The following MLB players will be eligible for free agency following the 2017 World Series. Numbers in parentheses are the age at which the player will play the 2018 season.
If you see any notable errors or omissions, please contact us. To see who represents these players, check out MLBTR’s Agency Database.
Updated 6-27-18
Catchers
Carlos Ruiz (39)
Geovany Soto (35)
First Basemen
Adam Lind (34)
Tyler Moore (31)
Brandon Moss (34)
Second Basemen
Shortstops
J.J. Hardy (35)
Third Basemen
Yunel Escobar (35)
Conor Gillaspie (30)
Jhonny Peralta (36)
Left Fielders
Andre Ethier (36)
Franklin Gutierrez (35)
Center Fielders
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Right Fielders
Seth Smith (35)
Designated Hitters
Matt Holliday (38)
Brandon Moss (34)
Starting Pitchers
R.A. Dickey (43)
Scott Feldman (35)
Matt Garza (34)
Ubaldo Jimenez (34)
John Lackey (39)
Jeff Locke (30)
Jake Peavy (37)
Chris Smith (37)
Right-Handed Relievers
Joe Blanton (37)
Josh Collmenter (32)
Jason Grilli (41)
Chad Qualls (39)
Trevor Rosenthal (28)
Drew Storen (30)
Huston Street (34)
Left-Handed Relievers
Antonio Bastardo (32)
Eric O’Flaherty (33)
Cot’s Contracts was used in the creation of this post.
This list is probably a big part of why there was so much trade deadline action this year.
There’s some nice names on here, but a lot of risk. Arrieta, Darvish, and Cueto make for a good potential top of the pile, but Arrieta has age working against him and Darvish has those recent injury troubles. A lot of teams may opt to keep relatively quiet next year in favor of the next year’s rather insane FA class.
agreed. a lot of mid 30s guys who are so so. a good catch would be cargo. Down year. Maybe a 4-5 yr deal
Cueto is a month older Arrieta, and Darvish is five months younger. Your comment makes no sense.
Guys I’d like to see Braves target would be
Moustakas – Longshot I think he will stay in KC on a team friendly deal
JD Martinez – Probably wont happen with Kemp on team now
Cobb, Duffy, Eovaldi = 1 or 2 I could see happening need veteran starters who are young enough to still have upside for when team wants to start winning.
Cishek,Reed, Alb – 1 of the 3 What can it hurt hope they build value for trade chips if not they will contribute. Probably long shots to sign Reed, but Cishek and Alb I dont see demanding to be on a winning team really.
I think a lot of value could be had for cheap since this class precedes an all time class I don’t think they will get max dollar value with teams possibly waiting a year to spend on potentially Harper, Machado etc.
You can have Cishek right now for free he is awful blown 6 straight saves and lost the closing job to a kid that a few months ago was in AA ball. He is also on the DL where hopefully he stays the rest of the year. Unfortunately we owe him $10 mill next year, probably have to eat a chunk of it to get rid of him.
His deal was $10 million for 2 years. We owe him $6 million in 2017.
The kid didn’t blow 6 straight and he was hurt. He actually saved 5 straight (21-25) before blowing 2 in a row and then going on the DL, but i guess you’re a stats guy so you’d know. Did you happen to notice that when he came back from the DL, him in the 8th inning was a huge reason Seattle had a shot at the playoffs until the last weekend of the season? Yea, you’re right, give him away for free… idiot
You made good points, but your hostile closing was immature.
I’m not so sure that Moustakas would fit into the braves plans for 2018 when it is highly probable that after another season in AAA Rio Ruiz shows himself capable enough for a chance.
Similarly JD Martinez would likely not be high in the Braves interest for 2018 with Kemp already under contract and chance that Dustin Peterson would be ready. Peterson has really raised his stock with a strong season in AA Mississippi in an extreme pitchers park.
I don’t see Martinez in ATL’s plans as long as either of Markakis/Kemp are in the OF. Martinez is not an upgrade on defense for anyone except for Kemp. His power should get him a substantial AAV, short-term deal even if he has a terrible 2017. ATL has a lot of OF options coming up and don’t see them cornering them by bringing in another vet with limitations.
