MLB free agency: Offseason lessons from GM meetings.
As MLB’s free agency officially opened this week, baseball’s top executives gathered in San Antonio for the annual general manager meetings, offering the first opportunity to hear front offices discuss their offseason goals.
From teams coming off deep October runs to clubs at a crossroads, we checked in with some of this winter’s most intriguing teams for insight on their hot stove priorities.
Teams fresh off a playoff appearance.
Detroit Tigers: Harris aiming to raise bar after unexpected October success
After a playoff run nobody saw coming, the Tigers are in a strong position entering the offseason. Given the performance of their young core, they plan to continue to build from within but also have the opportunity to add from outside the organization this offseason.
In a subtle twist from the usual executive talk that “every team has a budget,” president of baseball operations Scott Harris indicated Detroit does things a little differently.
Editor’s Picks
MLB free agency, trade grades: Angels make another move with Hendricks signing
2dBradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield
13 years, $611 million?! Rankings, contract projections for top 50 MLB free agents
2dKiley McDaniel
Early MLB offseason rumors and buzz: Which.
.stars will get traded? Which teams will rule the winter?
4dMLB Insiders
“We don’t go into an offseason with a firm floor or ceiling that we have to get to no matter what,” Harris said about his payroll. “We just go into the offseason trying to get better. I know Chris [Ilitch] is going to support us if we find compelling opportunities to get better that cost money — we’re going to do it.”
The Ilitches were big spenders while Chris’ dad, Mike, ran the team. The baseball world should find out in the coming years — as the Tigers keep growing — if Chris has the same propensity for high payrolls. In the meantime, Harris has been delivering a message to his team after a successful season.
“The message I’ve been sharing is we have to hold two thoughts at the same time … we can be proud of what we just did … but that second thought is we have to stay very hungry. We have to raise the bar for all of us. The beauty of a young team is it gets better.”
Milwaukee Brewers: Arnold preparing for possibility of life after Adames
General manager Matt Arnold was asked how his team will replace the production it received from shortstop Willy Adames, who had a career year and is now likely to leave via free agency because of the nine-figure payday he is projected to get this offseason.
“Really tough,” Arnold said. “Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz were fantastic. However we want to stagger those types of guys, I think we have depth there. They can cover us up the middle.”
While leaning on two young players already excelling in the organization is in line with how the Brewers often operate, a dip into free agency for a shortstop isn’t out of the question. Could that mean an unexpected reunion with Adames?
“We’ve always had support from ownership to do that, whether that’s the [Jackson] Chourio or [Christian] Yelich extension. [Owner Mark Attanasio] is case specific.”
Despite that support, it might be a tougher road to climb with Adames, as industry sources believe he’ll move on from the Brewers this winter.
New York Mets: Will Stearns land Soto or Alonso? Maybe. Starting pitching? Yes.
As expected, Mets GM David Stearns wouldn’t talk much about specific free agents, including Juan Soto and Pete Alonso, but he did acknowledge that he is in a different space this winter after joining an organization with money to spend on payroll compared with his time with the small-market Brewers.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Stearns said. “I think whenever you have access to every tier of agency and every tier available player, that’s a tremendous opportunity and it opens up doors and we have to decide which door to walk through or which doors to walk through at times.”
2024 MLB All-October team
From wild-card sensations to World Series heroes, these are the stars who ruled the 2024 playoffs.
MLB All-October team »
Whether the Mets will sign Soto or bring back Alonso — or both — will likely be the most talked-about topics surrounding the team this winter, but building up the starting rotation might be Stearns’ biggest need to address this offseason.
In a year that began with rotation uncertainty after the Mets had traded away Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at the 2023 trade deadline, New York found success in targeting veterans on short-term contracts last winter. With Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana all free agents this winter, the Mets have several spots to build and multiple paths to doing so. While it’s too early to know which direction they will go, there is no doubt New York will be busy adding starters this winter.
“Starting pitching is certainly a priority for us,” Stearns said. “We have three free agent starting pitchers combine for a lot of starts, a lot of endings for us.”
New York Yankees: Cashman isn’t deterred by Game 5 meltdown
As GM Brian Cashman starts an offseason in which the focus will be on courting Juan Soto to return to New York, he’s still dealing with the aftermath of a poorly played World Series that culminated with the defense unraveling in the fifth inning of Game 5. During the GM meetings, he was asked to address the team’s issues in the field and on the bases.
“I think some of it is inherent to certain players that we have,” he said. “I know the big fifth inning that people obviously can point to. Those players are pretty fundamentally buttoned up, but sometimes you have consistently good players make mistakes that exacerbate other circumstances.
