Free agent Shohei Ohtani might be the most highly sought-after free agent since free agency was instituted in 1972.

To write a preview covering his potential suitors would require at least 30 paragraphs, one for each team in MLB. But most organizations are staying mum about it. In fact, most are actively trying to hide their interest.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, intends to prevent teams from leaking negotiation details. Based on Ohtani’s potential asking price, which could exceed $600 million, the Japanese star’s camp clearly wants to prevent teams from indirectly communicating with one another.

Ohtani has already been ruled out as a pitcher for the 2024 season while he recovers from elbow surgery, but he will still bat and could return to the mound as soon as the following season. Even without his arm, which has put him in the Cy Young conversation at several points in his career, Ohtani’s bat alone will ensure that every team in the league finds him valuable.

In a slightly shortened 2023 season in which he was dealing with arm issues, he still batted .304 with 44 home runs. He is one of the league’s best power hitters but has not yet played in a postseason game as a member of the Angels. He said during the season that going to a winning team would be a priority for him in free agency.

“Those feelings get stronger year by year,” Ohtani said through an interpreter about his desire to win in July. “It sucks to lose. He wants to win, so it gets stronger every year.”

In a career that seems destined to end in the Hall of Fame, Ohtani’s five years with the Angels have made him valuable, but he has not yet been able to lead a team to any success. Though they haven’t shown much interest publicly, the Dodgers, Giants, Mets, Yankees and hosts of other wealthy teams will be negotiating with Ohtani over the next few months. The next phase of his career could be vastly different.

Anthony Rendon and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim agreed to a major deal on Wednesday.

The free-agent third baseman — who just helped lead the Washington Nationals to their first-ever World Series title — signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels. According to ESPN, the pact includes a full no-trade clause and lacks an opt-out clause. Rendon, 29, is set to have a physical on Friday and will be introduced at the Angels’ ballpark on Saturday.

The Angels had reportedly targeted Rendon after former Houston Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole signed his own mega-deal with the New York Yankees on Tuesday. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers and Texas Rangers also had their sights set on Rendon. The third baseman also reportedly turned down a huge deal from the Nationals, who offered him a seven-year, $200 million extension at the end of this season.

Rendon will now join an Angels lineup that includes Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, both of whom also inked major deals with the team. The Angels are the first MLB franchise to bring on three players with deals worth $200 million or more.

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Rendon enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career this year with the Nationals, so much in fact that he was even momentarily considered a top contender for the National League MVP award. The third baseman led MLB in 2019 with a career-high 126 RBIs and appeared in his first-ever All-Star Game. Rendon also enjoyed career bests in home runs (34), slugging percentage (.598) and batting average (.319). He also hit homers in Games 6 and 7 of this year’s World Series and became just the fifth player in history to do so.

Trout and Rendon’s former Nationals teammate Trea Turner both reacted to the news of the third baseman’s big deal in noticeably different ways on Twitter:

Here are other reactions to Rendon’s deal:

Finally ending an unusually long vacation, starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel finally put pen to paper, committing to pitch for the Atlanta Braves this season. Keuchel not only joins a young, playoff hopeful NL power, but gets to keep his trademark beard, as the Yankees failed to acquire the lefty amid their valiant efforts this week.

Despite throwing effectively for the Houston Astros his entire career, Houston declined to sign their former ace, as his price tag exceeded Houston’s original expectations. However, Houston wasn’t alone with their reaction to Keuchel’s asking price. Until yesterday, no MLB team chose to sign Keuchel despite his skill and the league’s constant demand for effective starting pitching. A similar situation played out with form Boston Red Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel, who the Cubs just signed days ago. Keuchel posts an impressive 3.66 ERA and won a championship with the Astros in 2017.

Keuchel now inks a one year $13 million deal, trumping the three year $17 million contract which Houston originally offered him. Once cashing in and passing a physical, Keuchel will ascend to the mound for Atlanta’s AAA team to freshen up before making his big league debut for the second place Braves.The 2015 Cy Young winner will eventually add to an already talented young rotation including Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Kevin Gausman and others who combine to hold a respectable 4.36 ERA.

