Arms Race ahead of Spring Training 2026

This offseason hasn’t had any megadeals to get everyone excited. Instead, many teams have made some win-now moves to position themselves for October baseball. Some of the key moves are listed below:

The Blue Jays gave Dylan Cease 7 years and 210 million dollars to bolster the top of their rotation for many years to come. Cease finished 2025 with an 8-12 record, a 4.55 ERA, and 215 strikeouts in 168 innings over 32 starts in San Diego. He has an elite strikeout rate, leading the MLB with 11.52 K/9. Despite this he put more runners on base in 2025 as his WHIP jumped to 1.33. I would expect him to bring that ERA down to below 4 this season.

The Red Sox strengthened their rotation by trading with St Louis for Sonny Gray and then bringing in right-hander Johan Oviedo from Pittsburgh. The Red Sox appear to have a surplus of arms heading into Spring. Could we see a trade here for some bats?

Sonny Gray went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA, 201 strikeouts, 38 walks, and 180.2 innings over 32 starts in 2025. His strikeout to walk rate is elite which highlights his command and bat missing abilities. Gray is entering his age-36 season, but he’s coming off back-to-back 200-K seasons. Gray could be a solid veteran behind Crochet in the Red Son rotation. His ERA probably hovers around 3.8 – 4.2 in 2026.

Johan Oviedo made an encouraging return from Tommy John surgery in 2025. His workload will no doubt be managed in 2026 but there is room for growth. This could prove to be an astute move by the Red Sox. He posted a 3.57 ERA over 40.1 innings for the Pirates in 2025.

The Mets made a move that transforms their rotation, which collapsed in 2025. They traded with the Brewers to land All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta. Peralta was one of the better starters in 2025. He’s a high-end starter, but not quite an ace for me. He went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 204 strikeouts over 176.2 innings and 33 starts in 2025. Advanced metrics were less bullish, though. His 2025 xFIP was 3.85 and SIERA 3.68. So, I’m expecting a bit of a regression for him in 2026. His ERA will most likely come in around the 3.6 – 3.8 range in 2026.

The Rangers traded for lefty Mackenzie Gore from the Nationals. They gave up first-rounder, Gavin Fien, and four other younger players to land Gore. Gore provides the Rangers with some mid-rotation stability with potential upside. Some consider him to be a breakout contender for 2026. In 2025, Gore went 5-15 with 4.17 ERA and 185 strikeouts over 30 games.

The Giants added Houser on a two‑year deal after an impressive season in which he posted a 3.31 ERA, split between the White Sox and Rays. The Giants are counting on his ground‑ball profile to stabilize their rotation that leaned too heavily on Logan Webb in 2025.

The Angels traded with the Orioles for former top prospect Grayson Rodriguez. They gave up Taylor Ward for him. I do like this trade for the Angels. Rodriguez is coming off an injury riddled season and is a potential lottery but definitely has some exciting upside if the Angels’ pitching coaching can get him back on track.

The Orioles traded for Shane Baz from the Rays. Shane Baz finally logged his first full season in 2025. He showed swing and miss stuff, but with erratic results. He’s a high-upside arm who needs to work on his command and consistency. Baz went 10-12 with a 4.87 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 176 strikeouts over 166.1 innings and 31 starts for the Rays. He could easily be a mid-3 ERA pitcher if he can sharpen his command.

The Cubs acquired Edward Cabrera from Miami for a top prospect. Cabrera went 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 150 strikeouts over 137.2 innings and 26 starts for Miami. He has some injury risk after missing time in 2025 with a right elbow sprain. If he stays healthy, this could be a solid move for the Cubs.