5 MLB Teams with the best offseason acquisitions
With the new MLB season inching ever closer, this year's offseason will be remembered as on of the most historic. After all, a $700 million deal was handed out to a special two-way player.
We now take a look at the five MLB teams with the best offseason acquisitions ahead of the 2024 season.
5 MLB Teams with the best offseason acquisitions
Cincinnati Reds
Often a team that makes under-the-radar moves, the Cincinnati Reds might have changed their ethos ahead of the new season. The team certainly beefed up their lineup with the acquisition of Jeimer Candelario from the Cubs, Harrison Bader from the Mets and Hunter Renfroe from the Brewers to further elevate their batting crew that finished 10th in OPS in 2023.
On the mound, the team restructured its bullpen and added respectable hurlers. Frankie Montas, Emilio Pagan and Nick Martinez will spearhead the Reds' pitching staff that finished in the bottom 10 of team ERA last season.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2023 season was Arizona's Cinderella run to the World Series. But don't mistake the discreetness for weakness. Arizona landed prime lefty Eduardo Rodriguez from Detroit. The starter finished last season with a respectable 13-9 record with a 3.30 ERA for the embattled Tigers.
Also joining the Serpientes' fray is multiple-time World Series winner Joc Pederson from San Francisco. With the team's core almost completely intact from last year's, the DBacks will hope to make another bid for a Fall Classic run and this time perhaps, win it all.
San Francisco Giants
Up until recently, San Francisco's offseason looked modest. It signed KBO League MVP Jung-hoo Lee to a six-year, $113,000,000 deal to at least help its anemic offense. This all changed when the Giants signed slugger Jorge Soler from the Marlins to perhaps inject both talent and personality to the squad.
"Giants, Jorge Soler agree to 3-year deal, per MLB Network Insider @JonHeyman."-@MLB
The Giants also added Jordan Hicks to their pitching fold as the squad looks to turnaround its fortune after finishing with a losing record in the heavily competitive National League West in 2023.
New York Yankees
Ever the big spenders, the Bronx Bombers, went on a shopping spree this offseason. The team added superstar Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, Alex Verdugo and All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman.
With AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole and perennial AL MVP candidate Aaron Judge in tow, the Yankees are slated to go back to the postseason this year after a disastrous 2023 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The biggest contract given in sports history was made by the Los Angeles Dodgers this year. Shohei Ohtani, arguably the best baseball player on the planet, was landed by the Blue Crew with a $700 million deal over 10 years.
The Dodgers also signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the greatest pitcher in the NPB for the past few years, and Tyler Glasnow to help their pitching staff that was handicapped by injuries and several issues last season.
MLB to start the season abroad for the first time in its long history
For the first time in its long history, the MLB will kickoff its season in a foreign country. The 2024 MLB season is scheduled to start on March 20 with a game between rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea.
This is perhaps a move by the league to reach a more global audience after the success of last year's World Baseball Classic in terms of virality to the public's conciousness.
South Korea has a rich history in baseball and is no stranger in producing MLB caliber talent. The Padres' Ha-Seong Kim will have a homecoming not only in his home country, but also in his former home arena as the Seoul Series will be played in Gocheok Sky Dome, home of the Kiwoom Heroes, which Kim used to play for.
With its close proximity to Japan and a rich culture of baseball in the said country, it is anticipated that many Japanese fans will travel to South Korea to see the games as the Dodgers boast two of the best players from the country—Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.