Top 25 MLB Free Agents
Nos. 11 through 13
Mike Moustakas (13) can write the book on bad free agent experiences. In each of the past two seasons, Moustakas waited in frustration for the Milwaukee Brewers eventually to sign him. He hasn’t lost his enthusiasm for the market; Moustakas last week declined an $11million mutual option to take his chances a third time. Entering his age 32 season and coming off a 35-homer 2019, Moustakas is considered at least a capable fielder…so all we’re really talking about is dollars and years, right?
Dallas Keuchel (12) probably didn’t enjoy his 2019 free-agent experience much, either. Unsigned until June, he went 8-8 with a 3.75 ERA once the Braves gave him a $13 million contract. While Keuchel was hardly All-Star material following his return, he still made 19 starts and his numbers translated to a 121 ERA+. The question then becomes whether Keuchel and any interested teams can agree on terms that would get him into a spring training camp.
Jake Odorizzi (11) blossomed in his age 29 season, producing a 15-7 record in 30 starts for the Twins. He’s likely to be looking for a significant upgrade from his $9.5 million deal of 2019 along with some length. The Twins also attached a qualifying offer to Odorizzi. At the same time, he’s likely to be viewed as a bargain compared with Cole or Strasburg. Nobody’s putting him in Cole’s class, but his 131 ERA+ is in line with Strasburg’s 135, and it’s notably better than higher-profile free-agent pitchers such as Zack Wheeler and Madison Bumgarner.