TAMPA, Fla. — The most unique transformation of a ballpark in Major League Baseball history launched in earnest Sunday at 5 p.m.

That was when the Tampa Bay Rays, after playing a Grapefruit League game against the New York Yankees as the visiting team, were handed the keys to George M. Steinbrenner Field, which will be the Rays’ residence for the 2025 season. It began an unprecedented four-day mission to make their rival team’s stadium look and feel like their own before Friday’s sold-out season opener against the Colorado Rockies.

The Rays will play their entire 81-game home schedule at Steinbrenner Field this season because in October, Hurricane Milton tore through Tropicana Field, their home across the bay in St. Petersburg since their inaugural season in 1998. Winds that reached 120 mph shredded chunks of the building’s fiberglass roof. The damage was deemed too extensive to repair in time to play baseball in 2025.

Converting Steinbrenner Field — the home of the Yankees every spring, and of their Single-A affiliate Tampa Tarpons, since 1996 — was a massive undertaking. MLB pushed back the Rays’ home opener from Thursday to Friday, giving the organization an extra day to prepare. Still, more than 80 Rays staff members and more than 50 contractors from five companies contributed around the clock. The plan included rebranding the property with more than 3,000 signs, big and small, enough to stretch a mile if laid out end to end.

The Rays were free to repaint, but, in a rare break for the franchise during the upheaval, much painting wasn’t necessary because the Yankees’ navy blue pantone (PMS 289 C) is not far from the Rays’ navy blue (PMS 648 C). There was one thing explicitly off limits during the ballpark makeover: the 600-pound bronze statue of George Steinbrenner, the late Yankees owner, standing on a marble pedestal by the main entrance.

The work covered every nook and cranny, obvious and obscure, from the home clubhouse, which was open to the Rays starting Monday at 4:30 p.m., to the two team stores on the property to the massive “Y-A-N-K-E-E-S” lettering above the right- and left-field stands. There were cranes and scissor lifts and cameras to record a time-lapse video of something that has never been done: a major league team moving out of a stadium after spring training and another one moving into it for the summer.

“We’re not going to get every single pinstripe gone in the next four days and that’s not really the goal,” Rays chief business officer Bill Walsh said Sunday, shortly after the Rays were given the green light to take over the ballpark. “The goal is to have this place feel — when you’re walking around, when you’re sitting in the seating bowl — to feel like this is the home of the Rays.”

Above all, Walsh noted, is making the stadium feel like home for the players.

On Sunday, they played as the road team against the Yankees. On Wednesday, less than 72 hours later, players walked into the home clubhouse for the first time ahead of a team workout. That gave them 48 hours to become acclimated to their new surroundings after calling Port Charlotte, 90 minutes south, home for the previous six weeks. Rays manager Kevin Cash didn’t expect a difficult transition for a team looking forward to the end of the spring training grind.

“I mean, getting out of Port Charlotte,” Cash joked, “they’ll take f—ing anything.”

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PLAYING A FULL season in the spring home of a division rival qualifies as less than ideal. Multiple options in the area were considered. Steinbrenner Field was deemed the most major-league-ready choice. A one-year deal between the Rays and Yankees was struck in November giving the Rays full-time use of the stadium and New York more than $15 million in return.

Steinbrenner Field was already undergoing the final phase of a substantial renovation to player and staff facilities with health and wellness upgrades that include a two-story weight room, a kitchen with a dedicated staff and a players’ lounge with an arcade.

The project — which began last offseason with the renovation of the home clubhouse — made the stadium more of a fit for the Rays, beyond its convenient location. More work was required to bring the building up to MLB regular-season standards, including remodeling the visiting clubhouse and improvements to cabling and broadcast infrastructure.

The Tarpons will play their home games at a field next to the stadium that was upgraded with lights and seating for 1,000 people. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred estimated the entire operation would cost $50 million.

“A gentleman from the Yankees said this in one of our first meetings: ‘We may not root for you on the field, but we can root for you to have a field,'” Walsh recalled. “We just appreciate the collaborative spirit that they really put forth here.”

Still, Steinbrenner Field seats just 11,026. The Rays ranked 28th in attendance across the majors last season, but their 16,515 average was still significantly higher than their new home’s capacity. Further complicating the situation, the organization had already renewed their season-ticket base for Tropicana Field in 2025 by September.

Playing in an open-air stadium during a Florida summer will be an issue, too, between the unforgiving heat and constant rain. MLB moved first-pitch times starting in June back from 7:05 p.m. to 7:35 p.m. and gave the Rays more home games before June. Tampa Bay will play 19 of its first 22 games at home and 37 of its first 54 games there.

