Ohtani led the Majors in slugging, OPS and OPS+ whereas belting 44 house runs and posting a 3.14 ERA with a 31.4 % strikeout price on the mound in 2023. Whereas the two-way celebrity is in a league of his personal, each Main League participant on the cusp of free company desires to enter the open market on the heels of a terrific efficiency.
Probably the most outstanding identify on this class is one which additionally made some massive information just lately — Juan Soto was despatched from the Padres to the Yankees in a blockbuster commerce with one 12 months remaining on his present contract.
So, as we look forward to a 12 months from now, when the 2024 offseason is underway, which gamers is likely to be seeking to money in following a prodigious marketing campaign? Right here’s a take a look at some notable names that could possibly be available on the market after subsequent season:
Juan Soto, OF
Soto reportedly turned down an extension provide from the Nationals for 15 years and $440 million earlier than being traded to the Padres in 2022. And regardless of a “down” 12 months by his requirements in ’22, the younger celebrity bounced again this previous season, placing him in place to exceed Washington’s provide in free company.
Now with the Yankees, Soto could have an opportunity to place collectively a profession 12 months on the largest of levels within the Bronx as he prepares to hit the open market. If he does, may we be taking a look at half a billion {dollars} for his subsequent contract?
In spite of everything, we’re speaking a few man who ranks fifth in AL/NL historical past in profession OPS+ (157) for gamers 24 years previous or youthful (min. 3,000 plate appearances). How typically have we seen a 26-year-old free agent within the firm of luminaries like Ty Cobb, Mike Trout, Mickey Mantle and Jimmie Foxx? That would change into a actuality following subsequent season.
Pete Alonso, 1B
With Alonso, you possibly can mainly pencil in 40-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs firstly of each season. He’s hit at the least 37 house runs in every full season of his profession (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 marketing campaign), and over the previous two years, he’s racked up 86 of them.
Alonso simply turned 29, and he’ll be seeking to rebound from a 2023 marketing campaign through which his slugging was on par together with his profession norms, however his batting common dropped 54 factors. He’d wish to put collectively a season that appears extra like his ’22, when he posted an .869 OPS and led the Majors with 131 RBIs.
If we see one other typical Alonso efficiency in 2024, he’ll be primed to exceed the contract values a pair of fellow star first basemen inked in 2022 — Freddie Freeman’s six-year, $162 million pact with the Dodgers, and Matt Olson’s eight-year, $168 million take care of the Braves.
The query is, will it’s within the type of an extension with the Mets, or will the Polar Bear be carrying one other uniform subsequent 12 months?
Jose Altuve, 2B
Altuve’s is an attention-grabbing case. He’ll be coming into his age-35 season in 2025, however he has nonetheless been as productive as ever over the previous couple of years following a swoon that begged the query of whether or not his greatest was behind him.
The previous AL MVP, three-time batting champion and eight-time All-Star was damage for a lot of the 2023 marketing campaign, however he nonetheless managed to put up a .915 OPS with 17 homers and 14 steals. Over the previous two seasons, he hit .304/.390/.529 and has been price almost 8 WAR (Baseball Reference).
Whereas the Astros will surely like to retain this franchise icon and postseason hero with one other contract extension, Altuve may command a reasonably substantial sum for his subsequent deal whilst he enters his late-30s. One other stellar season in 2024 would all however make {that a} certainty.
Alex Bregman, 3B
One other core member of Houston’s dynastic run over the previous a number of years, Bregman can be scheduled to change into a free agent after subsequent season.
The star third baseman might be 31 at that time, and whereas he’s had strong seasons on the plate since a disappointing and injury-shortened 2021 marketing campaign, what he’d actually love to do is recapture a few of what he had in ’19, when he completed runner-up in AL MVP Award voting. That 12 months, his OPS was 1.015 and he smashed a career-best 41 homers.
Bregman had change into one of many sport’s elite gamers by this level, however his manufacturing since then, whereas good, has by no means approached that degree — since 2020, his slash line is .261/.361/.442. He is among the gamers on this record who stands to achieve essentially the most from a giant 12 months in ’24, one that might increase his incomes potential subsequent offseason.
Gleyber Torres, SS/2B
Like Bregman, Torres has been a strong offensive performer all through his profession, however he hasn’t fairly returned to the extent of his breakout marketing campaign. That got here in 2019, when he slugged 38 house runs with an .871 OPS for the Yankees in his second massive league season.
From 2020-23, Torres hit .262/.332/.422 with 61 house runs. He’s been up and down defensively, with a robust season at second base resulting in 4.1 bWAR in ’22, however -4 defensive runs saved and -3 outs above common this previous season.
Torres stands to learn drastically if he can put collectively a robust all-around efficiency in 2024, particularly provided that he’ll nonetheless solely be coming into his age-29 season in ’25.
