With the vacation season within the rearview mirror and the brand new 12 months underway, the deep freeze that has settled over free company is prone to thaw within the coming weeks.
Imagine it or not, there are solely about six weeks left earlier than pitchers and catchers report back to camps in Florida and Arizona, serving as a deadline of kinds and offering motivation for groups and unsigned gamers alike to ramp up negotiations.
As we eagerly await the rise in exercise, we’ve determined to play matchmaker and assist discover houses for a number of the prime free brokers left on the board. Utilizing every group solely as soon as, listed here are the perfect matches for 11 notable gamers who stay unattached.
Blake Snell, SP
Greatest match: Angels
Nothing the Angels do that offseason goes to make up for the lack of the incomparable Shohei Ohtani in free company, however signing the reigning NL Cy Younger Award winner could be a giant step in the suitable route because the franchise appears to show the web page. The Halos actually want beginning pitching — their present rotation of Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval, Tyler Anderson, Chase Silseth and Griffin Canning mixed for a 4.53 ERA over 111 begins in 2023. There are different arms left available on the market who might help the trigger and gained’t value as a lot as Snell, however it is a group desperately in want of a giant splash.
When you think about how this offseason has progressed with respect to Bellinger’s market, the indicators appear to be pointing towards the 28-year-old finally reuniting with the Cubs. The Yankees had been considered one of many favorites for Bellinger at the beginning of free company, however they’re out of the combination after buying and selling for Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham. The Blue Jays briefly emerged as a possible suitor after lacking out on Ohtani, however their cope with middle fielder Kevin Kiermaier lessens their want to satisfy Bellinger’s asking worth. Ditto for the Giants, who signed Jung Hoo Lee to begin in middle. Chicago, in the meantime, has achieved nothing to enhance its roster because it signed supervisor Craig Counsell to a five-year, $40 million deal.
When the Yankees despatched Montgomery to the Cardinals for middle fielder Harrison Bader on the 2022 Commerce Deadline, a part of their rationale was that they didn’t anticipate the left-hander to slot in their postseason rotation. Mockingly, Montgomery went on to develop into a playoff star for the Rangers one 12 months later, serving to Texas win a World Collection championship. Including additional insult? He was particularly dominant within the Rangers’ American League Championship Collection victory in opposition to the Astros, a longtime nemesis of the Yanks. The Bronx Bombers might have struck out within the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes, however they’ve an opportunity to proper a previous improper and get the sturdy beginning pitcher they want by bringing again Montgomery.
In stark distinction to what they did up to now two offseasons, the Rangers have largely remained within the background since they gained all of it in November. If the membership does make one large expenditure within the coming weeks, although, Hader makes as a lot sense as anybody (assuming Montgomery isn’t a practical choice attributable to his price ticket). Texas might have overcome its bullpen woes throughout its run to a World Collection title, however we are able to’t overlook the truth that it had extra blown saves than profitable conversions within the common season and noticed each Will Smith and Aroldis Chapman drop off the roster at the beginning of free company.
The Giants received a much-needed win in free company once they landed Lee, however they nonetheless have loads of work to do after lacking out on Ohtani and Yamamoto. San Francisco has been linked to Snell, however the membership arguably has a larger want for one more star place participant than a pitcher. Of the highest two place gamers left available on the market, Chapman appears extra seemingly for San Francisco than Bellinger, partly due to the third baseman’s earlier relationship with new Giants supervisor Bob Melvin from their time along with the A’s. Along with his elite glove on the sizzling nook, Chapman would deliver some much-needed energy to a Giants lineup that received simply 87 homers from right-handed batters (the sixth-fewest in MLB) final season. Chapman himself hit solely 17 house runs in 2023, however his wonderful contact-quality metrics and monitor file recommend he’s able to extra.
The Pink Sox entered this offseason decided so as to add beginning pitching and did simply that once they reached a two-year cope with Lucas Giolito (per a supply). However after following up that transfer by buying and selling Chris Sale to the Braves, Boston’s rotation doesn’t look that significantly better than it was on the finish of 2023. Signing Montgomery would make sense, however given the payroll questions raised in a latest report from Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Imanaga could also be a greater match. The Japanese lefty has till Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. ET to signal with an MLB group after being posted by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of the Nippon Skilled Baseball in late November.
Coming off a stunning World Collection look, the D-backs haven’t rested on their laurels this offseason. Arizona has already made a number of main strikes, buying third baseman Eugenio Suárez in a commerce and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez in free company earlier than re-signing outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. However the membership shouldn’t cease there. Whereas nobody expects the D-backs to match the spending habits of a number of the different groups within the NL West, we’d wish to see them stretch their price range so as to add yet another heavy hitter to their lineup. Arizona’s DH manufacturing was among the many worst within the recreation in 2023, making Martinez a really perfect goal. The veteran slugger isn’t fairly the menace he was again in 2017, when he had a memorable stint with the D-backs following a commerce from Detroit to Arizona, however his 134 OPS+ would have tied him with Corbin Carroll for the group lead final season.
After getting a style of the postseason for the primary time with the Phillies in 2022, Hoskins might choose to signal with a contender as he appears to bounce again from the torn ACL that value him all of 2023. Nevertheless, it’s onerous to seek out an apparent match for him, contemplating most playoff hopefuls may be positioned into one in all three buckets: those who have already got first base and DH lined, those who have larger wants elsewhere and those who don’t appear significantly prone to spend in free company this offseason. Hoskins may very well be a fallback choice for the Cubs in the event that they aren’t capable of finding frequent floor with Bellinger, but when that doesn’t work out, we wouldn’t be shocked to see him signal with a rebuilding group like Washington on a one-year “pillow” contract earlier than making one other run at free company subsequent 12 months. The Nats may flip him on the Commerce Deadline, like they did with Jeimer Candelario final summer time.
The Blue Jays dared to dream large as they pursued a difference-making hitter earlier this offseason, making a critical push for Ohtani whereas connecting with the Padres a few commerce for Soto as a attainable Ohtani fallback. Toronto didn’t get both participant. The Jays did re-sign Kiermaier earlier than touchdown utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa, however neither transfer did a lot to deal with the group’s offense, which tied for 14th within the Majors in runs scored final 12 months. Toronto’s lineup is already loaded with right-handed hitters, so Soler isn’t an ideal match. However after lacking out on Ohtani and Soto, the Blue Jays must do one thing greater than merely re-signing Brandon Belt or bringing in Joc Pederson, to call two of the perfect accessible lefty bats.
The Orioles appear well-positioned to make use of a few of their intensive prospect depth to commerce for White Sox ace Dylan Stop, but when a deal doesn’t come to fruition quickly, pivoting to a high-floor choice resembling Stroman in free company could be a sensible transfer. Stroman may slot into the O’s rotation behind Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez, successfully changing the departed Kyle Gibson and permitting the membership to retain its younger expertise to probably purchase an ace down the highway.
For all the focus that’s been positioned on the Mets’ rotation this offseason, the group nonetheless has a number of query marks on offense as properly, with Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor and DJ Stewart all penciled into beginning spots, and 35-year-old proper fielder Starling Marte coming off a .625 OPS in 2023. A confirmed energy menace who has hit greater than 20 homers in every of the previous 5 full seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 marketing campaign), Hernández may function a middle-of-the-order complement to Pete Alonso whereas bouncing between each corner-outfield spots and filling in at DH.