Offseason-rocking moves -- and what they mean

25.03.2025, 13:33 espn.com

The opening week of the 2025 MLB season is upon us -- on the heels of a chaos-packed offseason.

Not long after the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their 2024 World Series title, they made the first big strike of the offseason, landing a two-time Cy Young winner -- and that was just the start for Los Angeles. But the Dodgers weren't the only ones keeping the hot stove warm in a winter that had a little bit of everything -- from a $765 million contract to lure a superstar across New York City boroughs to a pair of aces signing record nine-figure deals. And the offseason drama continued well into spring training, with two top sluggers finally signing after camps opened.

Whether you are just realizing that Alex Bregman left Houston for the Boston Red Sox or the Dodgers signed ... well, it felt like just about everyone -- or you know all the moves that went down and still aren't quite sure what to make of them, we've got you covered for Opening Day on Thursday.

ESPN baseball experts Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield break down the moves that rocked the offseason, what they mean for the teams that made them -- and how they'll shape the season ahead.

Gene Wang/Getty Images

Date of the deal: Nov. 26 -- Dodgers sign Snell to $182 million deal

What it means for the Dodgers: The Dodgers began the offseason with one clear target in mind -- not Juan Soto, but Blake Snell. They had just won the World Series, but they did so despite an injury-ravaged starting rotation that required them to stage bullpen games on multiple occasions throughout October. They needed some certainty at the top of their pitching staff, and Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner they almost signed when his market collapsed last offseason, was seen as an ideal fit.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman engaged with Snell's agent, Scott Boras, at the start of November, and it ultimately took some creativity to come together on a deal that satisfied both parties. They settled on a five-year, $182 million contract that included $66 million in deferred salary but also a $52 million signing bonus.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Snell spent the past two years pitching for the Dodgers' biggest division rivals, dominating for the San Diego Padres in 2023 and, after an abbreviated spring training, putting together a masterful second half for the San Francisco Giants in 2024. Snell's presence on the Dodgers, when coupled with another massive move later in the winter, would give them a rotation that is just about as dominant as their lineup -- and it would set the tone for another blockbuster offseason.

Dominoes: Boras was coming off a rocky offseason in which four of his biggest clients -- Snell, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery -- didn't sign until well into spring training. Boras chalked it up to a bad market replete with unwilling spenders, and Snell's signing showed that this offseason -- another one in which Boras would represent some of the best players available -- might be different. It also helped trigger a run of exorbitant starting-pitching contracts over the next three weeks. -- Gonzalez

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Date of the deal: Dec.7 -- Adames joins Giants on 7-year deal

What it means for the Giants: The Giants began the offseason with a glaring need at shortstop, and Willy Adames was the best player available at that position. It was really that simple -- and the Giants acted as such, chasing Adames aggressively and signing him before the start of baseball's winter meetings.

How Buster Posey -- future Hall of Famer turned team president -- plans to rebuild the Giants. Alden Gonzalez »

The Adames signing represented the first major free agent addition under Buster Posey, the iconic Giants catcher who shockingly stepped in as the new president of baseball operations shortly after the 2024 regular season. Adames landed a seven-year, $182 million contract that set a new franchise record -- breaking the $167 million extension Posey himself signed nearly a dozen years earlier.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The Giants had been having a tough time attracting star players to San Francisco. And though Adames isn't as big a name as Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge or Bryce Harper -- stars who recently spurned them to sign elsewhere -- his arrival represents a shift in tone for a front office group that, under Posey, wants the Giants to get back to being the type of organization a community will rally around.

Dominoes: The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays had all been linked, to varying degrees, to Adames. He represented a natural pivot if they could not land Juan Soto for those teams. But they needed to wait on Soto first. The Giants knew this. It triggered their aggression. And it eventually prompted the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays to get even more creative than they hoped. -- Gonzalez

Rich Storry/Getty Images

Date of the deal: Dec. 8 -- Soto joins Mets on 15-year deal

What it means for the Mets: The Mets' interest in Juan Soto was a poorly kept secret -- pursuing the superstar outfielder was central to their long-term plans since Steve Cohen hired David Stearns to run baseball operations in 2023. Landing him, however, was monumental for the franchise.

