To-Do Lists For All 30 Teams Heading Into 2025

Arizona Diamondbacks

Keep It Up

It’s hard to ask too much more of the D-Backs after the late-December signing of Corbin Burnes, which came on the heels of the Josh Naylor acquisition. Arizona will likely make other moves around the periphery, but the lineup is now relatively set, and the rotation looks excellent thanks to having Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson. A Jordan Montgomery trade seems likely.

Athletics

Spend… More money? 

The A’s are on their version of a spending spree this winter. They signed Luis Severino to a club-record $67 million contract. They acquired LHP Jeffrey Springs in a trade. Even Gio Urshela is on board at $2.15 million. Steve Cohen and the Mets, they are not, but it’s still a marked reversal compared to their threadbare spending each of the last two years. The reason why is a bit less glamorous. They likely need to spend roughly $10-15 million more to avoid running afoul of the MLBPA and continue to collect 100% of their revenue sharing. Still, the A’s are becoming more competitive and are in need of continued reinforcements in the bullpen as they bridge the gap to Mason Miller, or perhaps another arm to fortify the back of their rotation.

Atlanta Braves

Remain Engaged On The Trade Market

The Braves are hopeful for the healthy returns of Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider, while banking on rebounds from Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley. But the rotation loses Max Fried, and the roster benefits only from marginal moves so far, such as signing Bryan De La Cruz for one year. The Braves tend to build their major league roster through the draft and trades, so there might be a deal or two still to be struck this offseason.

Baltimore Orioles

Make Some Sort Of Big Move

So far, the Orioles have sat out the initial wave of free agency, adding low-cost, low-risk pickups like Tomoyuki Sugano while letting the big-name free agents shop elsewhere. With Corbin Burnes now a D-back and Anthony Santander still a free agent, this team looks like it will need some work just to get back to where it was last year. Getting improvements from Jackson Holliday, Adley Rutschman and Coby Mayo is a good starting point, but rotation looks significantly weaker than the teams Baltimore will be battling for AL supremacy.

Boston Red Sox

Add A Righthanded Hitter

There are options available for the Red Sox to address their most glaring need: a righthanded bat. Whether it’s by making a trade or signing Alex Bregman, the Red Sox need to get less lefthanded. Boston currently has three righthanded bats penciled into their everyday lineup in Trevor Story, Connor Wong and Ceddanne Rafaela. None of them inspire confidence for being productive players on both sides of the ball over the course of 162 games. 

Chicago Cubs

Sign Roki Sasaki

This has already been a fruitful offseason for the Cubs, as they traded Cody Bellinger and were able to land superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker in a December swap with the Astros. The Cubs have improved their lineup, opened up a spot at third base for top prospect Matt Shaw and landed a back-of-the-rotation starter in Matt Boyd who looks to be in the midst of a renaissance. Now is the time to make a full-court press on Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki. The Cubs were one of the teams with whom Sasaki granted a meeting. A year after landing Shota Imanaga, the Cubs could bolster the look of their rotation by signing Sasaki. With an improved lineup, his addition would make the Cubs a potential favorite in the NL Central. 

Chicago White Sox

Become The Spot For Reclamation Projects

The White Sox are going to be awful once again in 2025, but they can’t do it aimlessly and be awful without a purpose. They should follow the A’s model and try to become the landing spot for post-hype prospects, cast-offs and one-time stars who have fallen on hard times. The A’s helped Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday, Lucas Erceg and Osvaldo Bido get the opportunity to blossom. The White Sox have very few MLB-ready prospects who would be blocked by astute pickups, and the risk is very low, as Chicago can shuffle quickly through players who seem lost. Hitting on just a couple of low-risk picks provide ammo to trade at the deadline while also providing a more watchable product in April, May and June.

