This offseason was highlighted by the blockbuster deal that saw ace Chris Sale land in Boston and two of the game's best prospects land on Chicago's South Side, expediting the White Sox's rebuilding efforts. Free agents made headlines when the Indians signed Edwin Encarnacion and Aroldis Chapman returned to the Yankees.
However, the biggest free-agent story of the offseason was that more of them returned to their original teams than ever before. The Dodgers retained Justin Turner, Rich Hill and Kenley Jansen. Yoenis Cespedes went back to the Mets, Mark Trumbo returned to Baltimore, and Jose Bautista stayed north of the border.
The Red Sox, Dodgers, Astros, Indians and White Sox had the best offseasons, while the Twins, Padres, Athletics and Tigers had the worst. Here are the grades for all 30 teams by division.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Baltimore Orioles -- Grade: B-
Offseason goals: Catcher, left-handed hitter, right fielder, improve outfield defense
Key acquisitions to date: Mark Trumbo, Seth Smith, Welington Castillo, Jesus Montero, Logan Ondrusek, Logan Verrett, Logan Schafer, Johnny Giavotella
The Orioles deserved a high grade based solely on their negotiations with Trumbo. After he turned down a three-year, $41 million offer, they took it off the table. A few months later they signed him to a three-year, $37.5 million contract -- a great negotiating job by general manager Dan Duquette and ownership. The Orioles solved their need for a left-handed-hitting outfielder when they traded for Smith, who is a strong platoon offensive player with a high on-base percentage.
Baltimore adequately replaced free agent Matt Wieters when it signed free-agent catcher Castillo after he was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks. The Orioles, normally successful at this time of year, still need a strong defensive outfielder and are bargain basement searching right now.
Boston Red Sox -- Grade: A
Offseason goals: Bullpen depth, DH, elite starting pitcher
Key acquisitions to date: Chris Sale, Tyler Thornburg, Mitch Moreland, Josh Tobias
Red Sox president and GM Dave Dombrowski checked off all of his offseason goals in one day during the winter meetings when he acquired a true ace in Sale from the White Sox, picked up a top setup reliever in Thornburg in a deal with the Brewers, and then delved back into free agency to acquire Gold Glove first baseman Moreland on a one-year contract.
The Red Sox are the most improved American League team this offseason and are arguably the best team in the AL East on paper, with a legitimate chance at another World Series appearance.
New York Yankees -- Grade: B
Offseason goals: Controllable starter, closer, DH
Key acquisitions to date: Aroldis Chapman, Matt Holliday, Chris Carter, Albert Abreu, Jorge Guzman, Zack Littell
The Yankees brought Chapman back on a record-breaking five-year, $86 million deal that includes a no-trade clause the first three years. They also solved the DH opening by signing Holliday, who will help the Yankees immensely in the clubhouse and will be a tremendous mentor for some of the Yankees' top prospects, including Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier, Aaron Judge and Greg Bird. The late addition of NL home run co-champ Chris Carter provides additional insurance at first base and DH.
GM Brian Cashman continues to stockpile arms for New York's farm system. Instead of signing free agents who would have been subject to draft-pick compensation, he's holding onto first-round draft picks. The Yankees are staying on course for the long term while trying to contend in the meantime. They didn't acquire a controllable starter like they wanted, but they certainly tried hard enough, including making a run at the White Sox's Jose Quintana.
Tampa Bay Rays -- Grade: B
Offseason goals: Catcher, bullpen, fourth outfielder
Key acquisitions to date: Wilson Ramos, Jose De Leon, Colby Rasmus, Mallex Smith, Shawn Tolleson, Carlos Vargas, Ryan Yarbrough, Dylan Thompson, Dalton Kelly, Andrew Kittredge, Dana Eveland, Logan Morrison
The Rays' best move was sending veteran second baseman Logan Forsythe to the Dodgers for 24-year-old right-hander DeLeon. The Rays have always believed the only way they can compete in the difficult AL East is to have the pipeline loaded with young controllable starters -- and DeLeon fits that bill. He has a mid-90s fastball that he can get outs with at both the top and bottom of the strike zone, along with a wipe-out, deceptive changeup. He's a middle-of-the-rotation-type starter until his breaking ball becomes more consistent, then his ceiling will be higher.
