MLB Offseason Transactions

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Acquired SP Taijuan Walker and INF Ketel Marte from Seattle for middle infielder Jean Segura, OF Mitch Haniger, and P Zac Curtis
• Reaction: The Mariners probably get the best overall player in this deal in Jean Segura who had the best season of his career in 2016; he has two years of control left.  The Diamondbacks get four years of control of Taijuan Walker and five of Ketel Marte, but neither have quite developed like the Mariners hoped they would.  This could be a trade that benefits both teams, the Mariners in the next two years, who are right on the cusp of being a playoff team, and the Diamondbacks in the more distant future, who look to briefly re-tool their roster.
• Signed C Jeff Mathis to a 2 year, $4 million deal
• Reaction: The Diamondbacks chose to let Welington Castillo go instead of re-signing him even though he had another year of arbitration left.  Castillo made $3.75 million in 2016 and was probably due a slight raise for next season and Arizona appears to have wanted to reduce salary at the position.  Mathis doesn't have the offensive upside that Castillo does but he is a better defensive catcher who has a reputation for being a solid pitch framer.  This could benefit Arizona's young pitching staff a great deal and he comes at half the cost of Castillo.
• Signed RP Fernando Rodney to a 1 year, $2.75 million deal
• Reaction: This seems to just be a normal bullpen deal for a team needing help in that area.  Rodney will turn 40 before the season begins and has had up and down years in recent seasons.  The Diamondbacks did sign Rodney to a very cheap contract, paying him just $2.75 million for one season.

Atlanta Braves

• Acquired SP Jaime Garcia from St Louis for INF Luke Dykstra and P's John Gant and          Chris Ellis
• Reaction: The Braves have been pretty set on acquiring veteran pitchers in order to eat up innings and not force their young pitchers to throw too many innings.  Garcia is still just 29 and has had five solid seasons in his career, but also two really bad seasons and has battled injuries.  In order to trade for him, the Braves gave up basically nothing in three lower tier prospects who barely crack the Cardinals' top thirty.  For the Cardinals, they had six major league pitchers for five rotation spots, plus they have Alex Reyes and Luke Weaver in AAA waiting to get called up.
• Acquired OF Alex Jackson from Seattle for P Rob Whalen and Max Povse
• Reaction: The Braves traded two lower end pitchers for 2014 sixth overall pick Alex Jackson who has struggled with advancing through the system.  This is a low risk, potentially high reward trade.
• Signed UT Sean Rodriguez to a 2 year, $11 million deal
• Reaction: Rodriguez is the kind of player that is desired on current major league rosters in that he can play nearly every position in the field and is a quality right-handed bat. Even if he isn't a starter, he will play nearly every day, either by platooning or giving players a day off.
• Signed SP Bartolo Colon to a 1 year, $12.5 million deal
• Signed SP RA Dickey to a 1 year, $8 million deal
• Reaction: Colon and Dickey are similar to Garcia as they were all signed to eat up innings and be veteran presences in the Braves' rotation.  They will teach the young pitchers how to be good professional pitchers.

Boston Red Sox

• Acquired SP Chris Sale from the White Sox for Ps Michael Kopech and Victor Diaz,              INF Yoan Moncada, and OF Luis Alexander Basabe
• Reaction: As a Red Sox fan I am torn on this trade.  I don't think trading that much of the future in Moncada and Kopech for the present is a good idea, but if it pays off with a World Series championship, it'll be worth it.  Sale gives the Red Sox arguably the best rotation in baseball and he is relatively cheap and is under contract through the 2019 season. That means they will have a perennial Cy Young contender in Sale and two Cy Young Award winners in Price and Porcello.  Another thing to remember is that prospects don't always pan out the way they're expected to. The Red Sox are certainly going all-in for 2017.
• Acquired RP Tyler Thornburg from Milwaukee for INFs Travis Shaw and Mauricio Dubon and  P Josh Pennington
• Reaction: Boston needed help in their bullpen and maybe they didn't want to spend on a free agent reliever.  Thornburg has gotten better nearly every season he has pitched in the majors and had just a 2.15 era in 2016 over 67 innings pitched.  He is a right hander who should replace Ziegler.  They gave up major leaguer Travis Shaw and two low end prospects, which isn't a big price, especially considering they didn't really have a place to play him in 2017.
• Signed 1B/DH Mitch Moreland to a 1 year, $5.5 million deal
• Reaction: The Red Sox needed a DH/1B option and apparently they didn't want to give Encarnacion the contract he will get.  If they didn't feel comfortable with Bautista, Moreland is a cheap option to fill the need.  They only signed him to a one-year, cheap contract so it's potentially a high reward, low cost deal.  He is also left-handed which will provide balance to the Red Sox lineup.