Mous could be interesting depending on how the maturity of Rio Ruiz and Austin Riley goes. Riley looks like the future, but he’s still 2 years away.
I can’t see ATL going after any bullpen options with the number of arms we have coming through the system. We’ve got Johnson signed to a decent deal with a lot of upside arms with some closing experience (Cabrera, Viz, etc.). Unless a lot fall to injury or don’t return to form (i.e. Shae Simmons), I can’t see ATL paying market rate on guys like Addison Reed, Alb, Cishek considering age is not on their side. I’d rather roll the dice with some of the guys in our system, even if it means giving innings with a talented rookie who needs some MLB exposure.
For the Yanks, Pineda and Eovaldi are both Arb 3 not FA.
I definitely agree with zerob…underwhelming group this year, especially when you take off names whose option years will undoubtedly be picked up. I’m curious to see what the QO situation looks like this year. I’m not sure if there will be fewer players than normal getting it or if teams will be willing to extend QOs to players who wouldn’t otherwise get one since player values may be inflated a bit in a weak class.
Misread, FA after ’17 Pineda and Eovaldi will be FA
Looks like a much better class of starting pitchers will be coming onto the market next year compared to this one, though obviously some of the better names could be extended this winter.
This is a very weak market- maybe teams can find some value on the non-tender market
I thought Howie Kendrick signed a multi year contract? And I don’t see Chase Utley, Justin Turner or Josh Reddick on that list. Aren’t they all free agents?
This list is for after the 2017 season. Utley, Turner, and Reddick are free agents after 2016
Gotcha. Thank you. I thought it was for after this season. Some pretty good free agents to be had after next season. Next trade deadline should be even more interesting than this years.
This is for after the 2017 season, not this year.
Someone didn’t read. This is a 2017-2018 list (not this off-season)
No, I didn’t read it correctly. Thanks for trying to make me look stupid though. Appreciate it. Always can count on one of you guys on here to try call someone out.
Pretty good class. Definitely better than this offseason. Thanks for doing this Steve!
Wow, this isn’t much better than 2016-17. Look at the Catchers. that is going to boost people like Ramos’ value I think.
The pitching is certainly better than 2016-17. Any of Darvish, Arrieta, Cueto (opt-out seems likely based on 2016), Tillman or even Danny Duffy (depending on your opinion of his 2016 season — and I’m buying) would be the best starter on this year’s market. Plus, Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn and Tyson Ross could set themselves up for considerable contracts if they rebound well from their injuries.
Also, referring to the catchers, keep in mind that Lucroy will be added once his 2017 option is officially exercised. His omission from the list is a formality.
It’s nowhere near what the 2018-19 class will be, but it’s a relatively solid class that has the possibility for between five and ten $100MM+ deals, whereas at this point I think Cespedes is the only $100MM+ player on the upcoming market.
Whoa. Good assessment
Outside of catchers, it’s much better than this year. Arrieta, Bumgarner, Alvarez, Cueto, Martinez, Kimbrel, McGee, Eovaldi, Chen, Darvish, Espinosa, Moustakas, Cain, Frazier, etc. It’s not even close.
Plus Altuve, Hosmer, and filled with bounce back candidates.
Bumgarner stays with the Giants unless his ERA is over 9.00 in 2017. His option.
Yeah, I must have totally got stuck on the Catchers and couldn’t move passed that.
I’d bet Yonder Alonso is a free agent after this season, there’s no way the A’s retain him next year
Need to add Dodgers JP Howell to the list of LH BP arms
Howell is a free agent this coming winter. This list is previewing the 2017-18 class.
OK, my mistake.
Maybe you needed to put that in caps and bold. 😉
I thought Lucroy only had a 17 option? Is he not a FA after next year?
He has a 2017 option and will be added to the list once that option is officially exercised. It’s a formality — and one that is less critical this year because there are fewer borderline option calls — but we’ve always steered away from proclaiming that a guy’s option will or won’t be claimed. in advance. Lucroy’s is about as big of a slam dunk as there is to be exercised, but if we make that projection for him, it opens the door to ask why we didn’t make it for others whose options are less certain.
Barring a catastrophic injury, it’ll be picked up, and he’ll be added to the list upon completion of the 2016 postseason.
