Although the MLB winter meetings in Orlando have concluded and various free-agent signings were made, many of the major free agents seeking large contracts have remained unsigned. This is one of the slower MLB off seasons in recent years, and the lack of signings signals that practically every MLB team still has needs that must be addressed during the offseason, especially in the National League. This article will address the biggest needs for every MLB team in the National League, which includes the NL West, NL East and NL Central.
It should be noted that this article may not reflect future transactions, meaning that any offseason need may already be fulfilled, and suggested free agents may already be signed. As of the time that this article being published, these are the current priorities of each MLB team in the National League.
National League West
Los Angeles Dodgers – Improve bullpen depth, trade Teoscar Hernández.
The Dodgers, who just came off of back-to-back championship wins in 2024 and 2025, are still not a perfect team, especially when it comes to their bullpen. There are key issues that the Dodgers must address if they even want a chance at a three-peat.
Although the Dodgers recently signed All-Star closer Edwin Diaz to a 3-year, $69M deal (making him the highest paid reliever by AAV ever), their bullpen is still relatively weak compared to the rest of the league. As of now, the bullpen consists of closer Edwin Diaz, and relievers Anthony Banda, Blake Treinen, Jack Dreyer, Justin Wrobleski, Will Klein, Edgardo Henriquez, Ben Casparius, Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott. Of these pitchers, only three had an ERA under a 3.00, and three had an ERA north of 4.00.
Luckily there are plenty of options on the market for the Dodgers, including but not limited to: Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips (who the Dodgers non-tendered), Ryan Brasier and José Leclerc. While the Dodgers could seek to add relievers through free-agency, they might be banking on bounce-back years for their underperforming relievers like Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen, while betting on their young talent like Justin Wrobleski and Jack Dreyer to improve for the 2026 season.
Furthermore, the Dodgers seek to improve their defense, which could more than likely result in trading right fielder Teoscar Hernández. When hitting, Hernández usually benefits the team, although he is coming off a down year where he only slashed .247/.284/.454, resulting in a barely above-average .738 OPS, a major downgrade from the 2024 season. Even more of a liability is his defense in right field, which, according to BaseballSavant.com, saw Hernández field -9 OAA, or outs above average, as well as below average arm value and barely above average arm strength.
If the Dodgers do end up trading Hernández, it could very well result in signing Cody Bellinger, who posted much better defensive and offensive numbers, with seven OAA, a three arm value (91st percentile) and a 89.3 arm strength (83rd percentile). Bellinger also slashed .272/.334/.480 while hitting 29 home runs and stealing 13 bases, a statline that is much more desirable than the numbers produced by Hernandez in 2025.
San Francisco Giants – Improve bullpen, acquire a second baseman
The San Francisco Giants have a lot of work to do, especially in adding to the rotation and their offense if they want to compete in 2026, especially after narrowly missing the playoffs last season. The Giants have a talented roster and a new manager, Tony Vitello, who managed the University of Tennessee Volunteers that certainly has the ability to get them to be .500 or above. However, a few crucial pieces are needed for the Giants to compete, specifically in their starting pitching and the hole that seems to exist in the second base position.
The Giants were expected to sign a frontline starter in the offseason, but instead opted for signing Adrian Houser, a smaller market option, and Tyler Mahle, whose health has been extremely questionable in the past two years. The signings of these back-end rotation players certainly hinders the amount of opportunities that some of the younger starters will get in starting games, even though many of these younger starters have shown great promise. Prior to the Mahle signing, it was expected that there would be a competition for a rotation spot among Trevor McDonald, Carson Seymour, Hayden Birdsong and Kai-Wei Teng during Spring Training. If the Giants are content with this rotation, they have plenty of rotation depth that they could potentially use as trade pieces to then acquire a second baseman via trade.
In terms of second baseman options, there have been recent talks about the Giants trading for the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner, although that is unlikely to happen given that it would likely cost the Giants a great prospect pool, and the Cubs would likely be hesitant to trade Hoerner given that they want to compete in 2026. Some 2B options for the Giants could include Brendan Rogers, Luis Arraez, Luis Rengifo, or maybe even a smaller market option like Luis Urías. Either way, it seems unlikely that the Giants will roll with Christian Koss and Casey Schmitt at second base, and are due for an upgrade. If the Giants do decide to splurge this offseason, they may even consider signing Blue Jays hero Bo Bichette to a long-term deal to add a good contact bat to the lineup, although his defensive metrics leave much to be desired.