Cincinnati Reds

Find An Outfielder (Or Two)

The Reds have a young, impressive homegrown rotation. In Elly De La Cruz and the returning Matt McLain, they have an infield to build around. But as 2025 arrives, the Reds haven’t really done much to improve what was one of the worst outfields in the major leagues in 2024. There is some hope that a healthy TJ Friedl will provide a boost, but the Reds have fourth outfielders pencilled into everyday roles right now.

Cleveland Guardians

Add A Reliable Starter

The Guardians have made a few lower-profile starting pitching additions in trades that brought in righthander Slade Cecconi and Luis Ortiz this offseason. That meant re-structuring the right side of their infield, as Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor are now with the Blue Jays and D-backs, respectively. Cleveland signed Carlos Santana to replace Naylor at first and should have internal options for second between Juan Brito and (in the not too distant future) 2024 first-overall pick Travis Bazzana. But even with Cecconi and Ortiz, there are plenty of questions about Cleveland’s starting rotation, which was 24th with a 4.51 FIP in 2024 and currently projects as the 27th-best staff in the game entering 2025. Adding a healthy and established big league starter would do a lot to anchor this staff.

Colorado Rockies

Let The Kids Play!

The Rockies have a deep and talented farm system with a cache of MLB-ready or near-ready prospects. After back-to-back seasons that rank as the two worst in the history of the franchise, they have nothing to lose. It’s time to see what they have in Chase Dollander, Adael Amador, Yanquiel Fernandez, Zac Veen, Jordan Beck, Drew Romo and others. Colorado should identify its core for the coming years and consolidate other prospects into potential rotation upgrades. 

Detroit Tigers

Can Someone Play Third Base?

The Tigers have done an excellent job turning a rebuilding team into a wild card participant, and the farm system is poised to keep producing reinforcements. First and second base seem solved with the addition of Gleyber Torres, but third remains an open question. Ideally, Jace Jung can take over, but Jung was poor enough defensively over the final two months of last season that he hasn’t really claimed the job yet. If he isn’t the option, the team doesn’t have a lot of compelling internal options. With Torres now a Tiger, this became a lesser issue, but it remains a question.

Houston Astros

Build Some Farm System Depth

The Astros made a step in the right direction when they traded Kyle Tucker and his expiring contract for Cam Smith and others from the Cubs. While Tucker’s contributions will be sorely missed, if he had no intention of re-signing in Houston, it was best to get something for him before he could walk. The Astros’ cupboards have been bare for a few years, as they’ve dealt their top talent in pursuit of championships. It’s worked out, but the team needs a new wave of players to replace the Bregmans, Correas and Tuckers if they plan on staying relevant. 

Kansas City Royals

Look For Low-Cost Outfielders

The Royals added Hunter Renfroe last season and acquired Joey Weimer as a reclamation project this offseason. But the Royals should keep it up with a couple more non-roster invitees or even a low-cost MLB free agent. With Jonathan India’s arrival, the infield depth is relatively solid, but it’s hard to feel as comfortable about an outfield filled with hitters who all posted sub-.300 on-base percentages with modest power. Taking a chance on someone like Dylan Carlson may be a way to try to get a boost at a modest price tag.

Los Angeles Angels

Keep Fixing The Depth Issue

It would be great if the Angels could add a few stars to go with Mike Trout and the young core of Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe, but the team’s moves to bring in supporting players like Travis d’Arnaud, Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery are vital for fixing the team’s bigger problem: tissue-paper thin depth. When injuries arrive—and they will—the Angels must have better answers than the revolving door of cast-off callups they turned to last year. Los Angeles can offer fringe big leaguers looking for Triple-A spots clearer paths to big league time than most teams, so the next two months are a wise time to keep shopping for low-cost depth.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Just Stay Healthy

Coming up with a to-do list for the Dodgers is like looking for a gift for someone who already has everything. Reigning World Series champions? Check. Ownership willing to spend? Check. Player development and scouting staffs stuffed to the gills? Absolutely. A 40-man roster overloaded with depth? Another check. About the only area the Dodgers need to address is health. All of the organization’s other variables have allowed them to quickly patch over their injuries, but it sure would be nice to simply keep players off the injured list and away from scalpels. So, here’s to their health. 

