At the end of the day, most people deserve a holiday gift. Some people should get exactly what they asked for, while others have earned (but won’t get) the opportunity to step on LEGOs. The same feeling extends to Major League Baseball: Every franchise warrants a gift for their hard work, but some will get a stocking full of disappointment and hard truths.
Here’s the gift every MLB team is hoping to unwrap. We’ve organized the list by division, starting with a club that’s already been generous to its fanbase this offseason.
AL EastBaltimore Orioles
Pete Alonso | John Fisher/GettyImages
The gift of restored fan confidence
Kudos to the Orioles for doing everything in their power to leave last year’s 75-87 behind them. Not only did Baltimore add perennial All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso on a five-year, $155 million contract, but they’ve acquired former St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, and reunited with reliever Andrew Kittredge. The path to winning the American League East is still incredibly difficult, but at least the Orioles are trying to break through.
Boston Red Sox
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The gift of a competent infield
All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman remained unsigned as of publication, and the Red Sox still need to address first base. Alonso signed with the Orioles, but former NL MVP and New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger has extensive experience at first base. Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is also an option, and he’s been linked to the Red Sox throughout the offseason. Do the Red Sox have a Christmas surprise planned for their fanbase?
New York Yankees
New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner. | Newsday LLC/GettyImages
The gift of remembering who they are
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner tried to convince fans that the organization lost money this past season. General manager Brian Cashman has floated the idea of trading All-Star second baseman Jazz Chisholm, only a year before he’s set to hit free agency. There was once a time when the Yankees wore the pinstripes with pride and left no doubt that they were a championship-or-bust franchise. Perhaps the Ghost of Baseball Past can take Steinbrenner and Cashman down Memory Lane and help them remember what the Yankees are supposed to represent.
Toronto Blue Jays
San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease | Matt Dirksen/GettyImages
The gift of proof that spending big actually works
The Blue Jays made one of the offseason’s biggest moves when they signed San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract. Last winter, Toronto added then-Baltimore Orioles slugger Anthony Santander on a five-year, $92.5 million deal. After coming one game shy of winning the World Series this past season, the Blue Jays better hope that these recent moves pay off — and even more so if they land Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tropicana Field was damaged during Hurricane Milton in 2024. | SOPA Images/GettyImages
The gift of finally moving on from Tropicana Field
Eventually, the baseball spirits are going to have to come through here, right? The Rays played last season at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ spring training home, after Hurricane Milton damaged Tropicana Field in 2024. Although the Rays are expected to play the entire 2026 season at the Trop, we can only hope a new stadium — whether it’s in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area or somewhere else entirely — is on the horizon. We’ve been sick of the Trop for 20 years, and nothing has changed since.
AL CentralChicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth (10) and shortstop Colson Montgomery | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The gift of optimism — and selective amnesia
The White Sox went a historically bad 41-121 in 2024, then improved to 60-102 this past season. By no means are we saying that the next step is an 84-78 record with a Wild Card berth in 2026. However, it’d nonetheless be nice to see the White Sox continue leaving that dreadful 2024 season behind and maybe avoid losing 100 games for the fourth straight year. Let’s be positive and forget the past where we can.
Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland Guardians owner Paul Dolan and pitcher Chase DeLauter in 2025 | Diamond Images/GettyImages
The gift of a real payroll
Did you know that the Guardians have only had a losing record twice since the start of 2013? Yet, they regularly field one of the sport’s lowest payrolls, and that’s been the case for many years now. Can the Guardians please start spending some money in free agency? Yes, we know that they’ve made the playoffs seven times in the last 10 years, but they only have one pennant and two ALCS appearances to show for it.
Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The gift of clarity on Tarik Skubal
As we’ve said before, Harris needs to either commit to trading Skubal or tell teams that the two-time AL Cy Young winner is off limits until next summer. Enough is enough already. The Tigers are coming off consecutive playoff appearances, and there’s still somewhat of a championship window … so long as the Tigers want to run it back with Skubal.
Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. | William Purnell-Imagn Images
The gift of a healthy Bobby Witt Jr. in the World Baseball Classic
This goes for most teams, but we’re singling out the Royals because their 2026 season would likely be dead on arrival if Witt gets hurt in the WBC. Witt has averaged 28 home runs, 98 RBIs, 39 stolen bases, a .881 OPS, and 6.9 bWAR the last three seasons, and he doesn’t turn 26 until next June. Good luck winning games if he’s on the injured list.
Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The gift of committing fully to the rebuild
The Twins were busy at the 2025 trade deadline, dealing Carlos Correa, Harrison Bader, and Jhoan Duran, among others, amid a 70-92 season. We’ll see whether starting pitcher Joe Ryan is next, though we don’t expect longtime center fielder Byron Buxton to be traded just yet. Either way, the Twins know that they need to keep making moves, and we know that they need to keep making moves.
Athletics
San Jose Earthquakes and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The gift of a real Las Vegas future
We’ll believe that the Athletics are headed to Las Vegas when we finally see them take the field in Paradise. The organization continues to insist that its new stadium will be ready by the start of the 2028 season. I continue to insist that the dog will stop stealing my socks. Something tells me that by the time we hit April 2028, only one of those two things will be true — and it won’t be the A’s playing outside of California.
Houston Astros
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The gift of one last title run with Jose Altuve
Doesn’t it feel like the Astros have won more than two championships with Altuve? Well, if Houston wants to make it three titles in Altuve’s tenure, the Astros better move quickly. Last season marked the first time that Houston missed the playoffs since 2016, and Altuve was only worth 0.5 bWAR in 155 games. We’re not too optimistic about the 2026 Astros, but they’ve proven us wrong plenty of times over the past decade.
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The gift of Mike Trout’s late-career revival
Sticking with former AL MVP winners who had career-worst seasons in 2025, at least Trout managed to stay healthy for the first time in several years. However, his 32.0% strikeout rate was significantly above his lifetime 23.1% average, and he spent almost the entire season as the Angels’ DH. Trout turns 35 next season and is 96 home runs away from the 500-homer club. Can the future Hall of Famer close his career on a high note?
Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The gift of pitching carrying them back to October
Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom headline a Rangers pitching staff that led the sport with a 3.47 ERA last season. If Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker can take the next step, don’t be surprised if the Rangers emerge as an unexpected AL dark horse.
Seattle Mariners
American League Championship Series – Seattle Mariners v Toronto Blue Jays – Game Seven | Mark Blinch/GettyImages
The gift of resilience after a Game 7 heartbreak
The Mariners have assembled a championship-caliber core, and they came one game shy of winning their first pennant. With Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez leading the way, the Mariners must ensure that they use their ALCS loss to the Blue Jays as a motivational tool rather than something that ends any hopes of a World Series appearance next year.
NL EastAtlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The gift of Jurickson Profar proving it was real
Profar secured a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves last offseason after recording 24 home runs, 85 RBIs, a .839 OPS, and 3.6 bWAR for the San Diego Padres in 2024. One problem: Profar received an 80-game suspension early last season following a positive performance-enhancing drug test. The pressure is on Profar, who had a .787 OPS and 31 extra-base hits in 80 games for the Braves, to show that he can contribute at a high level without fans needing to worry about his 2024 numbers being, for lack of a better term, tainted.
Miami Marlins
Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
The gift of knowing whether 2026 is actually competitive
When a team is coming off a 79-83 season with one of the sport’s lowest payrolls, it’s not always a guarantee that they’ll build off said progress. The Marlins play in one of the sport’s toughest divisions, and their Pythagorean win-loss record was 72-90, meaning that the Marlins often had luck on their side — or, as we choose to view it, they took advantage of other teams’ mistakes. Can the Marlins truly contend for a playoff spot? We’ll find out soon.
New York Mets
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen | Newsday LLC/GettyImages
The gift of their fans’ trust
Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, and Brandon Nimmo have all found new homes. The Mets fell apart in September en route to missing the postseason despite signing Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract last winter. Legendary New York sports radio host Mike Francesa recently suggested that locker room turmoil, partially related to politics, contributed to the Mets’ recent woes. Steve Cohen and David Stearns can only hope that the 2026 Mets stay on course and that fans still show up at Citi Field.
Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper | Allan Henry-Imagn Images
The gift of Bryce Harper channeling his rage productively
Harper reportedly cursed at MLB commissioner Rob Manfred last season when the topic of a salary cap came up in a discussion regarding a potential lockout. Then, Harper and Phillies lead baseball executive Dave Dombrowski sparred through the media when Dombrowski publicly wondered if Harper could regain his elite form. If Harper needs a punching bag and he’s not in the mood to have his knuckles coated in blood, might we suggest he direct his attention to crushing balls out of Citizens Bank Park?
Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera (L) and Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The gift of the kids actually being alright
In less than four months, the Nationals have hired a 33-year-old manager (Blake Butera), a 35-year-old lead baseball executive (Paul Toboni), and a 31-year-old general manager (Ani Kilambi). Justin Verlander wants to pitch next season. Verlander made his MLB debut on July 4, 2005, when Toboni would have been in high school, and Kilambi would have been 11 years old. We’ve heard of youth movements before, but if this backfires, then the Nationals are going to have a significant amount of explaining to do.