The Braves will expect Keuchel to evolve back into his 150+ strikeout form as they chase the Philadelphia Phillies, sitting just two games behind. Keuchel often operates as a ground ball pitcher whose ability to change speeds effectively and toss a sweeping slider helps him put away batter after batter. With the Braves pushing toward a playoff berth, Keuchel’s post season excellence highlighted by 3.60 ERA and memorable dominant starts against AL powers such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox give the Braves optimism as the playoffs slowly but surely inch closer.

Barring a miraculous Braves vs. Astros World Series matchup, Keuchel won’t face his old team this season. However, he’ll likely look to prove his worth not only to the Houston Astros, but the many other MLB teams neglecting to pay him.

Hoping to keep their NL East first place position unhinged, this week the Philadelphia Phillies added a new meaning to the term “lost and found” amid some roster turnover.

Although injury appeared somewhat inevitable with the former NL MVP’s age climbing up to 32, outfielder Andrew McCutchen’s injury woes worsened, as he suffered a season–ending ACL tear. While Philly poises to miss McCutchen’s services, a bright spot to combat this bad break appeared almost immediately as the new acquired Jay Bruce crushed two home runs including a grand slam just days after Cutch’s injury, leading the Phillies to a 9–6 win over the San Diego Padres and illustrating how the effective Philadelphia front office continues to improve their roster.

Not too long ago, the Phillies roster appeared inked with question marks across the entire diamond, as their young an unproven players held the Phillies as an inconsistent team with a cloudy future. Although recent off–field issues concerning Odubel Herrera illustrate work that still need doing, change commenced this offseason with winning the Bryce Harper sweepstakes, as the once unproven Phillies now stand as a true NL power, thanks to a front office that makes strategic effective moves such as adding Bruce. Harper currently resides as Philadelphia’s crowned jewel with his marketable name, home run threatening power, and effective glove. Yet, the other moves that Philly’s front office orchestrates prove equally as effective.

Standing in at shortstop, newly acquired Jean Seguara highlights the league as a true steal for the Phillies with his .285 batting average and 23 RBIs thus far. Even with Segura’s production aside, the trade which sent Carlos Santana packing allowed potential All–Star Rhys Hoskins to shift back to first base, a more comfortable position where Hoskins now posts a top ten NL fielding percentage, which combines with his 13 home runs at the plate. Adding to the cause stands J.T. Realmuto, yet another addition conducted by the Philadelphia front office. Although not putting up monster numbers, he hits quite effectively with a .273 batting average and remains generally on pace to match last year’s numbers, which earned him a Silver Slugger Award. Realmuto proved his value once again during last night’s contest going 3/5 at the plate.

These expensive and somewhat risky moves are essential to Philadelphia’s success and continually fit in like puzzle pieces, filling jagged and unusual holes perfectly as if made for that exact purpose. The Phillies also await newly-signed relief pitcher David Robertson‘s return from injury, as his effective bullpen pitching poises to assist the Phillies down the stretch. With the always entertaining trade deadline forecasted to strike soon, look for Philadelphia to slide more pieces, improve their team and look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

MLB’s offseason was filled with talk of a disaster waiting to happen, potentially the first strike since 1994. The cause was a rapidly drying up free agent market. Then, come March, Bryce Harper got 13-years, $330, Mike Trout opted to avoid free agency with a 12 year, $426.5 million contract, and Jacob deGrom fetched 5 years, $130 million.

To complain about a lack of contracts when all those four were signed in the same month seems ludicrous. But the only thing ludicrous is the contracts themselves. The players should’ve made more.

