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Last season, De La Cruz totaled 25 home runs, 76 RBIs, an MLB-high 67 stolen bases and a .259/.339/.471 slash line, helping him earn All-Star honors. Furthermore, per Statcast, De La Cruz has finished in the top 6% in MLB in maximum exit velocity in each of the past two seasons and posted a 5.2 WAR in 2024.

On the other hand, De La Cruz, who made his MLB debut in 2023 and has 1,123 plate appearances under his belt, also led MLB with 218 strikeouts and 29 errors last season. Francona wants to see a more balanced version of De La Cruz, which could very well come with more reps.

“With young players, as they accumulate at-bats, they get to that 1,200; you see them grow,” Francona said. “The messaging is, ‘With good young players, the game slows down, but it doesn’t mean we play at a slower pace.’ It just makes it easier to make better decisions. That’s what we want to do. … it’s not just here, but everywhere, the good players get brought up quickly. But when you do that, you just have to be ready to be a little patient because there’s going to be some mistakes. They’re going to see stuff at the Major League level that they’ve never seen before. That’s just part of it.

“Sometimes, when you’re that ultra-talented, you can outrun maybe some of your mistakes in the Minor Leagues that you can not necessarily do here.”

After stepping down as manager of the Cleveland Guardians in October 2023 and indicating that he was retiring from coaching altogether, Francona ended his hiatus after one year, becoming the new manager of the team from the other side of Ohio, the Reds, in October; Cincinnati fired manager David Bell after six seasons.

The Guardians went a combined 921-757 in the regular season and 16-17 in the postseason, with four American League Central titles and one AL pennant, under Francona from 2013-23. Of course, Francona previously won two World Series (2004 and 2007) managing the Boston Red Sox from 2004-11, and he managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997-2000.

Francona inherits a highly talented Reds club, highlighted by its young positional core, which includes De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte and Tyler Stephenson, among others. The Reds are coming off a 77-85 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. 

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Here’s how the rest of Houston’s positional core fared post-2017:

SS Carlos Correa

Correa, a now three-time All-Star, played four more seasons with the Astros and was part of two more American League pennant-winning teams (2019 and 2021). In his last season with the Astros (2021), Correa led MLB position players with a 7.2 WAR and posted a career-high 20 DRS at shortstop. 

Correa signed with the Minnesota Twins after the MLB lockout in the 2021-22 offseason and then embarked on a historic offseason the ensuing year, which saw both a $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants and a $315 million deal with the New York Mets to play third base for the first time in his career get ripped up due to medical concerns over his ankle. Even more confounding, the Giants and Mets used the same doctor for the medical. In the end, Correa returned to the Twins on a six-year, $200 million deal, which is where he resides today.

OF George Springer

Springer continued to be one of the best all-around outfielders in the sport for the Astros through 2020, earning All-Star honors in 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, Springer is one of the best postseason players in franchise history, as he blasted a combined 19 long balls in 63 postseason appearances. 

Springer inked a six-year, $150 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2020-21 offseason. In Toronto, Springer, a two-time Silver Slugger and four-time All Star, continued to wreak havoc from the right side and play the outfield (primarily center field from 2021-22 and right field ever since) at a plausible level. That said, Springer has been limited by injuries, missing extensive time in 2021 and 2022 and hitting a career-low .220 in 2024.

1B Yuli Gurriel

Gurriel was a late bloomer, making his MLB debut at 31, but still a vital piece to the Astros’ success. Coming into his own and emerging as their starting first baseman in 2017, Gurriel became one of the hardest hitters in the sport to strikeout. Furthermore, he totaled 31 home runs and 104 RBIs when the Astros won the AL pennant in 2019 and led the AL with a .319 batting average in 2021, when the Astros also won the AL pennant. Gurriel played for the Astros through 2022, followed by one-year stints with the Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals. He’s currently a free agent.

OF Josh Reddick

Reddick was one of a handful of offseason pickups for the Astros in the 2016-17 offseason, inking a four-year, $52 million deal. The former Gold Glove outfielder’s best season at the plate with the Astros came in 2017, when he drove in 82 runs and hit .314. Reddick played out his contract with Houston from 2017-20, primarily serving as a stable force in right field. He last played in 2021 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

DH/C/OF Evan Gattis

Gattis spent the first two seasons of his career with the Atlanta Braves (2013-14) and the final four with the Astros (2015-18); he raked from start to finish. Across his four seasons with the Astros, Gattis averaged 24 home runs, 73 RBIs and a .245/.298/471 slash line per season. He provided Houston with a bearded, no-batting-glove power plug from the right side, who got low in his stance and crushed baseballs. 

Gattis hit the open market after the 2018 season, and never played again.

UT Marwin Gonzalez

Johnny Cash went everywhere, and Gonzalez played everywhere; Gonzalez started at all four infield positions and both corner outfield positions for the Astros from 2012-18. At the plate, Gonzalez peaked in his final two seasons with the Astros (2017-18), posting a career-best .907 OPS in 2017 and averaging 20 home runs, 79 RBIs and a .274/.349/.467 slash line per season. He spent the next two seasons with the Twins (2019-20), followed by a split 2021 season with the Red Sox and Astros and a one-year stint with the New York Yankees in 2022.

