MLB: Top 5 Free Agent Pitchers Left for 2017

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While starting pitchers get all the headlines, close to a quarter-billion dollars was handed out to relievers as well this offseason. Most of the names on the open market were setup men, making that number even more unbelievable. This year the relief group is better than the starters, as there are a number of top closers available.

Aroldis Chapman

made his Yankees debut on Monday night, striking out two batters while allowing a run against the Kansas City Royals. While his recent suspension will knock a dollar or two off the deal he gets this offseason, it’s still undoubtedly going to shatter the previous record of $52 million. If the southpaw puts up another sub-2.00 ERA season, he may get closer to $100 million than you want to believe.

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Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen almost lost his job when the Dodgers were close to acquiring Chapman this offseason. He’s probably glad it fell through, as even though most teams understand his worth with or without saves, putting up another 40 will be a nice bullet on his resume. Jansen will only be 29 when he hits the market and is working on his best season yet.

Jonathan Papelbon is the holder of that record $52 million dollar deal, and while he’s done pretty much everything he could to make his market shrink over the past couple of seasons, there will still be a team that thinks he’s worth $10 million a year if he stays the Nationals closer. Just hope it’s not your team.

All Mark Melancon has done since coming over to the Pirates in 2013 is post a 1.90 ERA across 231.2 innings, and save 109 games. He led all of baseball last year with 51 of those saves, and is off to a great start again this season. While a couple of years older than Chapman and Jansen, Melancon has been as reliable as they come the last few years. He’ll get a huge deal somewhere, but should probably just stay in Pittsburgh where he’s enjoyed such a career turnaround.

Brett Cecil has been one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball since he made the switch to the bullpen in 2012, but this year has been a rough one. After posting three straight years with a sub-3.00 ERA, Cecil currently carries a 5.59 mark. He just went on the paternity list for the Jays, so maybe it was all just pregnancy stress. He’ll only be 30 and should get a big deal in what will be a weak left-handed relief market.

Next: Number 5

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