Shane Bieber, RHP
Bieber rose to nationwide prominence when he received the 2019 All-Star Recreation MVP Award in his house ballpark earlier than posting a 3.28 ERA over 214 1/3 innings for Cleveland that season to complete fourth in AL Cy Younger Award voting.
He adopted that with a historic marketing campaign within the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, ending with a 1.63 ERA and an unimaginable 41 % strikeout price to win the league’s Cy Younger Award. Since then, he hasn’t been as spectacular, and in an injury-limited ’23, his ERA was 3.80 over 21 begins for the Guardians.
Of specific concern with Bieber is his declining fastball velocity and strikeout price. His fastball has misplaced round 3 mph from its common and his strikeout price over the previous two seasons was 23 %.
Nonetheless, given his monitor document as a workhorse — he reached the 200-inning mark once more in 2022 — and his early success, Bieber’s market must be strong if he hits the open market following subsequent season, particularly if he rebounds in ’24. Given current reported commerce curiosity within the right-hander, that will occur with a brand new crew.
Walker Buehler, RHP
The baseball world might be paying shut consideration to Buehler in 2024. The fitting-hander missed the whole ’23 season following Tommy John surgical procedure, however earlier than that, he had change into the Dodgers’ ace. From 2018-21, he posted a 2.82 ERA and 0.99 WHIP for Los Angeles. Then he was damage in ’22, having his season reduce brief after 12 begins.
If Buehler is the Buehler we noticed in 2021, when he completed fourth in NL Cy Younger Award voting because of a 2.47 ERA over 207 2/3 innings, the right-hander could possibly be taking a look at a hefty payday as he enters his age-30 season in ’25.
Solely time will inform if Buehler is similar man we noticed a few years in the past, however he has a possibility to showcase what he’s obtained in his stroll 12 months with the Dodgers. Given his age and — assuming a robust 2024 marketing campaign — monitor document, he may command one of many highest contract values in subsequent 12 months’s free-agent pitcher class.
Corbin Burnes, RHP
Burnes has quietly been one of many highest beginning pitchers within the sport over the previous three years, and he’s now the topic of some fairly intense commerce hypothesis.
From 2021-23, the right-hander had a 2.94 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP over 562 2/3 innings for the Brewers, profitable the NL Cy Younger Award in ’21. He struck out 200 or extra batters in every of these seasons, serving to Milwaukee’s rotation change into certainly one of baseball’s most formidable.
Like Buehler, the right-hander might be coming into his age-30 season in 2025, and there’s no purpose to not assume he’ll proceed to carry out at a excessive degree if wholesome subsequent season, which may set him up for a nine-figure contract.
Max Fried, LHP
Fried needed to exit his Opening Day begin on account of a strained left hamstring, and when he returned on Could 5, he was hit arduous by the Orioles to the tune of seven runs (5 earned) over six innings. He then went proper again to the injured record with a left forearm pressure, lacking one other three months.
Upon his return in August, although, the left-hander tossed six scoreless innings with no walks and eight strikeouts to beat the Cubs at Wrigley Subject. General, he was stellar, posting a 2.55 ERA in 14 begins a season after ending runner-up in NL Cy Younger Award voting.
If Fried is wholesome all through subsequent season, and he has a typical Fried season, he’ll be properly on his method in direction of a large contract going into his age-31 marketing campaign.
Tyler Glasnow, RHP
Glasnow, like Bieber and Burnes, has been the topic of commerce discuss this offseason. The fitting-hander has been nice when wholesome, however the hassle for him has been staying wholesome. Getting into the 2023 marketing campaign, he had by no means made greater than 11 begins in a season.
Halfway by the 2021 season, Glasnow needed to endure Tommy John surgical procedure. He missed most of ’22, although he did make two begins on the very finish of the season for the Rays. Then in ’23, he missed the primary two months of the season with an indirect harm.
Nonetheless, Glasnow made a career-high 21 begins this previous season, a superb signal heading into the ultimate 12 months of his contract. If he can handle to remain wholesome for a full season subsequent 12 months, he may parlay that into a giant free-agent deal. In spite of everything, he owns a 3.10 ERA over 37 begins since 2021.
Zack Wheeler, RHP
Given his age, Wheeler’s entry into free company for the second time might be fascinating if he doesn’t signal an extension. The fitting-hander has persistently been one of many sport’s greatest starters over the previous few years — since 2020, he owns a 3.06 ERA (2.90 FIP) over 629 1/3 innings.
Wheeler has confirmed to be a workhorse, a perennial menace to eclipse the 200-inning threshold and place himself squarely within the combine for a Cy Younger Award. However when he’s scheduled to hit the open market, he’ll be heading into his age-35 marketing campaign.
Whereas he received’t be on the popular aspect of the age curve, we’ve seen some starters of their late-30s have success — Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer headline that record. If Wheeler turns in one other stellar 12 months in 2024, he must be in line to safe a robust deal in free company by way of annual common worth.