The possibility of the St. Louis Cardinals’ second baseman Brendan Donovan getting traded has also been widely discussed and seems increasingly realistic given that the Cardinals are now in rebuild mode following their trade of starter Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox. The Giants would likely have to construct a generous package to acquire him, although they will have two years of team control of Donovan. Donovan would bring a great offensive profile for the Giants given his overall profile—he isn’t a power hitter, which is ideal for Oracle Park, and has a decent glove that could strengthen the Giants’ infield.
As for the bullpen, it is in stable shape and is not uncompetitive, although the Giants did lose 2025 All-Star Randy Rodriguez to Tommy John surgery, and traded away 2023 All-Star closer Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees, and submarine reliever Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets. To bolster the bullpen, the Giants recently signed relievers Sam Hentges (who did not play in the 2025 season), Reiver Sanmartín and Jason Foley, who will not be healthy until the All-Star break. However, none of these signings fulfill the Giants’ immediate needs which could benefit from signing relievers like Michael Kopech, Shelby Miller, or perhaps reunions with Jakob Junis or Taylor Rogers.
San Diego Padres – Sign a utility-man, acquire Minor League depth
The San Diego Padres have a solid team heading into 2026 and have just hired Craig Stammen, a familiar face, to lead them as their manager.
The Padres have a solid offense, with Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado by far being the biggest offensive contributors to the team. They are strengthened by solid players in Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, Gavin Sheets and Ramón Laureano. However, there is room to add to the competitive offense of the Padres, whether it be a Luis Arráez reunion on a short-term, moderate AAV deal, or acquiring a power bat to compensate for the lack of home runs produced by the team. There is also a need to add a utility-man that can play multiple positions to help plan for injuries. The Padres could opt to re-sign Jose Iglesias, or they could sign minor-league contracts with similar players like Luis Urías or Austin Slater.
Last season, the Padres finished 28th in home runs out of the 30 MLB teams, so it would be reasonable to assume that A.J. Preller would like to acquire a power bat. However, it has been apparent that in the past two seasons, power is definitely not everything, and despite the Padres ranking so low in home runs, they finished with back-to-back 90-win seasons.
To keep this type of production, the Padres must solidify their rotation with either minor league depth or free agent signings given that they traded two valuable rotation pieces for catcher Freddy Fermin at the 2025 trade deadline. The Padres could benefit from signing minor league deals with pitchers who had down years, such as Austin Gomber, Cal Quantrill, German Marquez, Patrick Corbin or Tony Gonsolin, whose asking price will be very low. If they do not opt for minor league deals, they could be signed to the MLB league-minimum salary that Patrick Corbin agreed to when signing his contract with the Rangers last offseason. The Padres could alternatively opt to sign one of Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer, given that they are both nearing the end of their careers and will definitely have a lower asking price than they had in years past.
If the Padres don’t have innings and starters who can solidify the back end of the rotation, they will almost certainly not repeat the 90-win seasons that they have had for the past two years.
Arizona Diamondbacks – Acquire more pitching depth, re-sign Zac Gallen
The Dbacks have less work to do than one may think—their lineup is solid with a core of Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, Gabriel Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo. The infield is also very solid, especially with the recent acquisition of Nolan Arenado to lock down third base.
However, the Dbacks’ rotation and bullpen need more arms if they are to compete. Much of the reason for the Dbacks’ collapse during the 2025 season was that the pitching staff was plagued by injuries. Two of their starters, Jordan Montgomery and Corbin Burnes, both had to have Tommy John surgery, which ended their seasons. This was especially difficult for the Diamondbacks as they had just signed Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract during the offseason, and Montgomery was also signed to a very generous two-year, $50 million dollar contract two off-seasons ago.
The rotation injuries were so bad that the Diamondbacks signed RHP Anthony DeSclafani, who had been in the Yankees minor league system earlier that year, to start games for the Diamondbacks, as well as pitch out of the bullpen as needed. He pitched to an abysmal 5.12 ERA, although he was able to give the Dbacks much needed innings.
Because of the issues of injury and the need for innings, the Dbacks should re-sign Zac Gallen. Although his numbers didn’t exactly look pretty last season, he is a durable starter who can give pitch a lot of innings, and it helps that his value on the market is not as much as it usually would have been since he had a massive down year. The Dbacks have recently re-signed Merrill Kelly, who they traded by the deadline, and that will certainly give the Snakes much-needed durability and quality innings.