Let’s first look at Harper. At 26 years old, the Philadelphia Phillies signed one of the game’s premier talents for the rest of his career. Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, claims that he received short term deals north of $45 million per year. For what it’s worth, Philly locked him up early and even if his body turns to dust at 34, they’ll still have gotten close to a decade of meaningful production out of him. But what’s concerning is that Harper’s average annual value is $25.4 million, $0.2 million more than Alex Rodriguez’s in 2000. $25.2 million in December 2000 is equivalent in value to about $36.5 million now. That’s not to mention that MLB revenues have tripled in that time span. The Phillies even sold 100,000 additional tickets in the day after they signed him and Harper had the most popular jersey of all time. Harper’s value to the team is clear. Why he’s not paid in accordance with that is not.

Trout topped Harper’s deal, but the fact that the best player in baseball didn’t want to hit free agency doesn’t sit very well with fans who miss the nation’s pastime being a 12-month sport. While he’ll walk away with close to half of one billion dollars when he retires, the numbers don’t set records in the way that he does. It’s a tough argument to make but it’s easier when you realize any additional money given to Trout instead just sit in the pockets of the Angels front office. Trout’s career value was close to 2.5 times larger than Giancarlo Stanton’s through their age 24 season. At that age, both were blossoming superstars. Yet their contracts don’t reflect that at all. Instead, they both have average annual values in the same range. And the deal doesn’t take into account that the New Jersey native is wasting his time on some downright atrocious Angels squads that have only reached the playoffs once in his career.

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The argument with deGrom is the easiest of all. If he pitched how he did last year, which is not impossible but not exactly an easy thing to do, he’d earn the value of his five-year contract by September of 2020. The New York Mets haven’t exactly been the smartest front office. This signing is a steal though.

While players get ridiculous contracts with numbers that only a few people on this earth will make in their lifetime, keep in mind that the owners will always make more. While at one point, they were more willing to pony up a greater share of revenue, today it just goes back into their pockets. Current deals are record-breaking but today’s revenues are even more so. Players generate most, if not all of that. Yet, more and more frequently they see less and less. 

Manny Machado signed a record-breaking deal with the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. His new contract is for 10 years and $300 million, the same contract Bryce Harper turned down from the Washington Nationals at the start of this offseason.

It appears that Machado’s slow pace in free agency worked to his advantage. Though he’ll join a lackluster team in San Diego, he was given the largest free agent contract in American sports history.

Machado Signs Record-breaking deal with Padres

It’s reported that the pact also includes a fifth-year opt-out clause. By then, Machado will be only 31 years old and could easily fetch another big contract, assuming the current MLB collective bargaining agreement is renegotiated.

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The Padres now have $528 million in Machado through the 2028 season, Will Myers through 2022 and Eric Hosmer through 2025. All three are expected to still be talented players in two to three years when a crop of new prospects cracks the big league roster.

After a longer free agency than his tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Machado can finally join a team. This paves the way for teams that lost out on the young shortstop to fling cash at Harper. Both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox were reported to be in on either of the pair. After the Machado deal, rumors broke that Harper is unsure about Philly. Now he’s got all the leverage in the world. With spring training only two days away, Harper’s free agency will be an interesting story to follow.

Houston Astros star Justin Verlander called out the excuse that rebuilding teams hurt the market for big free agents. On Monday, he tweeted: “100 or so free agents left unsigned. System is broken. They blame “rebuilding” but that’s BS. You’re telling me you couldn’t sign Bryce or Manny for 10 years and go from there? Seems like a good place to start a rebuild to me. 26-36 is a great performance window too.”

Verlander Comments On MLB Free Agency

Like last year, the top free agents of the class are still unsigned. Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez went unsigned until February 20 and top pitcher Jake Arrieta didn’t sign with the Philadelphia Phillies until well into March. The common write-off was that they were aging players, well past their prime. But this year, 26-year-olds Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are still unsigned in mid-February. To have a superstar from 26 to 34 seems like a prime time for a rebuilding team, especially since the players may be three years away from their primes. But instead, a hesitation to spend money by owners in the only sport without a salary cap and some allegations of collusion have killed the free agency market.

