MLB free agency, offseason trade news and hot stove updates
With the unique 2020 MLB season behind us, the hot stove season is underway. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this offseason, with the reduced revenues and looming labor issues making it unclear how willing teams will be to spend on acquiring players.
We have information about how the offseason will work, as well as key dates and a look at the key issues teams will need to address.
Related links:
Free agent rankings | Way-too-early Power Rankings | 2021 MLB draft order
Analysis of biggest moves
•
First Snell, now Darvish: Padres go all-in, Cubs start rebuild
•Why Blake Snell trade could be a win-win for Padres and Rays — or a huge loss for one side
•What to make of Pirates trading former All-Star Josh Bell to Nationals
•What getting McCann means for Mets — and free-agent market
• White Sox off to good start this offseason, but can’t stop now
•Trade grades: How well did White Sox, Rangers do in Lynn deal?
•Schoenfield: Adding Morton sets Braves up for run at Dodgers
Hot stove buzz
• Hot stove survey: GMs, execs predict biggest offseason topics
•Five things Passan is hearing: New homes for Springer, Arenado?
•What Passan is hearing about Hendriks, busy Jays
•What Passan is hearing about markets for Springer, LeMahieu
•Olney: Why the Indians are finally ready to deal Lindor
•Which big names were cut loose at the non-tender deadline?
Best fits for top offseason targets
•Schoenfield: What it would take to trade for Rays ace Snell
•Schoenfield: Ranking the best landing spots for Realmuto
•Schoenfield: Best free-agency fits for Springer
•Doolittle: Ranking the trade fits for Indians star Lindor
•Schoenfield: Ranking how Bauer fits for all 30 teams
•Doolittle: The best free-agent fits for very specific needs
Breaking down the free-agent market
•Schoenfield: Free agent superlatives — Player most likely to …
•McDaniel: Ranking every MLB free agent for the 2020 offseason
•Olney: Valuable free agents who aren’t budget busters
•Olney: Why MLB insiders predict a long, cold winter for free agents
Offseason to-do lists
•Stock watch: How all 30 teams stack up as hot stove starts to simmer
•McDaniel: What every AL team needs to get done
•McDaniel: What every NL team needs to get done
• Schoenfield: Predicting offseason moves for all 30 MLB teams
• Passan: 20 questions entering a unique hot stove season
Other offseason news and views
•Olney: Arenado can keep huge salary or play for a winner — but not both
•Winter meetings wrap: Dombrowski to Philly, Rangers’ direction and more
•Olney: How this offseason plays to Braves’ advantage
•What’s next for the Cubs after Theo Epstein’s departure
•What the Mets’ offseason could look like under new owner Steve Cohen
•What you need to know about Robinson Cano’s PED suspension
• Spain: Hired by Marlins, Kim Ng lands long-overdue GM job
• Alex Cora is back with Red Sox: Why it will (or won’t) work
Key questions
What can we expect this offseason?
For players, this could be a “Game of Thrones” offseason: Winter is coming. Cold, harsh and agents fighting to get what few monetary scraps owners will be willing to shell out to free agents. A few players will get paid: Trevor Bauer, George Springer, J.T. Realmuto, DJ LeMahieu, maybe Marcell Ozuna. But second-tier and third-tier players might be scrambling for jobs right up to the start of spring training, just like what happened a couple of years ago in the offseason.
That’s why some of the most interesting action could occur on the trade market. Will the Indians deal Francisco Lindor? Will the Rockies trade Nolan Arenado, who is coming off a bad 48 games (84 OPS+) and missed the end of the season with a shoulder injury? What do the Cubs do with Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber, all free agents after 2021? Then we have the Yankees, coming off another non-World Series season and in need of … well, they’ll do something. — David Schoenfield
Who are the biggest names on the market?
Overall, this is a relatively thin market lacking the superstar power of the last couple of offseasons. Still, there are some valuable options. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, Astros outfielder George Springer, Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu and Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna are the top position players, with the Reds’ Trevor Bauer the top pitching option, followed by the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka. Liam Hendriks of the A’s, who was one of baseball’s best closers the past two years, is another intriguing name. Other position players include Justin Turner of the Dodgers, Oakland’s Marcus Semien, the Twins’ Nelson Cruz, Michael Brantley of the Astros, Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Red Sox and the Phillies’ Didi Gregorius. Other pitchers on the market include Taijuan Walker, Jake Odorizzi and Trevor May.
Offseason previews
NL playoff teams
•Three questions facing Braves
•Where Cubs go next
•Reds face big questions
•How can Dodgers stay on top?
•Building on Marlins’ surprise
•Can Brewers keep contending?
•What’s next for the Cardinals
•Padres’ to-do list as contenders
AL playoff teams
•White Sox winter agenda
•Cleveland’s priorities
•How many Astros All-Stars could leave?
•Twins look to upgrade a contender
•Yankees can’t let it ride
•A’s face high turnover
•How Rays can come back stronger
•How Blue Jays build from this
Teams that didn’t make the postseason
