Over the course of baseball’s offseason so much gets made about who’s signing where, which teams are making the biggest splashes and how the biggest acquisitions could impact their new teams.
But winning the offseason doesn’t always translate into winning actual games. So a month into the new season, how are those moves actually working out?
With the caveat that a month isn’t much of a sample size to work with, we’ve seen enough to begin drawing some conclusions. So who has lived up to the hype, and who has landed with more of a thud? Here’s a look around the league. All statistics, numbers and records are current entering Saturday.
Dodgers billion-dollar haul
Shohei Ohtani, DH
Ohtani isn’t pitching this season after undergoing elbow surgery last fall, but even as a pure DH the two-time MVP has lived up to his sky high standards. Ohtani has been among the best hitters in baseball, batting .336 with seven home runs and a 1.017 OPS. Considering all of the drama surrounding his former translator, Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s performance has been remarkable. He’s been worth every penny of his historic 10-year, $700 million contract.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP
After becoming the highest paid free agent pitcher in baseball history, Yamamoto got off to a bit of a rocky start. The 25-year-old Japanese sensation allowed five runs in one inning in his MLB debut, but since then he’s been fantastic, posting a 1.64 ERA over his next six starts. Yamamoto has posted 15 consecutive shutout innings and boasts a 2.91 ERA with 42 strikeouts over 34 innings.
Tyler Glasnow, RHP
Acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and signed to a five-year, $136.5 million extension, Glasnow has been outstanding for the Dodgers. The 30-year-old right-hander is 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA, and his 53 strikeouts and 43 innings both rank among the best in MLB. Obviously with Glasnow the question is whether or not he can stay healthy, but so far he’s been everything the Dodgers could have hoped for and more.
Teoscar Hernandez, OF
One of the top right-handed bats on the free agent market, Hernandez has given the Dodgers’ lineup a modest boost without necessarily distinguishing himself as a dominant force. The 31-year-old outfielder has clubbed seven home runs through the first month while batting .252 with a .777 OPS. Los Angeles certainly doesn’t have any complaints, but compared to some of the club’s other heavy hitters, Hernandez has been more of a complimentary piece.
Big trade acquisitions
Juan Soto, OF, Yankees
Soto is just different, man. Long regarded as one of baseball’s premier talents, Soto is on pace to put together one of the best contract years in baseball history. He’s batting .320 with eight home runs and 25 RBI, and his eye-popping 1.000 OPS is bolstered by an AL-leading .429 on-base percentage. At this rate Soto will be a top AL MVP candidate and should be well positioned to join Ohtani in baseball’s $500 million club when he hits free agency this offseason.
Corbin Burnes, RHP, Orioles
The Orioles acquired Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers to be their ace, and he’s delivered. Burnes is 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 41 strikeouts through 41 innings. He struck out 11 in his Orioles debut on Opening Day and has consistently pitched well enough to win every time he’s taken the mound. Burnes should play a starring role in Baltimore’s quest for a second straight AL East title this summer.
Dylan Cease, RHP, Padres
Considered one of the big prizes of the trade market for much of the last year, Cease was finally dealt to San Diego this past offseason and has been worth the hefty price the Padres paid. The 28-year-old has posted a 2.55 ERA with 48 strikeouts over 42.1 innings, and his 4.3 hits allowed per nine innings is the lowest in baseball.
The Boras Four
Jordan Montgomery, LHP, Diamondbacks
Probably the player most coveted by Red Sox fans throughout the offseason, Montgomery didn’t sign with his new team until days before the season began. He wound up needing some extra time to ramp up and didn’t debut until April 19, and though his first two starts were solid, his last one on Wednesday was rough. Montgomery allowed six runs over three innings with only one strikeout in Arizona’s 8-0 loss to the Dodgers, bumping his ERA for the season to 5.63 through 16 innings.
Blake Snell, LHP, Giants
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has been a disaster since joining the Giants. The 31-year-old, who also signed late in the offseason and didn’t debut until April 8 as a result, allowed 15 earned runs over 11 innings (11.57 ERA) through his first three starts before going on the injured list with a strained adductor muscle.
Cody Bellinger, OF, Cubs
Bellinger is on the injured list with two fractured ribs suffered after crashing into the outfield wall, and before going down he’d gotten off to a slow start. The 28-year-old outfielder is batting .226 with five home runs and a .760 OPS through his first 22 games.
Matt Chapman, 3B, Giants
Chapman has flashed some outstanding leather for the Giants, turning in a particularly sensational play on Wednesday night against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, but like Bellinger, the Gold Glove third baseman hasn’t done his best at the plate. Chapman is batting .220 with four home runs and a .642 OPS since joining San Francisco.
