DALLAS — Because the MLB winter conferences got here to an in depth on Wednesday, it was clear that some groups walked out of the Hilton Anatole higher than they have been after they arrived within the Lone Star State.
On the flip facet, there have been a few groups that did not have the perfect luck or come out of Dallas with the participant they wished.
With that in thoughts, listed here are the winners and losers from this yr’s winter conferences.
Winners
Texas Rangers
The hometown group not solely reportedly inked Nathan Eovaldi to a three-year deal to solidify its rotation, but in addition landed Jake Burger in a commerce with the Miami Marlins. Burger will present some good pop for the Rangers and shake up a lineup that underperformed final season after reaching the World Sequence the yr earlier than.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals had the Thirteenth-best odds of touchdown the highest general choose within the 2025 MLB draft, but skyrocketed all the best way to the fifth-best spot because of the luck of the ping pong balls. St. Louis hasn’t picked as excessive as quantity 5 since 1998 when the franchise chosen J.D. Drew.
In an offseason the place the Cardinals have parted methods with Paul Goldschmidt and are reportedly in talks to commerce Nolan Arenado, having a shock excessive choose in subsequent yr’s draft is at the least a constructive for St. Louis.
Losers
Miami Marlins
There have been loads of questions in regards to the Burger commerce, together with why the Marlins would half methods with a participant who was beneath group management by way of the 2028 marketing campaign and was far and away the house run chief for Miami final season (Burger had 29 homers whereas a pair of gamers completed tied for second with 18). Moreover, the preliminary ideas on the return for Miami have been underwhelming.
Additionally, Miami was tied with the Colorado Rockies for the perfect odds to get the highest draft choose in 2025 (22.5 p.c), however plummeted all the best way to seventh. Pair these two occasions collectively and it wasn’t a couple of good days for the Marlins.
Baltimore Orioles
For a group that’s going to be combating for the highest of the American League East once more this season, the duty received a bit more durable for the Orioles throughout this yr’s winter conferences. The New York Yankees picked up Max Fried and the Boston Crimson Sox made a commerce for Garrett Crochet, so the extent of pitching within the division went up.
Throw in that the Orioles are nonetheless making an attempt to convey again Corbin Burnes or discover his substitute and there are all of the sudden extra questions on Baltimore’s pitching than two of their prime rivals. That places Baltimore at a drawback because the winter conferences break up.
