On Valentine’s Day, pitchers and catchers from across the league reported to their spring training facilities in Florida and Arizona. After an offseason that saw a once-in-a-century talent Shohei Ohtani sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Juan Soto be traded to the New York Yankees, fans are eager to see how their teams will shake up. Big market teams like the Dodgers and Yankees had a busy offseason bolstering their clubs, while the Boston Red Sox failed to do so leaving their fans disappointed. Despite the offseason ending, a few big-name free agents are still left on the board. Among these names are Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Cody Bellinger. In this column, we will talk about these free agents and where they may end up.
Blake Snell
Blake Snell is one of the most prolific pitchers in the league and has found success on two different teams. He has had an outstanding career and has won two Cy Youngs and a pair of ERA titles. Last season, he had another momentous campaign, going 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA, despite the Padres having a disappointing year. Snell was expected to be a well-desired, free agent, but has still yet to be signed. One team that may sign Snell is the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels have had a disappointing offseason due to the fact they lost Ohtani, who is regarded as a generational talent. The departure of Ohtani leaves the Angels with lots of money to spend and a few guys to spend it on. This is why Snell makes perfect sense for them: they have the money to spend and they need a pitcher. Snell can also stay in California, where he played last. Another team that can sign Snell is the afformentioned Yankees. While New York did an excellent job of improving their offense in the offseason, they did not address existing pitching concerns. This is where Snell comes into play; he has pitched in the AL East before with the Tampa Bay Rays and has had success at Yankee Stadium. New York have pressure to win now, and Snell would be a great option to help them do so.
Jordan Montgomery
In the past few years, Jordan Montgomery has gone from a middle-of-the-rotation piece to a star pitcher. He’s fresh off winning the World Series as the ace of the Texas Rangers, and it is peculiar that he is still on the board. The lefty is looking to sign soon, and many teams should be eager to sign him. One of these teams is the Boston Red Sox. As mentioned before, the Red Sox have had an abysmal offseason, whicht has caused fans to turn on the owners and the team. The Sox signing Montgomery would help ease their fans’ pains a little bit, but it is also a much-needed addition. The Red Sox traded Chris Sale this offseason, and while they replaced him with Lucas Giolito, they still need more for their rotation to be competitive. On top of this, Montgomery’s wife has spent her residency at a Boston hospital, so Montgomery has spent the whole offseason in Boston. Montgomery to the Sox seems so obvious, but will the owners press the button? Another team in the mix for Montgomery is the Philadelphia Phillies, who have gone deep in October the last two seasons. Philadelphia have had issues with pitching depth the last couple of postseasons, and Montgomery is a perfect piece to bridge that gap. The Phillies President of Baseball Operations has shown the willingness to spend the money on high-value free agents in the past and may do so again with Montgomery.
Cody Bellinger
The former MVP and World Series champion is still searching for a new team, despite having one of the best seasons of his career. Bellinger batted at a career-best .307 average last season with the Cubs as well as hitting 26 homers with 97 RBIs. The lefty, who won the 2020 World Series with the Dodgers and has had difficulties in a career that has been filled with injuries, was set to make big money in the offseason. However, that simply has not been the case yet as this market has not been as active as it was thought to be. One landing spot for Bellinger is a reunion with the Chicago Cubs. Bellinger revived his swing last year with the help of Wrigley Field and he instantly became a fan favorite. The only hurdle is the Cubs have not signed their big free agents from last year’s team with the new manager Craig Counsell stepping in. A dark horse candidate to land Bellinger is the Houston Astros. The Astros core is getting older and has a need in the outfield with Michael Brantley being a free agent. The 28-year-old Bellinger would become a great fit for the perennial championship contender.