ESPN baseball reporter. He covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for the Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nExamining the National League East’s offseason performance so far begins with what has happened — and what hasn’t happened in New York. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is set to make some big changes this winter after a frustrating season (to put it mildly). Taking it back was not an option. But it’s been a shocking — and, so far, incomplete — overhaul in Queens that has fans on edge, concerns fueled by Kyle Tucker coming out of the blue to choose the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Mets late Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, the Atlanta Braves have dealt with their biggest needs, the Phillies have been in the works — with a big move likely imminent — the Miami Marlins continue to stockpile young talent to take another step forward in 2026, and the Washington Nationals remain deep in a rebuild.<\/p>\n
Let’s take a look at each team’s offseason performance and what could be next. Additionally, we’ve given each team an urgency rating — from 1 to 5, based on how much they still need to accomplish before reporting to camp:<\/p>\n
1 – Their work (basically) is done.<\/em><\/p>\n2 — They have a hard winter, but more can help.<\/em><\/p>\n3 — We will judge their winter by where it comes from here.<\/em><\/p>\n4 — Thank you…<\/em><\/p>\n5 — It was a disaster. Can they change it?<\/em><\/p>\n
Important additions<\/strong><\/p>\nTL Mauricio Dub\u00f3n
What they have achieved so far: <\/strong>The Braves entered the offseason needing to address shortstop and left field after ranking among the worst in production at those two positions last season. Re-signing Ha-Seong Kim after 24 games in September and adding Yastrzemski tick those boxes. On top of that, they added Dub\u00f3n defensively in a variety of ways and landed Suarez — one of the best relievers on the free market — and re-signed Raisel Iglesias, to bolster the bullpen.<\/p>\n\nEditor’s Choice<\/h2>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n
All they have to do is: <\/strong>In addition to improving shortstop, left field and the bullpen, the Braves began the offseason with the goal of strengthening the starting rotation. That hasn’t happened yet. Atlanta’s rotation is strong with Chris Sale, Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach up top. But each of those three pitchers missed significant time with injuries last season, Sale is entering his age-37 campaign, and the established depth behind them shines.<\/p>\nAs it stands, Reynaldo Lopez and Hurston Waldrep may complete the rotation. A shoulder injury limited Lopez to one start in the season. Waldrep, who turns 24 in March, has started 11 courses. AJ Smith-Shawver could return from Tommy John surgery in the second half, with Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and Joey Wentz among the other options.<\/p>\n
The Braves, however, are already expected to pay $18.9 million above the first competitive balance tax threshold and $1.1 million below the second threshold after staying under the first threshold last season.<\/p>\n
Urgent Rate: <\/strong>2<\/p>\n
Important additions<\/strong><\/p>\nOF Owen Caissie
What they have achieved so far<\/strong>: For the second time in 18 months, the Marlins traded a quality starting pitcher with years of team control for a package headlined by a young outfielder. Last winter, they talked Jes\u00fas Luzardo to the Phillies. This time, it was right-hander Edward Cabrera, whom they sent to the Chicago Cubs for Caissie and two other prospects. Then, this week, they traded another talented pitcher, sending Ryan Weathers to the New York Yankees for four prospects. Miami isn’t out yet, though, signing Fairbanks closer to a one-year, $13 million deal.<\/p>\nWhat they have yet to do<\/strong>: Sandy Alcantara, a former Cy Young Award winner, has been the subject of trade rumors for two years. The right-hander is under contract for $17.3 million this season with a $21 million team option for 2027. He bounced back from a rough start last season to post a 3.13 ERA over his last 12 outings. He can help a competitor. But moving both Cabrera and Weathers means that a trade for Alcantara is almost impossible in the offseason. Miami, looking to improve on its 79-win season in 2025, has the option to wait until the trade deadline.<\/p>\nFairbanks helps the bullpen, but teams can always use more help in that department. The roster is loaded with power, but the starting base is an area that could use improvement. Currently, Graham Pauley, who has hit four home runs with a .678 OPS in 62 games, projects as Miami’s first baseman. Less expensive options are still available in free agency.<\/p>\n
Urgent Rate:<\/strong> 2<\/p>\n
Important additions<\/strong><\/p>\nINF Jorge Polanco
What they have achieved so far: <\/strong>It was a shocking start for Mets fans, who watched four of their longest-tenured players with other clubs and the Mets failed to acquire Tucker. Gone are Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Edwin D\u00edaz and Jeff McNeil — along with Tyler Rogers, Gregory Soto and Ryne Stanek. So far the replacements include Semien who will play second base, Polanco who will play first base for the first time in his career, and Weaver and Williams who will work together at the end of the bullpen. None of these players are on Tucker’s level.<\/p>\n\nTop MLB predictions for 2026<\/h2>\n
