As we gear up for the opening of baseball’s annual Winter Meetings, which take place in Dallas this year, excitement abounds over the building expectation that the Hot Stove will begin to really heat up after some big moves were made over the weekend.
As owners, executives, managers, players and agents meet with an eye toward building the best possible roster for the 2025 season, here’s a look at what each club needs heading into the Winter Meetings:
Blue Jays: Bullpen, bullpen, bullpen
Toronto’s relievers had a 4.82 ERA last season, which ranked them 29th in baseball. There’s (almost) nowhere to go but up and the Blue Jays need to address this problem in a serious way this winter. The decision to non-tender Jordan Romano also opens up the need for a legitimate closer to pitch behind Chad Green and Erik Swanson, so this could be an expensive bullpen rebuild for the Blue Jays with three or four arms needed, at minimum. Keep the trade market in mind, where the Blue Jays could use their excess infield depth to land a reliever, but regardless of how it happens, the bullpen is written in red ink at the top of their shopping list. — Keegan Matheson
Orioles: An ace
Here we are again — it’s December and Baltimore is seeking a frontline starting pitcher to lead its rotation next season, which is the top item on its offseason wish list. Last winter, the O’s were in this position before striking a Feb. 1 trade with the Brewers to acquire 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes, who is now a free agent after a tremendous All-Star season. There’s a chance the Orioles bring back Burnes, but that would likely cost more than $200 million over six or seven years. If Baltimore doesn’t want to spend quite that much, it could target a more affordable free-agent hurler or again explore the trade market, which worked out quite well last time. — Jake Rill
Rays: Pitching depth
The Rays’ biggest need had been behind the plate, but a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that they reached a one-year deal with veteran catcher Danny Jansen to address that. Moving forward, the club is in the unique position of needing even more pitching than they might have if not for Hurricane Milton’s damage to their home ballpark, Tropicana Field. Now that the Rays will be playing their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the Yankees’ Spring Training home, future weather-related interruptions could necessitate more arms ready to come in from the bullpen. — Manny Randhawa
Red Sox: An ace
Every bit as much as they desire Juan Soto’s big bat, the Red Sox want a true No. 1 pitcher. Tanner Houck did a nice job pitching like one for nearly half a season, but he couldn’t hold up his level of success for a full season and it’s hard to know for sure if he can do that going forward. The two pitchers the Red Sox are eyeing the closest are lefties Garrett Crochet and Max Fried. Crochet is being dangled in trade talks by the White Sox. The Red Sox might be one of the few teams that have the combination of young Major League talent and top prospects to make a deal work. As for Fried, he is a free agent, and the Sox immediately turned their attention to him after Blake Snell signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the Dodgers that includes deferred money. — Ian Browne
Yankees: Outfielder
This may have slipped through the cracks, but there’s a certain “generational” talent on the free agent market whom the Yankees are hoping to bring back on a big-money contract. Yes, retaining Soto is their Plan A, but they’ve got other considerations in the outfield. If Soto returns, that means Aaron Judge likely remains in center field, a position where he’ll see more wear and tear long-term. Defense is a priority with Yankee Stadium’s expansive left field, which is why the Yankees valued Alex Verdugo so highly, even when his offense fell off. With Verdugo unlikely to return, will top prospect Jasson Domínguez have a legitimate chance to win playing time, or will the Bombers lean on the trade/free agent markets to fill the vacancy? — Bryan Hoch
Guardians: Starting pitching
The Guardians know they can lean on Tanner Bibee and the reportedly re-signed Shane Bieber (when he returns from Tommy John surgery) next season. After that, there are some serious question marks. Gavin Williams should be high on this list, but he didn’t take the step forward most would’ve expected him to after he returned from the injured list. Ben Lively will be back and was better than advertised in 2024, but it’s hard to know whether that’s sustainable for another season. They have a rookie in Joey Cantillo who is Major League ready, but this team needs at least one more top-tier starter in the mix. Cleveland starters combined for 805 innings in 2024, which ranked 24th in the Majors. A veteran innings-eater who can provide some stability is essential for the Guardians to take a step forward in ‘25. — Mandy Bell
Royals: Middle-of-the-order power
The Royals found their leadoff hitter in Jonathan India and believe his on-base ability will fit nicely atop the lineup ahead of Bobby Witt Jr. Now their focus turns to lower in the lineup. Kansas City had a .403 slugging percentage last year, which ranked 12th in MLB, and that number was impacted the most by Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez in the No. 2-No. 4 spots of the lineup. Those three, and especially Witt, carried the offense the entire season, and the Royals would like to see more help behind them. On-base remains a priority because the Royals want to be speedy and put the ball in play, but adding more impact in the heart of the order is seen as their next biggest need. This hitter could come in the form of an outfielder or third baseman, and the Royals are exploring the free-agent and trade market in their search. — Anne Rogers
