The Dodgers ended 2025 right where they finished â€24: atop the baseball world. Another World Series championship puts them in the familiar position of setting the pace for the rest of the league as the offseason begins. For everyone else, the next few months are about trying to close that gap.
That includes the 11 teams that reached the postseason in 2025 but couldnâ€t break through. While those clubs may look at 2025 as a stepping stone to bigger and better things in â€26, history shows that nothing is guaranteed from one year to the next.
With that in mind, letâ€s take a look at the biggest offseason question those 11 clubs are facing as they aim to move forward in 2026.
Toronto Blue Jays (Lost in World Series)
Will the good vibes of 2025 carry into the offseason?
Seattle Mariners (Lost in ALCS)
How different will their lineup look in 2026?
Outside of Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford, the Mariners†lineup has experienced constant churn in recent years. Seattle finally found a winning combination in 2025, but with multiple key bats entering free agency, the team has some work to do this offseason.
Randy Arozarena is not a lock to return, either. While the left fielder is under team control through 2026, heâ€s due to receive another raise in his final year of arbitration eligibility after earning $11.3 million in â€25. With his salary set to rise and free agency looming next year, the Mariners could explore his trade market.
Milwaukee Brewers (Lost in NLCS)
Will they try to keep their cycle of productive trades going?
Josh Hader in August 2022. Corbin Burnes in February 2024. Devin Williams in December 2024. Three of the Brewers†best players, all traded within a 28-month span, allowing Milwaukee to recoup some value before they could leave via free agency. Given the way things have worked out, itâ€s hard to argue with the Brewers†approach.
Meanwhile, the Brewers have kept on winning. The 2025 campaign not only marked their third straight NL Central title but also saw them set a franchise record with 97 wins en route to an NLCS appearance.
With all of that in mind, not to mention the pitching depth the team has cultivated and the aptitude it has shown for developing starting pitchers, it wouldnâ€t be surprising to see Milwaukee explore the trade market for ace Freddy Peralta this winter. Peralta, 29, is controllable for one more season after the Brewers exercised his $8 million club option for 2026.
Detroit Tigers (Lost in ALDS)
Build around Skubal for a 2026 run, or consider a trade?
If the Tigers donâ€t like their chances of re-signing Skubal, trading him for a sizable haul this offseason would arguably be in the franchiseâ€s best interest. However, dealing their ace would almost certainly diminish their chances of returning to October in 2026. If Skubal stays, the question becomes how far Detroit is willing to go to give itself a legitimate shot at a championship next year. Itâ€s a difficult decision that could hang over their entire offseason.
Chicago Cubs (Lost in NLDS)
Can they add a frontline arm?
The Cubs just had their best season since 2018, but itâ€s tough for the franchise to be in an overly celebratory mood. First of all, Kyle Tucker is now a free agent, and he seems more likely to depart than return to Chicago. On top of that, their rotation was exposed in October. Rookie Cade Hortonâ€s absence due to a rib fracture certainly didnâ€t help, but even if he were healthy, the Cubs likely would have had trouble making a deep October run with the other starting options they had.
Whether Shota Imanaga returns via the qualifying offer or not, the Cubs have a real need for a frontline starter who can add some swing-and-miss to a contact-oriented staff. Chicagoâ€s rotation had the lowest strikeout rate (20.5%) of any playoff team in 2025 and the eighth lowest overall. Losing Tucker would sting, but as far as Chicagoâ€s 2026 World Series chances go, the rotation is arguably a larger concern.
New York Yankees (Lost in ALDS)
Run it back with Belli or try for a bigger strike?
Itâ€s hard to overstate the impact Cody Bellinger had for the Yankees. Acquired from the Cubs in the wake of Juan Sotoâ€s departure, Bellinger not only produced 29 homers with an .813 OPS at the plate but also saw time at all three outfield spots and recorded +9 Fielding Run Value for the Bronx Bombers in 2025. Certainly, no one would fault the Yanks if they brought him back in free agency.
However, assuming the Yankees are committed to Anthony Volpe at shortstop, Ryan McMahon at third base and Ben Rice at first — and arenâ€t planning to supplant any of them with marquee free agents (read Bichette, Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso) — replacing Bellinger with a bigger name might be their best chance to dramatically improve the lineup. Bellinger is one of the best outfielders available, so that doesnâ€t leave the Yankees with many options, but there is one name in particular they could target: Tucker.
Philadelphia Phillies (Lost in NLDS)
Will they keep the status quo on offense — or shake things up?
