Free agency has the ability to propel a team to a championship or shape their future during a rebuild.  In recent years, free agency has grown increasingly popular, as players have become loyal to whoever pays the most.  Free agency helps and hurts teams, preparing them for the future, but also leaving them in despair.

The American League enjoyed both major upgrades and downgrades this past off season. The Boston Red Sox, for example, signed All-Star shortstop Trevor Story to a $140 million contract for six years to add a much needed bat after the departure of Kyle Schwarber.  He will move to second base to play with an already-talented infield, alongside All-Stars Raefel Devers and Xander Bogaerts.  To add pitching, the Red Sox signed pitchers James Paxton and Jake Diekman.  Paxton will be sure to join the starting rotation while Diekman will be a top bullpen option.  

On the other hand, their arch-rivals, the Yankees, had little action in free agency.  They traded catcher Gary Sanchez, third baseman Gio Urshela, and first baseman Luke Voit and received third baseman Josh Donaldson, but did relatively nothing else in free agency.  Tampa Bay also had a relatively quiet offseason.  The reigning division champions signed starting pitchers Corey Kluber and Brooks Raley, but lost All-Star designated hitter Nelson Cruz to free agency.  

While their division rivals may have been quiet, the Toronto Blue Jays made some unbelievable moves.  The Jays traded for All Star third baseman Matt Chapman who is coming off a productive year with the Athletics, hitting 27 home runs.  While he only had a batting average of .210, he made up for it in the field, winning his third Gold Glove Award in five years.  While this acquisition will benefit the Jays, they, unfortunately, lost All-Star Marcus Semien to free agency.  The second baseman had a breakout year in 2021, making his first All-Star appearance, and earning both Gold Glove and Silver Slugger .  In terms of pitching, Toronto suffered a major loss of Cy Young pitcher Robbie Ray, who led all starting pitchers with a 2.81 ERA and 248 strikeouts.  Additionally, Toronto went on to sign many more pitchers including All-Star Yusei Kikuchi, Yimi Garcia, and All-Star Kevin Guasman.  The Blue Jays are looking to win their first division title since 2015 as they hope their off season acquisitions will help them in this cause.

In the AL Central, baseball seems rather uneventful as a weaker group of teams are beginning the rebuilding process.  The Chicago White Sox, reigning division champs, will be competing for the World Series behind stellar pitching and explosive hitting.  Chicago lost All-Star pitcher Carlos Rodon, but signed exceptional relief pitchers in Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly.  Graveman pitched to an impressive 1.77 ERA for the Mariners and Astros last season.  Trying to compete with the Sox, the Detroit Tigers made two huge signings.  First, they signed superstar Javier Baez to a $140 million contract for six years.  Baez is a flashy shortstop with speed, glove skills, and the ability to hit when his team needs it.  They also signed starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to a $77 million contract, who will serve as their ace.  Lastly, the Minnesota Twins could be in the race for a wild card appearance.  Minnesota received third baseman Gio Urshela and catcher Gary Sanchez in a trade with the Yankees for Donaldson and Kiner Falefa.  They also acquired an ace in former All-Star Sonny Gray via trade with the Reds.  Gray has the ability to replace Berrios in his role as the ace.  To cap off their offseason, the Twins signed All-Star Carlos Correa to a three year deal for $105 million.  Correa was a Gold Glove winner and batted .279 with the Astros last season.  Although the White Sox seem like the heavy favorite, the Twins and Tigers hope to rise to the top of the division.

