The snow is thawing, the grass is green and players are in the best shape of their lives. The sounds of birds chirping and the welcomed sight of clouds parting confirm it: spring training is here, and baseball is officially back.
Technically, the offseason doesn’t end until Opening Day. But with the bulk of transactions over and done with, now felt like the right time to hand out our official offseason grades for all 30 clubs. We handed out midterm progress reports two months ago, but there’s been plenty of activity between then and now to shake things up.
As we inch closer and closer to actual, real-deal games returning, it’s time to check out the report cards. We’ll cover the National League today before hitting the American League on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Key acquisitions: OF Kyle Tucker (four years, $240 million), RP Edwin Díaz (three years, $69 million), SS Miguel Rojas (re-signed, one year, $5.5 million), RP Evan Phillips (re-signed, one year, $6.5 million), UT Kiké Hernández (one year, $4.5 million)
Key departures: SP Clayton Kershaw, RP Kirby Yates
There’s no overthinking this: the Dodgers were the offseason’s biggest winners. They looked at their two biggest weaknesses and threw money at them, landing Tucker and Diaz and sending the rest of the sport into a hand-wringing fest that hasn’t slowed up as spring training has begun. The defending champs are in full-blown villain mode.
Grade: A+
Chicago Cubs
Key acquisitions: 3B Alex Bregman (five years, $175 million), SP Edward Cabrera, SP Shota Imanaga (re-signed, one year, $22 million), RP Phil Maton (two years, $14.5 million), RP Hunter Harvey (one year, $6 million), RP Caleb Thielbar (re-signed, one year, $4.5 million), RP Hoby Milner (one year, $3.75 million)
Key departures: OF Kyle Tucker, RP Brad Keller, SP Michael Soroka, RP Drew Pomeranz, SP Aaron Civale, UT Willi Castro, 1B Carlos Santana
After returning to the postseason for the first time since 2020, Chicago wasted no time pushing more of its chips to the middle of the table. Despite letting Tucker walk, the Cubs bolstered their roster by giving Bregman the long-term deal he’d been seeking. More importantly, the team addressed its pitching staff by trading for Cabrera and re-signing Imanaga. The bullpen in particular got an infusion of impact arms, most notably Maton, who owns a 3.33 ERA over the past four seasons.
Grade: A
New York Mets
Key acquisitions: 3B Bo Bichette (three years, $126 million), SP Freddy Peralta, 2B Marcus Semien, CF Luis Robert Jr., RP Devin Williams (three years, $51 million), IF Jorge Polanco (two years, $40 million), RP Luke Weaver (two years, $22 million), RP Tobias Myers
Key departures: RP Edwin Díaz, 1B Pete Alonso, 2B Jeff McNeil, OF Brandon Nimmo, OF Cedric Mullins, RP Tyler Rogers, RP Gregory Soto, RP Ryan Helsley, IF Luisangel Acuña, SP Brandon Sproat, IF Jett Williams
A flurry of activity has resulted in quite the roster makeover in Queens, and as the dust settles, it’s hard not to come away with the conclusion that this version of the Mets is better than the one that flamed out last summer. The lineup is deeper and the pieces fit better defensively. Robert could end up being the biggest value pickup of the bunch—when he’s right, he’s a true two-way star, and at just 28 years old, he still has legitimate 30–30 potential and Gold Glove-caliber defense when healthy. New York will need Peralta to repeat his excellent 2025 form, and Williams to pitch more like the All-Star he was in Milwaukee.
Grade: A-
Pittsburgh Pirates
Key acquisitions: 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn (two years, $29 million), 2B Brandon Lowe, DH Marcell Ozuna (one year, $12 million), OF Jake Mangum, RP Gregory Soto (one year, $7.75 million), RP Mason Montgomery
Key departures: SP Mike Burrows, SP Johan Oviedo
The Pirates were linked to big names on the free agent market, and though they whiffed on guys like Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber, they did a nice job adding supplementary pieces. Lowe, O’Hearn and Ozuna should move Pittsburgh up from dead last in runs scored (where the team finished in 2025), and that might be all the support this talented pitching staff needs for this team to contend for a playoff spot.
