A month into free agency and the market has yet to pick up. Several top top tier and lower tier free agents remain on the market looking for a new home in 2016.
As the calendar hits December next week, activity will likely pick up at the annual Winter Meetings in Nashville beginning December 6th, where general managers, managers, agents and some free agents attend to discuss trades and contracts for free agents.
Still, with so much talent on the free agency market, let’s take a look at the consensus top 10 per mlbtraderumors.com for the 2015-2016 free agent market and what uniform they will wear next season.
1.) Davis Price, Cubs: The electrifying left hander figures to match or beat Max Scherzar’s seven year $210 million dollar deal signed with the Washington Nationals last offseason. Price is only 30 years old and has a career 8.6 K/9 ratio.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recently reported the Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, Cardinals and Cubs as the teams most actively pursuing the left hander.
Price’s former manager in Tampa Bay, Joe Maddon, is running the Cubs clubhouse nowadays, which could be a huge selling point. The Cubs are also on the brink of finally breaking their curse, and this past playoffs showed they could use an upgrade in the rotation. Pairing Price with Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester would form a formidable 1-2-3 punch for the next three or four years, at least.
2.) Jason Heyward, Cardinals: The Cardinals are notoriously known for drafting smart and developing their own players while maintaining a competitive club. But losing Heyward would be a tough pill to swallow.
Just 26 years of age, there have been conflicting reports if Heyward will sign a lucrative 10-15 year contract that will take him into his late 30’s early 40’s, or a shorter term such as four or five years and hope to cash in again at age 30.
He has yet to live up to expectations of being an all around five tool player, but has shown signs of it. Will a team sign him for his potential, knowing ages 27-32 are the prime years of a hitters career?
An alternate is for Heyward to sign a 10 year contract with an opt out clause. Still, he seemed comfortable in Stl. Louis and if he wants to win, his best shot is to remain a Cardinal. The Cubs, if they miss out on Price, could give the Cardinals a run for their money.
3.) Zack Greinke, Giants: The Bay Area rivals will steal the Dodgers co-ace. Greinke has performed well in San Francisco, has stated his affection for the city of San Francisco and the players in orange and black, and seems like an overall solid fit in for the Giants.
Grienke is coming off a historic season in which he will almost surely not repeat, but his makeup of being a competitor bodes well with what the Giants have built. The Giants front office has not shied away from focusing on starting pitching this offseason, and it seems Greinke is their number one target. If Greinke is serious about considering other teams for next year, the Giants will make a strong push.
4.) Justin Upton, Angels: It is quite difficult to predict the market for Upton, another young hitter who has not quite lived up to expectations of a number one draft pick.
Still just 28 years old, Upton will likely command an eight year contract in the $170 range. The Angels have not shied away from making big free agent splashes, with Albert Pujols in 2012 and Josh Hamilton in 2013. Those contracts did not live up to expectations, but with a need in left field, the Angels may take a chance on invest in Upton.
Additionally, putting Upton in a lineup with Mike Trout and Albert Pujols can give him a sense of comfort of not having to overachieve, something that has scarred him for most of his career as a result of being a number one draft pick.
5.) Chris Davis, Orioles: The slugger seems to have found his comfort in Baltimore. Latest rumblings have it that the Orioles are doing their best to hand onto their first baseman, who serves as one of the faces of their franchise.
The Orioles have historically been known to not hand out large contracts, but when you are on the verge of risking a fan favorite, it may be time for management to dish out the cash in order to retain Davis.
It is also tough to see a market really developing for Davis, but a team like the Seattle Mariners might give the Orioles a run for their money.
6.) Yoenis Cespedes, Mets: Cespedes was arguably the best July non-waiver trade deadline acquisition of the year. In just 57 games, the Cuban born outfielder hit .287 with 17 homers and 44 RBI while leading the Mets to the postseason for the first time since 2007.
Cespedes quickly became a fan favorite in New York, both with the fan base and his teammates. With a need for offensive help, it would be foolish for the Mets to let Cespedes walk without any effort to resign him.
7.) Jordan Zimmermann, Red Sox: The Red Sox are another team that are said to be vying for a top of the order rotation arm. Zimmermann is coming off a somewhat down year in Washington, but still possess ace like qualities with his overpowering fastball and is still only 29.
Just a wild guess, but both the Dodgers and Red Sox will be pushing hard for Zimmermann if they lose out on Price and Greinke.
8.) Johnny Cueto, Diamondbacks: Another team that is desperate for pitching help at the top is the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cueto’s makeup is just not there, and it was evident in the July trade to the Royals, for a top contending team to invest in him.
Cueto lost quite a bit of value for his performance on the field and off the field following his trade to the Royals. On the field, Cueto sported a 4.76 ERA with a 4.06 FIP and 1.451 WHIP in 81 1/3 innings in Kansas City.
Additionally, during the playoffs, it was reported that the Royals purposely aligned Cueto to pitch at home games during the playoffs as opposing fan bases were getting into his head.
With a pitcher is that vulnerable, it would be a mistake to invest any significant dollars to someone that is not capable of dealing with adverse atmospheres. To add, Cueto upset many Royals fans for neglecting to attend off field fan events such at a local BBQ restaurant, among others.
For Cueto, it would make sense to sign back with a National League team that has a quite surrounding, and if the Diamondbacks are coming to you with a strong offer, there is no reason not to accept.
9.) Alex Gordon, Royals: Gordon came up a Kansas City Royal, and was integral in both their recent postseason pushes. As someone who has served as the face of the franchise, it would be tough to see the Royals letting Gordon walk without making a strong push.
The largest contract the Royals have given out is $55 million, but with their recent success topped with a World Series championship, they certainly have the funds to retain their star left fielder.
10.) Ian Desmond, Mariners: Many have predicted Desmond, the longtime National, to head to Southern California as a Padre. However, it is not entirely unreasonable to predict the Seattle Mariners to be the next destination for Desmond.
New GM Jerry Dipoto has been quite busy, and has stated his focus is on defense. Desmond, a solid defender, would fit well in Seattle. Dipoto can use his prospects at shortstop to flip in a package for other needs.
Also, Desmond’s raw power would fit in well in the spacious Safeco field as a Mariner, who are a lot closer to competing in the AL West than the Padres are in the NL West.