To prepare for the inevitable elements, director of special projects and field operations Dan Moeller had six of the Rays’ eight full-time groundskeepers work Yankees Grapefruit League home games alongside the Yankees’ crew, while two stayed behind to maintain the team’s 85 acres around Tropicana Field.

Moeller said his crew helped pull out the tarp twice this spring, good practice for when the games matter. Tropicana Field, unsurprisingly, has never housed a tarp. The first one in franchise history will have a Budweiser logo on what is prime advertising real estate.

The work won’t be entirely foreign to Moeller and his grounds crew. They maintain the team’s six natural fields in Port Charlotte. Moeller, who was hired by the franchise in 1997, also previously worked on the team’s five outdoor fields, including Al Lang Stadium, at their former spring training complex in St. Petersburg through 2008.

“I’m not quite sure what to expect,” Moeller said. “But we got the best grounds crew in the major leagues and we’ll deal with whatever’s thrown at us. My guys are up for the task, and they’re excited about it.”

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VETERAN SECOND BASEMAN Brandon Lowe considered Sunday’s game against the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field more important than a typical exhibition. For him, it was an opportunity to become more familiar with the ballpark. With ground balls on the playing surface. With the background from the batter’s box.

“I feel like baseball players are very resilient and very good at adapting to changes,” said Lowe, who lives in Tampa and will have his commute to work cut significantly. (His manager isn’t so lucky — Cash, who lives in St. Petersburg, said his will increase from just eight minutes to 25.)

The afternoon served as a reminder that it wasn’t home quite yet. The Rays heard a smattering of cheers, but the loudest ones were for Aaron Judge and the Yankees for a game that ended in a tie and doubled as a dress rehearsal for the organization.

Up in the 29-seat press box, the Rays’ public relations team tried to figure out how it would handle large groups of media during the regular season and potentially beyond, while TV and radio broadcast teams adapted themselves to their new workplace.

One problem they encountered: Broadcasters can’t see the bullpens from the booths. The Rays would have to install new camera feeds.

Ryan Bass, the team’s sideline reporter for Fanduel Sports Network Sun, noted there often might not be enough room for him to sit in the camera wells next to the dugouts during games as he normally does.

“From our perspective, doing TV each and every day, we got to figure out, during the course of the season, what the best method is for making sure we bring Rays baseball to fans,” Bass said before Sunday’s game. “I think from what you see March 28th to what you see April 27th, will be completely different just from being really able to get a feel with so many home games to start the year.”

After the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone finished packing up his office and left it for Cash.

“I’m getting out of here today,” Boone said with a smile, “so I’ll leave him something.”

For the Rays, the pace was frenetic. Sunday evening, when reached by phone for an interview just 90 minutes after Tampa Bay was given clearance to start the makeover, Walsh kindly asked if he could call back in five minutes.

“Sorry,” he said, “I’m hanging up a sign.”

Around him, the outfield walls were being power-washed for advertisement installations on Monday, sod featuring ads from Yankees sponsors was being cut out and replaced, one of the team stores was being stocked with Rays gear, and, with help from Walsh, signs were going up everywhere.

The next morning, the Yankees packed and moved out of the home clubhouse ahead of a flight to Miami, emptying the room for the next tenants.

As they did so, Yankees reliever Scott Effross asked a clubhouse attendant a question that was on everybody’s minds this spring: What are the Rays going to do with the giant Yankees logo light fixture suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the room?

The answer, revealed Wednesday, was covering it with a Rays-branded box. Nearby, a nonslip, Rays-branded rug concealed tiling leading to the showers with “The Bronx” spelled out on it. Down the hall, Rays logos replaced Yankees logos on training tables and whirlpool tiles. In the press box, photos of former Rays and framed media guide covers were hung.

Outside, beyond the center-field wall, on the facade facing Dale Mabry Highway, a billboard was mounted featuring the organization’s “Rays Up” tagline, to let every car speeding past the ballpark know George M. Steinbrenner Field is the home of the Rays.

At the bottom, however, is a reminder that it is only temporary:

“THANK YOU, YANKEES!”

The opening week of the 2025 MLB season is upon us — on the heels of a chaos-packed offseason.

Not long after the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their 2024 World Series title, they made the first big strike of the offseason, landing a two-time Cy Young winner — and that was just the start for Los Angeles. But the Dodgers weren’t the only ones keeping the hot stove warm in a winter that had a little bit of everything — from a $765 million contract to lure a superstar across New York City boroughs to a pair of aces signing record nine-figure deals. And the offseason drama continued well into spring training, with two top sluggers finally signing after camps opened.