Miami Marlins

Keep Adding Prospect Depth

Adding prospect depth is the name of the game for the rebuilding Marlins, so the ‘Great Miami Sell-Off’ will continue in 2025. Jake Burger and Jesus Luzardo have already been traded this offseason—the latter for Top 100 Prospect Starlyn Caba—and roughly half of the Marlins’ top 30 prospects are trade acquisitions, including Agustin Ramirez, Robby Snelling and Dillon Head. The last remaining Marlins player who makes real money is Sandy Alcantara, and if he shows he is healthy in 2025, he will be the next to go. Miami could also sign a few bounce-back candidates and try to flip them at the trade deadline.

Milwaukee Brewers

Add One More Infielder

After trading Devin Williams, the Brewers are largely set for 2025. The rotation is deep. The bullpen has a number of options and more young arms on the way. And with Christian Yelich’s expected return from a back injury, it’s hard not to like an outfield that includes him, Jackson Chourio, Blake Perkins, Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick. But after losing Willy Adames in free agency, the team’s mix-and-match infield could use a little more help. Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang are both shortstops who have been playing elsewhere in deference to Adames. Defense shouldn’t be a problem, but it does seem to be a lot to ask Caleb Durbin, Tyler Black, Oliver Dunn or Frelick to handle the remaining spot, whether that’s at second (if Turang slides to shortstop) or third (if Ortiz slides over).

Minnesota Twins

Figure Out First Base

It’s very possible and even likely that the Twins’ 2025 first baseman is already on the roster. With Carlos Santana signing with the Guardians as a free agent and few remaining options on the market, Minnesota needs to figure out if it’s going to turn Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda, Royce Lewis or someone else into the team’s first baseman for 2025. Santana was solid in 2024, but with Brooks Lee, Lewis, Julien, Carlos Correa and the impending arrival of Luke Keaschall, the Twins are in position to get creative.

New York Mets

Keep Rounding Out The Roster

After signing right fielder Juan Soto to a record contract and adding starting pitchers Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning, the Mets’ largest remaining to-do items are resolving first base—either by bringing back Pete Alonso or moving Mark Vientos across the diamond—and possibly adding additional bullpen depth.

New York Yankees

Keep Jasson Dominguez Healthy and Hitting

Juan Soto is gone. He’s almost impossible to replace, but the Yankees will have to try. Their answer might be Dominguez, one of their top prospects since the day he signed in 2019. He obviously shouldn’t be expected to produce at Soto’s level, but the 2025 season should be the first year of the long-awaited installation of Dominguez into the middle of the lineup in the Bronx. 

Philadelphia Phillies

Upgrade The Outfield

With Bryce Harper at first base, there was a power outage in the grass. The team’s main three outfielders—Nick Castellanos, Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh—produced a total of 42 home runs in 2024. By contrast, Kyle Schwarber, who played five games in left field, hit 38 homers himself. To get back to the World Series, they’ll need to beef up their outfield punch. To address that deficiency, the Phillies signed Max Kepler for one year. Philadelphia also leaned into its team strength—the rotation—by trading for the Marlins’ Jesus Luzardo.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Add Another Bat

The Pirates solidified first base with the acquisition of Spencer Horwitz, but work remains to add more consistent thump to their lineup. Pittsburgh presently has Isiah Kiner-Falefa penciled in at shortstop and some combination of Nick Gonzales, Nick Yorke, Billy Cook and Joshua Palacios to fill right field and second base. Not to mention, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Joey Bart are far from sure things. That is far too many question marks, and pickings pretty slim on the free agent market unless Pittsburgh breaks tendency and hops into the Hyeseong Kim or Anthony Santander sweepstakes. Perhaps the Pirates instead choose to continue their trend of dipping into their pitching surplus to find more offense via trade. 

