Scott Boras (Kiyoshi Mio/USA TODAY Sports)
Last MLB offseason devolved into a snoozefest in large part due to Scott Boras trying to drive up the price of his clients. In the past, that was a successful ploy. Last year, not so much. This offseason, Boras also represents some of the biggest fish in this free agent market. Included are Juan Soto and Pete Alonso. As a bored Cubs fan, I hope this years’ free agency unfolds a bit quicker.
As we wait to see what develops, here are a few thoughts and predictions on what to look for.
1: The Cubs WON’T sign Pete Alonso.
And they probably shouldn’t. Alonso will probably be overpaid, plus Michael Busch is a good, young player with an affordable contract and plenty of upside. There was some talk of the Cubs signing Alonso, trading Nico Hoerner and moving Busch to second base. The idea was that it would give the Cubs more slug. Bad idea. The defense at both first and second base would be diminished.
2: It would be nice to see the Pirates add a bat.
The Pirates have the nucleus of a good team. It’s about time they build on it. Anthony Santander‘s left-handed bat would play well at PNC Park. MLB Trade Rumors projects Santander’s contract to be in the four-year, $80 million dollar range. Christian Walker or Paul Goldschmidt would be interesting pickups at first base. Both are right-handed hitters and a bit long of tooth but would be a big upgrade at first for the Bucs. Unfortunately for Pirates’ fans, I don’t think the Buccos will be that aggressive.
3: The Cubs will again stay away from high ticket free agents.
Look for the Cubs to sign Japanese starting pitcher, Tomoyuki Sugano and catcher Travis d’Arnaud. Sugano could be a real sleeper in this free agent class. Potentially, he has the upside of a right-handed Shota Imanaga. Well, that may be a bit optimistic. As far as d’Arnaud, if he could maintain his 2024 level of play, he would be a big addition for the Cubs. Once again, that’s a big if.
4: Willy Adames will sign with the Giants.
The competition for Adames will be fierce but look for the Giants to prevail. In recent history, the Giants have been in on some of MLB’s biggest free agents but have come up short. Under new director of baseball operations, Buster Posey, look for the Giants to be more aggressive, and successful in signing top free agents. Plus, Adames is such a perfect fit for the Giants it’s hard to imagine the Giants not getting their man.
5: Juan Soto will stay in New York.
My guess is that he will re-sign with the Yankees, though the Mets are serious contenders. Related to Soto is that Pete Alonso will probably stay with the Mets. He just seems like a good fit there.
I just hope that Scott Boras won’t be the biggest story in this MLB offseason.
