The 2020-21 Offseason Begins
2020/10/the-2020-21-offseason-begins.htmlOur projected arbitration numbers are already live, and our annual Top 50 Free Agents list and Free Agent Prediction contest are both expected to be posted early next week. … JANUARY 15: The opening of the 2020-21 international signing period.
Offseason Outlook: Toronto Blue Jays
2020/11/offseason-outlook-toronto-blue-jays-12.htmlReunions with free agents Taijuan Walker, Matt Shoemaker, Anderson, and Robbie Ray will be considered, with Walker likely to receive the most attention from other teams given how well he pitched in 2020, particularly after joining the Blue Jays after the trade deadline. … After three losing seasons, the Blue Jays both topped the .500 mark and returned to the playoffs in 2020.
Offseason Outlook: San Francisco Giants
2020/11/offseason-outlook-san-francisco-giants-11.htmlKevin Gausman, Trevor Cahill, Drew Smyly, and Jeff Samardzija are all free agents, leaving some major holes to fill and some major innings to replace. … Note on arb-eligible players: this year’s arbitration projections are more volatile than ever, given the unprecedented revenue losses felt by clubs and the shortened 2020 schedule.
2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
2020/11/mlb-free-agent-predictions-2021.htmlMLB Trade Rumors is proud to present our 15th annual Top 50 Free Agents list! For the entire list of free agents, plus the ability to filter by signing status, position, signing team, and qualifying offer status, check out our mobile-friendly free agent tracker here. … The pandemic only makes the task harder, as we don't know how conservative each club will be in light of drastically reduced revenue in 2020.
Top 50 Trade Deadline Candidates
2020/08/top-50-trade-deadline-candidates.htmlWe’re bringing back our annual series in the run-up to the trade deadline, drawing from our power ranking approach to pending free agents. … Major League Baseball decided to add three extra playoff teams per league for 2020, and that's obviously going to impact how clubs handle the deadline.
9 Free-Agent Hitters Coming Off Productive Offensive Seasons
2020/01/9-free-agent-hitters-coming-off-productive-offensive-seasons.htmlHe's now one of two MLBTR top 50 free agents still without a job, but the Blue Jays have shown recent interest in him. … Still just 28, Flores has regularly mixed decent or better offense with defensive versatility, so could be a rather useful pickup for someone heading into 2020.
Reds To Sign Pedro Strop
2020/01/reds-sign-pedro-strop.htmlRegardless, he's the latest of MLBTR's top 50 free agents they've added. … They're returning some quality holdovers - Raisel Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, Amir Garrett and Robert Stephenson, to name a few - and the hope is Strop will accompany them as a key late-game option for the club in 2020.
Nationals Sign Will Harris
2020/01/nationals-to-sign-will-harris.htmlMLBTR projected a two-year, $18MM deal for Harris, as we ranked him 22nd on our list of the winter's top 50 free agents. … Harris will lineup behind closer Sean Doolittle in 2020, and Harris' presence now means that he'll essentially replace Hudson in the District's pen, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post tweets.
Blue Jays Sign Hyun-Jin Ryu
2019/12/blue-jays-to-sign-hyun-jin-ryu.htmlReturning to MLBTR's Top 50 Free Agents list, Alex Wood (at #39) is now the highest-ranked starter still on the board, as the 14 pitchers ahead of him have all found new deals before Christmas. … While all of those teams were either playoff clubs in 2019 or are planning to contend in 2020, it was the rebuilding Blue Jays who made the big strike, signaling that their own effort to return to contention is coming sooner rather than later.
Latest On Hyun-Jin Ryu’s Market
2019/12/latest-on-hyun-jin-ryus-market.htmlThere has been widespread interest in left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, who has become even more of a prized commodity since he is now the only starting pitcher remaining within the top 38 players on MLBTR's list of the offseason's top 50 free agents. … Arrieta, Didi Gregorius, and David Robertson all come off the books after the 2020 season, so the Phillies could duck back under the tax threshold after just one year.
MLBTR Poll: Nicholas Castellanos’ Contract
2019/12/mlbtr-poll-nicholas-castellanos-next-contract.htmlThere are perhaps wider error bars on Castellanos than many free agents, though. … Teams not poised to contend in 2020 could still pursue Castellanos and expect a few peak years in 2021 and beyond.
Dodgers Interested In Re-Signing Hyun-Jin Ryu
2019/12/dodgers-interested-in-re-signing-hyun-jin-ryu.htmlThe left-hander entered the offseason hoping to land a three- or four-year contract, and MLBTR projected three years and $54MM in our ranking of the winter's top 50 free agents (Ryu finished ninth in our listing). … Or, a non-contender like the Blue Jays might be willing to offer the fourth year in order to lure Ryu to a team that isn't lined up to compete in 2020.
Rangers To Sign Jordan Lyles
2019/12/rangers-to-sign-jordan-lyles.htmlLyles did not crack the top 50 of MLB's best available free agents entering the offseason, making this significant payday all the more surprising. … He and Lyles will presumably join high-end holdovers Mike Minor and Lance Lynn to comprise four-fifths of the Rangers' rotation in 2020, while Kolby Allard figures to have the inside track on the last spot in their staff.
Twins To Re-Sign Michael Pineda
2019/12/twins-to-re-sign-michael-pineda.htmlMLBTR ranked Pineda 17th on our list of the winter's top 50 free agents, and his contract fell just shy of the $22MM we projected he would land on a two-year deal. … This new contract also comes in the midst of some extenuating circumstances, as Pineda is still in the midst of a 60-game PED suspension and will miss the first 39 games of the 2020 season.
