MLB Free Agency

Multiple high-profile MLB teams are reportedly expected to pursue a top shortstop on the free-agent market during the offseason.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants are all expected to be on the hunt for a star shortstop.

Heyman named Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dansby Swanson of the Atlanta Braves, Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox and Carlos Correa of the Minnesota Twins as the top shortstops expected to hit the market and drum up a ton of interest once the 2022 season concludes.

Depending on what happens with the aforementioned shortstops, the Dodgers, Braves, Red Sox and Twins could be players in the shortstop market as well, since they will need replacements if their star shortstops sign elsewhere.

This marks the second consecutive year that shortstop is arguably the most stacked position in free agency, as Correa, Corey Seager, Javier Baez, Trevor Story and Marcus Semien were among the headliners of the 2021 class.

In terms of total value, Seager got the biggest deal at $325 million over 10 years. Baez, Semien and Story also did well for themselves, while Correa settled for a three-year deal with an opt-out clause after this season.

Part of the reason for Correa not landing a big contract was the fact that he waited until after the lockout to sign, which may have impacted his market.

That won't be an issue this offseason, which is why Turner, Swanson, Bogaerts and Correa are all expected to do well in free agency.

Turner, 29, has spent parts of the past two seasons in L.A. after a trade from the Washington Nationals and is in the midst of a fantastic season that has seen him hit .300 with 20 home runs, 97 RBI, 98 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.

As a two-time All-Star, one-time batting champion and one-time World Series champion with top-end speed, Turner promises to be highly sought after.

The 28-year-old Swanson is enjoying a career year with a .276 average, 22 homers and 92 RBI, and he helped the Braves win the World Series last season.

Bogaerts, who turns 30 on Saturday, is a four-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion during a 10-year career that has been spent entirely in Boston.

With a .309 batting average, Bogaerts is in the hunt for the American League batting titles, which would be the first of his career.

Correa, who is the youngest of the free-agent shortstops after just turning 28 this month, was a two-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion during his time with the Houston Astros, and has played well for the Twins this season, hitting .286 with 21 homers and 61 RBI.

Of the teams rumored to be heavily interested in the free-agent shortstops, the Cardinals are the only surefire playoff team this season, while the Phillies are battling for the final wild-card spot in the NL.

The Giants missed out on the playoffs after winning over 100 games last season, and the Cubs are in the midst of a rebuild.

Any of those teams would receive a huge boost upon signing one of the top shortstops and would perhaps close the gap between themselves and top NL teams like the Dodgers, Braves and New York Mets.

MLB executives reportedly predict "one of the best free-agent classes in recent memory" with several high-profile players planning to use opt-out clauses in their contracts to hit the open market.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday it's a group that includes New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom, Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander, Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts and San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Carlos Rodon.

Those players with options in their contracts for 2023 are expected to join a star-studded free-agent group also slated to include New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner.

Having so many notable names available in free agency will represent the first major test for MLB's collective bargaining agreement.

The league and the Players Association came to terms on a new CBA in March following a 99-day lockout. One of the biggest concerns raised by the union throughout the process was the "artificial restraints on free agency."

That came after the free-agent market became sluggish in recent years, which was basically a two-pronged problem.

On one hand, teams with the talent to contend were trying to avoid reaching the league's Competitive Balance Tax, MLB's version of a luxury tax, and opted for cheaper depth options.

On the other, a fair number of clubs fully embraced tanking, so they had no interest in signing free agents who would add significant payroll when the World Series wasn't a realistic target.

It left a small number of teams to compete for most of the market's biggest names, which led to long free-agent stays and contracts below expected value.

Initial returns from the new CBA were promising. Over $1 billion was spent on player contracts in the first 10 days after the deal was announced.

So now the focus shifts to this winter, where the money should once again be flying around if the CBA is working as intended for the players.

DeGrom and Verlander are two of the generation's best pitchers and could command salaries in the same ballpark as the $43.3 million starting pitcher Max Scherzer received from the Mets last offseason, which is the current highest salary in MLB, per Spotrac.

Hitters like Judge and Turner should also break the bank in the new CBA environment. The Yankees slugger has recorded 51 home runs so far in 2022, which is 15 more than any other player, and the Dodgers infielder is one of the sport's most well-rounded players.

The likes of Bogaerts, Correa and Rodon may not quite match the salaries of those top four, but they're also in line for lucrative contracts of their own.

