Phillies one of the big winners of 2021-22 MLB offseason

An unprecedented MLB offseason appears to be winding down, with most premier free agents off the board, and the likelihood of any further blockbuster trades seemingly dwindling as Opening Day draws nearer.

Of course, this offseason was marked by two distinct phases -- the first, pre-lockout Hot Stove, and its decidedly condensed and frenzied counterpart that came after the 99-day stoppage ended.

The moves that transpired in the former seem like a distant memory, while the those of the latter are fresher, but they will all count the same when first pitches are thrown on April 7.

Here's a look at which teams "won" the game of team-building this offseason, and which ones left us scratching our heads.

The Mets struck early and often prior to the lockout, breaking the bank for Max Scherzer while beefing up the lineup with Mark Canha, Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar, and they later pried Chris Bassitt away from the Athletics in a trade. While it's hard to find fault in any of those moves, the bullpen remains a bit spotty and light on proven left-handers. Still, the Amazin's had a lot of work to do to close the gap with the Braves and even the Phillies, and they appear to have done it.

After falling back to the pack in recent years, the Rangers made two huge splashes this offseason, signing both Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to monster contracts. They also landed right-hander Jon Gray in free agency, as well as utility man Brad Miller and lefty Martin Perez, and traded for one of the better-hitting catchers in the league in Mitch Garver. In a seemingly weakened AL West, that should be enough to get them back into contention.

The Phillies had some obvious holes to fill after a disappointing finish last season, and they went big trying to fill them. They signed two of the top sluggers on the market in Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber, a pair of moves that lengthened their lineup considerably. They also retooled the bullpen by bringing in veteran relievers Corey Knebel, Jeurys Familia and Brad Hand, which should help bridge the gap from their strong starting rotation. All of this should help the Phils keep pace in what is shaping up to be a three-team dogfight in the NL East.

The name of the game for the Giants has always been pitching, and they doubled down on it in a big way this offseason. Their signing of Carlos Rodon marked one of the first notable deals after the lockout, and it came on a very reasonable two-year deal. They also added veterans Alex Cobb, Matthew Boyd and Jake Junis, and re-signed a pair of dependable starters in Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood. The loss of Kris Bryant in free agency no doubt hurts, but they were already well on their way to the playoffs before adding him at the deadline last year.

The Jays lost two integral members of last year's team in 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and Semien, but they arguably improved the overall depth in their rotation by bringing in Kevin Gausman and former Mariners lefty Yusei Kikuchi. They also snagged third baseman Matt Chapman in a trade with the Athletics, and signed Jose Berrios to an extension after acquiring him last season prior to the trade deadline. Already boasting a totally stacked lineup, the Blue Jays managed to lengthen their rotation and add a terrific all-around third baseman. That's a strong turn of events despite the defection of two studs.

The Cubs turned heads last season prior to the deadline, when they unloaded several star players from their 2016 World Series title run. They've responded with a solid offseason, though, signing starter Marcus Stroman in free agency and stealing lefty Wade Miley from the Reds through waivers. They also signed intriguing Japanese star outfielder Seiya Suzuki, and added solid veterans in infielders Andrelton Simmons and Jonathan Villar, backup catcher Yan Gomes, and swing man Drew Smyly, a left-hander. There's still a couple places where we'd like to see some upgrades, but this team looks much improved over the one that slumped to 91 losses in 2021.

The decision by the reigning World Series champions to let franchise great Freddie Freeman walk in free agency will be scrutinized for years to come, but it's hard to hold it against them given that they acquired the significantly younger Matt Olson to replace him. They also retooled the bullpen, which was arguably the weakest link in last year's team, with a pair of proven veterans in Kenley Jansen and Collin McHugh. The significant moves were few but seemingly impactful, and it's difficult to find much fault in any of them.

It's not often the Yankees find themselves here, so we probably shouldn't get used to it, but an offseason of relative inactivity does little to inspire confidence in the tough AL East. The Bronx Bombers were quiet in free agency aside from re-signing Anthony Rizzo, while they also landed veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson and light-hitting shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the trade that sent Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez to the Twins. After winning 92 games a year ago, it's hard to see how the Yanks improved very much this offseason, while their division rivals have decisively rearmed.

The Reds finished four games over .500 last season, but they will likely take a decisive step back in 2022. In addition to their curious offloading of Miley through waivers, they also traded away Jesse Winker, Sonny Gray and Eugenio Suarez in apparent salary dumps, and they also let Castellanos walk in free agency. There's not much to like here.

The A's always seem to be competitive, no matter which phase of the rebuilding cycle they're in, but right now it's hard to see the silver lining after they unloaded Olson, Chapman, and Bassitt during their post-lockout purge.

There's nothing not to like about the Rox reeling in versatile slugger Kris Bryant, but taken in total with allowing Trevor Story to walk in free agency and trading away Nolan Arenado last offseason, it's hard to make much sense of it. In a very tough NL West, a .500 season looks like a best-case scenario for a team primarily composed of average regulars, Bryant, and an aging Charlie Blackmon. Not to be too harsh, but the question remains: What the hell are the Rockies doing?

The Friars were the biggest losers of the lockout, not necessarily because of any transactions they did or didn't make, but because the temporary severing of communication between clubs and their players meant they were unable to respond to a wrist injury suffered by superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Tatis deserves most if not all the responsibility for poor decision-making, but it's also true that he could have had the surgery to repair the injury much sooner than early March, when he and other players finally reported to training camp upon the end of the lockout. There's no winners in this situation, with Tatis set to miss several months while mending from surgery.

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