MLB Free Agency

The New York Mets have lost another free-agent pitcher to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Angels announced Monday that lefty reliever Aaron Loup has agreed to a two-year deal after spending one season in New York. MLB.com Angels beat writer Rhett Bollinger reported that the deal is worth $7.5 million in each of the next two seasons with a guaranteed $2 million buyout or club option for a third year. If the team exercises the option in 2024, Loup will make the full $7.5 million.

Loup joins former Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who signed a one-year, $21 million contract with the Halos on Nov. 16. Loup told Mike Puma of the New York Post in September that he hoped New York would re-sign him.

Loup, who was playing on a one-year contract worth $3 million in 2021, enjoyed the best season of his career in New York. The 33-year-old reliever went 6-0 this year with a career-best 0.95 ERA in 56.2 innings. According to Baseball Savant, Loup ranked in the 94th percentile in opponent's slugging percentage and in the 99th percentile in barreled balls against him.

A 10-year veteran, Loup has also pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres during his career. 

Signing Loup was an important move for the Angels. Los Angeles closer Raisel Iglesias is a free agent and remains unsigned after rejecting the team's $18.4 million qualifying offer. The 31-year-old righty tied a career high with 34 saves and had 103 strikeouts in 70.0 innings last season. 

After a 77-85 season in 2021, the Angels are making moves that could lead to a turnaround next year. Signing Syndergaard and Loup helps Los Angeles improve the pitching depth it was sorely lacking.

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen isn't concerning himself with the luxury tax this offseason in his pursuit of making the Mets a playoff and World Series contender.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Cohen said Friday: "I'm willing, for the right deals and right free agents, to go get the players we need. We want to be competitive. We want to win our division and be in the playoffs and get deep into the playoffs. I've let [general manager] Billy [Eppler] and [team president] Sandy [Alderson] know: It's whatever they need."

The Mets are coming off a disappointing 2021 season in which they went 77-85, and they have not reached the postseason since 2016.

After Cohen officially became the Mets' new owner late last year, the organization went to work on the trade market and in free agency in an effort to compete for the National League East crown.

Most notably, the Mets acquired shortstop Francisco Lindor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland for infielders Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez, pitcher Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene.

New York later signed Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million contract extension to ensure he would remain with the Mets for the long haul.

Other major moves made by the Mets prior to the 2021 season included signing catcher James McCann and starting pitcher Taijuan Walker.

Lindor was a disappointment in his first season in New York, hitting just .230 with 20 home runs and 63 RBI, while McCann hit .232 with 10 homers and 46 RBI, Walker finished with a 4.47 ERA after a hot start and Carrasco posted a 6.04 ERA in 12 starts.

The Mets already lost starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard to the Los Angeles Angels in free agency this offseason, and they could also stand to lose infielder Jonathan Villar, shortstop Javier Baez, outfielders Kevin Pillar and Michael Conforto, and pitcher Marcus Stroman, all of whom are free agents.

New York has been linked to some big names, however, as MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported that the Mets are interested in outfielder Starling Marte, and multiple reports suggested last season that the Mets wanted to acquire Kris Bryant from the Chicago Cubs before he was traded to the San Francisco Giants.

Bryant is now a free agent and he would give the Mets' lineup a much-needed boost if they can sign him.

The Mets find themselves in a tough position, as the NL East rival Atlanta Braves won the World Series last season, while the Philadelphia Phillies could also be tough to surpass with reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper leading the way.

When it comes to improving the roster, however, Cohen has made it clear that money won't prevent the Mets' front office from getting the job done.

Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, two of the top players on the MLB free-agent market, are reportedly "increasingly likely" to sign contracts before a potential lockout begins Dec. 1.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Friday there's a growing sense at least some high-profile deals will come together before the collective bargaining agreement expires given the future uncertainty, and he noted it's possible Seager and Semien headline the early deals with both infielders generating interest from the big-spending New York Yankees.