Former Red Sox
Chris Sale, LHP, Braves
Sale has stayed healthy, which for him is the most important thing, and the big lefty has delivered on the mound for the Braves. Through six starts Sale is 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA and 42 strikeouts over 36.2 innings, and his 0.955 walks and hits per innings pitched mark ranks among the best in the National League. He’s also thrown seven innings in three straight starts, something he hadn’t done since June 2018.
Justin Turner, DH, Blue Jays
Even at 39 years old, Turner is still doing his thing at the plate. The former Red Sox standout is batting .296 with four home runs, 15 RBI and an .872 OPS for the Blue Jays. Much like with Boston last year, you could make a case that Turner has been among Toronto’s most impactful hitters.
Alex Verdugo, OF, Yankees
The numbers aren’t as gaudy as Soto’s, but Verdugo has done his part in stabilizing the Yankees outfield and providing quality production at the plate and on defense. Verdugo is batting .271 with four home runs and an .806 OPS. He hasn’t been as impactful as his replacement in Boston, Tyler O’Neill, but the Yankees surely don’t have any complaints.
Adam Duvall, OF, Braves
One of the top power hitters in last year’s Red Sox lineup, Duvall has settled into more of a bench role with the Braves. The 35-year-old has only appeared in 17 games and has batted .213 with two home runs and a .679 OPS in those limited opportunities.
Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, Diamondbacks
The former Red Sox left-hander has yet to pitch for the Diamondbacks since signing a four-year, $80 million deal this past offseason. Rodriguez went down with a lat strain late in spring training and was later transferred to the 60-day injured list after suffering a setback. He’s now not expected to pitch until midseason at the earliest, and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged the club had tried to ramp Rodriguez back up too quickly.
Michael Wacha, RHP, Royals
Wacha was one of Boston’s best pitchers his lone season with the team in 2022, and after another successful year in San Diego last year he’s now landed in Kansas City, who have emerged as one of the season’s early surprises. Wacha has been solid for the Royals, posting a 4.24 ERA over 34 innings in his first six starts.
James Paxton, LHP, Dodgers
The 35-year-old lefty has allowed a lot of traffic on the base paths since joining the Dodgers, but he’s stayed healthy and largely gotten the job done. Paxton boasts a 3.51 ERA over 25.2 innings through his first five starts with Los Angeles.
Craig Kimbrel, RHP, Orioles
Kimbrel has gotten off to a solid start after signing a one-year, $13 million deal to join the Orioles. The longtime closer has recorded eight saves and posted a 2.92 ERA through his first 14 appearances, and while he had a rocky stretch last weekend — blowing two straight games and leaving last Sunday’s loss with an upper back injury — he bounced back with a dominant return in Friday’s win over Cincinnati.
Best (and worst) of the rest
Sonny Gray, RHP, Cardinals
Last year’s AL Cy Young Award runner-up, Gray has been lights out since joining the Cardinals. After opening the season on the IL with a hamstring strain, Gray debuted on April 9 and has posted a 0.89 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 30.1 innings through his first five starts.
Shota Imanaga, LHP, Cubs
Of all the free agents who slipped through the Red Sox grasp this offseason, Imanaga might be the most painful so far. The Japanese lefty has been outstanding through his first month in the majors, going 5-0 with a 0.78 ERA in 34.2 innings through his first six starts. He pitched a gem at Fenway Park last Friday, holding the Red Sox to one run over 6.1 innings.
Marcus Stroman, RHP, Yankees
Brought in to bolster the Yankees rotation, Stroman has done his part and helped keep the staff afloat after Gerrit Cole went down with an elbow injury. Stroman has posted a 3.41 ERA over 37 innings through his first seven starts, though he’s struggled with his command recently, walking five batters in each of his last two outings.
Seth Lugo, RHP, Royals
Another rumored Red Sox target, Lugo has been a revelation for the Royals. The 34-year-old is off to a career start with a 5-1 record, 1.60 ERA and 45 innings pitched. Signed for three years, $45 million this past offseason, Lugo might be the biggest bargain any club got this winter.
Josh Hader, LHP, Astros
Long one of baseball’s most dominant closers, Hader signed a historic five-year, $95 million deal with the Astros this past offseason, the largest in MLB history for a relief pitcher. Since then Hader has been a mess, allowing nine earned runs through his first 13.2 innings while recording only three saves. In a season where almost everything has gone wrong — the Astros shockingly stand last in the AL West at 12-20 — Hader has been among the club’s biggest disappointments.
