MLB Power Rankings: Big winters push Blue Jays, Mets into top 10

Welcome to the third offseason edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings. Here, our editors rank each team with spring training just weeks away.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are loaded, but they lost some very important complementary pieces this winter. Enrique Hernandez and Joc Pederson both signed elsewhere, leaving decent voids on the bench and in the clubhouse. The team is still negotiating with Justin Turner, who's seeking a four-year deal, and L.A. may need to make a corresponding move if it hopes to remain under the luxury-tax threshold.

2. San Diego Padres

After acquiring Blake Snell and Yu Darvish, the Padres probably would have been fine sitting on their hands for the rest of winter. Instead, they added Joe Musgrove to bolster a top-heavy rotation. With Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack in the fold, the Padres' starting staff can go toe to toe with any other contender. San Diego also brought back utility man Jurickson Profar on a three-year, $21-million deal to shore up its lineup. The contract seems a bit rich, but it could easily pay dividends if Profar continues to hit like he did last year.

3. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox look like World Series contenders following the addition of Liam Hendriks. The 31-year-old is arguably the league's best reliever after posting a 1.79 ERA, 39 saves, and 161 strikeouts in 110 1/3 innings over the last two seasons. Behind the right-hander, a bullpen featuring the likes of Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall, and the hard-throwing Garrett Crochet projects to be just as good as Chicago's lethal lineup and deep starting rotation.

4. New York Yankees

It's odd to see the Yankees operate under payroll constraints, but that's how they've approached this winter. Before finally and officially inking DJ Lemahieu, the Yankees traded Adam Ottavino to clear space under the luxury tax - sending him to Boston, no less. They also said goodbye to Masahiro Tanaka, who chose to return to Japan, but replaced him with Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon. Payroll issues aside, the Yankees are still a pretty good team.

5. New York Mets

The Mets' remarkable offseason has put them in position for their first division title since 2015, and they might not be done after adding Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, and others. New York is believed to have made a short-term offer to reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer. If the Mets sign the right-hander, a rotation of Bauer, Carrasco, Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, and Noah Syndergaard (after he returns from Tommy John surgery) would be a nightmare for opposing hitters.

6. Atlanta Braves

In 2019, the Braves landed Josh Donaldson on a one-year deal that worked out wonderfully. Alex Anthopoulos replaced Donaldson the following winter with Marcell Ozuna, who also signed a one-year pact. Thus far, the club has only followed the "there's no such thing as a bad one-year deal" ethos with Charlie Morton this offseason, and retaining Ozuna will surely require a longer commitment. The Braves are still a contender, but time is running out this winter to add a hitter who will push them to another tier in the NL, and alongside the Dodgers and Padres.

7. Toronto Blue Jays

In a span of 10 days, the Blue Jays added George Springer, Kirby Yates, Tyler Chatwood, Marcus Semien, and Steven Matz, transforming the club into one of the AL's best. Springer is the most significant signing, as the 2017 World Series MVP is among the league's most complete players. Only 13 major leaguers have accrued a higher regular-season fWAR than Springer since 2016. Meanwhile, adding Semien alongside Springer could give Toronto the best offense in the majors if the former rediscovers the version of himself that was an MVP finalist in 2019.

8. Washington Nationals

The Nationals have put together a quietly impressive offseason. Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber were added to strengthen their lineup, while Brad Hand gives the bullpen another effective arm. There was little risk in inking seasoned vet Jon Lester and re-signing franchise favorite Ryan Zimmerman. Washington could still use an upgrade at third base, and the team has been connected to Eugenio Suarez.

9. Minnesota Twins

The Twins have ramped up their activity after sitting out the earlier months of the offseason. The club complemented a strong core over the last several weeks with the additions of J.A. Happ, Andrelton Simmons, Nelson Cruz, and Alex Colome. All four inked one-year deals, helping the team maintain future financial flexibility while Minnesota builds a roster capable of battling the White Sox for the top spot in the division. The Twins' rotation could still benefit from adding another starter.

10. Houston Astros

For a few hours, it seemed like the Astros were going to lose both Springer and Michael Brantley to the Blue Jays. But they wound up retaining the latter, and that's been their big splash this winter. Jason Castro will be part of a platoon behind the dish with Martin Maldonado, forming arguably the league's best defensive catching tandem. The club struggled to finish one game below .500 last year, and it must now cope with losing Springer, Josh Reddick, and Roberto Osuna, all while dealing with a rotation that lacks any depth.

