Were Will The Remaining Free Agents Land?

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Matt Ferreira

With Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann already signing with the Braves, Paul Goldschmidt being traded to the Cardinals, and Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets, this offseason has already been booming. There are even more blockbuster deals that have been made such as Ronald Torreyes being traded to the Cubs, Andrew McCutchen signing with the Phillies, and Billy Hamilton and signing with the Royals. With free agents such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado on the market the MLB looks like it will have a brand new landscape to start the season. The only question is were will these players end up?

Bryce Harper-​​ He is one of the top 2 most talked about Free Agents right now. The 26 year old slugger hit 34 home runs, drove in 100, and hit .249 in 550 at bats. He would bring much value to a mid market team in need of a big bat in the middle of their lineup. Harper has reportedly already declined a max-contract from the Washington Nationals, his former team. The best option for Harper right now would be the Philadelphia Phillies. They traded away Carlos Santana to gain extra cap space and that also allows Rhys Hoskins to move back to first base opening a spot up in the outfield for Harper. Other teams in contention are the White Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Angels, and Yankees.

Manny Machado-​​ The former Oriole and Dodger is up on the market. He is the other one of two most talked about free agents. The 26 year old hit .297 with 37 home runs and 107 RBIs (runs batted in) last season with both the Orioles and Dodgers. The highly regarded third baseman moved back to shortstop last season replacing the injured Corey Seager for the Dodgers. The best option for Machado would be the Yankees. They have traded away Ronald Torreyes and have shown to willingly move rookie of the year finalist Miguel Andujar. The Yankees also have shown they will pay any money to anyone and will gladly go over the salary cap with the team salary of just over 192 million. Other teams said to have mutual interest with Machado are the Phillies, Marlins, Dodgers, and Angels.

Dallas Keuchel-​​ The former Astro and World Series Champion seems to be in search of a new home for the 2019 season. He had 153 strikeouts in 204.2 innings pitched. The above average WHIP (Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched) of 1.314 is not terrible, but it could be better. The most beneficial team for Keuchel to sign with would be the Braves. The Braves do not have a solidified ace, so Keuchel would fit in perfectly. The Braves also have 4 right handed starting pitcher prospects that would now be able to trade away if they want to. The Braves are an up and coming team with young stars like Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Dansby Swanson. They also have a good balance of veterans on the team with new signees Josh Donaldson, Brian McCann and other players like Freddie Freeman and Ender Inciarte.

With so many offseason moves that are waiting to happen the MLB will have some new faces in the playoff picture, which many people can not wait to see.