The 2025 MLB playoffs are here — and for some teams, October has lasted a lot longer than it has for others.
Starting with the wild-card round, the Cincinnati Reds became the first team eliminated from postseason contention — on the very first day of the month, no less. They were followed the next day by the Cleveland Guardians and, ultimately, the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox.
In the division series, the New York Yankees were first to go, followed by the Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs.
The Milwaukee Brewers were the first team eliminated in the league championship series.
What’s next for the teams and towns that won’t be celebrating a World Series parade this fall? As each contender is eliminated, ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield will list that club’s key free agents and biggest offseason questions and make their predictions for the long, cold winter ahead.
Teams eliminated in league championship series
Eliminated by: Dodgers
Key free agents: Jordan Montgomery, Rhys Hoskins (mutual option), Brandon Woodruff (mutual option), Danny Jansen (mutual option), Jose Quintana (mutual option), Freddy Peralta (club option), Shelby Miller
Biggest offseason priority: The Brewers featured one of baseball’s most dynamic offenses in 2025 and one of its most exciting. The Brewers hit for average, stole bases and had enough extra-base power to keep the scoreboard turning — but all of that came to a screeching halt when they scored just four runs in four games during their NLCS loss to the Dodgers. Milwaukee ranked 22nd in homers despite playing in long ball-friendly American Family Field, which suggests there is another level this attack can get to with a little more pure thump. The Brewers have so many young hitters that the homer count might well increase organically. Still, Milwaukee’s payroll is under control, and the Brewers can afford a rare organizational splurge. The question then becomes what position should be targeted, as the roster isn’t really set up to accommodate a pure DH type. The easy answer for the Brewers has been first base and perhaps still is, but Andrew Vaughn earned a shot at holding down that spot for a full season. However it happens: The Brewers could use a few more homers.
Who gets an extension? The Brewers have Jackson Chourio on a team-friendly deal for the foreseeable future but after a historic season for the franchise, it’s time to lock down some of the core and perhaps slow down the ongoing roster attrition that the Brewers have executed so well over the past decade. Brice Turang would be a good start.
Offseason prediction: The Brewers are baseball’s best-run organization at present, and part of that is being disciplined in the payroll category without being outright cheap, which you can’t say about all of baseball’s smaller markets. The discipline should allow for the occasional jolt of spending aggression and the Brewers might be in the rumor mill for some players that otherwise you might not have associated them with. Whether they match up with someone depends on the market, though, because overextending is not only not the Brewers’ way, they have so much young talent in the system that there’s no real reason for them to do so. — Doolittle
Teams eliminated in division series
Eliminated by: Brewers
Key free agents: OF Kyle Tucker, IF/OF Willi Castro, RHP Brad Keller, LHP Caleb Thielbar, RHP Ryan Brasier, LHP Drew Pomeranz, 1B Carlos Santana, LHP Shota Imanaga (club/player option), RHP Andrew Kittredge (club option), 1B Justin Turner (mutual option), LHP Taylor Rogers, RHP Colin Rea (club option), RHP Michael Soroka
Biggest offseason priority: Re-sign Tucker. The Cubs have a long list of free agents and possible free agents, but let’s face it, Tucker is the one who matters most. When Tucker was healthy and rolling early in the season, he was a viable MVP candidate and a catalyst in a dynamic, varied offense. In other words, he was exactly what the Cubs hoped he’d be when they traded a considerable group of players and controllable seasons (Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith and Hayden Wesneski) to get him. Tucker’s contract should have been extended already, but now anything can happen. It would be eye-opening if one of baseball’s flagship teams and revenue producers couldn’t spend its way to keeping a player like this. Otherwise, Cubs fans everywhere will have nightmares of Smith and Paredes crushing homer after homer into the Crawford Boxes in Houston.
Can the Cubs fashion a championship-caliber bullpen? For a couple of years, the Cubs have iterated their bullpen to mixed results. There have been successes — the emergence of Daniel Palencia, the reinvention of Brad Keller, and the depth hasn’t been bad. But Chicago hasn’t pinned down that core duo or trio of late-inning relievers who anchor the bullpens of baseball’s best teams. The answer here isn’t necessarily a high-level free agent or an expensive trade, but it can be with the right assessments. The Cubs ranked in the middle of the pack in every relief pitching metric, including strikeout percentage, and until they crack that nut, it limits Chicago’s ceiling.
