At some point, perhaps in January, though probably not until February, team owners and players will agree on how to divide up the billions of dollars of earnings that baseball generates. For now, we await the return of what will be a shortened “hot stove” season; however, we can continue to talk about baseball.
While there was a flood of hiring in the days leading up to the lockout, the contending teams still have significant gaps to fill and some top-tier free agents remain on the market. According to Kiley McDaniel’s offseason list, the best Top 20 players still available are Carlos Correa (No. 1), Freddie Freeman (3), Trevor Story (4), Kris Bryant (8), Clayton. Kershaw (12), Nick Castellanos (13), Carlos Rodón (14), Michael Conforto (15) and Seiya Suzuki (17).
The objectives of change are a little more unknown; however, the two teams most likely to dispatch relevant players are the Cincinnati Reds (pitchers Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle may be available) and the Oakland Athletics (Matt Olson and Matt Chapman, plus starting pitching). The Orioles could put John Means on the market.
Next, we analyze the 10 most interesting gaps to fill within the contending teams:
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