Further review, it appears that you overlooked all of the Dodgers free agents; SP Rich Hill, Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir can opt out, Brandon Beachy; BP Kenley Jansen, Joe Blanton, Louis Coleman, and JP Howell; Catcher AJ Ellis; 2b Chase Utley; OF Josh Reddick — I may be missing some.
Once again — not a list of this year’s free agents.
OK, got it. Should Ethier be included as 2018 is a $17.5MM option that Dodgers will almost certainly buy out for $2.5MM
Ah! Ethier should indeed be on here. Thank you!
I count eight potential 100M+ deals.
I’ll bite! Which eight are you thinking?
Eric Hosmer, Todd Frazier, JD Martinez, Lorenzo Cain, Jake Arrieta, and Yu Darvish I would figure are all locks.
If Moustakas and Tyson Ross rebound nicely, I’d figure they’d be up there, seeing as Ian Kennedy and Chen got 80M+.
And that is excluding Justin Upton and Cueto
Frazier? No way dude.
Yeah I’m curious to see the same. I’d guess 5 personally, but I can probably see 8 if by potential, you mean best case realistic scenario for each player
I mean, seeing as Sandoval and guys like Mike Leake got 85M+, I could see guys like Moustakas and Tyson Ross flirting with 100M if they rebound in 2017.
I listed 6 guys I would view as “locks” above.
Frazier as a lock for 100m?
Sandoval got 95M, so yeah.. I think Frazier will get 100M
Yeah I don’t see $100 million for Frazier personally. Sandoval was almost as good a hitter as Frazier when you park-adjust, a similar defender, 4 years younger, and with a history or postseason and team success (which is tough to quantify, but I imagine played a role somewhat in inflating his contract). I only think 4/72-85 will be on the table for Frazier. I’m less optimistic on Cain also. His offense is down slightly, and a similar type outfielder in Alex Gordon underwhelmed with his deal (not sure Cain stays up the middle by his mid-30’s). Arrieta, Cueto, Hosmer, Martinez, Darvish are locks IMO, with Upton, Cobb, and Ross longshots, but possible if everything breaks well for them
I tend to disagree on Frazier, but fair enough.
Cain is wasa 5-7 WAR player 2014-2015, and is an elite CFer. I think someone will pay a ton for him if he gets there, especially considering there isn’t really another quality defensive outfielder with a good bat in the class.
That’s fair. A performance for Cain in 2017 that closely resembles 2014-2015 makes him a lock for 100 with a crack at 6/150, but I see him as a bit high-risk given the well-documented unflattering aging curve for speed/defense guys and some rocky injury history. Too high to be a lock for me, but I understand where you’re coming from, and $100 million definitely isn’t out of the question
Haha! No way Cain sniffs 100-150. Even with a 2014-15 bounce back.
Upton isn’t a UFA until 2018
What exactly are you suggesting is wrong with the list? Both Uptons seem correct to me – Melvin is a FA, Justin can opt out.
Nunez is under control for another year via arbitration for the Giants who will most likely lock him up long term
I think Jason Heyward has an opt out after 2017, but I don’t see him on the list.
Assuming they don’t trade everyone this offseason, I am guessing that Kansas City will be the talk of baseball in July of next year. Look at how much attention that the Brewers got with Lucroy and company this season. I can’t imagine how any KC stories we will see here and elsewhere with Hosmer, Moose, Cain, and Duffy all probably going to get moved between now and then. Although I could see them locking up one of them to an extension as well. But definitely not all of them.
Jake Arrieta & Yu Darvish Should Both Pack Their Bags & Head For The Bronx Next Year.
would be cool if you could use the BB-REF player Linker, or just put in the link for each players to their player page.
I know thats a big of work, but this page is a key resource that I’m sure gets a lot of clicks. It really would make it a lot better.
cheers
Oakland should option/trade/dfa Coulombe and Hatcher, and sign Oliver Perez and one of Fernando Abad, Xavier Cedeno, Brian Duensing or Tony Watson.
Also go after Craig Breslow and Glen Perkins on minor league deals. If the A’s got a quality pen they might surprise in 2018.