Whether you are just realizing that Alex Bregman left Houston for the Boston Red Sox or the Dodgers signed … well, it felt like just about everyone — or you know all the moves that went down and still aren’t quite sure what to make of them, we’ve got you covered for Opening Day on Thursday.

ESPN baseball experts Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield break down the moves that rocked the offseason, what they mean for the teams that made them — and how they’ll shape the season ahead.

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Dodgers get the offseason rolling — with a sign of what’s ahead

Date of the deal: Nov. 26 — Dodgers sign Snell to $182 million deal

What it means for the Dodgers: The Dodgers began the offseason with one clear target in mind — not Juan Soto, but Blake Snell. They had just won the World Series, but they did so despite an injury-ravaged starting rotation that required them to stage bullpen games on multiple occasions throughout October. They needed some certainty at the top of their pitching staff, and Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner they almost signed when his market collapsed last offseason, was seen as an ideal fit.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman engaged with Snell’s agent, Scott Boras, at the start of November, and it ultimately took some creativity to come together on a deal that satisfied both parties. They settled on a five-year, $182 million contract that included $66 million in deferred salary but also a $52 million signing bonus.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Snell spent the past two years pitching for the Dodgers’ biggest division rivals, dominating for the San Diego Padres in 2023 and, after an abbreviated spring training, putting together a masterful second half for the San Francisco Giants in 2024. Snell’s presence on the Dodgers, when coupled with another massive move later in the winter, would give them a rotation that is just about as dominant as their lineup — and it would set the tone for another blockbuster offseason.

Dominoes: Boras was coming off a rocky offseason in which four of his biggest clients — Snell, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery — didn’t sign until well into spring training. Boras chalked it up to a bad market replete with unwilling spenders, and Snell’s signing showed that this offseason — another one in which Boras would represent some of the best players available — might be different. It also helped trigger a run of exorbitant starting-pitching contracts over the next three weeks. — Gonzalez

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Giants finally get their big-money free agent

Date of the deal: Dec.7 — Adames joins Giants on 7-year deal

What it means for the Giants: The Giants began the offseason with a glaring need at shortstop, and Willy Adames was the best player available at that position. It was really that simple — and the Giants acted as such, chasing Adames aggressively and signing him before the start of baseball’s winter meetings.

The Adames signing represented the first major free agent addition under Buster Posey, the iconic Giants catcher who shockingly stepped in as the new president of baseball operations shortly after the 2024 regular season. Adames landed a seven-year, $182 million contract that set a new franchise record — breaking the $167 million extension Posey himself signed nearly a dozen years earlier.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The Giants had been having a tough time attracting star players to San Francisco. And though Adames isn’t as big a name as Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge or Bryce Harper — stars who recently spurned them to sign elsewhere — his arrival represents a shift in tone for a front office group that, under Posey, wants the Giants to get back to being the type of organization a community will rally around.

Dominoes: The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays had all been linked, to varying degrees, to Adames. He represented a natural pivot if they could not land Juan Soto for those teams. But they needed to wait on Soto first. The Giants knew this. It triggered their aggression. And it eventually prompted the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays to get even more creative than they hoped. — Gonzalez

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Soto joins the Mets for $765 million — yes, you heard that right: $765 million

Date of the deal: Dec. 8 — Soto joins Mets on 15-year deal

What it means for the Mets: The Mets’ interest in Juan Soto was a poorly kept secret — pursuing the superstar outfielder was central to their long-term plans since Steve Cohen hired David Stearns to run baseball operations in 2023. Landing him, however, was monumental for the franchise.

First, on the field, Soto is possibly the best hitter in the world. His consistency is unmatched. His floor sits stories above most of his peers’ ceilings. He will mash hitting behind Francisco Lindor in a lineup that should rank among baseball’s best.

But the move was about more than just Soto’s on-field impact. It signaled that the Mets really will be different with Cohen in control. Not only did the Mets sign the most sought-after free agent in over two decades to the richest contract in professional sports history (15 years, $765 million with the potential for the compensation to reach $805 million), they signed him away from the Yankees and beat them for his signature. The Yankees are still the top team in New York. But the Mets are ready to compete for championships and the city’s top spot.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The outlook in Queens changed as soon as Soto signed on the dotted line. A year ago, the Mets were projected as a fringe playoff team before exceeding expectations with a magical summer. Signing Soto meant just reaching the postseason is no longer enough — and that the Mets had more work to do.

Dominoes: Soto’s decision opened the offseason’s floodgates — for the four other finalists to land him and several other clubs. The Yankees were forced to turn to Plan B and beyond, prompting a series of moves in December. The Red Sox also spent money elsewhere and the Blue Jays tried to. The Dodgers, the fifth finalist for Soto … well, the Dodgers just kept spending money.

