With the World Series over, the MLB offseason is now underway and set to be a big one. This offseason was set to be headlined by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but he was taken off the table after signing his big contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays in the regular season. No worries, though, because there are still a lot of big impact players for the taking. The biggest now being Kyle Tucker, who, after being traded from the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs last offseason, posted a 266 batting average with 22 home runs, 77 runs batted in and an 841 OPS according to Baseball Reference. Now, these numbers don’t stand out right away, but Tucker is one of the best quality bats in baseball. At only age 29, his prime baseball years are still ahead of him. According to ESPN, he is projected to sign a $418 million contract for around 11 years. With the right team, Tucker can become a key piece of a world series winner, but with his age, how many teams are willing to go that far?
Some other solid players are also free agents, like Cody Bellinger, who had a really good year with the Yankees, but his projected $165 million contract of six years could be too far for a guy who hasn’t been able to get back to that MVP form he once had. Other big impact bats this offseason who are free agents consist of big-time power bats like Pete Alonso, who opted out of his deal with the Mets to look for a better contract, and Kyle Schwarber, whose contract with the Phillies ended this year. Both can easily get 30 to 40 home runs in a season and boost any lineup looking to compete.
There are also many good pitchers, like Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Michael King and Ranger Suarez, who could be key additions to any pitching staff. A few names have also gone around on the trade market, the big one being Tarik Skubal, who will probably win the CY Young and is set for his big payday next offseason. However, the Tigers are lowballing Skubal, which could lead to him being traded this offseason in a move that could shake baseball depending on where he lands.
One last name to bring up is Japanese power bat Munetaka Murakami. He was just posted recently and has 45 days to sign with an MLB team. Murakami, who hit 265 home runs in Japan, is an immediate home run threat once he gets to the league. With a high walk rate, he’s a good addition. There are a few concerns with him on the field and on the bases. He’s not very good and has a high strikeout rate against fastballs. There’s no doubt that he will be a big addition, but it’s uncertain if his talent will transfer over right away. This offseason should be great, and if teams want to compete with the Dodgers, it’s time to open the wallet.