San Diego Padres

Make A Big Splash

It’s no secret that San Diego is one of the top contenders to land star Japanese righthander Roki Sasaki. The key now is to do whatever it takes to get that move across the goal line. Adding Sasaki would give the Padres one of the more dangerous starting rotations in the NL, as he would join Dylan Cease and Michael King atop the rotation to give San Diego a “big three.” Outside of landing Sasaki, re-signing outfielder Jurickson Profar should be the organization’s top priority. A once-heralded prospect, Profar in 2024 had a major bounce-back year, posting a career-high 3.6 WAR and with new high marks in a number of statistical categories. Either move would again put San Diego in a strong position to contend in the NL, but signing Sasaki might put them over the top.

Seattle Mariners

Find A First Baseman

We all know that the Mariners’ ballpark suppresses offense, but Seattle has so far done nothing to improve the glaring lack of scoring that doomed them last year. There’s still time, but Seattle needs to find one or two more regulars to plug into a lineup that’s three hitters short of ideal.

San Francisco Giants

Fix The Rotation

The only two reliable rotation members on the Giants’ 40-man roster are Logan Webb and Kyle Harrison. Beyond that, it’s a muddled mess. The candidates include veteran Robbie Ray and young big leaguers Mason Black, Keaton Winn and Landen Roupp. That trio has upside, but a team with postseason aspirations should aim higher. The team has already spent big on shortstop Willy Adames. Now, it’s time to add some arms. 

St. Louis Cardinals

Trade Nolan Arenado & Get The Young Talent Situated

The Cardinals have already had one Nolan Arenado trade nixed by the veteran, but that shouldn’t keep them from trying to find a home for him. Paying some of his salary to increase the prospect return makes plenty of sense. The Cardinals are now seen as a year or two away after last year’s big dip. Giving Nolan Goman a chance to see if he’s better at third base and finding a spot where Jordan Walker’s glove won’t be too exposed is vital to seeing if they can be part of the team’s next resurgence.

Tampa Bay Rays

Find Long-Term Certainty

The Rays have a knack for beating expectations, but right now they face more questions than answers. The team’s 2026 home is uncertain, and the long-term plans for the new stadium in St. Petersburg keep moving forward, but in a way that seems destined to lead to further questions all offseason. The Rays have rebuilt the farm system, and this should be the team’s best starting rotation in several years, but the move to Steinbrenner Field, offseason trades and lack of long-term certainty leaves 2025 feeling more like an interim step an a leap forward after a disappointing 2024.

Texas Rangers

Rebuild The Bullpen

Texas’ bullpen ERA in 2024 was 4.41, second-worst in the AL behind only the ghastly White Sox. Righthander Marc Church, who made a one-game cameo in the regular season, has a shot to be a part of that equation. So, too, could fireballer Emiliano Teodo if the Rangers choose to utilize him that way instead of as a starter. 

Toronto Blue Jays

Sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To An Extension Or Trade Him

Back in 2018, the future looked bright in Toronto as their core of potential young superstars began to emerge. Since that time, the team has thrust itself and its resources into the current competitive window. Unfortunately, things bottomed out in 2024,and it’s possible both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette will be wearing another team’s uniform this time next year. If Toronto is going to invest in one of the two players, it should be Guerrero. As the de facto face of the franchise, the team needs to either strike a deal with Guerrero or jump into the rebuild with both feet. 

Washington Nationals

Shop In The Third Base And Pitching Markets

The Nationals have a young, emerging core centered on James Wood, CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, Luis Garcia and MacKenzie Gore. That group—Wood, Abrams and Gore are all products of the Juan Soto trade—will largely determine whether Washington gets back into the postseason picture. The Nationals traded for first baseman Nate Lowe and righthander Michael Soroka this offseason. Washington has an unsettled situation at third base, where perhaps Alex Bregman—a former LSU Tiger, like Crews—would fit. Additional pitching depth is always welcome, and the Trevor Williams signing shouldn’t be the last move there.