Colorado Rockies – Sign short-term deals, improve rotation, trade players for prospect haul
The Colorado Rockies are at rock (no pun intended) bottom, having the worst season ever seen by the franchise, being a 43-119 W/L record, and a -424 run differential, a metric that combines offensive and defensive scoring. They were a mere two losses away from tying the 2024 Chicago White Sox for the worst record held by an MLB team in the modern baseball era.
That being said, the Rockies definitely have ways to improve their team, with a revamped front office and a revamped coaching staff. The Rockies recently hired Josh Byrnes as general manager, and Paul DePodesta, the mind behind the Oakland A’s “moneyball” success, as the President of Baseball Operations. That being said, although it would be wise for the Rockies to avoid big contracts as seen with Kris Bryant’s disastrous contract, the Rockies should definitely still spend during the offseason.
Many rebuilding teams decide to sign various short-term deals and then trade them before the trade deadline in July, seen by known journeymen Rich Hill, Tommy Pham and Aroldis Chapman. Deals with these players have been extremely low-risk signings, but if these players do somewhat well, then it is viable to trade these players to a contender for a decent haul of prospects that can benefit the team’s future. The San Francisco Giants most recently traded reliever Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets and received a prospect haul that will benefit the Giants for years to come, including a starter, a reliever and a center fielder.
If the Rockies can make moves like these by perhaps signing Tommy Pham, Luis Arráez, Mike Tauchman, or even the recently-struggling Michael Conforto to a 1-year deal and then trading them for prospects, it would be in great benefit to the team. The Rockies could capitalize on the potential of free agents who have had down years, and then utilize their potential success to the advantage of the team. Mickey Moniak is also a good trade candidate, given that he had a career year last year, hitting 24 home runs, and only has a year left on his contract.
Trading short-term contracts will certainly benefit the Rockies, but trading some of their players that have a significant amount of team control could also certainly be a possibility. Catcher Hunter Goodman just came off of an incredible year, hitting 31 home runs with a slash line of .278/.323/.520. His defensive metrics as a catcher are also decent, which could lead to a blockbuster trade similar to when the White Sox traded reliever-turned-starter Garret Crochet to the Boston Red Sox for an incredible prospect haul. Goodman is still only 26 years old, and could generate significant interest in the trade market if the Rockies become open to trading him. Alternatively, the Rockies could view Goodman as being a part of the team’s young core for the years to come, and rely on their farm system to keep the team competitive.
Additionally, the Rockies need to focus on developing their rotation. The rotation is very young with many players who are still in their prime early to mid-20s, who have a lot of potential. However, Coors Field is a challenging field to pitch at given that the conditions limit a lot of pitch movement. The team would definitely benefit from the overhauled coaching staff focusing on movement-based pitches as the primary approach from their starters, or they could search the market for a pitcher that matches this profile of focusing on pitch movement rather than velocity.
The Rockies just recently signed Michael Lorenzen to a 1-year deal to help alleviate those concerns, although the Rockies should still focus on adding depth to the rotation. Lorenzen provides a good veteran presence for the young rotation, and would make a good trade piece for the 2026 trade deadline, although the Rockies must make more signings like this if they want to rebuild and mentor their young rotation.
NL East
Philadelphia Phillies – Re-sign J.T. Realmuto, improve outfield
The Phillies have already fulfilled their greatest need during the offseason, and have re-signed MVP candidate Kyle Schwarber to a 5-year, $150 million contract, keeping his incredible power in the lineup for years to come. Coupled with Bryce Harper and other stars in the lineup, the Phillies’ lineup will be stacked for at least the next 2-3 years.
The only holes that the Phillies must fill is with their defense, and can do this by re-signing J.T. Realmuto, who has great value at the catcher position. Realmuto has exceptional pop time and the ability to catch runners stealing, and has been consistent in this regard for the past few years. Along with his defensive abilities, he also has decent offensive statistics, which is a great attribute to have in a catcher. Although 2025 was a down year for Realmuto, where he had a .699 OPS, he has had an OPS north of .750 since 2016.
The other hole the Phillies have is in their outfield, where they lack depth. Just recently, the Phillies made the addition of 32-year old right fielder Adolis García, a 2023 World Series Champion with the Texas Rangers, which gives them much needed depth. However, simply adding Garcia is not enough—the Phillies could opt to try and re-sign Harrison Bader, who the Phillies traded for last season, or they could explore the market for other options.
New York Mets – Acquire pitching depth, add a bat
The Mets’ pitching struggles in 2025 consisting of injuries and fatigue throughout the season, all contributed to their collapse and elimination from playoff contention, despite having one of the highest payrolls in the MLB. The Mets will have a very different look in 2026, as they lost Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles, and traded Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil due to clubhouse conflicts with All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor. Needless to say, the Mets have a lot of work to do.
