2015 MLB Free Agents: Rumors and Predictions for Top Potential Targets

October postseason baseball is one of the most entertaining parts of each year, but the talk about the 2015 MLB free-agent class has already begun for the majority of the teams in the league that didn’t make the playoffs.

With players like Nelson Cruz, James Shields, Jon Lester and many others possibly hitting the open market this offseason, the chatter about where each might land has added to the drama surrounding baseball this month.

Here are the top free agents, their potential landing spots and the latest rumors surrounding the biggest names.

Player	Position	Current Team	Projected Landing Spot
Nelson Cruz	DH	Baltimore Orioles	Baltimore Orioles
Jon Lester	SP	Oakland Athletics	St. Louis Cardinals
Pablo Sandoval	3B	San Francisco Giants	Boston Red Sox
Hanley Ramirez	SS	Los Angeles Dodgers	New York Yankees
James Shields	SP	Kansas City Royals	Kansas City Royals
Max Scherzer	SP	Detroit Tigers	Chicago Cubs
Asdrubal Cabrera	SS	Washington Nationals	Washington Nationals
Victor Martinez	DH	Detroit Tigers	Detroit Tigers
Russell Martin	C	Pittsburgh Pirates	Los Angeles Dodgers
Chase Headley	3B	New York Yankees	San Francisco Giants

Travis Heying/Associated Press

Latest Free-Agent Rumors

While many fans want to focus solely on the playoffs, the free-agent frenzy has already begun, and the rumors are already swirling.

One of the teams being talked about the most is the Baltimore Orioles. According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, Baltimore has already re-signed shortstop J.J. Hardy to a three-year deal:

The Orioles aren’t stopping there, though, as Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com is reporting the team is looking to agree to a new deal with designated hitter Nelson Cruz:

Cruz signed a one-year deal with Baltimore during the offseason, and the investment has paid off for the franchise. Not only did the team find success in the postseason, but the power hitter found his rhythm again and amassed career highs in home runs (40) and RBI (108).

The Orioles need more reliable bats in the lineup, and with a solid .271 batting average and a .333 on-base percentage, Cruz should remain a key cog in the franchise’s long-term plans. Re-signing the slugger is a must.

Another postseason hero looking for a new contract is Kansas City Royals starting pitcher James Shields. In a separate report from Heyman, the team is now very interested in a possible deal and will work on one before the pitcher becomes a free agent:

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The Royals were originally believed to have a shot to keep Shields only if they went far in the playoffs, and sources say the team has decided by now, after reaching the ALCS, that they will make that effort. The Royals told Shields' agent, Page Odle, around the time of the trade deadline that they'd be back in touch after the season, which was a hopeful sign. And now with their amazing postseason run, which will bolster their revenues big-time -- they have decided they will indeed try to keep him with a new multi-year deal.

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Since arriving from Tampa Bay in 2013, Shields has been a workhorse for the team, totaling 68 starts in two seasons. With a 3.15 ERA in 2013 and a 3.21 ERA in 2014, Shields has been the picture of consistency for the pitching staff and a veteran voice of leadership on a team that needs all the experience it can get.

If the Royals want to continue making deep runs in the postseason and being viable championship threats, the franchise must re-sign Shields to a long-term deal.

*Stats via MLB.com.

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