Predicting the Best Player Each AL West Team Will Add for 2026
It's already been a busy offseason in the AL West, and it's only going to get busier. Here are the best moves each team could make.
The American League West ran through Houston for the better part of a decade, but there was a new sheriff in 2025.
Less than nine outs away from making the World Series, the Seattle Mariners felt all the emotions of the postseason. Then, they watched the team that beat them make a World Series push, followed by getting off to one of the busiest starts to the offseason. As the de facto No. 2 team in 2025’s AL, how will they respond?
The AL West itself isn’t sexy, but it is intriguing.
The Athletics had a top 10 offense last year, anchored by Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz. With him, fellow Rookie of the Year candidate Jacob Wilson had a strong season, while Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker, and Tyler Soderstrom each eclipsed a 120 wRC+ and 2.4 fWAR.
That’s, at least on paper, the worst team in the division. And they’re one of the stronger offenses in the sport.
The Los Angeles Angels bet on upside in the rotation, trading rental outfielder Taylor Ward for four years of right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. Additionally, they added 2022 AL All-Star Alek Manoah, whom the Atlanta Braves recently non-tendered.
This is without mentioning the Texas Rangers turning second baseman Marcus Semien into outfielder Brandon Nimmo, and the Mariners retaining first baseman Josh Naylor.
Again, it’s been a busy offseason in the AL West. With the winter meetings underway, it’ll only get busier.
This is a continuation of a series pinpointing the best (realistic) offseason move for each team in each division.
If this is the first article you’re reading in the series, let me quickly run through the rules: Each player has only been tied to one team, and each player mentioned would represent a new acquisition for the franchise. In other words, Naylor wouldn’t be eligible for the Mariners if he were still a free agent.
Halos Tap Back Into Japanese Market, Land Munetaka Murakami
The Angels may still owe third baseman Anthony Rendon money for the 2026 season, but possibly, finally cutting ties with him would be symbolic of a vibe switch for the organization.
What better way to celebrate positive vibes than making a big splash on the bat with perhaps the highest ceiling in Munetaka Murakami?
When a free agent is expected to get a massive contract, the red flags are all you hear about. It makes sense, we’re conditioned as human beings to fixate on those for big investments. For Murakami, his defense raises questions, but even more so does the swing-and-miss in his game.
Looking at his metrics in Japan, there are a ton of similarities between him and former Rangers All-Star outfielder Joey Gallo. The slugger had a run of elite play, but his shelf life was short. But given Murakami isn’t expected to get a 10-plus-year deal, even if he has a short shelf life, he’s worth the risk.
Especially for a team like the Angels, who should be hungry for star talent.
Mike Trout isn’t getting any younger, and they’ve done a great job of wasting away his career. Now that he’s not someone who can carry a franchise, the onus is even more on the front office to build a winner around him.
Murakami has third base experience but projects more like a first baseman. While the Angels have Nolan Schanuel, he’s not done a whole lot to make himself a staple in that lineup. It’s not all his fault, but he’s not been a good enough bat to offset his lack of defensive upside.
Murakami’s ceiling transcends that of Schanuel’s, making him a prime candidate for the heart of the Halos’ order.
Astros Replace Framber Valdez With Trade for Mets’ Kodai Senga
The Angels already have a righty-heavy rotation. Why not replace the lone southpaw with another?
It’s not a secret that the Mets want to offload Kodai Senga, who’s dealt with several injuries after an All-Star rookie campaign in 2023. Last season was one of good run prevention for the 32-year-old, but his under-the-hood metrics soured. His walk rate regressed from an already unimpressive 11.1% in 2023, and his strikeouts regressed too.
Turning 33 in January, his value is certainly at a low, especially for a team with as much young pitching as the Mets.
Enter the Houston Astros.
Behind Hunter Brown, there are a ton of question marks for the former AL West powerhouse. Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr. have track records of big league success, but it’s been a few years now for both. Senga comes with a bit more certainty for at least run prevention, and isn’t too far removed from being dominant.
Given he’s owed a total of $28 million for the next two seasons, with a conditional $15 million club option for 2028, he’s cost-controlled. For a team like the Astros, that’s their theme music. They’ve resurrected several careers in their run of dominance — Senga makes a ton of sense.
Keeping him healthy will remain the hard part of harboring value. Perhaps operating with a six-man rotation would make sense, or it’s a matter of leaving it up to chance.
But his talent, undeniable; his forkball, unhittable.
A’s Sign Eugenio Suárez for More Homers in Sacramento
The Athletics hit 219 home runs last season, good for the seventh-most in franchise history.
They did that despite getting only 10 homers out of their third basemen.
As it stands, FanGraphs projects Max Muncy — not that one — to be the A’s third baseman on Opening Day, meaning an upgrade certainly could be in order.
Eugenio Suárez had a career year between Arizona and Seattle last season, tying a career-high with 49 home runs and setting a new one in RBI with 118. Entering free agency at 34, there’s been auspicious silence surrounding him.
However, the A’s make a ton of sense for him. Sutter Health Park was the No. 2 ballpark for righties last season and top 10 for home runs. I believe the organization is also closer to competing than they thought entering the 2025 season, so they can afford to get creative.
Adding an impact bat on the periphery of the market’s high-end creates one of the most uncomfortable lineups to dispatch in baseball. Between Kurtz, Rooker, Soderstrom, Langeliers, and Suárez, there’s 150-homer potential in that quintet.
Using Suárez’s age against him, the A’s can get aggressive on a short-term, high average annual value contract. Had it not been for the Luis Severino contract last winter, the idea of this would be far-fetched.
Now? Not so much.
Mariners Get a Table-Setter in Trade for Cardinals’ Donovan
Believe it or not, the Mariners ranked in a 24th-place tie in on-base percentage from their leadoff hitters in 2025. At .311, only the Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and Angels ranked beneath them.
That on-base percentage drops to .305 leading off the first inning.
Between that and a need to improve the middle infield, Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals makes a lot of sense. Last season, the 28-year-old maintained his steady play with a .287/.353/.422 line, a 119 wRC+, and 2.9 fWAR in 118 games.
He doesn’t strike out, and he walks at an average rate, but his contact skills and command of the strike zone are advanced. He’s not a thumper, nor is he an elite defender at any one position, but he certainly can hit.
Part of what doomed the Mariners in October was the length of the lineup. Donovan primarily replaces Polanco’s presence, but gives the Mariners a steadier track record to pencil in. I trust him to maintain a profile that doesn’t involve striking out more than Polanco, who halved his K-rate in 2025.
Maybe a .500 Team, but Kenley Jansen’s 500th Save?
Scouring the league, opportunities for Kenley Jansen to close seem scarce. So close to 500 saves, and at 38 years old, closing feels like it must be priority No. 1 for the veteran.
The Rangers have a need for back-end bullpen help. Right-handers Chris Martin and Shawn Armstrong are both free agents, creating uncertainty in what was a top-five bullpen in 2025.
Jansen isn’t the same pitcher he was for a decade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s not even the same pitcher he was in 2024 with the Boston Red Sox. However, he’s still a productive reliever who’s elite at closing games.
Last year, he was 29-for-30 in save opportunities. In Boston, he was 56-for-64 in save opportunities. Since leaving the Dodgers, Jansen is third in baseball with 126 saves, and his ERA is a solid 3.20. The stuff looks different and isn’t as dominant, but he does his job way more often than not to this day.
The Rangers have a talented group, too. While moving off of Semien, Adolis García, and Jonah Heim is indicative of leaving the 2023 World Series in the past, there’s cause for some optimism in Arlington.
If not, Jansen can be a trade chip next summer.
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