The Mets’ rotation as of now is very questionable. There are almost certain rotation spots that will go to David Peterson, Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga, but the remaining spots are extremely questionable. If the Mets do not intend to pursue a frontline starter like Framber Valdez, it seems as if competition for the number four and five spots in the rotation during Spring training will be fierce between Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Sean Manaea and Brandon Sproat. The young arms of Mclean, Tong and Sproat have shown some promise, although it remains to be seen if they can maintain consistency throughout the 2026 season. Tong, Sproat and Manaea all struggled in the rotation in 2025, although Tong and Sproat are still very young and have room to improve. As for Manaea, a move to the bullpen seems increasingly likely given his struggles as a starter last year.
If the Mets decide to add to the rotation to improve depth, which they almost certainly will do, they could opt to re-sign Griffin Canning, who tore his left achilles, or they could offer a contract to Astros ace Framber Valdez. Adding rotation options would help to fortify the rotation and offer a decent alternative to their current starters should any of them get injured, as was the case in 2025 with Canning and Frankie Montas’ injuries.
The Mets also have another key part of their team that they must address—their lineup. After losing All-Star slugger and fan favorite Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles, and trading Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien, the Mets lost some of the most consistent bats in the entire league, especially in Pete Alonso. Alonso has not had a season where he has hit fewer than 34 home runs since the shortened 2020 season, and this power and consistency will certainly be missed in 2026. Although the Mets did add Jorge Polanco on a multi-year deal, there is a lot more work that must be done if the Mets are to replace Alonso, McNeil and Nimmo.
That being said, the Mets are still in the mix for big free agents like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, who can certainly help in replacing the Mets’ lost pieces.
Miami Marlins – Trade Sandy Alcántara for a good prospect haul
The Marlins, despite being one of the least active teams in the free agent market, may be on the verge of playoff contention.
The Marlins recently signed former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks to a one-year, $13M contract, and gives the bullpen a much needed boost, and the rotation is absolutely stacked with young talent. At the front of the rotation will be 2022 Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcántara, who is looking to improve in 2026 after having the worst year of his career in 2025. There were flashes of vintage Alcántara throughout the season, but his overall production was very lackluster.
The Marlins have decent pitching depth, but may seek to retain Alcántara if they want to compete in 2026. Throughout the 2025 season, rumors were constantly swirling about Alcántara being traded, although that never ended up happening. The Marlins could end up trading Alcántara during the offseason, but only if they get a significant return for him. It would make no sense for the Marlins to trade Alcántara and get a low return, especially when starting pitchers are in high demand.
Alternatively, the Marlins may not get the return they desire, and may bet on Alcántara having a good year in 2026 and then trade him at the deadline—but this will only happen if the Marlins are not competitive.
The Marlins just recently traded starter Edward Cabrera to the Cubs in exchange for Owen Caissie and two other hitting prospects, which should help their offense in the long run, although this change may not be felt immediately. As of now, the Marlins have few qualified hitters that batted to over a .700 OPS, namely Augustin Ramirez and Kyle Stowers. Although the Marlins have a lot of young talent, especially with the addition of Caissie, they’d have to bank on said young talent to improve drastically if they seek to compete.
Atlanta Braves – Re-Sign Marcell Ozuna, sign a starter
The Atlanta Braves have some work to do, especially on the rotation. It seems as if President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos agrees, as he has stated that acquiring a starter is a high priority.
The Braves rotation in 2025 was plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach both had UCL related injuries which sidelined López for the majority of the season, and prematurely ended Schwellenbach’s season. Frontline starters Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder also had down years, pitching to over a 4.45 ERA. That being said, the rotation must be fortified in 2026 to keep the team competitive.
The Braves bullpen has already been improved drastically over the offseason. They were able to successfully re-sign closer Raisel Iglesias, and also added All-Star Robert Suárez on a 3-year deal. The bullpen seems to be set for next season.
As for the Braves offense and defense, it is looking as competitive as ever. The recent addition of Mike Yastrzemski provides gold-glove caliber defense, as well as decent offensive production. Jurickson Profar will also be extremely valuable to the team, as he will play a full season for the Braves after missing 60 games last season due to PED use. The Braves also have 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. back after his ACL surgery in 2024, who will be, and always has been, a competitive player.
