Welcome to MLB free agency! It is now the time of year for big moves to be made and fans to be enthralled with happiness or shocked with sadness and disappointment. Nobody knows what will happen in the ensuing months, but I will try my best to make predictions for the top players on the market by using common sense and trends from past off-seasons. Without further ado, let’s go through my predictions!
OF Juan Soto – New York Mets
Soto, one of the top premier hitters in baseball, I think will land with the Mets after one year in the Bronx. His free agency will be all about the money, and with super agent Scott Boras by his side, they will look to at least get a contract in the ballpark of Shohei Ohtani’s 700 million dollar deal. Mets owner Steve Cohen, the richest owner in baseball, can afford it and is willing to pay the price to not only land a crucial bat but also make a statement in New York and land a punch against Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner.
SP Corbin Burnes – Baltimore Orioles
There will be pressure to retain Burnes from Baltimore’s perspective. They gave up a lot last offseason to get him and Burnes proved them right by solidifying the top of their rotation this past season. Losing him would be a big blow to the Orioles’ chances of winning a World Series and their ownership has a lot of money to spend to ensure that won’t happen.
3B Alex Bregman – Detroit Tigers
The Astros have let some of their star hitters leave in the past, and I feel Bregman is next in line. The Tigers need a third baseman like they need water and they have the ultimate connection with former Astro manager A.J. Hinch, currently leading the young upstart team from Detroit. He will help lengthen their lineup and provide extra protection for Riley Greene, who desperately needs the help as he can’t carry the offense by himself.
SP Blake Snell – San Francisco Giants
Snell had a hard time finding a long-term deal last year, leading to him signing a high salary prove-it contract with San Francisco. When Snell was on the field, he was dominant and proved that he was a no-doubt ace. I don’t think Snell wants to keep moving around, and with San Francisco keeping Matt Chapman around, I think they would like to keep Snell in the fold as well by front-lining their rotation for future seasons.
SP Max Fried – Los Angeles Dodgers
Fried has been one of the more reliable starting pitchers in the game over the last five seasons. I think the Dodgers will prioritize him, given their shaky starter health and the constant injuries they seem to go through every year. Fried is a native of California and grew up idolizing Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw, and I think he wouldn’t skip a chance to be around Kershaw on the final legs of his storied career.
SS Willy Adames – Los Angeles Dodgers
The current champions of the sport had a big weakness at shortstop that didn’t end up mattering this past year, but absolutely will in 2025. Adames had a breakout year for the Brewers providing solid pop and swift defense. Dodgers general manager Andrew Friedman had experience with Adames back in their Tampa Bay days and he makes a lot of sense to stabilize a position in which the Dodgers could never figure out last year. They can also move Mookie Betts back to the outfield to keep him healthy, which is another benefit people might not see at first glance.
1B Pete Alonso – New York Yankees
Alonso’s hit tool has slightly declined over the past couple of years, but the power remains very valuable and satiating. The Yankees will need a big bat to replace Anthony Rizzo at first base, and Alonso could be the guy to fill that role. He has New York experience and with the shorter dimensions, that will heavily benefit him in producing more home runs than he did with the Mets, which is tougher on hitters overall.
SP Jack Flaherty – Minnesota Twins
Flaherty is a strikeout machine but comes with a track record of inconsistency and injury concerns. His market may not be as high as people expect, which should open the door for mid-market teams to make a sneaky play. Minnesota needs another starting pitcher and could fill that need by acquiring “Flare”.
SP Nathan Eovaldi – Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox need to make a move that somewhat moves the needle. There is no doubt that Eovaldi has been a very effective pitcher over the previous seven seasons, and Boston knows that too with his earlier stint with the team. His age may deter some teams from giving him a big deal, but the Red Sox could buy low on a really solid arm who thrives in a postseason environment.
Bonus Prediction: SP Roki Sasaki – Los Angeles Dodgers
Nicknamed “The Monster of Reiwa”, Sasaki is the next upcoming Japanese star to come stateside potentially. His contract situation is unclear and complex, and therefore it might take a couple more years for him to migrate over. Regardless, if he does end up being posted to MLB teams, the Dodgers are the clear favorite in my mind. With the geographical advantage of their location on the West Coast, which already houses Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, I feel Los Angeles will land him no matter the year or time.