Beyond this winter, though, Soto’s record-setting contract set the market for future high-profile free agents in his age range. The first test case will be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is expected to reach free agency next winter at 26 after turning down a $500 million extension offer (with deferrals) from the Blue Jays last month. — Castillo

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Yankees respond to losing Soto with a $218 million ace signing

Date of the deal: Dec. 10 — Fried, Yankees reach 8-year, $218 million deal

What it means for the Yankees: The Yankees had money to spend and choices to make once Juan Soto spurned them for the Mets. The most obvious need was replacing Soto’s offensive production, but they opted to bolster their biggest strength for their first move of the post-Soto era by investing heavily in another frontline starter.

After missing out on Blake Snell and not fitting Corbin Burnes’ preference to join a club with spring training in Arizona, the Yankees set their sights on Max Fried. He became the third starter in the past six offseasons whom the Yankees have signed to a long-term deal after Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.

The signing for eight years and $218 million gave New York arguably the best starting rotation in baseball — a fivesome rounded out by Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. The starting rotation lifted the Yankees to the American League East title in 2024. They determined it would make for the best strategy moving forward for 2025 and beyond.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The starting rotation became more formidable with a two-time All-Star with a 3.07 career ERA across eight seasons. And the move proved even more crucial for 2025 than initially believed when Cole’s elbow started barking again. Losing Cole for the entire season means Fried will begin 2025 as the club’s No. 1 starter. Fried has dealt with forearm injuries the past two seasons. Staying healthy will be imperative for a rotation also without Gil for at least three months to start the season.

Dominoes: The Yankees beat out their rival Red Sox for Fried’s services, prompting Boston to turn to another ace in the trade market the very next day and leaving Burnes as the only ace-level starter left on the free agent market. But Fried doesn’t hit, and the Yankees needed to improve the lineup. They addressed that before the end of the month. — Castillo

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Red Sox get an ace of their own in blockbuster trade with White Sox

Date of the deal: Dec. 11 — Boston lands Garrett Crochet for prospects

What it means for the Red Sox: The Red Sox haven’t really had an ace since Chris Sale blew out his elbow back in 2019, but after losing out on Snell and Fried, they used their prospect depth to acquire Garrett Crochet, coming off a big season for the White Sox.

The Boston rotation was pretty solid in 2024, ranking seventh in the majors in ERA, although it was just middle of the pack in innings (16th) and strikeout rate (15th). In his first season starting, Crochet made 32 starts and pitched 146 innings (the White Sox limited his innings the final two months) — and, most impressively, topped all pitchers with at least 100 innings by posting a 35.1% strikeout rate.

Crochet was the most in-demand non-free agent of the offseason — he’s under control for two more seasons and will make just $3.8 million in 2025 — and it cost the Red Sox a heavy price in Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery, their first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 respectively, plus two other prospects.

How it will shape the 2025 season: With Rafael Devers, 2024 breakout star Jarren Duran, last year’s impressive rookies Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, and an exciting group of prospects ready to help in outfielder Roman Anthony (ESPN’s No. 2 overall prospect), shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 4) and second baseman Kristian Campbell (No. 26), it was time for the Red Sox to make a push to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. Maybe it’s a year early for all this talent to coalesce into a World Series contender, but Crochet improves those odds.

Dominoes: One key factor is that Crochet’s low salary allowed the Red Sox to make a couple of other moves. First, they would sign Walker Buehler for even more rotation depth. But an even bigger move would come right as spring training kicked off. — Schoenfield

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Yankees continue their pitching push with trade for star closer

Date of the deal: Dec. 13 — Yankees acquire star closer Williams from Brewers

What it means for the Yankees: Clay Holmes was demoted from the closer role in September, so it wasn’t a surprise that the Yankees decided to let him walk in free agency. The thinking was the Yankees could hand the role to Luke Weaver, who sparkled closing games in September and October. But the Yankees aimed higher, acquiring Devin Williams, perhaps the best closer in baseball, from the Milwaukee Brewers for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin.

The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year, Williams is a two-time NL Reliever of the Year and a two-time All-Star. He owns a 1.83 career ERA and 68 career saves behind a screwball-changeup fusion known as The Airbender. He’s a clear upgrade. But he’s also under team control for just one more season, marking the second consecutive winter that the Yankees traded for a star one year from free agency.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Williams’ inclusion moved Weaver back to a multi-inning setup role after his breakout 2024 season — his first as a reliever. Fernando Cruz, acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Jose Trevino later in the month, has the fourth-highest strikeout rate among relievers with at least 130 innings thrown since he debuted in 2022. With them in the back end, the Yankees’ bullpen should improve upon its 12th-ranked strikeout rate from last season.