That being said, it wouldn’t hurt to further solidify the offense by re-signing DH Marcell Ozuna, whose asking price will likely be on the lower side. He would be a very team-friendly option for the Braves, and a competitive option at that.
Washington Nationals – Trade MacKenzie Gore, acquire pitching depth
It seems as if the Nationals have been in rebuild mode ever since their World Series run in 2019. Following the 2019 World Series, the Nats gave out one of the worst MLB contracts ever made, where they gave Stephen Strasburg a 7-year, $245 million contract. Strasburg only pitched 31.1 innings following the contract, and it was revealed that he had nerve damage that would permanently end his MLB career. With this big contract, it was difficult to build a team around the 2019 contenders.
After trading Juan Soto in 2022, the Nats acquired various top prospects that are currently on the team. Some of the prospects in the trade, including C.J. Abrams and James Wood, have a future on the team and are unlikely to be traded. However, starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore is likely to get traded, especially considering how valuable starting pitching has become in the current market.
The Nationals should likely look for a decent package of at least 2-3 top prospects in return for Gore if they are still trying to rebuild. Alternatively, the Nats will hold onto Gore if they try to compete, but with the current look of the rotation, contention does not seem likely. The Nationals currently only have five starting pitchers, and no depth to back it up in case of injury or underperformance. In fact, their number five starter, Jake Irvin, was literally the worst starter in the MLB in 2025, pitching to a 5.70 ERA in 180 innings and allowing a whopping 38 home runs. If the Nationals want to compete, they must acquire more pitching depth, either through the free agent market/trade market, or through their own farm system, although that is a big gamble.
NL Central
Milwaukee Brewers – Don’t trade Freddy Peralta
Every season, the Brewers, no matter which of their players they lose to injury or free agency, and no matter how their team looks on paper, always manages to stay competitive. It’s like magic. That being said, the team is not perfect, but it has been built well enough to last for the next few years. Milwaukee has a very good pitching staff along with a good core for the lineup, consisting of Christian Yelich, Brice Turang, William Contreras, Andrew Vaughn, Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, Brandon Lockridge and others. The Brew Crew’s only goal for the offseason should be to retain all these pieces.
There have recently been talks about the Brewers wanting to shed payroll and trade away their remaining contracts, and Freddy Peralta’s name has come up multiple times given his $8 million salary and his high value on the trade market. It is important that the Brewers do not trade Peralta, as his $8 million salary is extremely low for a starter, and is a valuable asset for the Brewers’ aspirations at winning the division.
Chicago Cubs – Re-sign Kyle Tucker, rebuild bullpen
Last season, the Chicago Cubs appeared in their first postseason since 2020 after trading for Kyle Tucker in the 2024 offseason and trading away. They had been in rebuild mode for a few years and had allowed some of their top prospects like Pete Crow-Armstrong to develop, and also added talent like Shota Imanaga along with the developing core to finally make a competitive team.
That being said, if the Cubs want to remain competitive, they must find a way to either replace Tucker, or re-sign him, especially given the amount of capital the Cubs gave up to acquire him from Houston. Tucker’s level of power and consistency are indispensable, and he also has an incredible ability to not strike out and draw walks. This makes him a staple in any lineup he’s in—if the Cubs don’t re-sign Tucker, another team certainly will.
With this being said, the recent signing of Alex Bregman to a 5-year, $175 million contract may make re-signing Tucker into a very difficult endeavor, as Bregman’s salary will bring the Cubs closer to luxury tax territory than they may be comfortable with. If the Cubs want to take a Dodgers/Blue Jays approach and don’t mind splurging on Tucker, they should absolutely re-sign him as he will make the team much more competitive, especially if he is coupled with Bregman’s consistent bat and defense at third base.
The bullpen is also of significant concern for the Cubs. Many of the pitchers that made up their bullpen this year, including Ryan Brasier, Taylor Rogers and Brad Keller are all free agents. The Cubs could potentially reunite with Brasier and Rogers, although Brasier’s health is questionable and Rogers may have a bit of a hefty price tag. The Cubs could do what they did last season, which is build their bullpen through lower-cost minor league contract signings, or they could hit the market. There are still many viable options available on the market who would fit the profile of Wrigley Park very well, such as Joey Lucchesi, Josh Sborz, Paul Sewald and Craig Kimbrel.
Cincinnati Reds – Re-Sign Zach Littell, add a bat
The Cincinnati Reds just barely made the postseason last year after clinching a National League Wild Card spot, winning 83 games. They have an incredible rotation that is spearheaded by Hunter Greene, who has become an absolutely elite starter since 2024.
