Major League Baseball teams report to spring training in less than a month and there are still plenty of big name free agents on the market.
Pete Alonso, Anthony Santander, and Tanner Scott are just a few of the All-Stars still looking for new homes as the offseason winds down.
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Of course, there’s also Roki Sasaki, the premier free agent who will cost a team just their international bonus pool as well as a minor league contract.
Once Sasaki makes his decision — which must be by Jan. 23 — the rest of the major players should come off the board rather quickly.
As we await Sasaki’s decision, though, it felt like a perfect time to come up with some bold landing spots for two of the top free agents still on the market.
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Pete Alonso Prediction
All signs point to a reunion between Alonso and the New York Mets this offseason.
But that’s not bold.
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At some point, it feels like if something were to get done between New York and Alonso, it would’ve happened by now.
Thus, we’re going to get bold, and say Alonso doesn’t sign with the Mets this offseason. Moreover, he’s going to land with a sleeper team in the Los Angeles Angels.
Angels owner Arte Moreno loves making big splashes in the lineup, and Alonso would be just that.
The four-time All-Star has 226 career home runs across his six-year career, and has hit at least 34 home runs in every season of his career aside from the shortened 60-game campaign in 2020.
Alonso would provide the exact power bat the Angels are looking for, and will take some pressure off Mike Trout as one of the only run producers in the Halos lineup.
Bold landing spot prediction: Angels
Jack Flaherty Prediction
Another player who wasn’t expected to be on the board this long, Flaherty is the best starting pitcher left not including Sasaki.
Flaherty finished the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, playing a key role in their World Series run. However, his inconsistencies in the postseason — as well as his inconsistent play over the past few seasons — likely have teams hesitant to give him a long-term deal.
Flaherty is reportedly open to a short-team deal, though, which should expand his market quite a bit.
One team who makes the most sense for Flaherty is the incumbent Dodgers, but if they sign Sasaki, it’s hard to imagine they also spend on Flaherty.
So, if Sasaki signs elsewhere, the prediction is the Dodgers. If Sasaki lands with L.A., then Flaherty will wind up with the division-rival San Francisco Giants, who have struck out on just about every big name pitcher over the last few offseasons and most recently settled for a soon-to-be-42-year-old Justin Verlander.
Bold landing spot prediction if Padres/Blue Jays sign Sasaki: Dodgers
Bold landing spot prediction if Dodgers sign Sasaki: Giants
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