The Rays did an excellent job in signing catcher Ramos to a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $12.5 million. Ramos is expected back in June or July, and even if he's not ready to catch, he can share DH duties until he is ready. The Rays didn't get enough in dealing Drew Smyly to the Mariners, but they did add some much-needed speed by acquiring outfielder Mallex Smith, who will have to compete for playing time in what is now a crowded outfield.
Toronto Blue Jays -- Grade: B
Offseason goals: First baseman, outfield corners, replenish bullpen
Key acquisitions to date: Jose Bautista, Kendrys Morales, J.P. Howell, Steve Pearce, Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
The Blue Jays did an excellent job in striking early and signing Morales to a three-year, $33 million deal. But the quick move probably cost them Encarnacion, who likely would have taken their four-year, $80 million offer if they had the patience to wait another month. The Blue Jays get high marks for their tough negotiations with Bautista all year, which led to a reunion on a one-year deal with two mutual options that protect Toronto from age, decline or injury, while assuring Bautista's 30-40 home run bat is back in the lineup.
Pearce was a solid pickup as a platoon player at first base, left field or right-handed power bat off the bench. The Blue Jays replaced the departed Brett Cecil with left-hander Howell, who brings experience and can get both right- and left-handed hitters out.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox -- Grade: A
Offseason goals: Rebuild the organization by trading veterans for top prospects
Key acquisitions to date: Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, Victor Diaz, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Dane Dunning, Derek Holland, Geovany Soto, Cory Luebke
The White Sox hit a rebuilding grand slam with their first blockbuster trade when they dealt Sale to the Red Sox. In return, they acquired the game's best position player prospect in Moncada and one of the game's best pitching prospects in Kopech, who regularly throws in the triple digits. The sleeper in the trade was Basabe, who profiles as an everyday center fielder.
The White Sox's next trade was lopsided in their favor when they dealt Adam Eaton to the Nationals for three first-round-caliber pitchers in Giolito, Lopez and Dunning. Giolito still profiles out to a top-of-the-rotation starter, Lopez could develop into an impact closer, and Dunning is a solid, quick-to-the-big-leagues, inning-eating, back-of-rotation-type starter. These two trades alone have taken two years off Chicago's rebuild.
The White Sox also get high marks for not trading Quintana when the offers didn't meet their expectations. Chicago can wait out the market until someone is ready to pay the price, which probably will happen around this year's trade deadline if Quintana has another strong first half. The White Sox are just getting started with their rebuilding effort and should be applauded for absolutely maximizing their returns on both Sale and Eaton.
Cleveland Indians -- Grade: A-
Offseason goals: Right-handed power bat, complementary outfielder, relief help
Key acquisitions to date: Edwin Encarnacion, Boone Logan, Brandon Guyer, Austin Jackson, Erik Kratz, Michael Martinez, Chris Colabello, Nick Goody, Richie Shaffer
The defending AL champions made the best free-agent signing of the offseason when they inked first baseman and designated hitter Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million deal with an option year. Encarnacion has hit 34 or more home runs for five straight years, including 42 last season while tying for the AL lead in RBIs (127). Cleveland did a tremendous job of improving its bullpen by inking Logan to a one-year, $5.5 million pact. The Encarnacion and Logan deals were two of the most undervalued signings of the offseason. The Indians also bolstered their outfield depth by re-signing Guyer and adding Jackson.
They are pleased with the progress of outfielder Michael Brantley and pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar in their return from injuries. The trio could be real difference-makers for the Tribe if they can all return to their full potential, which would bode well for their chances of returning to the World Series this fall.
Detroit Tigers -- Grade: F
Offseason goals: Center fielder, catcher and pitching depth
Key acquisitions to date: Alex Avila, Mikie Mahtook, Victor Alcantara
The Tigers went into the offseason with the idea they would shop all of their veteran players to get younger and cheaper, and to rebuild their farm system. They listened on everyone from Miguel Cabrera to Justin Verlander to Ian Kinsler to both J.D. and Victor Martinez. When all was said and done, they didn't get the trade offers they hoped for, so they turned their attention to present needs, which included center field, catcher and pitching depth.
