By BRENDAN MEYERS
This year’s Major League Baseball free agency period is underway and hundreds of millions of dollars are set to be spent. As the Texas Rangers showed this season, signing big time free agents can immediately turn an organization into a championship team. Usually big market teams will be busy while smaller market teams will get cheaper players with higher value.
This free agent class is headlined by the reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The two-way player does it all: he hits bombs, he steals bases, he strikes guys out on the mound. He should deservedly get the biggest contract ever. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorite to get him and I believe they will. They will probably have to pay somewhere in the $550-600 million dollar range. Other teams interested in him are the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox.
Cody Bellinger had a major bounce back season with the Chicago Cubs in 2023. The former 2019 MVP struggled mightily in 2021 and 2022 coming off a major injury. He signed a one year deal with the Cubs last offseason to try and earn a much longer deal this season. He should get at least $200 million from some major market team. I predict the New York Yankees will sign him and give him as much money as he wants. Bellinger’s father Clay played for the Yankees from 1999-2001 and his son would surely be welcomed to a lineup that is missing a big lefty bat like Cody.
Blake Snell was the National League Cy Young winner with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He led the major leagues in earned runs average (ERA) and is the most highly prized pitcher on the market. His only issue is he is 31 and might not have too many productive years left to make him an easy long term free agent signing. I think he will stay where he was in San Diego and try and help them make a push to the playoffs in 2024.
Aaron Nola has been an ace for the Philadelphia Phillies for the last few years. The veteran starting pitcher has pitched in some huge playoff games over the last couple of years. He’s had over 200 strikeouts five out of his last six seasons and is one of the most durable pitchers on the market right now. The Phillies will do everything in their power to resign him, but I think he will find a new home in the midwest with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals desperately need starting pitching and they have the two best players in the entire NL Central with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. They cannot waste these years with them and must find better starting pitching.
Josh Hader is the best relief pitcher available. The fireballing lefty has been one of the top closers in baseball the last few years. Every contending team should want him but I think that will pay him the most is the Chicago Cubs. His former manager with the Milwaukee Brewers Craig Counsell recently signed with the Cubs and I am sure he would love to acquire one of his favorite relievers he has ever coached.
Featured Image Credit: Fan Graphs
Leave a Reply