Where will the Top remaining free agents land?
There are a lot of players still available ahead of Spring Training. Lets play matchmaker and help find homes for some of the top free agents left on the board.
Anthony Santander, OF
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have emerged as a strong contender for Alonso, but the switch-hitting Santander -- another free agent to whom they've been linked -- is arguably a better fit for their righty-heavy lineup.
In 2024, Toronto tied for 26th in homers (50) and 24th in wRC+ (93) produced by left-handed batters. Santander, who hit 32 of his 44 homers from the left side of the plate while posting a 132 wRC+, could help address those shortcomings.
As a corner outfielder, he'd also give Toronto more roster flexibility than Alonso, who would likely be relegated to full-time DH duty due to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s presence at first base. (That is, assuming the Blue Jays don't intend to move Guerrero back to his original position of third base.)
Carlos Estevez, RP
Toronto Blue Jays
Carlos Estevez, one of the top relievers remaining on the free agent market, could reunite with Philadelphia Phillies teammate Jeff Hoffman in the Blue Jays' bullpen.
On Sunday afternoon, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that the Blue Jays, along with the Chicago Cubs, are in on 32-year-old reliever Carlos Estevez.
He was previously an All-Star with the Los Angeles Angels before getting dealt to the Phillies at last summer's trade deadline.
In 54 appearances this past season, Estevez went 4-5 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, 26 saves and a 2.1 WAR.
He went 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA, 1.492 WHIP, 31 saves and a 0.6 WAR in 2023.
Toronto has made a few notable additions to their bullpen this winter, with Jeff Hoffman standing out as their biggest swing.
Alex Bregman, 3B
Detroit Tigers
It might seem like the Tigers' window of contention is just opening after the club made a surprising run to the playoffs in 2024.
But with reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal under team control for only two more seasons, Detroit cannot afford to be complacent. Although the Tigers did sign second baseman Gleyber Torres to a one-year deal, they need to do more to improve a lineup that tied for 19th in the Majors in runs scored last season.
Even looking beyond his previous connection with Detroit manager A.J. Hinch from their time together in Houston, Bregman is a logical fit for a Tigers team with an unsettled hot-corner situation and the payroll flexibility to make a big splash.
By virtue of their record-setting deal with Juan Soto, the Mets have already secured a place among this offseason's big winners.
However, as New York looks to solidify its standing among the top contenders in a stacked National League, the club's lineup is arguably still a big bat short, with one obvious hole to fill: first base, the spot Alonso has held in Flushing since his debut in 2019.
As a result, we aren't ruling out the Mets as a destination for the slugger, even with Thursday's reports that the team has pivoted to other options after negotiations with Alonso fell apart.
Jack Flaherty, SP
Atlanta Braves
For a team with championship aspirations, the Braves' rotation has a ton of question marks following the free-agent departures of Max Fried and Charlie Morton.
If reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale and 2024 All-Star Reynaldo Lopez can replicate last year's surprising success, Spencer Schwellenbach can build on his strong rookie season and Spencer Strider can make a healthy return from right elbow surgery at some point in the first half, Atlanta could have one of the best starting staffs in the game.
But those are some big ifs. Signing the best starter remaining on the free-agent market would allay those concerns and quell some of the criticism surrounding Atlanta's quiet offseason, during which the team has subtracted a number of notable players while only adding outfielder Bryan De La Cruz.
The Braves don't typically pursue expensive free-agent starters, but Flaherty's reported willingness to consider a short-term deal with a high average annual value could make him a financial fit for Atlanta.
Ha-Seong Kim, INF
San Francisco Giants
Despite the additions of Willy Adames and Justin Verlander, the Giants are still lagging behind the powerhouses in the NL.
Kim, whose former KBO teammate Jung Hoo Lee joined the Giants last offseason, wouldn't change that, but he would address a projected weakness at second base and potentially make San Francisco a more formidable threat in the NL Wild Card race once he's healthy enough to return from right shoulder surgery.
The Giants currently have Tyler Fitzgerald penciled in at the keystone, but they need to be realistic with their expectations for the 27-year-old. Although he finished his 2024 rookie season with 15 homers and a 132 wRC+ over 341 plate appearances, there are reasons to be skeptical about Fitzgerald moving forward.
After all, he produced just one homer and a .592 OPS over his final 36 games last season, and Steamer -- one of the most trusted projection systems -- expects him to be a below-average hitter (93 wRC+) in 2025.
Max Scherzer, SP
Washington Nationals
At this stage of his career, Scherzer might prefer to join a ready-made contender. However, it's not easy to find a team in that category that still needs rotation help and seems likely to pay the going rate -- probably somewhere in the neighborhood of Justin Verlander's one-year, $15 million deal with the Giants -- to sign a 40-year-old coming off an injury-plagued season.
Given these circumstances, a reunion with the Nats makes sense for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
The seven-year, $210 million deal Scherzer inked with Washington prior to the 2015 season proved to be one of the best big-money signings in the history of free agency, though his tenure came to an abrupt end when he was traded to the Dodgers alongside Trea Turner prior to the 2021 Trade Deadline, as Washington kicked off its rebuild with a flurry of deals.
The club is back on the way up now, but lacks proven arms at the top of its rotation. Scherzer could be a valuable addition in more ways than one, bolstering the Nationals' staff and helping to mentor their young starters.
SOURCE: MLB.com
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 20 | 303 ANSWERS Where will the Top remaining free agents land? Which free agent do you see on the Toronto Blue Jays roster by Spring Training? | ||
| Anthony Santander | 160 | 52.8 % |
| Pete Alonso | 99 | 32.7 % |
| Carlos Estevez | 25 | 8.3 % |
| None | 19 | 6.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