The Tigers solved their backup catcher situation by reuniting their GM with his son, Alex Avila, picked up center fielder Mahtook from the Rays, and acquired some pitching depth in Alcantara in the Cameron Maybin deal with the Angels. None of those acquisitions are difference-makers, and the bottom line is Detroit didn't get better this offseason -- not for the present or the future.
Kansas City Royals -- Grade: B-
Offseason goals: Trade some impending free agents for cheaper, more controllable players
Key acquisitions to date: Jorge Soler, Nathan Karns, Brandon Moss, Jason Hammel, Peter O'Brien, Drew Butera, Ramon Castro
The Royals went into the offseason with seven potential free agents in Danny Duffy, Wade Davis, Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar, Michael Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson. With the new CBA not allowing Kansas City to get first-round picks for any of those players if they reach free agency, the Royals quickly changed their game plan. They dealt Davis to the Cubs for Soler, sent Dyson to the Mariners for Karns, and extended Duffy for five years.
Soler will provide power and solve right field for the future, albeit with a lot of work ahead of him on his defense. And Karns provides innings depth at the back of the rotation. The Royals did well in adding left-handed power when they signed Moss and his 28 home runs to a two-year, $12 million deal. They will continue to try to sign or trade their remaining four potential free agents, with Escobar the most likely to be re-signed before free agency.
Their best under-the-radar move was the pickup of power bat O'Brien from the Diamondbacks. He will compete for playing time at DH, and if he can make some adjustments with his swing and close some holes, he could be a surprise power producer this season. The tragic death of Yordano Ventura left a huge void in the Royals' starting rotation that will be difficult to fill, but they're nearing a deal with veteran Jason Hammel that should help them at least fill those starts and innings.
Minnesota Twins -- Grade: D
Offseason goals: Catcher, starting pitching and more starting pitching
Key acquisitions to date: Jason Castro, Matt Belisle
The Twins solved their catching problems when they inked free agent Castro, who calls a great game, does a solid job framing pitches, and should help the development of the Twins' young pitchers. The rest of the offseason was filled with crickets. They tried hard to land a strong prospect pitching package from the Dodgers with DeLeon as the headliner (in a potential trade for Brian Dozier), but when they couldn't agree on the secondary pieces, the Dodgers dealt DeLeon to the Rays for Forsythe.
The disappointing offseason for Minnesota's new front-office leaders, chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine, should be given a pass since they haven't had a chance to put their own eyeballs on the team they inherited, which they'll get to do in spring training. However, the front office has a lot of work to do before the Twins can be contenders again, and has to be much more aggressive with in-season moves.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Houston Astros -- Grade: A-
Offseason goals: Top-of-rotation starter, right fielder, DH, catcher, left fielder, starting pitching depth
Key acquisitions to date: Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick, Brian McCann, Charlie Morton, Nori Aoki
The Astros lengthened their lineup significantly with the trade for McCann and signings of Beltran and Reddick. They have the position players to be legitimate World Series contenders.
Now the organization is focused on adding a top-of-the-rotation starter with most of its emphasis on the trade market: The Rays' Chris Archer and the White Sox's Jose Quintana are two of the Astros' top targets. Houston has the prospects to acquire either one of them, but the price is too steep right now after the returns the White Sox got in both of their trades. The Astros appear to be just one elite starter away from being a serious World Series contender this season.
Los Angeles Angels -- Grade: C+
Offseason goals: Second baseman, left-handed hitters, left fielder, fourth outfielder, pitching depth
Key acquisitions to date: Cameron Maybin, Danny Espinosa, Luis Valbuena, Ben Revere, Martin Maldonado, Jesse Chavez, Andrew Bailey, Ryan LaMarre, Justin Miller
The Angels wanted to improve their team without spending much money and without trading good prospects. GM Billy Eppler found a way to do it by acquiring Maybin from the Tigers, signing free agent Revere to solve left field, and Espinosa to solve second base. Los Angeles did all this without giving up anything more than fringe prospects.
