10 MLB Players Who Can Secure the Bag With Big Contract Year in 2023
The 2023-24 MLB free-agent class is thinner than the star-studded classes we've seen the past two years, though it does have an epic headliner in Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Beyond him, the available talent was thinned significantly when Rafael Devers, Manny Machado and Yu Darvish all signed long-term extensions during the offseason, taking three stars off the board before they ever hit the open market.
That said, there are a handful of players who can set themselves up for a significant payday next winter, and ahead we've highlighted 10 guys who can secure the bag with a strong 2023 season.
Age, past production and comparable recent free agents were all considerations in compiling this list.
These Guys Have Already Secured Their Payday
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Regardless of what happens during the 2023 season, aside from a significant injury, the following players have already assured themselves of a significant payday this coming offseason:
RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
There's not much to say here that everyone does not already know. With a two-way skill set the likes of which the game has never seen and at 28 years old with plenty more years of prime production ahead, Ohtani is likely headed for a record-setting contract that could eclipse $500 million.
LHP Julio Urías, Los Angeles Dodgers
With a 2.52 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 381 strikeouts in 378.2 innings since the start of the 2021 season, Urías has established himself as one of the game's best pitchers, and he is still only 26 years old. Given his age and consistency since establishing himself as a rotation regular, he could make a run at the largest contract ever for a starting pitcher.
3B Matt Chapman, Toronto Blue Jays
With elite defense at third base and 30-homer power, Chapman has an extremely high value floor. The 29-year-old has tallied 24.6 WAR since his first full season in the majors in 2018, a total that ranks eighth among all position players during that stretch. He should have no problem securing a nine-figure payday.
RHP Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
Rocky start to the 2023 season aside, Nola has been a frontline starter in Philadelphia for years. The 29-year-old is playing out the final season of a team-friendly five-year, $56.75 million extension, and while he won't rival Urías for the biggest contract among starting pitchers, a five-year, $100 million deal might be his earning floor.
CF Harrison Bader, New York Yankees
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First things first, Harrison Bader needs to get healthy and prove he can stay healthy for an extended period of time.
The 28-year-old played just 86 games last season while missing time to a forearm injury and fractured rib, and he has yet to make his 2023 season debut while nursing an oblique injury suffered during spring training.
Despite all of his injury woes, he has proven to be an impact player when healthy, winning a Gold Glove and tallying 3.8 WAR during the 2021 season.
There is always a market for capable center fielders, and Bader is one of the best in the game when everything is clicking.
RHP Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals
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Jack Flaherty appeared to be headed for perennial Cy Young contention in 2019 when he went 7-2 with a 0.91 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 99.1 innings after the All-Star break to finish fourth in the NL balloting.
However, he has pitched just 154.2 innings over the past three seasons, and he entered the 2023 campaign as an X-factor in the St. Louis Cardinals rotation and a wild card for the upcoming free-agent class.
Still just 27 years old, he could jump to the top tier of available players with a healthy, bounce-back season, and the Cardinals are banking on him holding down a spot in the rotation all year.
He has allowed just four hits in 10 innings through his first two starts, but he has walked a staggering 13 batters, so he remains a major question mark for the time being.
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C Mitch Garver, Texas Rangers
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Injuries have limited Mitch Garver to just 145 games over the past three seasons, but he has been productive, posting a 109 OPS+ with 25 home runs in 539 plate appearances.
The 32-year-old has always had good power. In 2019, he launched 31 home runs in only 93 games to win Silver Slugger honors, and he got off to a strong start this year by going 5-for-19 with two home runs before he was sidelined again with a sprained knee.
He will need to get healthy and avoid further trips to the injured list if he has any hope of landing a multiyear deal in free agency, but in an extremely thin market for both catchers and power hitters there is undeniable upside.
The three-year, $30 million deal Christian Vázquez received from the Minnesota Twins could be within reach if he picks up where he left off once he returns.
LHP Josh Hader, San Diego Padres
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Josh Hader has been one of the most overpowering relievers in baseball history for the bulk of his career, but he hit a rough patch last year that will no doubt be fresh in the minds of teams pursuing him in free agency.
After rattling off 19 straight scoreless appearances to begin the 2022 season and carrying a 1.82 ERA into mid-July, the wheels fell off and he allowed 10 hits and 10 earned runs over a six-game stretch before he was traded to the San Diego Padres at the deadline.
The struggles continued in San Diego with a 23.14 ERA in his first seven appearances in a Padres uniform, but he closed out the year with a 0.79 ERA and seven saves in his final 12 games before saving four games and striking out 10 in 5.1 shutout innings in the playoffs.
