The Opener: Offseason Thaw, Red Sox, Cubs
2024/01/the-opener-offseason-thaw-red-sox-cubs.html28 of MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agents are still unattached, including big names like Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Josh Hader. … Yesterday, MLBTR's Anthony Franco took a look at each club's free agent spending thus far this offseason and the Cubs were one of four yet to spend any money at all.
Each Team’s Free Agent Spending Thus Far
2024/01/each-teams-free-agent-spending-thus-far.htmlThere's still plenty of offseason to go -- only 22 of MLBTR's Top 50 free agents are off the board -- but we'll take this opportunity to check in on which teams have been the most active thus far. … We'll limit this look to players who inked major league contracts and set the cutoff as November 6 -- the date on which free agents were first permitted to speak with teams other than their 2023 club.
MLBTR Poll: Matt Chapman’s Market
2024/01/mlbtr-poll-matt-chapmans-market.htmlOf the nine hitters in MLBTR's Top 20 free agents, four (Ohtani, Jeimer Candelario, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. … Beyond Shohei Ohtani, the top of the free agent hitting market has been stagnant.
Free Agent Profile: Joc Pederson
2023/12/free-agent-profile-joc-pederson.htmlTwenty-two of MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agents have signed this winter, and 16 of those (including Shohei Ohtani) have been pitchers. … According to the Steamer projection system at FanGraphs, he has the second-highest projected OPS (.809) among all unsigned free agents.
Free Agent Faceoff: Jorge Soler/J.D. Martinez
2023/12/free-agent-faceoff-jorge-soler-j-d-martinez.htmlBoth have flashed 40-homer power in their careers previously, and both project for a similar guarantee this offseason: in our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, MLBTR projected Soler for three years and $45MM guaranteed while Martinez projected for two years and $40MM. … While the current free agent market for position players has generally been seen as one of the weaker ones in recent memory, there is one area where this winter's crop has notable depth: right-handed sluggers.
Reds Sign Frankie Montas
2024/01/reds-to-sign-frankie-montas.htmlHis deal almost exactly matched the one-year, $15MM pact that MLB Trade Rumors projected for Montas in our top 50 free agents list, with Montas sitting 44th in the ranking. … A trade has always seemed to be the likeliest route for pitching help given Cincinnati's wealth of minor league depth, yet the Reds have also been linked to such free agents as Seth Lugo, Yariel Rodriguez, and old friend Sonny Gray.
Blue Jays Have Reportedly “Taken The Lead” In Yariel Rodriguez Sweepstakes
2023/12/blue-jays-have-reportedly-taken-the-lead-in-yariel-rodriguez-sweepstakes.htmlAfter missing out on top free agents Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto earlier this month, the Blue Jays have ramped up activity at the lower levels of the market of late by re-signing center fielder Kevin Kiermaier to a one-year pact and landing utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a two-year deal in recent days. … It appears the club isn't stopping there, as Enrique Rojas of ESPN reported Friday afternoon that the club has "taken the lead" in the sweepstakes for the services of right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, who Rojas adds is "close" to making a decision in free agency.
Free Agent Profile: Marcus Stroman
2023/12/free-agent-profile-marcus-stroman.htmlAt this point in the offseason, teams hoping to add a playoff-caliber starter without breaking the bank will be hard-pressed to find a better option than Stroman, who was projected by MLBTR for just two years and $44MM in our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list. … The free agent market has been slower than usual this winter, but one area of the market that has stayed fairly consistently active throughout the offseason has been the starting pitching market.
Latest On Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery
2023/12/latest-on-blake-snell-jordan-montgomery.htmlIt's worth noting that MLBTR projected Snell for a far more significant seven-year, $200MM contract in our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, where he placed fourth behind only Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, and Yamamoto. … While many around the game have long assumed that the free agent market, particularly that for pitching, would pick up following right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto's decision to sign with the Dodgers last week, that seemingly has not come to fruition to this point.
Red Sox Reportedly Interested In Robert Stephenson, Amed Rosario
2023/12/red-sox-reportedly-interested-in-robert-stephenson-amed-rosario.htmlRosario clocked in as the 39th free agent on MLBTR's annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, where we projected him for a two-year, $18MM deal. … While Rosario may not be the most impactful free agent available on the market, the Red Sox would shore up their depth at a clear position of need by adding him and would do so without blocking the club's top infield prospects such as Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke from playing their way into the big leagues later in the year.
Free Agent Faceoff: Jordan Hicks/Robert Stephenson
2023/12/free-agent-faceoff-jordan-hicks-robert-stephenson.htmlOn our Top 50 free agents, we slotted Jordan Hicks and Robert Stephenson as the top bullpen arms behind Hader. … Atlanta inked three of those contracts, two of which (for Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez) came just before the opening of free agency.
Blue Jays Interested In Amed Rosario
2023/12/blue-jays-interested-in-amed-rosario.htmlMLBTR ranked Rosario 39th on our list of the offseason's top 50 free agents, projecting a two-year, $18MM deal even in the wake of his lackluster 2023 season. … Such a deal might appeal to Rosario and his reps at Octagon as well, as a bounce-back in 2024 could then line Rosario up for a more lucrative multi-year contract as a free agent next winter.
Blue Jays Re-Sign Kevin Kiermaier To One-Year Deal
2023/12/blue-jays-kevin-kiermaier-reportedly-closing-in-on-reunion.htmlWith that said, Kiermaier is certainly a quality player in his own right; his decent offense and strong defense earned him the #31 spot on MLBTR's annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, where we projected him for a two-year, $26MM deal. … With that being said, the club surely has room for further additions given their reported pursuits of pricey superstars such as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency as well as Juan Soto via trade.