The Phillies are at an inflection point. Although theyâ€ve remained a contender in the years since their 2022 World Series appearance, they havenâ€t been able to book a return trip to the Fall Classic. In each of the past two years, they didnâ€t even advance past the NLDS.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski now has a decision to make: keep things as they are or pursue some substantial lineup changes. Philadelphia seems likely to re-sign catcher J.T. Realmuto in free agency and could turn left field over to prospect Justin Crawford. But that still leaves three question marks: right field, third base and designated hitter.
Boston Red Sox (Lost in AL Wild Card Series)
Will the Devers trade clear the way for a splashy offseason?
After a relatively quiet stretch of offseasons, the Red Sox broke their pattern with two headline-grabbing moves last winter, first trading for ace lefty Garrett Crochet in December and then signing Bregman in February. Combined with the successful addition of Aroldis Chapman and top prospect Roman Anthonyâ€s promising debut, those deals helped Boston make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Along the way, though, the Red Sox also made a notable subtraction that could impact what the team does in the weeks and months to come. Weâ€re talking, of course, about their stunning trade of Rafael Devers — and the remaining portion of his 11-year, $331 million deal — to the Giants in June. While Boston allocated some of those savings toward the eight-year, $130 million extension that Anthony signed in August, the team presumably still has substantial room in the budget to further augment its roster, especially after Bregman opted out of his contract.
Based on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s comments at the GM Meetings, the Red Sox’s biggest priorities are an impact bat — be it Bregman or another free agent like Alonso — and a No. 2 starter to slot between Crochet and Brayan Bello. They’ll likely need both to make a leap in 2026.
San Diego Padres (Lost in NL Wild Card Series)
How will they fill out their rotation?
The Friars do have Nick Pivetta coming back after a career year that saw him post a 2.87 ERA with 190 Kâ€s over 181 2/3 innings, and Joe Musgrove is set to return after missing 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. But it gets thin after that. Randy Vásquez threw 133 2/3 innings and recorded a 3.84 ERA this past season, but his underlying metrics — including a 4.85 FIP and 5.34 xERA — paint his performance in a more negative light. Other rotation options include lefty JP Sears and knuckleballer Matt Waldron. The Padres could also explore converting one of their relievers — potentially even Mason Miller — into a starter to help fill the void.
Cleveland Guardians (Lost in AL Wild Card Series)
Are any major offensive reinforcements coming?
Lost amid Clevelandâ€s historic turnaround in 2025 was the fact that, even while erasing a 15 1/2-game deficit to win the AL Central, its offense remained subpar. During the Guardians†48-26 stretch to end the regular season, they ranked 18th in MLB with an average of 4.48 runs per game, slashing .228/.298/.388 in that span. Then, they mustered just a .583 OPS in their loss to the Tigers in the AL Wild Card Series.
José RamÃrez continues to be excellent, but he needs some help. RamÃrez (137) and Kyle Manzardo (110) were the only two hitters on the team with an OPS+ above 96 (not counting players with fewer than 50 plate appearances). Of the 17 hitters who had at least 75 PAs for the club in 2025, 11 of them had an OPS+ of 80 or lower, the second most in MLB behind the 119-loss Rockies with 12.
However, the Guardians†recent track record suggests that they are more likely to try to deal with the issue internally than make a major acquisition. Josh Bell is the only notable bat theyâ€ve added over the past three offseasons. They also signed Carlos Santana prior to 2025, though they only did so after opening up first base by trading one of their best hitters in Naylor.
Cincinnati Reds (Lost in NL Wild Card Series)
Will they make a bold move for a big bat?
The Reds reached the postseason in 2025, marking their first playoff berth in a non-shortened season since â€13, but it wasnâ€t exactly an inspiring year from an offensive standpoint. Fourteen players amassed at least 125 plate appearances for Cincinnati, and not one had an OPS+ higher than 109. The Reds ranked 14th overall in runs scored on the season.
Cincinnati clearly needs to add at least one star-level hitter, and Schwarber, who hails from nearby Middletown, Ohio, would be a great fit. However, the slugger’s next deal might be more than twice as large as the richest free-agent contract in Reds history. (The $64 million deals Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas signed prior to 2020 share the record.) Other big-name free agents present a similar issue.
If that route is a non-starter, the Reds could also explore the trade market, dealing from their strong rotation to land the hitter they need. That said, a trade involving Hunter Greene, who has the potential to be one of baseballâ€s preeminent aces but hasnâ€t been able to stay healthy, doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
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