MLB Free Agents 2024: Latest Rumors, Predictions for Juan Soto, Roki Sasaki and More
MLB is in the midst of a free agency period unlike any ever before.
"This is uncharted territory," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns told USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Juan Soto is the top prize for the highest spender, but beyond him, there is a wealth of great players seeking new places to continue their careers, many of whom are on hold until the Soto domino falls.
Who are two of the more intriguing additions?
Find out with this preview, including predictions for each player, including Soto.
Juan Soto
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Juan Soto is the most coveted free agent among big-money contenders this offseason, with the Mets, Yankees, and Phillies all named potential suitors for the 26-year-old.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that, according to several baseball executives, the Toronto Blue Jays are the dark horse candidate for Soto.
The Blue Jays finished last in the AL East in 2024, a spot no one in the front office imagined possible at the beginning of the season. With a record of 74-88, the team woefully underperformed. So much so that there were real questions about star shortstop Bo Bichette's future with the organization.
With general manager Ross Atkins answering questions about a trade for Bichette with an emphatic "no," the team appears poised to make more moves in hopes of returning to the playoffs and competing for a World Series.
Acquiring Soto and his 41 home runs, 128 RBI, and 166 hits and adding his offense to Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., would give the Blue Jays a foundation on which to build the rest of the team.
It would also take a generational hitter away from a division foe, greatly and adversely affecting the Yankees' ability to get back to the World Series.
Still, it has long been discussed that the competition for Soto would come down to the Bronx Bombers and the Mets, and that still feels like the most likely scenario, even with Toronto, Philly, and even San Francisco lurking.
Prediction: Soto signs with the Mets
Roki Sasaki
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Roki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines is one of the best young arms in the world and, if posted by his team, could be on his way to the world-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, per Nightengale.
"If the Chiba Lotte Marines post him, all 30 teams will make a run at him, but the Los Angeles Dodgers would be the heavy favorite to land him with (pitcher) Shohei Ohtani highly unlikely to be ready at the start of the season after undergoing surgery to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder," he wrote.
The 23-year-old went 10-5 with an ERA of 2.35 and a WHIP of 1.036 in 2024.
He averaged 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.6 walks in that same span.
One of the best young throwers in the sport, he would join Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the latest Japanese pitcher to join the Dodgers, following Shohei Ohtani's monster deal with the team.
He would not make the money that either of those stars did though, as Nightengale wrote, because "He'll be treated as an international amateur player and subjected to international signing bonus restrictions, meaning he wouldn't start making big money until at least his second or third year in arbitration."
Still, adding Sasaki to a rotation that includes Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Ohtani once he is cleared to throw, would only enhance what was the Dodgers' one potential weakness on paper.
Expect that to happen, if the team has an interest in adding Sasaki.
Prediction: Dodgers add Sasaki
Christian Walker
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The Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker had one of the best seasons of his career in 2024 and will be one of the hottest free agents on the market after Soto.
Nightengale wrote that the Yankees, Mets, Nationals, and Diamondbacks are all expected to check in on and pursue Walker, with the Soto domino potentially affecting who ultimately lands him.
Walker delivered 120 hits, blasted 26 home runs, and drove 84 RBI in 2024, with a slash line of .251/.335/.468.
He carried a WAR of 2.6.
The Mets' pursuit of the veteran first baseman would likely depend upon the team's ability to re-sign Pete Alonso. The Yankees would be unlikely to pursue Walker if they can convince Soto to re-sign and continue his career with the organization.
Walker is familiar with the Diamondbacks and that team's young core will seemingly keep it in a position to compete for the playoffs for the foreseeable future, perhaps making it an appealing place for him to continue playing.
The Nationals, either through their interest in Soto or their link to Walker, appear ready to spend this offseason and get back to the playoffs.
A big-money suitor, like in so many other cases this offseason, feels like the most likely landing spot.
Prediction: Yankees sign Walker to replace Anthony Rizzo and make up for not landing Soto
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