National League front offices spent the winter attempting to improve their clubs, and while some of them were successful in landing their targets, others missed the mark.
Here are offseason grades for all 15 NL teams. Grades were issued based on each club's expectations heading into the winter.
The Braves had a relatively solid winter, shoring up the back of their bullpen by bringing in Suarez and re-signing Iglesias. However, Atlanta continues to be plagued by injuries. Kim, who was pegged to be the starting shortstop, is out for months following finger surgery, while the rotation will be without Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep due to elbow injuries. The team could still dip into free agency to sign a pitcher, such as Lucas Giolito, to provide more depth. Yastrzemski's addition looks even bigger when considering Jurickson Profar's season-long suspension, which weakens the lineup and creates a hole at designated hitter.
It's hard to doubt the Brewers based on the way they consistently compete with a limited payroll. Yet fans in Milwaukee must surely be frustrated after watching a bunch of proven talent depart from a 97-win club. Williams, Sproat, and Harrison add MLB-ready upside, but those acquisitions aren't win-now moves. The loss of Peralta is less painful with Woodruff returning to lead the rotation, as the latter posted a 3.20 ERA with 11.6 K/9 over 12 starts in 2025. However, the 33-year-old has logged just 131 2/3 innings over the last three years due to multiple injuries.
Chaim Bloom did exactly what he planned to do in his first offseason as the president of baseball operations. The Cardinals shifted to a full rebuild with a focus on shedding payroll to boost the club's minor-league levels. St. Louis acquired multiple high-end prospects by trading Donovan, Gray, and Contreras, while Arenado's departure was long overdue. The addition of young, controllable pitchers such as Cijntje, Clarke, Dobbins, and Fitts could help out a group of position players led by JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, and Iván Herrera.
The Cubs made some splashy moves in their quest to win a division title for the first time in a full regular season since 2017. Chicago landed Bregman to replace Tucker in the lineup. The three-time All-Star is a difference-maker on both sides of the ball who's revered around the majors for his clubhouse presence. The hard-throwing Cabrera raises the current floor of the rotation while the giving the group a potential front-end starter in the future. The most underrated part of the Cubs' offseason is how they reconstructed their bullpen without spending significant money on big-name relievers.
Ketel Marte's future was a prolonged narrative throughout the winter. The Diamondbacks opted not to trade their star second baseman, which is good news. Yet Arizona didn't really make any major impact moves. Reuniting with Kelly and Gallen helps the rotation, especially if the latter can find the form that made him a legit Cy Young threat in 2022 and 2023. But Arenado's and Santana's best days are probably behind them. The biggest infusion of talent will likely come when ace Corbin Burnes returns to the rotation, which is expected to be around the All-Star break.
It's a daunting task to beat the Dodgers on and off the field these days. Los Angeles enters 2026 as the heavy favorite to three-peat thanks to arguably the best roster the club has fielded during this mini dynasty. While many saw the signings of Tucker and Díaz as overkill, the team patched up its limited holes by bringing in the two All-Stars. Tucker adds an elite bat to an aging lineup. Meanwhile, Díaz gives the Dodgers their first elite closer since Kenley Jansen left following the 2021 campaign.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey has done a lot of heavy lifting over the last few years to rebuild the lineup, adding the likes of Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Jung Hoo Lee. This winter's Arraez signing gives the Giants a legit leadoff hitter. However, the three-time batting champion's faced criticism for being one-dimensional offensively and lacking defensively. Bader will help with run prevention thanks to his great glove in center field, but as a below league-average hitter for his career, the 31-year-old will probably have a hard time replicating the 122 wRC+ he put up in 2025. Mahle and Houser add rotation depth with some upside. San Francisco didn't lose much this winter, but the club could have made a bigger move in the rotation.
Caissie has the inside track to win a starting job in the outfield after being the main piece the Marlins received in the Edward Cabrera trade. The 23-year-old has turned heads during the World Baseball Classic, hitting one homer with five RBIs and a 1.458 OPS. Miami also has a new closer after inking Fairbanks, who brings 90 career saves with a 3.19 ERA. The right-hander has a strong resume, but there are also some injury concerns, and his swing-and-miss has decreased over the last two years.
The Mets completely rebuilt their roster after missing the playoffs. A number of their former core players (Alonso, Nimmo, Díaz, and McNeil) are in new homes, while David Stearns surrounded franchise faces Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto with improved pitching depth and veteran leadership. The Mets didn't achieve all of their offseason goals - the Dodgers outbid them for Tucker before they pivoted to Bichette - but they look primed to contend in the NL East.
The Nationals' new regime under president of baseball operations Paul Toboni beefed up the pipeline by acquiring seven prospects in trades for Gore and Ferrer. The most notable of the young acquisitions is Ford - MLB's No. 71 prospect - who looks like the team's future at catcher after posting an .868 OPS in the minors last season. Washington didn't do much to improve its chances at winning in 2026 beyond signing innings-eaters Mikolas and Littell to affordable deals, but this club isn't ready for contention anyway.
With the potential sale of the franchise on the horizon, the Padres had to get creative to fill out their roster after losing key pieces such as Cease and Suarez. A.J. Preller re-signed King, but a number of question marks remain in the rotation with Yu Darvish's career in limbo and Joe Musgrove returning from Tommy John surgery. Although the position player group and bullpen remain strong, it'll be tough for the Padres to dethrone the Dodgers with the rotation San Diego is expected to use, especially if someone notable gets hurt. The team's depth looks pretty thin if bounce-back candidates like France, Castellanos, Buehler, and Márquez don't pan out.
The Phillies are essentially running it back in 2026 after re-signing Schwarber and Realmuto while replacing Castellanos with García. They made an extravagant offer to Bichette in free agency before he signed with the Mets, meaning Alec Bohm needs to show them more in his walk year or he'll potentially lose his spot at third base to top prospect Aidan Miller. With Suarez and Bader gone, Philly will also rely on youngsters Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford. Reuniting with Schwarber and extending Luzardo helps boost the Phillies' grade to a B. Otherwise, it was a pretty disappointing offseason for Dave Dombrowski.
This was the Pirates' most active offseason in years. They made a bid on Schwarber before he returned to the Phillies and then added a number of powerful bats to an offense that finished last in runs scored in 2025. Adding Lowe, O'Hearn, and Ozuna to a club with a Paul Skenes-led rotation and budding superstar Konnor Griffin on the horizon should provide hope to Pirates fans - and give the club its first legitimate shot at the postseason in over a decade.
The Reds made a number of offseason moves to fill in the gaps of a playoff club that got outmatched by the Dodgers in the wild-card round. The most notable addition is Suárez, who hit 189 of his 325 career homes in a Reds uniform. Suárez, Elly De La Cruz, and Sal Stewart could be a formidable middle of the lineup for a club that should pitch well, even though ace Hunter Greene is unavailable until July because of an elbow injury. However, it doesn't feel like Cincinnati did enough to take the next step.
Paul DePodesta overhauled the roster in his first offseason in charge, but it's tough to tell if Colorado will be better next season. While the rotation should be improved by the additions of Lorenzen, Quintana, and Sugano, pitching at Coors Field is always difficult. Castro, McCarthy, and Julien are worthwhile low-cost gambles, as they've all shown they're capable of two-to-three win seasons at different points of their careers.
