MLB Free Agents 2024: Rumors and Predictions for Pete Alonso, Max Fried, More
The MLB postseason has delivered dramatics on the field, and this offseason promises to deliver more of the same with questions abounding about free agents like Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and star pitcher Max Fried.
Those three stand out in a market that will include ace pitchers and some of the best, most powerful hitters in the game.
Ahead of the offseason, find out updates on those three superstars with the latest from industry insiders.
Pete Alonso's New York Future
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Pete Alonso reaffirmed the love the New York Mets fans have for him this postseason with two key playoff homers against the Brewers and Dodgers that extended the season and had the Amazins on the doorstep of the World Series.
The team ultimately fell to Los Angeles in the NLCS, and now the organization looks to the future and whether Alonso will return to Queens for the 2025 season.
New York Post writer Jon Heyman said on MLB Network that general manager David Stearns may prefer chasing slugger Juan Soto, who will turn just 26 years old before the start of the season, as opposed to re-signing Alonso, who will turn 30 in December.
He also suggested that owner Steve Cohen may need to be involved if he wants to keep Alonso in New York.
It is not particularly surprising that a return is not a slam dunk for Alonso. Despite being a fan-favorite, he had a statistically down year, with his 34 home runs his fewest since the 2020 COVID-shortened season and it was not until the playoffs that he had truly meaningful blasts that shifted the course of high-stakes games.
But they were high-stakes homers, particularly in the case of Game 3 against the Brewers, where he obliterated a ball from one of the premier closers in the game, Devin Williams, to advance the Mets to the NLDS.
After years of fans questioning whether he could perform up to the moment in a playoff game, he answered with a resounding "yes" and helped guide the team to the penultimate series of the year.
That has to be taken into consideration, likely will, and Cohen will quite probably have his hands in whatever negotiations are to be had with the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star Home Run Derby champ.
He could end up elsewhere, but a reunion feels most likely.
Prediction: Heroic Alonso re-signs with Mets
Max Fried Leads Potential Cubs Rotation Additions
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The Chicago Cubs are still several pieces away from being a legitimate NL contender, including starting pitchers.
Over the last two seasons, the team has added Jameson Taillon and Shota Imanaga to its rotation, which has yielded mostly positive results.
Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, "Both of them throw a ton of strikes. Both of them limit walks. Both of them (have) shown the ability to navigate a lineup, throw multiple pitches for strikes, all the little things you want your starter to do. On top of that, they're very similar in terms of personality, too. They're natural leaders."
Based on Hottovy's comments, Mooney speculated that Max Fried and Nathan Eovaldi would best fit the team's preferences.
Both are World Series champions who have multiple pitches at their disposal, throw strikes, and avoid walks.
Fried tallied 166 strikeouts to just 57 walks, with an ERA of 3.25. Eovaldi tied Fried's strikeouts and allowed fewer walks with 42. His ERA was 3.80 in 2024.
Adding either one of those two pitchers to a rotation that includes Taillon (125 SO, 33 BB), Imanaga (174 SO, 28 BB), and Justin Steele (135 SO, 37 BB) would give the Cubs a potent 1-2-3 and put them in a position to battle any team, including the NL North champion Milwaukee Brewers.
With the front office and manager Craig Counsell unlikely to settle for the mediocrity that has defined the last two seasons, expect a few big moves from the Cubbies. Whether that includes another starting arm or an upgrade in power hitters is the question.
Prediction: The Cubs land a free-agent starter, be it Fried, Eovaldi, Corbin Burnes, or Blake Snell
How Might Juan Soto's Contract Measure Up to Shohei Ohtani's?
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Juan Soto blasted the New York Yankees into the World Series with a homer in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ALCS against Cleveland, but was that timely hit enough to earn him a record deal this offseason as baseball's most coveted free agent?
The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli wrote that the idea of Soto's deal surpassing Shohei Ohtani's astronomic $700 million contract signed late last year, "seems like a pipe dream."
Still, Soto is expected to get a massive deal, with Heyman reporting the magic number to acquire his services being $600 million.
After a year that saw him tally more hits (166), runs (128), and home runs (41) at age 26 than at any point in his career, it is no surprise that Soto will have plenty of high-priced suitors this offseason.
The Yankees figure to be the favorite, especially if they win the World Series, but the Mets have the finances to outbid them. The Phillies and Blue Jays are all teams potentially looking to upgrade their rosters with the generational hitter, per Bob Nightengale.
The Soto saga will dominant offseason headlines but do not expect him to leave the Big Apple.
Prediction: Soto signs with the New York...Mets.
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