Analysis of the Best Plays for MLB Teams in 2025
With the general managers’ meetings underway and the MLB winter slowly beginning, a flurry of moves is coming before the end of the year. Many players will sign contracts, some trades will be made, and team rosters will change significantly. In this context, we analyze the best plays for each of the teams that could reach the playoffs in 2025.Each team has an opportunity to stand out, and the goal is to highlight the needs of each one, trying to predict the correct decisions. Some options are complex due to the budgets of each team.
Here are the best options for each team, starting with the current champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.Los Angeles Dodgers
2025 Results: 93-69, First place NL West, World Series Champions.The perfect transaction: The team that has it all (stars, rings, money) doesn’t need more. However, that’s not how the Dodgers operate. They are always looking for improvements, and this winter they are unlikely to come through a large financial expenditure. The most obvious option is to hope that the second time’s the charm by spending a lot of money on a closer after Tanner Scott’s disappointing performance this year. Sign free agent closer Edwin DÃaz.Toronto Blue Jays
2025 Results: 94-68, First place AL East, lost in the World Series
The perfect transaction: Even with several players from the team that led the Dodgers to the limit heading to free agency, Toronto returns with an excellent core that could use another important hitter, particularly if Bo Bichette leaves. Toronto has a lot of money, a locker room full of good vibes, a dream stadium for players, and the perfect opportunity for those who love big-city baseball without the typical pitfalls of New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. After trying to sign Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto without luck in recent years, this is the precise moment for the Blue Jays to make the most important move of the winter by giving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. his left-handed complement. Sign free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker.Seattle Mariners
2025 Results: 90-72, First place AL West, lost in the ALCSThe perfect transaction: Seattle found something very good in 2025, and although 60-home run seasons from catchers are black swan events, Cal Raleigh and Julio RodrÃguez, plus the Mariners’ rotation, are a tremendous base. With holes at first, second, and third base, Seattle enters the winter with a to-do list. As much as they want to reunite the band, the Mariners’ budget might not allow it. Which leaves them having to make a decision. And if that decision pits any of their players against each other, the choice is quite clear. Sign free agent first baseman Josh Naylor.Milwaukee Brewers
2025 Results: 98-64, First place NL Central, lost in the NLCSThe perfect transaction: The Brewers are notoriously frugal in the winter, rarely granting multi-year contracts and even less frequently awarding big-money deals. Their budget doesn’t allow them to operate in that market, so they need to be creative. The reality is that their perfect transaction would probably be to trade Freddy Peralta, a free agent who will likely be out of Milwaukee’s reach next offseason. But the Brewers, after recording the best record in MLB, should add, not subtract. And with a loaded farm system that is redundant in certain areas, they can showcase prospects and target high-level players, particularly with teams whose systems need depth as much as they need top-100 types. Trade for Washington’s lefty MacKenzie Gore.New York Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies
2025 Results: 96-66, First place NL East, lost in the NLDSThe perfect transaction: The Phillies have a minuscule needle to thread as they try to transition from the recent incarnation of excellence (but without a championship) to a new generation. And while re-signing Kyle Schwarber is clearly a priority, many other teams will also be in that market, due to the short-term contract he will demand. However, the Phillies don’t need to skimp. They need an impact bat for the middle of the lineup and an impact person to lead the next generation. Considering the work he did in Boston last season, one player fits the bill and offers precisely what the Phillies could use in every way. Sign free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.Detroit Tigers
2025 Results: 87-75, Second place in AL Central, lost in the ALDSThe perfect transaction: If the Tigers are not going to sign Tarik Skubal to a long-term extension, they have to consider trading him this winter. However, the asking price for one year of Skubal will surely be exorbitant, large enough that the best play for the Tigers is to push for this year. As good as Detroit’s farm system is (infielder Kevin McGonigle is going to be a star and could debut in 2026, with center fielder Max Clark and hitter Josue Briceño not far behind), adding a long-term impact bat in the middle of the order is never a bad idea. It turns out there’s one who can spend a year or two at shortstop if needed and then move to second base long-term. Sign free agent infielder Bo Bichette.Chicago Cubs
