Aaron Judge’s decision to remain with the Yankees and Carlos Correa’s prolonged free-agency saga got most of the hot-stove ink, but seasons are often won and lost with winter transactions that don’t grab much attention.
For instance: Many would’ve argued that the Astros lost the premier player from the previous free-agent class when Correa signed with Minnesota the first time, but the Twins ended up finishing below .500 while Hector Neris, an effective but not exceedingly famous reliever, signed with Houston that winter and had three scoreless appearances during the World Series.
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Which moves that slid unnoticed through the transactions page could have similar effects in 2023? We asked The Athletic’s baseball staff to shine some light on the top roster additions that didn’t lead to press conferences and jersey sales.
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
I like the Cole Irvin trade with the Oakland A’s. The Orioles needed a lefty and someone to eat innings toward the top of their rotation and Irvin fits that mold. It didn’t cost the Orioles much (infield prospect Darell Hernaiz, who was blocked in the system), and Irvin can be under team control for four more seasons. He’s not the ace they need, but he is a solid, big-league pitcher who may have upside pitching in front of the pushed-back wall in left field. — Dan Connolly
Boston Red Sox
You could argue all of Boston’s moves this winter have been under the radar compared to their competitors, but since we have to choose, Justin Turner seems like a good one. While he’s a well-known player in the league, he wasn’t among the top options for designated-hitter types this winter. Meanwhile, his addition carries the caveat that he’s replacing J.D. Martinez’s valuable bat. But despite being three years older than Martinez, Turner (116 OPS+) actually produced remarkably similar numbers to Martinez (117 OPS+) last year and was among the best hitters in baseball in the second half. Couple that with his leadership qualities in a clubhouse that’s seen a lot of turnover and he might be the biggest boost for this club. — Jen McCaffrey
New York Yankees
Re-signing a guy with three All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves and a World Series ring qualifies as under the radar? In an offseason dominated by Aaron Judge and Carlos Rodón, you bet. The Yankees’ reunion with Anthony Rizzo could loom large. Restricting the shift should allow more hits to fall for the pull-heavy Rizzo, whose 82.6 percent shift rate last year was third on the Yankees behind Aaron Hicks and Matt Carpenter. Rizzo, who will continue aiming for the right field short porch, also brings leadership to the Yankees’ clubhouse. All he needs to do is make sure that his balky lower back isn’t a problem. — Brendan Kuty
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Tampa Bay Rays
Because their offseason was mostly about one big move (Zack Eflin) and signing their current core, let’s cheat a little and look back at a move the Rays made during the season last year when they reacquired righty Shawn Armstrong after his release by the Marlins. Armstrong scores well by Stuff+, and the Rays always rank at the top of that statistic — which looks only at the physical characteristics of a pitch — so they saw something the Marlins didn’t there. The Rays also noticed that he threw his worst pitch (the slider) too often, and had him basically turf that pitch. And now he’s just another one of the great relievers they found for free. — Eno Sarris
Toronto Blue Jays
It’s the one-year, $9.3 million deal for Brandon Belt. The 34-year-old is coming off a down season, but he’s hopeful for a rebound after knee surgery. He’ll mostly be a designated hitter with some first base mixed in, but he could bring the power and patience from the left side the team was missing last season. New outfield dimensions at the Rogers Centre might help his offence, too, and will certainly be friendlier than Oracle Park. Plus, he brings championship experience to the clubhouse. All around, if Belt can get back to his old self, he could make a big impact and prove he was a wise one-year bet. — Kaitlyn McGrath
AL Central
Chicago White Sox
In giving … not the best grade to the White Sox offseason, I did not give enough credit to the work they completed in assembling what initially looks to be an astute coaching staff behind new manager Pedro Grifol. His staff wound up being a mash-up of internal holdovers and outside hires, but from the beginning people close to Grifol and around the game all expected him to bring Mike Tosar with him from the Kansas City Royals. Tosar’s range of expertise is reflected in his broad “field coordinator” title with the Sox, but he was credited with playing an integral role in breakout offensive seasons for Jorge Soler and Salvador Perez during his time with the Royals. Tosar has spent the offseason regularly hosting cage sessions at his home with Oscar Colás and Romy González. Together, Colás and González represent two spots where the Sox have not made prominent moves, but are still hoping to see a payoff from the time they invested with Tosar this winter. — James Fegan
Cleveland Guardians