The Angels followed those moves with a swap of catchers that landed them Maldonado, who is a terrific defender with a strong arm and great framing skills. The team now has an above-average defensive player at every position with special defense up the middle. If the Angels' young starters and pitching staff can stay healthy, they might be more competitive than people think, but still a fourth-place team in the strong AL West.
Oakland Athletics -- Grade: D
Offseason goals: Pitching, infield, outfield
Key acquisitions to date: Rajai Davis, Santiago Casilla, Trevor Plouffe, Matt Joyce, Jaff Decker, Felix Doubront, Jason Goldstein
The Athletics did what they normally do -- sign several older veteran players who might improve the team in the short term, with hopes they can spin them at the trade deadline for prospects. If speedster Davis and reliever Casilla are solid in the first half, the A's should have no problem moving them in July. Oakland tried hard to make a splash in free agency but fell short in its bid for Encarnacion when he chose the Indians in the final hours of negotiations.
Seattle Mariners -- Grade: B
Offseason goals: Offensive shortstop, right-handed first baseman, backup catcher, outfielder, starting pitcher, bullpen
Key acquisitions to date: Jean Segura, Drew Smyly, Yovani Gallardo, Jarrod Dyson, Mitch Haniger, Danny Valencia, Carlos Ruiz, Marc Rzepczynski, Shae Simmons, Casey Fien, Zac Curtis, Rob Whalen, Max Povse, James Pazos, Taylor Motter, Tuffy Gosewisch, Dillon Overton
The Mariners made more trades than any team in baseball this offseason. When the dust cleared, they improved their outfield defense, team speed and starting pitching depth. They finally improved at shortstop with a much better offensive player when they landed Segura in a trade with the Diamondbacks, which also included the acquisition of right fielder Haniger.
GM Jerry Dipoto compares Haniger to the Angels' Kole Calhoun, who Dipoto promoted to the majors when he was GM of that team. Dipoto wanted to add speed, and after acquiring Segura's 30-stolen-base capability, he swung another deal for the Royals' Dyson. Dyson, expected to start in left field for Seattle, is one of the fastest players in baseball and should be good for 40-50 stolen bases this season.
The M’s also improved their backup catcher position with veteran Ruiz and are hoping the acquisition of Valencia will help them offensively at first base in a platoon with Dan Vogelbach. The Mariners also improved their starting rotation with trades for Smyly and Gallardo, provided the duo can stay healthy and live up to their potential. After a lot of movement in Seattle, the question is how many more wins will result from all the transactions?
Texas Rangers -- Grade: C+
Offseason goals: Center fielder, controllable starter, first baseman, DH
Key acquisitions to date: Andrew Cashner, Carlos Gomez, Tyson Ross, Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli, James Loney, Will Middlebrooks, David Rollins, Tyler Wagner, Tyrell Jenkins, Brady Feigl, Travis Snider
The Rangers had a bizarre offseason. They took major gambles on previously injured, ineffective starters Cashner and Ross in hopes they can stay healthy and be comeback candidates. Texas paid heavily for Cashner, guaranteeing him $10 million after his 5.25 ERA with both the Padres and Marlins last season. The Rangers spent another $11.5 million on center fielder Carlos Gomez, who was actually released last August by the Astros.
The Rangers defended the moves by saying they didn't want to put any more long-term deals on the books. They desperately needed one more middle-of-the-lineup run producer and reportedly reached an agreement with Mike Napoli just hours after this story went live; he ga gave in and accepted the one-year deal they offered, which boosts the Rangers from an initial C-minus. While the Astros and Mariners got better, the Rangers said goodbye to Ian Desmond, Beltran and Moreland. On paper, it looks like the Rangers have taken a step backward.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Atlanta Braves -- Grade: B
Offseason goals: Top-of-rotation ace, catcher, bullpen help
Key acquisitions to date: Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Sean Rodriguez, Kurt Suzuki, Jordan Walden, Luiz Gohara, Thomas Burrows, Alex Jackson, Eric O’Flaherty, Luke Jackson, Jacob Lindgren, John Danks, Micah Johnson, Adam Walker, Kris Medlen
The Braves struck early in free agency, landing 40-plus-year-old starters Colon and Dickey and immediately telling their fan base they are ready to at least compete, if not contend. Both Colon and Dickey should not only improve Atlanta's win-loss record but will give GM John Coppolella more trade pieces come July.