Offseason prediction: Tucker will sign a massive, long-term deal to hold down right field and anchor the lineup … of a team that doesn’t play on the North Side of Chicago. Call me a pessimist, and this is more of a hunch than anything. Financially, the Cubs should be in position in terms of revenue profile and payroll outlook to get a deal done. But until they prove otherwise, the Cubs have a track record of not going all the way to the top in free agency. — Doolittle
Eliminated by: Mariners
Key free agents: RHP Jack Flaherty (player option), RHP Jose Urquidy (club option), RHP Paul Sewald (mutual option), RHP Alex Cobb, 2B Gleyber Torres, RHP Rafael Montero, RHP Tommy Kahnle, RHP Chris Paddack, RHP Kyle Finnegan
Biggest offseason priority: Restocking the rotation. The Tigers have a tremendous foundation in ace Tarik Skubal and midrotation standout Casey Mize. But with health concerns surrounding the likes of Ty Madden, Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson, the Tigers will need more. Most of the top-ranked prospects in a talented system are on the position player side, which will allow GM Scott Harris to target the pitching side this offseason, though you can always talk yourself into a splurge on a middle-of-the-lineup hitter. The Tigers’ focus on building out their depth with veterans on short-duration contracts gives the club all kinds of flexibility this winter. Signings. Trades. It’s all on the table for an organization just a move or two away from becoming an American League front-runner by the time next season begins.
How can the Tigers diversify their offense? Detroit’s offense was above-average this season but it was uneven stylistically in ways that might have contributed to its demise in the postseason. Strikeouts are a big problem. Against Cleveland, the lineup stalled as the Tigers had so much trouble simply making contact with runners in scoring position, much less bringing those runners home. The offense was even worse against Seattle. The Tigers laid down five sacrifice bunts all season and finished last with 61 stolen bases. Detroit has two ideal solutions for this problem at the top of its prospects list in infielder Kevin McGonigle and outfielder Max Clark. The question the Tigers have to answer in the short term is how soon these young stars — who both topped out in Double-A this season — will arrive in Detroit ready to boost a contending team. Whatever the answer, the Tigers are an organization ideally positioned to contend in the short and the long term.
Offseason prediction: The Tigers will go hard after multiple free agent starters — think Framber Valdez and Dylan Cease — in free agency. The time to make a splash has arrived. — Doolittle
Eliminated by: Dodgers
Key free agents: C J.T. Realmuto, DH Kyle Schwarber, OF Max Kepler, LHP Ranger Suarez, RHP Jordan Romano
Biggest offseason priority: Replacing the free agents. The Phillies aren’t going to enter into a soft rebuild, a hard rebuild or any kind of rebuild. The Phils have a star-studded group of free agents, but assuming the payroll remains in the same neighborhood — a luxury neighborhood at that — it’s safe to say the Phillies will remain a top-heavy team with expensive stars. It just might not be the same group of stars.
David Schoenfield »
At the same time, «replacing» a couple of the free agents by bringing them back has to be considered, especially in the case of Realmuto, given the lack of impact-quality depth at that position across the majors. But that also means the Phillies will have plenty of competition to retain him. And, oh yeah, the DH coming off a 56-homer season? The Phillies will be part of a crowded market for Schwarber as well.
How long can this model be sustained? Dave Dombrowski’s teams have generally been contenders, and even champions. They’ve also tended to get expensive, and he has tended to move on when the team hits a plateau. Are the Phillies at that stage? The 2025 club had nine players earning eight digits, and seven of them made $20 million or more. Given the list of free agents and the uncertainty over what version of Zack Wheeler the Phillies get when he returns from his shoulder injury, you can’t help but wonder if the Phils’ window is ever so slightly beginning to close.
Offseason prediction: Realmuto stays, Schwarber goes, and the Phillies land two star free agents from other teams. — Doolittle
Eliminated by: Blue Jays
Key free agents: 1B Paul Goldschmidt, CF Trent Grisham, RHP Luke Weaver, RHP Devin Williams, OF/1B Cody Bellinger ($25 million player option)
Biggest offseason priority: With Bellinger almost certain to opt out after an under-the-radar 29-homer, 5-WAR season, and Grisham coming off a shocking 34-homer season, the Yankees will have not only two big hitters to replace but a hole in center field. Jasson Dominguez is not the answer there given his poor defensive metrics in left field, so there might be pressure to re-sign either Bellinger or Grisham, with Bellinger the more desirable player given that Grisham had hit under .200 in the three previous seasons. Bellinger’s ability to play first base is a big plus, although Ben Rice will likely take over there on a full-time basis. Outside of Kyle Tucker, the rest of the outfield free agent class is pretty thin, however, so the Yankees will have competition for Bellinger’s services.
