What a wild month it’s been for the MLB. The lockout ended, free agency quickly shifted the landscape of the league, and now Spring Training is finally in full swing.

Just in case you missed any of the exciting free agency/trade action in the MLB, the MVP Blog is going to recap and analyze all the major moves which were made across the league.

Make sure to follow The MVP Blog for much more MLB content coming this season. For now, grab yourself a drink, kick your feet back, and get excited for Opening Day by giving this a read!

Carlos Rodon signs with the San Francisco Giants
The Contract: 2 years, $44 million, Player option after year 1

What it means: Carlos Rodon has always had the arm talent to be something special. Walks and injuries have always been his kryptonite. In 2021, however, he figured out his control (just 2.4 walks per 9 innings pitched) and was able to stay relatively healthy, although arm soreness did limit him down the stretch. All in all, he put up a 2.37 ERA in 24 starts, had a WHIP under 1 (which is just ludicrous for a starter), and struck out 12.6 batters per 9 innings. It was by far the best year of his career. If Rodon could’ve stayed healthy and pitched about 40 more innings, it is very possible that he would’ve taken home the Cy Young.

Rodon, now 29 years old, will help bolster an already very solid Giants rotation. Rodon likely slides in as the #2 starter behind young stud Logan Webb. Their rotation will likely be rounded out by Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, and Alex Cobb. None of these 5 are huge, sexy names that have been dominant big-league pitcher for years and years. All 5, however, had a sub-4 ERA in 2021. This Giants staff will not blow you away by any means, but it has the makings of a top-5 rotation in the MLB.

Clayton Kershaw re-signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Contract: 1 year, $17 million

What it means: The best pitcher of this generation is back for one last go. Is this it for Kershaw? I honestly hope not. The only thing that has ever slowed this man down is injury. He’s only 34 years old, but coming off of 2 injury-ridden seasons, the future doesn’t look super bright. He claims he is healthy and feels fantastic. If that is truly the case, the rest of baseball is in trouble.

The Dodgers already have the best lineup in baseball, and it’s not particularly close. The Dodgers already have two young stud pitchers in Walker Buehler and Julio Urias. The Dodgers already are presumably getting back former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer at some point early in the season. And now if Kershaw can stay healthy and return to even a glimpse of his old dominant self… Oh goodness. That would give them the best rotation in baseball, as well as the best lineup. You see where I am going with this one?

New York Mets acquire Chris Bassitt from the Oakland Athletics
The Trade: New York Mets acquire Chris Bassitt, Oakland Athletics acquire minor league prospects G.T. Ginn and Adam Oller

What it means: The Mets clearly entered this offseason with one goal in mind: Give Jacob DeGrom help in the rotation. And they have done just that. After handing out a $340 million contract to Lindor a season ago, the Mets made another huge splash this offseason by giving Max Scherzer a $130 million deal. Jacob DeGrom has serious injury concerns, but just imagine if he stays healthy. Imagine playing the Mets in a playoff series and you have to face DeGrom game 1. Ok, we will take our medicine and set our sights on winning game 2. BUT then you have to face Max Scherzer game 2?!? Good night. Ok. Game 3 has to be easier. Who could they possibly trot out for game 3?

Probably the best 3rd starter in Major League Baseball. In 2020, Bassitt was 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 11 starts in the Covid shortened season. In 2021, he was 12-4 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.055 WHIP in 27 starts. Outside of the Dodgers, nobody in baseball has a third starter even close to the quality of Chris Bassitt. The Mets are going to be a really tough out come October. All they will have to do is score 3 or 4 runs. Although, that’s easier said than done for the Mets in recent years.

