Top 5 Free Agents Still In Play (And Likely Landing Spots)
"Holy s**t. I'm totally speechless." Those were the words of a major league executive after the news came down of the San Diego Padres' $280M deal with free agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts. As ESPN's Alden Gonzalez noted, 20 major league free agents agreed to contracts during the Winter Meetings this week, garnering deals totaling nearly $1.6 Billion dollars. And most of them did so while far over-shooting their projected contract value.
But there are still plenty of names out there on the open market. Time to catch our breath, and have a look at the Top 5 remaining free agents.
Carlos Correa
Correa has been gleefully sitting by and watching his price go up by the minute, as his All-Star shortstop contemporaries Trea Turner ($300M) and Bogaerts (the aforementioned $280M) brought the market value for Correa to new heights. The Minnesota Twins badly want him back, but they're facing some stiff competition from the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs, among others.
Carlos Rodon
The best pitcher still on the market was also no doubt pleased to see Jacob deGrom ($185M) and Justin Verlander ($43M AAV, two years), the only two pitchers ahead of him on the pitching list, also sign for huge hauls. The New York Mets, New York Yankees and the incumbent Giants are among the teams to watch here.
Dansby Swanson
He's spent his entire career with his hometown Atlanta Braves, but it appears the two sides haven't even communicated much this offseason; he might not be back. The Cubs are a prime location for Swanson, if they don't land Correa. But the Boston Red Sox and the Giants once again are looming as well.
Kodai Senga
The Japanese sensation's predicted contract before the craziness kicked in this past week was somewhere around 5-years, $75M. There's no telling where that's going now. The Mets, Giants, Texas Rangers, Padres and Cubs, among others, are seen as possible landing spots for Senga.
Chris Bassitt
Another pitcher whose value has likely risen over the last several days. He's shown nothing but durability, leadership and consistency as one of the top starters around baseball the past few seasons. The only problem that's holding back his market is the draft pick compensation that's attached due to the Mets having given him the Qualifying Offer. That makes the Mets possibly the favorite to bring him back, but others are lurking, like the Giants, Phillies, Rangers and Baltimore Orioles.
Photo: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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