Grade: B+
Atlanta Braves
Key acquisitions: RP Raisel Iglesias (re-signed, one year, $16 million), SS Ha-Seong Kim (re-signed, one year, $20 million), OF Mike Yastrzemski (two years, $23 million), RP Robert Suárez (three years, $45 million), IF Mauricio Dubón
Key departures: DH Marcell Ozuna, OF Jake Fraley, RP Pierce Johnson
Solely looking at Atlanta’s moves, the offseason has been a productive one. Fortifying the back end of the bullpen by re-signing Iglesias and adding Suárez was key, and the team added some position player depth with Yastrzemski and Dubón. That said, the hand injury to Kim was a blow, though not nearly as big as the elbow injury to Spencer Schwellenbach that landed him on the 60-day injured list. New manager Walt Weiss will have his hands full with keeping an already battered and bruised roster in the hunt for the NL East title.
Grade: B
Milwaukee Brewers
Key acquisitions: SP Brandon Woodruff (re-signed, one year, $22 million), SP Brandon Sproat, IF Jett Williams, SP Kyle Harrison, IF David Hamilton, C Gary Sánchez (one year, $1.75 million), IF Luis Rengifo (one year, $3.5 million)
Key departures: SP Freddy Peralta, IF Caleb Durbin, OF Isaac Collins, RP Tobias Myers, IF Andruw Monasterio, C Danny Jansen, SP José Quintana
The Brewers churned their roster once again, dealing away several key contributors from last year’s 97-win team. Losing Peralta, Durbin and Collins stings, but for an organization that’s made the postseason in seven of the last eight years, we’re at the point where we just assume they know what they’re doing. Of all the players Milwaukee got as trade returns, Harrison might be the most intriguing. The former top prospect hasn’t made it all click with San Francisco or Boston, but the Brewers tend to find ways of getting the most out of their promising arms.
Grade: B
Washington Nationals
Key acquisitions: SP Foster Griffin (one year, $5.5 million), C Harry Ford
Key departures: SP MacKenzie Gore, RP Jose A. Ferrer, 1B Josh Bell
The sea change is underway in the nation’s capital, with a flurry of trades—most notably the one that sent Gore to Texas for five prospects—setting the organization in a new direction. All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams seems primed to be the next big name to move. The Nationals clearly had a massive overhaul in mind when they brought in their new braintrust, and that’s exactly what they’re getting.
Grade: B
St. Louis Cardinals
Key acquisitions: SP Dustin May (one year, $12.5 million), RP Ryne Stanek (one year, $3.5 million), SP Richard Fitts, RP Hunter Dobbins
Key departures: SP Sonny Gray, 1B Willson Contreras, IF Brendan Donovan, 3B Nolan Arenado, SP Miles Mikolas
The Cardinals are in a full-blown rebuild, trading away veterans Gray, Contreras, Arenado and Donovan for prospects and salary relief. The moves open up playing time for the team’s young pieces, giving president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom a chance to see which of them will be building blocks for the franchise’s return to contention. St. Louis’s activity won’t add much to the team’s 2026 win total, which is clearly the point.
Grade: B
Miami Marlins
Key acquisitions: RP Pete Fairbanks (one year, $15 million), OF Christopher Morel (one year, $2 million), OF Owen Caissie, RP Chris Paddack (one year, $4 million)
Key departures: SP Edward Cabrera, SP Ryan Weathers
After watching him finally capitalize on his immense talent, the Marlins shipped Cabrera to the Cubs for a nice haul headlined by Caissie. Cabrera has three more years of team control and certainly could have helped Miami get back to the playoffs, but for a pitcher with a spotty health history, the team is betting that this was more of a sell-high move for a pitcher who had not topped 100 innings in his big-league career until last season. Adding closer Fairbanks on a one-year deal was a smart move, even if it ultimately only amounts to another trade chip come July.
Grade: B-
Cincinnati Reds
Key acquisitions: RP Emilio Pagán (re-signed, two years, $20 million), 3B Eugenio Suárez (one year, $15 million), RP Brock Burke, RP Caleb Ferguson (one year, $4.5 million), OF JJ Bleday (one year, $1.4 million), RP Pierce Johnson (one year, $6.5 million)
Key departures: IF Gavin Lux, SP Nick Martinez, OF Austin Hays, 3B/OF Miguel Andújar
Reuniting with Suárez on a one-year deal was a great move for the Reds, as was bringing Pagán back early in the offseason. The lineup still doesn’t look like it has enough thump to keep pace with the Cubs, and after sneaking into the playoffs a year ago, it would have been nice to see the front office be a little more aggressive in adding some more firepower.