Minnesota Twins acquire Sonny Gray from the Cincinnati Reds
The Trade: Minnesota Twins acquire Sonny Gray and minor league prospect Francis Peguero, Cincinnati Reds acquire Chase Petty, the 26th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft

What it means: With Jose Berrios in Toronto and Kenta Maeda out until at least the all-star break, the Twins desperately needed a front of the rotation starting pitcher. And they got just that in Sonny Gray. Sonny Gray has had a sub-4 ERA in 6 of his 9 MLB seasons and a sub-3 ERA in 3 of those seasons. He has twice been an all-star and received Cy Young votes in both those seasons, finishing as high as 3rd in 2015. Sonny immediately slides in as the Twins opening day starter and provides a little hope for an otherwise rough looking starting rotation. The Twins have a solid lineup that should be able to put up runs, but can they keep the other team off the board? They can count on Sonny to at least put some zeros on the scoreboard.

Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees swap stars
The Trade: Minnesota Twins acquire Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela, New York Yankees acquire Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Ben Rortvedt

What it means: Everyone is calling this a blockbuster trade. But I don’t really know that it is. I don’t think it significantly moves the needle for either team. The one and only thing it did was allow the Twins to make a secondary move and sign a big time SS, more on that later.

Yankees fans hate the trade because Gio Urshela was a fan favorite. But let’s be honest here. He was a very late bloomer. He didn’t become a quality big league player until his age 27 season, in which he hit .314 with 21 homeruns. In the covid shortened season, Urshela hit .298. Last season, he hit .267 with 14 homeruns. What is Billy Beane’s famous line though? BUT CAN HE GET ON BASE?!?! Well, I hate to inform you of this, but Gio does not get on base. He walked 20 times in 450 at-bats in 2021. Hitting .267 and having an on-base percentage barely over .300 isn’t great. He’s a plus fielder, but goodness gracious, Yankees fans are acting like they just traded away Adrian Beltre… Gio Urshela is a very average Major League Baseball player. In fact, Yankees fans should be shouting for joy that they no longer have to watch Gary Sanchez play baseball. Gary regularly hits below the Mendoza line, is a below average fielding catcher, and strikes out at about a 30% clip. His only positive is that he hits some clutch homeruns. In 2017, Sanchez hit .278 with 33 homeruns. But since then, he has been absolutely terrible, and that might be putting it lightly.

Speaking of absolutely terrible, that would be one way to sum up the Twins portion of Josh Donaldson’s career. Donaldson was brought in to sure up the Twins lineup and provide stability at third base. He spent about 30% of his Twins career on the IL and made more enemies than he did friends. But this is still the former MVP, the bringer of rain, and a career .270 hitter. This is by far the best player in this trade. He’s 36, but he still definitely has a bit left in the tank. On top of that, the Yankees get a gold glove SS and a young catcher with promise. Let’s be real, he can’t be any worse than Gary has been the last 4 years.

Nelson Cruz signs with the Washington Nationals
The Contract: 1 year, $15 million

What it means: 15 teams should have been interested in Nelson Cruz’s services before the lockout. After the lockout, 15 more should’ve become interested when the universal DH was introduced. Nelson Cruz is 41 years old but has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, he has gotten better with age. In 2019, his age 38 season, Cruz had arguably the best season of his career, hitting .311 with 41 bombs and 108 RBI. He followed that up by hitting .303 with 16 homeruns while battling a wrist injury in a covid shortened season. He hit 32 homeruns last year in his age 40 season. This man can just flat out hit. He is only 51 homeruns short of 500 career homeruns. He has 2 seasons left in him, easily.

The Nationals aren’t any good. They went just 65-97 last season, and nothing is really expected of them in 2022 either. But what they do have is the most exciting young hitter in baseball, and arguably the best player in baseball. Juan Soto. Juan Soto was playing tee ball when Nelson Cruz made his MLB debut. Both of Dominican descent, Cruz will be a fatherly figure to Soto, just like he was to Miguel Sano in Minnesota. Soto will learn a lot from the veteran Cruz, and Cruz will also provide Soto some much needed protection in the lineup.

