2015 MLB Free Agents Rumors
Heath Bell Changes Agents
Reliever Heath Bell has switched agents, moving from ACES to Dan Lozano's MVP Sports Group, tweets Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. As Crasnick notes (also on Twitter), Bell's former agency seems to have done well in securing the three-year, $27MM contract that Bell signed with the Marlins before the 2012 season.
After signing that deal, of course, Bell (along with much of the rest of the Marlins team) fell well short of expectations. Expected to be Miami's closer, Bell only managed to notch 19 saves. Even worse, in the 63 2/3 innings he threw, he posted a 5.09 ERA. Bell's performance lagged in 2012 as his walk rate skyrocketed to a career-worse 4.1 BB/9, to go with just 8.3 K/9.
Bell's current deal does not expire until after the 2014 season. The Diamondbacks possess an option for the 2015 season, but seem very unlikely to exercise it.
Colby Rasmus Changes Agents
The Blue Jays' Colby Rasmus has changed agents, switching to Excel Sports Management and Casey Close over the spring, reports Sportsnet.ca's Ben Nicholson-Smith. Rasmus will join an impressive list of clients with Excel, including Derek Jeter and Clayton Kershaw. The center fielder was previously a client of the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
Still just 26, Rasmus is in search of a breakout year. He showed immense promise with a .276/.361/.498 season as a 23-year-old with the Cardinals in 2010, yet has failed to repeat that performance. Last year, Rasmus posted a .223/.289/.400 line for Toronto. After avoiding arbitration with a $4.68MM deal over the offseason, Rasmus enters his final year of arbitration eligibility after this season before reaching free agent eligibility in 2015.
Analyzing The 2014-15 MLB Free Agent Class
We're always looking ahead here at MLBTR, sometimes way ahead, hence our recent publication of the 2014-15 free agent class. These players project for free agency after the 2014 season, two seasons from now. We know plenty of them will sign extensions between now and then, but it's still fun to discuss.
Joining This Group Later
After the 2013 season, several players have club options that seem likely to be exercised, such as James Shields and Jon Lester. That means they'll play out the 2014 season and then become free agents.
The Under-30 Group
Clayton Kershaw, Elvis Andrus, Asdrubal Cabrera, Pablo Sandoval, Colby Rasmus, Homer Bailey, and Chris Perez are among those who will play the 2015 season at an age below 30. Kershaw and Andrus, in particular, are primed for monster contracts barring major hiccups in the next two seasons. Kershaw will turn 27 in March of 2015, and the Dodgers' ace seems the best candidate to soar past the $200MM mark whether through an extension or free agency. Andrus, meanwhile, will enter the 2015 season as a 26-year-old. It takes a special kind of player to put in six years of Major League service time by that age.
Position Players
The 2014-15 free agent class is deep at shortstop at the moment, with Andrus, Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, Jed Lowrie, and perhaps Hanley Ramirez. Sandoval, Chase Headley, and Nick Markakis are potential middle-of-the-order bats in a market that appears light on them. Perhaps someone like Melky Cabrera can post a couple of strong seasons to solidify his status. Otherwise you're looking at a 39-year-old David Ortiz or 35/36/37-year-olds Josh Willingham, Adam LaRoche, Victor Martinez, Aramis Ramirez, and Michael Cuddyer.
Starting Pitchers
Kershaw and Justin Verlander represent a pair of true aces who will seek record-setting contracts, should they reach free agency. Verlander will turn 32 prior to the 2015 season. I realize he's not like most pitchers, but the list of seven-year megacontracts given to 32-year-olds is a short one for good reason. At any rate, it'll be fun times at MLBTR if both pitchers reach free agency, but there's a pretty good chance the Dodgers lock up Kershaw. Beyond those two, Max Scherzer, Shields, and Lester comprise a strong second tier. Homer Bailey, Justin Masterson, and Brandon McCarthy can join them with a pair of strong seasons. And who knows what the mid-30s will bring for Josh Beckett and Jake Peavy.
How accurate can we be, analyzing a free agent class two years early? Aside from all the guys who will be plucked off the market early due to extensions, some players will just see their stock plummet. For every Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton, there's a Stephen Drew, a guy who I considered a $100MM contract candidate two years ago.
2015 MLB Free Agents
MLBTR's up-to-date list of 2015 MLB free agents is below. These are players who project to be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season (two full seasons from now). Players on the 2014 free agent list are not on this one, so when 2014 club options are exercised, this list will grow.
If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us. To see who represents these players, check out our agency database.