Tigers: Right-handed bat
The Tigers entered the offseason looking for a right-handed bat or two along with pitching help, especially in the rotation. Both priorities remain to be addressed. The positional flexibilities on Detroit’s roster, particularly with Matt Vierling, allow the club to cast a wide net on where it could fit a bat, though left-side infield could offer the ideal home. There are a wide range of options on the free-agent market, evidenced by links to interest in everyone from Alex Bregman to Ha-Seong Kim. However, the Tigers could opt to leverage their prospect depth to swing a trade for a younger player, or at least someone on a shorter contract. — Jason Beck
Twins: A right-handed bat or two … somewhere
There’s no specific positional need here, considering the Twins’ glut of flexibility to rearrange their players around both the infield and outfield, due largely to Willi Castro, Austin Martin and Michael Helman all being extremely versatile. But they do need bats unless they want to lean on Martin and Helman as platoon options. Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot were regulars to play in place of Edouard Julien and Trevor Larnach in 2024, and both of those righties are gone. Manager Rocco Baldelli has always made efforts to shield his young left-handed hitters from southpaw pitchers — and they currently don’t have a ton of options. — Do-Hyoung Park
White Sox: Offense
The White Sox were at the absolute bottom of numerous offensive categories across baseball in 2024. They have added Ryan Fuller as their new director of hitting and brought back hitting coach Marcus Thames, but they need to add players to the equation. Shortstop Colson Montgomery (No. 3 White Sox prospect per MLB Pipeline, No. 37 overall) and catcher Edgar Quero (No. 4 and No. 59) are targeted for Major League debuts during the 2025 season. But any potential trades involving left-handed starter Crochet or center fielder Luis Robert Jr., whose current contractual situations don’t fit into their far-ranging contention window, will center on position player returns. The White Sox also are well ahead on the pitching side in regard to player development. — Scott Merkin
Angels: Bullpen
General manager Perry Minasian hasn’t been shy in saying that the Angels need help everywhere after a 99-loss season. But he addressed the rotation by signing Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Hendricks, improved their infield depth with Kevin Newman, Scott Kingery and Ryan Noda and also traded for slugger Jorge Soler and signed catcher Travis d’Arnaud to a two-year deal. The Angels, however, haven’t made any additions to their bullpen and it’s an area that Minasian would like to improve. They’re looking to build around young flamethrowing closer Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson, who is coming off Tommy John surgery. Their bullpen pitched well in the second half with a 3.24 ERA that ranked as the seventh-best mark in the Majors, but Minasian knows you can never have too many effective relief options. — Rhett Bollinger
Astros: Corner infield
The conversation starts with Bregman, the free-agent third baseman the Astros are trying to retain. He’s been a cornerstone player and a leader on a Houston team that won four AL pennants and two World Series titles from 2017-22. If the Astros re-sign Bregman, they could choose to platoon at first base with Jon Singleton and Zach Dezenzo. If Bregman leaves, the Astros could choose to spend money at first base, where three-time Gold Glove Award winner Christian Walker would be a nice fit. The Astros can spend on a big-time free agent or trade acquisition at first base or third base, but not both. — Brian McTaggart
Athletics: Third base
During last month’s General Managers Meetings, Athletics GM David Forst indicated that pitching and third base were the main areas of need for a young squad looking to take a big step forward in 2025. Following the signing of Luis Severino, the A’s could still look to add more pitching, but the focus now shifts to third base. With current unproven in-house options such as Darell Hernaiz, Max Schuemann and Brett Harris, the A’s are looking to add a third baseman with Major League experience via free agency or trade. — Martín Gallegos
Mariners: Two infield bats
Seattle is seeking to supplement the smorgasbord of infielders they already have and are looking most prominently at third base and a hybrid role at first base to complement Luke Raley, who will also see outfield reps. Though second base has been their least productive position since 2019, they’re more comfortable there with in-house options Dylan Moore, Ryan Bliss and Leo Rivas than at the aforementioned spots. The club has been engaged with free agents Carlos Santana and Justin Turner, who each provided a valuable veteran presence when acquired in 2022 and ‘24, respectively. But signing either could come down to cost within a payroll that likely has only $15 million-20 million of wiggle room this winter to address multiple needs. — Daniel Kramer
Rangers: Rotation and bullpen
The Rangers could lose eight pitchers to free agency — three starters (Nathan Eovaldi, Max Scherzer and Andrew Heaney), four relievers (Kirby Yates, David Robertson, Andrew Chafin and Jose Leclerc) and swingman Jose Ureña. That’s well over 400 innings among them. The six-man rotation as it currently stands is: Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle, Jon Gray, Cody Bradford, Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter. It’s a solid group, but four of those six have a history of injuries, and the other two — Rocker and Leiter — have a combined nine big league starts.
