Five biggest storylines of the MLB offseason
What to watch for before the 2026 regular season
The offseason is here, and there are no shortage of compelling narratives to track before the 2026 regular season begins when the New York Yankees play the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 25.
Here are some of the biggest storylines to watch:
1. The ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations
The collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, 2026. While that is still a bit over a year away, tension is growing between the two sides and there is a growing belief about the potential for a lockout.
The biggest gap between the commissioner’s office/owners and the players appears to be the salary cap. Discussions surrounding a potential salary cap have only intensified in recent weeks. During the NLCS between the small-market Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who appear to have bottomless pockets, ESPN’s Jeff Passan addressed how the league could view another Dodgers World Series win.
“Owners across the game want a salary cap -- and if the Dodgers, with their record $500 million-plus payroll, win back-to-back World Series, it will only embolden the league’s push to regulate salaries.”
According to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal, both sides have recently held preliminary meetings before the formal negotiations officially begin.
Some teams are already prepared to approach their spending this offseason differently because of the uncertainty surrounding a potential salary cap or lockout. Here are what executives across baseball are saying about that (all quotes via the Associated Press):
Brewers general manager Matt Arnold: “I’m looking at long term always. Right now, we’re worried about the ’26 season. We’re always keeping an eye on ’27, ’28 and ’29 as well.”
Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow: “Every team seems to be approaching that a little bit differently, which I think is to be expected. The position that we’re in here with the Red Sox is pretty firmly focusing on what we can do for the ‘26 roster and contending for the World Series.”
Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos: “I think it’s something on the horizon that’s well above my head. I just want to try to win games.”
Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski: “It has not affected us so far. I can’t speak for other clubs, but we’re moving forward.”
Athletics general manager David Forst: “It’s not part of our daily conversation. We let other people sort out the labor situation.”
For more from us on Manfred and the ongoing CBA negotiations, check out videos from Trevor May on the Harper/Manfred situation, a potential salary cap and Manfred’s plan on speaking directly with players:
2. Will the Dodgers keep spending in free agency?
The Dodgers, who have baseball’s highest payroll, a star-studded roster and are fresh off of winning their second-straight World Series, are already being linked to some of the top free agents. Because of the positional flexibility the Dodgers have with guys like Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernandez, they have the ability to fit basically anyone into their lineup except for a full-time designated hitter like Kyle Schwarber.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported in October that the Dodgers will pursue Kyle Tucker, the consensus top free agent in this year’s class. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon listed the Dodgers as the only “Tier 1” destination for Tucker ahead of the general manager meetings. Tucker would perfectly slot into right field, shifting Teoscar Hernandez to left field and moving Kiké Hernandez to the bench in a super-utility role.
The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya recently linked the Dodgers to beleaguered reliever Devin Williams. Just a season ago, Williams was considered one of the best closers in baseball. But after a trade from the Brewers to the Yankees, Williams took a significant step back. He recorded a career-high 4.79 ERA and lost his closer job. Williams’ 2.68 FIP suggests that he was more effective than some of his other numbers suggest. That, along with his track record with the Brewers should still earn him a hefty payday.
For more from us on Devin Williams, check out this video from Trevor May:
Other big names that would fit on the Dodgers include Bo Bichette (most likely at second base), Gleyber Torres, a reunion with Cody Bellinger or any of the other free agent relievers like Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias.
3. Are the Orioles finally going to make a move?
There has been a surprising amount of smoke surrounding the Baltimore Orioles the last few days. Multiple insiders, including MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand have said the Orioles could be major players in free agency. With so much young talent entering their primes on team-friendly contracts, like Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Adley Rutschman, the Orioles are firmly in win-now mode. This offseason could be the perfect opportunity for new owner David Rubenstein to make his presence known and make a big splash in free agency.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo, a rival executive said, “it seems the only team willing to open the checkbook right now is Baltimore.”
Since losing Corbin Burnes in free agency last offseason, the Orioles obvious need is starting pitching. Their rotation’s 4.65 ERA was 13th in the American League and Grayson Rodriguez missed the entire year with various injuries. While Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish and Rodriguez are all quality arms, there is a clear need for another starter or two if the Orioles want to compete in an AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees, who are all looking to improve after making the postseason last year.
With so much position player talent, the Orioles could also dip into their robust prospect pool to make some trades.
Here’s what Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias had to say about his team’s offseason, per MLB.com’s Jake Rill.
“This is a group that’s really enabling us to invest. We’re going to go out in the market, see what we’re able to do to improve the team. But we’ll definitely be behaving as buyers this season, whether it’s free agency or trade.”
If the Orioles do end up making some big moves this offseason, the AL East will instantly become as competitive of a division there has ever been since the postseason was expanded in 2022.
4. Where will the new Japanese stars end up?
Over the last two seasons, the free agencies of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, both Japanese star pitchers coming over to MLB from Nippon Professional Baseball dominated the Hot Stove. They both ended up on the Dodgers with fellow countryman Shohei Ohtani and have helped Los Angeles to back-to-back World Series.
This offseason, there are three players who are expected to command significant contracts–RHP Tatsuya Imai, 1B/3B Munetaka Murakami and 1B Kazuma Okamoto. According to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s contract projections, Imai will receive 6 years, $135 million with a $22.125 million posting fee. Murekami will get 5 years, $80 million with a $13.875 million posting fee. Okamoto will get 3 years, $36 million with a $6.925 million posting fee.
Will the Dodgers load up on even more Japanese talent? Will Imai, Murakami and Okamoto live up to the hype built by the success of Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki, Shota Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki and others? Their free agencies should be a ton of fun to follow.
5. The World Baseball Classic!
It always seems like the World Baseball Classic sneaks up on everyone (except Jon Morosi of course), but this year’s should be as competitive as any.
In 2023, Japan beat the United States in a final for the ages. The world was introduced to Roki Sasaki, Trea Turner tied the WBC record with five home runs, including a go-ahead grand slam against Venezuela in the quarterfinals and Shohei Ohtani recorded the final out of the tournament by striking out his then-Angels teammate Mike Trout in a storybook ending.
Stars like Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and Bobby Witt Jr. have already committed to playing for Team USA, which will be managed by MLB Network analyst and longtime big leaguer Mark DeRosa. The reigning champs, Japan, should once again have a dominant team led by the Dodgers trio of Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. The Dominican Republic is always a threat with the ability to trot out a lineup featuring Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Jose Ramirez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Rafael Devers. Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Netherlands South Korea and Chinese Taipei should all be competitive as well.
World Baseball Classic Pool Play starts on March 5. What a treat it is to get competitive baseball a month early.