C Brian McCann

McCann, a six-time Silver Slugger and seven-time All-Star, gave Houston a veteran backstop and one of the best catchers of his generation in 2017, helping put them over the top. Logging 18 home runs and 62 RBIs and serving as their primary catcher in 2017, McCann was an effective veteran complement for the Astros’ offense and a sly veteran to engineer their pitching staff. McCann played two seasons with the Astros (2017-18) and then spent his final season with the Braves (2019), with whom the catcher spent the first nine seasons of his career.

OF/DH Carlos Beltran

Houston brought in Beltran on a one-year, $16 million deal to serve as a veteran mentor. While his role on the field diminished down the stretch, the two-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glover still totaled 14 home runs and 51 RBIs in what would be his final season as a player. 

Beltran later became a special advisor to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman for two years (2018-19) before being hired as the manager of the Mets, with whom he played for six-plus seasons. Beltran was fired by the Mets roughly two months after being hired in the wake of reports detailing his role in Houston’s illegal sign-stealing scandal.

OF Jake Marisnick

Marisinick provided a quality outfielder who likely could’ve started every day on plenty of teams; he was just in a great Houston outfield rotation, so his playing time was scattered. The Astros acquired Marisnick, who posted a career-best .815 OPS in 2017, from the Marlins in 2014, and he played for them through 2019. He has since played for seven teams and last appeared in an MLB game in 2023.

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While the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets are planning six-man rotations, Boone said the Yankees are unlikely to do so.

“Never say never. I don’t necessarily see us doing that,” Boone said. “Reality is we’re probably getting 10, 11 guys ready to be starters and who knows how many of them you’re going to have to use right away or at some point during the season?”

Stroman is to throw a bullpen on Saturday. Among the shorter pitchers in the major leagues at 5-foot-7, he spoke of his durability.

“How many people can stay healthy and do it 30-plus starts year after year and year, especially after being the one that they said could never do it at my size?” Stroman said.

Though the 33-year-old right-hander isn’t required to participate in spring training until Feb. 22, according to the collective bargaining agreement, most players arrive on the voluntary reporting date.

“I just felt like today was a good day to come,” Stroman said. “Valentine’s Day, I feel like the vibes are going to be proper. Everyone’s happy on this day.”

Stroman had spoken with Boone about the timing of his arrival.

“I don’t think there was a need for me to be here in the last few days given the climate,” Stroman said. “I talked to Boonie. We had a great conversation. Everything’s honestly perfect and seamless. And my relationship with the guys in the clubhouse hasn’t changed. So I feel great to be back and I’m ready to roll.”

Stroman is due an $18 million salary in the second season of a $37 million, two-year contract. He has a conditional player option for 2026 that would be triggered if he pitches at least 140 innings this year.

Stroman was 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA in his first season with the Yankees, making 29 starts and one relief appearance. He slumped to 0-3 with an 8.80 ERA in four September appearances and was left off the Division Series roster but added to the League Championship and World Series, though he didn’t pitch in any games.

He said he was willing to pitch in relief in October.

“Playoffs, there’s different roles. That calls for different — yeah, for you to be in different circumstances. I was completely fine with that,” he said. “But overall, I’m a starter. I’ve been doing this 10-plus years and, like I said, not many people do it at that level or can stay healthy at the level that I do to go out there and give 30-plus starts that I do pretty routinely.”

Stroman is 87-85 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 major league seasons.

“Glad he’s here today,” Boone said. “He really is in a good frame of mind and I think he’s ready to go physically, mentally. Even had a fun, good talk with him and a couple of our coaches in my office just catching up, too, today. So he’s ready to go, and it’s our job to help him get ready and, yeah, hopefully put it behind us.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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This contract became a risk the minute the A’s signed a middle-of-the-rotation starter with a troubling track record of injuries to the largest contract in franchise history. Maybe it’s a risk they had to take in order to lure a veteran with upside like Severino to an unstable organization in the first place, but it’s a little awkward when you realize the second-highest salary on the A’s 2025 payroll is left-hander Jeffrey Springs‘ $10.5 million contract. To sign anyone of significance, the A’s likely had to overpay for even a mid-rotation arm like Severino. 

Still, spending $22 million per year over the next three seasons on a starter with durability issues probably wasn’t the best way to improve the roster overall. Before last year’s renaissance, Severino threw just 209.1 innings across 40 starts from 2019 to 2023 due to multiple injuries, including Tommy John surgery. Things are trending better for the Dominican right-hander after he amassed 182 innings across 31 starts, including a shutout, for the Mets last year. However, his 3.91 ERA, 4.21 FIP and below-average strikeout rate last year made it clear he’s no longer the promising top-of-the-rotation starter that he was with the Yankees, even if the A’s are now paying him as such. 

Even beyond the uneasiness that Adames will be hitting in the homer-suppressing Oracle Park for the next seven years, there is some concern that Adames has already reached his high-water mark, when he posted a career year in a contract season in 2024. Before he hit a career-high 32 home runs for the Brewers in 2024, Adames was a below-average hitter in 2023, slashing .217/.310/.407 as he saw his offensive production decline. Even his defensive metrics, which were elite in 2023, dipped to just about average for shortstops last year. Adames’ has been up-and-down in the dirt throughout his career. 