Dodgers Remain Interested In Teoscar Hernandez
2023/12/dodgers-remain-interested-in-teoscar-hernandez.htmlhas been by far the busiest club of the offseason to this point as they've landed top free agents Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto while also swinging a trade for and extending right-hander Tyler Glasnow. … That mix of a relatively stable floor and tantalizing upside earned Hernandez the 12th spot on MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, where we projected him for a four-year, $80MM contract.
Astros, Blue Jays, Pirates, Yankees Continue To Be Interested In Yariel Rodriguez
2023/12/astros-blue-jays-pirates-yankees-continue-to-be-interested-in-yariel-rodriguez.htmlHowever, Rodriguez doesn't turn 27 until March, and there is enough intrigue in his upside as a starter that MLBTR ranked him 28th on our list of the offseason's top 50 free agents, and projected him for a four-year, $32MM contract. … Rodriguez is something of a wild card in the free agent pitching market, given that he has spent most of his career pitching in Cuba, he worked mostly out of the bullpen with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball from 2020-22, and he didn't pitch at all in 2023 (apart from the World Baseball Classic) since he sat out the NPB season trying to get released from his contract with the Dragons.
Free Agent Prediction Contest Leaderboard Update
2023/12/free-agent-prediction-contest-leaderboard-update.htmlVivek Patel, Tom Diesman, Alan Capellan, Michael Scriven, and Ryan Ohara each have correctly picked seven of the 19 top-50 free agents who have signed to date, based on our original Top 50 Free Agents list published on November 6. … MLB Trade Rumors' annual free agent prediction contest drew 6,135 entries this year, and as we hit Christmas Day, the leaderboard informs us of a five-way tie for first place.
Padres Sign Yuki Matsui To Five-Year Deal
2023/12/padres-sign-yuki-matsui-to-five-year-deal.htmlMatsui landed at #43 on MLBTR's annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, where we projected him for a two-year, $16MM deal. … It's a somewhat unusual deal for a reliever; right-hander Robert Suarez's agreement with the Padres and the record-breaking deal between star closer Edwin Diaz and the Mets, both of which were signed last offseason, are the only contracts for free agent relievers to surpass five years.
Red Sox, Angels Reportedly Interested In Teoscar Hernandez
2023/12/red-sox-angels-reportedly-interested-in-teoscar-hernandez.htmlWith a stable, above-average offensive floor and a tantalizing, All Star-caliber ceiling, Hernandez ranked 12th on MLBTR's annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, where we projected him for a four-year, $80MM contract. … While O'Neill and Duran both have everyday potential and a youngster such as Abreu or Ceddanne Rafaela could emerge as a quality option, adding a reliable bat to the outfield could provide a major boost to a Red Sox offense that lost Justin Turner and Adam Duvall to free agency last month.
The Opener: Yamamoto, Matsui, Pirates
2023/12/the-opener-yamamoto-matsui-pirates.html43 spot on MLBTR's annual Top 50 MLB free agents list. … The top free agent remaining at this point in the offseason is right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Diamondbacks Re-Sign Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
2023/12/diamondbacks-to-sign-lourdes-gurriel-jr.htmlThe total guarantee of $42MM clocked in below the four-year, $54MM contract MLBTR projected for Gurriel when placing him 14th on our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, though it's worth noting that the average annual value of the deal is, by contrast, higher than we projected. … 17: The Diamondbacks have agreed to a reunion with free agent outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Cody Bellinger Reportedly Seeking $200MM Or More In Free Agency
2023/12/cody-bellinger-reportedly-seeking-200mm-or-more-in-free-agency.htmlWhile this new-look Bellinger came with potential red flags regarding his quality of contact in 2023, MLBTR nonetheless projected him for a twelve-year, $264MM deal in our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, the second-highest projected guarantee after Ohtani. … With superstar slugger Shohei Ohtani now off the board after signing on with the Dodgers, the market has seemingly begun to come into focus for center fielder Cody Bellinger, the clear #2 position player on the free agent market this offseason.
Yankees Interested In Shota Imanaga
2023/12/yankees-interested-in-shota-imanaga.htmlFor instance, the Yokohama BayStars (Imanaga's NPB team) would receive a $13.875MM release fee if the lefty signed the five-year, $85MM deal predicted in MLBTR's top 50 free agents list. … Imanaga would essentially be a backup plan if the Yankees can't sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has long been cited as one of the Bronx Bombers' top offseason targets.
Liam Hendriks Targeting Trade Deadline Return From Tommy John Surgery
2023/12/liam-hendriks-targeting-trade-deadline-return-from-tommy-john-surgery.htmlOn MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agents post, Hendriks was predicted to secure a two-year, $12MM contract.… His ultimate market might come down to who still has a bit of money left in their budget after the other free agents are signed and Spring Training approaches.
Royals Interested In Marcus Stroman
2023/12/royals-interested-in-marcus-stroman.htmlMLBTR predicted a two-year, $44MM deal for Stroman, who ranked 18th on our top 50 free agents list. … Rotation help is a stated goal of the Kansas City offseason, and the club has been linked to such other free agents as Seth Lugo, Lucas Giolito, and the now-signed Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde, as well as trade targets on teams like the Mariners and Marlins.
Latest On J.D. Martinez’s Market
2023/12/latest-on-j-d-martinezs-market.htmlAmong the top free agents on the market his offseason, one could argue that no player has had his market impacted more by the presence of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani than veteran slugger J.D. … What's more, while MLBTR projected Soler for a $45MM guarantee that clocks in higher than Martinez's $40MM figure on our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, it's worth noting that Soler's relative youth could allow him to secure a longer contract than Martinez, which would tamp down the average annual value of the deal and potentially allow the Mariners to more room in their budget for further offensive additions.