The bullpen posted a 4.41 ERA in 2024, but losing Yates (1.17 ERA) and Robertson (3.00 ERA) is significant, and that’s not even including Leclerc, who is prone to hot streaks. All that to say, the pitching staff will continue to be a point of emphasis throughout the offseason, in whatever way is feasible. — Kennedi Landry
Braves: An outfielder
It might not be the optimal solution, but the Braves have internal options who could compensate for Spencer Strider’s early-season absence and then provide stability in the rotation’s fifth spot. There’s also a chance some internal options could help compensate for the absence of top set-up man Joe Jiménez, who will miss most or all of 2025. But there is a definite need for an outfielder who would compensate for Ronald Acuña Jr.’s absence through most of the season’s first two months and then fill the left field position as an everyday option or a platoon partner with Jarred Kelenic. — Mark Bowman
Marlins: Offense
So far this offseason, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has been vague about how Miami will go about improving upon the NL’s lowest-scoring lineup. Will the club buy into the second-half performances from Xavier Edwards, Jonah Bride, Jake Burger and Connor Norby? Will Bendix trade from the controllable pitching depth to add an impact bat? Will he stand pat for rising prospects Agustin Ramirez and Deyvison De Los Santos? — Christina De Nicola
Mets: Starting pitching
Even as the Mets continue to pursue Soto, and even after signing Frankie Montas to a two-year deal and agreeing to terms on a three-year pact with Clay Holmes, pitching remains their greatest need. Montas, Kodai Senga and David Peterson are the closest things they have to surefire starters, and all three will carry significant questions into 2025. The Mets, needing a lot more than that, will continue to pursue it at the Winter Meetings. The only question is whether they’ll go hard after the biggest names available, such as Burnes and Fried, or continue shopping for starters on short-term deals. — Anthony DiComo
Nationals: Corner infield
The Nationals have vacancies to fill at first and third base. They declined their mutual option on veteran Joey Gallo at first base, where Andrés Chaparro and Juan Yepez will return to vie for playing time. At the hot corner, José Tena impressed after he was acquired at the Trade Deadline. With veteran utility player Ildemaro Vargas becoming a free agent, Tena likely will see more playing time. But the Nationals could pursue more experience at both positions, with veterans like Walker, Alonso and Bregman among the top free agents. — Jessica Camerato
Phillies: A closer
OK, so most of the attention on the Phillies this offseason has been on their alleged pursuit of Soto, and how Alec Bohm could be traded to improve a lineup that fell short in the 2023 NL Championship Series and 2024 NL Division Series. Yes, the Phillies need to do something to improve the offense. But who’s pitching the eighth and ninth innings for the Phillies in 2025? Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman are free agents, which leaves a huge hole in the bullpen. Maybe the Phillies re-sign one of them. Or maybe both go elsewhere, leaving the Phillies to find somebody else to close games in 2025. Regardless, it needs to be addressed. — Todd Zolecki
Brewers: Infield
The most obvious hole on the roster is at shortstop with the departure of free agent Willy Adames, but the Brewers have several ways they could fill his absence. They could sign a frontline shortstop (unlikely, given the limited options after Adames on the market) or trade for one. Or they could focus instead on acquiring a third baseman or second baseman and hand shortstop duties to Joey Ortiz or Brice Turang (less likely, considering he just won the NL’s Platinum Glove Award while playing second base). There are some good names in the trade rumor mill at third, including the Mets’ change-of-scenery candidate Brett Baty and three All-Stars in the Phillies’ Bohm, the Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado and the Rockies’ Ryan McMahon. — Adam McCalvy
Cardinals: Thump from the outfield positions
The projected Opening Day lineup with the roster as currently constructed likely includes an outfield of Lars Nootbaar in left field, Michael Siani in center and Jordan Walker in right. That trio combined to hit just 19 home runs at the MLB level last season. The Cards are hopeful that Nootbaar can avoid the IL stints that have slowed him the past two seasons, and that swing changes can help the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Walker finally reach his massive potential. St. Louis desperately needs those two to hit in the middle of the order in 2025 and provide much more thump — especially with Paul Goldschmidt gone and Arenado a possibility to be traded away. Could potential deals of Ryan Helsley, Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz or Arenado help the Cardinals land the slugging outfielder that they have been seeking for more than a decade? Could Chase Davis, the organization’s No. 7 prospect, become the thumper the Cards covet from the corner outfield spots? — John Denton
Cubs: Bullpen depth