Sure, the Giants needed a shortstop. But signing Adames isn’t enough to overhaul the offense, and their lineup still needs more punch to compete in the NL West. Adames is just 29 years old, so the start of his decline should still be a few years down the road, and it will be interesting to see how his power translates in his new home park. But it’s hard to ignore that the Giants seemingly gave Adames the largest contract in franchise history for his past performance and track record, while taking a gamble on his future. It’s fair to question whether the new Buster Posey-led front office could’ve spread out those funds to better revamp the roster. 

That being said, Adames has avoided major injury, has been excellent at posting throughout his career, and has been lauded for his clubhouse leadership throughout his stops in Tampa Bay and Milwaukee. Those factors somewhat justify the Giants’ long-term commitment, but his $28 AAV makes this a really risky investment. 

There is always some degree of risk for any team offering a long-term contract for the services of a star pitcher, as we saw this winter with not only Fried but Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell. The most important factor in pitcher commitments is health. But Fried’s deal with the Yankees is the riskiest among that trio for two reasons: his recent forearm injuries, and that extra year on his contract. The back-half of Fried’s contract has the potential to look ugly simply because eight years is a long time to give a southpaw on the wrong side of 30. Since the Yankees don’t shy away from adding years to lower the annual average value, the pressure is on Fried to perform (and stay healthy) in the front half of his contract. 

Fried is no stranger to the injured list across his eight MLB seasons, spending time on the shelf for both minor and major maladies. While forearm strain/inflammation sidelined him in each of the past two seasons, he’s also battled blisters on his pitching hand that have completely derailed some of his outings. The Yankees’ game plan for 2025 involves stacking the rotation, which is currently one of the deepest in baseball, in hopes of offsetting the loss of Juan Soto in the lineup. But Fried has to stay healthy the entire year, not just in time for the playoffs, in order for that plan to work. 

It cost John Henry $40 million, tied for the fourth-highest annual average value in baseball this year, but the pure exultation from the spend-at-all-costs quadrant of the fan base should be plenty worth it. Finally, the Red Sox improved their roster with a significant free-agent addition and, in doing so, reminded themselves that they’re still a big-market team.

Bregman, turning 31 next month, can enter free agency after every season of his three-year deal thanks to opt-outs, though it seems preposterous to believe he would walk away from the $40 million the Red Sox have agreed to give him annually. In the meantime, he can pad his stats at Fenway Park. Bregman has a lifetime 1.240 OPS and .375 batting average when he’s hitting in front of the Green Monster, which will perhaps offset his steady and concerning decline in on-base percentage since his most recent All-Star season in 2019. The risk for the Red Sox here is that, if Bregman’s offensive numbers continue to dip in Boston, they’ll still be on the hook for $80 million for 2026 and 2027, since he would have little reason to enter free agency unless he’s raking at the plate.

Another risk for the Red Sox is the roster implications. They’re floating the idea of Bregman playing second base, which makes little sense when his best value would be at the hot corner, where he won the Gold Glove award last year and served as a cornerstone third baseman for the Astros throughout their championship run. Bregman shifting to second, thus blocking the path of top prospect Kristian Campbell, would allow Rafael Devers to remain at third. But Devers ranked last in MLB in multiple fielding stats among all qualified third basemen last year. If the Red Sox are going full throttle, then they could go ahead and begin Devers’ seemingly inevitable long-term move to designated hitter and let Bregman take over at third to squeeze the most out of his value. 

Since the Red Sox are paying a premium for Bregman, they have to do more than just cross their fingers and hope it works out. They have to put Bregman, and the team, in the best position to succeed.

The Dodgers blew away even the highest of market expectations for Scott when they inked him to the fifth-highest total guarantee a reliever has ever earned in free agency — behind only Edwin Diaz, Josh Hader, Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen. His $18 million average annual value is the third-highest for a reliever. The bidding for Scott, the most coveted free-agent reliever in this year’s class, was so competitive that the Dodgers pushed the ceiling higher, but now they’ll be dealing with the risk. 

Scott can be extremely erratic. There are times when he looks like he has no idea where the strike zone is, but he often recovers by relying on his lethal combo of high-90s heat and a devastating upper-80s slider. His control issues prior to the 2023 season, particularly in his final year in Baltimore and his first season in Miami, led to alarming walk rates and self-inflicted damage in high-leverage situations. The left-hander has slightly reduced his walk rate since then, and we all remember his nasty strikeout against Shohei Ohtani in Game 3 of the NLDS last year, which is when he was at his best. But counting on Scott for the next four years to perform at that level while having a handle on his control issues — with only a two-year track record of doing so — is a huge ask at a premium price.  

1. Juan Soto, Mets: 15 years, $765 million

In the end, the Mets’ risks with Soto aren’t that complicated. For one, he needs to avoid catastrophic injury — but even then, with president of baseball operations David Stearns leading the brass, there is some assurance that there will be roster depth in a given season in case of that worst-case scenario. Plus, the 26-year-old Soto has played 150 games in each of MLB’s past five full seasons, making him one of the most durable athletes in the sport. 

Other than injury risk, Soto’s unspectacular glove and below-average baserunning could force him off a corner-outfield spot around the halfway point of this contract, which is not only the largest in baseball history but the longest. But the belief is that his keen eye and elite skill set at the plate will more than make up for any shortcomings on the other side of the ball. It’s possible, if not likely, that Soto will be unable to maintain a 6-8 WAR in the latter half of his deal, especially when he’s in his late 30s. But in order for the Mets to acquire a superstar slugger in his mid-20s, offering a player-friendly massive contract was standard operating procedure. 