11. St. Louis Cardinals

In a move that shook the baseball world, the Cardinals landed Nolan Arenado last week for ... nothing. No, seriously. They gave up fringe prospects, agreed to an additional opt-out for Arenado, and a $15-million extension that's offset and more with the Rockies paying St. Louis $50 million. Losing is seemingly in vogue in the NL Central, and the Cardinals are going for it - if that's the price of going for it these days. Who can blame them?

12. Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays brought an old friend home in Chris Archer, who reportedly inked a one-year deal with the team Tuesday. Archer is coming back from thoracic outlet syndrome, so it's hard to say how much he'll impact the club in 2021. But this could be a fantastic pickup if he's healthy, and the comfort of Tropicana Field helps him recapture some of his old All-Star form. There's less pressure on Archer to immediately morph into his old self because he's not carrying the rotation like the veteran did in Pittsburgh. Health permitting, he should help the Rays greatly.

13. Philadelphia Phillies

After a long, long dance, the Phillies finally re-signed J.T. Realmuto. Then for good measure, they brought back Didi Gregorius on a two-year deal to keep the offense intact. Pitching, and specifically the bullpen, was this team's problem last year, and adding Archie Bradley on a one-year deal, trading for Jose Alvarado, and taking a no-risk flier on Matt Moore was the Phils' attempt to address that weakness. It's tough to know what to make of this team, but the Phillies are probably already in a better spot than last year.

14. Boston Red Sox

In the last month, the Red Sox have improved after adding Ottavino, Hernandez, Garrett Richards, and Martin Perez, but they still look like a fourth-place team in the AL East. While a reunion with Jackie Bradley Jr. is still possible, the two sides appear to be heading in opposite directions, with the Gold Glover seeking a three-year deal and the Red Sox too close to the luxury-tax threshold to accommodate him.

15. Cleveland Indians

The Lindor era in Cleveland is finally over. The Indians dealt arguably the league's best shortstop after six seasons for a package that included infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario. The latter's name has already been floated around in trade rumors with the Reds. On a positive note, signing Eddie Rosario fills a major outfield need. The 29-year-old hit a career-high 32 homers in 2019, and he's received down-ballot MVP votes over the last two seasons.

16. Oakland Athletics

It's been a tough offseason for the AL West champs following the departures of Semien, Hendriks, Tommy La Stella, and Joakim Soria in free agency. The Athletics will try to fill the voids internally after failing to bring in anyone to replace the trio. However, Chad Pinder, Tony Kemp, and Jake Diekman are serious downgrades. Oakland possesses the talent to win the division again, but the Astros and Angels will be in the mix.

17. Los Angeles Angels

As the Angels continue to add players (Kurt Suzuki, Jose Quintana, and Alex Cobb), the Astros and A's have taken steps back. Los Angeles is still in the market for a starter and is interested in Odorizzi, and the team has also been involved in trade talks centered around Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. Acquiring both might be enough to push the Angels to the top of a division that's clearly a three-team race.

18. Cincinnati Reds

Even if they don't trade away a cast of characters who keep popping up in the rumor mill - Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, Eugenio Suarez, Mike Moustakas, and Nick Castellanos - the team also isn't adding much after the potential loss Bauer during free agency. And that's following a season in which the upstart club struggled to clinch a playoff berth, just for the Braves to embarrass Cincinnati in the first round. Who are the Reds, really? We need one more month to find out.

19. Chicago Cubs

Watching the Cubs act like a small-market team is perplexing. The additions of Pederson, Trevor Williams, and Austin Romine won't cause very much excitement after the perennial NL Central contender already said goodbye to Schwarber, Lester, Darvish, and World Series-winning executive Theo Epstein. The Pederson signing is bit of a head-scratcher because the outfielder is the same player as Schwarber, though slightly cheaper. Expect more changes on Chicago's north side.

20. Miami Marlins

This is arguably the right time for the Marlins to build on last year's shocking playoff appearance by jumping into the deep end of free agency. But they're playing it slow, which is also fine. Reliever Anthony Bass is a quietly solid addition who should provide great value for a team that's still playing with house money, and there are enough tools in Miami to surprise again.

21. Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee had spent only $900,000 on free agents in the new year before reportedly signing Kolten Wong to a 2-year, $18-million pact. President of baseball operations David Stearns said his team needs to maintain financial flexibility. Could that lead to trading star closer Josh Hader? The left-hander's name continues to appear in rumors, but no deal has come to fruition because the Brewers' asking price remains high.

22. San Francisco Giants

Still seemingly in the midst of a rebuild, the Giants aren't really tanking. They've been surprisingly pesky to dismiss for the past two seasons, finishing third and very near a .500 winning percentage each campaign. Left-hander Alex Wood and La Stella - who has been quietly excellent over the past few years - will reinforce the roster before top prospects Joey Bart and Marco Luciano are ready to make the jump. The Giants will be well back of the Dodgers and Padres, but they're still probably better than the Diamondbacks and Rockies, and that's a good place to start before truly spending.

23. Kansas City Royals

Kansas City welcomed back an old friend in Wade Davis to the fold on a minor-league contract. If Davis can find even a small sliver of his 2015 self, he'll add yet another interesting layer to what's become a very fascinating Royals team. Quietly, the Royals have built a club that should be good enough to put a scare into contenders, even if it's not ready for prime time just yet.

24. Colorado Rockies

Trevor Story might want to think twice about signing an extension with the Rockies after Colorado shipped Arenado to the Cardinals. Arenado will wind up playing only 203 games in Colorado after inking an eight-year, $260-million contract before the start of the 2019 campaign. Meanwhile, Story, who's scheduled to become a free agent following the 2021 season, is part of a club that hasn't made any major-league signings this offseason.

25. Arizona Diamondbacks

Despite several needs, the D-Backs hadn't made a significant offseason move until reportedly adding veteran reliever Joakim Soria on Tuesday. Center field remains unsettled, and the bullpen lacks experience outside of Soria and Chris Devenski, who's coming to camp on a minor-league deal. Devenski may help in the 'pen if he makes the team, but the 30-year-old must first prove he's healthy after missing most of 2020 with an elbow issue. Nonetheless, manager Torey Lovullo believes his team can contend in a division that includes the Dodgers and Padres. That might be pushing it.

26. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners are in a holding pattern until it's time to flank center fielder Kyle Lewis with top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez. General manager Jerry Dipoto is known for pulling off tons of deals, making this a weird spot for him. But it's also his most enviable position since running a team that featured Mike Trout. The hard part is turning an elite farm system into a true contending team, and that's still to come.

27. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers' roster isn't close to competing in their division. However, signing Robbie Grossman and Wilson Ramos gives the club some quality veteran bats. The former accrued a .826 OPS with eight homers in 51 games for the Athletics in 2020, while the latter is two seasons removed from an All-Star campaign. Detroit could improve quickly with top prospects Spencer Torkelson, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Tarik Skubal all set to contribute at some point in 2021.

28. Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore hasn't added anyone of note this winter, and it offloaded yet another veteran, reportedly trading Cobb to the Angels. There were financial motivations behind the Cobb deal, which isn't surprising for an Orioles team that's reportedly so strapped for cash it asked some arbitration-eligible players to defer money on their relatively small one-year deals. It's a shame to watch such a historic organization in a great baseball town show barely any interest in adding even minor pieces to its roster.

29. Texas Rangers

The Rangers' youth movement is in full swing, which is why they haven't been doing much this offseason. President of baseball operations Jon Daniels said any moves must fit into the organization's new development-minded culture. That likely means trade rumors involving Joey Gallo were blown out of proportion. Gallo is only 27 years old, he's under team control for two more seasons, and the slugger is arguably the Rangers' best player.

30. Pittsburgh Pirates

Shipping Taillon and Musgrove out after already trading away Bell earlier this winter likely completes Ben Cherington's heavy lifting during the tanking period of his duties as Pirates GM. This team is going to be, in a word, bad for a couple of years. We likely haven't seen a team this awful since the Astros from 2011 to 2013, a club that lost 100-plus games in three straight seasons. Of course, the payoff in Houston was a championship, which the Pirates would love to emulate.