Now Warming Up…MLB!

Let's start with the Opener.

***The MLB free agent frenzy will begin as soon as the biggest domino falls. A lot has been written/said/speculated on where Juan Soto, the 26-year-old free agent with a Hall-of-Fame bat will land.  Yet, after rolling the dice on his health by passing on a deal greater than $400 million with the Nationals a few seasons ago, it is a foregone conclusion that Soto will sign the most lucrative offer.  The price tag will preclude most teams from landing this on-base, power-hitting machine, but at least the Dodgers don’t seem to be willing to join the auction after signing Ohtani last offseason. The safe bet is that Soto remains in NY whether with the Yankees or Mets.

Now to the Set Up Man.

*** Free agency is a tightrope for all teams…even those with the big bucks.  How each team will prioritize their available dollars is a difficult task of measuring future value, market value, team needs, and available free agents.  For example, Corbin Burnes is an ace pitcher that any team would want at the top of their rotation.  But how many more years will he be a true ace compared with the years he will ask for (and dollars.)  Of course, hitters are much more stable in terms of performance.  But, there is the case of Pete Alonso.  He is another player that most teams would love to have. Yet, power-hitting first basemen have shown a rapid decline in productivity in their thirties, so the number of years for potential deals is key for teams.  A player like Christian Walker, at the age of 33 with a Gold Glove, is probably more desirable for teams due to the ability to sign the player to fewer years while obtaining a strong defensive player. What player would you want your team to sign and for how many years?

Now the Closer.

***Roki Sasaki is a 23-year-old Japanese ace pitcher coming to MLB in 2025.  And, because of his age, there will be no free agent bidding war since he can only receive international bonus pool money from whatever club signs him.  MLB team will need to sell their organization and possible local endorsement deals.  Let’s hope Sasaki looks beyond the big payroll teams and joins a different contender.  I love the idea of him pitching in Tampa (literally in Tampa for 2025!) for the Rays or even joining the young staff in Pittsburgh.  The Dodgers seem to attract players from Japan but hope the World Series winners don’t get yet another really good one. 

“There’s been a lot of talk about this being a Bear market for first basemen. But for Pete's sake, it’s the Polar opposite.”-famous MLB agent, Scott Boras, recently stated about free agency.