Jorge Castillo »
The other option is to hand center field to Spencer Jones, the 6-foot-7 slugger who hit 35 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A. Although he also struck out 179 times in 116 games, he leaves a lot of questions as to how the bat will translate to the majors. Despite his size, he’s a good athlete (he also swiped 29 bases) with the instincts to remain in center field.
The Yankees have finished seventh in the AL in runs allowed three seasons in a row. How can they improve that figure in 2026? Well, they played all of 2025 without ace Gerrit Cole after his spring training Tommy John surgery, so getting him back will help. Luis Gil, coming off his Rookie of the Year season, didn’t make his first start until August. Cam Schlittler started the year in Double-A and ended it with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts in the majors, living off 98 mph heat. Max Fried and Carlos Rodon will be back after winning 37 games, and while Clarke Schmidt had TJ surgery, Will Warren adds even more depth. The Yankees might project as the best rotation in the AL.
The bullpen obviously didn’t have its best season, but the reinforcements Brian Cashman made at the trade deadline — David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Jake Bird — will help the depth in 2026. Still, you could see a move here, maybe re-signing Weaver, who has been a durable, valuable arm the past two years.
Offseason prediction: With most of the roster set, it shapes up as one of the least active Yankees offseasons in years. While last year the prediction was re-signing Juan Soto (a swing and a miss), let’s go with re-signing Bellinger while working Jones into the lineup. With Marcus Stroman and Aaron Hicks (yes, they were still paying him) coming off the books, that’s $28 million in savings. Goldschmidt made $12.5 million in 2025. DJ LeMahieu has just one year left on his bad contract. The pitching is in good shape. Jose Caballero gives them an excellent utility player who can play anywhere. Yes, it was another bitter ending for Yankees fans, and 2009 looks like a very long time ago, but the Yankees will enter 2026 among the clear favorites in the AL, especially if Cole can return to where he was before the injury. — Schoenfield
Teams eliminated in wild-card series
Eliminated by: Dodgers
Key free agents: RHP Nick Martinez, RHP Emilio Pagan
Biggest offseason priority: Flipping their home run differential. The Reds badly need middle-of-the-order power, the kind that will better align their lineup with the long-ball-friendly vagaries of Great American Ballpark. The Reds gave up 25 more homers than they hit in 2025, postseason included, the fifth-worst differential in the majors. That differential was minus-18 at home. The Reds have the pitching they need to win the NL Central, but they need a major uptick in firepower to support the arms. With Martinez’s salary coming off the books, Cincinnati has a wide-open payroll, which — one would think — means lots of flexibility, whether it’s a free agency splurge or a high-impact trade.
Is it time to really unleash this rotation? The Reds have collected quite a collection of high-upside young pitchers. Some of them have established themselves in the majors — Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott. Abbott had a career season in 2025, but Greene still hasn’t paired his dominance with season-long durability. Lodolo produced 28 mostly excellent starts but has plenty of room to grow in his innings count. Then you have Chase Petty, Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, along with the veteran stability of Brady Singer. The ideal for 2026 would be for manager Terry Francona to push this group of seven for a full season and perhaps lighten up a bit on the innings management side of the equation. This has the potential to be among MLB’s best rotations.
Offseason prediction: The Reds will get aggressive. No, they won’t go wild, of course, but besides having a contention-worthy rotation and a star in Elly De La Cruz who is edging toward his prime, they have a 66-year-old future Hall of Fame manager in Francona who isn’t going to be around forever. — Doolittle
Eliminated by: Tigers
Key free agents: OF Lane Thomas, C Austin Hedges, RHP Jakob Junis
Biggest offseason priority: The term «Guards Ball» caught on during Cleveland’s unlikely second-half run. It was fun to watch and even inspiring. It’s also not generally how championships are won in baseball these days. The Guardians need more firepower on offense, and while there are a lot of promising bats in the system, maybe for once the team will splurge on a middle-of-the-order anchor? Yeah, that’s probably wishful thinking.
What will Cleveland get from its young hitters? It’s not hard to imagine some of the Guardians we saw on the playoff roster getting better — Kyle Manzardo, CJ Kayfus, Johnathan Rodriguez, Jhonkensy Noel. It’s not hard to see Chase DeLauter becoming an AL Rookie of the Year favorite. Given his numbers at Triple-A, it’s a little harder to see Travis Bazzana being part of the Opening Day mix, but it’s not difficult to envision him making a leap during the 2026 season. The crucial question the Guardians have to answer is: What will this group do to lift the offensive profile of a lineup led by Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan? The Guardians won a division title despite scoring more runs than just two other teams. That’s not a sustainable formula.
