MLB Free Agents 2018: New Rumors, Predictions for Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, More

Teams in need of pitching help are in luck, as the 2018 MLB free-agent class features numerous top-end starters and All-Star relievers.

A former Cy Young Award winner highlights the recent free-agency rumors, while two quality arms have also been in the news. Unsurprisingly, they are being linked to contending teams looking to bolster their pitching staffs in an attempt to chase a World Series title next season.

Take a look at the latest buzz in MLB circles and predictions for where some of the biggest free agents will land.

Brewers Looking for a Splash?

The Milwaukee Brewers became one of the biggest surprises in baseball last season, going 86-76 and coming up one game short of the second wild-card spot in the National League. Now, it appears evident the team is looking to move up into the next tier of the NL.

Per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, Milwaukee is making a play for Jake Arrieta:

Pitching was not an issue for the Brewers last season, as they ranked fifth in the NL with a 4.00 ERA. This was even more true for their starting pitchers, whose 398 earned runs were the fourth-fewest allowed in the NL.

Jimmy Nelson, who impressed with a 12-6 record and 3.49 ERA in 29 starts last season, will miss the early part of next season as Morosi noted, but there are still quality arms to pick up the slack. Zach Davies went 17-9 last season with a 3.90 ERA, while Chase Anderson was 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA.

Milwaukee lacked depth behind this Big Three, but the addition of Arrieta would give the Brewers one of the NL's best rotations. However, it must come at the right price.

Arrieta is 31 years old and has shown signs of slowing down the past two seasons. After posting fantastic campaigns in 2014 (10-5, 2.53 ERA) and 2015 (Cy Young Award, 22-6, 1.77 ERA), Arrieta is a combined 32-18 with a 3.30 ERA in the last two seasons. His ERA has risen each of the past two years, yet he is still due for a raise from the $15.6 million he collected this past year.

Joe Zenzola of 105.7 FM in Milwaukee sees going after Arrieta as too great of a financial risk for the Brewers, which the numbers seem to indicate is a valid concern:

Guys like Johnny Cueto, Cole Hamels, Rick Porcello and Jordan Zimmermann each make over $20 million annually, which looks to be the class Arrieta would fall into. It does not make sense for Milwaukee, considering Arrieta's age, to give out more than a three-year deal for this kind of money. Yet, do not be surprised if it overpays.

The fact that the Brewers are the first team to be linked to Arrieta means they are probably very interested. Free agency typically entails poor financial decisions, but Arrieta would help greatly in getting Milwaukee to the next level. Still, Milwaukee's offensive issues could offset this addition, since the unit ranked 10th in the NL in runs scored last season.

So, is Arrieta's contract worth this risk? The smart play is probably no, but the indications right now seem to be that Milwaukee is willing to gamble to improve the rotation, so expect the Brewers to be major players here.

Finalists Emerge for Cobb

Heading into last season, it appeared Alex Cobb had dug himself a deep hole for his contract year given his porous 2016. However, the right-hander bounced back to make himself one of the top free-agent arms on the market.

Cobb was a solid 12-10 with a 3.66 ERA for a bad Tampa Bay Rays team, a great improvement from his disastrous 8.59 ERA he accumulated in just five starts the previous year. The three years prior, Cobb posted at least 10 wins per season with a 3.19 ERA. Naturally, teams are vying hard for his services.

According to Peter Gammons, the "industry consensus" is that the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees are the two major contenders for Cobb. Considering these two teams are built to contend for a World Series title for the next five years at least, it would make sense that Cobb would have his sights set on joining them. After all, winning is his No. 1 concern, as he relayed to MLB Network Radio:

Cobb is a great option as a third or fourth starter, and he should not come at too pricey of a raise from the $4.2 million he earned last season. It comes down to who of the Cubs and Yankees provide the better fit.

Chicago offers a more prominent role with Arrieta gone and Jon Lester coming off a down year of a 4.33 ERA. Cobb would likely be the second or third starter behind Kyle Hendricks or Lester, but the Cubs have more questions than the Yankees. First, the team lacks much support in the bullpen, especially with Wade Davis likely gone, per 670 The Score's Julie DiCaro. The mediocre depth in the rotation could also be an issue to drive down the Cubs' win total next season.

As for the Yankees, they are trending the greatest of arguably any team in baseball. New York will only improve with top prospects Chance Adams and Gleybar Torres joining an already stacked young core, and the team's rotation is dynamite with a top three of Sonny Gray, Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka. 

Should Cobb join New York, he would be the fourth starter with Jordan Montgomery claiming the No. 5 spot. Bringing in Cobb could mean the team does not bring back CC Sabathia, who was a leader in the clubhouse while also notching a fantastic 14-5 record last season.

The Yankees would probably put Cobb in the best position to succeed, but the Cubs have a greater need for him and would likely be more willing to jack up their offer. 

The Cubs were the first of the two teams to emerge as a contender, as DiCaro's note on Cobb came out several days before Gammons pinned the Yankees as players. Given how desperate Chicago is to add starting pitching, expect that to be Cobb's destination.

Top Reliever Drawing Interest

After notching 29 saves last season while splitting time between the Minnesota Twins and the Washington Nationals, Brandon Kintzler set himself up to be one of the relief options on the free-agent market. According to the latest buzz, teams are lining up for the 33-year-old.

Per Morosi, the Colorado Rockies and the St. Louis Cardinals are two teams looking for a closer that are eyeing Kintzler. The Cardinals were one of the league's top relief units a year ago, ranking seventh in MLB with a 3.81 ERA, but they only converted on 43 of 60 save opportunities. The Rockies meanwhile could use any help they can get, as their 4.40 ERA was the 10th-worst in baseball.

The Twins are also looking to bring back Kintzler, as Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reported almost two weeks ago:

Minnesota would be an intriguing option since Kintzler had the most success of his career there. In 99.2 innings with the Twins over two years, Kintzler allowed just 33 runs and was named an All-Star last season.

In terms of winning now, the Cardinals would probably be Kintzler's ideal situation. The team has the payroll and pieces in place to retool for a run in 2018 after a down 2017, and being a pitcher in St. Louis is much more desirable than Colorado, where routine fly balls turn into homers.

Look for Minnesota and St. Louis to be Kintzler's two finalists, with the Cardinals having more finances to offer.

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com. Contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.