There is a great pool of talent entering free agency this winter but none more sought-after than Shohei Ohtani. The league is waiting on an Ohtani deal to come first, then the rest of the free agent dominoes shall fall into place. Here are our MLB Free Agent Predictions - We predict where the top players in free agency sign.
Shohei Ohtani: Boston Red Sox - 11 years ; $510 Million.
If there is one player in MLB history worth $500 million, that is Shohei Ohtani. Many experts believe that Ohtani will land on the West Coast and likely end up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The most recent report about Ohtani from ESPN's Jeff Passan says that Ohtani is considering 3 teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, and Boston Red Sox. Ohtani reportedly "loves" Boston and has "fondness" for Fenway Park. Ohtani also has a lifetime deal with New Balance, which has their headquarters based in Boston. Ohtani is great friends with Red Sox player Masataka Yoshida, whom he played with on Japan's World Baseball Classic winning-team. The Red Sox landing the biggest free agent in baseball history will be the first domino to fall this winter.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: New York Mets - 8 years ; $200 Million.
The 25 year old is arguably the top pitcher available in free agency this offseason. Yamamoto absolutely dominated the three seasons with stats of 1.42 ERA, a walk rate of 1.78 BB/9 and two no-hitters. Yamamoto is a number 1 or a number 2 right off the bat with the team he signs with. Although the team who signs Yamamoto will have to pay his former Japanese club fee's, that won't deter Steve Cohen from offering Yamamoto the most money. I think the Mets signing Yamamoto is the safest bet.
Aaron Nola: San Francisco Giants - 6 years; $150 Million.
Nola has been sensational throughout all of his postseason starts, that alone is worth signing him. Aaron Nola is the Jimmy Butler of the MLB, not the best regular season performer but turns up and is reliable come playoff time. Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski likes to swing big with large contracts (Nick Castellanos' contract ouch). Due to the other big contracts he negotiated it is likely they lose Aaron Nola. Now the Phillies need to find a replacement that they can afford, which is where Marcus Stroman comes in. Look for the Phillies to target Stroman this offseason.
Blake Snell: Chicago Cubs - 7 years; $200 Million.
The Chicago Cubs need starting pitching desperately and they are willing to shell out lots of cash for that. This is the perfect match for a 30 year old pitching fresh off of his second Cy Young award and a young team in need of SP. Snell led the league in ERA and Strikeouts while earning respect as a postseason starter. The Cubs really turnt some heads this past season nearly missing the playoffs, a great first step to their winter would be securing a franchise pitcher.
Cody Bellinger: New York Yankees - 8 years; $175 Million.
Bellinger has been riddled with injuries over the past few years but really proved that he is the franchise player people expected. Bellinger hit 26 homers, 20 steals, 97 RBI and 95 runs while averaging stats of .307/.356/.525. Bellinger signed a one year deal with the Cubs last year and reminded everyone that, well, he is him. That confidence has turned into a life-changing contract the former MVP and World Champ has been looking for.
Jordan Montgomery: Texas Rangers - 4 years; $130 Million.
The Rangers trade for Montgomery this past season paid off big-time. He played his behind off throughout the postseason, and helped Texas win their first World Series title. Montgomery was a major key in the ALCS and got Texas out of many bad spots vs. Houston. Now he will be alongside deGrom and Eavoldi for the foreseeable future. The Rangers are not a one and done, they are here to stay.
Other Notable Free Agent Predictions:
Josh Hader - Miami Marlins
Marcus Stroman - Philadelphia Phillies
Sonny Gray - Baltimore Orioles
JD Martinez - Houston Astros
Matt Chapman - Toronto Blue Jays
Jorge Soler - Anaheim Angels
Jung Hoo Lee - Seattle Mariners
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - Arizona Diamondbacks
Teoscar Hernandez - Milwaukee Brewers
Eduardo Rodriguez - Cincinnati Reds
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