Nats Owner Lerner: “We Really Can Only Afford To Have One Of” Rendon Or Strasburg
2019/12/nats-owner-lerner-we-really-can-only-afford-to-have-one-of-rendon-or-strasburg.htmlWe already have a really large payroll to begin with....We’re pursuing them, we’re pursuing other free agents in case they decided to go elsewhere. … Since Adam Eaton, Anibal Sanchez, Sean Doolittle, and Kurt Suzuki could all come off the books after the 2020 season, the Nationals could potentially even get back under the 2021 threshold ($210MM) or at worst pay another minimal penalty by staying within the $210-$230MM range.
Marlins Notes: Park Dimensions, Outfield, Catcher, Villar, Aguilar
2019/12/marlins-rumors-yasiel-puig-steven-souza.htmlGarcia, meanwhile, was linked to Miami last week, and the fit makes plenty of sense on paper; MLBTR predicted that Garcia would land with the Fish when ranking our top 50 free agents at the outset of the offseason. … Changes are coming to Marlins Park, as the team announced Wednesday that the fences will be moved in and new synthetic grass will be installed prior to Opening Day 2020.
Rays Continuing Talks With Travis D’Arnaud
2019/11/rays-continuing-talks-with-travis-darnaud.htmlIt was enough for MLBTR to rank d'Arnaud as the second-best catcher available in this year's free agent market (and 26th overall on our list of the top 50 free agents), with a projected contract of two years and $14MM. … If the Rays truly feel that d'Arnaud just needed a change of scenery away from New York and can now enjoy a fairly stable playing career, they might feel inclined to go slightly beyond their usual financial comfort zone in the name of finally solidifying their longstanding issues at catcher, and because Tampa Bay is intent on making a deeper postseason run in 2020.
Braves Sign Will Smith
2019/11/braves-sign-will-smith.htmlThe Braves' early splash into the free agent pool gives them the top closer on the market this offseason, and the 13th-ranked player on MLBTR's list of the winter's top 50 free agents. … San Francisco will still receive some compensation for Smith, however, as his rejection of the qualifying offer will net the club a bonus draft pick that will fall between Competitive Balance Round B and the third round of the 2020 draft.
Jake Odorizzi To Accept Qualifying Offer
2019/11/jake-odorizzi-accept-qualifying-offer-twins.htmlWhile most pegged Odorizzi as a candidate to secure a multi-year pact in free agency -- he landed 10th on our ranking of the Top 50 free agents -- he and his representatives at Excel Sports Management clearly weren't enthused by their early talks with teams throughout the league. … He'll now be signed for the 2020 season at a rate of $17.8MM.
Rangers Reportedly Making “Aggressive” Push For Josh Donaldson
2019/11/rangers-rumors-aggressive-josh-donaldson.htmlDonaldson, who hit .259/.371/.521 with 37 home runs and plus defense at third base with the Braves in 2019, ranked fifth on MLBTR's list of the offseason's Top 50 free agents (where we predicted a three-year, $75MM deal with Texas). … As we detailed at MLBTR this week, signing Donaldson on the heels of a qualifying offer would cost the Rangers their second-highest draft selection next summer as well as $500K of their 2020-21 international signing bonus.
Blue Jays Notes: Gurriel, Starters, Tepera
2019/11/blue-jays-notes-gurriel-starters-tepera.htmlAs for how the Blue Jays could attract free agents, general manager Ross Atkins contends (via Sportsnet's Shi Davidi): “The agility of our roster, the depth of our system, the financial flexibility that we have, the leadership of (manager) Charlie Montoyo and the environment of our clubhouse are all very attractive.” Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star argues now is the time for Atkins and the Jays to use their financial flexibility to court Cole or Stephen Strasburg, but he admits ownership - Rogers Communications - would likely stand in the way. … As Nicholson-Smith notes, adding one of the two could cost the Jays a top 50 pick in 2020.
AL East Notes: McNeil, Rays, Didi, Shapiro
2019/11/rumors-rays-mets-yankees-jays.htmlEven after an injury-shortened down year, Gregorius is still the best shortstop option on the free agent market; MLBTR ranked him 12th on our list of the winter's top 50 free agents and predicted he'd land a three-year, $42MM contract. … One industry source describes the chances of Gregorius returning to New York in 2020 as "a very close call," especially since Martino notes that Gregorius and his representatives believe they can find a multi-year deal in free agency.
Offseason Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks
2019/11/offseason-outlook-arizona-diamondbacks-10.htmlWe posited the club as a potential buyer of top-class relievers in compiling our list of the top 50 free agents, though we ultimately predicted a relatively low-cost accord with the sturdy and experienced Steve Cishek. … Corbin Martin is doing the same, though he's unlikely to return before later in the year and is probably not a major factor in the 2020 planning.
Josh Lindblom Eyeing MLB Return
2019/11/josh-lindblom-rumors-free-agent-mlb-kbo.htmlIn this year's edition of our annual Top 50 Free Agents (published Monday), we ranked Lindblom near the back end of the list and pegged him for a two-year deal worth a total of $8MM. … Lindblom has also drawn interest from teams in Japan and could quite likely receive a nice offer to return to the Bears in 2020, so he'll have choices at his disposal this winter.
2019-20 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
2019/11/mlb-free-agent-predictions-2020.htmlMLB Trade Rumors is proud to present our 14th annual Top 50 Free Agents list! For the entire list of free agents, plus the ability to filter by signing status, position, signing team, and qualifying offer status, check out our mobile-friendly free agent tracker here. … Should the Yankees choose to install Gleyber Torres as their regular shortstop in 2020, Gregorius could land with the Reds, Brewers, Marlins, or Phillies.