MLB Free Agents 2021: Latest Rumors, Predictions Around Freddie Freeman and More
The 2021 MLB offseason is heating up.
It's still a slow burn for now, and it might remain that way until a new collective bargaining agreement is in place, but there is some activity.
Eduardo Rodriguez snagged a five-year deal from the Detroit Tigers that could be worth as much as $80 million, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. A massive amount of money will be spent at some time in the (hopefully near) future, and the market is already rumbling about free agents who might chew up a big piece of the pie.
We'll break down the chatter here and predict where the involved players will land.
Yankees, Phillies Among Teams Interested in Starling Marte
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The best thing a free agent can do for himself is find a way to stand out from the crowd. Starling Marte did exactly that in 2021 and made the entire baseball world take notice.
The veteran outfielder, who turned 33 last month, raced toward an MLB-best 47 stolen bases this past season. To make that number more impressive, he did that while navigating around a mid-season trade from the NL East's Miami Marlins to the AL West's Oakland A's and while playing just 120 games. He also batted .310 with 12 home runs and posted a career-best .383 on-base percentage.
Marte's bank account is about to be rewarded for his effort. The Houston Astros recently met with his representatives, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, but the Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and New York Mets are among the other teams in pursuit.
Marte can hold his own defensively (two-time Gold Glove winner), provide plenty of contact and a bit of pop atop any lineup and electrify on the base path. He'll have his pick of teams and can almost name his price.
Prediction: Starling Marte signs with the New York Mets.
Yankees Met with Freddie Freeman's Representatives
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The Yankees are in the market for a left-handed bopper at first base, and they're casting a wide net in that pursuit.
That includes, according to Heyman, World Series champion Freddie Freeman, plus Anthony Rizzo and trade candidate Matt Olson.
Freeman would be the biggest prize, but he also seems like the hardest to get. The Braves are the only MLB franchise he has known, and a year after giving Atlanta its first MVP winner since Chipper Jones, Freeman helped deliver the organization's first championship since 1995.
He has already been talking to Atlanta, with the amount of years holding up the negotiations, per The Athletic's David O'Brien. That doesn't seem like too big of a hurdle to overcome, so the Yankees seem unlikely to lure Freeman away.
Prediction: Freddie Freeman re-signs with the Atlanta Braves.
Crowded Market for Kyle Schwarber
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Kyle Schwarber, once the fourth overall pick of the 2014 draft, has encountered both hot streaks and cold spells over his MLB career, but free agency arrived at the right time.
His 2021 season might have been his best so far, even though he only played 113 games and was traded in July from the Washington Nationals to the Boston Red Sox. He had career-highs in batting average (.266) and on-base percentage (.374), slugged 32 homers, drove in 71 runs and earned his first All-Star selection.
Those numbers are hard to ignore, and free agent shoppers don't intend to. "A lot of teams" have expressed interest in Schwarber, per FanSided's Robert Murray, who noted Schwarber "has more 30-plus home run seasons than fellow free agents Nick Castellanos, Michael Conforto and Carlos Correa combined."
Schwarber's bat is big time, and his defensive limitations could go out the window if the new CBA includes a universal DH. He could land with virtually any team seeking an offensive jolt.
Prediction: Kyle Schwarber signs with the Washington Nationals.
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