NL CentralChicago Cubs
Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The gift of one more reliable starting pitcher
Shota Imanaga accepted the one-year, $22 million qualifying offer, and Matthew Boyd had one of his best big-league seasons in 2025. We’d like to see the Cubs add another starter, whether it’s Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen. There’s a path for the Cubs to win their first NL Central crown since 2020, and a strong rotation would certainly help.
Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates v Cincinnati Reds | Dylan Buell/GettyImages
The gift of a front office that takes winning seriously
Yes, we’re still stuck on the ESPN report that the Reds likely only went after Kyle Schwarber in free agency because the team hoped that it would boost ticket sales. We are going into 2026 and having this conversation about an MLB team, not a mid-major college basketball program opting for a bizarre promotion. Do you know what attracts fans? Winning! Our gift to Brad Meador and Nick Krall is the gift of knowledge.
Milwaukee Brewers
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The gift of proving last season wasn’t a fluke
Honestly, “fluke” feels like the wrong word and the right word. Not only have the Brewers made the postseason in seven of the last eight years, but their Pythagorean win-loss record of 99-63 was higher than their 97-65 finish. Yet, there is a narrative that the Brewers aren’t truly contenders the way that the Dodgers or Phillies might be. Before Milwaukee fans get mad at us, let it be known that we believe in the Brewers, and we’re excited to see what they have in store next season.
Pittsburgh Pirates
PPittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The gift of Paul Skenes staying put
As Tony Soprano once said, every day is a gift. That applies even more so for the Pirates when Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, doesn’t request a private flight out of Pittsburgh in hopes of joining a contender. We recently outlined ways that the Pirates can upgrade this offseason, and we’ll see whether they listen to us. Whatever it takes to keep Skenes happy, right?
St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The gift of finally finding a Nolan Arenado buyer
As of publication, Arenado is still on the Cardinals’ roster ahead of his age-35 season. With two years and $31 million left on his contract, we’re sure that there’s a team out there open to adding Arenado, though they might need to wait until Alex Bregman decides on his next team. To be clear, Arenado’s best days are definitely behind him, with him managing just 28 home runs and a .697 OPS the last two seasons. Then again, Arenado is a proven veteran presence who could be a capable bottom-of-the-lineup hitter.
NL WestArizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks v San Diego Padres | Meg McLaughlin/GettyImages
The gift of a team willing to overpay for Ketel Marte
If the Diamondbacks are open to trading Marte, then they better find a team that isn’t afraid to give up multiple top prospects. Marte has averaged 30 home runs, 83 RBIs, a .887 OPS, and 5.3 bWAR the last three seasons. Finding a second baseman with that kind of production is an opportunity that doesn’t happen every day, and an organization with its eyes set on a championship might be open to doing whatever it takes to land Marte.
Colorado Rockies
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The gift of Kris Bryant staying on the field
It’s hard not to feel bad for Bryant, who has recorded -1.6 bWAR in 170 games over the last four years because of significant back problems. Look, we accept that it’s unlikely that Bryant will ever resemble his All-Star form, especially as he enters his age-34 season. At the same time, we’re hoping that Bryant can at least stay somewhat healthy and give baseball fans one final positive memory.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodgers World Championship Parade and Celebration | Eric Thayer/GettyImages
The gift of realizing they don’t need one
Not only are the Dodgers the first team in 25 years to win consecutive World Series titles, but they added Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69 million contract. Oh, and the Dodgers have been linked to Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Cody Bellinger throughout the offseason. Did we mention that Shohei Ohtani is healthy and expected to begin next year in the rotation? We’d suggest getting them a gift card for a holiday present, but it’s not like they need to worry about how much they’re spending.
San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
The gift of a World Series breakthrough
The Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. era has resulted in no pennants and a single NLCS appearance. Last year, the Padres didn’t even make it past the Wild Card Round. They didn’t take advantage of Juan Soto’s year-plus in San Diego, and they’re running out of time to hold off the Dodgers with their current core. Maybe this will be the season that the baseball gods see how hard the Padres have tried and finally reward them.
San Francisco Giants
Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
The gift of Buster Posey’s risks paying off
Posey signed Brewers shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract last winter, and then acquired Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers this past June. However, the Giants didn’t reach the playoffs. If you spend big, you need to at least be among the six playoff teams in your league. Anything short of an NLCS appearance should be considered a failure in 2026, and that’s being generous.