The Houston Astros had already found themselves in dangerous territory following the 2025 season. Their second half collapse exposed some growing flaws with their roster and allowed the Mariners to steal the division title away. The Rangers might have worse payroll issues than Houston does, but they are still a threat given the amount of talent they have. If having two legitimate contenders to deal with wasn't enough, some news from Christmas Day was a reminder that that number may be growing to three teams.
Thanks to their own actions, the Athletics have been a punchline across MLB for a while now.