The conclusion of the World Series signals a shift in attention to the future, and more particularly, the 2022 class of Major League Baseball free agents. At 5:00 PM (ET) on Thursday, the free agency market officially began, allowing players to seek the greatest possible compensation for their services.
CBS Sports, as usual, have rated the best free agents of the class based on our assessments and forecasts of the market. A mix of projected Annual Average Value and anticipated effect is used to determine placement.
Each player also has a limited number of possible landing teams. Since last Sunday’s conclusion of the World Series, six free agents have signed contracts with big league teams; four of them are relievers.
3. Carlos Correa
In April, Correa only hit one home run, contributing to a dreadful stat line that followed him into the summer and made it seem as if he was having a bad season overall, despite the fact that his performance had improved significantly by that point. In other words, he is still a top-tier player, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he finally got the contract he deserved. The Dodgers, Cubs, and Twins are some of his landing destinations as per CBS.
2. Jacob deGrom
Since making his debut in 2014, of course, he has been one of the best pitchers in the league, earning himself two Cy Young Awards and four selections to the All-Star Game. DeGrom is a half-year away from turning 35, but injuries have restricted his career to only 26 starts over the last two seasons. Generally speaking, pitchers’ health declines as they get older.
Eventually, a team will shell out the cash to give themselves a shot at adding a true ace to their rotation, but if deGrom’s body continues to refuse to cooperate, that team may come to regret their investment. Such examples are the Mets, Rangers, and Giants, as per CBS.
1. Aaron Judge
He has a high batting average, walks often, hits for power (interesting fact: he set a new American League record for home runs in a season), and has one of the best-throwing arms in the outfield. To further demonstrate his shape, the Yankees played him in center field for the majority of the season.
The criticisms were leveled against Judge in the spring when he turned down a seven-year agreement for $213.5 million. Among his possible new destinations, CBS see the Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers.