From a transaction standpoint, they haven’t done much to file in the “under the radar” category, aside from, perhaps, the signing of former top-100 prospect Touki Toussaint to a minor-league deal. So, we’ll go with the promotion of Jason Esposito to Terry Francona’s coaching staff, technically in the role of “run production coordinator,” which is French for “assistant hitting coach.” Esposito has worked at Double A and Triple A with almost every hitter on the Guardians’ roster, plus a handful of prospects who could break into the majors this season. A number of young Cleveland hitters, including Will Brennan, have spoken highly of him. He should be a valuable resource for fellow hitting coaches Chris Valaika and Victor Rodriguez. — Zack Meisel
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers got a sneaky good return when they traded reliever Joe Jiménez to the Braves. In Justyn-Henry Malloy, they got a prospect who posted an 18 percent walk rate in Double A last season and finished the year in Triple A. There are some questions about his defense at third base, but Malloy has a great plate approach and could grow into more power. He could play in the majors by mid-year. — Cody Stavenhagen
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Kansas City Royals
The Royals traded center fielder Michael A. Taylor to the Twins for relievers Steven Cruz and Evan Sisk. By definition, the move wasn’t exactly under the radar. The deal unloaded Taylor’s $4.5 million salary and Sisk, a side-arming lefty, is an interesting piece. But one aspect of the move might be overlooked, at least by some. The Royals opened playing time for Kyle Isbel and Drew Waters, acquired from Atlanta last season, and Isbel in particular is worth watching. A former third-round pick in 2018, Isbel hasn’t hit at the major-league level, but he’s been a sterling defensive player despite lacking elite speed. Last year, Isbel finished tied for fifth among major-league outfielders in Outs Above Average and his outfield jumps are graded as some of the best in the game. The Royals will likely look at him in center field, though he has the ability to move around and Waters can play center field, too. If Isbel can hit, his defensive prowess could make him a valuable player. (Also: the Royals are bringing back their powder blue pants; that’s huge.) — Rustin Dodd
Minnesota Twins
Michael A. Taylor finally gives the Twins a starting-caliber backup in center field, which is hugely important given Byron Buxton’s lengthy injury history. Taylor is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, so that can remain a strength for the Twins even when Buxton isn’t playing, and he also fits the roster as a right-handed outfield bat who can platoon in a corner spot against tough lefties. For the cost of two marginal reliever prospects (Evan Sisk and Steven Cruz) and $4.5 million, Taylor adds value as an under-the-radar piece in an offseason full of bigger, headline-grabbing Twins moves. — Aaron Gleeman
AL West
Houston Astros
If we’re talking truly under-the-radar moves, bringing back right-hander Rafael Montero bolsters the Astros bullpen, but let’s sneak onto the radar slightly to spotlight a signing that deserved more national attention this offseason: first baseman José Abreu. Abreu, the 2020 AL MVP in Chicago, is a premium run-producer at a position where the Astros previously had a far more contact-oriented hitter in Yuli Gurriel. Abreu, 36, provides another fearsome bat in the heart of a lineup that already is one of the most dangerous in baseball. Pitch around Yordan Álvarez? Face Abreu. Pitch around Abreu? Face Kyle Tucker. Yeesh. — Stephen J. Nesbitt
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels signed reliever Carlos Estévez on the first day of the Winter Meetings in December. Estévez doesn’t have eye-popping numbers, but it’s expected that his offspeed pitches will become significantly more effective after leaving the Rockies. He was always a more effective pitcher on the road, and the Angels only play three games in Colorado this year. They needed a closer. He also throws in the upper-90s. He has the potential to fill a key need for this team in 2023. — Sam Blum
Oakland Athletics
The A’s somewhat surprisingly signed five free agents who are at least 32 years old (and traded for a 35-year-old backup catcher), and the addition who seems likeliest to help the 2023 team might be Trevor May. May’s ERA ballooned to 5.04 last season with the Mets, but his FIP was 3.87, which is in line with his career average (3.68). He only has 12 career saves, but FanGraphs projects that he’ll get 17 in Oakland, which is probably a product of the A’s bullpen not featuring an experienced closer. With A.J. Puk possibly moving to the rotation, or at least getting an opportunity to start, the A’s are short on back-end relievers (a common theme with every position group, sadly). May is someone they’ll count on to stabilize a bullpen that was 29th in fWAR in 2022. — Steve Berman
Seattle Mariners
I think getting outfielder/DH AJ Pollock on a one-year, $7 million deal in January could pay some sneaky-good dividends for the Mariners, especially when facing left-handed pitching. Seattle would gladly take the 161 wRC+ that Pollock had against southpaws in 2022. If he ends up as half of a platoon in left field with Jarred Kelenic, that’s great. But if Kelenic stumbles, Pollock is a career .273 hitter against righties. He’ll get some DH days, to get him off his feet. Regardless of where and when you see him, Pollock could help this bunch in 2023. — Corey Brock
