Kyle Schwarber is staying in Philly. Bo Bichette is heading to Queens. And Kyle Tucker is joining the stacked Dodgers team looking for a three-peat.
Some of baseball’s biggest offseason free agents have settled in, but there are ways for teams to upgrade before camp begins. Starters Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell and Max Scherzer remain unsigned. And there’s always the possibility of an intriguing trade, as the Mariners did by acquiring All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan or the Rangers demonstrated by with starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore
The 2026 season draws nearer, with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in less than two weeks. Here’s one question for every team before the start of spring training:
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Baltimore Orioles: After a busy offseason of upgrades, are they still an ace short?
President of baseball operations Mike Elias has made meaningful moves this offseason to upgrade the roster after finishing last in the AL East in 2025. They have their new slugger in Pete Alonso, their new closer in Ryan Helsley, a new corner outfielder in Taylor Ward and more rotation depth with the trade for Shane Baz and re-signing of Zach Eflin. This has the look of a team that could bounce back quickly and make noise in the AL East. But the Orioles also dealt away Grayson Rodriguez and are coming off a year in which their starters ranked 24th in ERA. Could there still be one more big move ahead to pair an ace with the new-look group?
Boston Red Sox: Will they trade from their outfield surplus after whiffing on Alex Bregman?
After the Red Sox traded away eight more years of Rafael Devers to make Bregman the answer at third base in 2025, it seemed like there was no way the Red Sox would let him slip away in free agency. But that’s what happened. They’re still a talented group capable of winning the always challenging AL East, but it’s shocking that they’re now entering the 2026 season with neither Devers nor Bregman at third base. Meanwhile, there’s an outfield logjam Roman Anthony’s not going anywhere, but they also have Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu. Could one of them be on the move to help acquire an infield bat?
New York Yankees: Awaiting key returners, how does the pitching staff shape up?
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The Yankees’ biggest offseason task — bringing back Cody Bellinger — is finally complete. Otherwise, though, it’s been a quiet winter in the Bronx, especially in comparison to the rest of the AL East. The season may come down to how Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt look upon their return from injury — and how the young starters, including new addition Ryan Weathers, hold down the fort until that trio is back up and running. Four of the six relievers who threw the most innings for them last year (Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Mark Leiter Jr., Ian Hamilton) are now in different uniforms, so a reliable rotation will be especially important.
Tampa Bay Rays: Is 2026 a transition year?
After five straight trips to the postseason, the Rays saw a 19-win reduction from 2023 (99 wins) to 2024 (80). Last year ended even worse — 77-85 — marking their lowest win total since the 2016 season. As is often the case in Tampa, this winter has been about thinking toward the future, and they’ve again replenished their typically formidable farm system. But there might be more pain before prosperity. It’s hard to imagine the additions of Gavin Lux, Cedric Mullins, Jacob Melton, Jake Fraley and Steven Matz will offset the losses of Brandon Lowe, Shane Baz, Josh Lowe, Pete Fairbanks, Mason Montgomery, Jake Mangum, Kameron Misner, Christopher Morel and Adrian Houser in the short term. Still, the Rays often find a way to be competitive, and a healthy Shane McClanahan could go a long way.
Toronto Blue Jays: Can the offense make another World Series run without Bichette?
The Blue Jays will be one of the winners of the offseason for the upgrades they made to the pitching staff, but missing out on Kyle Tucker and watching homegrown standout Bo Bichette depart for Queens still stings. Almost everything went right for Toronto last season, with a horde of contributors taking huge leaps forward and George Springer turning back the clock. Can they count on that happening again without Bichette in the lineup? A bounceback year from right fielder Anthony Santander would go a long way.
Chicago White Sox: What exactly do they have in NPB star Munetaka Murakami?
The biggest surprise of the offseason might be the two-year, $34 million deal that Murakami signed with the White Sox. Entering his age-26 debut MLB season, after launching 246 home runs in eight NPB seasons, he was projected by many to get a nine-figure contract. Will Murakami’s prodigious power in Japan translate stateside? Or will his high strikeout rate be too problematic? Either way, it was a low-risk, high-reward decision for a White Sox squad that is starting to compile an interesting core in its rebuild, and he’ll be one of the most fascinating players to watch in 2026.
Cleveland Guardians: Where does the offense come from?
Jose Ramirez is now a Guardian for life, and that’s no small accomplishment, but this offseason has been far too quiet for an offense that needed upgrades. After a miraculous late-season charge, the Guardians won the division for the second straight year. But they did so with a lineup that ranked exactly 29th in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Ramírez and Kyle Manzardo were the only players who hit above league average. There’s a lot riding on the development of a young lineup (and top prospects Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana) to try to help Cleveland take the next step.
