MLB winter meetings winners, losers and takeaways: Our favorite (and least favorite) moves of the week
In the lead-up to the MLB winter meetings in San Diego, the buzz was that it could be a wild week of rumors, news and moves — and the meetings delivered all of that and then some.
When the dust settled, we saw a stretch of moves that included Aaron Judge returning to the New York Yankees for $360 million, Trea Turner getting $300 million from the Philadelphia Phillies and Justin Verlander snagging more than $40 million a year to join the New York Mets.
Need a breakdown of everything that happened this week? We asked our MLB experts who were on the scene in San Diego to identify the moves that impressed — and confused — them most and to give their biggest winners and losers of all the hot stove action.
What is your biggest takeaway from Judge’s deal with the Yankees?
Bradford Doolittle: Yankees mystique still matters, especially when it’s bolstered by a third of a billion dollars. Look, the Yankees had to get this done. If they can’t keep a player and personality like Judge in the fold, then they really are just another big market team. And maybe that’s all they are anyway, but as long as Judge is bashing homers in the Bronx, they will remain in the spotlight. He’s a pretty good player, too.
Alden Gonzalez: Simply put: This is what needed to happen. The Yankees have no identity without Judge, no obvious place to pivot to fill what would have become a massive hole both on the field and in their clubhouse. As the process played out, it became clear that the San Francisco Giants were motivated to present the highest offer. The Yankees needed to elevate to a place that felt uncomfortable. And they did.
Jeff Passan: Judge played his free agency to near-perfection, knowing that the pain the Yankees would feel from losing him exceeded the discomfort that comes from the $40 million-a-year price tag over the next nine seasons.
Joon Lee: This might not have been the best move when it comes to building a baseball team for the long term, given how much the Yankees will be paying Judge in the last few years of his contract — but New York needed to close this deal. Sometimes you need to make a move that will make the fans happy at the expense of future financial flexibility, and owner Hal Steinbrenner knew that.
Jesse Rogers: That leverage works. If Judge waited for the Yankees to bid up the price just because he’s Aaron Judge, he’d still be waiting. Players don’t get leverage of this kind often. He used it and it paid off.
What was your favorite move of the winter meetings, aside from Judge’s contract?
Doolittle: The St. Louis Cardinals had to get a starting catcher and I love that they went the free agent route to find a worthy successor to Yadier Molina. Willson Contreras has different strengths from Molina, but his individual winning percentage through age 30 (.517) is actually better than Molina’s was at the same age (.512). He isn’t the defender Molina was — few catchers are or have been — but he’s at least league average by the metric and his bat is a big upgrade. Contreras’ competitiveness will also help replace some of Molina’s omnipresent intensity. The Cardinals haven’t had to worry about catching for a long, long time and now they won’t have to for another half-decade at least.
Gonzalez: Turner’s 11-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies. Not because the Phillies will attain proper value for the length of that contract — chances are they won’t, of course — but because of what it represents. Turner is a perfect fit for them now, as a rangy shortstop who will be dynamic in the leadoff spot of a lineup that looks appreciably more menacing at the moment. The Phillies, who also added to their rotation and their bullpen, did what they needed to do coming off a pennant. The National League East is going to be a lot of fun.
Passan: There’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal, and to get a player of Cody Bellinger caliber – elite center field defense and a bat that in 2019 was good enough to win the NL MVP award – for $17.5 million, in his age-27 season no less, is the sort of value bet that in this market stands out for its minimal downside and significant upside.
Lee: A move I thought went a little bit under the radar was Josh Bell going to the Cleveland Guardians. Bell struggled once he got to San Diego, but he’s historically a streaky player. Cleveland needed to find some power from someone other than José Ramirez and acquiring a slugger on a pretty reasonable two-year deal for $33 million adds a lot of potential firepower to this lineup, a difference that could have helped the Guardians push past the Yankees in the playoffs in 2022.
Rogers: Oh, it’s definitely Contreras leaving the Chicago Cubs for their archrivals in St. Louis. After he spent 14 years in the organization, the Cubs didn’t make him a single offer this offseason while St. Louis made him rich. They believed in him, and now the Cubs are searching for his replacement. It’ll make for not only some juicy head-to-head matchups over the next five years, but also a motivated player. Fans will undoubtedly have mixed emotions seeing him wear red instead of blue, though time will tell which team got it right.