The rotation does, however, need at least one arm to provide it some depth. University of Tennessee Alumni Chase Burns had an injury late last year, so the Reds should search for another rotation option to back him up. The Reds could opt for a reunion with Zach Littell, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays. He posted solid numbers last year, pitching 186.2 innings with a 3.81 ERA, although he only had 130 strikeouts. His asking price might not be as much as some other starters on the market, and could suit the Reds’ traditional approach of acquiring free agents from the middle end of the market.
A hindrance to the Reds’ incredible rotation is the lack of run support for it. Although there are some good hitters in the Reds’ lineup including Elly De La Cruz, Gavin Lux, TJ Friedl and Spencer Steer, there should be more additions made to the roster, although it is unclear who exactly the Reds would target. They could potentially sign Rhys Hoskins or Rowdy Tellez as their power hitters, or maybe even prioritize contact and small budgets by signing one of Carlos Santana or Donovan Solano.
The Reds must make sure to address these needs if they wish to return to the postseason.
St. Louis Cardinals – Continue rebuilding
The Cardinals have been in a half-rebuild, half “compete now” mode since their playoff berth in 2022, but now it seems as if the Cardinals have finally chosen a direction—they are in hard rebuild mode. So far, they’re doing what a rebuilding team should be doing, which is trading big contracts, and signing short-term deals to trade by the trade deadline in July.
The Cards have checked off one big offseason box, that being to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado’s big contract, although they took on $31 million of the remaining money in his contract. In February of 2021, the Cardinals acquired Arenado from the Rockies and gave up a decent amount of capital to get him—this would turn out to be a great move by the Cardinals, as the prospects that they had given up didn’t really pan out. Arenado was a great addition to the team when they were trying to compete, and has become a fan favorite in St. Louis, but it made no sense to keep him in this era of Cardinals baseball.
Trying to trade Arenado was difficult. Last season, there were multiple attempts by the club to trade him, including a trade to the Houston Astros, that he blocked. It has also been rumored this offseason that the Angels might have been interested in trading for Arenado, especially considering that they just bought out the contract of their most recent third baseman Anthony Rendon. In fact, of the six teams that Arenado said he would allow a trade to, the Angels were one of them. When all was said and done, the Diamondbacks unexpectedly managed to trade for Arenado to fortify the left side of the infield, which will certainly help benefit Arizona’s pitching staff in the coming year.
To continue with the rebuild after trading Arenado, the Cardinals should also sign various 1-year deals, as they have already been doing with the signing of former Dodgers and Red Sox starting pitcher Dustin May. The Cardinals will almost certainly use this short-term deal to their advantage and trade him to a contender before the deadline if he is serviceable. The Cardinals should also scavenge the market for relief pitchers and other lower-tier starters to try and trade those contracts, as those will be as tradable as the contract of Dustin May will be.
Pittsburgh Pirates – Sign or trade anyone and anything
To put it bluntly, the Pittsburgh Pirates are a disaster, and have been in rebuild mode for almost a decade—the problem is that they aren’t going through the process of actually rebuilding.
A rebuilding team should be giving their younger players ample playing time and then signing short-term deals to then trade by the deadline—instead, the Pirates have done little to nothing in recent years. Since 2024, the Pirates have signed many 1-year deals with players that all had significant value for contenders, such as Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, Yasmani Grandal and others. Of the players named the Pirates opted to trade none of them, even though it was clear that the team would not be competitive—the team essentially retained all of these players (with the exception of Kiner-Falefa who was put on waivers) for no reason at all.
Although the Pirates did trade some of their short-term contracts from time to time, there are so many examples of them having these sorts of opportunities to trade short-term players, and not taking advantage of them.
This seems to have changed a little bit this offseason, as the Pirates were seen offering MVP candidate Kyle Schwarber a multi-year contract, but the Phillies gave Schwarber more years on the contract, and thus more money. They also signed infielder Ryan O’Hearn to a two-year contract, the first multi year free-agent signing by the Pirates since Iván Nova in 2016. These are good moves that the Pirates have made, and it seems as if they are finally trying to build a competitive team to back up their incredible rotation of Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Jared Jones.
The Pirates don’t just have a specific area to target—they must target every aspect of their team: rotation depth, bullpen depth and their lineup. Whether it be through trade or through free agency, they must continue to sign more contracts, especially if their aspirations for being competitive in 2026 fall through. If they end up being an uncompetitive team, they can fall back on those short-term contracts to trade for a good prospect haul at the deadline.
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Featured Image via MLB.com
