Ranking the biggest moves of the 2024-25 MLB offseason

With MLB games just weeks away, let's take a look back on the most impactful moves of the offseason. Juan Soto heading to the Mets leads the way.

There was no shortage of big moves in Major League Baseball this winter. We saw the biggest signing in the history of the sport, for goodness’ sake. But that might not even be the headline, as the defending World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have stacked their roster to the point where some fans (and even MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred) have raised the possibility of a salary cap or at least limits on deferred payments.

A salary cap wouldn’t achieve what many would want, namely competitive balance, but the calls will only grow louder if the Dodgers win the World Series again. Attention is the most valuable commodity these days, and the sport certainly has it with the Dodgers, for better or worse.

Here were the five biggest moves this offseason.

Not only did Soto land a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets — the largest contract ever in North American professional sports history — but he left the crosstown Yankees in order to do it. It’s the biggest signal yet that it’s a new world under Mets owner Steve Cohen, who simply wouldn’t be denied in this process.

Yes, money did most of the talking here, but Soto also prioritized the family atmosphere that the Mets have tried to instill in the franchise. The 26-year-old Soto is on a Hall of Fame track through his first seven seasons in the majors, amassing 201 home runs and a .285/.421/.532 batting line over 936 games. Who knows what sort of player he will be at the end of this contract, but the Mets will worry about that later. Soto should form a dynamic duo with fellow superstar Francisco Lindor as the Mets attempt to build off their surprising 2024 campaign.

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/mlb/ranking-biggest-moves-2024-25-mlb-offseason-rcna192727

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