“This team obviously wasn’t the best defensive team that we’ve had, and this team also had obviously made some baserunning mistakes, but the Game 5 situation was involving players that ultimately are really, really good and consistent in what they do. Whether it be a Gold Glove at shortstop or typically high-end defender at first or the ace of our mound, Gerrit Cole, that’s as good of a baseball mind as they come. And Aaron Judge catches a fly ball a billion times out of a billion.”
Despite the frustration from the fan base about New York’s World Series disappointment, it is expected that manager Aaron Boone’s contract option will be picked up soon — and he could be in line for an extension as well, especially if the Yankees want to avoid him managing with another potential expiring contract next season.
Philadelphia Phillies: Division series exit has Dombrowski searching for answers
It’s not exactly a full panic in Philadelphia after the Phillies’ early exit at the hands of the division-rival Mets, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski isn’t using the notion that anything can happen in the playoffs to rationalize his team’s loss in the division round. He’s digging deeper, and it could lead to a busy offseason for the NL East champs.
“I never look at it as it’s just what happens in the playoffs,” Dombrowski said. “Other people say that. In our situation, we didn’t swing the bats very well as a club, and our bullpen didn’t pitch as well. I really don’t know why our pen didn’t pitch well. They were so efficient all year long. You scrutinize those things for sure.”
MLB free agency: Predictions, best fits
The hot stove season is upon us. Where will the biggest names in this winter’s class land? Offseason tracker »
Predictions, suitors for Soto »
Best fits for Alonso, Burnes, more »
Dombrowski wouldn’t comment on Bryce Harper’s desire, via agent Scott Boras, to possibly extend his contract a few more years to bring him to retirement. Harper still has seven years left on a 13-year, $330 million contract he signed before the 2020 season.
“Bryce wants to set up a platform where he can achieve all of his goals, long term in Philadelphia,” Boras said at the meetings. “Certainly, other owners have done this with players of his ilk. That’s his objective.”
Dombrowski responded: “I never really discuss contract situations.”
San Diego Padres: Preller enters offseason eyeing starting rotation depth
Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller had a bit softer view than Dombrowski regarding his team’s division series loss.
“We felt like we had a team that could win the World Series,” Preller said at the meetings. “It’s not every year you can look up and feel that way. We were up 2-1 [on the Dodgers] and the narrative changes a lot if we win that one game. But we didn’t do it. I don’t think we can over-evaluate that. You factor it all in and balance it the right way.”
One of the reasons San Diego thought it was set up as well as anyone heading into October was the strength of its starting rotation, but pitching depth has become an area of focus after the Padres lost Joe Musgrove to Tommy John surgery.
“That was a big competitive advantage for us going into the playoffs because we had four [good starters]. [Yu] Darvish, Musgrove, [Dylan] Cease and [Michael] King can beat anyone’s No. 1. We won’t have Joe next year … so we’ll use our depth but that will be part of this offseason, trying to find more starting pitching options for us.”
Teams on the edge of contention
Boston Red Sox: Breslow looking to find the right balance
After taking a step in the right direction with a third-place finish in the AL East, Red Sox president of baseball operations Craig Breslow is prioritizing left-handed pitchers and right-handed hitters this offseason. To find the right lineup mix, Breslow could deal from a position of strength that other teams covet: Boston’s stockpile of left-handed hitters.
“We are thinking about how we can balance it out in the other direction,” Breslow said.
Boston’s pitching staff was one of MLB’s big surprises during the first half of the season but tanked in the second half, ranking 25th in ERA after the All-Star break as opposed to fifth before it. Injuries and workload capacity led to some high-scoring affairs for the opposition.
“We had a fairly novel approach to pitching in terms of limiting fastballs,” Breslow explained. “The league reacted. There was a period of time that we were slow to correct for that, but over the last month of the season our rotation was good again. We could upgrade there. It’s not a secret our rotation is all right-handed, so if we can balance that out, it’s something that could benefit.”
Chicago Cubs: Hoyer ready to make a splash — but maybe not the biggest splash
The Cubs aren’t likely to reel in a top-of-the-market free agent, but they could add from a second tier that includes players like Max Fried and Jack Flaherty. The team will cast a wide net for a starter to join Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga near the top of the rotation. Wrigley Field played big last season. That might not be the case in 2025, so the team wants to fortify there.
“I do feel like our offense was hurt by Wrigley last year, but our pitching staff was helped,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “You can’t look at the Wrigley factor on one side only.”
Way-too-early 2025 MLB Power Rankings
The Dodgers just won the 2024 World Series — and we’re already looking ahead to next year. Who’s No. 1? »
With Cody Bellinger opting to return to Chicago, the Cubs are mostly locked into their position players via long-term deals and team control for younger players. Additions to the offense are most likely to come via offseason trades or through players rising from the farm system.
“You always want to be creative, but there is room for it this year,” Hoyer said. “Certainly looking to improve [on offense].”