The weight of Soto’s deal will continue to make it difficult for owner Steve Cohen to dip below the luxury-tax line, and that could impact the Mets’ overall approach in free agency, as we just saw with first baseman Pete Alonso struggling to land a long-term deal. At the same time, Cohen’s deep resources have made the Mets major players every winter since he bought the franchise. We’ll see if the rewards from Soto’s historical hitting aptitude outweighs the obvious risks of his contract

We’re only just now entering year one of his 15 years at $51 million per season, but for now, it looks like his well-rounded hitting aptitude far . 

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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Boone would not disclose Stroman’s reasoning. “I’m not going to speak for him,” the manager said.

Stroman, 87-85 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 major league seasons, is due an $18 million salary in the second season of a $37 million, two-year contract. He has a conditional player option for 2026 that would be triggered if he pitches at least 140 innings this year.

Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt are the Yankees’ top five starters.

Stroman was 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA in his first season with the Yankees, making 29 starts and one relief appearance. He slumped to 0-3 with an 8.80 ERA in four September appearances.

He was left off the Yankees’ division series roster but was added for the league championship and World Series, though he didn’t pitch in any games.

“Obviously, I want all our players here, clearly. That said, I am, again, comfortable with where he’s at physically and mentally,” Boone said. “He’s a prideful player. He’s a guy that’s had a great career where it’s a little bit of an awkward situation, obviously. But, so, of course I want him here and trying to keep nudging him to get here, but again, you also have to respect the fact that this is something that players are allowed to do. There is a mandatory date, and he’s choosing that right now.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Over the past seven years, Bregman has been worth the second-most wins above replacement among all MLB third basemen, behind only José Ramírez. He’s no longer producing the offensive numbers that made him a two-time All-Star, 7-9 WAR player and top-five MVP finisher in 2019 and 2020, but he remains one of the best players at his position. Bregman’s expert plate discipline and stout defense at the hot corner have helped him consistently remain a well above league-average hitter with 20-plus-homer pop and one of the better defensive third basemen in the sport, even at 30. Last year, he weathered a slow start at the plate to produce his third straight season with at least 4 WAR. His .768 OPS was the lowest mark of his career, and it was still 18% better than league average. 

It’s no surprise why he desired a contract north of $200 million this offseason. When that offer never came, he found a variety of other options at his table. He could have returned to Houston for six years and $156 million. He could have gone to Detroit, which reportedly offered the same number of years and $171 million. 

Or he could take the deal he got: a whopping $40 million per season with the ability to cash in again for more long-term stability at any point in the next three years, depending how his tenure in Boston goes. (The Cubs also reportedly offered $120 million but for four years, which Boston’s offer far surpassed.) 

Related: MLB’s 6 riskiest contracts of the 2025 offseason

Had deferrals not been included, a $40 million average annual value would have matched that of two-time MVP Aaron Judge for the sixth-highest AAV in baseball history, and trailing only Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani and Zack Wheeler among active players. (Ohtani’s heavily-deferred $70 million annual salary has a $46 million AAV for luxury-tax purposes). Even with the deferrals, it’s a lot of money for a 31-year-old infielder with moderate power whose chase rate increased and walk rate plummeted last season, lowering his on-base percentage to its lowest mark since his abbreviated debut season. 

There have been comparisons made between Bregman and Matt Chapman, another slick-fielding third baseman and Scott Boras client who was also entering his age-31 season when he signed a similarly structured, opt-out-laden deal with the Giants before the 2024 campaign. The big difference? Chapman cost just $54 million, more than half of what Bregman went for, before parlaying his success into the longer-term pact he initially sought. 

Perhaps a similar situation unfolds for Bregman. Regardless, it was well past time for the Red Sox to make this kind of bet. For the first time in years, Boston finally offered a bid enticing enough to attract a premier talent. And on a short-term deal, Bregman’s pull-side power and production should continue to play well with the Green Monster at Fenway Park, as it did with the Crawford Boxes at Daikin Park (formerly Minute Maid). 

It’s worth noting, too, that Bregman’s success in Houston was not just a result of home cooking. He has been just as good on the road throughout his career, and that’s especially true in Boston. In 21 games at Fenway Park, Bregman has a 1.240 OPS with seven home runs. 

What it means for the Red Sox 

There they are. 

You know, the Red Sox? That team that won four World Series in a 15-year span? That group that carried a top-five payroll every year throughout that stretch? Well, all right, they’re still not quite there, yet, but this is a lot closer to the “full-throttle” approach than Red Sox chairman Tom Werner had pledged the previous winter, when Boston’s biggest free-agent expenditure was two years and $38.2 million to Lucas Giolito. This is the start of a promise finally starting to be fulfilled. 

Since winning the World Series in 2018, the Red Sox have largely been irrelevant. Over the past six years, they’ve made the playoffs once. In that same stretch, Bregman has been the lifeblood of an Astros team that has gone to half of the past six Fall Classics. 

