Biggest Offseason Needs For All 30 MLB Teams

Now that the Milwaukee Brewers proved to be MLB's best team behind flame-throwin' ace Jacob Misiorowski and bazooka-blastin' World Series MVP William Contreras, we can turn our attention to what should be a pivotal offseason. All 30 teams will have things to address this winter, some more than others. Whether you're the mighty Brewers, the revenge-seeking Los Angeles Dodgers, or a slew of AL contenders like the Tampa Bay Rays or New York Yankees, each team has one glaring issue to tackle before Opening Day. Let's break it all down: AL EAST The lineup was a disappointment last year, but it’s easier to envision that group being better in 2026 (a bounceback from Gunnar Henderson, a healthier year for Jordan Westburg, etc.) than it is to see their rotation being good enough to contend in the AL East as currently constructed. Shane Baz, Kyle Bradish and Brandon Young are fine pieces to fill out a rotation, and top pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson provides plenty of intrigue, but they need another top dog if Trevor Rogers doesn’t accept his qualifying offer. The Yankees probably should have done more at the deadline to address their bullpen, but their relievers in October combined to allow just one earned run in 15.2 innings. Their problem was an offense that looked anemic in the ALDS (.431 OPS) without Aaron Judge, and now that group is losing Jazz Chisholm Jr. to free agency. Outside of first base, there are a lot of questions about the offensive production of this infield. They need another reliable bat. The addition of Liam Hicks at the deadline was an important one. But even with the offensive upgrade at catcher, the difference in lineup depth between the Rays and Brewers in the World Series was glaring. The Nos. 7-9 hitters in Tampa Bay’s lineup went 6-for-49 with one RBI in the series. Overall, in the postseason, the Rays’ lineup produced a .584 OPS — a staggeringly low number for a World Series team. Tampa Bay needs more offensive depth if it wants to finally end its title drought. The Blue Jays’ offense regressed in astonishing fashion, going from fourth in runs scored in 2025 to last in 2026. Their on-base percentage dropped from the highest in MLB in 2025 to 26th in 2026, and they produced the lowest hard-hit rate in MLB. There’s a lot of work to be done to get this lineup back on track (starting with fixing Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), but at least one more big bat feels like a necessity. AL CENTRAL How does this group take the next step after a resurgent 2026 season? Start with upgrading the rotation. The White Sox, who were forced to get creative in the playoffs to account for their starting pitching concerns, now have an offseason to remedy their biggest issue. They can feel good about Sean Burke after a breakout 2026 season, but the questions start immediately after that. Davis Martin had a strong argument to be an All-Star but regressed significantly in the second half. The deadline move for Luis Castillo was a mess, but maybe an offseason can get him right again. Rookie Hagen Smith starred in relief and could take a leap forward as a starter next year. Still, they need another proven starter (or two). New year, same story. The Guardians, largely, were relying on their young hitters to fix their powerless lineup in 2026, and while there are obvious reasons to get excited about Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana, the emergence of their rookies wasn’t enough — especially with Jose Ramirez not having a typical Ramirez season. Cleveland recognized its need to improve offensively at the trade deadline by adding Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe, and while Adell is still under team control in 2027, more needs to be done to upgrade an offense that finished 26th in OPS and 27th in home runs and slugging percentage. The Tigers had the same number of saves (32) as blown saves (32), and they declined their option on Kenley Jansen, who has now become a free agent. They should be active in free agency to add at least another bat and a starter after trading Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize at the deadline, but they also need someone they can rely upon to miss bats late in games. David Bednar, Adrian Morejon, Raisel Iglesias and Bryan Abreu would be among the many reasonable fits. Their bullpen ranked 29th in ERA and 30th in strikeouts and WHIP, so that’s a clear area of need. But how much longer can the Royals continue going without making more of a concerted effort to improve their outfield? Their moves on the margins last offseason didn’t work. In the 11 years since they won a World Series, the best their outfielders have ranked in OPS is 21st (and 22nd in wRC+). The Twins will either need to bring Ryan Jeffers back or find a way to replace his offensive production with another impact bat. But their biggest problem area, even after adding relievers at the trade deadline, is the bullpen. They haven’t backfilled the losses from their 2025 deadline selloff and will need to do more work to patch up a bullpen that ranked 26th in ERA and 24th in strikeout-to-walk ratio. AL WEST No mystery here. Their offense underperformed last year, but their starters had a 5.61 ERA and their relievers had an MLB-worst 5.43 ERA. It’s not going to be easy to convince difference-making arms to go to