Grade: C+
San Diego Padres
Key acquisitions: SP Michael King (re-signed, three years, $75 million), IF Sung Mun Song (four years, $15 million), SP Kyle Hart (re-signed, one year, $1.2 million), SP Germán Márquez (one year, $1.75 million), 3B/OF Miguel Andújar (one year, $4 million), OF Nick Castellanos
Key departures: RP Robert Suárez, SP Dylan Cease, 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn, 2B Luis Arráez
Losing Cease was a big blow, and made re-signing King a necessity. San Diego didn’t do enough to bolster its middle-of-the-pack offense, instead adding around the margins. Andujar is best used as the short side of a platoon, and Castellanos was at least worth a dart throw after his release by the Phillies. A healthy season from Jackson Merrill would likely have a bigger impact than any offseason acquisition could.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Phillies
Key acquisitions: DH Kyle Schwarber (re-signed, five years, $150 million), C J.T. Realmuto (re-signed, three years, $45 million), RP Brad Keller (two years, $22 million), OF Adolis García (one year, $10 million)
Key departures: SP Ranger Suárez, OF Harrison Bader, OF Nick Castellanos
Bringing Schwarber back carries Philadelphia’s grade, and re-signing Realmuto helps too. The García signing doesn’t move the needle much after he’s posted an 89 wRC+ over the past two seasons. The Phillies opted not to address their rotation, instead banking on a quick return to the mound from Zack Wheeler and a bounce-back season from Aaron Nola. If those two things develop, Philadelphia will once again be in position to win the division. If not, the team will regret not doing more to add to its veteran core.
Grade: C
San Francisco Giants
Key acquisitions: OF Harrison Bader (two years, $20.5 million), SP Adrian Houser (two years, $22 million), 2B Luis Arráez (one year, $12 million), SP Tyler Mahle (one year, $10 million), RP Jason Foley (one year, $2 million)
Key departures: SP Justin Verlander
Signing Bader was the best move of San Francisco’s offseason, as the team brought in an elite defensive center fielder but didn’t have to break the bank on a long-term contract for a player coming off a career year at the dish. How Arráez fits on the right side of the infield alongside first baseman and fellow subpar defender Rafael Devers is a bit of a head-scratcher, though, and the Giants could have stood to add an impact pitcher of a higher order than Houser and Mahle—neither pitcher has topped 125 innings in any of the past four years.
Grade: C
Colorado Rockies
Key acquisitions: IF Willi Castro (two years, $12.8 million), SP Michael Lorenzen (one year, $8 million), SP José Quintana (one year, $6 million), SP Tomoyuki Sugano (one year, $5.1 million), OF Jake McCarthy, 2B Edouard Julien
Key departures: SP Germán Márquez
The most impactful thing the Rockies did this offseason was hire Paul DePodesta to head up baseball operations. So far, the new front office’s most notable moves have been to add veteran pitchers who, while not projecting to be All-Stars, aren’t daunted at the challenge of pitching at Coors Field. Lorenzen, Quintana and Sugano should at least help Colorado do better than its (checks notes) 5.99 team ERA last season.
Grade: C
Arizona Diamondbacks
Key acquisitions: SP Merrill Kelly (two years, $40 million), SP Zac Gallen (re-signed, one year, $22 million), 3B Nolan Arenado, SP Michael Soroka (one year, $7.5 million), C James McCann (one year, $2.75 million), 1B Carlos Santana (one year, $2 million), RP Paul Sewald (one year, $1.5 million)
Key departures: OF Jake McCarthy, IF Blaze Alexander
For a team that ranked 23rd in ERA and 26th in strikeout rate last season, Arizona has not done enough to address its pitching staff. Bringing Gallen back on a one-year deal is a bet that he recovers his All-Star form, a tough bargain since he saw his strikeout rate drop for the third straight year. Otherwise, most of the moves the Diamondbacks made were around the margins, and they got bad news with Corbin Carroll’s hand injury that will likely make him begin the season on the injured list.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
- Padres Add Walker Buehler to Wave of Low-Risk Signings
- Aaron Judge Admits It Was ‘Brutal’ to Watch Yankees’ Offseason Unfold
- Trea Turner Admits Team USA Never Called Him About 2026 World Baseball Classic
- Winners, Losers and Question Marks of the MLB Offseason
This article was originally published on www.si.com as National League Offseason Grades: Dodgers, Cubs Earn High Marks.