It’s possible Bregman is only in town for a year. If he pops off in Boston, he can opt out and test the market again. But the heft of his yearly salary could convince him to let the deal play out, especially if the Red Sox rebirth begins and spawns a longer-term offer. They had already made some intriguing moves this winter, adding Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Aroldis Chapman and Patrick Sandoval to a pitching staff that needed a boost. But Crochet, who’s still in arbitration, was acquired via trade and will make less than $4 million this year. Buehler signed a one-year pillow deal for the equivalent of the qualifying offer, attempting to reestablish his value after a down year that ended on another masterfully high note in a prosperous postseason. Chapman is 37 and Sandoval underwent Tommy John surgery last season. 

None of that was enough to really contend, not against the Yankees and Orioles, even as a plethora of highly regarded prospects are soon to debut. 

For the past two years, the Red Sox have started the season with a payroll outside the top 10 in baseball, a confounding reality for a frustrated fanbase that watched their team trade away Mookie Betts, unwilling to pay him what he was worth, only to then see him lead the Dodgers to two World Series championships over the past five years. They didn’t pay up to keep Xander Bogaerts, either, a decision that appears more prudent than the Betts one. Extending Rafael Devers before the 2023 season was a necessity to keep any semblance of star power in uniform long term. 

Perhaps they got spooked after giving out extensions of $215 million to David Price — the Dodgers’ willingness to take on his contract and get the Red Sox under the luxury-tax threshold was part of the Betts deal — in 2015 and $145 million to Chris Sale in 2019, then committing $140 million to Trevor Story before the 2022 season and $90 million to Masataka Yoshida after that year. They hadn’t doled out a nine-figure free-agent deal since. To make matters worse last year, they traded away the National League Cy Young Award winner (Sale) in return for a below replacement-level 23-year-old infielder (Vaughn Grissom). Even after their early work this winter, another jolt seemed necessary for a Boston team that had surpassed the luxury-tax threshold just once in the past five years. 

More specifically, the Red Sox needed a right-handed bat to balance out a lineup that featured the lefty bats of Devers, Jarren Duran, Triston Casas, Wilyer Abreu and Yoshida. It would help if that player could also man the middle infield. Prospects Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer aren’t far from making an impact, but the Red Sox ranked 23rd and 27th in wRC+ at shortstop and second base, respectively, last season. They needed some reliability and stability. 

Whether he ends up taking reps from Devers at third base or manning second base, Bregman provides more of a sure thing for the Boston infield both in the lineup and on the field, where it committed the second-most errors in baseball last season. The draft hit that the Red Sox absorbed by signing Bregman was mitigated when the Padres signed departing free-agent Nick Pivetta. Both players declined the qualifying offer from their previous clubs. 

The Red Sox could still use more relief help, but this is now a club that looks ready to contend again. 

What it means for the Astros 

A precarious, uncharted road ahead. 

Red Sox manager Alex Cora wasn’t the only person singing Bregman’s praises and touting his ability to impact an organization in multiple facets. A leader known for galvanizing his clubhouse throughout the Astros’ dynastic run, Bregman had such an influence in Houston that José Altuve made a public plea to the Astros’ ownership group to keep him, with the nine-time All-Star and former MVP even offering to switch positions to make it happen. 

Ultimately, it didn’t matter. The writing was on the wall in the middle of December, when the Astros traded 28-year-old three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker. The move not only demonstrated their unwillingness to pay what it would cost to keep one vital member of their championship core, but it also seemed to signal the end of the road with another. 

In came Isaac Paredes, the likely new third baseman, and new Astros top prospect Cam Smith, the potential third baseman of the future. They still entertained the idea of keeping Bregman and moving pieces around, but it never came to fruition. 

Now, the path forward in Houston looks as treacherous as it has at any point in the past decade. A team that includes Altuve, Yordan Álvarez and Christian Walker atop the lineup, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown in the rotation and Hader and Bryan Abreu in the bullpen should still contend for a division title, but this is not the same group that has made it to the ALCS seven of the past eight years. 

They weathered the loss of George Springer in 2021. They survived the departure of Carlos Correa in 2022, storming to a World Series championship. Without Tucker and Bregman, though, and with a farm system offering little to rely on coming up the ranks, how much longer can the most decorated chapter of Astros history continue? 

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 Twitter at @RowanKavner. 

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[Related: 2025 MLB free-agent signing tracker, trades: Red Sox land Alex Bregman on 3-year deal]

However, recent history favors the Dodgers’ roster after the team ended the Mets’ season in six games in the 2024 National League Championship Series. New York ultimately finished third in the NL East in 2024 with a record of 89-73, but that fact does not seem to be affecting Alvarez as he enters his third season in the league. 

Another fact not affecting the Venezuelan catcher is the Dodgers’ assembly of a superteam during the offseason, adding names like two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to an already deep roster that includes Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to name a few.  

But, the Mets weren’t passive this offseason as they also added strength to their roster with offseason acquisitions like outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal, and joins Alvarez and other heavy hitters like Francisco Lindor and Peter Alonso. 

Alvarez and the Mets will have their first opportunity to put his words into action when they face the Dodgers for the first time in a three-game series at Citi Field from May 23-25.

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This contract became a risk the minute the A’s signed a middle-of-the-rotation starter with a troubling track record of injuries to the largest contract in franchise history. Maybe it’s a risk they had to take in order to lure a veteran with upside like Severino to an unstable organization in the first place, but it’s a little awkward when you realize the second-highest salary on the A’s 2025 payroll is left-hander Jeffrey Springs‘ $10.5 million contract. To sign anyone of significance, the A’s likely had to overpay for even a mid-rotation arm like Severino. 