2025 Results: 92-70, Second place NL Central, lost in the NLDSThe perfect transaction: Even with Tucker’s expected departure, the Cubs still have a lot of power in their lineup. They will win or lose based on pitching, and their starting rotation needs help. The Cubs are not the type of team that leans towards paying pitchers for the years after their prime, and while that tends to be the kind of thing that is incompatible with free agency, it turns out that there is a 27-year-old player available this winter who won’t even cost a draft pick to sign. It’s just money, and since the Cubs don’t spend much of that (their current projected payroll is around $150 million), now seems like the right time to spend a little. Sign free agent right-hander Tatsuya Imai.San Diego Padres
2025 Results: 90-72, Second place NL West, lost in the NL wildcardThe perfect transaction: San Diego remains in financial limbo, limiting its options. However, the obvious area of need is rotation. Dylan Cease and Michael King are free agents. Yu Darvish will miss all of 2026 after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery. And a year after striking gold with Nick Pivetta, the Padres would love to do it again. The low-cost starter with the highest ceiling could be an unknown name, as he has spent the last four years in Asia, but the size and stuff are big. And whoever gets him could get the best return to the United States from Korea since Merrill Kelly. Sign free agent right-hander Cody Ponce.Boston Red Sox
2025 Results: 89-73, Third place AL East, lost in the AL wildcardThe perfect transaction: At last season’s trade deadline, the Red Sox believed they were close to getting Joe Ryan, an elite arm who had his best year for the Twins in 2025. As long as Red Sox ownership maintains financial restrictions on baseball boss Craig Breslow, he will need to be creative to improve a Red Sox team that is already quite good. Revisiting what was missed at the deadline is the easiest way to do it, and as much as the Twins say they want to win in 2026, they understand: now is the time to attack and negotiate with Boston for another front-line starter to pair with Garrett Crochet is the way to do it. Trade for Minnesota’s right-hander Joe Ryan.Cincinnati Reds
2025 Results: 83-79, Third place NL Central, lost in the NL wildcard
The perfect transaction: Currently, the Reds have a projected payroll of around $75 million. They have had end-of-year payrolls as high as $135 million. Even if Cincinnati has indicated that it does not plan to increase the payroll much above $116 million this year, there is room for a big change. And the fact that the Reds have an obvious need for offense and that the best available free agent hitter grew up on the outskirts of the city is screaming for the Reds to turn a deaf ear to prudence and overload a team with a lot of potential to compete. Will they do it? Probably not. They are the Reds. But it’s too obvious not to try to talk it into existence. Sign free agent designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.Cleveland Guardians
2025 Results: 88-74, First place AL Central, lost in the AL wildcardThe perfect transaction: Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Cleveland needs offense. And since the Guardians rarely dive significantly into the free agent market, that makes a trade a tempting option. Cleveland’s minor league system has a lot of talent, and few know it as well as Rob Cerfolio, the assistant general manager of the Cardinals who was formerly the Guardians’ farm director. As it happens, the Cardinals, who will spend the winter in trade mode, have a player who can handle second base until Travis Bazzana is ready and then shift to a corner outfielder or even spend some time at shortstop. Trade for St. Louis’ super utilityman Brendan Donovan.New York Mets
2025 Results: 83-79, Second place NL EastThe perfect transaction: The Mets have many options to recover from their collapse in 2025, and it starts with pitching. Bringing back Edwin DÃaz makes sense, yes, but the most pressing problem is in the rotation. As reluctant as baseball operations president David Stearns may be to sign starters to long-term contracts, the alternative is to delve into their farm system and trade them. And while that remains a possibility, one thing owner Steve Cohen has is money, and free agency is the optimal vehicle to use it. So, who better to pursue than the most consistent starter available to join a rotation that is anything but consistent? Sign left-handed free agent Framber Valdez.Baltimore Orioles
2025 Results: 75-87, last place AL EastThe perfect transaction: The Orioles collapsed this year, the consequence of a pitching staff that didn’t replace Corbin Burnes and still needs arms. With David Rubenstein entering his second season as owner, now is the time to open the checkbook and play in the sandbox of big arms. Baltimore is a few moves away from competing in the AL East, but those moves must be significant, not provisional. There is a clear top tier of starters with Tatsuya Imai, Framber Valdez and the pitcher the Orioles should sign, particularly if they don’t want to delve into their system as they did to acquire Burnes. Sign free agent right-hander Dylan Cease.San Francisco Giants
2025 Results: 81-81, Third place NL West