The Braves think they made a couple of shrewd, under-the-radar moves by acquiring former top prospects Alex Jackson from the Mariners and Luke Jackson from the Rangers in separate trades. Both players' stocks have dropped dramatically, but Atlanta thinks a change of scenery could bring their value back. The Braves solved their short-term catching problem when they signed free agent Suzuki. Their best move will end up being the acquisition of left-handed starter Gohara from the Mariners in the Mallex Smith deal. If Gohara stays healthy, he could develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter. The Braves also have the best farm system in baseball with more pitching prospects than any other team right now.
Miami Marlins -- Grade: B-
Offseason goals: Starting pitcher, closer, bullpen depth, right-handed bench bat
Key acquisitions to date: Edinson Volquez, Dan Straily, Brad Ziegler, Junichi Tazawa, Jeff Locke, A.J. Ellis, Dustin McGowan, Severino Gonzalez
The Marlins get an 'A' for effort as they tried hard to sign both Chapman and Jansen. Dealing with the tragic death of Jose Fernandez, Miami worked diligently this offseason to try to improve its starting rotation. The Marlins added good depth to their rotation with two middle-of-the-rotation starters when they signed free agent Volquez, who made it clear he wanted to pitch in South Florida. They then traded for 14-game winner Straily, who they paid a steep price for by including two of their top pitching prospects.
The Marlins did an excellent job of improving their bullpen depth, landing two former Red Sox relievers in Ziegler and Tazawa, and boosted their clubhouse leadership with the signing of backup catcher Ellis. The Marlins plan to go with eight relievers this season, which is one of the reasons they didn't sign a right-handed-hitting first baseman to platoon with Justin Bour.
New York Mets -- Grade: B
Offseason goals: Impact outfield bat, bullpen depth
Key acquisitions to date: Yoenis Cespedes, Jerry Blevins, Fernando Salas, Tom Gorzelanny
The Mets had to bring Cespedes back (with a four-year, $110 millon deal) if they wanted to take advantage of their current window to win a World Series. That was their only significant move of the offseason, but the one they had to make. The Mets tried to solve their logjam of left-handed-hitting right fielders in Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto by offering them to any team willing to give New York a first-rate setup reliever. After the Mets didn't get any offers they liked, they decided to keep all of them -- at least for now.
A quiet offseason still gets a good grade because of the impact of bringing back Cespedes and how much this team will improve if the starting rotation comes back healthy.
Philadelphia Phillies -- Grade: C
Offseason goals: Time, patience, discipline and setup relief
Key acquisitions to date: Clay Buchholz, Joaquin Benoit, Howie Kendrick, Michael Saunders, Ryan Hanigan, Bryan Holaday, Cesar Ramos
The Phillies have shown great discipline by not getting involved in free agency and not trying to win before their time. They brought in several veteran players this offseason who are all signed to short-term deals and talented enough to help them get some wins. It also gives them trade bait for prospects come July.
The best moves were trading for Red Sox starter Buchholz (a deal in which they gave up a non-prospect), signing free agent Benoit, who will probably close for them, and trading utility players for Kendrick, who will improve their offensive production from left field. The downside to their offseason is the Phillies didn't acquire any top prospects for their future.
Washington Nationals -- Grade: C+
Offseason goals: Closer, center fielder
Key acquisitions to date: Adam Eaton, Jimmy Cordero, Chris Heisey, Stephen Drew, Joe Nathan, Matt Albers
The Nationals improved their lineup with the acquisition of center fielder Eaton from the White Sox, but they paid a huge price of three first-round-caliber pitchers. However, Eaton is a consistent player who provides 15 home runs, stolen bases and a high on-base percentage game. Teamed with Trea Turner at the top of the Nationals' lineup, Eaton should provide plenty of fastballs and traffic, which bodes well for what is expected to be a huge rebound year for Bryce Harper.
