The Hot Stove took a while to get going, but there isn’t a team in baseball that hasn’t added someone this winter. In fact, they’ve probably added more than you realize.
So, today at The Thirty, we take a look at the biggest addition for every team since the end of the 2020 season (and this list doesn’t include players who’ve re-signed with their club). It had been a quieter and slower start to the offseason than we all might have liked. But there have been more than enough moves to keep the uniform stitchers busy.
Blue Jays: George Springer, CF
Free-agent deal: 6 years, $150 million
The Blue Jays have made it clear that they are all-in, right now. Springer solves all sorts of issues for them … and he might just make them co-favorites in the AL East.
Orioles: Freddy Galvis, SS/2B
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $1.5 million
Galvis is the sort of low-risk, potential high-reward veteran the Orioles are combing about for these days. It’s weird that Galvis, once a heralded prospect, is the oldest guy in this lineup by three years.
Rays: Michael Wacha, RHP
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $3 million
The 2013 postseason was a long time ago, but the Rays tend to know what they’re doing with pitchers.
Red Sox: Garrett Richards, RHP
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $10 million
The Red Sox have a desperate need for starting pitching, and Richards is an intriguing opening salvo.
Yankees: Corey Kluber, RHP
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $11 million
It’s possible that Kluber can’t bounce back from his injuries and ends up being a bust. It’s also possible that the Yankees just got themselves the No. 2 starter they’ve been looking for.
Indians: Eddie Rosario, OF
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $8 million
One of two Rosarios that Cleveland brought in this year, he’s the one who fills one of those outfield spots. (Amed, the other Rosario, could end up filling another one.)
Royals: Carlos Santana, DH/1B
Free-agent deal: 2 years, $17.5 million
Many were surprised by the Royals’ procuring of Santana, but he’s the on-base guy they’ve very much needed.
Tigers: Robbie Grossman, OF
Free-agent deal: 2 years, $10 million
The Tigers will take any bat they can get, and Grossman would have had the team’s best on-base percentage last year by a substantial amount.
Twins: Andrelton Simmons, SS
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $10.5 million
The Twins needed a shortstop in a bad way, and they got the game’s best defensive one. But can he hit at all anymore?
White Sox: Lance Lynn, RHP
Acquired via trade from Indians
Lynn has been underrated in St. Louis, New York and Texas. If the White Sox can win the AL Central, he will again be a very much underrated reason why.
Angels: José Quintana, LHP
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $8 million
The left-hander is a nice little addition, but you can’t blame Angels fans for maybe hoping for a little more this offseason.
Athletics: Elvis Andrus, SS
Acquired in trade with Rangers
Fun fact: Andrus has more at-bats against the A’s than any other team. His numbers are noticeably worse against them than his career numbers are: .274/.330/.372 overall, .246/.295/.347 against Oakland. You’d probably rather hit Rangers pitching than A’s pitching, yes?
Astros: Jason Castro, C
Free-agent deal: 2 years, $7 million
Five years away from Houston were apparently enough for the veteran backstop.
Mariners: Rafael Montero, RHP
Acquired in trade with Rangers
The Mariners have some nice momentum, but they still feel far enough away that “adding a closer” doesn’t quite seem like enough.
Rangers: David Dahl, OF
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $2.7 million
It was a little confusing that the Rockies let Dahl go so easily, but the Rangers were happy to be the beneficiaries.
Braves: Charlie Morton, RHP
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $15 million
Morton finds his way back to Georgia (he was drafted by the Braves in 2002), with his career having taken all sorts of turns in the last decade. He might be at his best now.
Marlins: Anthony Bass, RHP
Free-agent deal: 2 years, $5 million
The Marlins clearly wanted to improve their bullpen; they brought in Adam Cimber, Ross Detwiler, Paul Campbell and Zach Pop as well.
Mets: Francisco Lindor, SS
Acquired via trade with Indians
You might have missed this, but Lindor plays for the Mets now. Doesn’t matter who else they signed this winter, he’s the biggest star they’ve got.
Nationals: Josh Bell, 1B
Acquired via trade with Pirates
Lots of veterans coming to Washington this year, but Bell sure looks like the guy with the highest upside.
Phillies: Archie Bradley, RHP
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $6 million
The biggest Phillies addition, of course, was making sure they didn’t lose J.T. Realmuto.
Brewers: Kolten Wong, 2B
Free-agent deal: 2 years, $18 million
The Brewers have gotten a good look at Wong his entire career in St. Louis. He solves all sorts of defensive problems for them, and he’ll love getting a crack at St. Louis 18 times year.
Cardinals: Nolan Arenado, 3B
Acquired via trade with Rockies
The Cardinals, after years of trying, finally got their man.
Cubs: Joc Pederson, OF
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $7 million
The Cubs may run into some platoon issues, but Pederson is going to hit many, many homers into that scoreboard in right field.
Pirates: Wil Crowe, RHP
Acquired via trade with Nationals
It is probably going to be a long year in Pittsburgh. But you knew that.
Reds: Sean Doolittle, LHP
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $1.5 million
His last year in Washington was a rough one, but it didn’t stop Nationals fans from loving him anyway.
D-backs: Joakim Soria, RHP
Free-agent deal: 1 year, $3.5 million
The D-backs have been very quiet this offseason, but with all the problems they have to fix, closer was certainly one of them.
Dodgers: Trevor Bauer, RHP
Free-agent deal: 3 years, $102 million
The Dodgers won 106 games in 2019 and went out and traded for Mookie Betts in the offseason. Did you think winning a World Series would make them suddenly idle?
Giants: Tommy La Stella, INF
Free-agent deal: 3 years, $18.75 million
Yet another sneaky-good addition for a Giants team that has a knack for getting the best out of veterans.
Padres: Blake Snell, LHP
Acquired via trade with Rays
Yu Darvish could obviously be the choice here as well. For what it’s worth, for a lot of teams, Joe Musgrove would have been their top offseason addition.
Rockies: Austin Gomber, LHP
Acquired via trade with Cardinals
Well … you know, they do have Austin Gomber now.