Handing out offseason grades: National League

With Opening Day a week away and almost all of the notable moves already made, we hand out offseason grades for each National League team.

Here are the AL grades.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks didn't rest on their laurels after a shocking World Series run last fall. General manager Mike Hazen was aggressive this offseason, bringing in a number of veteran contributors that should help Arizona maintain its momentum. The additions of proven power hitters in Pederson, Suárez, and Grichuk should boost a lineup that finished 22nd in home runs last season. Rodriguez will give Arizona a formidable trio atop the rotation alongside Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen.

Atlanta Braves

It was another quietly efficient offseason for Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos. He turned quantity into a proven left-handed reliever, acquiring Bummer in a trade with the White Sox. Bringing back Joe Jiménez and signing Reynaldo López gives manager Brian Snitker a deep and versatile bullpen group. Sale will be a major wild card this season. The veteran has battled injuries for several years but showed flashes of his past dominance last season. The Braves are hoping Sale can reach 140 innings for the first time since 2019 but would happily sacrifice that if it meant he was healthy for the postseason.

Chicago Cubs

The grade certainly improved after the Cubs brought Bellinger back on a very reasonable contract. Chicago would've had a very difficult time replacing Bellinger's production and can feel at ease having him anchor the middle of the lineup once again. Imanaga will be a very intriguing player to watch. The Japanese left-hander doesn't profile as an ace but could emerge as a No. 2 or No. 3 in the rotation alongside 2023 breakout star Justin Steele. Neris is coming off a solid two-year stint with the Houston Astros and should serve as a strong setup man in front of closer Adbert Alzolay.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds' offseason moves won't grab many headlines, but they did an excellent job bringing in reliable veterans to complement an exciting group of homegrown players. Candelario is expected to play first base and could give manager David Bell 20 home runs and 30 doubles in 2024. Montas could benefit from moving away from the spotlight of New York where he never really found his footing.

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history last season. Their offseason doesn't inspire much confidence for noticeable improvements in 2024. Hudson and Quantrill should provide manager Bud Black with some decent innings, but it's never easy moving to Coors Field.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers pulled the purse strings back over the past few years with an eye on loading up this offseason. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman looks like a genius after one of the most impressive offseason spending sprees in recent memory. It wasn't enough to land Ohtani, so the Dodgers also added the premier starting pitcher on the market in Yamamoto. Glasnow and Paxton come with lengthy injury histories but can be as productive as any starting pitcher when healthy. The Dodgers have very few holes. This team could certainly threaten the 2001 Seattle Mariners' record of 116 regular-season wins.

Miami Marlins

After surprising many by making the postseason last year, the Marlins parted ways with general manager Kim Ng and proceeded to sign exactly one free agent to a major-league contract. Anderson was one of baseball's worst players in 2023 and doesn't scream positive regression candidate when looking at some of his underlying numbers. It was an extremely disappointing offseason in Miami under new head of baseball operations Peter Bendix.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers look like a team that isn't quite sure what direction it wants to take. The trade of Burnes was thought to be a possible move toward rebuilding, but bringing in Hoskins and Sánchez muddied things. The NL Central isn't an imposing division, so Milwaukee could easily be in the mix this season. However, if things go haywire, general manager Matt Arnold will likely look to move Willy Adames and, potentially, Devin Williams.

New York Mets

The Mets' offseason was a stark contrast to previous spending extravaganzas under owner Steve Cohen. New York signed a number of veterans to one-year deals to help raise the floor in the rotation after injuries and inconsistent performances crippled the team in 2023. The Braves and Phillies have both clearly separated themselves from the Mets in the NL East.

Philadelphia Phillies

Dave Dombrowski's biggest offseason moves were extending Nola and Wheeler. It's always risky giving big term to a pitcher on the wrong side of 30, but Nola's style could allow him to remain effective even as he gets older. Wheeler accepting a three-year extension was perfect for the Phillies' competitive window. Merrifield is a nice fit as a utility player, capable of playing a handful of positions effectively.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have some positive momentum for the first time in a few years. General manager Ben Cherington didn't make any flashy moves, opting for veterans who can fill specific roles to support the group already in place. Chapman, Gonzalez, Pérez, Taylor, and Grandal should serve as quality veteran pieces on a team pushing for the postseason, or they could be dangled as trade bait if the Pirates aren't in contention.

San Diego Padres

It's hard to be excited about an offseason that saw a player like Soto moved out. The Padres didn't do terribly in the trade with the Yankees, but they'll be hard-pressed to replace Soto's production in the lineup. San Diego GM A.J. Preller used some of his remaining prospect capital to acquire Cease in a shocking blockbuster with the White Sox. Cease gives San Diego one of baseball's strongest rotations alongside Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and King. Still, this team feels short a couple position players.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants did a lot of roster shuffling. San Francisco greatly benefitted from Snell's shockingly slow market, landing the NL Cy Young winner on a two-year, $62-million deal. Snell gives the Giants as formidable of a duo atop the rotation as any in baseball alongside NL Cy Young runner-up, Logan Webb. The six-year, $113-million contract given to Lee surprised many but could end up as good value if the 25-year-old Korean star can adjust to MLB pitching. Soler will look to become the first Giants hitter since Barry Bonds in 2004 to reach the 30-homer plateau. San Francisco landed Chapman on a very reasonable three-year, $54-million contract. The four-time Gold Glove winner is familiar with manager Bob Melvin from their days in Oakland. Chapman should stabilize things for the Giants at a premium position.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals prioritized adding as many veterans as possible. Gray, Gibson, and Lynn will improve a rotation that finished 26th in ERA (5.08) last season. However, the rotation still feels like it's missing a true ace. The additions of Carpenter and Crawford are puzzling. It's hard to see either of those two veterans providing much on-field value in 2024.

Washington Nationals

The Nationals clearly aren't ready to make a significant splash as they continue to allow the young core time to develop. The additions of veterans like Gallo, Winker, and Rosario help slightly raise the floor for 2024 while providing some leadership in the clubhouse. The hope is that one of those players has a good season and can be flipped at the deadline in order to acquire more building blocks. It was a major surprise that Rosario had to settle for a minor-league deal coming off a 21-homer season with Atlanta.