Washington also fought hard to sign one of the four best free-agent closers on the market (Chapman, Jansen, Greg Holland and Mark Melancon) but whiffed on all of them. The Nationals have some work to do to improve their bullpen between now and opening day if they're going to hold off the Mets in the NL East.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs -- Grade: B-
Offseason goals: Closer, platoon center fielder, left-handed relievers
Key acquisitions to date: Wade Davis, Jon Jay, Koji Uehara, Brett Anderson, Brian Duensing, Jim Henderson, Eddie Butler, Manny Parra, Casey Kelly, Caleb Smith
The Cubs get high marks for not committing $80-90 million and five years for one of the elite closers. Instead they traded their seventh best outfielder in Soler to the Royals for another dominant closer in Davis, who will be pitching for a free-agent contract. This was a much better business and baseball move for the long term.
The Cubs said goodbye to center fielder and leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler and will replace him with a platoon of rookie Albert Almora and Jay, the latter signed as a free agent. The Cubs added starting pitching depth with the signings of Anderson and Butler, and bullpen depth when they inked Uehara, Henderson and Duensing.
Cincinnati Reds -- Grade: C+
Offseason goals: Pitching depth, backup catcher, bench upgrades
Key acquisitions to date: Drew Storen, Scott Feldman, Luis Castillo, Austin Brice, Isaiah White, Desmond Jennings
The Reds' offseason was highlighted by a lopsided trade; GM Dick Williams landed two top pitching prospects in starter Castillo and reliever Brice from the Marlins in exchange for starter Straily. Cincinnati sold high on Straily while improving the pitching prospect pipeline. The Reds added some veteran pitching in Storen and Feldman, and outfield depth with the signing of Jennings. However, they were unable to reduce their logjam at second base when veteran Brandon Phillips nixed another deal, this time to the Braves.
Milwaukee Brewers -- Grade: C-
Offseason goals: Continue rebuild, acquire prospects, and improve corner infield positions
Key acquisitions to date: Eric Thames, Travis Shaw, Neftali Feliz, Joba Chamberlain, Mauricio Dubon, Josh Pennington, Tommy Milone, Steven Geltz, Blake Parker
The Brewers decided to non-tender Chris Carter after he led the National League with 41 home runs and 206 strikeouts. The Brew Crew were scared of how much he was going to make in arbitration and didn't want to bring back the one-dimensional player. Instead they took a gamble on Thames, signing him to a three-year deal with a club option worth more than $15 million. Thames, 30, hit .348 over the past three years for the NC Dinos in the Korean Baseball Organization, earning MVP honors in 2015 when he belted 40 home runs and stole 40 bases.
However, because the pitching is so different in the U.S., there is a huge risk that Thames' production might not translate. When he played in the majors he slashed .250/296/.439 in 684 plate appearances over two seasons. The Brewers did make one smart deal, trading their best setup reliever Tyler Thornburg for a trio of Red Sox players who should contribute more in Milwaukee's rebuilding process. On the downside, the Brewers weren't able to make any trades for elite prospects.
Pittsburgh Pirates -- Grade: C-
Offseason goals: Starting pitching, bullpen help
Key acquisitions to date: Ivan Nova, Daniel Hudson, Lisalverto Bonilla
The Pirates shopped Andrew McCutchen to the Nationals, Dodgers, Giants and any team that would listen. They had a strong proposal on the table from the Nationals that they ultimately declined, allowing Washington to trade a similar package to the White Sox for Eaton. It's now questionable whether Pittsburgh will get that same return for McCutchen if it waits until the trade deadline.
The Pirates did a good job in bringing back Nova on a three-year, $26 million deal. However, as a whole, it was a disappointing offseason, especially for a wild-card-contending team that now must rely solely on the development of its prospects.