Still, spending $22 million per year over the next three seasons on a starter with durability issues probably wasn’t the best way to improve the roster overall. Before last year’s renaissance, Severino threw just 209.1 innings across 40 starts from 2019 to 2023 due to multiple injuries, including Tommy John surgery. Things are trending better for the Dominican right-hander after he amassed 182 innings across 31 starts, including a shutout, for the Mets last year. However, his 3.91 ERA, 4.21 FIP and below-average strikeout rate last year made it clear he’s no longer the promising top-of-the-rotation starter that he was with the Yankees, even if the A’s are now paying him as such. 

Even beyond the uneasiness that Adames will be hitting in the homer-suppressing Oracle Park for the next seven years, there is some concern that Adames has already reached his high-water mark, when he posted a career year in a contract season in 2024. Before he hit a career-high 32 home runs for the Brewers in 2024, Adames was a below-average hitter in 2023, slashing .217/.310/.407 as he saw his offensive production decline. Even his defensive metrics, which were elite in 2023, dipped to just about average for shortstops last year. Adames’ has been up-and-down in the dirt throughout his career. 

Sure, the Giants needed a shortstop. But signing Adames isn’t enough to overhaul the offense, and their lineup still needs more punch to compete in the NL West. Adames is just 29 years old, so the start of his decline should still be a few years down the road, and it will be interesting to see how his power translates in his new home park. But it’s hard to ignore that the Giants seemingly gave Adames the largest contract in franchise history for his past performance and track record, while taking a gamble on his future. It’s fair to question whether the new Buster Posey-led front office could’ve spread out those funds to better revamp the roster. 

That being said, Adames has avoided major injury, has been excellent at posting throughout his career, and has been lauded for his clubhouse leadership throughout his stops in Tampa Bay and Milwaukee. Those factors somewhat justify the Giants’ long-term commitment, but his $28 AAV makes this a really risky investment. 

There is always some degree of risk for any team offering a long-term contract for the services of a star pitcher, as we saw this winter with not only Fried but Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell. The most important factor in pitcher commitments is health. But Fried’s deal with the Yankees is the riskiest among that trio for two reasons: his recent forearm injuries, and that extra year on his contract. The back-half of Fried’s contract has the potential to look ugly simply because eight years is a long time to give a southpaw on the wrong side of 30. Since the Yankees don’t shy away from adding years to lower the annual average value, the pressure is on Fried to perform (and stay healthy) in the front half of his contract. 

Fried is no stranger to the injured list across his eight MLB seasons, spending time on the shelf for both minor and major maladies. While forearm strain/inflammation sidelined him in each of the past two seasons, he’s also battled blisters on his pitching hand that have completely derailed some of his outings. The Yankees’ game plan for 2025 involves stacking the rotation, which is currently one of the deepest in baseball, in hopes of offsetting the loss of Juan Soto in the lineup. But Fried has to stay healthy the entire year, not just in time for the playoffs, in order for that plan to work. 

It cost John Henry $40 million, tied for the fourth-highest annual average value in baseball this year, but the pure exultation from the spend-at-all-costs quadrant of the fan base should be plenty worth it. Finally, the Red Sox improved their roster with a significant free-agent addition and, in doing so, reminded themselves that they’re still a big-market team.

Bregman, turning 31 next month, can enter free agency after every season of his three-year deal thanks to opt-outs, though it seems preposterous to believe he would walk away from the $40 million the Red Sox have agreed to give him annually. In the meantime, he can pad his stats at Fenway Park. Bregman has a lifetime 1.240 OPS and .375 batting average when he’s hitting in front of the Green Monster, which will perhaps offset his steady and concerning decline in on-base percentage since his most recent All-Star season in 2019. The risk for the Red Sox here is that, if Bregman’s offensive numbers continue to dip in Boston, they’ll still be on the hook for $80 million for 2026 and 2027, since he would have little reason to enter free agency unless he’s raking at the plate.

Another risk for the Red Sox is the roster implications. They’re floating the idea of Bregman playing second base, which makes little sense when his best value would be at the hot corner, where he won the Gold Glove award last year and served as a cornerstone third baseman for the Astros throughout their championship run. Bregman shifting to second, thus blocking the path of top prospect Kristian Campbell, would allow Rafael Devers to remain at third. But Devers ranked last in MLB in multiple fielding stats among all qualified third basemen last year. If the Red Sox are going full throttle, then they could go ahead and begin Devers’ seemingly inevitable long-term move to designated hitter and let Bregman take over at third to squeeze the most out of his value. 

Since the Red Sox are paying a premium for Bregman, they have to do more than just cross their fingers and hope it works out. They have to put Bregman, and the team, in the best position to succeed.

The Dodgers blew away even the highest of market expectations for Scott when they inked him to the fifth-highest total guarantee a reliever has ever earned in free agency — behind only Edwin Diaz, Josh Hader, Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen. His $18 million average annual value is the third-highest for a reliever. The bidding for Scott, the most coveted free-agent reliever in this year’s class, was so competitive that the Dodgers pushed the ceiling higher, but now they’ll be dealing with the risk. 

