As the MLB season starts breathing down our neck, most off-season moves are done. As with every winter, there are winners, and there are losers. Let’s take a look at some of the good moves made and some of the bad.
Arizona Diamondbacks – Best Move: Signing Eduardo Rodriguez
The D-Backs are looking to compete again this year and have beefed up their rotation by adding the former Tigers ace. Rodriguez gives them one of the deepest rotations in the NL and puts them in a great spot for another playoff run.
Arizona Diamondbacks – Worst Move: Not extending Zac Gallen
Gallen is off a relatively down year, at least by his standards. While he’s not a free agent until after the 2025 season, locking him up now would put the Diamondbacks in a long-term position to compete with their ace. If he has a few more seasons at his 2022 quality, he’ll probably be priced out of the Diamondback’s range.
Atlanta Braves – Best Move: Trading For Chris Sale
The Sale trade gives the Braves the best rotation in the sport. If he can even be relatively healthy, or at the bare minimum healthy for the playoffs, this puts the Braves nearly toe-to-toe with the Dodgers. Even better he has a 2025 option, so it’s not just a rental.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MLB stories via Google! Follow Us
Atlanta Braves – Worst Move: Not re-signing Eddie Rosario
The Braves have relied on solid veteran talent like Rosario the last two years or in 2021 Jorge Soler, now it looks like Jared Kelenic will be filling that spot in the lineup, who is completely unproven player. Rosario isn’t exactly breaking the bank, so it’s odd they didn’t retain him.
Baltimore Orioles – Best Move: Trading For Corbin Burnes
Just like the Braves, the best move for the O’s was getting a bonafide ace in a trade. The 101-win team last year now looks that much better on paper. It should be a fun year in the NL East.
Baltimore Orioles – Worst Move: Not Going After Any Major Free Agents
With all of their young talent controllable for several seasons and a new ownership group, the O’s had an opportunity to spend a little and bring in a big name to help push the team over the top. They let that opportunity slide by this year, but who knows, maybe they’ll jump on next year’s free agency class.
Boston Red Sox – Best Move: Bringing Back Theo Epstein
It’s a bit sad when a team’s best move has nothing to do with any on-field activity. However, Epstein is probably the only household name for baseball front offices since George Steinbrenner. He built their 2000-10s dynasty and they’re hoping he can do it again.
Boston Red Sox – Worst Move: Trading Verdugo To The Yankees
Verdugo was the core piece the Sox got in trading away Mookie Betts. He never really became the star they needed him to be, and now they’ve moved on. However, the return is fairly pitiful, and to add insult to injury they made the deal with the hated rival Yankees, where he could potentially haunt them.
Chicago Cubs – Best Move: Re-Signing Cody Bellinger
The Cubs desperately needed to bring back the former MVP after he returned to form with them in 2023. With Bellinger as the anchor in their lineup, the team looks a whole lot better and even has a shot at the division this year.
Chicago Cubs – Worst Move: Letting Marcus Stroman Walk
While Stroman Didn’t have his best year for the Cubs in 2023, the team is sorely in need of rotation depth he could have provided. We’re not sure this rotation can take them where they want to go without a guy like Stroman in the middle.
Chicago White Sox – Best Move: Signing Marin Maldonado
This isn’t even a particularly strong move, as Maldonado is old and could never really hit, but at least having a stalwart defensive catcher who can help guide a rotation to success is a positive for the Sox.
Chicago White Sox – Worst Move: Failing To Trade Dylan Cease
Perhaps the ChiSox feel they can get more for Cease at the deadline, but with the trades of Sale, Burnes, and Robbie Ray happening this off-season there was a clear market to move top-of-the-rotation pitchers, and the White Sox missed out.
Cincinnati Reds – Best Move: Signing Frankie Montas
The Reds desperately need pitching, and taking a shot on Frankie Montas via a one-year deal has a ton of upside. If Montas can get back to his 2021 self, the Reds will look very sharp here.
Cincinnati Reds – Worst Move: Letting Joey Votto Go
Obviously, Votto will never play at his MVP level again, but to allow a franchise legend and possible Hall of Famer to go in such an unceremonious fashion is a tough look for the front office, especially when they’re spending money on fairly marginal players like Nick Martinez.
Cleveland Guardians – Best Move: Winning The Draft Lottery
While this isn’t something the Guardians actually did, it’s still the biggest thing that happened to them this off-season. The number one pick will be huge for the franchise.
Cleveland Guardians – Worst Move: Signing Austin Hedges
Hedges is cooked, he had an OPS well under .500 last year. Yes, he will be a backup, but if he ends up playing any significant time it will look like an ugly signing.
Colorado Rockies – Best Move: Signing Jacob Stallings
This isn’t actually a good move, it’s just one of the only moves the Rockies made, and he’s the better player of the two they signed in free agency.
Colorado Rockies – Worst Move: Signing Elias Diaz
Not to hate on Diaz, but he’s a very bad hitter, who will play backup catcher. The Rockies really did nothing this off-season.
Detroit Tigers – Best Move: Signing Mark Canha
Canha is an under-the-radar solid player, who consistently gets on base and can hit for a little power. He’s a good player to have on any team.