What one move had you scratching your head the most?
Doolittle: I kind of talked myself into not loving the Jameson Taillon/Cubs fit but even then I gave it a B-. If the Cubs manage to make an even bigger splash or two, the context on that signing would shift and I’m not sure I’d be as blasé about it. I don’t really have a big problem with any of the bigger moves. The Baltimore Orioles made me roll my eyes by signing Nomar Mazara to a free agent deal, but that was just a minor league contract. Good job, baseball.
Gonzalez: The Cardinals’ five-year agreement with Contreras. Contreras is going to provide the Cardinals with far more offensive value, but he is not very well regarded for his game-calling or his overall defense. And he’ll be succeeding one of the greatest ever in those aspects in Yadier Molina. Still: Contreras gives the Cardinals a major boost as someone who will produce in the middle of their lineup while handling a premium position. They needed a catcher. And if it wasn’t going to be the Oakland Athletics’ Sean Murphy, this was the best they could do.
Passan: Signing stars is the sort of thing winning franchises do, so it’s difficult to fault the San Diego Padres’ full-tilt pursuit of Turner and Judge. But $280 million for 11 years of shortstop Xander Bogaerts — who is 30 years old — constituted an industry-rocking contract. The runner-up: Boston giving Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida a five-year deal that, including the posting fee, will cost $105.4 million. Bogaerts is a potential Hall of Famer and Yoshida has All-Star-level talent, but the price tags staggered rival executives.
Rogers: Since it technically happened within the past week, I’d say the Texas Rangers giving all that money to Jacob deGrom. Why five years? Why not three? Ok, maybe four to make sure you got him — but five? Yikes.
Lee: Committing that much to deGrom concerns me. The Rangers are certainly spending a lot of money, but how all of it actually fits together is the actual question. Some of the big-ticket free agents signed over the past few years have a lot of questions for this year and beyond.
Who is the most interesting player who didn’t sign — and where do you see him going?
Doolittle: I think Carlos Correa is perhaps the most interesting guy in baseball who could be like a latter-day Connie Mack if someone just let him do all of the jobs. He hasn’t signed, so there’s my default answer. Rocco Baldelli talked about how engaged Correa has remained with pretty much everyone in the Minnesota Twins organization, from the hitting coaches to the players to Baldelli himself. Maybe I’m reading too much into that, but I feel like if the Twins can match the number Correa gets from the marketplace, they have a great shot of bringing him back. But I’m not sure that the number is going to end up being something they can match.
Gonzalez: I’ll go with Dansby Swanson, simply because Turner and Bogaerts found homes this week. Swanson — unlike Correa — hasn’t been prominently linked to his former team. His market still seems a bit hazy. The Cubs feel like a natural fit, but perhaps the Los Angeles Angels make a run. GM Perry Minasian, who knows Swanson from their days in Atlanta together, said Wednesday that the team would be willing to exceed the luxury-tax threshold for the right player. Swanson would certainly qualify.
Rogers: Carlos Rodon. From questions about his durability a couple years ago to the next best thing after deGrom and Verlander, he’s going to get a huge payday. The Yankees could use him but don’t count out the silly money the Rangers have been throwing around. And there’s always one player that signs with a team that seemingly comes out of nowhere. I give that possibility to Rodon as well. He’s the best of the rest.
Lee: Rodon. Some team is going to pay him like the premium pitcher he’s been the past few years, but I’m curious what kind of length and financial commitment he’ll end up getting, especially with the market blowing up the way that it has and deGrom and Verlander both signing for more money than expected.
Who is your biggest winner — and loser — of the winter meetings?
Passan: The biggest winner: Players. With MLB revenues reaching record levels in 2022 and a new collective-bargaining agreement helping push along the market, big leaguers are poised to set a record for guaranteed money in one offseason. Salaries grow, yes, and inflation is very real, certainly, but nearly every deal exceeded expectations, perhaps portending a sea change in how players are paid.
