BY ISAAC HOWSON, PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
If there was one player that every MLB fan is paying attention to where he’ll sign it’s Shohei Ohtani. However, that doesn’t mean he’s the only game changer in this class of free agents.
MLB front offices have an array of arms to choose from to help build a championship caliber rotation. Mix in some sneaky power bats and what you get in return is a free agency that will reshape the MLB landscape. I’ll do my best to predict where some of the best free agents might land.
I’ll be following Mark Feinsand’s rankings and will include a link to his article on MLB.com
MLB free agent rankings 2023-2024
#1 Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH: Los Angeles Dodgers
The 29 year old superstar is ready to get his big payout and it’s hard to blame him. In only six seasons he’s already won an A.L MVP, and is poised to win his second this year, rookie of the year along with being a three time all star and two time silver slugger. However, notice how all of those awards are individual. That’s why I lean towards the Dodgers so heavily. Not only can they offer him the money he wants but that also gives him that winning environment he clearly craves. He still gets to live on the west coast and will get to play for a team in which winning is all they have done for the past 10 years.
Other options include the Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Giants and Angels.
#2 Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP: New York Yankees
Yamamoto will need to be posted by his NPB team, the Orix Buffaloes, but as soon as he figures teams jump on that opportunity quickly. I mean it’s hard to think why teams wouldn’t be all over Yamamoto. He’s only 25 and is coming off a NPB career in which he’s won the Pacific League MVP and the league’s equivalent of the Cy Young award in his past two seasons. Oh, he’s also won the triple crown in the past three seasons. There’s no reason the Yankees won’t spend big here, in my opinion. The team has been linked heavily with the pitcher and seems to be willing to spend as much as they want on the supposed future ace. Adding Yamamoto to a rotation with Gerrit Cole, and a hopefully revamped Carlos Rodon could spell trouble for the rest of the A.L East.
Other options include the Mets, Dodgers and the Red Sox.
#3 Blake Snell, LHP: Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are going to use this opportunity to do some retooling after a big loss this offseason. Aaron Nola has been a force for the Phillies in recent years and reports are they look to be losing him. So what the Phillies do, they go out and get the best left handed pitcher on the market. Snell is coming off a season in which he posted a 6 WAR season with an ERA of 2.25 and a record of 14-9. We all know Dave Dombrowski loves to spend so why not lose a pitcher in Nola and grab a great replacement in Snell.
Other options include the Padres, Dodgers and the Giants.
#4 Cody Bellinger, CF/1B, New York Yankees
The evil empire might be back and signing Yamamoto and Bellinger seems to be that sign. Bellinger is almost the perfect fit for the Yankees. Coming off a year with the Chicago Cubs in which he slashed .307/.356/.525 the seemingly revamped slugger will find a new home in The Bronx. With star prospect Jasson Dominguez sidelined till August Bellinger can slide right into that centerfield spot and simply move to the corner afterwards. That lefty bat should play well in New York and why not return to where your dad won 2 World Series titles. The only reason I don’t see the Yankees signing Bellinger is if they trade for Juan Soto.
Other options include the Cubs and the Giants.
#5 Aaron Nola, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
It’s a shame to see Nola leave Philadelphia as he’s the teams longest tenured player. He made his debut back in 2015 and has been pitching for them ever since, and he’s been pretty good at it too. While he did struggle this past regular season, there’s no reason to believe he can’t get back to his old self, and we saw that in the postseason. In four games pitched this last offseason he went 3 and 1 with an ERA of 2.35. I think that’s what the Cardinals believe they are buying here in Nola. It’s no secret the Cardinals are looking for pitching, reports of the Cardinals signing two of the big pitchers this offseason is all we have heard out of St. Louis and I believe they start with Nola.
Other options include the Braves and the Yankees.
#6 Josh Hader, LHP, Texas Rangers
The rich get richer and that’s what the Rangers do here with Hader. I’m buying into the rumors on this one. It seems to be an industry secret that Hader is clearly going to the Rangers and I can see why. He’s only coming off a season in which he put up 1.28 ERA in 61 appearances, while getting 33 saves as well. The Rangers coming off a World Series look to make it two in a row and signing the best closer in the game helps those odds tremendously.
Other options include the Phillies and Astros.
#7 Sonny Gray, RHP, Cardinals
Here they are again, I told you they wanted starting pitching. While it may be unrealistic to have one team sign two of the better pitchers in this market, I think it happens here. The Cardinals are coming off a disastrous season where they only went 71-91 and their front office knows that’s not acceptable. They’ve been clear with their intentions to sign multiple pitchers and Gray’s not bad by any means. He’s coming off a 2nd place Cy Young finish and while he is 34 I think there’s definitely some gas left in that tank. While his record was only .500 last year he still put up an ERA of 2.79 and an ERA+ of 154. Gray and Nola could do wonders in revamping a Cardinals rotation that struggled mightily last year.
Other options include the Phillies, Twins, Braves and Orioles.
#8 Jordan Montgomery, LHP, Texas Rangers
This might be my simplest prediction, he just won the World Series, why leave? Montgomery was amazing for the Rangers after they acquired him from the Cardinals. In his 11 regular-season games he put up 2.79 ERA and went 4-2 with the team. His postseason also helped his chances of getting a nice paycheck this offseason. In his six appearances in the postseason, with five being starts, he put up an ERA of only 2.90. The Rangers don’t want to lose a piece that was that important to their World Series run and I’d imagine Montgomery would have no issue with returning. It makes sense for both sides as he would help the Rangers defend their title next season.
Other options include Cardinals, Yankees and Braves.
#9 J.D. Martinez, DH, Los Angeles Angels
Well Angels fans here are your Ohtani replacement. I’m sorry I know it hurts losing a superstar like Ohtani but all that means is that the front office has to do their best in replacing him. Martinez helps recoup some of the loss from Ohtani’s leaving as he is still a plus bat. He’ll have no problem sliding right into Ohtani’s place in the batting order. Martinez was still an All-Star for the Dodgers last year and posted a 134 OPS+ in 113 games for the club. You could also imagine if he stays in that designated hitter role he’ll be able to stay healthy and possibly play the whole year. Martinex may be old but he’s still mashing at the plate and the Angles have to do something to replace their lost superstar.
Other options include the Dodgers, Mets and Red Sox
#10 Matt Chapman, 3B, San Francisco Giants
If there is one thing that the Giants have been missing in recent years it’s big bats for their lineups and Chapman is a step in that direction. Chapman is an amazing defender, he’s coming off another successful year where he put up 12 defensive runs saved (DRS) at the hot corner. His hitting is where the whole’s can be found as consistency is his main issue. There’s no question as to what he can be at the plate, it’s just whether he is going to be consistent enough to warrant his contract. However, the Giants are going to be willing to take that risk. They’ll take the amazing defense and hope for the hitting to stay consistent.
Other options include Blue Jays and the Yankees.
howsonid21@bonaventure.edu
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