Handing out offseason grades for every AL team

There was no shortage of roster moves in the American League this winter as a number of front offices opted to overhaul their rosters, while some surprisingly did little to improve.

With less than two weeks until Opening Day, here are offseason grades for all 15 AL teams. Grades reflect how well each club met its expectations heading into the offseason.

👉 NL GRADES

General manager Perry Minasian spent the winter collecting an array of potential bounce-back candidates. The result is a patchwork roster that doesn't seem to solve any of last year's problems and raises more questions than it answers. Grayson Rodriguez was probably the Angels' best addition, but he remains a mystery after missing all of last season. Former All-Star Alek Manoah, also sidelined for all of 2025, has looked lost this spring yet appears poised for a spot in the rotation due to his guaranteed deal. Even if a few of these new guys bounce back, this offseason goes down as a complete loss for the Halos, who continue to spin their wheels in baseball purgatory.

Houston's biggest acquisitions were on the pitching side, adding Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows, and Ryan Weiss to help replace Framber Valdez. All three of those pitchers are intriguing, particularly Imai, who boasts multiple NPB All-Star appearances. However, the trio also carries some risk as unknowns. Burrows owns just 19 career MLB starts, all from last season with the Pirates, while Weiss and Imai have yet to prove themselves at the MLB level. The Astros also failed to find a trade to alleviate their infield logjam and improve elsewhere, leaving this roster with familiar issues. Although this aging, flawed team will probably contend, its offseason moves don't inspire much hope.

The Athletics may not have made a major splash in free agency as they did last year with Luis Severino, but it was still a productive winter in West Sacramento. Veteran Jeff McNeil adds a veteran bat to the lineup, and he can help mentor a bright young core looking to take the next step. Additionally, extensions for Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson might signal that the A's are finally ready to do what it takes to keep their talented teams intact. Did all these additions make the 2026 A's a playoff squad? Probably not. Still, they'll be in the conversation, and that's progress worth celebrating.

The Blue Jays' front office went on a spending spree after coming up painfully short in the World Series. Toronto handed Dylan Cease the richest contract of any pitcher this winter, a necessary move for the team with Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, and Eric Lauer all on expiring deals. Replacing Bo Bichette with Kazuma Okamoto came as somewhat of a surprise, but Toronto is clearly comfortable with Andrés Giménez at shortstop. The versatility of so many other position players on the roster makes it easier to bring in a bat like Okamoto, and it'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to the majors. Though the Blue Jays couldn't land a big bat like Kyle Tucker or add an elite closer, they still brought in several impact players while propping up their depth.

You might've expected the Guardians to capitalize on the momentum of a September surge that brought a second straight division title to Cleveland. Instead, they signed only two players to big-league deals - relievers Shawn Armstrong and Connor Brogdon. Fortunately for the Guardians, José Ramírez loves life in northeast Ohio and was willing to ink an extension far below his true value. That's about the only reason this grade isn't lower. When you win three AL Central crowns in four years, you're supposed to be doing more.

Coming up a few innings short of the first AL pennant in franchise history made this offseason all the more critical for Seattle. The Mariners' big moves - re-signing Josh Naylor and trading for Brendan Donovan - undoubtedly improve this team. Lefty-masher Rob Refsnyder was a sneaky pickup to form one half of a DH platoon. Still, the lineup will really feel the loss of Eugenio Suárez's power. You could also argue that Seattle should've gotten more for top catching prospect Harry Ford than reliever Jose A. Ferrer, even if trading Ford was inevitable. However, this is still probably the best team in the AL West, and the Mariners should feel good about their offseason. They came up only a couple moves short of a "great" winter.

The Orioles entered this offseason determined to re-establish themselves as an AL East contender, and they accomplished that goal with ease. The big splash was landing star first baseman Pete Alonso on a five-year megadeal, but general manager Mike Elias didn't stop there. Serving as the cherries on top of a stellar winter, he also signed Chris Bassitt away from the division-rival Blue Jays and helped reshape the back of the bullpen. While they don't give out rings for winning the offseason, there's no doubt that Elias' moves have made Baltimore a more well-rounded team with the tools to make serious noise in baseball's heavyweight division.