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer admits that his front office did not gather enough bullpen depth last offseason. That left the team scrambling to find arms in-season as injuries and other issues riddled the relief corps. So far this winter, Chicago has traded for Eli Morgan, claimed Rob Zastryzny and signed Phil Bickford (Minors deal). The Cubs will be looking to keep adding volume to the depth chart, while also possibly targeting an impact addition for the later innings. Chicago’s bullpen turned into a strength by the end of 2024, but the early issues added to the setbacks that pulled the Cubs out of the playoff hunt. — Jordan Bastian
Pirates: Corner outfield
The Pirates decided to part with Bryan De La Cruz and Connor Joe at the non-tender deadline, and after Edward Olivares left via free agency, they are without the three players who had the most playing time in right field last season. This team needs an offensive boost — ideally someone with some pop after they finished 25th in baseball with 160 home runs last year — and the only internal options are Jack Suwinski, who is coming off a difficult season, rookies Billy Cook and Nick Yorke, and career up-down guys Joshua Palacios and Trey Cabbage. They need to bring in at least one outfielder to deepen that group. — Alex Stumpf
Reds: Corner outfield/offense
President of baseball operations Nick Krall wants to upgrade the lineup and acknowledged that any bat added would likely be an outfielder over an infielder. Cincinnati has needs in both corner outfield spots, which combined to hit only 29 homers last season. Because of their smallish home stadium, Great American Ball Park, dynamic power hitters aren’t necessarily a must as line-drive pop would also work to clear the fences. Free agents that could make sense for the Reds include Michael Conforto, Max Kepler and Jurickson Profar. — Mark Sheldon
D-backs: Offense
With Walker and the designated hitter platoon of Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk hitting the free agent market, the D-backs are looking to replace their offensive production. That won’t be easy, as Walker’s 26 homers, Pederson’s 151 OPS+ and Grichuk’s .875 OPS were a huge reason why Arizona led the Majors in runs scored. Some of the help could come internally with top prospect Jordan Lawlar a candidate to make the team out of Spring Training, but GM Mike Hazen will look to add some bats either via trade or free agency. With Walker’s departure, the D-backs could look to Pavin Smith to take over at first base or, depending on the cost, it’s possible there could be a reunion with Goldschmidt. — Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: An outfield bat
Bringing back Teoscar Hernández would quickly solve this issue, but regardless of what they do, the Dodgers will need to add another outfielder into the mix now that Mookie Betts is set to move back to the infield in 2025. Andy Pages will get more opportunities next season, and deservingly so. But even with that, the Dodgers could use some help, particularly a left-handed option. The Dodgers will continue to explore the trade and free agent market for some help there. — Juan Toribio
Giants: A frontline starter
A source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that the Giants filled their need for an everyday shortstop on Saturday by reaching a seven-year, $182 million deal with Adames. Now, president of baseball operations Buster Posey and company will turn their attention to replacing two-time Cy Young Award winner Snell in the rotation after he signed with the Dodgers. San Francisco has been reported as one of the “main players” in the market for Burnes, and the club has also been linked to Fried. — Manny Randhawa
Padres: Starting pitching
The top of the San Diego rotation features Yu Darvish, Michael King and Dylan Cease, a trio the Padres would stack up against any in baseball. The back end? That’s anybody’s guess. Joe Musgrove is coming off Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the 2025 season. As things stand, Randy Vásquez and Matt Waldron are slated to fill out the No. 4 and No. 5 spots. That’s likely to change in the coming months. The Padres will be major players for Roki Sasaki. But they could use more than one arm and will likely go about their search with one eye on the future. Darvish is 37, while both King and Cease are slated to be free agents after next season. — AJ Cassavell
Rockies: Second base
The Rockies turned the roster over to youth last year. They used 12 players aged 24 or younger and aren’t through with the youth movement. But second base (after the decision to non-tender Brendan Rodgers) is a position where they need some experience. The future appears to be in the hands of two players on their prospect list — Adael Amador (No. 5) and Ryan Ritter (No. 12) — but neither is expected to be ready at season’s start. So it makes some sense to seek a free agent or a trade. According to multiple sources, the Rockies have approached former Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada, and there has been contact with Nick Madrigal and Jon Berti. The Rockies also could seek a trade, as long as it doesn’t dramatically reduce the cache of prospects. — Thomas Harding