Chicago Cubs

• Acquired RP Wade Davis from Kansas City for OF Jorge Soler
• Reaction: The Cubs must have believed that they needed a lock down closer and that Hector Rondon wasn't quite cutting it.  They will have Davis under contract just for 2017, which is also the last season that they will have their entire starting rotation under contract, so they are going all-in for next season again.  They gave up Jorge Soler, who has struggled to find regular playing time in Chicago with their plethora of outfielders.  Soler does have four more seasons of control left, however, so it was a fairly high price for the Cubs to pay.
• Signed RP Brian Duensing to a 1 year, $2 million deal
• Reaction: This seems like a deal between a left-handed reliever and a team needing one.
• Signed OF Jon Jay to a 1 year, $8 million deal
• Reaction: This signing seemed peculiar when it happened, especially when I only remembered Jay as a member of the Padres and forgetting his years in St. Louis.  He actually played fairly well last year and can play all three outfield positions.  It seems like his signing was just giving the Cubs an additional outfielder but with their trade of Soler for Davis, Jay will serve a purpose by perhaps platooning against right-handed pitching, or being a defensive replacement in the late innings of games.
• Signed RP Koji Uehara to a 1 year, $4.5 million deal
• Reaction:  A fairly cheap bullpen addition of a pitcher who has had a lot of success in his career.  Uehara has struggled giving up home runs in recent seasons but still gets a lot of strikeouts and doesn't walk many batters.  He will turn 42 before the season begins so age could play a factor but he hasn't thrown many innings since making his debut in 2009. Should provide a lot of depth and raw ability to the Cubs' bullpen.

Chicago White Sox

• Traded OF Adam Eaton to Washington for pitching prospects Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Dane Dunnings
• Reaction: I cannot believe how much they got back for Adam Eaton, who is a very good outfielder but it didn't seem like he could garner that big of a return.  Giolito was the Nationals' number one prospect and third best in all of baseball, while Lopez will be the White Sox fourth best prospect.  This trade, along with the Sale trade, signified a total rebuild for the White Sox, a smart move.  In Giolito, they now have their next future ace.
• Traded SP Chris Sale to Boston for prospects Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Victor Diaz, and Luis Alexander Basabe
• Reaction: This trade was such a win for the future of the White Sox.  Yes, they gave up a constant Cy Young Award candidate in Chris Sale, but they got enough in return that, along with the Eaton return, will move them into potentially a top five farm system. Moncada is the number one prospect in all of baseball and will anchor their lineup for years to come and Kopech has extremely raw, but high end talent.

Colorado Rockies

• Signed 1B/OF/SS Ian Desmond to a 5 year, $70 million deal
• Reaction: Apparently the Rockies signed Desmond to play first base, a position that he should be good at considering his athleticism.  Desmond can also play shortstop and in the outfield but they are filled up at those positions.  I think overall that this was a good signing for the Rockies because Desmond has proven that he can hit throughout his career and is a fairly good fielder.  His power should play up at Coors Field and seeing him hit over thirty home runs is a real possibility.  This was also a good move on Desmond's part because he'll finally have security in his future.  Apparently, Colorado remains interested in Mark Trumbo, a move that would force the Rockies to trade an outfielder to play either Trumbo or Desmond in the outfield.