Texas Rangers
The Rangers had a lot of big moves, but not a ton of under-the-radar ones. I’m holding my breath and going with Zack Littell. His tenure in San Francisco ended with a confrontation with manager Gabe Kapler so it makes sense he has an opposite-Giants trend happening where he has thrived in odd years (2.83 ERA, 98 2/3 innings) and struggled in even ones (5.26 ERA, 77 innings). If not Littell, it could be another NRI: Reyes Moronta, Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy and others are in camp on minor-league deals. — Levi Weaver
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NL East
Atlanta Braves
Hours after their 2022 closer, Kenley Jansen, signed with Boston for two years, $32 million, the Braves traded for Detroit righty Joe Jiménez, to fill the setup role occupied late last season by Raisel Iglesias, who moves to closer. Atlanta gave up two minor leaguers including its top position prospect, Justyn-Henry Malloy, who was switched from third base to left field last year. Jiménez is coming off career-bests in ERA (3.49) and WHIP (1.094), fueled by 77 strikeouts (13 walks) in 56 2/3 innings. He struck out 33.3 percent of all batters faced to finish among MLB’s top 5 percent. — David O’Brien
Miami Marlins
Signing Jean Segura to a two-year, $17 million contract was a really strong way to make good on their effort to make more contact in the coming season. Segura’s lifetime strikeout rate is nearly 10 percentage points below last year’s league average, and he isn’t a total zero when it comes to the power either, with 107 career home runs in 10 full seasons. In fact, he’s just a good all-around player, above-average when it comes to getting on base, running the bases, and defending. He’s projected to be nearly a three-win player, and they’re paying him like a one-win player. Good deal. — Eno Sarris
New York Mets
The Mets flexed their financial muscles when they signed veteran right-handed reliever David Robertson. New York gave him $10 million for one year. If you can afford it, why not do it? As prolific as right-handers Edwin Díaz and Adam Ottavino were, the Mets’ bullpen lacked high-leverage options last year, particularly against left-handed batters. Robertson profiles as platoon-neutral with a long history of faring well against lefties. Robertson will turn 38 in April, but all the data still points upward. Along with lefty Brooks Raley, Robertson should be just the kind of reliever the Mets need to supplement Díaz and Ottavino. — Will Sammon
Philadelphia Phillies
Is anything the Phillies did this winter under the radar? Craig Kimbrel is one of the best closers in the sport’s history, and he signed for $10 million — but not as a traditional closer. There is work to do after Kimbrel, 34, stumbled to the end of his time with the Dodgers. Maybe there is nothing left in a storied career. Or, maybe the Phillies can apply some adjustments and deploy him in favorable spots. They’ve made worse bets. — Matt Gelb
Washington Nationals
Offering Jeimer Candelario $5 million to play third base might seem like a silly way to spend money, given how mightily he — and, well, the entire Tigers lineup — struggled last season. But it’s not. The Nationals are so far from contention that they should be taking fliers on undervalued free agents left and right, if only to potentially flip them for a prospect at the trade deadline. Though Candelario does not fit the mashing corner-infielder prototype, he showed in 2020 and 2021 an ability to barrel baseballs, rack up singles and doubles and get on base regularly. — Stephen J. Nesbitt
NL Central
Chicago Cubs
In recent years, the Cubs have excelled at identifying relievers for one-year deals and putting them in positions to succeed. Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, Chris Martin and David Robertson were among the players who cashed in after getting traded to playoff contenders and re-entering the free-agent market. Instead of flipping Brad Boxberger at the trade deadline, the Cubs hope he will pitch meaningful innings at Wrigley Field late in the season. Boxberger, 34, signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract after posting two solid seasons out of Milwaukee’s bullpen (3.15 ERA in 141 appearances). Boxberger, a first-round talent out of USC, has 82 career saves and an All-Star selection on his resume. This is someone Cubs manager David Ross will trust in high-leverage situations, and the team didn’t have many of those options by the end of last season. — Patrick Mooney
Cincinnati Reds
Was there an above-the-radar move for the Reds? Maybe Wil Myers counts there. Luke Weaver’s traditional stats were pretty ugly in 2022, but Derek Johnson and crew saw a lot to like. If Weaver can make 20-plus starts, it’s a great signing. — C. Trent Rosecrans
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Milwaukee Brewers
Signing Brian Anderson to a one-year deal stands out as a good buy-low move for the Brewers. Milwaukee thinks he can make an impact in their ballpark — he hit 20 home runs once in a season and topped 30 doubles twice. Anderson, whom Miami had non-tendered, will be heavily in the mix at third base. With things fluid at second base, too, someone like Anderson could provide healthy competition to Luis Urías and others. — Will Sammon