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All they have to do is: <\/strong>The Mets will get an outfielder and starting pitcher. Who exactly is unclear. Their top choice among available players was Tucker, the top free agent on the market, who they offered a short-term contract before joining the two-time defending World Series champions. Tucker wasn’t a good fit — he was left-handed, was outclassed as a shortstop last season, and plays the same position as Juan Soto — but Stearns believed his offensive ability was worth the attention.<\/p>\nAnother obvious free agent option is Cody Bellinger, a better and more versatile defender with a low offensive ceiling. The Yankees want to re-sign Bellinger, but the two sides are at loggerheads over the length of the contract; the Yankees offered him a five-year contract, but Bellinger wants seven years. Cheaper options include former Met Harrison Bader in free agency or acquiring an outfielder like Lars Nootbaar in a trade.<\/p>\n
In terms of rotation, the Mets have expressed interest in free agent lefty Framber Valdez and Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta, who is owed $8 million this season before reaching free agency.<\/p>\n
One thing to remember about Valdez, Tucker and Peralta: The Mets front office has deep connections to the Astros and Brewers, starting with Stearns. Stearns was an assistant general manager in Houston when the Astros drafted Tucker in the first round and signed Valdez from the Dominican Republic in 2015. He then became the general manager of the Brewers in September 2015, months before Milwaukee acquired Peralta from the Seattle Mariners, and oversaw Peralta’s development into a major league mainstay.<\/p>\n
Urgent Rate: <\/strong>5<\/p>\n
Important additions<\/strong><\/p>\nC Harry Ford<\/p>\n
What they have achieved so far:<\/strong> The Nationals’ extended rebuild is under a new regime. Baseball president Paul Toboni’s first big move at the helm was trading closer Jose A. Ferrer to the Mariners for Ford and minor league pitcher Isaac Lyon. Otherwise, it’s been a quiet season in the nation’s capital.<\/p>\n\nA statistic that will define 2026 for all MLB teams<\/h2>\n
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All they have to do is:<\/strong> With the Nationals still years away from NL East contention, Toboni’s next significant move could be a trade for lefty MacKenzie Gore. The former No. 3 pick was an All-Star for the first time last season after posting a 3.02 ERA in the first half, before struggling down the stretch. Gore, who turns 27 next month, has two years to control the party before he gains independence.<\/p>\nMoving shortstop CJ Abrams, who, like Gore, was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto in 2022, is another option. An All-Star in 2024, Abrams has shined long since becoming a regular in 2023, but has come off as one of the worst defensive shortstops in the majors during that time.<\/p>\n
Emergency Rating<\/strong>: 3<\/p>\n
Important additions<\/strong><\/p>\nBY Adolis Garc\u00eda
What they have achieved so far: <\/strong>The Phillies took an early lead, re-signing their beloved shortstop Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million contract. They signed Adolis Garc\u00eda, who was not tendered by the Texas Rangers, to a one-year, $10 million deal, and gave Brad Keller a two-year, $22 million contract.<\/p>\nAll they have to do is: <\/strong>For starters, the Phillies have a glaring hole in catcher JT Realmuto who is still a free agent. They are expected to address that position — whether that’s re-signing Realmuto or finding someone else. The rotation should be a strength when Zach Wheeler returns midseason, but the loss of Ranger Su\u00e1rez, who agreed to a five-year, $130 million deal with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, hurts, and the Phillies could look to add depth.<\/p>\nBut the biggest move the Phillies could make — especially if they don’t re-sign Realmuto — is to sign Bo Bichette. Adding an infielder isn’t an obvious need — the Phillies have Trea Turner at shortstop, Alec Bohm at third base, and Bryson Stott at second base — but they’ve met Bichette and are in the running to sign the two-time All-Star. Bichette, who turns 28 in March, will play either second base or third base for Philadelphia, possibly pushing the Phillies to trade Bohm or Stott.<\/p>\n
Urgent Rate:<\/strong> 3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jorge CastilloJan 16, 2026, 08:45 AM ET Shut up ESPN baseball reporter. He covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for the Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024. Examining the National League East’s …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2161"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2162,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2161\/revisions\/2162"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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