The 2016 season is about to begin, and what a crazy offseason it has been. Huge paydays for a few players and a few surprises for a couple teams. Some teams have improved, while others have declined.
Let’s take a look at what the Free Agent class could look like a few years from now. Below are some of the players who could be Free Agents in 2018.
Infielders:
Jose Iglesias
Manny Machado
Josh Donaldson
Outfielders:
A.J. Pollock
Michael Brantley
Adam Jones
Andrew McCutchen
Jason Heyward*
Bryce Harper
Starters:
Jose Quantana
Garrett Richards
Shelby Miller
Matt Harvey
Dallas Keuchel
Jose Fernandez
David Price*
Clayton Kershaw*
Closers:
Andrew Miller
Trevor Rosenthal
Craig Kimbrel
Players that have a * beside their name can opt-out after the 2017 season.
If you know very little about baseball and watch just a few games a season, you have still probably heard of some of the players on the lists above. Many of the players above would be considered “star” players by many people.
Yes, the players above will be a few years older than they are now, and might even decline in production, but the majority of those players are young, star caliber players. The players above could also sign extensions before then, but can you imagine if they didn’t?
Payday? Are you kidding? For a guy like Bryce Harper, free agency could bring more than just a pay day. It could bring a pay life. I would say Harper is worth at least $400M in today’s market, but as you can tell the market continues to rise. If Harper is a Free Agent in 2018, I would bet that he signs a contract of at least $500M, and probably more. I don’t personally think he is worth that, but what do teams think he’s worth? And how far are they willing to go for him?
Who can afford it? Not a lot of teams. Teams like the Marlins, Rays, Astros, Rockies, as well as others, can probably go ahead and count themselves out. Not all of the Free Agents will require a $300M+ contract, but I see a few of them getting one. I see the Yankees being a very active team in this specific offseason and I think that they are very probable suitors for Bryce Harper. Teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, and maybe even the Cardinals and Cubs have some money to spend as well.
The 2018 Free Agent class will definitely be interesting and I can assure you that a lot of money will be spent.
Let me know who you think will sign some of the 2018 Free Agents and how big of a contract they will sign.
Thanks for reading.
Follow me on Twitter @easton_leonard
Have any Cardinal questions? Click here