Dominoes: Williams knew a trade was coming. He was just surprised that it was to the Yankees and not the Dodgers, who were in pursuit of the right-hander. Instead, the Yankees outbid Los Angeles, leaving the Dodgers to continue their search for bullpen help. They ultimately settled on signing the best reliever on the free agent market and a 2024 All-Star, continuing their offseason shopping spree. — Castillo

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Cubs get their star hitter in blockbuster between contenders

Date of the deal: Dec. 13 — Cubs get Tucker from Astros

What it means for the Cubs: The Cubs needed to improve their power profile while servicing an apparent need to avoid long-term entanglements. In acquiring Kyle Tucker in advance of his walk year, they accomplish both. Chicago leveraged a moment of abundance at third base in its system to land Tucker, one of the game’s most potent left-handed sluggers and well-rounded outfielders. Tucker is an upgrade over soon-to-be-dealt Cody Bellinger, but when the latter was traded to the Yankees, it rendered the addition of Tucker more marginal than it had to be. That will be especially true if (when?) the Cubs don’t pony up to retain Tucker for the long term.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Chicago traded a serviceable starting third baseman (Isaac Paredes) and a rapidly rising third base prospect (Cam Smith) to snag Tucker. The outgoing package was made possible by the presence of another hot corner prospect — Matt Shaw — who opened the season as the regular at the position. Thus, the move needs two things to happen to achieve its short-term aim: Tucker to stay healthy, and Shaw to justify the Cubs’ faith.

Dominoes: The Tucker trade will be pushing over dominoes for some time. Bellinger’s departure was the start, which also led to low-level rumbling in Chicago over the Cubs’ often thrifty ways. Those rumbles grew louder when the Cubs were suitors for Alex Bregman, only to fall short. However, that failed pursuit kept the path clear for Shaw, who earned the third-base job during spring training. Those rumbles may turn into a full-blown uproar if the Cubs disappoint and Tucker signs elsewhere after the season — or is dealt at the trade deadline. — Doolittle

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Cubs follow Tucker deal by sending a former MVP to the Yankees

Date of the deal: Dec. 17 — Cubs trade Bellinger to Yankees

What it means for the Yankees: With Juan Soto now with the Mets and Anthony Rizzo a free agent, the Yankees had holes to fill in the outfield and first base. Why not solve one of those with Cody Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP who can play both positions?

With Kyle Tucker in right, Pete Crow-Armstrong ready to take over in center and the less expensive Michael Busch at first base, the Cubs wanted to dump Bellinger’s $27.5 million salary. The Yankees were the perfect fit. They later signed Paul Goldschmidt to play first, so Bellinger will end up as the regular center fielder with Aaron Judge moving back to right field.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The Yankees knew they couldn’t replace Soto with one player, so they’re hoping they can replace his production with multiple players. Bellinger has never come close to his 2019 numbers since injuring his shoulder in the 2020 World Series, but he’s coming off back-to-back solid seasons with the Cubs (139 OPS+ in 2023, 111 in 2024 when he hit .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs). He has morphed into a more contact-oriented hitter these days, but his pull-heavy approach could work well at Yankee Stadium. Goldschmidt, meanwhile, will try to rebound at age 37 from his worst offensive season (.245/.302/.414, 22 home runs).

Dominoes: With Bellinger and Goldschmidt, the Yankees were no longer a viable landing spot for Pete Alonso, eliminating a key bidder for the slugger’s services. Scott Boras had lost his leverage. And the Cubs? In subtracting Bellinger’s salary, perhaps they had room for another free agent with Alex Bregman looking like a potential fit. — Schoenfield

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A $200 million ace joins … the Diamondbacks!?

Date of the deal: Dec. 28 — Arizona, Burnes finalize six-year deal

What it means for the Diamondbacks: As much as anything, Arizona’s second straight offseason investment in its starting rotation declares that even as the Diamondbacks share a division with baseball’s newest Evil Empire, the Snakes aren’t conceding anything to the high-dollar Dodgers.

After splurging for Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez last year, it would have been easy for Arizona to stand pat with its rotation depth chart, hoping for Montgomery to bounce back and E-Rod to be healthy. Instead, the addition of Corbin Burnes gives Arizona a rotation big three in Burnes, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly that can match anyone. It also makes the Diamondbacks a pickle to match up against in any October series — even one against the Dodgers.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Gallen and Kelly are healthy this spring after missing time in 2024, and if they can stay that way, this stat might be highly relevant: Those two and Burnes, between them, have averaged 176 innings over the past three years, and that number jumps to 189 if you remove Kelly’s 13-start 2024 campaign.

