MLB Free Agents: 5 pitchers ready to test the market in 2021
Here are five starting pitchers that have the potential to sign huge deals as MLB free agents following the 2020 season.
This offseason, major contracts were awarded to players who came off impressive campaigns.
Starting pitchers, especially, got paid very well. Very, very well.
The New York Yankees signed Gerrit Cole to a record-setting contract for a pitcher, nine-years, $324 million. Cole has a phenomenal 2019 with the Houston Astros. Over 33 starts, he went 20-5, posted a 2.5 ERA, and struck out 326 batters over 212.1 innings.
More from MLB News
- MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves still on top with major shifting below them
- Caesars MLB Promo Code: Two Shots at Picking the World Series Winner!
- MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves still on top amid a big shake-up in top 10
- DraftKings MLB Promo: Bet $5 on an Anytime Home Run, Win $150 Bonus GUARANTEED
- MLB Power Rankings: After MLB trade deadline, gap is closing on Atlanta Braves
Another pitcher that received a monster contract is Stephen Strasburg. After he opted out of his deal with the Washington Nationals, he decided to stay with the World Series champions by signing a seven-year, $245 million deal with the Nationals. In 2019, Strasburg led the National League in wins, 18, and innings pitched, 209. He was a huge part of their postseason success.
Zack Wheeler, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Madison Bumgarner, and Dallas Keuchel all signed to new teams for next season; all getting fair contracts and fairly big money.
Next year’s free-agent class has a lot of pitching depth but is currently lacking superstars like Cole and Strasburg.
This is going to be an analysis of the five starters that could sign the biggest deals for a starter after the 2020 season. Pitchers, like former Cy Young Award winners Corey Kluber and Jake Arrieta both have club options for the 2021 season, so they were not taken into account. This is just evaluating players that are going to be unrestricted free agents next offseason.
MLB Free Agents: 5 starters ready to test the market in 2021
Trevor Bauer- Cincinnati Reds
After their spending habits increased this offseason, the Cincinnati Reds have emerged as a potential playoff team in the National League. After upgrading their rotation by signing Wade Miley, they bolstered their lineup by signing Mike Moustakas and Nicholas Castellanos.
They are trying to build a winning team, one that would appeal to MLB free agents on the open market, especially Trevor Bauer.
The Reds traded for Bauer last season, even if they knew he maybe walk after the 2020 season He has made it very clear that he wants to get paid and he wants to go to a contending team.
The 2018 All-Star struggled a little bit in 2019, posting a 4.48 ERA over 34 starts.
Expect to see major improvements from Bauer next season, since it is his contract year. He will only be 29 this season and still struck out 253 batters over 213 innings in 2019.
If he pitches like he did in 2018 this season, he will be rewarded on the open market, or perhaps the Reds go all in and pay him.
He has struggled from a lack of consistency throughout his career. However, that does not mean he is not going to get a big deal because Zack Wheeler got a $118 million deal with Philadelphia by capitalizing on two strong halves.
When Bauer hits the open market, he is going to be in high demand if he has a strong 2020 season.
MLB Free Agents: 5 starters ready to test the market in 2021
Masahiro Tanka- New York Yankees
This is a rare and interesting situation.
As many remember, the Yankees signed Tanaka in 2014 to a seven-year, $155 million contract and brought him over from Japan. He received a huge deal before he ever pitched in the majors.
Well, time flies and this is the last year on his deal. Tanaka will be 31 this season and his expected to be an unrestricted free agent after this season. He has the possibility to sign another big deal.
The two-time All-Star is coming off a shaky season. Though 31 starts, he went 11-9 with a 4.45 ERA.
However, Tanka has always been great in the postseason. Through four years, six series, Tanaka is 5-3 with a 1.76 ERA. Many teams take that into account when going after MLB free agents because
pitchers with postseason experience are in high demand.
Tanaka has proven to be a very productive starter. He is not an ace, but he would do very well as a contending team’s second or third starter.
Despite being 1/3 of an inning short in 2016, he has yet to pitch 200 innings in a season. If he passes that threshold this season, it will show teams that he is durable and can go deep into games.
MLB Free Agents: 5 starters ready to test the market in 2021
Marcus Stroman- New York Mets
2019 was a busy year for Marcus Stroman. He was named to his first All-Star game as a Toronto Blue Jay. Soon after that, he was traded to the New York Mets, the team that he cheered
for when he was a child dreaming to make it to the big leagues.
Through six seasons, he is 51-47 with a 3.76 ERA. He has reached 200 innings pitched in a season in 2016 and 2017.
2019 was arguably his best season yet. Through 21 starts with the Blue Jays and 11 with the Mets, he went 10-13 with a 3.22 ERA. He has been getting smarter with his pitched and utilized his slider very effectively.
However, Stroman is a great pitcher, but he is not a strikeout pitcher. He struck out 159 batters over 184.1 innings in 2019. This shows he needs to improve on getting ahead on the count and knowing what pitches to use on two-strike counts.
The feisty right-hander is full of energy and makes that transparent when he is on the mound. He might only be five foot seven, but he has the demeanor of somebody who was eight feet tall.
Stroman is looking forward to his 2020 campaign with the Mets and claims he is one of the best pitchers in the league and is telling the National League to “watch out.”
MLB Free Agents: 5 starters ready to test the market in 2021
Robbie Ray- Arizona Diamondbacks
Robbie Ray is going to be a free agent next offseason but could be put in a difficult situation.
Ray has been inquired about by contenders for the past year. He is a young lefty and an effective second or third starter. He adds a lot of depth to Arizona’s rotation.
If he is traded, he cannot be attached to a Qualifying Offer after 2020, meaning he does not have a value attached to him. This could help Ray because a team would not lose a pick if they signed him or it could hurt him because he is not attached to a value that high. The Diamondback record is going to be the deciding factor if he gets
Ray was at his best in 2017, when he had career bests in ERA WHIP and WAR. His 2018 and 2019 campaigns were good, but not at that caliber.
In 2019, through 33 starts, Ray went 12-8 with a 4.34 ERA over 174.1 innings, striking out 235 batters.
He is a very effective lefty and can get batters out on his own.
A lefty like Ray is going to be in high demand when he hits the open market, especially since he is currently 28-years-old. He could easily get a five-year deal.
MLB Free Agents: 5 starters ready to test the market in 2021
Jake Odorizzi- Minnesota Twins
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Even though he was originally a part of 2020’s free-agent class, Jake Odorizzi signed the one-year, $17.8 million contract, putting himself in a position to become a free agent again after the 2020 season.
Odorizzi spent his last two seasons in Minnesota. 2019 was the best season of his career, being named to his first All-Star team. Through 30 starts, he went 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA, striking out 178 batters over 159 innings, which was his career-high.
He really improved on getting batters out in two-strike counts.
2019 was his first All-Star campaign and he hopes to make another appearance at the mid-Summer classic next July. He could be one of the top pitchers in this free-agent class if he puts up another season like the one he did last year.
He was a big reason the Minnesota Twins won the American League Central in 2019. Jose Berrios and him led the rotation, as they are expected to do again this season. If the Twins do well again and Ordorizzi puts together an efficient season, he will have the potential to sign a very lucrative deal.
Next. The Forgotten Prospect: Sergio Barthelemy. dark
He has made it clear that he wants to stay in Minnesota but we will have to see if he signs an extension before hitting the open market.