Major League Baseball has long been praised for its hot stove talk.
Discussions of where big-name free agents land is tradition when weathering the sad days of winter where no baseball is to be found. This offseason is no different with a slew of players coming off of expiring contracts.
Players like J.D. Martinez, Carlos Santana, and Eric Hosmer are some of the biggest names available, and they could all turn the hopes of a franchise around. As we head into the winter meetings, it’s always a good idea to get a sense of where these players are likely to land.
Now that the Giancarlo Stanton suitors are starting to materialize, teams will turn their sights to some of the players on the free-agent market.
J.D. Martinez
Martinez has the most power potential of any player available in free agency coming off of a 40-home run season split between the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks. Even in pitcher-friendly ballparks like Chase Field in Arizona, Martinez thrived. A player of his caliber will easily garner a $200 million price tag.
Normally, this would be a no brainer. However, the caveat here is that Martinez is already 32 years old, and at this age, power hitters can deteriorate quickly. This isn’t always the case, but it does happen often. Martinez should still garner plenty of interest.
The Red Sox will undoubtedly give him a look, as well as the St. Louis Cardinals if they miss out on Stanton. Expect the San Francisco Giants to land Stanton and the Cardinals to sign Martinez as a nice consolation prize.
Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana has been a mainstay in the Cleveland Indians organization for years. His home-run output in a pitcher-friendly ballpark is certainly a commodity—especially among teams like the Boston Red Sox, who need power; the New York Yankees, with some uncertainty at first base; and the New York Mets.
Santana will be an interesting trade to watch, especially considering that his previous contract was with the powerhouse Indians.
Overall, Santana makes the most sense for the Red Sox. The Red Sox won’t want to tie up more money to an aging player like Martinez, as they did with Hanley Ramirez. Santana is a safe bet for 30 home runs with Fenway’s short left field and will come with a smaller price tag than others on this list.
Eric Hosmer
Eric Hosmer is probably the biggest name available in the 2017 offseason. During his time with the Kansas City Royals, he showed the ability to hit for average, for power, in the clutch, and play great defense. He even has a World Series on his resume.
He’s under 30, and after having his best power season, he should be in for a big payday. Hosmer is the kind of player that a team can start to build their offense around, and several are heading in that direction. The Minnesota Twins might benefit from adding in some established veteran talent, as would teams like the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers.
Ultimately, however, I think Hosmer’s heart is still with the Royals. I think he’ll take a pay cut to remain where he won a World Series.