The biggest loser: Bargain hunters. Perhaps once the best players get off the board, the lower-revenue teams that have been spooked by free agent prices will enter the fray and try to grab players at depressed prices. And yet the lingering specter of FOMO could compel even the tightwads of the game to reconsider their postures, lest they enter the 2023 season with a roster that could deepen the have/have-not divide fomented by teams unwilling to do what the Padres
Doolittle: No one who works in the commissioner’s office will admit this, especially Rob Manfred, but they have to feel like huge winners now that Judge is headed back to New York. Anyone who knows me understands that I write these things as anything but a Yankees fanboy, but I do think it’s good for baseball that Judge will continue to play at Yankee Stadium.
As for the loser, the Red Sox roared around the final turn and passed everybody during the stretch run of the meetings. There were two contracts I didn’t love — Kenley Jansen’s and Masataka Yoshida’s — and then failed to meet the Xander Bogaerts market, and now he’s headed to San Diego. Fortunately for Chaim Bloom and the front office, it’s a forgiving fan base. That’s sarcasm.
Gonzalez: The biggest winner is, of course, Judge. He made a massive bet on himself this season, then won the MVP and secured nearly $150 million more with his massive nine-year, $360 million deal. The biggest losers were the Red Sox, who lost another homegrown superstar in Bogaerts — three years after trading away Mookie Betts — and made a head-scratching commitment to Yoshida. If they don’t re-sign Rafael Devers, their fans might revolt.
Lee: Judge is definitely a winner coming out of these meetings. He’s cemented himself as the face of the franchise and the heir apparent to Derek Jeter.
Rogers: Trea Turner is the biggest winner. There was a time that only .900 to 1.000 OPS players could get $300 million. Now, an .809 mark makes you one of the richest athletes in the country. Granted, he does so much more than slug and get on base. The point being shortstops are now commanding what slugging corner outfielders are getting. That position has come a long way. His deal can’t be something he even imagined a few years ago.
The biggest loser — so far: the Boston Red Sox. Kenley Jansen? Eh. OK. Masataka Yoshida? We’ll see. And now losing Bogaerts is going to have a lot of fans in Boston wondering what their front office will do from here. They need to get it going.
The compressed NHL schedule for the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs, draft and free agency means that the majority of July and August is … a bit slower.
But it’s also the perfect time to refresh our Power Rankings of all 32 teams heading into 2025-26!
In addition to the latest 1-32 poll, this edition includes the top storyline for each team during the summer break.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on how strong each team will be in the 2025-26 season, which generates our master list.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the final 2024-25 edition, published April 11. Stanley Cup odds are per ESPN BET as of July 24.
Pre-playoff ranking: 11
Stanley Cup odds: +600
The Panthers had another epic celebration with the Stanley Cup, then proceeded to re-sign their big three pending free agents: Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. Is a three-peat possible?
Pre-playoff ranking: 10
Stanley Cup odds: +850
A second straight loss in the Stanley Cup Final resulted in no small amount of self-reflection — all while the proverbial sword of Damocles hangs over the franchise in Connor McDavid‘s potential free agency in 2026. One item that remains unchecked? Finding a better solution in goal.
Pre-playoff ranking: 3
Stanley Cup odds: +1000
Another trip to the Western Conference finals wasn’t enough for Peter DeBoer to save his job, who was replaced by former Stars coach Glen Gulutzan in July. How will the first full season of the Mikko Rantanen Era go?
Pre-playoff ranking: 7
Stanley Cup odds: +800
Given all the re-signings this offseason, there weren’t a bevy of high-impact free agents available. However, one of the top ones signed with the Hurricanes. How will Nikolaj Ehlers be deployed in Rod Brind’Amour’s system? And can he be the difference-maker next postseason?
Pre-playoff ranking: 4
Stanley Cup odds: +850
Same old Knights. The biggest fish in the free agency pond this offseason was Mitch Marner, and sure enough, Vegas’ front office found a way to land him. It presents a salary cap situation for the club, though that’s also nothing new. Marner visits Toronto on Jan. 23, for those in a calendar-circling mood.
Pre-playoff ranking: 1
Stanley Cup odds: +2500
The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners as regular-season champs lost a key player in Nikolaj Ehlers this offseason, but gained perhaps the sport’s biggest X factor in Jonathan Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup winner who hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season because of health concerns.
Pre-playoff ranking: 5
Stanley Cup odds: +750
A first-round playoff loss is a bit misleading, as it was to fellow juggernaut Dallas Stars. The Avs believe they’ve solved their second-line center dilemma with a contract for 2024-25 trade addition Brock Nelson, but do they have enough depth to make another Cup run?