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That’s not to mention that the current baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement has hurt everyone involved. Younger players are under six years of team control in the majors before they are free to negotiate. Take Cesar Hernandez, who signed with the Phillies on July 2, 2006, as a 16-year-old. He won’t become a free agent until after the 2020 season and 14.5 years of team control, meaning 14.5 years of undervalued talent. Older players — the ones most likely to negotiate the CBA because minor leaguers and international players have no say — now see their contract offers dry up as teams realize they can get a similar amount of production for a fraction of the price from young players. Because of short-sighted negotiating by the MLB Players’ Association, everyone but the owners win. Minor leaguers bring in money while getting paid almost nothing. Shohei Ohtani and similar international players get much less than market value. Young players are used up till their contract runs out and old players are left waiting for the contracts of the mid-2000s. Meanwhile, the owners reap the rewards of all of this.

On the same day as the Verlander tweet, David Samson, former president of the Miami Marlins, tweeted “There is a problem that will not be fixed by players systematically tweeting about the broken system. The reality is that players and agents have to adjust to a new reality.”

Christian Yelich, who the Marlins traded away before his MVP season, shot back: “Consistent with your anti player rhetoric but adjusting to this “new reality” isn’t exactly the solution either.”

The current MLB CBA does not expire until December 2021.

Spring training is within sight. Baseball fans everywhere are clamoring for it. The free agency market hasn’t done it. Baseball is clearly losing its spot as a year-round sport to the NBA. With under two weeks left until teams head south, both Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are still unsigned.

Ex-National Harper Meets With Padres

As of Thursday, the bidding scene has grown so desperate that the San Diego Padres — almost always a joke of a franchise — secured a meeting with Harper. Now the list of teams that want a 26-year-old All-Star has risen up to four even as more and more teams drop out of the race.

San Diego having a chance at Harper doesn’t really help the market. Instead, it cuts into their other moves and puts the rest of MLB’s free agents into a state of purgatory, where they can’t be offered contracts until Harper and Machado get an offer that they like.  But Harper is too good of a fit in San Diego for them to pass him up.

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For years, Harper was projected to be baseball’s first $400 million man. Now some are questioning if he was stupid to reject a ten-year, $300 million deal from his club of seven years: the Washington Nationals. The Philadelphia Phillies, which both free agents seem to not like, and the Chicago White Sox are also in play.

The Padres normally wouldn’t be a prime landing spot. A 66-96 team that’s only added an injured 30-year-old pitcher and a 36-year-old second baseman doesn’t look great. But it’s got a stacked farm system as well as payroll flexibility. Normally, someone like Harper wouldn’t be on the market in February.

Because the Padres met with Harper, it’s okay to assume that there’s serious interest on both sides. There’s no indication on whether or not they’ll lock him up long term or offer a high salary for a shorter amount of years.

On Thursday, the New York Yankees and free-agent relief pitcher Adam Ottavino agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal.

Ex-Rockies Righty Pitcher Ottavino Joins Yankees

This move will further improve the Yankees’ bullpen, as Ottavino struck out 112 hitters last season with the Colorado Rockies. This helped him rank fourth among all MBL relievers. Ottavino also finished 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA.  The 33-year-old’s deal is pending a physical.

Ottavino will now join top pitchers like Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and Zach Britton, who inked a three-year, $39 million pact with the Bombers earlier this month.

This past season, the Yankees’ bullpen became the first in major league history to strike out over 30 percent of batters faced (30.2%) and could prove significantly stronger this year. Right-hander Ottavino made a name for himself in Colorado as a setup man, so New York will likely use him against righty hitters.

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Ottavino also made a bold claim about his pitching ability in a December interview with MLB’s Statcast podcast.

“I had an argument with a coach in Triple-A about Babe Ruth’s effectiveness in today’s game,” said Ottavino. “I said, ‘Babe Ruth, with that swing, swinging that bat, I got him hitting .140 with eight homers.’ … I’m like, ‘I would strike Babe Ruth out every time.’