Atlanta Braves acquire Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics
The Trade: Atlanta Braves acquire Matt Olson, Oakland Athletics acquire Christian Pache and minor league prospects Shea Langeliers, Ryan Cusick, and Joey Estes

What it means: The Atlanta Braves went on an improbable run all the way to a World Series ring in 2021. Young guns Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley were key factors, while one of the best players in baseball, Ronald Acuna Jr., missed a majority of the season and all of the postseason. The future is so bright for the Braves, and so is their present. The one big question mark for the Braves this offseason is what they would do at first base. 2020 MVP Freddie Freeman, probably the best first baseman in baseball, was a free agent. Would they hand him the bag? The answer turned out to be no. Instead, they traded for another slugging first baseman, but one that is 5 years younger.

Matt Olson was immediately given an 8-year, $168 million deal upon his arrival in Atlanta. The championship window has arrived for the Atlanta Braves, and it is going to last awhile. And it is easy to see why they wanted to get Olson in the mix. He hit .271 last season with 39 homeruns and 111 RBI, playing his home games at a park that is fairly pitcher friendly. Olson is a fantastic replacement for Freeman and will slide right into the middle of that order. A top-4 of Acuna, Albies, Olson, and Riley is really, really good.

Seattle Mariners acquire Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez
The Trade: Seattle Mariners Acquire Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati Reds acquire Justin Dunn, Jake Fraley, minor league prospect Brandon Williamson, and a player to be named later

What it means: The Seattle Mariners unexpectedly won 90 games in 2021. And honestly, how they managed 90 wins is still absolutely baffling to me. They hit .226 as a team, which was good for dead last in the AL. They were middle of the pack in homeruns hit. They had a team ERA of 4.30, which was 8th out of 15 in the AL. I’m a big numbers guy and think that numbers can tell you a lot about a team, but the numbers do not tell you that this was a 90-win team.

Big regression is in store for the Mariners. And I think the front office knows it. That’s why they went out and attempted to bolster their lineup a bit. And I am a big fan of Jesse Winker. A first time all-star last year, Winker hit .305 with 24 homeruns. He’s a career .288 hitter in the big leagues in about 1,500 plate appearance. Winker will immediately become one of the Mariners top hitters. Suarez is 2 years removed from hitting .271 with 49 homeruns. Although the power has still been there the past two seasons, the average has dipped mightily. Nonetheless, Suarez immediately becomes one of the Mariners top bats. Even with the addition of these two, I fully expect the Mariners to regress to the mean and struggle to finish .500.

Anthony Rizzo re-signs with the New York Yankees
The Contract: 2 years, $32 million, player option after year 1

What it means: To me, Anthony Rizzo is a slightly above average baseball player. I have never thought of Anthony Rizzo as an elite ball player, even when he was at his best with the Chicago Cubs. He’s very comparable to Eric Hosmer, in my opinion. He’s a good, quality first baseman. But you shouldn’t really get too excited about him. The Yankees can do better at first base.

This resigning just perfectly sums up the Yankees offseason. They missed out on all the big free agents and settled for backup plans, made no big trades, and are now going into the season with the 4th best team in the AL east on paper. The Rays are the Rays. They could run out a AAA team and win 90 games somehow. The Red Sox are coming off a deep playoff run and added Trevor Story to an already elite offense, and the Blue Jays made some nice moves this offseason to add to a great offense that already features two young studs in Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. I just don’t get why the Yankees sat here with their hands down their pants. They didn’t really get any better this offseason.

Zack Greinke signs with the Kansas City Royals
The Contract: 1 year, $13 million

What it means: At 38 years old and 2 straight seasons of an ERA over 4, could this be it for Zack Greinke? A return to where it all started suggests that it is. Greinke has had an incredible career and is going to probably make the Hall of Fame. But not even a dominant Greinke could return the Royals to the playoffs in 2022. Coming off a 74-88 season, we shouldn’t expect much more from the Royals in 2022.