All that said, if this year's free-agent market fails to live up to expectations in terms of team spending, grumblings about the CBA will likely begin anew.

How about the Minnesota Twins jumping from the top rope to win the Carlos Correa free-agency sweepstakes?

Not the New York Yankees, normally big spenders who had a need at shortstop. Not the Houston Astros, who drafted Correa No. 1 overall 10 years ago before eventually winning one of three World Series appearances.

The Twins!

Suddenly, the AL Central isn't simply a breeze for the Chicago White Sox. The Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and Twins are all making moves. The Cleveland Guardians haven't done much, but Minnesota signing Correa is significant enough to shift the AL hierarchy, if only for one season.

In addition to signing Correa, the Twins acquired right-hander Sonny Gray from the Cincinnati Reds and third baseman Gio Urshela and catcher Gary Sanchez from the Yankees.

With the new collective bargaining agreement adding a playoff team to each conference, Minnesota is ready to compete for a World Series immediately.

After all, Correa has opt-outs in the first two years of his three-year, $105.3 million deal. He will almost certainly hit the market again next offseason, provided he's healthy, so this could be a one-year rental for Minnesota.

Then there's Houston.

Losing a Franchise Icon

The Astros will still probably win 90-plus games. They are littered with stars around the infield with third baseman Alex Bregman, 2017 AL MVP second baseman Jose Altuve and last year's AL batting champion Yuli Gurriel at first base.

Twenty-four-year-old prospect Jeremy Pena is the leading candidate to replace Correa at shortstop. Pena is not too caught up in filling his shoes and is seemingly focused on forging his own path.

It's good he has this perspective. Taking over at shortstop is one thing. Filling the leadership void left by Correa is an entirely different story.

Correa became the Astros' loudest, most outspoken voice during the initial fallout from their sign-stealing scandal, which tainted Houston's 2017 World Series title in the eyes of many.

Correa admitted to using stolen signs but was adamant Altuve did not and defended his teammate against criticism from Dodgers star Cody Bellinger, who claimed Houston's second baseman "stole" the 2017 AL MVP from Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

In Game 6 of the 2020 ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays, Correa delivered a pep talk for the ages to lefty Framber Valdez on the Astros' way to forcing a Game 7 after trailing the series 0-3.

Correa just turned in the best season of his career, leading all position players in WAR (7.2). He recorded nine RBI in the postseason to rank sixth all time in postseason RBI (59 total).

Now the Astros lose him, just a year after 2017 World Series MVP George Springer left for the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency.

Consider they've also lost Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke, who were key figures in the 2019 World Series run, and the Astros that we're used to seeing keep changing.

Players such as Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez will step into those larger roles once held by Springer and Correa.

Twins Put AL Central on Notice

Minnesota's lineup this year will feature both the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks from the 2012 MLB draft in Correa and center fielder Byron Buxton, respectively. The Twins signed Buxton to a seven-year, $100 million extension Dec. 1.

Correa replaces Andrelton Simmons as a clear upgrade at shortstop. In 2021, the Twins were baseball's last-ranked team in wRC+ from the shortstop position, and Correa ranked sixth in wRC+ among shortstops last year.

In Sanchez, the Twins add a two-time All-Star who five years ago was the best-hitting catcher in the American League. He has since become a liability behind the plate and a shell of himself in the batter's box.

The change of scenery with a different well-run organization could serve him well if he's not cooked.

Minnesota will need more than Gray to solidify its pitching staff, but he is a start. The Twins went from back-to-back AL Central titles to last place in 2021, as the White Sox appeared to replace them as the class of the division.

That's much more of a question now than it was before early Saturday morning.

A Prove-It Year for the Ages

For Correa, seeing his friend Francisco Lindor get $341 million over 10 years and Corey Seager get $325 million over the same span has to be motivating.

The Astros made one unserious offer after another in the course of negotiations. Then the 99-day lockout, during which Correa switched to Scott Boras as his agent, also complicated matters.

Correa will earn the highest annual salary for an infielder this season at $35.1 million, but he doesn't get the long-time commitment anticipated at the start of free agency.

As exciting as this moment is for the Twins, it could be over after just one year if Correa stays healthy and plays up to his potential.

Astros teammates wanted Correa back for good reason. He's one of a handful of players who can change a team's trajectory.