Texas' big moves this winter were swapping Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo and sending five prospects to Washington for All-Star lefty MacKenzie Gore. Between those two blockbusters, the Rangers made a series of smaller moves to turn over a roster that disappointed last year. The result is a revamped team that's good but still has question marks. One of Andrew McCutchen or Mark Canha will have to produce in a platoon role, and catching remains a relatively weak spot despite adding Danny Jansen. Texas certainly did a good job this offseason, but whether the winter was great remains to be seen.

The Rays made a lot of moves this winter, yet it still feels like they're struggling to keep up with the other four AL East powerhouses. Many of the players Tampa Bay acquired, such as Gavin Lux and Cedric Mullins, will need bounce-back seasons if the team is going to succeed. Veteran starters Steven Matz and Nick Martinez are solid additions, though Matz's recent years in the bullpen raise questions about how he'll transition back to the rotation. By now, we're used to the Rays making various cost-cutting moves and still contending, but this time feels a bit different. Tampa's acquisitions seem more muted this offseason, and the club will need all of these new pieces to exceed expectations to remain competitive.

The Red Sox had a fascinating offseason that went in a completely different direction than initially anticipated. Craig Breslow doubled down on beefing up his rotation with Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez and added complementary pieces to the offense to replace Alex Bregman rather than spend big on a free-agent bat. Caleb Durbin could end up being a nice under-the-radar addition, but the front office is taking a major gamble running out this mix of infielders. We'll see if Boston's inability to trade Jarren Duran or Masataka Yoshida ends up paying off for the club. While the Red Sox appear stronger than their 2025 version, the offseason improvements could fall short of early expectations.

The Royals quietly made some stealthy additions this winter. Isaac Collins, fresh off his fourth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting, should be a nice fit at Kauffman Stadium. Bullpen arms Nick Mears and Matt Strahm will certainly improve that group. Still, this feels like a missed opportunity for Kansas City. The Royals have one of the top players in baseball (Bobby Witt Jr.) locked up long term, a solid rotation, and the advantage of playing in baseball's most winnable division. Names like Collins and Strahm are nice, but this organization should be aiming higher.

The Tigers seemed destined for a lower grade until late in the offseason when the team splurged on Framber Valdez and brought franchise icon Justin Verlander back for what could be his final season. The Verlander reunion isn't just about nostalgia; he'll play a significant role in determining whether Detroit sinks or swims in 2026. Between Valdez, Verlander, swingman Drew Anderson, and another future Hall of Famer in closer Kenley Jansen (not to mention re-signing Kyle Finnegan), the Tigers' staff behind Tarik Skubal has improved. However, the lineup remains intact from 2025, and Detroit loses points for failing to land a true impact bat.

What is the direction of this organization? After last year's major sell-off at the deadline, the Twins decided not to trade Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton, or Pablo López, who's now set to miss the entire 2026 season. Rather than pursue a full rebuild, the club opted to spend the winter adding a couple of veterans on short-term deals to plug some holes. Even in the AL Central, the Twins don't appear close to being a playoff team. With recent uncertainty surrounding ownership and the departure of longtime president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, it feels like this organization is in limbo.

With an emerging young core now in the majors, the White Sox did a solid job this winter adding complementary pieces that should make the team more competitive. Chicago's coming off a 19-win improvement, and Austin Hays, Sean Newcomb, Anthony Kay, Erick Fedde, and Seranthony Domínguez are solid veterans who help lift the floor of the team. Munetaka Murakami, though, is the real centerpiece of the offseason shopping spree. The White Sox took advantage of the Japanese slugger's market collapsing, and now have one of the more intriguing rookies if his power can translate to the majors.

Brian Cashman clearly liked the roster he constructed in 2025, essentially rebuilding the same club for the upcoming campaign by re-signing five players and retaining Trent Grisham, who accepted the qualifying offer. After finishing tied with the AL's best record last season, the Yankees will welcome Gerrit Cole back on the mound in a few months. The addition of Ryan Weathers also strengthens a really talented rotation that will get even deeper once Carlos Rodón is healthy. Bringing Cody Bellinger back was the key component of the Yankees' offseason after his integral role in their success, giving the organization a strong player to pair with Aaron Judge long term.