Sacramento, but the A’s have to open up the checkbook and try. They have their new general manager in Randy Flores. They still need a manager, too. But, perhaps even more importantly, they need to fix their roster. There’s still a logjam in the infield, there’s still not much help on the farm to supplement the aging core, and the needs in the outfield and rotation are still glaring. Their outfielders had the lowest OPS in the American League, and if they want to keep Yordan Alvarez off his feet, that position group needs to be addressed. There’s a new ownership group coming in, but until the other 29 owners give final approval, a roster overhaul might have to wait a bit. Whenever that ownership approval happens, Stan Kroenke has a chance to make a splash — be it at general manager, manager, in free agency or all three — and announce with authority that there’s a new direction in Anaheim. Hiring the right person to lead them into the future will be vital. There’s a lot to fix here, particularly with a lineup that had the highest strikeout rate and lowest OPS in MLB, but there is finally hope. Time to show why. After hiring Jason Kanzler as their new manager, their first order of business is done. Now, they need to figure out how to ensure last season’s embarrassing 76-win season was only a blip. For starters, they need to improve an offense that ranked last in the majors against left-handed pitching. Their best hitter against lefties, Randy Arozarena, is now a free agent. A right-handed corner outfielder feels like a must for this lefty-heavy lineup — whether it’s Arozarena or someone else. All-Star Jacob Latz was a revelation at closer, but that was one of the only positives for the Rangers’ bullpen, which ranked 23rd in ERA and 26th in strikeout rate and will once again need to be rebuilt with a number of key contributors no longer under contract. NL EAST Veteran southpaw Chris Sale and right-handers Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder represent the only three arms the Braves can say, with certainty, will be a part of their Opening Day rotation. Other, far less dependable internal options include right-handers Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Didier Fuentes and AJ Smith-Shawver. They all have concerns ranging from effectiveness, workload, health and innings. Atlanta needs to externally add a starting pitcher with high upside, either through free agency or trade. Free-agent right-handers Freddy Peralta or Michael King could be good fits. Miami, after finishing third in the division, has more going for it than people might assume. Right-handers Sandy Alcántara and Eury Perez anchor a strong rotation when healthy, and All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez and second baseman Xavier Edwards give the infield some life. What’s missing is a true middle-of-the-order slugger. Left fielder Heriberto Hernandez hit 25 homers and first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers has power, but neither is a premier masher. Landing a big bat would likely require more spending than the Marlins usually do, though it’s possible president of baseball operations Peter Bendix could get creative on the trade market. You can argue that the Mets already have an ace on their starting-pitching staff with right-hander Nolan McLean, but president of baseball operations David Stearns already made that mistake heading into their disastrous 2026 season, and he’s extremely unlikely to put all his faith there again. That being said, their young trio of arms is promising. McLean, Zac Thornton, Christian Scott and even Jonah Tong have shown flashes of potential and brilliance. But that established ace escapes them. Except the Mets to be heavily in the mix for elite left-hander Tarik Skubal this winter. The Phillies ranked 23rd in the majors with a .312 on-base percentage in 2026. Their team power was slightly worse, ranked 24th with a .395 slugging percentage that was anchored mostly by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, but for now Philly just need to focus on drawing more walks and getting on base. In 2026, the Phillies left much to be desired offensively from their catcher, left fielder, third baseman and shortstop. The hot corner is wide open for an upgrade, and whoever they go with must also be a sharp defender. The Phillies ranked 30th in Defensive Runs Saved with -51 this past season. The Nationals are coming off a brutal season in which their relievers blew an MLB-record 42 saves, 11 more than the next-worst club, and five more than the previous league record. Washington’s bullpen ranked 28th in the majors with a 4.99 ERA. Paired with the offense’s strong season, led by breakout years from their emerging young core, an effective bullpen could have changed their 2026 outlook and plunged the Nats into a playoff race. Major reinforcements are needed in the bullpen, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll be super aggressive via free agency, where closer David Bednar leads this year’s relief class. NL CENTRAL It’s almost hard to believe, after catcher Sal Stewart crushed 32 home runs with 112 RBI and shortstop Elly De La Cruz enjoyed his first career 30-30 season, that the Reds scored the fewest runs 666) in the National League this year. With third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who produced 25 home runs in 2026, and catcher Tyler Stephenson hitting