He continued: “I’m not trying to disrespect him, you know, rest in peace, you know, shoutout to Babe Ruth. But it was a different game. I mean, the guy ate hot dogs and drank beer and did whatever he did. It was just a different game.”

Ottavino wasn’t the only big MLB free agency signing this week, however. On Wednesday, it was announced that former Los Angeles Dodger Manny Machado agreed to a seven-year, $175 million offer from the Chicago White Sox. The Philadelphia Phillies was another team that had been pursuing Machado in recent weeks.

Now, only former Washington Nationals All-Star and National League MVP Bryce Harper remains to be signed.

Baseball’s hot stove has been cold this offseason. Things were expected to heat up this year following one in which premier free agents didn’t sign contracts until well into 2018, where those offers were much less than what they aimed for and when average players found themselves out of work. Two 26-year-old stars, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, hit the market along with former Arizona Diamondbacks ace Patrick Corbin this offseason.

free agents Machado, Bryce Harper still Unsigned

Experts looked to those three to return free agency back to it’s mid-2000s glory days. Instead, the 2017-2018 offseason repeated.

Now, 78 days after the Boston Red Sox won their ninth World Series, both Harper and Machado remain unsigned. Every day a new article about the pair’s projected values pops up and every day the interest of MLB’s flagship teams, like the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers, appears to die down. Now the Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies appear to be at the forefront of the chase.

ESPN reports that Machado is sitting on an eight-year deal from the Chicago White Sox, although he is also in communication with the Phillies. The Yankees appear to have withdrawn from the sweepstakes by signing both Troy Tulowitzki and DJ Lemahieu.

The Phillies seem to be the “clear-cut favorite” to sign Harper, though some expect the Washington Nationals to still be in play. Harper may wind up looking foolish to reject the reported ten-year, $300 million deal they offered him at the beginning of the offseason.

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Machado’s Chicago offer may not be the ten-year, $300 million-plus offer he wanted, although it’s a big deal for the White Sox. Jose Abreu‘s six-year, $68 million contract is the largest in history. That’s the fourth-smallest franchise-record contract in the MLB.

Before the offseason began, an arms race was expected to develop for the two All-Stars. Philadelphia owner John Middleton said his team might be “even a little stupid about” spending. Chicago traded for Yonder Alonso, Machado’s brother-in-law, and Jon Jay, a close friend. The Dodgers traded Yasiel Puig in order to clear up outfield space. Ownerships look ready to sign the two.  But somehow, both are still free agents. There appears to be an unknown holdup.

Jake Arrieta and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract, per several reports.

Jake Arrieta deal with Phillies news

Arrieta, a former Chicago Cubs standout, is the second major free agent added by Philadelphia this offseason. The squad signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million deal in December.

The 32-year-old pitcher had a stellar second half of 2017 leading into free agency: he recorded a 2.28 post-All-Star break ERA. He won a Cy Young Award in 2015 after posting a 0.75 ERA and in 2016 helped lead the Cubs to a World Series victory. Arrieta also son the Silver Slugger Award in 2016.

Before being traded to the Cubs in 2013, Arrieta played for the Baltimore Orioles for three seasons.

Arrieta has also delivered two no-hitters and a career .222 batting average against him. He could now be a strong asset to Philadelphia, where he will join veteran relievers Tommy Hunter and Pat Neshek.

Arrieta’s innings have dropped as he has battled injuries. However, the Phillies can still benefit from him. Before signing him, Philadelphia was on the hook for just $53 million in guaranteed salary in 2018: that figure drops to $42 million in 2019, $28 million in 2020 and $11 million in 2021. All of that is owed to center-fielder Odubel Herrera. Many pundits seem to believe Arrieta will likely need to start several games in order for him to turn the Phillies into real contenders.

CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 26: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Two of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on October 26, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)