Pre-playoff ranking: 6
Stanley Cup odds: +2000
Toronto’s seemingly Quixotic quest to win another Stanley Cup continues. It has been an offseason of ups and downs so far. The Leafs lost Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade with Vegas but inked one of the summer’s best deals with the new pact for Matthew Knies. As always, it’s high drama in the “centre of the hockey universe.”
Pre-playoff ranking: 2
Stanley Cup odds: +3000
Alex Ovechkin begins the 2025-26 season as the NHL’s all-time goals leader — and three away from 900. But the Caps won’t simply be feeding him pucks all season. This team will hope to get further than the second round, perhaps giving Ovi another Cup for his Hall of Fame résumé.
Pre-playoff ranking: 9
Stanley Cup odds: +1400
The Lightning continue to expertly massage their roster within the bounds of the salary cap. That continued this offseason, as they extended Yanni Gourde and Gage Goncalves for scoring depth. Another long playoff run is possible, though they’ll likely have to defeat their rivals from South Florida at some point on that road.
1:27
Bettman shares 4 Nations tournament success with McAfee
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman joins “The Pat McAfee Show” and details the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Pre-playoff ranking: 8
Stanley Cup odds: +2000
After signing a bevy of veteran depth to the roster in free agency, the Kings created the NHL’s best schedule release video. It has been an exciting summer already!
Pre-playoff ranking: 13
Stanley Cup odds: +4000
At one point there was some thought that the Wild would sign Minnesota natives Brock Nelson or Brock Boeser (or both). Instead, each re-signed with his 2024-25 team. Bringing in Vladimir Tarasenko could be one of the offseason’s deftest moves, if the veteran forward can find his former scoring touch that mostly eluded him this past season.
Pre-playoff ranking: 15
Stanley Cup odds: +1600
Aside from some depth tweaks, the Devils didn’t do a ton thus far this offseason — though re-signing Jake Allen may prove to be one of the wiser roster moves. How will Luke Hughes‘ next contract impact the rest of their decisions?
Pre-playoff ranking: 12
Stanley Cup odds: +5000
After a playoff appearance this past season, it has been a relatively quiet offseason so far for St. Louis. And as of right now, the club doesn’t have the cap space to sign anyone to a bold offer sheet.
Pre-playoff ranking: 14
Stanley Cup odds: +3500
Senators GM Steve Staios has indicated that he likes what he has on the roster and expects growth from within. That was evident this offseason, as the club’s most noteworthy move was re-signing veteran forward Claude Giroux to a one-year deal.
Pre-playoff ranking: 17
Stanley Cup odds: +6000
Fresh off a somewhat surprising Stanley Cup playoff appearance, the Canadiens made one of the offseason’s boldest moves by trading two first-round picks for 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson, then inking him to an eight-year deal. Are the playoffs now an every-year thing for the Habs?
Pre-playoff ranking: 20
Stanley Cup odds: +3000
The Rangers switched coaches — from Cup winner Peter Laviolette to Cup winner Mike Sullivan — and found a trade destination for K’Andre Miller after the decision was made not to re-sign the restricted free agent. In between they landed one of the top available free agents, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. Is it enough to get them back in the postseason mix?
Pre-playoff ranking: 16
Stanley Cup odds: +15000
Another GM who believes — apparently — that growth will come from within, GM Craig Conroy told reporters that the players his front office had targeted in free agency signed elsewhere, and he didn’t feel any great need to spend $15 million-plus in cap space just to spend it. He could be onto something, as the team’s youth movement isn’t all Calder Trophy finalist Dustin Wolf — though having a great young goaltender certainly doesn’t hurt.
Pre-playoff ranking: 19
Stanley Cup odds: +4000
There was no playoff hockey in Utah this past spring, but GM Bill Armstrong pulled many different levers this offseason to put his team in the best spot to bring it there in 2026. The team traded for a potential superstar in JJ Peterka, signed proven veteran depth in Nate Schmidt and Brandon Tanev, and drafted Caleb Desnoyers with the No. 4 pick, a 200-foot center who will play a key role for the team sooner than later.
