Free-range crops on the market are certain in both quantity and quality. But for teams looking to upgrade – before or after the scheduled lockout period – there are plenty of options on the commercial market as well.
Here are 12 players who can wear the new uniform when the 2022 season begins, whenever possible.
THAN: Top 50 free agents ranking for 2022
Byron Buxton, CF, Twins
Why he can be moved: The Twins are in a legal predicament with Buxton, who will become a free agent after the 2022 season. They love Buxton and the fans love Buxton too. He’s a hard-working player who has as good a flip as any quarterback in baseball. In 61 games in 2021, he hits the .306 mark with 1,005 OPS, with 19 home players, nine stolen bases and 4.5 bWAR. Read the last one again. He had 4.5 bWAR in just 61 games; Aaron Judge finished fourth in the AL MVP race with a record of 6.0 bWAR over 148 games. If Buxton ever put together a few healthy seasons, he could easily win multiple MVP awards. But that’s rubbing. He hasn’t been healthy, a variety of injuries have hindered his chances of reaching his full potential. He played more than 87 games in a season just once. How do you find out a contract for such a player? The Twins are keen to make a motivational extension, but if Buxton is indeed healthy in 2022, several teams will pay him substantial guaranteed long-term pay as he enters the season Age 29 in 2023. So considering it seems stressful to see the Twins as a contender in 2022 – the start is as slim as any major team – maybe they just trade Buxton, if they find one. a team willing to bet that he will be healthy next year. Of course, they can’t sell low.
Where he can go: That’s the million dollar question. Which team has enough top prospects in exchange for Buxton and is ready to deal with a risky player like Buxton?
Matt Olson, 1B, A’s
Why he can be moved: Player A is supposed to listen to trade offers for everyone and you can bet a lot of teams will be interested in the first bettor to hit the 39 hosts with a good percentage of the odds. version is 0.371, 153 OPS+ and 5.8 bWAR while playing his home games in the famous pitcher-friendly Oakland ballpark. The four numbers we’ve mentioned are all career highs, and here’s another sign Olson is getting better: In 2018 he had 93 shots more than walking (163 to 70). and in 2019 he has 87 shots more than walking (138 to 51). But in 2021, that gap has dropped dramatically, to just 25 (113 to 88). He is entering the Age 28 season and is under the control of the club for two more seasons.
Where he can go: The Yankees make a lot of sense, because it looks like they’re continuing from their previous first-person combat soldier (more on that in a moment). The Dodgers can permanently move Cody Bellinger to the center field. He will be a Boston upgrader, but the Sox may not be willing to give up Bobby Dalbec and/or test Kyle Schwarber (if they re-sign him).
Luis Castillo and Sonny Grey, SPs Reds
Why they can be moved: The Reds let Wade Miley go for nothing, and they traded Tucker Barnhart’s catcher for, well, not much. Those two are big pieces to Cincinnati’s 2021 puzzle, and their departure seems to signal – as do these words from GM Nick Krall – what could be a painful season for those Reds fans, who are hoping the club can build on last year’s 500+ record. If the Reds are indeed in the process of paying wages, they will move Castillo and/or Gray. Castillo, who has an elite rank, is predicted to earn around $7.5 million from arbitration and is a free agent after 2023. It’s a bargain any candidate is available to. Please join this season.
Gray also has a fair salary with no umpire change: $10 million for 2022, with a $12 million club option for 2023 (with various potential bonuses) . His ERA has increased slightly, from his first 2.87 years with the Reds (2019) to 4.19 in 2021, but his K/9 is still excellent, at 10.3 and His FIP (3.99) is not too high compared to his 2019 mark (3.42). Get out of the Reds’ slain friendly park to help; in 2021, his ERA on 14 starts in Cincinnati is 4.89 and 3.44 in 12 lane starts.
Where they can go: Castillo’s lead asking price will likely limit him to World Series teams like the Yankees or the Dodgers. Gray won’t come cheap, but his appeal as a 3/4 starter on a candidate will be more widespread. It’s not hard to catch him somewhere like San Francisco or Detroit.
THAN: Where will famous Dodgers freelance agents sign?
Tyler Glasnow, SP, Tia
Why he can be moved: Glasnow, Tampa Bay’s best starter when healthy over the past few years, is a free agent after the 2023 season. He will also feature for the 2022 season with Tommy John surgery. Usually that means a pitcher can be hard to trade, but what about the Rays? It’s reasonable to think that they wouldn’t want to pay the estimated $6 million he’ll make in 2022 when it hits shelves, plus whatever he has to pay in his final refereeing season. For the right offer on the prospect, they will almost certainly move him. And for a team with a design on the 2023 World Series, the addition of a guy in high form like Glasnow would be well worth a try.
Where he can go: The Dodgers immediately came to mind, and not just because of Andrew Friedman’s long association with the Rays series. They also have the means – and motivation – to wait a whole year with nothing from Glasnow in the hope that 2023 is worth the wait.