Updated 4-23-13
Catchers
John Baker (34)Ryan Doumit (34)
Ryan Hanigan (34)
Nick Hundley (31) - $5MM club option
Gerald Laird (35)
Russell Martin (32)
Jeff Mathis (32) - $1.5MM club option
David Ross (38)
First basemen
Billy Butler (29) - $12.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Michael Cuddyer (36)
Adam LaRoche (35) - $15MM mutual option with a $2MM buyout
Ty Wigginton (37)
Second basemen
Robert Andino (31)Emilio Bonifacio (30)
Chris Getz (31)
Pete Orr (36)
Dustin Pedroia (31) - $11MM club option with a $500K buyout
Rickie Weeks (32) - $11.5MM vesting option
Shortstops
Mike Aviles (34) - club option
Asdrubal Cabrera (29)
J.J. Hardy (32)
Jed Lowrie (31)
Hiroyuki Nakajima (32) - $5.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Hanley Ramirez (31)
Cody Ransom (39)
Jimmy Rollins (36) - vesting/club/player option
Wilson Valdez (37)
Third basemen
Alberto Callaspo (32)
Alberto Gonzalez (32)
Jack Hannahan (35) - $4MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Chase Headley (31)
Donnie Murphy (32)
Aramis Ramirez (37) - mutual option
Hanley Ramirez (31)
Cody Ransom (39)
Pablo Sandoval (28)
Ian Stewart (30)
Ty Wigginton (37)
Left fielders
Melky Cabrera (30)
Chris Denorfia (34)
Ryan Doumit (34)
Lew Ford (38)
Brett Gardner (31)
Jonny Gomes (34)
Tony Gwynn Jr. (32)
Scott Hairston (35)
Ryan Ludwick (36) - $9MM mutual option with a $4.5MM buyout
Seth Smith (32)
Alfonso Soriano (39)
Vernon Wells (36)
Josh Willingham (36)
Center fielders
Emilio Bonifacio (30)
Tony Gwynn Jr. (32)
Mitch Maier (33)
Nyjer Morgan (34)
Colby Rasmus (28)
Denard Span (31) - $9MM club option with a $500K
Right fielders
Michael Cuddyer (36)
Chris Denorfia (34)
Scott Hairston (35)
Torii Hunter (39)
Nick Markakis (31) - $17.5MM mutual option; $2MM buyout if club declines
Nyjer Morgan (34)
Alex Rios (34) - $13.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Nate Schierholtz (31)
Ichiro Suzuki (41)
Designated hitters
Billy Butler (29) - $12.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Ryan Doumit (34)
Adam Dunn (35)
Jonny Gomes (34)
Victor Martinez (35)
David Ortiz (39)
Starting pitchers
Brett Anderson (27) - $12MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout
Homer Bailey (29)
Josh Beckett (35)
Chad Billingsley (30) - $14MM club option with a $3MM buyout
Nick Blackburn (33)
Joe Blanton (34) - $8MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Wei-Yin Chen (29) - $4.75MM club option with a $372K buyout
Kevin Correia (34)
Johnny Cueto (29) - $10MM club option with an $800K buyout
Ryan Dempster (38)
Yovani Gallardo (29) - $13MM club option with a $600K buyout
Edgar Gonzalez (32)
J.A. Happ (32) - $6.7MM club option
Luke Hochevar (31)
Hisashi Iwakuma (34) - $7MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Jair Jurrjens (29)
Kyle Kendrick (30)
Clayton Kershaw (27)
Aaron Laffey (30)
John Lannan (30)
Justin Masterson (30)
Brandon McCarthy (31)
Dustin McGowan (32) - $4MM club option with a $500K buyout
Brandon Morrow (30) - $10MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Charlie Morton (31)
Jeff Niemann (32)
Ross Ohlendorf (32)
Felipe Paulino (31)
Jake Peavy (34)
Clayton Richard (31)
Max Scherzer (30)
Chris Volstad (28)
Carlos Villanueva (31)
Closers
Jim Johnson (32)Jason Motte (33)
Chris Perez (29)
J.J. Putz (38)
Sergio Romo (32)
Rafael Soriano (35) - $14MM vesting/club option
Huston Street (31) - $7MM club option
Right-handed relievers
Alfredo Aceves (32)
Manny Acosta (34)
Mike Adams (36) - $6MM club option
Burke Badenhop (32)
Andrew Bailey (31)
Heath Bell (37)
Jared Burton (34) - $3.6MM club option with a $200K buyout
Kyuji Fujikawa (34) - $5.5MM club/vesting option with a $500K buyout
Luke Gregerson (31)
Jason Grilli (38)
Pat Neshek (34)
Darren O'Day (32) - $4.25MM club option with a $400K buyout
Joel Peralta (39) - $2.5MM club option
Chris Resop (32)
David Robertson (30)
Joakim Soria (30) - $7MM club option with a $500K buyout
Jerome Williams (33)
Brad Ziegler (35)
Left-handed relievers
Craig Breslow (34) - $4MM club option with a $100K buyout
Sean Burnett (32) - $4.5MM club/vesting option with a $500K buyout
Phil Coke (32)
Tom Gorzelanny (32)
Jose Mijares (30)
Andrew Miller (30)
Franklin Morales (29)
Joe Thatcher (33)
Cot's Baseball Contracts was used in the creation of this list.
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