Pre-playoff ranking: 21
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
Little Caesars Arena has yet to host a playoff game. Is this the season that the drought ends? Detroit was knocking on the door this past season, and GM Steve Yzerman filled perhaps the org’s biggest need by trading for veteran goaltender John Gibson this summer.
Pre-playoff ranking: 18
Stanley Cup odds: +6000
Based on how the Canucks finished the 2024-25 season, continuity didn’t seem like the best option this summer. But aside from making a coaching change (from Rick Tocchet to Adam Foote) and trading for Evander Kane, it’s mostly status quo. That said, re-signing Brock Boeser was probably an easier option than trying to replace a player who scored 65 goals combined the past two seasons.
Pre-playoff ranking: 22
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
To the surprise of many the Blue Jackets remained in the playoff race until the final week of the season, thanks in large part to a Norris Trophy finalist campaign by Zach Werenski. The club made some depth additions this offseason — Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood will be particularly useful if they do make the 2026 playoffs. But are there some additional moves up GM Don Waddell’s sleeve before October?
Pre-playoff ranking: 23
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
New GM Mathieu Darche was not bashful in his first weeks on the job. Following the Noah Dobson trade, he and his associates drafted an A+ class, per ESPN’s Rachel Doerrie, and added an X factor forward in Jonathan Drouin. This is a team on the rise.
Pre-playoff ranking: 24
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
At some point, the Ducks’ rebuild will be over, and that day might be coming sooner than many suspect. GM Pat Verbeek was quite busy this summer, adding Chris Kreider in a trade and sending Trevor Zegras to Philly in another swap. The Ducks also added Mikael Granlund in free agency; he will be critical to their playoff chances. And if all of that wasn’t enough, they got a top-five talent in the draft class with the No. 10 pick in Roger McQueen, and then sent him to Disneyland to celebrate.
0:29
Ducks draft pick Roger McQueen celebrates at Disneyland
Roger McQueen arrives at Disneyland to celebrate being drafted No. 10 by the Ducks.
Pre-playoff ranking: 29
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
Boston’s offseason business has primarily involved adding depth around the edges — and drafting future franchise center James Hagens, who will play another season at Boston College. Is there a big trade in store?
Pre-playoff ranking: 25
Stanley Cup odds: +20000
At some point, the longest playoff drought in the big four North American professional sports leagues will end. Will that be this season? The Sabres don’t appear better on paper than they were at the end of 2024-25, and they might even be worse, given that JJ Peterka was traded to Utah.
Pre-playoff ranking: 28
Stanley Cup odds: +7500
The Flyers began the offseason by hiring franchise legend Rick Tocchet to take over behind the bench. Then, they drafted a class of nine players who all play like him (or are built like he was in his playing days). In between, they traded for Trevor Zegras, who could wind up as the biggest steal of the offseason.
Pre-playoff ranking: 27
Stanley Cup odds: +30000
The Kraken have been patiently building a balanced roster with long-term success in mind. Can they finally turn a corner in 2025-26 after an offseason in which the big additions were Mason Marchment and Ryan Lindgren?
Pre-playoff ranking: 30
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
The Predators were the no-doubt winners of free agency in 2024 — and then missed the playoffs by a country mile in 2024-25. By contrast, the 2025 offseason included some low-key moves that should help get them back on track, including a trade for Nicolas Hague and the signings of Erik Haula and Nick Perbix.
Pre-playoff ranking: 26
Stanley Cup odds: +20000
It’s uncertain how long the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang will remain on the ice, and the rumors have picked up that one, two or all three could finish their NHL careers elsewhere. GM Kyle Dubas has been busy stocking the prospect cupboards, a process that will continue leading up to opening night, with Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust frequently mentioned in trade rumors.
Pre-playoff ranking: 32
Stanley Cup odds: +50000
The Sharks are still probably a year away from a serious run at a playoff spot, but GM Mike Grier added a ton of talent to his roster this summer. No. 2 pick Michael Misa has the talent to hit the ice this season. The Sharks also signed veterans Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg to add some experience to a defense that was lacking in that regard.
Pre-playoff ranking: 31
Stanley Cup odds: +50000
Perhaps the biggest move yet to be made by Chicago this summer is a contract extension for franchise center Connor Bedard, who will be a restricted free agent next summer. Other than that, GM Kyle Davidson appeared mostly content with letting his young roster develop, making no major additions.
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