Offseason prediction: The Guardians, with prospects on the way and the roster full of players under team control, won’t do much in the offseason. They certainly can afford to with so little future guaranteed funds tied up — a big pillow contract to someone like Ohio native Kyle Schwarber would be amazing — but it’s not likely. So, take heart, Cleveland fans, and enjoy the Guardians’ still-spewing fountain of youth. — Doolittle
Eliminated by: Cubs
Key free agents: 1B/2B Luis Arraez, SP Dylan Cease, SP Michael King ($15M mutual option), CL Robert Suarez ($8M player option), 1B Ryan O’Hearn, OF Ramon Laureano ($6.5M club option), INF Jose Iglesias, RP Wandy Peralta ($4.45M player option), C Elias Diaz ($7M mutual option), SP Nestor Cortes
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Biggest offseason priority: Cease and King will venture into free agency, and the Padres will have to replace them in the rotation. San Diego will have Joe Musgrove back in 2026, but he’ll be coming off Tommy John surgery. Yu Darvish will still be there, but he’ll be in his age-39 season, having accumulated fewer than 100 innings each of the past two years. The depth beyond them, outside of Nick Pivetta, is suspect. First base will also be a priority unless the team brings Arraez back.
Will they spend again? The Padres lost their local-television contract in 2023, then missed out on the playoffs despite fielding arguably the most talented team in franchise history. Shortly thereafter, Peter Seidler, their beloved, free-spending owner, died. The Padres dropped the payroll by roughly 30% the following year. A 25% increase followed in 2025, putting them at roughly $215 million. Where will they go in 2026? It’s hard to say. But Manny Machado’s salary will keep increasing — from $13 million in 2025 to $21 million in 2026 and $35 million thereafter. If they want to keep surrounding him with talent as he ages, they’ll have to keep spending.
Offseason prediction: The Padres will pay six players — Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Darvish, Musgrove, Machado and Pivetta — a combined $120 million in 2026. The team’s success will come down to the production of those players — along with Jackson Merrill and Mason Miller, who are still not in their prime earning years. But A.J. Preller will look for ways to acquire a front-line starting pitcher and will get creative if he has to. Last offseason, he landed Pivetta on a deal that paid him only $4 million in 2025. This offseason, that front-line starter might have to come via trade. — Gonzalez
Eliminated by: Yankees
Key free agents: 3B Alex Bregman (opt-out), RHP Lucas Giolito ($19 million mutual option), OF Rob Refsnyder, RHP Dustin May, LHP Steven Matz
Biggest offseason priority: Re-signing Bregman if he opts out … and improving the starting pitching depth. Bregman had a solid season, hitting .273/.360/.462 around an injury, but aside from the numbers he also brings fire and leadership to the team. It’s also possible Bregman will opt back in at $40 million per season (for 2026 and 2027), but he had a good enough season that he’ll probably opt out. Yes, Marcelo Mayer is a possible replacement — especially if the Red Sox direct that money instead to the pitching staff.
Giolito had a solid season as a low-volume starter in his return from Tommy John surgery, so there could be mutual interest there on a longer deal. But outside of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and perhaps rookie Connelly Early, who looked good in four late-season starts, the projected rotation is unsettled.
Will the Red Sox trade any of their outfielders/young players? It’s still a crowded outfield picture with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu (plus Masataka Yoshida, signed for two more years, as a DH option). It played itself out this season as Abreu and Anthony both missed time with injuries, while Rafaela played some infield. But Rafaela is such a wizard in center field, you’d like to keep him there. Throw in Mayer and Kristian Campbell, and the Red Sox have a deep group of young players who could be used to acquire pitching help. Craig Breslow refrained from trading anyone at the deadline, but let’s see what he does this offseason.
Offseason prediction: I think the Red Sox will play it safe and bring back a similar roster, starting with re-signing Bregman. They could then slide Mayer to second base. That still would leave four outfielders plus Campbell, who started the season with a lot of helium after making the Opening Day roster, but his defense at second wasn’t good, and he didn’t rip up Triple-A after getting sent down. If anyone is the odd man out, it’s probably him, so he’s the one most likely to get traded. Bringing back Giolito — assuming he’s healthy after missing the postseason with an elbow injury — also makes sense, as he wouldn’t break the bank but would fill a need. If he’s deemed too risky, a veteran such as Merrill Kelly or, if the Red Sox want to spend bigger, Framber Valdez or Shane Bieber, makes sense. — Schoenfield