free agency, Cincinnati will need to add multiple big bats to support Stewart and De La Cruz in the lineup. Right-handers Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes and southpaw Shota Imanaga are all exploring free agency. On top of that rotation dearth, the Cubs bullpen was inconsistent all year, which only adds to Chicago’s precarious pitching situation. Left-hander Justin Steele and, eventually, right-hander Cade Horton are returning from injury, but no one profiles as the ace the Cubs would want in October. The lineup has enough depth to absorb losing outfielders Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, so president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer can focus on pitching, in particular paying for a top arm in a thin class. I know, I know. The reigning champions don’t need power to inflict pain on their opponents thanks to their dynamic lineup depth and MLB-leading on-base skills. But their 2026 leader in home runs just hit the open market, and unless first baseman Jake Bauers accepts Milwaukee’s qualifying offer to remain a Brewer for one more season, the club will have to find a way to replace his pop, which featured 26 home runs and an .874 OPS. The Brewers are looking to repeat in 2027, and improving their power should be a top priority. Second baseman Brandon Lowe may have been the best trade of the 2025 offseason, hitting 35 homers with 96 RBI while playing strong defense. And he led a lineup that ranked sixth in MLB in runs (767) and OPS (.734). Lowe is now a free agent at 32, and keeping him figures to be expensive. But Pittsburgh hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2015, and the club finally has a core that could put them over the hump. Re-signing Lowe could make the Bucs a legitimate threat, but it would be stunning if ownership committed to that kind of major investment. If not, they’ll need to pivot to an offensive second or third baseman. The Cardinals are still rebuilding in 2027 while focusing on next steps from their emerging young players. Understanding that president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is not going to be aggressive on the open market, practical upgrades, likely through trades or the waiver wire during the season, is the team’s likeliest approach to improving the bullpen. Expect another Ryne Stanek-type pickup to address their relief needs, as well as giving their prospects some decent runway to find out where they fit into their future. NL WEST Arizona’s lineup is loaded with talent between second baseman Ketel Marte, catcher Gabriel Moreno, centerfielder Corbin Carroll and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, but first base left much to be desired this year. D-backs first basemen ranked last in the majors with a .636 OPS in 2026. Give credit to Arizona for trying to fix the problem: the club saw 15 first basemen occupying the corner infield spot throughout the course of the season. Arizona must focus on adding a legitimate power bat at first base, and free agent Jake Bauers could be their best fit. It would be a disappointment if the Rockies didn’t find a trade partner for catcher Hunter Goodman, who’s coming off a 41-homer season and is under team control through 2029, which is exactly why now is the time to trade him. His batting average and on-base percentage declined this year, and his defense behind the plate is subpar, but power-hitting catchers are unicorns, and it’s hard to imagine a contender would struggle that much to strike a deal for the 27-year-old. With a limited number of power bats in free agency, Goodman’s market should be strong. The Dodgers had the oldest position-player group in the majors this year, and their collective age showed throughout the regular season, leading up to getting swept in the NLCS by the Brewers. How can the Dodgers get younger? They can start by making room for 21-year-old outfielder Josue De Paula. With Shohei Ohtani occupying designated-hitter duties and Kyle Tucker cemented in right field, Los Angeles will have to trade or platoon Teoscar Hernandez to free up space for De Paula, and injecting that youth into an aging lineup should create a necessary spark. San Diego’s rotation is depleted. Trade-deadline pickups Robbie Ray and Casey Mize struggled and have since hit free agency. Right-hander Michael King declined his player option, and the Padres declined Nick Pivetta’s club option, so both are now free agents. And Walker Buehler is also exploring the market. Veteran starters Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove carry major health concerns, and the depth beyond them is practically non-existent. The new owners’ willingness to spend will determine just how aggressively general manager A.J. Preller can rebuild the starting-pitching staff. Three thrashings away from a 100-loss season, the Giants have plenty of needs to pick from, but the rotation tops the list. Right-hander Logan Webb, entering his age-30 season, is still the ace of the staff. Right-hander Landen Roupp had a solid enough year, but there’s little reliability beyond those two rotation arms. Right-hander Adrian Houser pitched his way out of the rotation, and southpaw Matt Wilkinson completed five innings just twice in six starts. The Giants realistically need to add at least two starters to stabilize the rotation, and they have the prospect capital to be aggressive with trades.