The addition of Burnes pushed everyone else down a slot, giving the Diamondbacks superior rotation depth, which in turn should help cover them against a lack of numbers in the middle and front of the bullpen. (The back is in good shape.) The defense behind the starters should incent the hurlers to be pitch efficient, as will an athletic, potent lineup.

Dominoes: For Arizona, the Burnes signing places the need to find a taker for Montgomery at the top of the to-do list, as he simply makes too much money to be just a rotation depth guy. The larger dominoes were felt elsewhere in the pitching market, as teams aching for Burnes’ ace production were left wanting. That begins with Burnes’ old team, Baltimore, which would likely rate as a solid favorite in the AL East had Burnes returned. But the Blue Jays, Giants and others were also left to look elsewhere for an impact addition. — Doolittle

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Much-anticipated Sasaki sweepstakes has a Hollywood ending

Date of the deal: Jan. 17 — Japanese ace Sasaki says he’s joining Dodgers

What it means for the Dodgers: In some ways, the Dodgers had been building up to this moment — all the way back to the mid-1990s, when Hideo Nomo blazed a path for Japanese pitchers to the United States and turned a generation of children in his home country into Dodger fans. In the ensuing years, as Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Yu Darvish and others starred elsewhere, the Dodgers’ influence in Japan began to fade. Then Shohei Ohtani signed with them on Dec. 11, 2023. Then Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined him weeks later. Then, powered in part by those two, the Dodgers won the World Series.

By the time Sasaki was posted in December of 2024, the Dodgers had once again established themselves as the predominant major league team of Japan. So much so that Sasaki chose them, too, even though their starting rotation was already quite full. He chose them mostly because he believed they gave him the best chance to develop, but the presence of Yamamoto and Ohtani, and the fact that the Dodgers carried such massive influence in his country, certainly helped.

How it will shape the 2025 season: In a span of 13 months, the Dodgers added Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto, Snell and Sasaki to their rotation. To that group you can add Ohtani, who is expected to return as a two-way player this season. And Clayton Kershaw, who is on track to join the rotation around June. And a host of promising arms, including Dustin May. Add in their star-studded lineup, and what they would later add to their bullpen, and the Dodgers have put together one of the most talented rosters in baseball history.

Dominoes: The San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays emerged as the other two finalists for Sasaki, and his decision was a massive blow to both. To the Blue Jays, it meant coming up just short on another premier player after failed pursuits of Ohtani, Soto and Burnes, among others. The Padres had a hole in their rotation and were continuing to operate on a tight budget. In some ways, they had built their entire offseason around the prospect of landing Sasaki. Him choosing their biggest rival prompted them to instead sign Nick Pivetta. — Gonzalez

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The Dodgers add top free agent reliever — and become baseball’s new Evil Empire?

Date of the deal: Jan. 19 — Dodgers land Scott for $72 million

What it means for the Dodgers: Landing Snell and Sasaki apparently wasn’t enough for one offseason: The Dodgers then decided to upgrade an already strong bullpen, signing Tanner Scott, arguably the top lefty reliever in the game over the past two seasons, to a four-year, $72 million contract.

Call it a baseball version of adding Kevin Durant to the Warriors: It seemed like piling on at this point (and especially so when the Dodgers then signed Kirby Yates, who held batters to a .113 average last season, the lowest ever for a pitcher with at least 50 innings).

It also seemed like the final exclamation point on the past two seasons: The Dodgers are officially baseball’s Evil Empire. Heck, after this signing, even Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said it is “difficult” for other teams to keep up with the Dodgers. Yes, that’s a bit like Darth Vader complaining about Voldemort. Welcome to baseball in 2025.

How it will shape the 2025 season: The Dodgers have always had good bullpens — fourth in ERA in 2024, third in 2023, second in 2022 and 2021 — but with Scott and Yates added to Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Michael Kopech, Anthony Banda and others, the pen appears deeper and better than ever. It makes it even easier for Dave Roberts to limit innings for his stellar rotation with the hope of keeping those starters healthy for October.