Chicago Cubs sign Japanese star Seiya Suzuki
The Contract: 5 years, $85 million

What it means: At just 71-91 in 2021, the Cubs are in a bit of a rebuild, and don’t really have a road to competing in 2022. Suzuki, however, could be a great building block for the future. In 9 seasons playing professionally in Japan, he is a .309 career hitter and hits about 21 homeruns per year on average. He hit 38 homeruns in 2021, however. The 27-year-old outfielder will step right into the starting lineup and middle of the order for the Cubs. But what can we really expect from him? Suzuki is the 65th player to come over from Japan to play in the big leagues. Some have been incredibly successful: Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Hideki Matsui, Shohei Ohtani, and Ichiro Suzuki. But many come over and just can’t get it done in the big leagues. It’s a very mixed bag. Thus, it is pretty tough to project how Suzuki will transition into the bigs.

Philadelphia Phillies sign Kyle Schwarber
The Contract: 4 years, $79 million

What it means: The Phillies were competitive last year, winning 82 games. They have a solid rotation and are certainly looking to build off that 82-win season. They needed to add more pop into their lineup, however. And the Phillies were able to do just that this offseason. Schwarber’s average tends to fluctuate quite a bit, but the power is always present. He’s also a guy that gets on base a lot. In 41 games with the Red Sox last year, his OBP was .435. He will likely hit leadoff for the Phillies. Although he is not your prototypical leadoff hitter, getting on base in front of Harper will be paramount to the Phillies offensive production.

Toronto Blue Jays acquire Matt Chapman
The Trade: Toronto Blue Jays acquire Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics acquire minor league prospects Gunnar Hoglund, Kevin Smith, Zach Logue, and Kirby Snead

What it means: The Blue Jays won 91 games a year ago and missed the playoffs. That’s how good the AL East is. The Blue Jays will not be missing the playoffs this year, however. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is as good a hitter as you’ll find in the MLB. Bo Bichette took huge strides last year and has officially entered stardom. Those two are 23 and 24, respectively. It’s crazy how young and talented this squad is. They also signed Yusei Kikuchi this offseason to sure up their rotation.

Chapman has some nice power but isn’t going to hit for much average. You don’t bring in Matt Chapman for his offensive prowess, however. You bring in Chapman because he might be the best defensive player in baseball, regardless of position. Chapman sures up the hot corner defense for the Blue Jays. He will win a few games for the Blue Jays this year because of runs he saves with his defense at third.

Kris Bryant signs with the Colorado Rockies
The Contract: 7 years, $182 million

What it means: In one of the surprise moves of MLB free agency, Bryant decided it was time to play in thin air and hit some bombs at Coors field. Much like Rizzo, I think Bryant is incredibly overrated. He’s a solid player, but he is not a star, but the Rockies just gave him a star’s contract. Maybe I am too harsh on him because of all the hype surrounding him when he was first drafted. He was the next big thing, and just hasn’t panned out that way.

Bryant choosing Colorado is just odd because of how far they are away from contending. Colorado won just 74 games in 2021 and lost one of their best offensive weapons this offseason in Trevor Story. Their rotation isn’t good either. This team will struggle to win 75 games.

Freddie Freeman signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Contract: 6 years, $162 million

What it means: The rich get richer. Freddie Freeman, in my opinion, was the biggest name on the free agency market this offseason. Although many teams were rumored to be in on him, it always seemed inevitable to me that he would end up in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. What surprised me though, was how little money they had to pay him. In what world is Kris Bryant worth virtually the same yearly rate as Freddie Freeman? Freddie Freeman is such a better baseball player, it’s not even funny. Outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., there isn’t a first baseman in baseball that I would rather have than Freddie Freeman.

I’ve already talked about how disgusting the Dodgers rotation has a chance to be, so now let us talk about this lineup. Freddie Freeman will join Trea Turner and Mookie Betts at the top of the order. I don’t know in what order those 3 will hit, but I do know that that is the most disgusting 1, 2, 3 in all of baseball. Behind them are two of the steadiest guys at their position in baseball, at least from an offensive standpoint. In the last 3 full seasons, Max Muncy has hit 35, 35, and 36 homeruns. He has hit between .249 and .263 in all 3 seasons. Muncy is a top-5 second baseman in all of baseball. Justin Turner has become a staple in the middle of the Dodgers order and has become a fan favorite after providing big hit after big hit in the postseason. Turner can be locked in to hit .280 with at least 25 homeruns. Should I keep going? How about a top-3 offensive catcher in baseball in Will Smith hitting behind all of that? The 2019 MVP is going to hit 8th. I know that Bellinger has really fallen off these last two years, but the talent doesn’t just disappear. If he can find even a glimpse of his old self, the Dodgers will walk to a World Series ring.

