By: William Burns
This year’s MLB free agent class features some insane talent. Three players will be featured in this article, and if you don’t recognize the first two, well then you must not follow sports. Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are duking out for the top spot and will be signing monster contracts that will make all other contracts look not so big. Joining them in the article will be top starting pitcher of the class, Patrick Corbin. All three of these players could realistically carry a team to the playoffs and will demand high price tags because of that.
Manny Machado was formerly a Baltimore Oriole until this season when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for their run into the postseason. Machado played 96 games with the Orioles until he was traded to the Dodgers for five prospects. Machado was with Baltimore for seven seasons. While with Baltimore, Machado was voted to four All-Star teams, finished in the top ten for MVP three times and won two gold gloves at third base. In his final partial season with the Orioles, Machado moved to shortstop and continued to play in that position for the Dodgers as well.
Machado is being pursued by the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. Both front offices are doing background work on him, seeing how well he could potentially fit into their organizations. It is likely that Machado, being only 25 years old, will be looking at a contract that is at least 10 years with upwards of $300 million attached to it. The Yankees, who already had a fairly high payroll, may instead target a much-needed pitcher and save the money on Machado. Likewise, the Phillies had a very bad season and have a very low payroll and could afford to pay Machado a premium to build a team around him. Look for Machado to sign a massive contract with the Phillies this offseason.
Bryce Harper is also a young superstar who just finished another great season with the Washington Nationals. Harper started his career as a 19-year-old for the Nats and was voted to the All-Star game and won Rookie of the Year. Since then he has appeared in five more All-Star games and won league MVP once as well. Harper has played all seven of his seasons with the Nationals; though as of late he hasn’t been the best hitter, he has a high ceiling as showcased in his MVP season. He is a great player to put in the middle of the lineup, hit 35-40 home runs and draw some 120 walks. At 26 years old, Harper also looks for a massive deal.
There are multiple teams showing interest in Harper. The Dodgers, Phillies and Yankees are just a few. The Phillies, as previously noted, have the cash to spend, and could go big for both of these free agents. The Dodgers are looking for another franchise player now that they came up short in the World Series this year. The Yankees are the odd team out here because they already have a stacked outfield with sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, as well as Aaron Hicks and veteran Brett Gardner. However, rumors have been going around the media that the Yankees have been asking about Harper’s ability at first base. Harper wants a big contract, so don’t be surprised to see something as long as 14 years, for close to $400 million. Harper will go to the Dodgers or the Yankees.
That leaves us with Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona finished the season just over .500 at 82-80. Corbin was a good pitcher for them, going 11-7 with an ERA of 3.15, which was much better than his 2017 campaign. As the best pitcher of free agency, Corbin will get his pick of teams. Corbin began his career at age 22 with the Diamondbacks and had his breakout season in 2013 before having Tommy John surgery. However, he has crept back into the spotlight and increased his value significantly over this last season.
Corbin has made it clear he would like to pitch for the Yankees, as he said in an interview, saying it would “definitely be great” to pitch for his childhood team, the New York Yankees. There are also eight other teams who have shown interest and need in a solid starting pitcher, and his price tag could get very high. Ultimately Corbin will go to the Yankees for five or six years for a price of around $120 million. The Yankees are in desperate need of a starting pitcher and have the money to pay for him.
There are many more players in this free agent class, but these guys will create the most buzz in the baseball world and will have the most impressive contracts. Also, these players have the ability to make or break a team, and it will be exciting to see how contracts work out.