Players and teams face a unique dilemma with the free-agent market open for business but very little optimism a new CBA agreement will come together before Dec. 1, which would lead to a lockout that could last for months.

In turn, agents and front offices are beginning to engage in a game of cat and mouse, trying to determine whether it's better to lock in key contracts now or deal with uncharted waters when countless players are trying to find deals when the lockout ends—something that is expected around February, per Passan.

Seager and fellow shortstop Carlos Correa are generally considered the top two players available this offseason. If one of them signs before the lockout, it could set the market for whenever the negotiations resume ahead of the 2022 season.

The 27-year-old two-time All-Star missed a significant portion of the 2021 campaign while recovering from a fractured hand, but he was one of the league's top players down the stretch with a 1.153 OPS and eight home runs across 93 September at-bats for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Seager, who posted a .943 OPS during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, backed that up with a .915 OPS across 95 appearances this year.

"Yeah, absolutely," Seager told reporters. "I grew up here. I've spent a lot of time here. I believe in what these guys do. I believe in how we go about it. Absolutely."

Meanwhile, Semien hit the open market at a perfect time. His .873 OPS in 2021 was the second-highest mark of his career and he set new career-high totals in homers (45) and stolen bases (15).

The 2021 All-Star can also provide positional versatility with experience at second base, shortstop and third base, having earned a Gold Glove for his work at second for the Toronto Blue Jays this season.

If the Yankees can sign either Seager or Semien before the impending lockout, it would make the front office's job a lot easier when action resumes later in the offseason.

The Miami Marlins are doing their due diligence in evaluating free-agent outfielders.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that Miami has met with Nick Castellanos' agent, Scott Boras, following the right fielder's standout season for the Cincinnati Reds.

Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson stated that the Marlins have also shown interest in Milwaukee Brewers free agent Avisail Garcia.

Castellanos will be one of the most coveted free agents this offseason after putting together the best season of his 10-year career. The 29-year-old recorded career highs in WAR (3.2), batting average (.309) and home runs (34) while adding 100 RBI.

Castellanos, who earned his first selection to the All-Star Game, was set to make a guaranteed $34 million over the next two seasons, but he opted out of the final two years of his contract. Cincinnati tagged him with an $18.4 million qualifying offer, but he declined it last week in favor of testing the open market.

Garcia opted out of his mutual contract option last week, and the 10-year veteran also could be in line for a big payday after coming off a career year. Garcia had career highs of 29 home runs and 86 RBI while hitting .262 in 135 games last season. Milwaukee chose not to give him a qualifying offer.

The Marlins went 67-95 last season, finishing in fourth place in the NL East and missing the playoffs. in 2020, Miami had advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2004, winning the NL Wild Card Series over the Chicago Cubs before getting swept in the NLDS by the Atlanta Braves.

The offensive production fell off a cliff for Miami last year. The Marlins finished 28th in MLB with a team batting average of .233 and 29th in runs scored with 623.

While adding Castellanos or Garcia would be a major boost to their lineup, the Marlins have multiple holes to fill and will have to spend their money wisely.

The New York Yankees are reportedly expected to be big players in free agency this season, especially at the shortstop position.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Wednesday that "some evaluators in the industry" believe the Yankees will pursue elite shortstops, including Corey Seager.

There has perhaps never been a more stacked group of free-agent shortstops in one offseason, as Seager, Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, Marcus Semien and Javier Baez are all set to be available on the open market.

While the Yankees reached the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season in 2021, it was considered a disappointing campaign for the franchise.

New York entered the season as the favorite to win the American League, but it could only muster a third-place finish in the AL East at 92-70, eight games behind the division-winning Tampa Bay Rays.

To make matters worse, the Yanks fell to the division runner-up Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Game, marking the first time they weren't among the final four teams standing in the American League since 2016, when they last missed the postseason.

Shortstop was a major problem area for the Yankees last season, as Gleyber Torres struggled both offensively and defensively before getting shifted to second base.