Detroit Tigers – Worst Move: Signing Jack Flaherty
Flaherty got off to a hot start for the Cardinals at the beginning of his career, but since 2020 he’s posted a 4.42 ERA, and a 4.84 in the past two seasons. Relying on him to do anything but get shelled right now seems pretty dubious.
Houston Astros – Best Move: Signing Josh Hader
Hader elevates the back end of the Astros bullpen and gives them security there for the next five years. Just a fantastic move from a franchise that seems to never make missteps.
Houston Astros – Worst Move: Not Re-Signing Ryan Stanek
While Hader obviously replaces him and more in the closer role, having both would make the team truly absurd. This isn’t even a really bad move, but we have to call something the worst.
Kansas City Royals – Best Move: Extending Bobby Witt Jr.
Locking up the extremely talented young player at a fraction of their potential cost is always a good move for a franchise. Now the Royals have someone to build around for the next decade.
Kansas City Royals – Worst Move: Signing Garret Hampson
While Hampson is a strong defender at several positions, he cannot hit a lick. Last year was his best offensive season and he didn’t even post a league average of 100 OPS+. He will be a hole in the lineup every day.
Los Angeles Angels – Best Move: Signing Adam Cimber
Cimber struggled last year with an injury that impacted his on-the-field performance, but before 2023 he had been among the best relievers in the AL. This a standout in 2022 where he had a sub-3 ERA with the most Appearances in baseball.
Los Angeles Angels – Worst Move: Losing Ohtani
This one is obvious. Not being able to make Ohtani a career Angel sets the franchise back a decade.
Los Angeles Dodgers – Best Move: Signing Ohtani
Bringing the best player in the sport to your team will always be your best move. The record-breaking contract is softened by Ohtani’s decision to defer a huge chunk of the money.
Los Angeles Dodgers – Worst Move: Signing James Paxton
Paxton has been a shell of his early career self over the past few seasons. Since 2019 he posted a 4.29 ERA and a 1.304 WHIP. However, the Dodgers just need Paxton to eat innings at the back of the rotation this year considering they have Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Kershaw and presumably will have Walker Buehler back at some point this year.
Miami Marlins – Best Move: Signing Tim Anderson
The Marlins desperately needed some offensive firepower and are hoping for it in Anderson. Anderson is hoping to get back on track and get himself the long-term contract he could have earned without a miserable 2023.
Miami Marlins – Worst Move: Losing Don Mattingly
The Marlins and Mattingly “mutually” parted ways, which is very odd, considering Mattingly consistently helped this weak roster perform beyond expectations and reach the playoffs multiple times in the last few years. We’ll see how Skip Schumaker can do in his place.
Milwaukee Brewers – Best Move: Signing Rhys Hoskins
The Brewers needed someone to fill the hole of their rotating first baseman the past few seasons and needed a power hitter. Hoskins is both and is looking to prove himself after being unceremoniously let go by the Phillies.
Milwaukee Brewers – Worst Move: Trading Corbin Burnes
The Brewers are apparently trying to compete this year after winning the division last year but traded away their best pitcher. It doesn’t really make any sense. Better hope those prospects are good.
Minnesota Twins – Best Move: Signing Carlos Santana
Santana will provide some much-needed power to the Twins lineup. He’ll also make it even deeper than it was last year too.
Minnesota Twins – Worst Move: Letting Their Top Two Starters Walk
The Twins let Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda go in free agency this off-season and have done nothing to replace them. Now their rotation is diminished and their ability to compete in the division is much more in question.
New York Mets – Best Move: Re-Signing Adam Ottavino
Ottavino has been nothing but good for the Mets and will comprise one of the best eighth and ninth-inning combos with Diaz, running back a duo that did not allow a single loss when taking a lead into the ninth in 2022.
New York Mets – Worst Move: Missing Out On Ohtani and Yamamoto
The Mets hoped that the two Japanese stars would pair with their fellow countryman Kodai Senga in New York, but it was not meant to be. Now the Mets are faced with a potentially difficult 2024, but should be ready to open the checkbook again next off-season for guys like Soto.
New York Yankees – Best Move: Trading For Juan Soto
Soto is a superstar who immediately levels the Yankees back up to divisional contenders. If he, Judge and Stanton all stay healthy this team will be a juggernaut.
New York Yankees – Worst Move: Not Signing Blake Snell
Bringing in Snell would put the Yankees in the upper tier of the MLB with the Dodgers, Braves and Astros. They’d have both of the reigning Cy Young winners on one team, which we don’t think has ever happened before. The rotation is decent as it is, but this would put the Yanks over the top.
Oakland Athletics – Best Move: Signing Miguel Andujar
Andujar bounced back from his Yankees woes last year putting up a solid season with the Pirates. In the low-pressure environment of the Athletics, he might be able to get his career back on track.
Oakland Athletics – Worst Move: Bungled Franchise Move
The A’s are trying to move to Vegas but that isn’t even 100% certain. They also don’t know where they’ll play in 2025. They’re even putting their TV contract in jeopardy by planning a temporary move out of the Bay Area.