Dominoes: This was more about who didn’t land Scott. The Cubs were reportedly runners-up in the bidding with a four-year, $66 million offer, and a few days after the Scott signing they traded for former Astros closer Ryan Pressly. The Blue Jays pivoted and signed Max Scherzer instead. The Orioles signed Andrew Kittredge when they realized they weren’t going to land Scott. — Schoenfield

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After monthslong standoff, a Mets icon returns to Queens

Date of the deal: Feb. 5 — Alonso, Mets agree to 2-year deal

What it means for the Mets: The Mets might have won the offseason by signing Juan Soto, but Pete Alonso’s free agency hung over Queens for the rest of the winter. Alonso, on paper, made sense for the 2025 Mets. He was a right-handed power bat to protect Soto. He was an adored homegrown player. But the 30-year-old first baseman wanted more than the Mets were willing to offer and the negotiations turned unusually public — and ugly — when owner Steve Cohen expressed his frustration during a fan event in January. A breakup seemed possible. The Mets signaled they were ready to move on. Alonso talked with other teams in search of a long-term contract. But, after a face-to-face meeting with Cohen and David Stearns in Tampa, the two sides agreed on a two-year, $54 million contract with an opt-out after this season the week before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training.

The reunion elevated the Mets to one of the best lineups in baseball, featuring a 1 through 5 of Francisco Lindor, Soto, Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos that should wreak havoc on pitchers when healthy.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Signing Soto was significant, but more was needed to compete in a loaded National League East.

The Phillies, the defending division champs, have one of the best rotations in baseball to complement a veteran, battle-tested, star-studded lineup. The Braves, the division champs the previous six seasons, should rebound from a nightmare, injury-riddled season in which they still managed to reach the postseason as a wild card.

Alonso, who is 27 home runs shy of becoming the franchise’s all-time leader, gives the Mets a lineup to compete with those contenders. The starting rotation, however, might be another matter.

Dominoes: If Alonso’s season goes as both sides hope, the first baseman will opt out of his contract and become a free agent again in search of a long-term deal next winter. But this past winter suggests finding one could be difficult.

Alonso, who will be the highest-paid first baseman in the majors this season with a $30 million salary, is one of baseball’s top sluggers. His 226 home runs are the second most in the sport since his debut in 2019. But the long-term contract he expected — one similar to, or even better than, the seven-year, $158 million extension he declined in 2023 — never materialized. Teams have seemingly decided slugging first basemen on the wrong side of 30 without much value on defense and on the basepaths aren’t worth that much. Alonso hopes that will change after a strong 2025 season.

The Mets, meanwhile, are expected to pursue Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next winter to replace Alonso if he reaches free agency and Alonso indeed opts out. — Castillo

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Blue Jays get their big-name free agent in Soto, Ohtani, Roki … Anthony Santander

Date of the deal: Jan. 20 — Toronto, Santander reach $92 million deal

What it means for the Blue Jays: Over the past couple of years, the Blue Jays have been frequent headliners in the rumor mills around the top acquisition targets in the marketplace. Time after time, Toronto fell short in these pursuits. Then they inked Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million deal that also cost Toronto a compensatory draft pick because Santander had been saddled with a qualifying offer by his old team, Baltimore.

For the Blue Jays, it at least proves that they can still get someone to take their money, and if Toronto hadn’t been featured so prominently in the other quests, the addition of Santander wouldn’t feel so much like settling. Santander isn’t a perfect player, but he’s a legit, middle-of-the-order power hitter threat who has averaged 35 homers over the past three years. The Blue Jays didn’t get everything they wanted this winter, but in Santander, they did land a bona fide threat to slot behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the batting order.

How it will shape the 2025 season: With Guerrero’s future in Toronto in doubt, there’s a lot riding on the Blue Jays’ short-term fortunes. After leaning a little too far over to the defensive side when picking their ancillary position players the past few seasons, Santander will help turn the scoreboard and perhaps unlock Guerrero’s game even more. If so, it can only help the case Toronto will continue to make in attempting to keep Vlady for the long haul.

Dominoes: The relatively late date of Santander’s signing bolstered the Blue Jays’ offseason work considerably and still left them time to add more, which resulted in, among other things, the signing of Max Scherzer to the rotation. It also left other teams looking for a big outfield bat out in the cold, with the Royals, Angels, Red Sox and Tigers reportedly among them. –– Doolittle

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Braves finally get in on the offseason fun

Date of the deal: Jan. 23 — Atlanta, Profar agree to 3-year deal

What it means for the Braves: The offseason had been distinctly silent for the Braves until Profar agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal in the latter part of January. If Profar, coming off an age-31 season that was easily the best of his career, can retain most of last season’s gains, he fills the one concerning spot in the potent Atlanta lineup. He would do so at salary level (a $14 million-per-season luxury tax number) that, for now, apparently keeps the Braves under the tax line, and even with a bit of room to make in-season adds.

How it will shape the 2025 season: When Ronald Acuna Jr. returns (soon) to regular duty, the Braves will have a fully stocked, powerhouse regular lineup and a quality bench. Profar not only completes the puzzle but will help bridge whatever gap remains between now and Acuna’s first game.

