MLB Free Agents Who Would Be Foolish to Change Teams in 2022
Before the Major League Baseball work stoppage, with team owners and player union representatives posturing like politicians, free-agency developments were happening at a breakneck pace.
The top pitcher on the market, Max Scherzer, agreed to a deal that will make him the oldest baseball player to sign a contract worth more than $100 million.
The Texas Rangers agreed to pay both Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.
To say the least, it was entertaining to watch all of the movement while it lasted.
For this exercise, we'll take a look at players who should stay put. There is nothing quite like home cooking, whether it be a history or a performance at a particular ballpark or a circumstance allowing a player to succeed there.
Anthony Rizzo, New York Yankees
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Anthony Rizzo was the same player in 49 games with the New York Yankees as he was in 92 with the Chicago Cubs last season. His OPS was slightly down, actually, from .792 to .768.
According to Bob Klapisch of NJ.com, Rizzo wants to return to New York, but it's unclear whether that interest is mutual by the Yankees, who would be understandably hesitant to pay a lot of money to a 32-year-old after a down season.
Luke Voit and DJ LeMahieu are the Yankees' other options at first base, but Rizzo would clearly be a better one.
Even if Rizzo's Yankee Stadium career slash line of .247/.343/.382 is not all that impressive, the four-time Gold Glove Award winner makes the team better defensively.
Unless he's headed back to Chicago, where the Cubs could also be big spenders, Rizzo's best payday chances are in New York.
Kyle Schwarber, Boston Red Sox
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Kyle Schwarber saw an uptick in production once he was traded from the Washington Nationals to the Boston Red Sox last season.
He hit .253/.340/.570 in 72 games and 303 plate appearances for the Nationals. For the Red Sox, his slash line improved to .291/.435/.522 with a .957 OPS.
It is clear Schwarber enjoys hitting at Fenway Park, as his career slash line there is .316/.455/.570 with a 1.024 OPS.
With a swing like his, he fits in anywhere. But if the Red Sox were to make the right offer, he should stay there and take another crack at an American League pennant.
Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
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Sometimes it's easy to forget Freddie Freeman is a free agent considering Atlanta just won the World Series and how synonymous he is with the franchise.
There have been reports of the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers being interested, among other teams, but not much about offers.
It had been widely expected Freeman would return to the Braves for reasons mentioned above, but as Ken Rosenthal pointed out in The Athletic, "His return no longer can be viewed as inevitable."
A rival MLB executive told Rosenthal it was a "slap in the face" that Freeman remained unsigned. As of mid-November, adding a sixth year in any potential deal was still a hangup in negotiations.
It seems foolish for either side to turn down a chance at reuniting.
Since the opening of Truist Park (formerly SunTrust Park) in 2017, Freeman is slashing .302/.395/.541 at the home stadium. It is difficult to see him mattering more in any other city than where he's made his name.
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Carlos Correa, Houston Astros
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MLB Network's Jon Heyman said on Clint Stoerner & The Show that Carlos Correa would likely sign with either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Houston Astros.
He spent seven major league seasons with the Astros after they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2012, becoming a World Series champion within five years.
Before 2020, there were durability concerns with Correa, who dealt with back, neck and rib injuries in 2018 and 2019. But the past two seasons, he's remained healthy and emerged as one of the team leaders.
He became their de facto spokesperson after backlash from the sign-stealing scandal and then backed it up with high-level performances the following two seasons.
Correa, who led position players in WAR last season, is a hometown hero in Houston. Even fanbases resenting the Astros should welcome him with open arms, but no one loves him like Houston. Now, it's time for the Astros to ante up.
Tyler Anderson, Seattle Mariners
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According to The Athletic's Corey Brock, Mariners manager Scott Servais said the team couldn't have asked for more after trading for Tyler Anderson from the Pittsburgh Pirates last season.
The team made a commitment to improvement by signing AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million deal and trading for All-Star Adam Frazier.
Bringing back Tyler Anderson would help fortify the rotation, especially with Yusei Kikuchi surprisingly declining his $13 million player option for 2022 to become a free agent.
Anderson does not have to be a Seattle rental.
He exceeded expectations in limited time there, and maybe it's enough to get the Mariners to pay him.
Drew Smyly, Atlanta Braves
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There was some fan disappointment in Drew Smyly's one season with Atlanta. The team committed $11 million to him for the season, and he did not always pitch up to that level.
However, he still went 11-4 with a 4.48 EAR and contributed to Atlanta's World Series victory. By all means, it's a move that worked out for both parties.
Whether Smyly should be paid around the $11 million he received in 2021 is its own question, but he showed flexibility in providing quality starts and switching to the bullpen (1.64 ERA with eight strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.27 in 11 innings).
This is one of those where if it is not broken, it should not be fixed.
Yusei Kikuchi, Seattle Mariners
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Yusei Kikuchi went from being the Mariners' lone All-Star selection to collapsing in the second half of the season, when he was removed from the rotation as Seattle pushed for a playoff spot in the final weeks.
The ending was unlike anything they envisioned, as he went 1-5 with a 5.98 ERA over his last 13 outings and didn't last beyond three innings in three of his final four starts.
But the first half of the season he went 6-4 with a 3.48 ERA.
After declining a $13 million player option, it is unlikely Kikuchi would be back under a revised deal. But the Mariners are building something with the addition of Robbie Ray, Adam Frazier and potentially Kris Bryant.
Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Clayton Kershaw could pitch somewhere else and still be productive. He is still an effective pitcher with velocity the same as it ever was.
However, Jim Bowden of The Athletic wrote in October that Kershaw's injury-filled season could make it a lot easier for the Dodgers to re-sign him.
Bowden likened it to the Cardinals' one-year deal with franchise legend Adam Wainwright last year, suggesting the Dodgers could bring back Kershaw at a $10 million base salary with significant incentive bonuses for games started and innings pitched.
The Dodgers lost out on Max Scherzer and Corey Seager, so there should be plenty of money sitting around to offer Kershaw a short-term deal.
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