MLB Free Agency

The Detroit Tigers reportedly have interest in Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, who's scheduled to become a free agent after the 2021 season.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported Friday the Tigers could face competition from the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, who'll all be in the market for a shortstop upgrade during the offseason.

Correa has been one of the league's most productive shortstops since making his debut with the Astros in 2015. His .835 OPS over the past seven years ranks sixth at the pivotal position, per FanGraphs.

The 27-year-old Puerto Rico native posted a career-low .709 OPS during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign, but he's bounced back with an .843 OPS and 25 home runs across 146 games in 2021. He ranks third among all hitters in WAR (7.0), according to ESPN.

He played a key role in Houston (93-66) winning the AL West division title to secure a franchise-record fifth straight postseason berth.

"That sounds pretty special," Correa told reporters Thursday night.

In early September, the two-time All-Star confirmed he didn't want any contract talks during the season and expressed interest in re-signing with the Astros once the playoffs end.

"If they want to keep me here, I'll be happy to stay here. If they don't see me here long term, I'll go play for somebody else," Correa said. "That decision is out of my hands. The only thing that's in my hands is the way I perform on the field and the way I help my team win ballgames."

He'll have plenty of potential suitors if an extension isn't signed with Houston.

The Tigers make a lot of sense on paper. Heyman mentioned the connection to Detroit manager A.J. Hinch, who served the same role with the Astros from 2015 through 2019, and the club received mediocre production from the shortstop trio of Harold Castro, Niko Goodrum and Zack Short in 2021.

Meanwhile, the Yankees thought they had their shortstop of the future in Gleyber Torres, who crushed 38 homers in 2019. His numbers have plummeted over the past two years, however, including a .701 OPS and just nine long balls in 124 games this season. New York has shifted Gio Urshela to short for the time being as it attempts to secure a wild-card berth.

The Twins will have an opening at shortstop with the defensive-minded Andrelton Simmons also set to hit the open market, while the Rangers could move the versatile Isiah Kiner-Falefa to another position if they can land Correa to provide a much-needed boost to their offense.

Other clubs would likely get involved if Correa becomes available, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the Astros make one final push to re-sign him before he can hit the free-agent market.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez said Tuesday former teammate Jackie Bradley Jr. told him he's waiting for a team to "take the next step" in free agency. 

Bradley told Martinez he has a couple of standing offers but nothing that's enticed him to sign, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

The 30-year-old outfielder spent his first eight MLB seasons with the Red Sox. He earned an All-Star selection in 2016 and won a Gold Glove Award in 2018 when the franchise won its ninth World Series title.

Bradley posted a .283/.364/.450 triple-slash line with seven home runs and five stolen bases across 55 games in 2020. His .814 OPS was the third-highest mark of his career.

Along with his production at the plate, he's a strong defender with a vast majority of his experience in center field. His 48 defensive runs saved in center since 2013 rank 18th among all fielders, per FanGraphs.

Given that track record, it's a bit surprising he didn't sign a contract before spring training started.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported Monday there are about six teams interested in Bradley, but the report didn't provide an indication about whether a deal was close.

Bradley is arguably the best player still on the market, and interest in him could skyrocket should injury concerns arise around the league during the early stages of spring training.

There are still five weeks until the start of the regular season, so preparation time isn't yet a major concern, but that could change if hit stint in free agency last much longer.

The question may be whether he's willing to lower his asking price if no team takes the "next step" he's waiting for as the season draws closer.

The Milwaukee Brewers are "in the mix" for free-agent outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., per Robert Murray of FanSided.

Bradley, a homegrown star for the Boston Red Sox who has spent all eight years of his career with the team that drafted him in the first round out of South Carolina in 2011, hit .283/.364/.450 with 22 RBI and seven home runs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

A 2016 All-Star, he won a Gold Glove Award when he helped the Red Sox to a World Series championship in 2018.

A return to Boston is still possible. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said the Red Sox remain "in touch" with Bradley's agent Scott Boras.

"Obviously as the winter has gone on we haven't let that prevent us from making other moves when we've seen opportunity to add good players that fit us and that can bolster this roster but we love Jackie and we've stayed in touch with Scott on him throughout the entire winter," Bloom said.

If Bradley doesn't return to Boston, that means the outfield that helped the team to the championship is no longer on the roster. Almost a year to the day after trading another homegrown star, Mookie Betts, to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Red Sox sent Andrew Benintendi packing to the Kansas City Royals.

J.D. Martinez is still rostered, though he's spent most of his time with Boston as a designated hitter while seeing time on the grass.

Where Boston has completely revamped its outfield heading into 2021, the Brewers have theirs seemingly locked in. Milwaukee's three highest-paid players for the upcoming season are all outfielders in Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich and Avisail Garcia.

In addition to the Brewers, the New York Mets are reportedly still in the chase for the 30-year-old. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reported last week that the team "remains a possibility."

Bradford reported the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros are also among teams that are interested, while MLB Network's Jon Heyman said there are "about a half dozen teams" pursuing him.