Detroit Tigers: What happens with Tarik Skubal?
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It’s the question that lingered all offseason, and it’s the question that’ll continue into 2026 if he doesn’t get dealt before the start of the year. With an arbitration hearing for the ages due up soon, we’re about to find out if he’ll make $19 million or $32 million this year. We’re about to see how much the process peeves him. It’s a tremendously wide chasm, and if it ends up being the former number, that could open the door for more teams to try to pursue him.
Kansas City Royals: Can Lane Thomas, Isaac Collins and Kameron Misner help fix the longstanding outfield woes?
Kansas City outfielders ranked dead last in wRC+ last year. It’s been an all-too-common theme. Their outfielders have ranked in the bottom five in OPS for three straight seasons. Rather than go all in on a more sure thing, the Royals shopped on the margins to try to upgrade the group. They traded for Collins, who at one point was in the Rookie of the Year mix as a 28-year-old last year, and Misner, who’s known more for his defense and speed than his bat. They signed Thomas, who was limited to 39 games last season and struggled mightily while on the field, hoping for a bounceback season on a one-year, $5.25 million deal. But to get where they want to go, they’ll need a big jump forward from 2024 first-round pick Jac Caglianone. Perhaps moving the walls in will help.
Minnesota Twins: Who’s pitching in leverage after last winter’s bullpen exodus?
While questions remain about the long-term future in Minnesota for starters Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez, a lot of questions also loom once those pitchers leave the game. Relievers Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart, Danny Coulombe, Randy Dobnak were all dealt away at last year’s trade deadline, and that’s not even including Chris Paddack, who was only a starter for the Twins before serving in a dual role in Detroit in the second half. The only relief additions the Twins have made to backfill those losses this winter are Taylor Rogers and Eric Orze.
Athletics: Is there enough pitching to become a playoff threat?
Another year, same question. Last year, they were a popular pick as a surprise contender. The offense lived up to the billing. The lineup ranked eighth in OPS, and Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson became the ninth pair of teammates ever to finish in the top two in Rookie of the Year voting. But the pitching was a problem (27th in ERA, 25th in WHIP, 20th in strikeouts), and it’s hard to see that changing in a meaningful way after a quiet offseason.
Houston Astros: How do they handle the infield logjam?
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Isaac Paredes was an All-Star last year in Houston, but a hamstring injury before the deadline prompted the Astros to reunite with Carlos Correa. Jeremy Pena is coming off an All-Star season last year at shortstop, so Correa can’t bump over there. Meanwhile, they have Jose Altuve at second and spent $60 million on first baseman Christian Walker last offseason. That means there’s five infielders for four spots, and it’s unlikely they’d like any of them taking regular DH at-bats as they try to keep Yordan Alvarez as healthy as possible. Will one of them get traded before Opening Day?
Los Angeles Angels: How many of these reclamation projects actually pan out?
The Angels have hardly spent this winter, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been inactive. They’ve utilized a shotgun approach, taking a bunch of fliers on once highly-regarded prospects who have yet to reach their potential (Grayson Rodriguez, Vaughn Grissom, Josh Lowe) and veterans trying to find their way again (Jordan Romano, Kirby Yates, Alek Manoah). The payroll is significantly down from last year — their largest free-agent purchase so far is Yates for $5 million — and it still feels like they could add to their rotation with one of the remaining players on the market (Zac Gallen? Chris Bassitt?) to add some semblance of stability.
Seattle Mariners: How will the offense look without Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco?
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After re-signing first baseman Josh Naylor in November and adding reliever Jose Ferrer and lefty masher Rob Refsnyder in December, it was quiet for months in Seattle. That was a bit surprising, especially considering the infield vacancies after losing Jorge Polanco to the Mets and Suárez to the Reds. Barring another move, it looked like they might be preparing for a youth movement with 25-year-old Ben Williamson at third base and 22-year-old Cole Young at second, at least until 20-year-old top prospect Colt Emerson was ready. But a trade for a versatile infielder always made sense, and they reportedly got it done this week with a deal in place for the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan. He’ll offer a different look for Seattle. Donovan won’t replace the power of Suárez or Polanco, but he’s a consistently above-average hitter who rarely swings and misses. That should be helpful for a Mariners lineup that has ranked in the top three in strikeouts each of the last three years.
Texas Rangers: Can the young players take the next step?
