Baseball's hot stove remains lukewarm as spring training looms. Despite the late-January timing, the free agent market still features heavy hitters like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. ESPN's Bradford Doolittle offers a midwinter progress report on all 30 clubs, assessing which teams have improved and which still have major holes to fill before the season begins.

The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers sit atop projections, adding closer Edwin Diaz while waiting for the right moment to strike again. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners have quietly built strong rosters, though both could use another arm. The Toronto Blue Jays remain aggressive in rumors, potentially spending big to keep pace in a competitive AL East.

Ultimately, the Chicago Cubs signing Alex Bregman stands as the winter's biggest move so far, shaking up the National League landscape. With many impact players still unsigned, teams have mere weeks to finalize their rosters. Expect the remaining dominoes to fall quickly as camps open and the 2026 season approaches.