As long as the mid-summer version of Hader does not rear its ugly head again in 2023, he could eclipse the record-setting deal that Edwin Díaz signed this past offseason.
RF Teoscar Hernández, Seattle Mariners
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Teoscar Hernández enjoyed a breakout offensive season during the abridged 2020 campaign, and he continued to rake as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 and 2022.
During that three-year stretch, his 132 OPS+ was tied for 20th with Jose Altuve, Rafael Devers and Corey Seager among hitters with at least 1,000 plate appearances.
The 30-year-old was traded to the Seattle Mariners during the offseason to help plug a hole in the middle of the lineup, and he will have plenty of RBI opportunities with Julio Rodríguez and Kolten Wong setting the table.
He doesn't provide a ton in the way of value outside of his offensive contributions, but there is a lack of middle-of-the-order power hitters in the upcoming class and more of the production he's shown in recent years could put him in position for a deal similar to the five-year, $100 million contract Nick Castellanos received from the Philadelphia Phillies.
RHP Tyler Mahle, Minnesota Twins
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Minnesota Twins right-hander Tyler Mahle has the strikeout stuff that teams look for in a high-priced, free-agent addition, and he has tallied 662 punchouts in 621 career innings over seven MLB seasons.
The 28-year-old was quietly excellent in 2021, finishing 13-6 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 210 strikeouts in 180 innings, and despite missing some time to injury last year, he still racked up 126 strikeouts in 120.2 innings.
He threw his splitter more and his slider less last season, but he has reverted back to leaning more heavily on his slider in the early going this year—similar to how he approached his repertoire during that terrific 2021 campaign.
The upcoming class is loaded with second-tier arms that have a chance to separate themselves from the pack with a strong 2023 performance, and Mahle is one to watch from that group.
LHP Jordan Montgomery, St. Louis Cardinals
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The St. Louis Cardinals acquired Jordan Montgomery from the New York Yankees last summer in exchange for another player on this list—center fielder Harrison Bader.
The left-hander adjusted nicely to the change of scenery, going 6-3 with a 3.11 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 63.2 innings over 11 starts following the trade, and now he has a chance to boost his further stock ahead of his first trip to free agency.
The 30-year-old does not have overpowering stuff, but he mixes his pitches extremely well, tossing a sinker, four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup while walking just 36 batters in 178.1 innings last year.
He is off to a strong start this year and should be able to exceed the three-year, $39 million deal that Tyler Anderson signed with the Los Angeles Angels if he keeps it up the rest of the way.
SS Amed Rosario, Cleveland Guardians
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The past two offseasons have seen some serious money handed out to shortstops in free agency, with Corey Seager, Javier Báez, Trevor Story, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson all landing nine-figure paydays.
The 2023-24 free-agent class is considerably thinner at the position.
Unless Báez decides to exercise an opt-out in his contract, Amed Rosario will be the top available shortstop, and that could help drive up his asking price if there are multiple teams searching for an upgrade.
The 27-year-old had a 4.2-WAR season last year, posting a 105 OPS+ with 46 extra-base hits, 18 steals, 86 runs scored and steady defense up the middle. Another season like that could price him out of Cleveland and continue to drive up his asking price.
LHP Blake Snell, San Diego Padres
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It seems like so long ago that a 25-year-old Blake Snell won 2018 AL Cy Young honors as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays when he finished 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 180.2 innings.
There is little question the left-hander has some of the best pure stuff in baseball, evidenced by his 1,000 strikeouts in 820.2 career innings, good for an even 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings over his eight MLB seasons.
However, he has struggled throughout his career to pitch deep into games.
Last season, he had a 5.30 ERA after the third inning, and he pitched beyond the sixth inning just twice in 24 starts. Pitching at a high level the second and third time through the order will be the key to convincing teams he deserves to be paid like a frontline starter.
RHP Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs
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The Chicago Cubs signed Marcus Stroman to a three-year, $71 million deal prior to the 2022 campaign, but his contract contains an opt-out in the form of a $21 million player option for the 2024 season.
With a thin crop of available starting pitchers, a strong 2023 season would make opting out a no-brainer, and he has tossed 12 scoreless innings through his first two starts to build some early momentum.
The 31-year-old had a 3.50 ERA in 138.2 innings in his first season with the North Siders last year, and he finished strong with a 2.14 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over his final seven starts, so he appears to be picking up right where he left off.
His age and track record make the three-year, $63 million deal that Chris Bassitt signed with the Toronto Blue Jays a reasonable target to exceed if he decides to opt out and test the waters.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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