Sports Analysis
Major League Baseball teams are beginning to report to spring training, as opening day is less than two months away.
The start of Spring Training is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20 in the Cactus League in Arizona and Friday, Feb. 21 for the Grapefruit League in Florida. The Cactus League houses 15 of MLB’s 30 baseball teams with the Grapefruit League housing the other 15 teams. The schedule for this year’s Spring Training will be different with the MLB season starting early in mid-March.
To kick off the regular season games in MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to play a two game series against each other. This will be the sixth time in MLB history that the season will begin in Tokyo.
The trip to Japan will include exhibition games, with the Dodgers and Cubs facing off against the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants, two teams in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. The NPB is the highest level of professional baseball in Japan, comparable to MLB in the United States.
With free agents, a player that isn’t on a MLB team roster and can choose to sign with any team in the league, and trades between teams, there was a flurry of moves in MLB.
Outfielder Juan Soto, perhaps the most coveted free agent of the offseason, signed a 15-year, $765,000,000 contract with the New York Mets, which included a $75,000,000 signing bonus. With the Mets also bringing back free agent starting pitcher Sean Manaea and first baseman Pete Alonso, they have had one of the busiest offseasons in baseball.
Perhaps the team that made the most headlines in the offseason was the Los Angeles Dodgers. The reigning world champions signed a significant number of high level free agents.
A few of the notable signings include two-time Cy Young Award winner, Blake Snell, All Star reliever Tanner Scott and Nippon Professional Baseball superstar starting pitcher Roki Sasaki. At his introductory press conference, Sasaki explained his decision to choose the Dodgers.
“I think the No. 1 thing that stood out was the stability of the front office,” Sasaki said through a translator. “But overall, when I looked at the general consensus, I thought the Dodgers were at the top.”
Outside of free agent signings, there were a number of blockbuster trades that occurred throughout the league this offseason, perhaps the most notable being the Chicago Cubs acquiring superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker and, in a separate trade, closer Ryan Pressly, both from the Houston Astros.
Some of the most improved teams throughout the offseason include the Mets, Cubs and Dodgers. Despite the Dodgers and Mets both making the playoffs last year, they are both looking to solidify their place in the MLB playoffs, and the Cubs are looking to make the playoffs in a full 162 game season for the first time since 2018.
Despite the number of free agent signings and trades that have occurred throughout the offseason, third baseman, Alex Bregman, remains a free agent as of Friday, Feb. 7. Due to lengthy contract demands, teams have been hesitant to give him the deal he wants. Teams connected to him have included the Astros, Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.
Other notable free agents that remain unsigned include four-time All-Star closer Kenley Jansen, one-time All-Star reliever David Robertson and starting pitcher Nick Pivetta.
The 2025 MLB season will also be notable for two teams: the Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays. After Hurricane Milton, the Rays home stadium, Tropicana Field, was left unplayable for the upcoming season, with the team having to play regular season games at the Yankees Spring Training facility, George M. Steinbrenner field.
The Athletics will be playing the 2025 season in Sacramento and will no longer be referred to as the Oakland Athletics. As the Athletics await a move to Las Vegas, NV, they will play at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, CA.
Outside of the Tokyo series between the Cubs and Dodgers, 26 other MLB teams will begin the regular season on March 27, and the Colorado Rockies and Rays matchup will take place on March 28.