Scott can be extremely erratic. There are times when he looks like he has no idea where the strike zone is, but he often recovers by relying on his lethal combo of high-90s heat and a devastating upper-80s slider. His control issues prior to the 2023 season, particularly in his final year in Baltimore and his first season in Miami, led to alarming walk rates and self-inflicted damage in high-leverage situations. The left-hander has slightly reduced his walk rate since then, and we all remember his nasty strikeout against Shohei Ohtani in Game 3 of the NLDS last year, which is when he was at his best. But counting on Scott for the next four years to perform at that level while having a handle on his control issues — with only a two-year track record of doing so — is a huge ask at a premium price.  

1. Juan Soto, Mets: 15 years, $765 million

In the end, the Mets’ risks with Soto aren’t that complicated. For one, he needs to avoid catastrophic injury — but even then, with president of baseball operations David Stearns leading the brass, there is some assurance that there will be roster depth in a given season in case of that worst-case scenario. Plus, the 26-year-old Soto has played 150 games in each of MLB’s past five full seasons, making him one of the most durable athletes in the sport. 

Other than injury risk, Soto’s unspectacular glove and below-average baserunning could force him off a corner-outfield spot around the halfway point of this contract, which is not only the largest in baseball history but the longest. But the belief is that his keen eye and elite skill set at the plate will more than make up for any shortcomings on the other side of the ball. It’s possible, if not likely, that Soto will be unable to maintain a 6-8 WAR in the latter half of his deal, especially when he’s in his late 30s. But in order for the Mets to acquire a superstar slugger in his mid-20s, offering a player-friendly massive contract was standard operating procedure. 

The weight of Soto’s deal will continue to make it difficult for owner Steve Cohen to dip below the luxury-tax line, and that could impact the Mets’ overall approach in free agency, as we just saw with first baseman Pete Alonso struggling to land a long-term deal. At the same time, Cohen’s deep resources have made the Mets major players every winter since he bought the franchise. We’ll see if the rewards from Soto’s historical hitting aptitude outweighs the obvious risks of his contract

We’re only just now entering year one of his 15 years at $51 million per season, but for now, it looks like his well-rounded hitting aptitude far . 

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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Let me start by stating the obvious: The Astros are not a better team now than they were last year with Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman. But there are reasons to believe Paredes can thrive in Houston, where it won’t take much for him to find the seats with his pull-side power. All 72 home runs of Paredes’ five-year career have gone to left or left-center, which made his stroke an odd and unproductive fit in his second half last year at Wrigley Field, which is 355 feet out to left. Houston’s more friendly confines for a right-handed hitter — it’s only 315 feet out to the Crawford Boxes in left field — are much more closely aligned with the dimensions that helped Paredes thrive in Tampa Bay. 

Over the past three years, no qualified right-handed hitter has pulled the ball more often than Paredes. Over the past two years, the only MLB player to pull more fly balls than Paredes is Marcus Semien. Paredes is not known for his hard contact — he has ranked in the bottom 6% in MLB in hard-hit rate each of the past two years — but Daikin (formerly Minute Maid) Park surrenders more home runs on poorly-hit balls than any venue in the majors. After launching 31 home runs for the Rays in 2023, Paredes hit just 19 last season in a year split between Tampa Bay and Chicago. Had he played all of his home games in Houston, however, he would have hit 26. Paredes’ terrific plate discipline combined with the right venue to take advantage of his high launch angle could lead to a productive 2025. 

4. OF/DH Randal Grichuk: re-signed with Diamondbacks for one year, $5 million (plus 2026 mutual option)

Once Jurickson Profar went off the board, it was pretty much down to platoon options for outfield-needy teams still looking for help on the market in February. That the Diamondbacks managed to get Grichuk for $5 million guaranteed — he’ll technically make $2 million next season with a $5 million mutual option for 2026 that includes a $3 million buyout and can earn another $500,000 in incentives — at a time when other contenders like the Royals could have really used the outfield pop is another boon for an Arizona team that shocked the league earlier this winter by winning the Burnes sweepstakes. 

Grichuk thrived in a part-time role last season in Arizona after returning from right ankle surgery, playing both corner outfield spots and partnering with Joc Pederson as the right-handed hitting platoon in the D-backs’ designated hitter spot. Seeing most of his time against left-handed pitching, Grichuk posted the highest wRC+ and the lowest strikeout rate of his career, hitting 39% better than league average. He also recorded the highest hard-hit percentage of his career while finishing the 2024 season with an .875 OPS in 279 plate appearances. By bWAR, it was the 32-year-old’s best season (by bWAR) since 2018 in Toronto. 

Grichuk might not provide the same overall value as the top outfield options on the board, but for a team that lost both Christian Walker and Pederson from the highest-scoring offense in baseball, Grichuk’s addition is the latest example of the D-backs nonetheless finding ways to position themselves well for a return trip to the postseason after missing out on the dance in 2024 with 89 wins. Grichuk should help them in a similar role this year, balancing out their outfield and possibly platooning at DH again with the left-handed-hitting Pavin Smith. 

Maybe it’s because the Phillies’ rotation was already stacked, or maybe it’s because this deal came a day after Josh Naylor was traded to the Diamondbacks and Paul Goldschmidt signed with the Yankees, and a day before Walker Buehler signed with the Red Sox, but it feels like Luzardo going to the Phillies for two lower-level prospects hasn’t received the attention it deserves.  Luzardo, who started Game 1 of a wild-card series in 2023, won’t be a free agent until 2027 and is set to make just a tick over $6 million in 2025. When you consider the price for elite arms this winter — the AAV for Fried, Burnes and Snell ranged between $27-33 million — this looks like a well-calculated, economical bet to add a potential impact arm. 