Houston Astros

• Acquired C Brian McCann from the Yankees for P Albert Abreu and RF/1B Jorge Guzman
• Reaction: With the Astros choosing not to re-sign Jason Castro, they needed to either sign a catcher through free agency or trade for one.  They acquired one of the best offensive catchers in the game in Brian McCann from the Yankees for two low end prospects.  This was an excellent move by the Astros, who needed production from the position and they'll have him under contract for two more seasons after 2017.
• Signed DH/OF Carlos Beltran to a 1 year, $16 million deal
• Reaction: The Astros had a need for a consistently productive DH and they will get that from veteran Carlos Beltran.  He can probably also occasionally play in the outfield still and will provide balance to their lineup.  His signing certainly brings an end to Evan Gattis' regular playing time and maybe even his time in Houston if they can find a trade.
• Signed OF Josh Reddick to a 4 year, $52 million deal
• Reaction: I'm not the biggest fan of this deal, largely because of Reddick's injury history. He has only played in more than 140 games twice and only appeared in 115 games last year.  I think that Reddick could excel playing in Minute Maid Park and being around veterans like Beltran and McCann could help him further develop his bat.
• Signed SP Charlie Morton to a 2 year, $14 million deal
• Reaction: I think that this is a good, cheap signing for the Astros.  Morton is a veteran pitcher who is a ground ball pitcher and is able to keep the ball inside the ballpark.  The Astros have a good defense who should be able to convert ground balls into outs.

Kansas City Royals

• Acquired OF Jorge Soler from the Cubs for RP Wade Davis
• Reaction: I think this is as much of a win-win trade as there is.  The Cubs wanted an elite reliever and they're getting one in Davis and had an excess of outfielders, making Soler dispensable to them.  The Royals have Kelvin Herrera to replace Wade Davis at the back end of their bullpen and needed some outfield help.  Soler will finally be able to get regular playing time and Davis will help shut down games for the Cubs.  In the long run, this could be a win for the Royals just because Davis is only under contract for 2017 while Soler is signed through the 2020 season at just $4 million per season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Signed SP Rich Hill to a 3 year, $48 million deal
• Reaction: Excellent signing by the Dodgers because, after Clayton Kershaw, there's really no certainty in their starting rotation.  Hill may be 36 but has only thrown a little over 600 innings in his career.  It's amazing considering that in 2015 he was playing in an independent league.  He went from there to the minor leagues and back to the majors and has now signed a 3 year deal averaging $16 million per season.  Provided Hill is able to stay healthy he should give the Dodgers a nice one-two punch with Kershaw at the top of their rotation.

Miami Marlins

• Signed SP Edinson Volquez to a 2 year, $22 million deal
• Reaction: The Marlins needed to sign an additional starting pitcher for their rotation in 2017  before the death of Jose Fernandez.  With his passing they definitely had to fill rotation holes.  Volquez was one of the better pitchers available on the free agent market and the Marlins paid him for it.  Two years isn't long to go on a contract but I'm uncertain if Volquez is worth $11 million a year, especially since he is coming off a season where he had a 5.37 era.  I think he should be able to lower this era and has had really solid seasons in his career.  This was a signing that the Marlins just needed to do.
• Signed P Jeff Locke to a 1 year, $3 million deal
• Reaction: I wasn't even certain that Locke was going to find a place to pitch in 2017, and was really shocked that he signed this early in the offseason.  He was really bad last year and has regressed every season since his first full-time season.  The deal is a very low-risk deal so if Locke struggles again they could either cut him or just not re-sign him after next season.
• Signed C A.J. Ellis to a 1 year, $2.5 million deal
• Reaction: Ellis will be the backup catcher to J.T.  Realmuto and should provide a quality veteran presence on a younger Marlins' roster.  Ellis doesn't bring much offense to the team but he is fairly solid defensive catcher who should help their pitching staff a good bit.

