Kuzul

There is still an exciting month of playoff baseball separating us from what promises to be another busy offseason around the league, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead at how free agency might play out.

This year’s free-agent class is headlined by a number of notable bats.

Yoenis Cespedes, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Mark Trumbo, Ian Desmond, Wilson Ramos, Neil Walker and Justin Turner are all headed for significant multiyear deals, while Martin Prado, Kendrys Morales, Matt Wieters, Mike Napoli, Josh Reddick and Brandon Moss should also garner plenty of interest.

The starting pitching side of things is a different story.

Rich Hill and Jeremy Hellickson are the top dogs among a starting pitching class that also features the likes of Andrew Cashner, Doug Fister, Ivan Nova and Bartolo Colon.

The deepest market is the relievers.

Three of the league’s elite closers in Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon will be available, along with guys like Neftali Feliz, Brad Ziegler, Sergio Romo, Joe Blanton and Travis Wood.

As a preview of sorts for the offseason ahead, what follows is a look at one realistic free-agent fit for all 30 MLB teams.

These projected fits are a mixture of notable re-signings and new additions and were reached with a combination of rumors from around the league and speculation on my part based on team needs and past free-agency trends.

Obviously, a lot can change between now and the start of free agency. For now, here’s a look ahead at some potential offseason free-agency fits.

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Had Stephen Strasburg waited another day, he would have topped the list of MLB‘s best players entering free agency this offseason.

The Washington Nationals ace had all the ingredients necessary to secure a massive payday. Since last year’s All-Star break, the former No. 1 overall pick boasts a 2.26 ERA and 150 strikeouts over 115.1 innings. This is the guy whose MLB arrival was more hyped than any baseball player in recent memory until Bryce Harper joined him in D.C.

Sweetening the pot, a bidding war would have spawned over the 27-year-old’s peak years in a free-agent class without any solid alternatives. Knowing agent Scott Boras’ ruthless reputation, he would have scratched and clawed for every dollar.

All these factors considered, it came as a surprise when CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman broke the news on Monday night: Strasburg and the Nationals agreed to a seven-year, $175 million extension. The premature signing made more sense when Heyman disclosed an opt-out clause after the third and fourth years, giving the righty long-term stability and the opportunity to earn another monster deal.

If that seems like a lot for someone who once underwent Tommy John surgery, this article was set to project seven years for $225 million. Even that felt like selling his potential earnings short.

Any team needing a rotation boost must test the trading market or wait until 2017-18’s monster free-agent class. As for this winter, a shallow crop led by power sluggers and relief pitchers stand to benefit from the downgraded competition.

Here are the biggest remaining upcoming free agents in line for big paydays.

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The free-agent market was slow to unfold this offseason, leaving a number of high-profile players unsigned heading into the new year.

Most of the significant dominoes have now fallen as spring training is underway, but there are still a handful of potential impact players searching for a new home here at the end of February.

Ian Desmond is the top name still sitting out there, but he’s by no means the only position player looking for work, as a former home run champion and a World Series MVP are also available.

On the pitching side of things, we have a two-time Cy Young winner in Tim Lincecum headlining the remaining crop, while a few former All-Stars are also in need of new deals.

We’ve highlighted the top 10 free agents that teams can still snag in an effort to upgrade their rosters before Opening Day.

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Dexter Fowler re-signed with the Chicago Cubs on Thursday in an agreement many speculated was a spurn of the Baltimore Orioles.     

On Tuesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine reported Fowler had agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract with Baltimore.

However, Fowler’s agent, Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, issued a statement after the dust settled Thursday vehemently refuting Fowler made such a pact:    

In my 25 years in this business, never before have I witnessed such irresponsible behavior on so many fronts. Both the Orioles front office and members of the media were so busy recklessly spreading rumors that they forgot or simply chose not to concern themselves with the truth. The Orioles’ willful disregard of collectively bargained rules governing free agency and the media’s eager complicity in helping the Orioles violate those rules are reprehensible. Dexter Fowler never reached agreement with the Orioles and did not come close to signing with the club; any suggestion otherwise is only a continuation of an already disturbing trend.

