It’s awfully difficult to predict what will happen on the MLB free-agent market, but guys like Darren O’Day and Scott Kazmir should be some of the first impact players off the shelf.
The big leaguers who populate the list that follows fall into two general groups. The first are players like O’Day who are clearly at the top of the class at a given position (the relief market) that is looking especially weak. With a lack of quality free-agent relievers up for grabs, the clubs in need of bullpen help simply can’t afford to wait around.
The second group consists of players like Kazmir who were traded before the deadline and who were not eligible to receive a qualifying offer. With no draft-pick compensation attached, Kazmir should draw far more interest than some of the other comparable lower-tier starters who are stuck with qualifying offers.
One of Kazmir’s former teammates, who is also free from the qualifying-offer burden, also cracked this list.