There have been some big hits and major misses on star players in new homes this season. The good news is there's still plenty of time to reshape first impressions.
Here's how 10 of MLB's biggest offseason acquisitions have fared through the season's first six weeks. This list doesn't include players who re-signed.
Concerns about how Murakami would adjust to MLB pitching tempered the hype surrounding the former NPB Triple Crown winner and two-time MVP. As a result, Murakami settled for a two-year, $34-million deal with the White Sox and has quickly taken the South Side by storm. The 26-year-old ranks top-three in the AL in homers (15) and RBIs (29) and top-10 in runs (28), walks (30), slugging (.537), and OPS (.900). Murakami's now a fan favorite and core piece of the surprising White Sox, while 29 other teams are kicking themselves.
Cease is proving why he was rewarded the biggest contract for a pitcher during this past offseason's free agency. The right-hander is tracking to put up the best campaign of his eight-year career, authoring a 2.41 ERA and 1.86 FIP with an AL-best 12.9 K/9 over 52 1/3 innings. He's also allowed only one homer and owns a 2.2 fWAR through eight starts. If the season ended today, Cease would finish second to Cam Schlittler in AL Cy Young voting. The 30-year-old has easily been worth his seven-year, $210-million deal in the early stages.
Suarez stepped up as the club's No. 1 to help mitigate Garrett Crochet's turbulent start. The left-hander's 2.77 ERA leads the rotation, to go along with a 0.95 WHIP across 39 innings (seven starts). The 30-year-old is also holding opposing batters to a .197 batting average and keeping the ball in the park as usual, surrendering only three homers. Suarez landed the second-largest commitment for a pitcher when the Red Sox inked him to a five-year, $130-million deal. Looks like a sage move so far.
The first six weeks have been tumultuous for the Red Sox, but none of it is Contreras' fault. Acquired from St. Louis along with a large portion of his expensive contract, the veteran slugger fits nicely at Fenway Park and has emerged as one of Boston's few reliable bats. Contreras leads his club in homers and RBIs and is one of only two Red Sox regulars with an OPS above .800. Beyond the production, he's also helped fill the veteran leadership void left by Alex Bregman's departure and has brought a bit of swagger to a slumping team. Considering what the organization gave up to get him, this deal's looking like a winner for Boston.
Alonso has certainly made an early impact on the Orioles, slugging eight homers and 18 extra-base hits while drawing 21 walks in his first 44 games. Though he's started to heat up over the last two weeks following a very slow start, it's clear that the Polar Bear hasn't fully awoken from his slumber just yet. His .424 SLG and .734 OPS are notably well below his usual standards. An adjustment period to his new home after seven years with the Mets wasn't entirely unexpected, but it's time for Alonso to break out and fully anchor Baltimore's lineup like he's being paid to do.
While Tucker has produced moments here and there, the Dodgers are expecting a lot more from a player commanding a $60-million AAV. Drawing the second-most walks (24) on the team, the four-time All-Star has accrued a great .359 OBP. But with 16 extra-base hits across 42 games, his .416 SLG is well below his career mark of .501. Tucker is just one of Los Angeles' many stars off to mediocre starts, as Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernández are still looking to get their bats going. History suggests it's only a matter of time.
Judging from the Cubs' overall play, Bregman appears to be having a massive impact on the team's culture. His leadership as a two-time champion on a squad looking to take the next step is vital. Still, Chicago gave Bregman $175 million with the expectation that he'd play at an All-Star level, which he isn't doing. The 32-year-old's strikeout rate has spiked significantly, while his average exit velocity has dropped from last season. It's all smiles in Wrigleyville right now, but Chicago will need more from its marquee offseason addition if it wants to make noise in the months to come.
The Tigers handed Valdez a nine-figure deal under the assumption that he'd form one half of a dynamic duo with Tarik Skubal. Instead, his tenure has been nothing short of a disaster. Valdez is producing a career-worst 7.6 K/9 and opponents are hitting .311 and slugging .422 against his sinker. If that wasn't bad enough, the southpaw received a five-game suspension for intentionally throwing at Trevor Story, and his own manager didn't even try to defend his actions. On the bright side, his contract is only for three years.
Díaz's tenure with the Dodgers is off to a rough start after inking a three-year, $69-million contract. The three-time All-Star closer allowed seven earned runs on nine hits with five walks and 10 strikeouts over seven appearances before undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery in April. He's targeting a return in July after the All-Star break. It's tough to evaluate the 32-year-old because the injury clearly impacted his performance, so he doesn't get an F. However, L.A. clearly expected Díaz to be a fixture in a closing role that's been volatile over the last few years.
Bichette has been the whipping boy in a nightmare start to the season for the Mets. The two-time All-Star is posting a career-worst 62 wRC+ and owns a .224/.272/.288 slash line with a measly seven extra-base hits. His bat speed also ranks in the 17th percentile, while his barrel rate sits in the 19th percentile. Given his $42-million AAV over the next three years, the numbers are incredibly hard to digest. The 28-year-old's performance this campaign is a stark contrast from the hitting machine the Mets likely thought they were signing after Bichette led the AL in hits in 2021 and 2022 and was on pace to top the majors last season before missing September with a knee injury. Although his age and resume suggest he can turn things around, the pressure will only continue to mount until it happens.