Milwaukee Brewers

• Traded RP Tyler Thornburg to Boston for INFs Travis Shaw and Mauricio Dubon and                  P Josh Pennington
• Reaction: I think that this is a trade that will benefit both teams in the end.  The Red Sox needed a reliever and the Brewers don't really have a need for a quality reliever right now since they won't be competing for a few years.  Travis Shaw can fit into Milwaukee's lineup, something that wasn't the case in Boston and the prospects they received will benefit the Brewers more than they would the Red Sox.

Minnesota Twins

• Signed C Jason Castro to a three year, $24.5 million deal
• Reaction: The Twins needed a catcher for 2017 more than any other position on their roster. Castro doesn't bring a lot to the plate offensively, but he is regarded as a good defensive catcher and the pitchers in Houston loved throwing to him.  With their pitching struggles in 2016 and the young pitching prospects that will be called up in the next few seasons, Castro could be an asset for the team.  It's also a good contract for both sides and doesn't seem like there's much risk with it.

New York Mets

• Signed Yoenis Cespedes to a 4 year, $110 million deal
• Reaction: This was a signing the Mets desperately needed to make.  Cespedes has been excellent for the Mets over the past season and a half.  They paid heavily for him, but he is worth it.  This contract also doesn't include any opt-out clauses so the Mets have security in knowing that he will be on their roster for four seasons.  This also means that they once again have four quality outfielders for three spots and either Jay Bruce or Curtis Granderson will probably be traded for the season begins.
• Signed C Rene Rivera to a 1 year, $1.75 million deal
• Reaction: Rivera will be the backup catcher behind Travis d'Arnaud, which is smart considering d'Arnaud struggles with staying healthy.

New York Yankees

• Traded C Brian McCann to Houston for Ps Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman
• Reaction: This was a great trade for the Yankees because they didn't really have a place to play McCann with Gary Sanchez on the roster.  McCann also deserved better than being the Yankees' everyday DH so they traded him and are paying part of his contract.  The return they got for McCann was pretty decent in two pitching prospects, one of which is rated as the tenth best prospect in the Yankees' system now.
• Signed OF/DH Matt Holliday to a 1 year, $13 million deal
• Reaction: With Carlos Beltran and Alex Rodriguez gone the Yankees needed a new everday DH.  Holliday is a really good hitter, who is usually good for at least 20 home runs every year and a fairly high on-base percentage.  He should fit in well in the Yankees' lineup.
• Signed CP Aroldis Chapman to a 5 year, $86 million deal
• Reaction: I find this deal to be a little perplexing.  On the one hand, are the Yankees trying to be competitive in 2017, because this signing says that they may be trying to be. On the other hand, this signing is super savvy because relief pitchers of this caliber aren't available very often.  When they acquired him from Cincinnati last offseason, they gave up very little to get him.  They also got a haul in return for him from the Cubs at this year's trade deadline and then were able to sign him still.  It's a genius move and means that the Yankees will have one of the best bullpens over the next few seasons with Chapman and Delin Betances.  

Oakland Athletics

• Signed OF Matt Joyce to a 2 year, $11 million deal
• Reaction: A really solid left-handed bat that had a good bounce back season for the Pirates in a limited role.  He will most likely play in a platoon for Oakland in their outfield or at DH.  A good hitter signed to a low-cost contract that could bring value to an Athletics franchise that refuses to spend money.

Philadelphia Phillies

• Signed RP Joaquin Benoit to a 1 year, $7.5 million deal
• Reaction: This is a pretty straightforward deal given to a veteran reliever by a team looking to bolster their bullpen.  The Phillies probably won't be competitive again in 2017 and really aren't trying to win quite yet, so if Benoit has a good season, they will probably try trading him at the deadline.

San Diego Padres

• Traded C Derek Norris to Washington for P Pedro Avila
• Reaction: I don't really know what to make of this trade, other than that the Nationals are probably afraid of their catcher situation after letting Wilson Ramos go.  The Padres were most likely willing to give Norris up because they're in total rebuild mode and he isn't a part of their future.  

