As the holidays began to hit high gear over the weekend, Major League Baseball teams also got into the shopping spirit as well.
In all, there have been (so far) five big MLB moves over the weekend, with a flurry of deals involving first basemen taking the spotlight. But which ones were the best and worst of the group? Let’s dive into the ranking, going from five (OK) to one (awesome).
5. Cleveland Guardians sign Carlos Santana
The 38-year-old returns to Cleveland on what is reported to be a one-year, $12M deal after winning a Gold Glove and hitting 23 home runs for the Minnesota Twins last season. After spending 10 seasons in Cleveland, the reunion is bittersweet as Santana’s return is a result of the Guardians trading away Josh Naylor (more about that in a moment).
Santana has hit 20 or more homers in each of the last two seasons, and the Guardians are hoping the power continues with Santana turning 39 on April 8.
4. New York Yankees sign Paul Goldschmidt
Another veteran first baseman reportedly inking a one-year deal, Goldschmidt will be under pressure to perform in the Bronx. However, there are positive signs that he can impact an area of need for the Yankees after their first basemen slashed a combined .216/.284/.335 last season.
The 37-year-old Goldschmidt posted just a 98 OPS+ last season, but there are signs of hope if you’re a Yankees fan. His second-half production of .271/.319/.480 was better than what the St. Louis Cardinals saw from him before the All-Star break. Plus, he posted a .774 OPS away from Busch Stadium while only having a .654 OPS under the Gateway Arch.
3. Philadelphia Phillies trade for Jesus Luzardo
Dave Dombrowski, Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations, said earlier in the week that he hoped he could find a back-end starter to boost the Phillies rotation. He did just that on Sunday by making an in-division trade with the Miami Marlins.
While Philadelphia had to give up two top-25 prospects to make the deal happen, the left-handed Luzardo has the potential to make the Phillies rotation competitive with any other team’s starters.
If Luzardo can stay healthy (and that’s been a big if throughout his career), this trade could pay big dividends for the Phillies in what will be a brutal National League East in 2025.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks trade for Josh Naylor
After missing out on reunions with Christian Walker and Goldschmidt, the Diamondbacks are pinning their first-base hopes on Naylor, who is coming off a career-best year with 31 homers and 108 RBI.
The 27-year-old Naylor is set to become a free agent after this offseason, so the Diamondbacks could use this season as a bridge at first base or, if they like what they see from Naylor, sign him to a contract to keep him in the desert. Either way, Arizona’s lineup for 2025 received a big boost with this trade.
1. Houston Astros sign Christian Walker
Arguably the prize of the first-base free-agent market, Walker heading to south Texas continues what looks to be a big shift in the Houston lineup compared to previous years. With Isaac Paredes (acquired in the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs) now expected to man third base, Houston’s infield will be among the more interesting groupings to watch in 2025.
A three-time Gold Glove winner, Walker adds immediate pop at first base, a position that was lacking last season as Astros first basemen combined for minus-3.0 Wins Above Average, ranking Houston 28th out of MLB’s 30 teams.