Remember when the Rangers’ offense tore its way through October to win a championship? Well, that was three years ago now, and the offensive production has taken a nosedive since. In fact, the Rangers have fielded one of the worst lineups in baseball over the last two years, a group that ranks 27th in OPS over that time. The big move to acquire MacKenzie Gore could make this rotation one of the best in baseball if healthy (a big if), but the success of the season will still come down to how the lineup performs and how Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter, Josh Jung and Josh Smith continue to develop. Another leap forward for starters Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker wouldn’t hurt, either.
Atlanta Braves: Was last year’s struggle just a blip?
It was just three seasons ago that the Braves’ offense was not just the best in baseball but historically good. Since then? Not so much. They ranked 12th in OPS in 2024 and 13th in 2025. Ozzie Albies has been a below league-average hitter for two straight years. Michael Harris II has trended the wrong direction offensively since winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2022. So has Austin Riley, though not as dramatically, and he has been limited by injury. That was the story for much of the roster in a lost 2025 season. It might just take a cleaner bill of health for the Braves to bounce back after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
New York Mets: How quickly will all the new pieces mesh?
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A good reminder not to judge an offseason in December, president of baseball operations David Stearns has spent the past few weeks cooking after disassembling the team’s longtime core. Gone are Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Jeff McNeil and more. In are Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., Devin Williams, Luke Weaver and more. Suddenly, a winter that looked like a disaster now has the Mets in position to bounce back in a major way. Will they go from missing the playoffs to winning the NL East?
Miami Marlins: Who’s starting games in 2026?
A 79-win season far outpaced expectations in the Marlins’ rebuild last year. Outfield breakouts from Kyle Stowers (.912 OPS) and Jakob Marsee (.841 OPS) in limited samples provided optimism for the future. That group added another intriguing young talent this winter in Owen Caissie from the Cubs, but that move required parting with starter Edward Cabrera after a year in which the Marlins rotation ranked 26th in ERA. Weeks later, the Marlins dealt further from their starting group when they sent Ryan Weathers to the Yankees for prospects. It’s possible the Marlins could still field a competitive rotation headlined by Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, but it’s also possible that Alcantara is the next veteran arm to go as Miami prioritizes adding more bats to the farm. If that happens, or if Max Meyer and Braxton Garrett aren’t healthy coming off season-ending surgeries, top pitching prospects Thomas White and Robby Snelling could enter the mix.
Philadelphia Phillies: How much of an impact do Justin Crawford and Adolis Garcia make in the outfield?
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It’s a bit surprising the Phillies let Harrison Bader go to the Giants for two years and $20.5 million, considering what he meant to the team down the stretch last year (he hit .305 after getting traded from Minnesota to Philadelphia). Perhaps they misjudged his market, but they pounced early on García in the middle of December — giving him almost the same salary in 2026 as Bader eventually received — and clearly think highly of Crawford, their top outfield prospect who could be patrolling center field on Opening Day. How those decisions pan out will be crucial, considering the rest of the position player group from last year remains the same.
Washington Nationals: What’s next in the development of 23-year-old All-Star James Wood?
The moves made by new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni this winter suggests the team is thinking much further down the line than competing in 2026. After getting a bevy of prospects for MacKenzie Gore, it’s possible they could do the same for CJ Abrams if they get the right offer. One of the only sure things in Washington: Wood will be an integral part of the next phase of Nationals baseball. He can absolutely mash, as evidenced by his 31 home runs and elite quality of contact as a 22-year-old last year, and he also stole 15 bases last year. But he’s also prone to swing and miss at an alarming rate — he was two strikeouts away from tying an MLB record — and has work to do defensively in the outfield. If he can improve upon those areas, there’s MVP-level upside.
Chicago Cubs: Is this the year they overtake the Brewers?
The Brewers have won the NL Central three straight years and four of the last five years, but Chicago’s additions of Alex Bregman, Edward Cabrera and a slew of relievers have the Cubs in as good a position as they’ve been over the last five years to win their first division title since the shortened 2020 season. They’ve been busy this offseason, but another move could still be on the horizon following the Bregman deal with Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw both capable of playing second base.
Cincinnati Reds: Does Elly De La Cruz take the next step?
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The Reds whiffed on Kyle Schwarber and have done little since to try to upgrade a pedestrian offense. That makes the development of the multi-talented De La Cruz even more essential. He was an All-Star last year, but the switch-hitter struggled from the right side of the plate and tailed off mightily after the break, ultimately hitting just 9% better than league average. We found out afterward that he was playing through a nagging quad strain down the stretch, which might explain the dip. There’s obviously a ton of untapped upside here, and the Reds will need him to find it if they want to make noise in 2026.