San Francisco Giants

• Signed CP Mark Melancon to a 4 year, $48 million deal
• Reaction: Coming into the offseason, everyone knew that the Giants were going to do everything possible to get one of the big three closers on the market.  They ended up getting Melancon, who will cost less than Chapman or Kenley Jansen.  This doesn't mean Melancon is necessarily a downgrade as he is one of the most reliable relievers in all of baseball, he just doesn't throw 100 miles per hour.  This was an excellent signing by the Giants and it allows them the freedom to still sign another free agent or acquire a position player with a large contract.

Seattle Mariners

• Traded P Taijuan Walker and INF Ketel Marte to Arizona for middle infielder Jean Segura, OF Mitch Haniger, and P Zac Curtis
• Reaction: As I mentioned under the Diamondbacks section, I think that Jean Segura is the best player in this trade and that it shows that the Mariners are going all-in for 2017. Marte still has some developing to do and Walker may be best served from a change of organization, while Segura is coming off his best season and should help Seattle immediately.
• Traded OF Alex Jackson to Atlanta for Ps Rob Whalen and Max Povse
• Reaction: I think that this is a trade where the Mariners are sending the Braves a prospect they no longer believe in (Jackson) for two prospects that better serve the Mariners' needs.
• Signed RP Marc Rzepczynski to a 2 year, $11 million deal
• Reaction: Rzepczynski was excellent last season for the A's and Nationals, appearing in 70 games with a 2.64 ERA.  The Mariners needed a lefty reliever in a setup role and he should fill that role adequately.

St. Louis Cardinals

• Traded SP Jaime Garcia to Atlanta for Ps John Gant and Chris Ellis and 2B Luke Dykstra
• Reaction: The Cardinals had six starters for five rotation spots and Garcia seemed like the odd man out.  They also have two high-end prospects waiting to be called up.  They didn't get much in return for him, but the three prospects are better than nothing.
• Signed CF Dexter Fowler to a 5 year, $82.5 million
• Reaction: This is where I thought Fowler would end up signing because I thought that Fowler's ability to get on base would help the Cardinals power-heavy offense from a year ago.  He also has the ability to stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples and can add a speed dynamic to a team desperately lacking it last season.
• Signed RP Brett Cecil to a 4 year, $30.5 million deal
• Reaction: Cecil is a lock down left-handed reliever who has pitched very well over the past four seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays in the potent AL East.  He should face softer competition overall by pitching in the NL Central and should be a great benefit to the Cardinals' bullpen.

Tampa Bay Rays

• Signed C Wilson Ramos to a 2 year, $12.5 million
• Reaction: I'm not certain I really understand this signing for the Rays.  They aren't even close in terms of talent to any of the other teams in the AL East and would probably be best served by trying to acquire young prospects.  Ramos is a great catcher who had a good bounce back season before tearing his ACL and ending his season.  Providing he comes back healthy, he should be excellent for the Rays in their offensively-challenged lineup.  For Ramos, this may have been one of just a few offers out there due to his injury and it was probably smart for him to just accept the contract when it was offered.

Texas Rangers

• Signed CF Carlos Gomez to a 1 year, $11.5 million deal
• Reaction: I am surprised by this signing because I thought that the Rangers would end up either re-signing Ian Desmond or signing Dexter Fowler.  This signing makes sense for the Rangers because they needed a center fielder next season and Gomez played very well for them after his struggles in Houston.  This deal is safe for Texas too because it is just a one year deal that will continue to force Gomez to prove himself. 
• Signed SP Andrew Cashner to a 1 year, $10 million deal
• Reaction: This signing seems like the product of a very weak starting pitcher market this offseason.  Cashner has not been a good pitcher since 2014 when he pitched in just 19 games.  The problem is that the Rangers needed a starting pitcher more than anything else, forcing them to sign a sub-par pitcher.  Luckily for them, they signed him to just a one year deal so there is very little risk involved for them.