Before reaching a deal Thursday, Fowler rejected a $15.8 million qualifying offer from the Cubs in November. Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reported Fowler’s new contract is worth $8 million for one year, with a $5 million buyout and a $9 million mutual option for 2017.

Fowler said Thursday he never offered the Orioles any confirmation he was signing with them. 

“I didn’t give [the Orioles] a verbal agreement,” Fowler said, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “I don’t know where that came from. It didn’t come from our camp. It kind of put me in a difficult situation.”

In fact, Cubs president Theo Epstein said the two parties reached an agreement Tuesday just as reports were surfacing that Fowler would sign with Baltimore, per Gonzales.

Dan Duquette, the Orioles’ executive vice president of baseball operations, said discussions broke down when the center fielder insisted an opt-out clause be included in the three-year deal.

“We made a very competitive offer,” Duquette said, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. “There was not an agreement to terms because they kept insisting on an opt-out. I don’t see, club ownership doesn’t see the value in that type of arrangement to the Orioles. If we are going to guarantee a contract, it should be a contract.”

Heyman added it would’ve been uncharacteristic for the Orioles to offer an opt-out:

Fowler remained one of the last blue-chip free agents—even after full-squad workouts began in spring training—largely because teams would’ve forfeited a draft pick by signing him after he rejected a qualifying offer. 

The center fielder offered a stern critique of those types of clauses in the free-agency process, per Gonzales:

It was tough, but it was a learning experience. You go out there with the whole qualifying offer thing. I think it’s flawed. Guys like myself we’re veterans. We’ve been here for a while and you wait for free agency, and they’re talking about a draft pick.

That’s a guy you don’t know what’s going to happen with. And you’re reaping the consequences. So it needs to change. But it’s a blessing in disguise. You get to see both sides of things.

Yet Fowler was clearly happy the process is behind him, as he surprised and embraced teammates Thursday at camp, courtesy of CSN Chicago’s Kelly Crull:

The Cubs outfield remains crowded with Fowler’s return, but that’s a good problem for the World Series hopefuls to have.

Epstein said Fowler will return to his post in center field, while free-agent signee Jason Heyward will split time between right and center, per Gonzales. Right fielder Jorge Soler will also see time in left with hybrid catcher Kyle Schwarber. To make room for Fowler, the Cubs traded outfielder Chris Coghlan to the Oakland Athletics. 

The Cubs are already the unanimous World Series favorites with 4-1 odds, per Odds Shark, and the return of Fowler should only bolster the top of their lineup as they set their sights on their first crown in more than a century.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Major League Baseball offseason has been as entertaining and unpredictable as we could have hoped, yet several big-name players remain in free agency.

As spring training has just gotten underway, it’s time for front offices to fine-tune their rosters before the regular season gets started.

While some of the available free agents are experienced veterans and others are young guys looking for a fresh start, the talent level remains high among available players.

I’ve listed six players who I expect will sign in the near future and make an impact in the 2016 season, so let’s get to it!

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From the reloaded Chicago Cubs to the restocked San Francisco Giants, there’s no shortage of teams that have gone big during the MLB offseason.

Now that the hype machine is in full swing, it’s time to look back at the winter and predict which club’s offseason activity will translate to regular-season (and playoff) success.

The first step was to scan the majors to single out the franchises that moved the most aggressively since the close of the 2015 campaign.

The next step was to consider whether these teams successfully addressed their most pressing issues from last year, how fierce the landscape of their respective divisions figures to be and whether they can count on any holdovers turning in bounce-back seasons after lackluster ones in 2015.

All six of the “rebuilt” clubs made important improvements to their rosters, and in the case of the Cubs, that roster was already ridiculously good.

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A former CY Young winner, a former World Series MVP, a solid starting righty and this year’s top international prospect all have something in common: They’re all still available as MLB free agents.