Atlanta Braves sign Kenley Jansen
The Contract: 1 year, $16 million

What it means: It’s hard to lose an MVP player in Freddie Freeman and not get worse, but the reigning champs may have done just that. From 2012 to 2017, Jansen was the top closer in baseball. If the Dodgers got to the 9th with a lead, it was a wrap. The second half of 2018, and all of 2019 and 2020 were troublesome for Jansen. He didn’t suck by any means, but he wasn’t anywhere close to his usual dominant self. Whether it was injury, mental, or mechanical issues, Jansen appeared to fix his issues in 2021. Jansen pitched in 69 games, recording 38 saves with a 2.22 ERA. But are his issues actually fixed?

The concern with Jansen in 2021 was the walks. During his best years, free passes from Jansen were rare. In 2017, his best year ever, he walked just 0.9 batters per 9 innings. In 2021, he walked 4.7 batters per 9 innings. But his hits/9 innings were way down in 2021. He was missing more barrels, but also missing the zone much more. Walking that many batters but having that type of success isn’t sustainable. You have to throw strikes to be an elite closer. A great closer was something the Braves didn’t really have last year. Will Smith converted 37 saves. But a 3-7 record, a 3.44 ERA, and a 1.132 WHIP are not good numbers for a closer. Smith also struggled with handing out too many free passes. Jansen along with Smith now give the Braves options at closer, and they may elect to go with more of a closer by committee between the two based on matchups. Having two solid closers isn’t a bad problem to have.

Nick Castellanos signs with the Philadelphia Phillies
The Contract: 5 years, $100 million

What it means: I already touched on it a bit with Schwarber, but the Phillies offseason goal was to add pop to their lineup and get Harper some help and protection at the top of the lineup. Nick Castellanos has always been a very solid player, but if you had told me that he would one day become one of the most coveted free agents on the market, I would assume the free agency market was really bad. But that just isn’t the case. This free agency market was a very good class. Castellanos was always a solid player who the scouts said had a chance to leap into stardom, but he never could make the leap. Until 2019 that is, when he was traded to the Cubs. In 51 games with the Cubs, Castellanos hit .321 with 16 homeruns and 36 RBI. Castellanos only hit .225 in 2020, but that was a covid year, and honestly, outside of the Dodgers winning the World Series, I think he should pretty much throw out that entire season. It was just a really weird year for almost everybody. Castellanos proved in 2021 that 2020 was just a bump in the road. He returned to Cubs 2019 form to the tune of 34 homeruns and 100 RBI and a slash line of .309/.362/.576. He’s a star and he got paid like one. Good for him!

The Phillies now have a very formidable lineup that includes Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins, and Jean Segura, who is one of the most underappreciated players in baseball, in my opinion. I didn’t even mention Alec Bohm. The once highly sought-after prospect finished second in ROY voting in 2020, but really struggled to get anything going in 2021. If he can get comfortable at the plate, the Phillies are going to make the playoffs easily.

Jorge Soler signs with the Miami Marlins
The Contract: 3 years, $36 million

What it means: Personally, this is my favorite signing of 2021. By favorite, I mean the best value. And nobody is talking about how big of a steal this is, most likely because it’s the Marlins and they are a terrible franchise and this signing means very little for them, but nonetheless, the value they got here is incredible. In 2019, Soler hit .265 with 48 homeruns and 117 RBI, while playing in all 162 games for the Royals. He regressed mightily in 2020, but as I have previously said, he should be very careful about how we actually judge that season. He had lost all confidence in 2021 with the Royals, and things were going from bad to worse until he was traded to the Atlanta Braves at the deadline. In 55 games with the Braves, Soler hit .269 with 14 homeruns and 33 RBI. Perhaps his best performance came in the Fall Classic, where he hit .300 with 3 homeruns and 7 RBI in 6 games, helping the Braves win the World Series.