Toronto Blue Jays

• Signed 1B/DH Kendrys Morales to a 3 year, $33 million deal
• Reaction: To me, this deal means that there is virtually no chance that Edwin Encarnacion or Jose Bautista will return to Toronto.  I'm truly not a fan of Morales though; I feel that he isn't a good hitter in general, struggles to get on base, and strikes out too often.  I think three years is a long contract for him that the Blue Jays may end up regretting in the long run.
• Signed UT Steve Pearce to a 2 year, $12.5 million deal
• Reaction: Steve Pearce can play all over the field, at first and second, and in the outfield.  It appears that he will probably be their everyday left fielder out of camp and could be quite valuable to them.  Pearce is the kind of player teams are interested in today, similar to Sean Rodriguez and Brock Holt.  I think that a two year for Pearce is a smart contract too because if he doesn't pan out for them, Toronto will be able to get rid of him quickly.

  Washington Nationals

• Acquired OF Adam Eaton from the White Sox for Ps Lucas Giolito, Dane Dunning, and Reynaldo Lopez
• Reaction: When you realize how much the Nationals gave up for Adam Eaton, what the Red Sox gave up for Chris Sale isn't all that excessive.  Also considering that Giolito and Dunning were what the Nationals were offering for McCutchen, the Pirates should have accepted that deal immediately. But they didn't.  Eaton is a much better player than people realize and will be a great leadoff hitter for the Nationals in 2017 and beyond. He is still only 27 and is under contract through the 2021 season.  He will bring a great deal of value to the Nationals and plays center field very well, something they haven't had for several years.  I think that the Nationals are trying to take advantage of the window that they have with Scherzer, Strasburg, and Harper all on their roster.
• Acquired C Derek Norris from San Diego for P Pedro Avila 
• Reaction: I think that the Nationals were concerned over their catching options after letting Ramos go.  Norris isn't the best of catchers, but he has had solid offensive seasons in his career.  He also has two arbitration years left on his contract and they gave up a very low end prospect for him, making this trade easily worth what they gave up.