Pittsburgh Pirates
Last year, the only gray beard on the team was on manager Derek Shelton’s chin — it was a very young, inexperienced group. Management this winter made an effort to add older, wiser guys in every segment of the team: left-hander Rich Hill (18 seasons in majors), infielder Carlos Santana (13), outfielder Andrew McCutchen (14), reliever Jarlín García (six), catcher Austin Hedges (eight) and coach Mendy Lopez, 49, who played seven years in the majors. “The most important thing, and I told this to all the guys we signed, is we don’t expect anybody to be the ‘ultimate’ leader,” Shelton said. “The expectation is for them to just be themselves.” — Rob Biertempfel
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals hadn’t made a Rule 5 draft selection at the major-league level since 2015, but their pick of Wilking Rodríguez could bring a tantalizing weapon to their bullpen. Rodríguez is entering his age-33 season and has just two major-league games under his belt, but he does possess triple-digit velocity and spent the offseason playing winter ball under Yadier Molina’s management. As a Rule 5 draft pick, Rodríguez must remain on the active roster all season or risk being returned to his original club (the Yankees). That will be a tough task given how competitive St. Louis’ bullpen looks to be, but Rodríguez should be someone to keep an eye on this spring. — Katie Woo
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
This is cheating, but I’m going to pick a collection of small moves that were made in a similar vein. Last year, Arizona had one of the worst bullpens in baseball, both by results and by stuff. That’s a hard unit to fix quickly — big free-agent dollars spent on relievers are usually spent poorly — but the Diamondbacks spent much of their offseason re-stuffing their pen. They traded for a fireballing minor-leaguer in Carlos Vargas and signed big-armed relievers Miguel Castro and Scott McGough to modest deals. Results are hardly guaranteed, but unlike past bullpen additions (Mark Melancon, Brad Boxberger, post-prime Greg Holland) these guys have really live arms. — Zach Buchanan
Colorado Rockies
Since all of the Rockies’ moves this winter were under the radar, their best move overall was a trade that sent switch-hitting middle infield prospect Juan Brito to Cleveland for beefy right fielder Nolan Jones. While Brito is a project coming out of Low A ball, Jones is more major-league-ready. He’s 24 now and debuted with the Guardians last year. The book says he has left-swinging power potential and an eye for hitting. He was once a top-100 prospect. While his strikeout levels raised some concern in Cleveland last year, Coors Field could give him some fresh wind. The Rockies don’t often trade prospects. Parting with Brito can be considered a sign of their enthusiasm for Jones. — Nick Groke
Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s cheating, since this is the second-biggest guarantee the Dodgers gave someone this winter, but it’s Noah Syndergaard. The Dodgers have shown a track record when it comes to pitching development, taking Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney and turning them into effective starters (and in Anderson’s case, an All-Star) in 2022. Syndergaard is a similar, if not more sculpted ball of clay for the Dodgers to work with. At the very least, he provides some insurance for a rotation that has promising young arms in Ryan Pepiot, Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone but doesn’t want to overwhelm them early. — Fabian Ardaya
San Diego Padres
Signing Nelson Cruz for $1 million — a year after he signed for $15 million — feels like a steal compared to what some free agents get these days. It might still be a bargain if Cruz, approaching his 43rd birthday, slugs under .400 again. He and the Padres think that’s unlikely; Cruz has reported clear vision after undergoing offseason eye surgery for an issue that may have slowed him since 2021. When he’s not getting at-bats as a designated hitter, he should be a strong influence inside a diverse clubhouse. Few players are as well respected as the bilingual Cruz. — Dennis Lin
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San Francisco Giants
Considering the Carlos Correa drama, almost any move the Giants made this offseason could be classified as under the radar. We’ll go with their moves to address a bullpen that regressed badly from their 107-win season in 2021. They potentially improved in two ways. Signing Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling gives them seven potential starters — and the option to turn pitchers like Jakob Junis and/or Alex Wood into multi-inning middle relievers. They also added an experienced late-inning arm to take the pressure off massively talented but overworked closer Camilo Doval. They couldn’t have done much better than Taylor Rogers, whom they ranked as the top lefty reliever on the free-agent market. Taylor Rogers grew up playing catch with his identical twin, Tyler. Now they’re catch partners again, and perfect complements for one another in what should be a much better Giants bullpen. — Andrew Baggarly
(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Photos: Patrick McDermott, Thearon W. Henderson, Ron Schwane / Getty Images)