Torres played far better in all phases as a second baseman, so it stands to reason he will remain there in 2022.

New York's primary shortstop option with Torres at second was Gio Urshela, but he is much better and a more natural fit at third base. That should lead New York to go all-out to sign a high-end shortstop this offseason.

Seager was the one specifically mentioned by Olney, and it can be argued that he is the best shortstop and overall player on the market.

The 27-year-old is a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, plus he was named the National League Championship Series MVP and World Series MVP when the Los Angeles Dodgers won it all in 2020.

Seager is also a left-handed batter, which would play well at Yankee Stadium and give New York's lineup more balance.

Although Seager missed significant time last season because of a hand injury, he was highly productive when healthy, hitting .306 with 16 home runs, 57 RBI and 54 runs in 95 games.

Correa is another elite option after enjoying a career year with the Houston Astros, while Story and Semien are perhaps just a slight step down and then followed by Baez.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos and New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto were among the 14 free agents to receive an $18.4 million qualifying offer on Sunday, but they will reportedly test the open market.

ESPN insider Jeff Passan reports that Conforto plans to decline the offer and enter free agency. Reds beat writer Bobby Nightengale reports that Castellanos will do the same.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager also declined his qualifying offer, per L.A. Times reporter Jorge Castillo. The 27-year-old former World Series MVP is sure to command a ton of interest in free agency after hitting .306/.394/.521 with 16 home runs and 57 RBI in 2021.

Castellanos, who was guaranteed $34 million over the next two seasons, opted out of the final two years of his contract last week. The 29-year-old is coming off a career year in 2021 and could be in line for a big payday this offseason.

Castellanos posted career highs in WAR (3.3), batting average (.309) and home runs (34) while adding 100 RBI, his second 100-RBI season and first since 2017. He was named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his nine-year career.

While Castellanos isn't known for his defense, the expected implementation of the universal designated hitter is sure to increase his list of potential suitors.

Conforto is coming off a down year. He batted just .232 in 125 games, his lowest batting average since his second season in the majors in 2016. A strained hamstring kept him out for over a month during the season, but he managed to hit 14 home runs and drive in 55 runs. 

An All-Star selection in 2017, Conforto is still just 28 years old and will likely receive a lot of interest on the open market.

MLB teams are entitled to draft pick compensation if a player rejects the qualifying offer and signs elsewhere.

Free-agent pitcher Justin Verlander held a workout on Monday, and both New York teams reportedly had an eye on the former Houston Astros ace.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets sent two scouts to see Verlander. He added that an executive from another team said the two-time Cy Young Award winner "looked good."

Sherman also said that the New York Yankees had a scout in attendance as Verlander's workout was held at a facility owned by Eric Cressey, the team's director of player health and performance.

Verlander hasn't pitched a full season since 2019, the last time he won the Cy Young. He pitched one game in 2020 before being shut down because of a forearm strain. The 38-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in September of that year and he missed all of 2021 while recovering.

Verlander was reportedly among the 14 free agents to receive qualifying offers before Sunday night's deadline. The one-year qualifying contract would be worth $18.4 million. A team is entitled to draft pick compensation if a player rejects the offer and signs elsewhere.

When healthy, Verlander is one of the best pitchers in MLB. Two seasons ago, the right-hander led the league in innings pitched (223.0) and wins (21), had 300 strikeouts (12.2 per nine innings) and a 2.58 ERA. The eight-time All-Star helped lead the Astros to a World Series title in 2017, the first of his career, and another appearance in 2019.

A healthy Verlander would be a big boost to either New York team's pitching staff.

The Yankees lacked depth in their starting rotation last season. Gerrit Cole was the team's ace, but he fell apart late in the season, including in New York's loss to the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Game. Behind Cole, Yankees starters failed to perform consistently.

For the Mets, pairing Verlander with Jacob deGrom would give them one of the strongest duos in baseball. DeGrom was limited to 15 starts in 2021 because of elbow issues, but he had a 1.08 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 92 innings.