St. Louis Cardinals -- Grade: B
Offseason goals: Center fielder, left-handed reliever
Key acquisitions to date: Dexter Fowler, Brett Cecil
St. Louis GM John Mozeliak continued his signature offseason of making precision moves to fill his absolute needs. He might have overpaid for both of his free agents, but he landed the best free-agent center fielder and leadoff hitter in Fowler for a five-year, $82.5 million pact, and one of the best left-handed setup relievers on the open market in Cecil for a four-year, $30.5 million deal. The Cardinals also extended their best starting pitcher Carlos Martinez to a club-friendly five-year, $51 million deal with two club options.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
Arizona Diamondbacks -- Grade: C
Offseason goals: Controllable starting pitcher, closer, backup catcher
Key acquisitions to date: Taijuan Walker, Ketel Marte, Fernando Rodney, Chris Iannetta, Jeff Mathis, Oswaldo Arcia, Sam Lewis
The Diamondbacks' new baseball operations front office led by GM Mike Hazen is off to a solid start. In his first big trade, Hazen landed Walker and Marte. Walker was once considered one of the game's best starting pitching prospects and still has a chance to reach that potential with great upside. Marte is a defensive whiz who should fit in nicely as a defensive replacement at both second base and shortstop. The D-backs also signed a slew of veteran players, such as catchers Iannetta and Mathis, and veteran closer Rodney. However, the team really didn't get better, at least on paper.
Colorado Rockies -- Grade: B
Offseason goals: First baseman, pitching depth
Key acquisitions to date: Manager Bud Black, Ian Desmond, Greg Holland, Mike Dunn, Alexi Amarista, Josh Rutledge
The Rockies did an excellent job selecting Black as their next manager, and he should be a real difference-maker in the dugout and in handling their pitching staff. Their big free-agent signing came as a surprise when they gave Desmond a five-year, $70 million deal to play first base. The out-of-the-box decision to sign Desmond over a first baseman like Encarnacion, Trumbo or Napoli might have been a shock, but it could turn out to be a solid move. Desmond has always been a 20 home run, 20 stolen base player with a low batting average and on-base percentage. However, playing half his games at Coors Field will in all likelihood inflate all of his numbers, and he should become a well above-average defender at first base.
The Rockies improved their bullpen immensely with the signings of Holland and Dunn, and should be ready to be legitimate wild-card contenders in 2017.
Los Angeles Dodgers -- Grade: A
Offseason goals: No. 2 starter, closer, third baseman, second baseman
Key acquisitions to date: Rich Hill, Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner, Logan Forsythe, Sergio Romo, Brandon Morrow, Darin Ruf, Darnell Sweeney, Brett Eibner, Ike Davis
The Dodgers did an excellent job of keeping their team together, signing all three of their key free agents in starter Hill, closer Jansen and third baseman Turner. All three were signed at market or below market value, with the length of their contracts more of a risk than their annual salaries. The Dodgers filled the hole at second base when they dealt one of their top pitching prospects, DeLeon, to the Rays for 20-home-run-hitting second baseman Forsythe. They still need to add a setup reliever, which they are expected to do soon. The Dodgers' offseason makes them once again the clear favorites in the NL West.
San Diego Padres -- Grade: D
Offseason goals: Shortstop, starting pitching
Key acquisitions to date: Jhoulys Chacin, Trevor Cahill, Michel Baez, Pedro Avila, Tyrell Jenkins, Zach Lee, Clayton Richard
The Padres signed a power arm in Cuban right-hander Baez ($3 million deal). Baez, 20, has 93-97 mph velocity. Most of the Padres' work has been on the amateur side, especially the international market; they have signed approximately 40 international prospects for a staggering $35 million in bonuses since the international signing period began on July 2.
The Padres also acquired right-handed pitcher Avila from the Nationals for catcher Norris. The Padres' modus operandi is all about building the farm system with high-risk, high-ceiling prospects. The major league team, however, comes in at No. 30 in the power rankings and didn't do anything to improve that last-place position.
San Francisco Giants -- Grade: B-
Offseason goals: Closer, setup reliever, left fielder
Key acquisitions to date: Mark Melancon, Nick Hundley, Jose Dominguez, Jimmy Rollins
The Giants' top priority was to land one of the top three closers on the market, and they got Melancon for four years and $62 million. The problem with the contract they gave Melancon is that it tapped out their budget, so they couldn't address other team needs, including an upgrade in left field and the bullpen handing off to Melancon.