MLB Free Agents 2022: Latest Rumors, Predictions for Aaron Judge, Jacob deGrom, More
The baseball gods flipped on the burners, but it will be a while before the 2022 iteration of the MLB hot stove really ignites.
A few signings have surfaced already—like Edwin Díaz scoring a nine-figure pact from the New York Mets—but most of heavy hitters and top hurlers could be weeks or months away from putting pen to paper.
In the meantime, though, the rumor mill is already buzzing with potential movement, so let's break down the latest buzz and break out the crystal ball to predict how these situations will play out.
Yankees More 'Confident' About Keeping Aaron Judge
The New York Yankees have firsthand knowledge of Aaron Judge's prodigious talent.
They just had a front-row seat for his campaign for the ages. He clobbered 62 homers, totaled 131 RBI and scored 133 runs. All three were major league-leading marks—Pete Alonso matched Judge's RBI count—as were his .425 on-base percentage and .686 slugging percentage.
All of the above should have suitors lining up to sign the 30-year-old, but one Yankees executive told Jon Heyman of the New York Post he is more "confident" about the club's chances to re-sign the superstar.
Now, that's just vague enough to not really have a good grasp of the meaning. Did the executive's confidence level go from none at all to 5 percent, or is it more of a jump from "sort of confident" to "almost certain"? It's impossible to tell from the outside, but given the potential size of Judge's market, it's easier to pick the field over the Yankees.
Prediction: Judge signs eight-year, $300 million deal with the San Francisco Giants.
Jacob deGrom Leaving Mets?
A healthy Jacob deGrom might be the best pitcher in baseball, and if there are any quibbles with that take, it's probably for the inclusion of the "might" qualifier.
The 34-year-old boasts a career ERA of just 2.52. He just completed his third consecutive campaign with more than 13 strikeouts per nine innings and hasn't had less than double-digit K's per nine since 2016. He already has two Cy Young Awards and might have even more if not for some injury issues.
His resume makes you think the New York Mets should do everything in their power to keep him, but that may not be the case. As Heyman reported, "folks who have spoken to the Mets lately opine that they believe deGrom seems pretty likely to leave."
Given deGrom's age and injury history, coupled with the big spending the Mets have done elsewhere, New York may not go high enough to bring him back.
Prediction: deGrom signs a three-year, $136 million deal with the San Diego Padres.
Boston Burned a Bridge with Xander Bogaerts?
Money has a way of smoothing things over, but the Boston Red Sox may have work to do to repair their relationship with free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
In the spring, the Sox dangled a low-ball extension offer. Had he signed it, it would've been terrific, but the risk of putting below-market money on the table could be rearing its ugly head now.
The Sox want to keep him, per Heyman, but "he was said to have been hurt by their spring offer to add one year at $20 million, an offer low enough that some in the Boston media didn't even believe it was correct."
Again, Boston could perhaps right this wrong at a certain price point, but it may not reach that high with several high-level alternatives on the market—not to mention two-time All-Star Trevor Story already on the roster.
Prediction: Bogaerts signs a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.