MLB Free Agents: Top 5 hitters set to test the market in 2021, ranked

Today, let’s take a look at 5 hitters that have the potential to sign huge deals as MLB free agents following the 2020 season.

A few days ago, we looked at five starting pitchers that could sign big deals as MLB free agents during the 2021 offseason. Today, let’s take a deep dive at the crop of hitters that could also test free agency following the 2020 season.

The interesting thing about the upcoming offseason is that many of the elite hitters that could become available have either a player or a club option attached to their deals. In fact, of the five players listed, only two don’t have an option attached to their contracts.

The reason for this is because both of these players will be testing free agency for the first time in their respective careers. The first of these players just so happens to be the fifth-ranked player on this list…

George Springer – Houston Astros

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George Springer emerged as a member o the Houston Astros in 2014. That season, in just 78 games, Springer hit 20 HR while slashing a respectable .231 / .336 / .468.

Since then, Springer has turned into a regular All-Star and MVP candidate. In his best season, 2019, Springer hit a career-high 39 home runs, 96 RBI, while also posting a career-best slash line of .292 / .383 / .591 in just 122 games.

As a result, the Astros rewarded Springer with generous 1-year, $21M deal in order to avoid arbitration.

Unfortunately, Springer is embroiled in the never-ending sign-stealing scandal which has taken the world of baseball by storm. With a recent study showing that Springer heard the second-most trash can bangs of any player on that 2017 Astros team, he’ll have plenty to prove this coming season.

If he can sustain the level of play he produced last season, there’s no question that he will be a legitimate candidate for a monster contract. He’ll have to prove that he can do it fairly though.

MLB Free Agents: 5 hitters set to test the market in 2021

J.D. Martinez – Boston Red Sox (Player Option)

After spending the earlier part of his career with three different teams (Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and Arizona Diamondbacks), it seems that J.D. Martinez has found a comfortable place with the Boston Red Sox.

Since joining the Sox, Martinez has far exceeded his performance as a hitter. In fact, in each of his two seasons in Boston, Martinez has hit 36 or more home runs and posted 105 or more RBIs. What’s more, he has a slash line of .317* / .392* / .593 as a member of the Red Sox. (*Career-highs)

The last time J.D. Martinez tested free agency, the market didn’t move quite as quickly as it did this offseason. As a result, he settled for an incentive-laden 5-year, $110M contract with player options in each season except 2022.

That leaves this coming offseason and the next as the only times he will be able to try to leverage for a larger deal.

As it stands, Martinez is set to earn approximately $62.5M over the next three seasons (2020-2022). That comes to an annual average value of just under $20M per season.

In taking his last two seasons in Boston, Martinez has accumulated a 9.1 fWAR, which is comparable to guys like Freddie Freeman (9.3 fWAR) and Manny Machado (9.3 fWAR). Both Freeman and Machado are set to earn $22M and $30M each respectively.

If Martinez can continue the level of production fans of the Boston Red Sox have come to see and love, he will opt out and willl be one of the most highly touted MLB free agents in 2021.

MLB Free Agents: 5 hitters set to test the market in 2021

Anthony Rizzo – Chicago Cubs (Club Option)

Anthony Rizzo continues to be one of the underrated players of his generation. It’s not that people don’t recognize his talents or what he means to the Chicago Cubs, it’s that he doesn’t have the gaudy numbers, a flashy style of play, or even the name recognition outside of the sport.

If anything, Rizzo compares to guys that can be the cornerstone of an organization without even being the best player on his team. I’m talking about guys like Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia.

For his career, Rizzo has a slash line of .273 / .373 / .488. His career-high home run total stands at 32 while his career-best RBI total is 109.

Now, unfortunately for Rizzo, unlike J.D. Martinez, his contract includes a club option, which takes all control away from the club. At the same time, however, there are a set of sweeteners in the deal, like

• $2M 2020-21 escalators if he wins 1 MVP, or 2 Top 5 MVP votes during deal (Exercised)
• Hotel Suite on the Road

Conversely, the most Rizzo will probably make regardless of whether the club option is exercised is what he’s already set to get ($16.5M AAV). Why? Well, because if he outperforms his deal, the Cubs will certainly keep him.

However, if he underperforms and starts to show a bit of a decline, teams will be less inclined to offer him a monster free-agent deal. He’s in a tough position and all he can do at this point is to continue doing what he’s already doing: being consistent.

MLB Free Agents: 5 hitters set to test the market in 2021

Mookie Betts – Los Angeles Dodgers

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Finally, we have come to one of the most highly anticipated MLB free agents in a generation. Unlike Mike Trout, who is most certainly the games best player, Mookie Betts — the games 2nd best player — wants to see what he’s worth in the market, and, frankly, so do we.

After reportedly turning down a 10-year, $300M offer from the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2019 MLB season, the writing was on the wall in terms of Betts’ future with the Red Sox. As a result, one year later, he and David Price were sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Alex Verdugo and some shortstop named Jeter.

Now, what exactly is a player of Mookie’s caliber worth?

Well, according to Spotrac’s market value tool, he should receive somewhere along the lines of $35.1M AAV. Other tools, such as FanGraphs’ value graph had Betts’ value at $53M last season alone.

My prediction is that he gets somewhere between the two largest contracts in the game:

• Mike Trout – 12 years, $426.5M
• Bryce Harper – 13 years, $330M

Specifically, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mookie Betts got something like 10-years, $375M. In doing so, he’d land just beneath the best player in baseball cumulatively. In terms of annually, however, he’d place above Gerrit Cole, who tops all of baseball at $36M AAV.