Pitchers and catchers report in two days, but there are still some big names who don’t know where they will be playing in 2016. Teams looking to add a piece before the season still have a chance to make a splash with one of these players.

There are deals that are supposedly already done but have yet to be signed. Other players are still surveying their options. Some of the remaining free agents will help a team’s chances to compete this year. Others will be an investment for the future.

Veteran right-hander Yovani Gallardo was very close to a three-year deal with the Orioles as of Feb. 10, according to Buster Olney. However, the deal has yet to get done.

Gallardo is probably the best remaining starting pitcher on the market, but some have questioned if the prospective deal is worth it for Baltimore. Camden Chat, the Orioles’ SB Nation site, argues that it is.

Jacob Kornhauser at Call to the Pen goes a step further.  

He says the deal needs to get done—and soon—if Baltimore wants to be competitive in the AL East.

Another pitcher, Tim Lincecum, is supposed to have a showcase this month in front of multiple teams to demonstrate the progress he’s made since his hip surgery in September, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

It will be clearer where Lincecum is likely to go after that showcase. Giants executive vice president Brian Sabean told Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle that it’s a “long shot” Lincecum returns to the Giants. His absence has already been felt by the fans.

Free agent third baseman David Freese is weighing his options as well. After batting a career-low .257 with the Los Angeles Angels last season, he’s looking for a fresh start.

MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince told 92.3 the Fan in Cleveland on Monday that he thinks Freese could end up with the Cleveland Indians thanks to a lack of openings at third base around the league.

Braves president of baseball operations John Hart told MLB network radio yesterday that Atlanta intends to be active in pursuing international free agents.

ESPN reports that Atlanta is supposed to be one of the main suitors for Lazaro Armenteros, the No. 1 prospect in Cuba. The report also says Armenteros worked out with the Braves last week.

One AL scout compared the 16-year-old Cuban outfielder’s combination of speed and power to Willie Mays and Bo Jackson, Bob Nightingale of USA Today reports.

The uncertainty around these players will make the first part of spring training interesting. Depending on where they land, they may drastically change the outlook for the regular season as well.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

From the Toronto Blue Jays’ mini-extension for Josh Donaldson to the New York Mets’ pact with Yoenis Cespedes, MLB brain trusts across the league have been swinging some seriously shrewd deals during the 2016 offseason.

While the new contracts for J.D. and La Potencia headline the list of “best” moves, there has also been no shortage of suspect signings and trades.

Before we get to the following list, let’s first define what we mean by “best” and “worst” moves.

The signings and trades that earned the “best” label all addressed crucial team needs in 2016 (and the near future beyond that) without hamstringing the given clubs in the long run. Meanwhile, the “worst” moves either didn’t effectively address important team needs, or did so at an exorbitant cost compared to signings and trades for similar players.

And in the case of some clubs, the worst move was the one that—at least to this point—they’ve failed to make.

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The start of spring training is right around the corner, but a number of intriguing MLB free-agent options are still looking for new homes on the open market.

Dexter Fowler, Yovani Gallardo and Ian Desmond are the three marquee names still waiting to sign, but qualifying offers have held them back this winter.

Cuban slugger Yulieski Gourriel is another interesting name recently added to the free-agent crop after he defected, and he could be headed for a significant payday of his own once he decides on a team.

However, the focus ahead will be on the lower-level guys still seeking new contracts who are capable of providing some good value.

Players are ranked based on their expected 2016 impact relative to the salary they are likely to receive, giving us the best last-minute values in free agency.

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The rough MLB winter rolls on for Dexter Fowler, Ian Desmond and Yovani Gallardo.

There’s just two weeks to go before spring training camps fire up around Arizona and Florida, and those three guys headline a free-agent market that is unusually deep for the first week of February.

The big question in the latest round of hot questions is trying to pinpoint where Fowler, Desmond and Gallardo, who are all lugging around draft-pick compensation, will end up signing.

There’s also room for some news about one of the offseason’s busiest and boldest teams. Plus, there’s a spot on the list for some talk about how to combat the rise of tanking.

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