MLB Free Agents: Rumors and Predictions for Rendon, Grandal and More

Now that the calendar has flipped to October, it's possible Major League Baseball's free-agent period will begin by the end of the month. 

If the World Series ends in a sweep, Halloween will mark the first day free agents are allowed to sign with a new team. This isn't a sport where deals typically get done quickly, so there may not be a lot of activity until we get to November and, more likely, December when the winter meetings take place. 

Even though the wait for free agency to start is weeks away, there are early rumblings about teams interested in upgrading their roster possibly making bids for some of the top stars who will hit the market.

Anthony Rendon, 3B (Current Team: Washington Nationals)

2019 Stats: 146 G, .319/.412/.598, 34 HR, 126 RBI, 117 R, 80 BB, 86 K

The Washington Nationals appear to be taking the same approach to Anthony Rendon's free agency that they did with Bryce Harper last offseason. 

Per Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post, Rendon received a seven-year contract offer worth between $210-215 million from the Nationals in early September.

The All-Star third baseman is still expected to test the market, but it at least provides a starting point for him to negotiate with Washington. 

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters last November he presented an offer to Harper's agent, Scott Boras, late in the 2018 season. Svrluga reported the deal was for 10 years and $300 million, but $100 million of that was deferred and would have been paid out until Harper was 60 years old. 

The offer to Rendon does have deferred money, though Svrluga noted it would be paid off within seven years of the contract expiring. 

One notable aspect of Washington's current offer is it is for less total money and a smaller average annual value than Nolan Arenado's eight-year, $260 million extension with the Colorado Rockies signed in February.

Arenado won six straight Gold Glove awards and finished in the top 10 of NL MVP voting each of the previous four years before signing his deal. Rendon made his first All-Star team in 2019 and has two top-10 finishes in NL MVP voting. 

If Arenado is the standard at third base, Washington's offer to Rendon, who is 10 months older and will turn 30 next June, is very competitive. 

The Nationals also need Rendon if they want to extend their contention window. They were able to withstand the loss of Harper last offseason because they still had Rendon and Juan Soto in the middle of the lineup. That duo combined for 68 homers and 236 RBI in 2019.

Matt Adams and Brian Dozier were the only other players on the team that reached 20 home runs. 

Since Boras also represents Rendon, expect Washington's offer to increase during free agency to keep its star third baseman. 

Prediction: Rendon re-signs with Washington for seven years, $220 million

Yasmani Grandal, C (Current Team: Milwaukee Brewers)

2019 Stats: 153 G, .246/.380/.468, 28 HR, 77 RBI, 79 R, 109 BB, 139 K

One year ago, Yasmani Grandal was expecting a big payday after posting an .815 OPS during the regular season, finishing second among all qualified catchers with 4.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement and helping the Los Angeles Dodgers reach the World Series. 

When Grandal didn't receive any lucrative offers, he settled for a one-year, $18.25 million deal from the Brewers. The 30-year-old once again had another excellent season, leading all qualified catchers with a .380 on-base percentage and .361 wOBA.

Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, Grandal is expected to draw "huge interest" on the market, including from the Cincinnati Reds. 

The Reds originally drafted Grandal in the first round in 2010. He was subsequently traded to the San Diego Padres in December 2011 as part of the package for Mat Latos. 

Cincinnati is in an interesting spot heading into next season. The team showed signs of progress in 2019 with a 75-87 record that included a career year from Eugenio Suarez (49 homers), an excellent bounce-back season from Sonny Gray (2.87 ERA) and a breakout showing by Luis Castillo (226 strikeouts in 190.2 innings). 

Offense was a problem for the Reds, who finished 25th in MLB with 701 runs scored. Their catchers posted a .247/.328/.404 slash line. Grandal would be a significant upgrade because of his ability to get on base and hit for power. 

Their payroll is manageable at $108.1 million guaranteed before factoring in contract options and arbitration-eligible players.

The National League Central looks to be in a state of flux with the Chicago Cubs potentially trading Kris Bryant or Javier Baez. The St. Louis Cardinals had the fewest wins (91) of any MLB division champion in 2019. Losing Grandal would take a significant asset away from the Brewers. 

All of these factors combine to make the Reds a perfect landing spot for Grandal. He will get to return to the spot where his professional career began and be part of the next wave of competitive Cincinnati baseball. 

Prediction: Grandal signs with Reds for four years, $60 million

J.D. Martinez, OF/DH (Current Team: Boston Red Sox)

2019 Stats: 146 G, .304/.383/.557, 36 HR, 105 RBI, 98 R, 72 BB, 138 K

There may not be a more fascinating team to watch this offseason than the Boston Red Sox. Owner John Henry has stated he wants to get payroll under the $208 million luxury-tax threshold:

Per Baseball-Reference.com, the Red Sox are on the hook for $215 million through guaranteed deals, arbitration and pre-arbitration players. 

One player who doesn't fall into that category is J.D. Martinez, who can opt out of the three years and $62.45 million left on his deal.

The three-time All-Star certainly sounds intrigued by the possibility of becoming a free agent:

Based on Boston's apparent plan to move in a new direction, Martinez has no reason to stay unless he doesn't want to risk another long free agency like he had two years ago. The team had concerns about a Lisfranc injury that delayed his signing until well into spring training during the 2018 season. 

It's clear based on Martinez's performance there have been no lingering effects from that issue. He's posted a .985 OPS with 79 homers over the past two seasons. 

If Martinez does test the market, one AL team slowly on the rise makes perfect sense to aggressively pursue him: The Chicago White Sox. 

James McCann, Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada formed a solid offensive nucleus for the White Sox to build around in 2019. Designated hitter was a black hole for them with a collective .641 OPS. 

Starting pitching might be a more pressing need for Chicago if it wants to take a step forward next season. Lucas Giolito was the team's only starter with an ERA under 4.00, and only three pitchers threw more than 100 innings. 

Regardless of how the White Sox address their rotation, they still need to find a solution at DH. Martinez's potential availability would make him an ideal fit for the organization. 

Prediction: Martinez signs with White Sox for three years, $65 million