Milwaukee Brewers: How do they fill out the rotation after trading Freddy Peralta?
Sure, it’d be nice if they’d actually spend more money to build more of a threat in October, but we do this song and dance every year: The Brewers trade one of their soon-to-be-expensive big-league standouts, we question how they can possibly keep getting away with this, and then go and win the division with 90-plus victories. Doubt them at your own peril. This winter it was Peralta’s turn to find a new home. The Brewers still have plenty of internal options behind him, particularly after giving Brandon Woodruff the qualifying offer, though they may still want to add another veteran arm to the young group.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Are the offensive upgrades enough to make a meaningful leap forward?
Don’t get it twisted: The Pirates are still among the lower payroll clubs, but there is at least reason to be a bit more hopeful about their team’s chances in 2026 after general manager Ben Cherington operated in a way he hadn’t in recent winters to try to fix an abysmal offense. They added Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Jhostynxon Garcia via trade and Ryan O’Hearn for two years and $29 million. That’s not going to make them an offensive force — they ranked in the bottom 10 in every slash-line category last year — but all the lineup has to do is be competent, given the strength of their pitching staff, to imagine better days ahead.
St. Louis Cardinals: How quickly does top prospect JJ Wetherholt make his mark?
The rebuild is in full effect under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, who has dealt away Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan this winter to acquire more pitching prospects. Last year was the second time in the last three seasons that their starters ranked in the bottom three in strikeouts, and it might get worse before it gets better after trading Gray. But Wetherholt could provide reason to watch this year in St. Louis. The versatile infielder will be a non-roster invite at spring training and could have a chance to break camp with the big-league club after recording a .931 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A last year.
Arizona Diamondbacks: How do they fix their bullpen?
Speaking of the 2023 World Series, remember when the Diamondbacks were there? That’s their only playoff appearance over the last eight seasons. The biggest problem during last year’s fourth-place finish was the pitching staff — and specifically a bullpen that ranked in the bottom five in MLB in ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, opponents’ average and blown saves. The D-backs have patched up the rotation by bringing back Merrill Kelly and signing Michael Soroka, but adding Taylor Clarke doesn’t seem like enough to fix the dreadful bullpen, especially with Justin Martinez and AJ Puk both likely to miss most of the upcoming season. Perhaps more is still ahead.
Colorado Rockies: What changes under new leadership?
OK, so the Rockies aren’t going to go from one of the worst seasons in modern baseball history to a contender anytime soon. But after cleaning house, it’ll be interesting to see how much improvement they make under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes. In the short-term, they’re hoping bounceback seasons from free-agent additions Willi Castro, Jake McCarthy and Edouard Julien — who were all below replacement level players last year — and the addition of an experienced arm in Michael Lorenzen can help field a more competent product. When you win 43 games, there’s nowhere to look but up, right? …Right?
Los Angeles Dodgers: Will the roster’s age get in the way of a three-peat?
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The Dodgers are, rightfully, the favorites to win it all again. The biggest obstacle to a three-peat, beyond the randomness of October, might be their age. Freddie Freeman will be 37 before the postseason starts. Max Muncy is 35. Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez are both entering their age-33 seasons coming off down years offensively. Before the Kyle Tucker signing, Andy Pages was the only everyday player on the team still in his 20s. The roster’s loaded enough that it probably won’t matter, but the Tucker addition is an important one both in the present and as a bridge to their promising future.
San Diego Padres: Do they take a big swing?
After some major deadline moves, the Padres won 90 games and fell just three games short of the Dodgers in the NL West. Maybe they consider deadline acquisitions Mason Miller and Ramon Laureano additions for 2026, but it’s been a quiet winter. Having Miller makes the loss of closer Robert Suarez more manageable, but questions still loom in the infield and the rotation after losing Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn. Perhaps president of baseball operations AJ Preller still has something else up his sleeve.
San Francisco Giants: Does the Tony Vitello project work?
There were a plethora of interesting manager hires this cycle but none more groundbreaking than the Giants’ move to hire Vitello away from the University of Tennessee. In an attempt to upgrade the roster this winter, the San Francisco front office provided Vitello with more rotation options (Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser), better outfield defense (Harrison Bader) and, just weeks before players report to camp, the reigning NL hits leader (Luis Arraéz). Will that be enough to start Vitello on the right foot, or is a bigger swing still ahead for president of baseball operations Buster Posey?
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.
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