Philadelphia Phillies – Best Move: Extending The Top Of The Rotation
The Phillies were able to extend both Wheeler and Nola, securing an elite one-two punch through 2027. Along with Harper being there for the better part of a decade, this makes Philly a pretty strong team for the foreseeable future.
Philadelphia Phillies – Worst Move: Missing Out On Yamamoto
The Phillies pretty aggressively went after the Japanese pitcher but couldn’t make it happen. That would have immediately made them a World Series hopeful, but they were then able to spend the money on Nola and Wheeler instead, so it’s not all bad.
Pittsburgh Pirates – Best Move: Extending Mitch Keller
The Pirates have had such bad pitching for so long, it’s a relief that they were able to retain a guy who shows promise like Keller. Hopefully, he can blossom into a true ace.
Pittsburgh Pirates – Worst Move: Not Signing Any New Pitchers
With some cheap free agent options on the board like Manaea and Severino, the Pirates could have beefed up their rotation to at least a base MLB level. Instead, they just decided to stay pat with their terrible staff from last year.
San Diego Padres – Best Move: Trading Juan Soto
This might be controversial, but the Padres saw the writing on the wall that they likely would not be able to compete this year in a difficult NL West, and got some value for Soto before his contract expired. Adding pieces like Michael King and Jhony Brito should make the team more secure in the future.
San Diego Padres – Worst Move: Losing Bob Melvin
Melvin walking away from the Giants is a blow to the culture of the team. It has to hurt that your manager specifically asked to leave to a team in the division, and it’s actually a little baffling that they let him do it. We’ll see what Mike Shildt can do in his place.
San Francisco Giants – Best Move: Signing Matt Chapman
Chapman was exactly the splash signing the franchise needed to get back in the playoff conversation. Before this, the Giants had flown under the radar with some good signings like Soler and Korean star Lee, but Chapman officially lays the marker down, that the Giants are back.
San Francisco Giants – Worst Move: Failing To Sign Ohtani And Yamamoto
Like a lot of teams on this list, being unable to change the franchise with these two Japanese stars is a huge blow. The Giants were able to recover and get other pieces, but still, missing these two after also missing Judge last year has to hurt.
Seattle Mariners – Best Move: Trading Robbie Ray
The Mariners needed MLB-level offensive talent and got it in Haniger by trading away the former Cy Young winner. It also frees up future payroll, as Ray was under a long-term contract. Ray will not even be on the field until at least the All-Star break due to Tommy John surgery, so it’s not even a negative in the short term. Right now their staff will be strong enough to take the hit as well.
Seattle Mariners – Worst Move: Trading Eugenio Suarez
The Marniers’ lineup is not strong enough to trade away one of their only power hitters for a pitcher who has never succeeded in the minors and a bad journeyman catcher.
St. Louis Cardinals – Best Move: Signing Sonny Gray
The Cardinals had an atrocious rotation last year and went out and got Sonny Gray to lead their new one this year. Lance Lynn and Kyle Hendricks will also fill in nicely behind him.
St. Louis Cardinals – Worst Move: Bringing Back Matt Carpenter
Carpenter is cooked. The Yankees thing was a fluke, and 2023 proved it. There’s no reason he should be on any MLB team, let alone one looking to compete like the Cardinals.
Tampa Bay Rays – Best Move: Trading For Jose Caballero
The Rays needed a quick replacement for Wander Franco and were able to get it from the Mariners in Caballero. Caballero came out to a quick start last year but ended up with a disappointing finish for the M’s. However, the Rays are good at developing young talent and could end up with a diamond in the rough here.
Tampa Bay Rays – Worst Move: Trading Tyler Glasnow
While getting Pepiot is big, the Rays need pitching this year with McClanahan out due to Tommy John surgery. The Rays have a strong side that should be able to compete, but without Glasnow it will be a lot tougher. They should probably have held out until the deadline and seen where the team was at.
Texas Rangers – Best Move: Signing David Robertson
Robertson is among the best relievers of the past decade or so. Adding him to the pen makes the defending champs that much stronger.
Texas Rangers – Worst Move: Letting Jordan Montgomery Go
With deGrom and Scherzer likely shelved for several months, the Rangers need pitching, ASAP. Bringing back Montgomery would be a nice solution here.
Toronto Blue Jays – Best Move: Bringing On Don Mattningly
Mattingly is great at getting the most out of young and talented players. This makes him an excellent candidate to take the Blue Jays to where they should be with their roster.
Toronto Blue Jays – Worst Move: Failing To Bring On Ohtani
The Blue Jays were apparently just a hair away from landing the Japanese superstar, with journalists even reporting the deal was done. Getting this close and failing is tough for the front office.
Washington Nationals – Best Move: Signing Nick Senzel
We have to say something is the best, and perhaps without the pressure of being a highly-rated prospect, he can bloom to his potential in Washington.
Washington Nationals – Worst Move: Failing To Sell The Team
With even the Royals selling for a billion dollars, it’s embarrassing that a franchise in the nation’s capital with a beautiful ballpark can’t get a deal done to sell their team. What’s going on here?
