MLB Free Agency: Predicting When Trumbo, Bautista and Napoli Will Sign

The MLB offseason has been a hectic frenzy so far, yet three big power bats still have not made a decision. Heading into the new year, these three are certain to find a home, and find one fast.

With power hitters making up the majority of MLB free agent talent, it is a surprise to see three of the best bats still available. Sure, there are question marks hovering over all three of these guys, but the fact that it has taken so long is baffling. Mark Trumbo, Jose Bautista and Mike Napoli are perhaps three of the four best power hitters available on the free agent market. With Edwin Encarnacion already signed, it brings up the question: when will these guys sign – and with whom?

Of course, the margin of error with these predictions is very large. So for all we know, all three of these players could very well sign contracts as soon as tomorrow. However, with past trends and the current landscape of the free agency pool, a good prediction is much easier to formulate.

Mark Trumbo

Mark Trumbo likely won’t be the first to sign out of the three, but definitely won’t be the last. Trumbo likely was feeling out the market, waiting for other sluggers like Encarnacion to sign in order to evaluate his own worth. Now that Encarnacion has found his home in Cleveland, Trumbo and teams realize the contract it will take to secure the slugger’s talents. While Trumbo may not get as much as Encarnacion, it is plausible to think that Trumbo can get close to that number.

Trumbo has several suitors that he can find himself on next season. The Baltimore Orioles at this point seem like the leading candidates to re-sign Trumbo, as they could use his services more than anyone. Other possible suitors are present, as Trumbo may very well find himself returning to either the Los Angeles Angels or Seattle Mariners. Outside options, such as the Atlanta Braves or New York Yankees, are always prevalent when discussing where Trumbo will end up. Regardless, with several suitors it is hard to see Trumbo on the market much longer.

With that being said, Trumbo will undoubtedly be signed before the end of January. Whatever team ends up landing Trumbo will most definitely want to insert him into the system as soon as possible and avoid any possible hiccups heading into spring training. With the market price already set for Trumbo, he has nothing else to wait for besides the offers from ball clubs. Trumbo shouldn’t wait too long or his value will diminish, so a January signing seems like the most likely outcome.