Believe it or not, pitchers and catchers are barely a month away from reporting for duty across sites in Florida and Arizona. Exhibition games will begin shortly thereafter, and before long we'll be welcoming in a new regular season. Major League Baseball's offseason, then, is far enough along that we can justify using the New Year as an opportune time to grade how each team has done this winter.

Below, I've handed out letter grades to every team for their work thus far this winter. It's important to think of these as progress reports rather than report cards; there is, obviously, ample winter left for teams to greatly their offseason. In each case, I try to meet the team where they are based on realistic payroll and competitive aspirations. I won't dock a small-market contender for failing to sign Juan Soto, but I will express frustration if they've failed to address an obvious hole. 

Something else that I keep in mind doing these grades: baseball is, at its core, part of the entertainment industry. People are quick to proclaim that the goal is to make money when a team trades away a costly player or avoids handing out a lucrative contract; that same logic is seldom applied when it comes to exciting and energizing a fan base, the way the Padres have in recent years. It should go without saying that how teams fare next season will be a function of more of their winters, but that doesn't mean there's zero value in having a good offseason. It's just smart business.

Now, onward.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks tried twice last winter to upgrade their rotation, signing Eduardo Rodriguez and then Jordan Montgomery. Neither deal has worked out quite as desired to date, leading Arizona to try once again. They'll almost certainly get better mileage from Corbin Burnes. He was the top pitcher available this winter, and his presence sets them up better for whatever happens with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly heading forward (both are free agents after the 2025 season). Josh Naylor was a sensible get to replace Christian Walker (and to some extent Joc Pederson). I will point out that Chase Field is the worst park in MLB for left-handed home runs, meaning Naylor will have to really earn his numbers at home. I like Seth Martinez as a sneaky bullpen addition, too. Grade: B

Athletics

The Athletics have gone nuts this winter by their own meager standards, signing righty Luis Severino and infielder Gio Urshela, trading for lefty Jeffrey Springs and extending Brent Rooker. And yet … they're only $9 million above last Opening Day's $61 million figure, and laughably distant from the $100 million heights that were floated before the offseason started. (The intent being, in case it wasn't obvious, to avoid a potential MLBPA grievance about their revenue-sharing money.) The moves are fine, and they should pair with some interesting players already on the roster to make for a better product than the A's have fielded in years. Grade: C