The 10 biggest positional upgrades teams made this offseason

Every team has weaknesses. The offseason gives front offices multiple avenues to address them.

With the current offseason winding down and Spring Training on the horizon, let's take a look at the 10 most substantial upgrades teams made via free agency or trade over the past few months.

While not all of these additions will pay immediate dividends, each of these clubs has made a significant effort to address areas that were problematic for them in 2025.

Athletics: Second base

What happened in 2025: Zack Gelof played just 30 games in an injury-plagued season and posted a .502 OPS over 101 plate appearances. With Gelof out, the A’s most often went with Luis Urías as their starting second baseman, while Max Schuemann and Max Muncy also got some run at the position. The collective result was a 53 wRC+, one of the worst marks any team recorded at any position in 2025.

How they addressed it: They acquired former NL batting champion Jeff McNeil from the Mets. McNeil has been roughly league average over the past three seasons (102 wRC+), but even that would be a massive upgrade at second base for the Athletics.

Cubs: Third base

What happened in 2025: After falling short in their pursuit of free agent Alex Bregman, the Cubs turned the hot corner over to prized prospect Matt Shaw, but the rookie struggled out of the gate and was back in the Minors by mid-April. Shaw showed improvement after returning to the big leagues in May but still ended the year with a .690 OPS over 126 games.

How they addressed it: The Cubs entered the offseason facing the likely departure of Kyle Tucker in free agency, making it increasingly important to secure another proven, middle-of-the-order bat. With Seiya Suzuki capable of sliding to right field to replace Tucker and prospect Moisés Ballesteros available to fill the hole at DH, third base stood as a logical spot for that addition. Accordingly, Chicago made another attempt to sign Bregman, who returned to free agency when he opted out of his contract with the Red Sox. This time, the Cubs were able to seal the deal, spending $175 million over five years to land one of baseball’s best third basemen.

Dodgers: Closer

What happened in 2025: The Dodgers signed Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million deal last offseason, but the left-hander proceeded to record a 4.74 ERA with 10 blown saves. Los Angeles’ one-year, $13 million contract with Kirby Yates was also a flop, and two other potential closing options -- Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips -- missed most of the season. Of course, that didn’t stop the Dodgers from winning a second straight World Series title, as they used their starting rotation to help cover closing duties during the playoffs.

How they addressed it: They went back to the free-agent well and signed the best closer on the market for the second straight offseason, this time landing Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69 million contract.

Dodgers: Left field

What happened in 2025: Michael Conforto signed a one-year, $17 million deal last offseason to become the Dodgers’ starting left fielder but put up a .637 OPS with -0.6 WAR (per FanGraphs) over 138 games in the regular season. Conforto didn’t play a single game during the playoffs, as Los Angeles went with the combination of Kiké Hernández and Alex Call in left field.

How they addressed it: They signed the top free agent on the market, Tucker, to a stunning four-year, $240 million contract. While Teoscar Hernández will slide into left field as Conforto’s direct replacement and Tucker will play right, Tucker is effectively filling Conforto’s spot in the Dodgers’ outfield.

Mets: Center field

What happened in 2025: Offseason acquisition Jose Siri was expected to draw the bulk of the playing time in center field for the Mets, but a fractured left tibia limited him to 16 games. That left Tyrone Taylor as their starting center fielder until they traded for Cedric Mullins in July. Mullins, however, posted just a .565 OPS after the trade. Overall, Mets center fielders produced seven home runs, a 71 wRC+ and 0.7 fWAR.

How they addressed it: They traded for Luis Robert Jr., sending Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley to the White Sox while assuming all of the guaranteed money left on Robert’s contract. Factoring in his $20 million salary for 2026 and the $2 million buyout attached to his ’27 club option, it amounts to a $22 million gamble that the oft-injured Robert will be able to stay healthy and recapture his 2023 All-Star form (38 HR, 20 SB, .857 OPS). The 28-year-old hasn’t come close to that level over the past two seasons, producing just a .660 OPS with 1.8 fWAR in 210 games.

Orioles: First base

What happened in 2025: The Orioles ranked 22nd at first base with a 92 wRC+, and no team got fewer home runs (14) from the position than Baltimore. Just two of those dingers came from their Opening Day starter at first base, Ryan Mountcastle, who missed more than two months with a right hamstring strain and was relegated to DH duty after returning to action. The O’s gave rookie Coby Mayo an extended look at first base in the second half, but even with a strong finish, Mayo recorded a .687 OPS on the year.

How they addressed it: They signed one of MLB’s premier power bats, Pete Alonso, to a five-year, $155 million deal. Alonso, who became the Mets’ all-time home run king last summer, has blasted 264 dingers since he made his MLB debut in 2019, trailing only Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber.

Pirates: Second base

What happened in 2025: The Pirates had more than a few holes to plug after a season that saw them rank last in the Majors in runs scored (583). The keystone was one of their weaker positions, generating just eight homers with an 80 wRC+.

How they addressed it: They acquired Brandon Lowe from the Rays in a three-team trade that also involved the Astros. Injuries have been a recurring problem for Lowe, but he ranks third among primary second basemen with 120 home runs over the past five years, notching a .792 OPS in that span.

Red Sox: First base

What happened in 2025: Triston Casas got off to a cold start and didn’t have a chance to work his way out of it, suffering a season-ending rupture of his left patellar tendon in early May. The injury exacerbated the tension between the Red Sox and Rafael Devers, who had already relocated to DH -- after some initial resistance -- to make room at third for Bregman. Devers balked at Boston’s request that he move to first base and was subsequently traded to the Giants. Using a hodgepodge that included Abraham Toro and Nathaniel Lowe to replace Casas, the Red Sox finished the season with an 86 WRC+ and -0.7 fWAR at first base.

How they addressed it: They acquired Willson Contreras from the Cardinals. A former catcher, Contreras moved to first base last year and posted a 2.8 fWAR season, notching a .791 OPS at the plate while playing solid defense at his new position. Boston’s acquisition of Contreras became even more significant after Bregman chose to sign with the Cubs.

Red Sox: Starting rotation

What happened in 2025: Boston’s offseason trade for Garrett Crochet couldn’t have gone better, and Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito also had solid seasons. But the Red Sox’s rotation was largely a mess behind those three, thanks in part to the ill-fated free-agent signing of Walker Buehler and a rough campaign from 2024 All-Star Tanner Houck (8.04 ERA over nine starts). Boston starters not named Crochet, Bello or Giolito combined for a 5.18 ERA and 1.8 fWAR in 76 games, over which the Red Sox went 33-43.

How they addressed it: They traded for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, then signed free agent Ranger Suárez to a five-year, $130 million deal as a big pivot move in the wake of Bregman’s decision to join the Cubs. Those acquisitions have catapulted the Red Sox’s rotation to the top spot in projected fWAR for 2026.

White Sox: First base

What happened in 2025: The White Sox pulled the plug on the Andrew Vaughn era after the 2019 No. 3 overall Draft pick recorded a .531 OPS over his first 48 games. Chicago used a mix of players at first base after that and finished the season with an 83 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR at the position.

How they addressed it: They capitalized on a softer-than-expected market for Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. Though there are serious concerns about the 25-year-old’s ability to make contact, he’ll bring immense power potential to Chicago on a low-risk contract of $34 million over two years.

Honorable mentions: Pirates’ designated hitter; Blue Jays’ starting rotation; Royals’ left field