The perfect transaction: The Giants have many options. They have money to spend, and although their lineup is almost defined, their rotation and bullpen are constantly changing. San Francisco is among the most attractive pitcher’s parks in baseball, which is the kind of thing that plays at the top and bottom of the markets. For as many live arms as the Giants have in their bullpen, Randy Rodriguez’s Tommy John surgery leaves them thin enough in the back end that it makes sense to prioritize a reliable option in the ninth inning. And even if the best non-Diaz reliever in free agency struggled at times last season, his stuff didn’t regress, and the underlying numbers continue to say he’s elite. Sign free agent closer Devin Williams.Atlanta Braves
2025 Results: 76-86, Fourth place NL East
The perfect transaction: How aggressive the Braves plan to be this winter is one of the most important questions of the offseason. Like the Orioles, they hit rock bottom this year and are returning with a core that, with an adjustment here and there, could be championship caliber. Shortstop is the most obvious need for Atlanta, although beyond Bichette (whose defense there is marginal), there are few good options. Which leaves Atlanta needing to address the other of their deficiencies: pitching. The appearance of Hurston Waldrep shores up their potential rotation this season, but the back end of the bullpen is insufficient. The Braves have shown their willingness to spend on a closer, and for a team that could find itself in close games, the most valuable pitch among all relievers in 2025 is a good place to start. Sign free agent closer Robert Suarez.Kansas City Royals
2025 Results: 82-80, Third place AL Central
The perfect transaction: The Royals need bats to surround Bobby Witt Jr, Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel GarcÃa, Salvador Pérez and a couple of young hitters with immense promise, Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen. The outfield is a clear area of improvement, although Kyle Tucker is not going to pass and Cody Bellinger is an exaggeration. They could opt for Trent Grisham or bring back Mike Yastrzemski. However, the biggest impact could come through what they tried to do last year by trading for Jonathan India: get a second baseman with a high on-base percentage who can lead with professional at-bats, presumably with Version 2.0 of the idea working better than the first. Sign free agent second baseman Gleyber Torres.Houston Astros
2025 Results: 87-75, Second place AL WestThe perfect transaction: Following the acquisition of Carlos Correa, the Astros’ lineup is quite imposing, even if their outfield could use some power. Houston’s bullpen is deep enough that the shoulder capsule injury that sidelined Josh Hader for the last two months isn’t entirely debilitating. Starting pitching, on the other hand, is a problem. There are many options for the Astros, but owner Jim Crane’s reluctance to offer long-term deals could take them out of the running for the higher-end pitchers. Targeting one with high-end talent but coming off a 2025 plagued by injuries is the ideal way to get a ceiling outside of that paradigm. Sign free agent right-hander Michael King.Texas Rangers
2025 Results: 81-81, Third place AL West
The perfect transaction: The foundations of a very good team remain in Texas, and the Rangers’ need for offense remains acute. Texas could repeat what it has and hope things go more like in 2023 than in 2024 or 2025. Or the Rangers could be bold and look for a high-level bat. With their payroll probably below the competitive balance tax threshold, it’s a kind of juggling act that takes them out of Tucker and perhaps Schwarber. Diving into the relatively unknown, with a player who can help address the question marks in several places (third base, first base, DH) would be a perfectly reasonable, if not risky, solution. It’s also the best. Sign infielder Munetaka Murakami.Arizona Diamondbacks
2025 Results: 80-82, Fourth place NL West
The perfect transaction: The Diamondbacks’ core is enviable, with Corbin Carroll in the outfield and Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo up the middle. Arizona could trade Marte and consider a soft reset, or it can add to what it already has. As much as the instinct is to target pitching, and, without a doubt, the Diamondbacks need more of that, putting a hitter behind Perdomo, Marte, and Carroll to take advantage of the trio’s excellent on-base skills would give Arizona one of the most terrifying lineups in the NL. Since one particular hitter can play first base or as a DH, two areas of need for Arizona, the fit feels strong. Sign free agent first baseman Pete Alonso.Athletics
2025 Results: 76-86, Fourth place AL West
The perfect transaction: Nobody can question the A’s alignment. Anchored by rising star Nick Kurtz, with Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers, Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom and others, the A’s are really going to hit next year. Now they need pitching. Badly. Starters, relievers, whatever. While it’s not in the nature of owner John Fisher to spend on players, bringing in a high-contact, low-homer left-hander whose stuff would play even in the nightmare environment for pitchers in Sacramento would be the kind of move that could bring the A’s closer to their first playoff spot since 2020. Sign free agent left-hander Ranger Suarez.
