Plenty of free-agent arms left
Bellinger still unsigned but top pitchers dominate open market
The MLB hot stove cooled off considerably over the holidays.
After the Dodgers kicked off December by giving an unprecedented $700 million contract to Shohei Ohtani and a similarly historic $325 million pact to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the free-agent market slowed for the remainder of the month, leaving many of top available players still searching for new deals in the new year.
A reigning Cy Young Award winner, a former National League MVP and the man many consider the best closer in baseball remain unsigned, ensuring there’s plenty of offseason action to come.
Here are the top remaining MLB free agents.
BLAKE SNELL
Fresh off the second Cy Young Award of his career, the left-handed Snell is the top starting pitcher not under contract now that Yamamoto is off the market.
Snell, who turns 32 on Tuesday, led all MLB pitchers with a 2.25 ERA and a .181 batting average against last season with the Padres. His 99 walks also led the majors, however, while his 5.6 innings per start paled in comparison to the numbers put up by other aces such as Gerrit Cole, Zac Gallen and Logan Webb.
Snell appears poised for a big payday, with Giants and Angels among the possible suitors, though he’s not expected to come close to Yamamoto’s deal, which is the biggest ever for a starting pitcher.
The Yankees and Mets also remain in need of starting pitching after missing out on Yamamoto, though neither have been connected much to Snell, who may use the six-year, $162 million deal Carlos Rodon signed with the Yankees last offseason as a starting point.
CODY BELLINGER
Bellinger’s one-year prove-it deal with the Cubs went as well as possible.
After back-to-back brutal seasons prompted the Dodgers to non-tender the lefty-hitting outfielder before the 2023 season, Bellinger restored his value by batting .307 with 26 home runs, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases with Chicago last year.
Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP, would slot nicely into the middle of many teams’ batting orders, though it could cost more than $200 million to sign him. A return to the Cubs makes sense, as does a move to the Blue Jays, who were considered a finalist for Ohtani.
The Yankees entered the offseason desperate for lefty-swinging outfielders but are no longer a fit for Bellinger after trading for Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham last month.
JORDAN MONTGOMERY
The left-handed Montgomery was a dependable, if unspectacular, staple of the Yankees’ rotation before they sent him to St. Louis for center fielder Harrison Bader before the 2022 trade deadline.
Montgomery, who pitched to a 3.94 ERA over six years with the Yankees, emerged as a frontline starting pitcher as soon as he left the Bronx, recording a 3.31 ERA in 32 starts with the Cardinals and a 2.79 mark over 11 starts with the Rangers.
After playing a starring role in the Rangers’ World Series run, Montgomery is a sought-after option in free agency, with the buzz around a Yankees return recently gaining steam. The Rangers want him back, too, especially after Max Scherzer underwent offseason back surgery that will keep him out to start the season.
JOSH HADER
Pitching-needy teams not enthused by the lofty prices for starters could instead choose to bolster their bullpens.
Enter Hader.
The 29-year-old closer — a three-time NL Reliever of the Year winner and a five-time AllStar — is coming off another dominant season in which he recorded a 1.28 ERA, 33 saves in 38 chances and 85 strikeouts in 56.1 innings for the Padres.
Hader won’t come cheap, with reports suggesting he hopes to exceed the record-setting five-year, $102 million contract the Mets gave closer Edwin Diaz. The Yankees could prioritize Hader if they miss on Montgomery, according to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, who also named the Rangers and Dodgers among interested teams.
Hader would help shorten games for a Yankees team already boasting a strong bullpen but with question marks in the rotation behind Cole.
MATT CHAPMAN
Chapman quietly put together another solid season for the Blue Jays. His .240 batting average and .330 on-base percentage represented his highest marks since 2019, which was his lone All-Star season. He also won his fourth Gold Glove at third base.
Chapman’s power numbers took a dip — his 17 homers were his fewest in a non-COVID-shortened season since 2017 — though his 39 doubles were his most since 2018.
The righty-hitting Chapman isn’t a superstar, but his track record as an all-around player could make him a fit for big-game hunters like the Cubs, Giants or incumbent Blue Jays depending on how the rest of the market shakes out.
Third base remains a question mark for the Mets, though new president of baseball operations David Stearns said last month the team intends to use an internal option such as Brett Baty or Mark Vientos.
AROLDIS CHAPMAN
The other Chapman on the market is the former Yankees closer, who will be 36 when the season begins.
The left-hander still boasts elite fastball velocity, while his postseason tightrope-walking act for the Rangers was a familiar sight for Yankees fans. He walked five batters in eight playoff innings but ultimately surrendered only two runs.
The Rangers, Astros and Orioles could all use relief help, though it’s unclear if any team would still trust Chapman as its closer.
MARCUS STROMAN
Another polarizing pitcher with a New York past is Stroman, who spent 2019-21 with the Mets before inking a two-year deal with the Cubs.
The Long Island native declined a $21 million player option to become a free agent and is seeking a bigger deal after back-to-back seasons with at least 25 starts and a sub-4.00 ERA.
It bears repeating the Orioles and Angels are in need of pitching, and Stroman represents a cheaper option than the top of the market.
SHOTA IMANAGA
The Japanese pitcher entered free agency with far less fanfare than his countryman Yamamoto, but Imanaga should still command a solid contract stateside.
The left-handed Imanaga, 30, was a twotime All-Star in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league and led the Central League in strikeouts last season.
He is expected to command a contract exceeding $100 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Yankees and Mets are among the teams in the mix.
Prosecutors in Kansas on Wednesday dismissed three felony charges related to accusations that Jackson Mahomes — the younger brother of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — grabbed a woman by the neck and kissed her against her will.
Johnson County Assistant District Attorney Megan Ahsens had filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss three counts of aggravated sexual battery. Jackson Mahomes appeared at a hearing Wednesday and the felony charges were dropped. A fourth charge — misdemeanor battery — remains, and Jackson Mahomes pleaded not guilty to that charge.
The court filing cited a lack of cooperation from the alleged victim.
Jackson Mahomes’ attorney, Brandan Davies, said in a statement that his client “has done nothing wrong. We had full confidence that the truth of the matter would ultimately be revealed.”
The original charges accused Jackson Mahomes, a 23-year-old social media influencer, of crimes at Aspens Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City.
Investigators said Mahomes shoved a waiter who tried to come into a room where he was with the restaurant’s owner, Aspen Vaughn. After the waiter left, prosecutors alleged Mahomes grabbed Vaughn by the throat and forcefully kissed her three different times without her consent.
Vaughn told police Mahomes was a friend of her stepdaughter, and had caused trouble and been asked to leave the restaurant in the past.
Vaughn closed the restaurant in August, saying her business suffered from the publicity associated with the case. She told the Kansas City Star at the time that she endured death threats and harassment and the restaurant was vandalized in the aftermath of the charges.
Tuesday’s court filing said prosecutors were presented with an affidavit from Vaughn’s attorneys stating that she would refuse to testify. The filing said prosecutors still planned to move ahead with the case, noting that surveillance video captured the encounter.