That said, Profar’s yearly OPS+ figures, beginning in 2018, are: 107, 91, 114, 83, 109, 81, 134. After signing Profar for three seasons, the Braves need him to break that pattern. If he can, the Braves’ lineup should have no holes.

Dominoes: Profar turned out to be the one multiyear free agent the Braves signed this winter. Every signing since has been a recognizable veteran on a minor league deal and spring training invite. For Atlanta, Profar was the lone domino.

The timing of his signing with Atlanta might prove to be painful for Profar’s old team in San Diego. The Padres never really filled the void opened by Profar’s departure. At the time he joined Atlanta, the Padres had not added a free agent on a big league deal, but they later added five. If the purse strings had been loosened just a little sooner, might Profar have been retained? — Doolittle

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The offseason’s final star free agent lands in Boston

Date of the deal: Feb. 12 — Bregman signs with Red Sox

What it means for the Red Sox: The Red Sox have had three straight non-winning seasons — the first time that has happened since 1992-94. In signing Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal (with player opt-outs after 2025 and 2026), the Red Sox get a winning player to help reverse that trend, a former MVP runner-up who has averaged 4.5 WAR the past three seasons. They also get a hitter who has dominated at Fenway Park in his career, hitting .375/.490/.750 with seven home runs in 21 games.

They also created some internal strife, with Rafael Devers initially saying he would not be open to moving from third base to DH. Bregman, who won a Gold Glove in 2024, said he’d be willing to move to second base. A month later, Devers changed his stance and told reporters, “I’m good to do whatever they want me to do.”

Maybe Devers settles in at DH. Maybe Bregman ends up sliding back and forth. Maybe second-base prospect Kristian Campbell goes down to Triple-A and plays more outfield. No matter what, manager Alex Cora will have his work cut out keeping Devers happy and figuring out how and when to integrate all the young players into the lineup.

How it will shape the 2025 season: Bregman is coming off a .315 OBP, his worst since his rookie season, and 51 points below his career average. It remains to be seen whether he’s a major addition to the lineup or merely a solid contributor.

The Red Sox were third in the AL in runs in 2024, but if Bregman’s bat plays as hoped at Fenway and some of the young hitters improve, this team could lead the league in runs — and that could mean their first AL East title since the World Series championship season in 2018.

Dominoes: The Tigers and Cubs were other potential landing spots for Bregman, and both have intriguing rookie third basemen — Jace Jung in Detroit and Matt Shaw in Chicago. Shaw is the better prospect of the two (No. 23 overall, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel), although he has just 35 games above Double-A. Jung got some big league time in 2024, hitting .241/.362/.304 in 94 plate appearances after hitting .257/.377/.454 in Triple-A, but got sent down last week, so it looks like Detroit will open with a Zach McKinstry/Andy Ibanez platoon.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Alex Ovechkin didn’t score for Washington, staying at 889 career goals and six away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

But Ovechkin did initiate a memorable moment on the ice in Minnesota on Thursday night.

The three-time NHL MVP, who has been in the spotlight for months amid his pursuit of Gretzky’s career goal mark, hustled over toward the tunnel behind the bench after the horn sounded on Washington’s 4-2 loss to make sure all of the Capitals came back on the ice to shake hands with retiring Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Ovechkin was the first to greet Fleury at center ice as they shared a hug and a laugh.

Fleury, who’s in his 21st and assuredly final season in the league, was on the home bench all night while Filip Gustavsson manned the net.

Ovechkin mentioned to the team in the morning that it would be the last matchup against Fleury, who faced Ovechkin and the Capitals frequently over the first 13 seasons of his career with Pittsburgh. Ovechkin had 28 goals in 47 games against Fleury, his most against any goalie.

“He’s had so many battles with the Caps, with ‘O,'” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “Pretty classy to be able to send him off and just say how impressive a career he had.”

Capitals center Dylan Strome played briefly with Fleury in Chicago.

“Everyone knows he’s one of the best people of all time in the game, so the little respect we can show him at the end of the game I think goes a long way,” Strome said.

The Wild were impressed by the gesture, even if they weren’t surprised.

“Every team we go to, you see the signs. Everyone loves him, and everyone loves playing against him,” Gustavsson said. “I think no one really would say anything bad about him.”

At some point soon, the Wild probably will find themselves doing their own internal tribute.

“It’s awesome to see. It’s fun for him, and I am happy for him,” defenseman Jonas Brodin said. “He’s a great person and one of the best I have ever played with, so it’s pretty cool. It’s special to have that when you quit hockey someday, that you played with that guy, for sure.”