In the AL West, many teams have improved, while others have dramatically worsened.  The Houston Astros lost Correa, Graveman, and pitcher Zack Grienke.  Although they lost many talents, the Astros are a phenomenal team who have the capability of winning the division yet again.  The Los Angeles Angels will rally behind Shoehi Ohtani for a shot at the playoffs after missing out last season.  Last year, Ohtani hit 46 home runs while also pitching to a 3.18 ERA, a truly remarkable stat.  This year, the Angels signed former Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard to a one year deal.  Unlike many other teams this season, Oakland has seemed to lose every good player on its roster.  The team lost many key players, trading away Matt Chapman, All-Star Matt Olson, and ace Sean Manea.  To make matters worse, one of the fastest players in the MLB, Starling Marte, left Oakland for the Mets in free agency.  The Mariners signed Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to a five year deal worth $115 million which can help the team in the long term.  This large acquisition makes up for the departure of All-Star Yusei Kikuchi and James Paxton.  Lastly, the Texas Rangers have had one of the largest free agency’s of the offseason.  Texas went all in on shortstop Corey Seager in a blockbuster signing.  He signed a contract for an absurd $325 million over 10years.  The star batted .306 last year for the Dodgers.  Additionally, the Rangers signed All-Star Marcus Semien.  Semien won many prestigious awards last year as well as hitting 45 home runs.  The AL West without a doubt had one of the most eventful off-seasons.

The National League also saw many upgrades and downgrades.  In the NL East, the Atlanta Braves lost veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman.  Freeman was an All-Star last season.  He batted .300 and hit 31 home runs to earn a Silver Slugger award.  They also lost designated hitter Jorge Soler.  Soler hit three home runs during last year’s World Series, leading his team to victoryand being awarded World Series MVP.  The Braves also traded many top prospects for Matt Olson.  The lefty hit 39 home runs and 111 RBIs while batting .271.  In addition, Atlanta also signed relief pitcher Kenley Jansen to bolster their bullpen.  The Miami Marlins had two major signings over the offseason. They signed World Series hero Jorge Soler to a three year, $36 million deal and outfielder Avisail Garcia to a four year, $53 million deal.  The New York Mets had a productive free agency.  They signed elite All-Star pitcher Max Scherzer in a three year deal worth $130 million.  In the 11 games he pitched last season for the Dodgers, Scherzer shut opponents down with a 1.98 ERA.  The Mets lost pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman, but signed a multitude of position players such as Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar.  These three signings totaled over $100 million. In Philadelphia, the Phillies were busy signing All-Star Nick Castellanos and fellow outfielder Kyle Schwarber.  The Washington Nationals did relatively little, only making one significant signing of AllStar Nelson Cruz for a year.  The Braves are in position to win the National League East for the second straight year behind Ronald Acuña Jr.

The NL Central had very little signings this offseason.  The Cubs only had one major signing of starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.  The Reds also did little besides the loss of All-Star Nick Castellanos.  The Milwaukee Brewers did not sign any significant players, but did suffer the loss of Avisail Garcia and third baseman Eduardo Escabar.  Neither the Pirates or the Cardinals signed any large contracts.  The Brewers will likely win the division with stellar pitching.  Most likely followed by the Cardinals explosive hitting.

Lastly, the star-studded NL West had many signings.  While the Diamondbacks did not do much, the Colorado Rockies lost star shortstop Trevor Story, but added All-Star third baseman Kris Bryant.  The Los Angeles Dodgers lost Corey Seager, Max Scherzer, Joe Kelly, Kenley Jansoe and more.  To reload the roster, they signed All Star first baseman Freddie Freeman.  Los Angeles is the heavy World Series favorite right now, powered by unbelievable pitchers Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw.  Their best position players include Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, Trea Turner, and more.  The San Diego Padres did not have many signings but did manage to get starting pitcher Nick Martinez.  The San Francisco Giants signed starting pitcher Carlos Rodon after losing Kevin Guasman and Kris Bryant.  The Dodgers are in position to win the division with many talented stars.  The Padres have more than enough talent to be a wild card team.  Despite some losses, it is possible that the Giants will make the playoffs.  The Rockies and Diamondbacks will be rebuilding.

Free agency propelled teams to playoff positions but erased playoff hopes for others.  One of the most important spans of time of the year proves crucial for the teams, the players, and the fans.