Winners/Losers

Winners

• Boston Red Sox - The Red Sox already had a good pitching rotation that was one of the better ones in the American League and weren't going to go after any of the pitching free agents available.  However, when Chris Sale is available, you go after him, especially when you are one of only a few teams with the assets to land him.  They gave up a lot to get him, but he's still young, really talented, and is controllable for several years.  They immediately become the favorites to win the AL Pennant, plus prospects aren't a guaranteed thing and Sale is a proven commodity.  Boston also signed Mitch Moreland to a cheap contract and he gives them length and versatility to their lineup, plus is a better defensive first baseman than Hanley Ramirez. This was another win for the team.
• Chicago White Sox - The White Sox got a haul in prospects with their trades of Adam Eaton and Chris Sale.  They got the number one and three overall prospects in all of baseball and jumped their farm system from a bottom ten system to certainly a top ten one.  This was a smart move because they probably wouldn't have been competitive during Sale or Eaton's contracts so they would have been wasted talent.  They're also probably not done yet, because it appears that they are going to try and move Jose Quintana yet, plus they have David Robertson who could be available.
• Atlanta Braves - The Braves made some low key, savvy moves that could be pivotal to both the present and future of the franchise.  Signing Dickey and Colon to one year deals, and trading for Garcia will help to eat up innings so that their young pitchers won't have to pitch so much. Those moves, plus the signing of Sean Rodriguez, are good moves for a team that is moving into a new ballpark in 2017 and will need to be just a bit more competitive than they were in 2016. Rodriguez can play nearly every position on the field and will give days off to teammates to help keep everyone rested.
• Chicago Cubs - The Cubs traded a young outfielder in Jorge Soler who has years of control left and was an extra asset for the team to the Royals for Wade Davis.  Davis is a lights' out closer who will help lock down games for the Cubs similar to how Aroldis Chapman pitched for them in 2016.
• Kansas City Royals - If the Cubs were winners in this trade, then the Royals are too, because this is a win-win trade.  The Royals still have Kelvin Herrera who will be their closer in 2017 and needed an outfielder with potential power.  Davis only has one year left on his contract while Soler will be under contract through 2020, so the Royals actually have the better future value.
• Houston Astros - The Astros made a bunch of moves so far this offseason that, for the most part, were really good.  They traded for Brian McCann because they desperately needed a catcher and had the assets to make it happen.  They also signed veteran DH Carlos Beltran to a one year contract which will help lengthen the Astros' lineup and give them power from both sides of the plate.  I like both of these moves because both players are veterans who will be good clubhouse presences for the young players on the roster.  I'm not a huge fan of the Josh Reddick signing, just because I think the deal is too long for a player with a deep history of injuries, but that's not enough to move Houston into the loser column.
• New York Yankees - The Yankees were able to offload another of their veteran contracts in Brian McCann and got two pitching prospects back.  They will have to pay $11 million of his contract over the final two years, but they have the money so it's not a big deal.  I think that the Matt Holliday was a deal that needed to happen for them to fill a hole in their lineup and it's only for one year.  If he performs well and the Yankees don't look to be a World Series contender then they could trade him at the deadline and get more prospects in return.  I'm mixed on the Chapman signing because the Yankees may not really try to win until the 2019 season so they could be paying him a lot of money for two non-competitive years.  However, he is really talented and when a reliever of his caliber is available, a team has to go after him.
• San Francisco Giants - The Giants biggest issue in 2016 was at closer, a position at which they were the worst in baseball.  They made it known that they were going to land one of the big closers on the free agency market and they did that.  They got Mark Melancon who is a bit cheaper than Chapman or Kenley Jansen but is just as reliable and consistent.  He will help them over the length of the contract and the contract gives the Giants enough space to sign or trade for a bat.
• Ian Desmond - In 2014, when Desmond was a member of the Washington Nationals, he was offered a seven year contract extension when he still had a year left on his then-current deal. He turned it down, opting to test free agency after the 2015 season.  2015 was a horrible year for him though, with career lows in basically every offensive category.  He was left without any multi-year offers last offseason and was forced to sign a one year deal with the Texas Rangers to play center field, a position he had never played before.  Well, he excelled, was as an all star and played passable defense.  That earned him the contract he signed with the Colorado Rockies, a 5 year, $70 million deal that is fully guaranteed.  His career has been rejuvenated and he and his family have financial security with the contract that will take him close to the end of his career.
• Josh Reddick - I am surprised that Reddick was able to get a four year deal considering his injury history when he hasn't played more than 150 games since 2012.  But, for Reddick's sake, he has done an excellent job securing his future and will still be able to get another contract after this one has expired.  
• Rich Hill - Hill is about as good of a story as there is in sports.  In July of 2015, Hill was playing for the Long Island Ducks, an independent baseball team, because he couldn't get any major league contracts.  Since then, he has signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox which led to a one year deal with the Athletics and has now landed a three year deal with the Dodgers. I doubt that there is anyone who isn't happy for Hill and how he has fought back and he may be the ultimate winner this offseason for players.
• Yoenis Cespedes - Cespedes signed a three year deal with the Mets last offseason but exercised his opt-out clause this offseason, believing he could get a larger contract considering the season he had in 2016.  His gamble paid off and he returned to the Mets, this time on a four year deal worth an average of $27.5 million per season.  This contract doesn't have an opt-out clause in it, but does have a full no-trade clause, so he will most likely be a Met for the duration of the contract, which will take him to age 35.
• Mark Melancon - Melancon is another player who has seen the work he has put in pay off for him. He didn't really become a full-time closer until the 2014 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates after Jason Grilli was traded.  After two excellent seasons in Pittsburgh and a partial season in Washington, Melancon entered this offseason as a coveted commodity and was a player many teams sought.  He leveraged that into a four year deal with the Giants that includes a full no-trade clause and a $20 million signing bonus.

