Arizona Diamondbacks
Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick hinted in November that the club's World Series run would be followed by a payroll increase, and he's made good on that through $122 million worth of deals for Eduardo Rodriguez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and a trade for Eugenio Suárez.
Are the D-backs now favorites to repeat as National League champs in 2024? Well, no. But the chances of that have surely gone up since the start of the winter, and that'll do for a W.
Kansas City Royals
OK, let's be clear here. After losing 106 games last season, the Royals are still a bad team. WAR-wise, FanGraphs projects them ahead of only five other teams in 2024.
But if nothing else, the Royals have succeeded in getting better with a flurry of signings highlighted by $77 million in deals with Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. They've also succeeded in making Patrick Mahomes excited, which is nice.
Philadelphia Phillies
Remember when the Phillies struck for the first big deal of the offseason by re-signing Aaron Nola on a seven-year, $175 million contract? Or am I the only one who feels like that was forever ago?
Either way, that was the Phillies checking off the biggest item on their to-do list. And since the remaining items are relatively small, there's no reason not to expect them to remain among MLB's elite in 2024.
Jung Hoo Lee
Though Nola's contract beat MLB Trade Rumors' projection by $25 million, he has nothing on Lee. Whereas he was pegged for "only" $50 million, the San Francisco Giants more than doubled that in signing him to a six-year $113 million deal.
The deal could eventually prove to be too rich based on Lee's production, but maybe not on his sheer entertainment value. The guy can hit, even if it's against pitches that are trying to hit him.