Soler has immense power, but he is also a fantastic all-around hitter. Sure, he strikes out a lot, but that’s the nature of the beast these days. The long ball wins games. When you swing as hard as Soler does, you are going to miss a lot. You gladly take the good with the bad with someone as talented as Soler.

Here’s my hot take for you: I would rather have Jorge Soler than Kris Bryant. And look at the difference in what they got paid.

Minnesota Twins sign Carlos Correa
The Contract: 3 years, $105.3 million, player options after year 1 and 2

What it means: Outside of Bryant signing with the Rockies, Correa choosing Minnesota may have been the surprise of free agency. As a huge Twins fan, this came completely out of left field. I knew we were talking to Trevor Story about a long-term deal, and I was incredibly excited about that. But I never saw this coming. Only 3 years with player options after years 1 and 2 make me concerned that this is basically a 1-year contract, and the Twins will be looking for a shortstop again next offseason. But let’s not focus on that. Let’s focus on Carlos Correa and his dominance at Target Field.

Carlos Correa has played 15 career games at Target Field. In these 15 games, Correa has hit .413 with 5 homeruns and 20 RBI. Albeit it’s against the Twins pitching, which is generally less than stellar. But it also shows that he is very comfortable in this ballpark and sees the ball well at Target Field. Correa fills a huge void at SS and fills a huge hole in the middle of the order. A top 3 of Polanco/Buxton in whatever order you want 1/2 and Correa at 3 is very solid, as long as Buxton and Correa can stay healthy. They have plenty of power behind these guys with Sano and Sanchez, although those two will combine for 400 strikeouts. The Twins need the likes of Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, and Brent Rooker to blossom into good players this year to have any chance at the playoffs. And even if those guys blossom, where are the Twins going to get outs? This pitching staff could struggle mightily.

Boston Red Sox sign Trevor Story
The Contract: 6 years, $140 million

What it means: This is another signing I just didn’t see coming. I had heard rumors that the Rangers were talking to Story about possibly playing 2B or 3B with the team already having signed Seager and Semien. All reports were that Story wasn’t interested because he still wanted to play SS. And then he signs with a team that has Xander Bogaerts? Apparently winning was more important to him than playing SS, and you can’t blame him one bit for that. Boston made a deep run into October last year, and there is no reason that they can’t do it again this season. Devers, Bogaerts, and Story is as good of a 3B/SS/2B combo that you will find in the league.

In 2018, Story hit .291 with 37 homeruns and 108 RBI. He also stole 27 bases. The fact that he finished in 8th in the MVP voting that year is a travesty. People are way too quick to downplay success had in Colorado. You still have to barrel up the baseball, which is the hardest thing to do in professional sports. I saw stories coming out immediately about how Story will struggle mightily away from Coors field. Please. This guy can flat out hit. And he is going to be very successful in Boston.

St. Louis Cardinals sign Albert Pujols
The Contract: 1 year, $2.5 million

What it means: The universal DH. Thank goodness for it. I have long been a proponent of it, and I hate that so many aren’t. If we didn’t get the universal DH this season, we may have never seen Pujols play again. But now he is back to where it all began. Back to where he won 3 MVPs, 2 World Series rings, and became the most feared hitter of the 2000s. I don’t know how much Pujols can actually give the Cardinals at 42 years of age, but I do know one thing. He badly wants 700 homeruns. And so do all the fans in St. Louis. He is 21 homeruns away. Can he get there? This will be the big story of his reunion with the Cardinals. In his last 4 full seasons, he has hit 23, 19, 23, and 17 homeruns. 21 is certainly in reach.

Who were the best signings? Who were the worst signings? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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Author: Ryan Macdonald

Published: 3/30/22 at 1pm EST

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Sources/Works Cited:

Google Images, Google, https://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 27 January 2022.