Like others on this list, injuries certainly played a role in stifling his value. But this is also a 27-year-old who ranked 12th in strikeout rate among all starters who threw at least 200 innings between the 2022-23 seasons. For now, all indications are that Luzardo is over the stress reaction in his back that ended his 2024 season early.  If he can find his 2023 form, before back and elbow issues limited him to a 5.00 ERA over 12 starts last season, this could be a huge get and looks worth the risk for a Phillies team with depth around him (and more coming with top pitching prospect Andrew Painter on the way). On paper, it’ll be tough for any team’s rotation to compete with the arms in Los Angeles. But with a healthy Luzardo in the fold, the Phillies could make an argument. 

2. 2B Gleyber Torres: signed with Tigers for one year, $15 million 

This offseason, one year and $15 million could get you a starting pitcher over the age of 36 or a 28-year-old two-time All-Star who was just the leadoff hitter for the AL champs. I like the odds of the latter making a bigger impact. Justin Verlander, Charlie Morton and Alex Cobb all signed for the same price as Torres, which goes to show just how much Torres’ stock had fallen after a disappointing contract year in the Bronx that saw him hit around league average with a medley of baserunning gaffes and defensive lapses, one of which set up Freddie Freeman’s iconic walk-off in Game 1 of the World Series. But it also represents the kind of bargain that could be on the Tigers’ hands if Torres can build on his strong second half and play to his capabilities on a pillow contract before he tests the market again.

After a dreadful start to the 2024 season, Torres took off after the break. With the Yankees looking for an offensive spark, Torres was thrust into the leadoff spot in late August and began to look a lot more like the 3-4 WAR player he was in his previous two years in New York. While he might not ever fulfill the lofty expectations set upon him after launching 62 home runs his first two seasons in the league as a two-time All-Star by the age of 22, he can still be a highly productive offensive piece. He should immediately help a Detroit team that desperately needed another right-handed bat to balance out its young, lefty-heavy lineup. Even if Torres doesn’t mash 25 home runs, his plate discipline will benefit a Tigers group that had a bottom-10 offense last year. The lower-stress environment could bring the best out of a motivated Torres as he seeks to use this year in Detroit as a launching pad. 

1. SP Shane Bieber: re-signed with Guardians for two years, $26 million (with opt-out)

When Bieber came out of the gates firing in 2024 with 20 strikeouts in 12 scoreless innings over his first two starts, two things seemed clear: This was not the same version of the pitcher whose strikeout rate had taken a continual nosedive in the years following his 2020 Cy Young season, and the Guardians ought to enjoy the little time they had left with him atop their rotation. It seemed certain that the 2024 season would be Bieber’s last in Cleveland, given the ownership group’s unwillingness to up the payroll. But against all odds, Bieber will be donning a Cleveland jersey again, at least for the 2025 season. Those couple of imposing outings to begin the year were the only ones Bieber made before he needed Tommy John surgery in April. The recovery will likely last into the middle of this upcoming season. 

It was brutal timing for Bieber as the two-time All-Star readied for free agency, but it presented an opportunity for the Guardians, who are paying him just $10 million for whatever he can provide in 2025. If his recovery lasts longer than anticipated, or he’s not able to bounce back to form, Bieber has a $16 million player option for 2026 that includes a $4 million buyout. So, this deal will amount to either $14 million for one season or $26 million for two. Either way, it’s a significant win for a Cleveland rotation that needs the help after amassing a 4.40 ERA as a group last season. Bieber doesn’t turn 30 until May, and the $26 million the Guardians guaranteed him over two seasons is about the same amount that Nathan Eovaldi (entering his age-35 season) and Sean Manaea (entering his age-33 season) will be getting every year for the next three seasons on the deals they signed this winter. If Bieber can get anywhere close to what he looked like at the start of last season, either down the stretch in 2025 or in a prove-it year in 2026, he could be a massive difference-maker pitching at an equally massive discount.

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 Twitter at @RowanKavner. 

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Manager Dave Roberts has already said that Ohtani won’t throw in Tokyo for the season opener against the Chicago Cubs on March 18-19. But the skipper is hopeful that the pitcher’s return to the mound would be “sooner than later.”

[Related: Shohei Ohtani looks ‘really strong,’ could make pitching return in May for Dodgers]

Ohtani said he’s been throwing his usual arsenal of pitches during flat ground workouts, mixing in his sweeper for the first time on Wednesday.

“I’m very satisfied overall with my throwing,” Ohtani said. “Was able to throw with pretty good intensity. It’s a little cold today, but I was able to get my work done.”

Ohtani is also recovering from a partially torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, an injury sustained while sliding into second base during the World Series. The 30-year-old has been able to take swings during spring workouts but for now has a “limited range of motion.”

“I do feel like there’s some discomfort that I have to overcome,” Ohtani said. “It’s not really debilitating. I feel pretty good almost getting to where I want it to be.”

Ohtani played 159 of 162 games last season as the team’s designated hitter, but Roberts said there might be more days off when he’s back to being a two-way player.

“I’ll let the team dictate that,” Ohtani said. “I do want to play as many games as possible, but if the team feels I need a break, I’ll follow that.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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