Losers

• Colorado Rockies - The Rockies spent way too much money on Ian Desmond.  I understand that they feel they are close to being a playoff team but the one area that the team isn't lacking is offense.  They are also planning on playing Desmond at first base, another position he has never played before.  I think that Desmond will be really good at Coor's Field, but that is a long contract to give out.  My only thought is that the Rockies realize that they may never have an elite pitching staff so if they can outhit their opponents and just pitch well enough, they may be able to find success.  Either way, I'm not a fan of this contract and think it was a lot of money to pay a player who will be out of position.
• Miami Marlins - The fact that the Marlins are losers so far this offseason has very little to do with decisions that they can be held responsible for.  The tragic passing of Jose Fernandez left the Marlins with a major hole to fill in a rotation that already needed a starting pitcher. Needing at least two starters with how weak this year's free agent class is does not bode well for the team.  They signed Edinson Volquez who has shown glimpses of stellar pitching in his career but he won't come close to helping the team overcome the loss of Fernandez.  They have also been connected to Kenley Jansen who will strengthen their bullpen but this offseason will be a rough one for Miami no matter their acquisitions. 
• New York Yankees - I really hate the Chapman signing.  I think the Yankees are spending a lot of money for a player that they don't need.  It'd be nice to see Delin Betances get an opportunity to close games for Yankees at some point.
• Toronto Blue Jays - The Blue Jays ended any real potential of re-signing Encarnacion or Bautista when they signed Kendrys Morales, who will be their DH and probably play some first base.  Morales is 33 and signed a three-year deal and simply isn't that good of a hitter.  I think signing Mike Napoli or even Mitch Moreland would have been better moves for the Blue Jays. Their lineup, which has been one of the best in baseball in recent seasons, will be severely weakened if they don't bring anyone else in.
• Washington Nationals - The Nationals were initially involved with the White Sox to trade for Chris Sale.  When Sale ended up going to Boston, the Nationals then moved on to acquiring a hitter and were initially believed to be the team that would trade for Andrew McCutchen. Those talks fell through, however, and Washington traded for outfielder Adam Eaton.  They gave up nearly as much as the Red Sox did to acquire Sale and Eaton isn't the caliber of player that Sale is.  The Nationals stripped their farm system to make this deal possible and it appears that their goal is to take advantage of the window they have left with Harper.  It's a lot to give up for a player that is a really good on-base guy but doesn't hit for a lot of power or drive in a lot of runs.
• Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates entered this offseason surrounded by rumors that perhaps they would try trading Andrew McCutchen in return for prospects since McCutchen's contract is up after 2018.  The Pirates also have outfield prospect Austin Meadows, who will be ready for the majors sometime in 2017, plus Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco already in the majors. McCutchen is no longer a center fielder and is coming off the worst season of his career so perhaps the front office wasn't getting as much back as they thought they should.  There's a chance that McCutchen comes back in 2018 to his career norms, a very real possibility considering he played much better in the second half of the season.  If this happens, the Pirates could either keep him and let Meadows further develop in the minors, or they could trade McCutchen and get a lot more in return than they would this offseason.  Regardless, with the Pirates in a potential retooling mode, not trading McCutchen has to be a failure.
• Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion - Encarnacion apparently turned down a 4 year, $80 million offer from the Blue Jays and may now be wishing he had agreed to it.  Most of the teams that were thought to be landing spots for Bautista or Encarnacion (Astros, Red Sox, Yankees) have all signed other players.  That doesn't leave a lot of teams left that would have the money or would be interested in signing one of the two.  A couple that are left are the Rangers, Rockies, Indians, possibly the Mariners, and maybe the Cardinals.  Regardless, none of these teams probably have a lot of money left to sign the two, considering they will be expecting big pay days.  There is a chance that Bautista, especially, will have to sign a one-year deal and hope that a multi-year deal follows.

*All stats and information comes from baseball-reference.com, spotrac.com, fangraphs.com, and espn.com