It’s been almost two weeks since the last game of the 2020 season. Two weeks without baseball are boring, right? However, each team has its work to do this offseason. Some teams make some changes in the front office. Some teams are looking for a new manager. And one thing for sure, every team will try to sign free agents.
The 2020 season is indeed uneasy for MLB teams. The outbreak of covid-19 pandemic caused a shortened season and no fans were there during the regular season. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred indicated that MLB teams combined for $3 billion in losses. With so many uncertainties ahead, MLB teams will probably tend to be relatively conservative in spending on signing free agents.
Nonetheless, there are still several top free agents of this offseason and adding them would definitely enhance the pitching depth.
Trevor Bauer is definitely going to attract lots of attention this winter. He’s the NL Cy Young finalist and it’s highly possible that Bauer will win his first Cy Young award. After a disappointing 2019 season that Bauer only earned 2 wins with a 6.39 ERA, Bauer bounced back in Cincinnati this season. He posted an ERA of only 1.73 and a WHIP of 0.79, both led in the NL. Meanwhile, only three pitchers threw at least 100 strikeouts this season. They are Shane Bieber from the Indians, Jacob deGrom from the Mets and Trevor Bauer, who threw exactly 100 strikeouts in 2020.
Liam Hendriks is one of the best relievers in the majors. He earned 14 saves in the 2020 season, second most in the majors. His WHIP was only 0.67 during the regular season. Meanwhile, another right-hander is also worth noticing. Alex Colome collected 12 saves for the White Sox during the regular season. He allowed only 2 earned runs this season and didn’t allow any homers. Both of them will turn 32 soon, but they surely will draw attention from teams that need to enhance the bullpen.
Masahiro Tanaka just celebrated his 32nd birthday. He’s been a reliable starter in the Yankees rotation since he arrived in the majors in 2014 and he earned at least 10 wins per season from 2014 to 2019. Tanaka is going to draw a lot of attention, even his former team Rakuten Eagles reportedly want to sign him back. James Paxton, Tanaka’s teammate at the Yankees, also just celebrated his 32nd birthday. Paxton is a dominant pitcher and can throw a lot of strikeouts when he stays healthy. However, he only threw more than 150 innings in the 2018 and 2019 season. Teams will be concerned about Paxton’s health before making a decision.
Marcus Stroman decided to opt out of the 2020 season, but it’s still worth noticing whether he will accept the qualifying offer or decide to be a free agent. It’s really hard to tell if the hot stove season will be hot enough. These top arms will surely capture attention and their contracts will be key indicators. In the meantime, it’s also important to see whether veterans such as Cole Hamels and Rich Hill will return. Also, there are other pitchers such as former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and Corey Kluber on the market.
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