Sometimes in the MLB, deals in free agency change the course of a franchise. So much so that some people may have cards in baseball memorabilia display cases commemorating the moment when a star player like Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto signed with a team. So far, some deals have been better than others, some being failures, and others, successful. In the first 30 games of the season, some of these deals won’t be the same by the end of the season, but so far, here is how they are shaping out to be.
Re-Grading the Best and Worst of the 2026 Offseason Trades and Contracts
Kyle Tucker, 4-Year, $240M Deal
Dodgers Grade: D
Regardless of anything, the Los Angeles Dodgers simply overpaid Kyle Tucker. The best season of Tucker’s career came with the Houston Astros in 2024, where he hit 23 home runs and had a nice .283 average in just 78 games. That alone is why the Dodgers gave Tucker over $60M a year. To start 2026, Tucker has been underwhelming, hitting just .238 with only three homers and 26 strikeouts to 14 walks, which isn’t very impressive.
Tucker still adds to the amazing lineup in LA, but for the amount of money he was given remains underwhelming to begin 2026. What makes the deal worse was the fact that he had an very ugly 2024, hitting only 22 homers with a .266 average- all of which were horrible numbers after he was actually an All-Star in 2025, beating out Juan Soto, who would end the year with 43 homers.
Bo Bichette, 3-Year, $126M Deal
Mets Grade: D
It was pretty clear that the New York Mets didn’t have a choice—either deal with loss after loss in the offseason, or overpay Bo Bichette, who was probably going to be a Philadelphia Philly. Bichette can still make the deal worth it, but he has done nothing for New York in 2026, other than one clutch hit. He has a negative -0.4 WAR to start the season, and New York needs a completely different version of Bichette then the one they got.
So far, New York has gone 9-19, and it seems like after being swept by the Colorado Rockies, it might be a terrible season for a team that hoped to get a different version of themselves then they had in the second half of 2024. So far, Bichette has struck out 27 times to an embarrassing six walks. To make the deal worth it, the Mets need 2025 Bichette, which is definitely not what he has been so far. The Mets offense is sputtering early, and this deal on paper is not looking good.
Other Big Moves
Cody Bellinger Resigns with New York Yankees
Yankees Grade: A
Cody Bellinger isn’t what he used to be, but he has been pretty good. Bellinger first has 18 walks to only 15 strikeouts, and not to mention also has 3 homers and an alright .250 average. Perhaps such production isn’t worth $162.5M, but he has been a valuable player for the Yankees so far this season, and New York loves the luxury of having Bellinger.
Freddy Peralta Trade To New York
Mets Grade: A
In the very early stages of the trade, the Mets fleeced the Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets got of course Freddy Peralta, who has been okay. But New York also got a reliable pitcher in Tobias Myers, who has 2.60 ERA to start the season. Not to mention, Myers is just 27, and has always been good so far in his career. The main problem for New York hasn’t been these two.
Brewers Grade: F
The Brewers got Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, with Sproat struggling to throw a strike and having a 6.75 ERA, it seems like an ugly deal. Jett Williams meanwhile is still 22, but in the early goings of 2026, he has hit just .223 in the minors for Milwaukee, and clearly, the Mets weren’t going to benefit very much from having Williams still.
Mackenzie Gore Trade to Texas
Texas Rangers: B
The Rangers didn’t give up the world for Mackenzie Gore. The only problem is Gore’s ERA is consistently four or higher, and so far he has a 4.35 ERA with 42 K’s. If he can get the ERA down and strike out a lot hitters, then the trade is a win for Texas.
Brandon Nimmo/Marcus Semien Trade
Mets Grade: F
It’s simple, the Mets offense has been awful. Trading away Brandon Nimmo for a washed Marcus Semien wasn’t a smart idea at all. F.
Rangers Grade: A
The Texas Rangers meanwhile added a bat that can give them some considerable power and average. All they gave in return was Semien, who was been declining since 2023. Great trade for Texas.
Washington Nationals: B
The Nationals got 5 prospects, with the highest being 19 year-old Gavin Fien. They didn’t lose much by giving up Gore, and they gained at least a few prospects while rebuilding. Overall, doesn’t seem to be that bad of a trade.
Alex Bregman, 5 -year, $175M Deal
Cubs Grade: C
Alex Bregman hasn’t been bad at all for the Chicago Cubs, but he hasn’t been good. The problem is that for the team, such money could have been used elsewhere. Bregman hasn’t had more than 26 homers since 2019, which is why such a deal is a gross overpay. Maybe he can make it more worth it, but Bregman shouldn’t be viewed in the same light as other players on the list.
Dylan Cease, 7-Year, $210M Deal
Blue Jays Grade: A
After losing some players during the offseason, signing a very reliable pitcher in Dylan Cease was smart. So far, Cease has an 2.10 ERA and has made the deal worth it with 44 K’s.
Edwin Diaz, 3-year, $69M Deal
Dodgers Grade: F
This was just a dumb signing from LA. Edwin Diaz has been amazing since 2020, but he has already found himself on the IL and was awful when he did pitch. $23M a year for a reliever is far too much.
Pete Alonso, 5-year, $155M
Orioles Grade: D
So far, the Baltimore Orioles have been given a liability in Pete Alonso. Alonso has just three shots with an ugly .196 average and hasn’t been good at all. He can definitely turn things around, but so far, the Met may have been right.
Munetaka Murakami, 2-year, $34
White Sox Grade: A+
Munetake Murakami has been nothing short of amazing. His 11 homers in 22 games has been insane, and so far, this deal has been a big W for Chicago. Perhaps, the White Sox can turn this into a massive trade that could benefit them even more.