First, on the field, Soto is possibly the best hitter in the world. His consistency is unmatched. His floor sits stories above most of his peers' ceilings. He will mash hitting behind Francisco Lindor in a lineup that should rank among baseball's best.

But the move was about more than just Soto's on-field impact. It signaled that the Mets really will be different with Cohen in control. Not only did the Mets sign the most sought-after free agent in over two decades to the richest contract in professional sports history (15 years, $765 million with the potential for the compensation to reach $805 million), they signed him away from the Yankees and beat them for his signature. The Yankees are still the top team in New York. But the Mets are ready to compete for championships and the city's top spot.

Baseball is back! Check out the game's biggest stars as a new season begins.

3 p.m. ET on ESPN: Brewers-Yankees7 p.m. ET on ESPN: Tigers-Dodgers

How it will shape the 2025 season: The outlook in Queens changed as soon as Soto signed on the dotted line. A year ago, the Mets were projected as a fringe playoff team before exceeding expectations with a magical summer. Signing Soto meant just reaching the postseason is no longer enough -- and that the Mets had more work to do.

Dominoes: Soto's decision opened the offseason's floodgates -- for the four other finalists to land him and several other clubs. The Yankees were forced to turn to Plan B and beyond, prompting a series of moves in December. The Red Sox also spent money elsewhere and the Blue Jays tried to. The Dodgers, the fifth finalist for Soto ... well, the Dodgers just kept spending money.

Beyond this winter, though, Soto's record-setting contract set the market for future high-profile free agents in his age range. The first test case will be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is expected to reach free agency next winter at 26 after turning down a $500 million extension offer (with deferrals) from the Blue Jays last month. -- Castillo

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Date of the deal: Dec. 10 -- Fried, Yankees reach 8-year, $218 million deal

What it means for the Yankees: The Yankees had money to spend and choices to make once Juan Soto spurned them for the Mets. The most obvious need was replacing Soto's offensive production, but they opted to bolster their biggest strength for their first move of the post-Soto era by investing heavily in another frontline starter.

After missing out on Blake Snell and not fitting Corbin Burnes' preference to join a club with spring training in Arizona, the Yankees set their sights on Max Fried. He became the third starter in the past six offseasons whom the Yankees have signed to a long-term deal after Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.

The signing for eight years and $218 million gave New York arguably the best starting rotation in baseball -- a fivesome rounded out by Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. The starting rotation lifted the Yankees to the American League East title in 2024. They determined it would make for the best strategy moving forward for 2025 and beyond.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The starting rotation became more formidable with a two-time All-Star with a 3.07 career ERA across eight seasons. And the move proved even more crucial for 2025 than initially believed when Cole's elbow started barking again. Losing Cole for the entire season means Fried will begin 2025 as the club's No. 1 starter. Fried has dealt with forearm injuries the past two seasons. Staying healthy will be imperative for a rotation also without Gil for at least three months to start the season.

Dominoes: The Yankees beat out their rival Red Sox for Fried's services, prompting Boston to turn to another ace in the trade market the very next day and leaving Burnes as the only ace-level starter left on the free agent market. But Fried doesn't hit, and the Yankees needed to improve the lineup. They addressed that before the end of the month. -- Castillo

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Date of the deal: Dec. 11 -- Boston lands Garrett Crochet for prospects

What it means for the Red Sox: The Red Sox haven't really had an ace since Chris Sale blew out his elbow back in 2019, but after losing out on Snell and Fried, they used their prospect depth to acquire Garrett Crochet, coming off a big season for the White Sox.

The Boston rotation was pretty solid in 2024, ranking seventh in the majors in ERA, although it was just middle of the pack in innings (16th) and strikeout rate (15th). In his first season starting, Crochet made 32 starts and pitched 146 innings (the White Sox limited his innings the final two months) -- and, most