Matt Chapman, 3B, A’s
Why he can be moved: As with all A’s on this list (and they’re not the only A that can be dealt with, just the most prominent), Chapman can/will be moved for Oakland (Las Vegas). ?) is reducing payroll and is expected to $ 9.5 million in 2022, Chapman’s salary is not small. He is the third best defensive player in the AL, a claim no one disputes; That defensive ability has earned him seventh place in the 2018 AL MVP vote and sixth in 2019. Like other Matt (Olson), Chapman is set to become a free agent after the 2023 season. .
Unlike the other Matts, Chapman’s value on the plate did not increase. Chapman hits 27 home shots in 2021, which is fantastic, but his slash drops to .210/.314/.403, with an OPS of 0.716. This is down significantly from his two years running for MVP, at 0.263/.348/.507, for 0.855 OPS. And remember how we talked about Olson cutting the gap between his dribbles and attacks? Chapman is going in the opposite direction. In 2019, that gap will be 74 (147 Ks, 73 BBs) and in 2021 it will be 122 (202 Ks, 80 BBs). Going to a more player-friendly stadium – that’s most other stadiums – seems to provide a boost and a lot of teams may be interested in Chapman as a candidate. change the scene.
Where he can go: There are two NL East contenders who could use the Golden Gloves option at the third base next year, the Phillies and the Mets – three if you think the Nats are candidates.
Jose Ramirez, 3B, The Guardian
Why he can be moved: Just look at what the team did with franchise icon Francisco Lindor. Ramirez is set to become a free agent next season, meaning the best time to trade their longtime All-Star – and top four-time MVP finisher – is this season. He’s about to have another stellar season, with 36 home players, 103 RBIs, 27 stolen bases, 6.7 bWARs and 141 OPS+, and there are plenty of opponents that could use the style of impact that squad.
On the other hand, will the Cleveland franchise really trade off the most marketable player of the season as they sell new Guardians merchandise? Yes, yes, perhaps. They can’t afford to sign him long-term and he’s worth more than the draft salary they would get if he left as a free agent.
Where he can go: Ramirez would fit great in the hot corner in Toronto or Philadelphia or Seattle.
Ketel Marte, CF/2B, Diamondbacks
Why he can be moved: Marte’s contract is team-friendly, calling for $8 million in 2022 — his 28-year-old season — with options for 2023 ($10 million) and 2024 ($12 million). . He finished fourth in the NL MVP vote in his breakout season 2019 and excelled at being healthy in 2021, playing 90 games and posting a slash line ..318 / .377 / .532 with 143 OPS+, 14 home players and 50 RBI , while playing second base and center field. He’s not a Gold Glover in either position, but he’s not a disadvantage either. Flexibility is a great bonus.
The Diamondbacks have lost 110 games in 2021 and aren’t likely to compete anytime soon, so it makes sense to trade Marte now, if the price is right.
Where he can go: Who wouldn’t want Marte? Teams from both coasts – the Yankees in the East, the Giants in the West – will be interested, as will the teams in between, such as the Astros and the White Sox.
THAN: How can baseball eliminate tanking? It begins with the Draft MLB
Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, SPs, A’s
Why they can be moved: When you look at Oakland’s pitchers last year, it’s easy to wonder how in the world Team A missed out on the playoffs – the three pitchers here all threw at least 157 turns with the ERA and The FIP is below 4.00 and all three have averaged more than one stroke. each inning. Person A is probably wondering the same thing, but here they are, heading into a season that will almost certainly see a few familiar names transferred.
Montas finally made it in 2021, posting an ERA of 3.37 and a FIP of 3.37 – yes, identical – with 207 shots in 187 innings. He’s had a 3.34 ERA at home and a 3.40 on the road, and racked up a stellar 2.17 ERA in 14 starts after the All-Star break. He is a free agent after the 2023 season.
Bassitt survived one of the scariest moments of the season, when he was hit in the face by a ball in August. However, he did come back, throwing six thirds in two games that started at the end of September. Add to his stellar 2020 season and Bassitt, who turns 33 in February, has an ERA of 2.90 in his previous 38 major league starts. He will be a free agent after 2022.
Left-handed Manaea, who turns 30 in February, has had perhaps his best season in the major leagues, taking the AL lead with 32 starts and two closures, also posted an ERA of 3.91 and career bests in FIP (3.66), bWAR (3.2), K/9 (9.7) and first leg (179 1/3). Like Bassitt, he is a free agent after the 2022 season.
Where they can go: All three would make a great 2/3/4 start to a candidate. The list of teams that will not be interested is smaller than the list of teams that will be.
Luke Voit, 1B, Yankees
Why he can be moved: Looks like his time in New York is over. Voit led the biggest players in home runs during the shortened 2020 season, but injury and inconsistency appeared to have pushed him out of his long-term plans last year. The Yankees have shown their interest in bringing back Anthony Rizzo or hunting down other available early soldiers, either on the free agent market (Freddie Freeman?) or through commerce (Matt Olson?) .
Where he can go: DH’s planned expansion to the National League will not affect Voit’s outlook. However, don’t expect the Yankees to get a huge return if and when they trade with him.
