The 2022 MLB offseason has been full of big deals and plenty of surprises. From some of the biggest contracts ever, to massive multi-year mega deals that will see some stars locked down for years.
We’re going to look at the teams who have won this offseason, and the teams who aren’t looking too hot.
Winners and losers of the 2022 MLB offseason so far
Winners
New York Yankees
As usual, the New York Yankees have looked very good this offseason. The Yankees management had one primary goal: re-sign MLB home run king Aaron Judge.
“When Aaron Judge and Carlos Rodón are both signed with the Yankees before Christmas,” – @ Jake Montgomery
That goal was met, albeit at a large cost, when the team penned a 9-year, $360 million contract with Judge earlier this season. Apart from that, the team was able to keep Anthony Rizzo and lock down stud pitcher Carlos Rodon.
New York Mets
Across the Hudson River, Steve A. Cohen’s New York Mets have also been busy. The team knows that they need to focus more on pitching. With a 3.61 ERA among starters last season, the Mets are already a good pitching team. However, with the addition of arms like Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana, we can expect the rotation to put forth an even better campaign in 2023.
Philadelphia Phillies
The final winners of the 2022 MLB offseason are the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies surprised almost everyone when they barreled their way into the 2022 World Series despite only getting into the playoffs as a Wild Card team.
“@treavturner is ready to rock the red pinstripes.” – @ MLB
However, Phillies management knew that the offense was an ingredient or two away from true dominance. This was addressed when the team signed shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year deal worth $300 million. Although the Turner acquisition comes at a large price, Turner may be just as indispensable as Bryce Harper very soon.
Losers
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox were in a bad spot when the 2022 season ended. The Red Sox hit 155 home runs last season, 31 of which were hit by JD Martinez and Xander Bogaerts, both of whom are poised to leave. Martinez decided to walk following the termination of his contract, while Bogaerts has signed a multi-year deal with the San Diego Padres. The Red Sox have made some moves in an attempt to mitigate the trauma of losing these two men, but these two key departures are sure to hurt the team significantly.
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are going through something of an identity crisis. The team has not won a playoff series since 2016, after winning 3 titles between 2010 and 2014.
“The Giants lock up Carlos Correa for 13 years” – @ Jomboy Media
The Giants made a huge splash in signing shortstop Carlos Correa to a massive 13-year deal worth $350 million. Although the deal has attracted a lot of fanfare, experts have assessed the deal as very risky and as good as Correa is, not many expect him to stick around for 13 seasons.
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics continue to be one of the saddest teams in baseball. Besides signing infielder Alemys Diaz to a 2-year deal worth $14.5 million, the team has not made many more moves, partially because they cannot afford to. The A’s finished with the second-lowest record in the MLB in 2022. Their best hitter in 2022 was Gold Glove catcher Sean Murphy, who now finds himself on the Braves by virtue of a trade the A’s have virtually nothing to show for.
.