the reply from this entrance workplace, and sure nonetheless is within the type of a Kirby Yates, David Robertson, or perhaps a Carlos Estevez. Nonetheless, if the Jays had been prepared to go to $700M+ in scorching pursuit of Juan Soto, maybe Tanner Scott in Toronto wouldn’t be essentially the most far-fetched concept.
Teoscar Hernandez – Boston Pink Sox
The Boston Pink Sox are an interesting crew at this level within the offseason. Their large transfer has come within the type of a blockbuster deal for younger ace Garrett Crochet. Whereas that is nothing however a optimistic for the group, it’s trying as if they’re trending to a extra frugal path in free company. Juan Soto apart, it has seemed as if John Henry has tried to stray away from spending large on high-profile free brokers for the previous couple of offseasons now. Nonetheless, in the event that they want to seize maintain of an AL East ripe for the taking, some costly funds might must be made to push this crew again to the postseason. Whereas pitching needs to be their most important precedence, it by no means hurts to enhance on a power of their offense.
Teoscar Hernandez has felt like an incredible match for the Pink Sox for fairly some time and now appears like nearly as good a time as ever to deliver him into Boston. Hernandez had a monster season in 2024, slugging 33 HRs and 99 RBIs to a .272 AVG, .840 OPS, and a career-high (for a full season) 137 OPS+, 16 factors larger than his profession common. Frankly, he would match effectively on any crew. What makes Boston such an incredible one is how left-handed their lineup is. Their first three batters, Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, and Triston Casas, all bat from the left aspect. From there, there are nonetheless Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu, and David Hamilton, who all venture to be within the beginning lineup constantly within the 2025 season. Throwing Hernandez into the fold would offer a much-needed hole within the Pink Sox’s high hitters, making it harder to pitch to for left-handed pitchers. As well as, it might permit the chance for Boston to take care of a kind of lefty hitters for beginning pitching help. There have already been rumors of Casas being shopped round for a Seattle starter, so clearly the concept is intriguing to the entrance workplace as effectively. The addition of Teoscar Hernandez might make that call a lot simpler to make if it involves fruition. On high of these components, Hernandez likes to play at Fenway. In 45 profession video games performed there, he possesses a .282/.344/.606(!) slashline, for a .950 OPS. Hernandez has 14 HRs and 44 RBIs in Fenway as effectively, proving to be an elite offensive menace at any time when he involves Boston.
Final season, Hernandez opted for a 1-year take care of the Dodgers, and that led him to a World Collection ring. Nonetheless, the Pink Sox had been scorching on their heels, simply unwilling to tug the set off on some further years on the contract. One yr later, the identical subject has seemingly popped up. With the Yankees attempting their finest to recuperate from the lack of Soto, and the Orioles seemingly slicing again spending as effectively, Teoscar might very effectively be the piece that helps make the remainder of the AL East grouchy on the success of the Pink Sox.
