The offseason is taking its sweet time with only a few player signings and minor trades of note thus far. Things are certain to get rolling soon, though, and we’ve got plenty of teams to review from the 2024 season and offseason predictions to dig into.

We’ve also got an exciting contest going on for our followers that you can find later in this edition, but we’ll start with predictions for top free agents around the league!

Top 20 Free Agents Contract Predictions

This week, Just Baseball Managing Editor Ryan Finkelstein put together our predictions for the Top 20 MLB free agents. None have signed a deal yet which gives us the chance to project and consider where they may land. _{^{*Section largely pulled from Ryan’s article}}

How do you put proper monetary value on a 26-year-old free agent who is a near-lock to be a top-five hitter in baseball for the better part of the next decade? That is the reality of the Juan Soto market heading into free agency. The frontrunners appear to be the Yankees and the Mets but every contender will certainly be making their case to the superstar (and possibly demigod).

• Prediction: 15 years, $645 million with the New York Mets

The clear top starter on the market is Corbin Burnes. When it comes to the contract, Burnes’ nine-figure deal should be the one that starts with a 2, as he is expected to become the eighth pitcher in MLB history to receive a deal north of $200 million.

• Prediction: Eight years, $232 million with the Boston Red Sox

A trio of infielders represent the top bats behind Soto. Alex Bregman’s run in Houston may be reaching its end and if so will have plenty of suitors. Both he and Willy Adames are open to a positional shift which could further expand their market as well. And Polar Bear Pete Alonso seems like he’ll stick around after the Mets playoff run, but has options.

• Bregman Prediction: Six years, $168 million with the Detroit Tigers

• Adames Prediction: Eight years, $192 million with the Philadelphia Phillies

• Alonso Prediction: Six years, $140 million with the New York Mets

Two left-handers are set to receive huge deals to be the ace or co-ace of a pitching staff. Blake Snell bet on himself last year and it paid off as he’s now set to get the long-term deal that, due to a variety of reasons, wasn’t quite available to him last offseason. Max Fried has spent his entire MLB career with Atlanta but could potentially cash in elsewhere this winter.

• Snell Prediction: Five years, $155 million with the San Francisco Giants

• Fried Prediction: Seven years, $190 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Check out the rest of our predictions with in-depth thoughts here!

Just Baseball Trivia of the Week

Our newsletter will have a trivia question every week to test and expand the baseball knowledge of our subscribers! The answer to the weekly trivia question will be at the bottom of the newsletter each week.

How many MLB players have signed a contract with an average annual value (AAV) of at least $40 million?

A) Four

B) Five

C) Three

D) Seven

American League Season Review

We spent the past few episodes of the Just Baseball Show reviewing each division within the American League and we’re kicking off the National League this week.

While eyes are set on free agency, it can be an important time to consider what went right and what went wrong for each team this past season. We dove into each team with the key factors that will need to be addressed this winter and next season as well.

AL East

The Yankees made it to the World Series this season after a disappointing 2023, exceeding expectations after acquiring Juan Soto last winter. The Orioles took a step back from their great 2023 in the regular season and experienced another disappointing first round playoff exit.

The Red Sox had a decent year but are looking for much more in 2025 while the Rays and Blue Jays struggled throughout the year. It’s one of those rare divisions where everyone will be working hard to punch up their rosters and significantly improve throughout this offseason.

AL Central

Cleveland returned to the top of the division after a down 2023 and they made it all the way to the ACLS with two young stars emerging along the way. The Royals and Tigers took massive steps forward and made the postseason, making the divisional a lot more competitive than it has been previously.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s season tanked due to a perfectly horrible mixture injuries and underperformance as they saw their rivals pass them up. And that team in Chicago kind of had the worst season of all time, so their only priority is simply building towards the future.

AL West

For the first portion of the season, it seemed like the Astros reign at the top of the division was coming to an end. Well, it didn’t! They surged while the Mariners struggled in the second-half and Houston continue their AL West tyranny.

The Rangers had a pretty brutal World Series hangover that lasted…pretty much the entire season and they’ll need to retool this winter. The A’s were far from great but showed more life than many expected them to while the Angels just about Angel’d themselves into oblivion.

Just Baseball Free Agency Contest

Just Baseball is holding a free agency contest for all of our supporters with prizes for our winners! Fill out this Google Form predicting where you think each notable free agent will sign and what the length of their deal will be.

The three contestants with the most correct answers will win a bundle of Just Baseball merchandise and products from other Just Baseball partners. Additionally, the overall winner will also receive a surprise autographed or numbered baseball card!

Our contest will close once every player in the form signs a contract.

Other Headlines

• After Hurricane Milton severely damaged Tropicana Field, it was announced this week that the Rays will play their 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field, the Spring Training and Low-A stadium of the Yankees. The stadium has a capacity of 11,000 fans but is only expected to be the home of the Rays for one season.

• Qualifying offer decisions were due this week and Reds right-hander Nick Martinez was the first and only to accept the offer and will remain with Cincinnati for 2025. It’s expected that the two sides will continue to discuss a long-term deal.

• Japanese star Roki Sasaki is set to be posted and make his way to MLB soon. Aram Leighton wrote a detailed write up on his arsenal, makeup, and the challenges he may face at the highest level.

• Free agency has indeed been slow, but a few veteran names signed small deals this past week. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, infielder Kevin Newman signed with the Angels, reliever Justin Wilson signed with the Red Sox, and outfielder Austin Slater signed with the White Sox.

• A couple of minor trades went down with the Cubs acquiring reliever Eli Morgan from Cleveland and the Mets bringing in outfielder Jose Siri from Tampa.

Collectibles Corner

The 2024 Topps Chrome Update dropped this week and one of the most coveted cards in the world right now was included.

Paul Skenes 1/1 MLB Debut Card is out there now and the Pirates made a wild offer this week to the fan that pulls the card.

While the idea of 30 years worth of season tickets with a bunch of other unique experiences seems tempting, this card will be extremely valuable on the card market.

Would you consider this offer from the Pirates or hold off and cash in elsewhere?

Trivia Answer: B) Five

Shohei Ohtani signed a deal worth $70 million AAV last offseason, the most ever by a wide margin. Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Judge all signed deals in recent years with an AAV of at least $40 million.

Juan Soto is expected to receive the second-highest AAV ever behind Ohtani this offseason.

Just Baseball Merch

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We have also restocked on all your favorites including hats, hoodies, and more.

Check out the full collection of Just Baseball swag here!