Carlos Correa, SS, HOU, age 27Eligible for qualifying offerThe big knock on Correa was his inability to stay healthy enough to play complete seasons, primarily because of back issues.
The Dodgers’ midseason acquisition of Trea Turner — a shortstop by trade who played second next to Seager — could impact their approach to Seager’s free agency.
The Dodgers will want to keep him, the Nats will want him back, and no shortage of teams will be interested in the services of a future Hall of Famer who immediately improves the morale of any clubhouse he enters.
Trevor Story, SS, COL, age 29Eligible for qualifying offerThough he, surprisingly, did not get dealt midway through the 2021 season, Story did recover from an uncharacteristically sluggish first half, posting a .253/.337/.506 slash line after the break.
His difficult 2020 compelled him to take a one-year, make-good pact with the Blue Jays, and all he did was return to the near-MVP-caliber form he had displayed in 2019 with the A’s.
Robbie Ray, LHP, TOR, age 30Eligible for qualifying offerRay had longed teased us with his power arsenal that frustratingly led to erratic outcomes.
Despite the backlash from Báez’s thumbs-down incident in Queens, he did perform well for the Mets, with a .299/.371/.515 slash line in 47 games after the trade from the Cubs.
Freddie Freeman, 1B, ATL, age 32Eligible for qualifying offerA consummate pro and a consistent producer, Freeman has not had a wRC+ mark lower than 132 or an OPS lower than .841 in any of the last nine seasons.
Kevin Gausman, RHP, SF, age 31Ineligible for qualifying offer Though Gausman had a strong 2020 season, the Giants surprised some when they extended the $18.9 million qualifying offer to him last offseason.
11. Marcus Stroman, RHP, NYM, age 30Ineligible for qualifying offer After accepting the Mets’ qualifying offer on the heels of a lost 2020, Stroman delivered 179 innings with a 3.02 ERA, a 133 ERA+, a career-best 21.7 percent strikeout rate and a 6 percent walk rate that was his best since his rookie year.
He’s now easily one of the most valuable bats on the free agent market, and concerns about his defense in the outfield would be mitigated by the potential re-arrival of the universal DH in 2022.
But he should be in a much better position for a multiyear pact after a fantastic season in which he slashed .266/.374/.554 with 32 homers for Washington and Boston.
Carlos Rodón, LHP, CWS, age 29Eligible for qualifying offerIn the “what a difference a year makes” category, we have Rodón, who last winter was non-tendered by the White Sox and then re-signed to a modest one-year, $3 million deal.
Because of Tommy John surgery and then a setback in his recovery, he’s pitched just two innings in the big leagues in the last two seasons, and he scrapped his breaking pitches in 2021 to prevent further setbacks.
He won his second Cy Young Award at age 37 in 2019, and while it might be foolish to dream he can get back to that level again, this will still be an opportunity to add a Hall of Fame arm hungry to reassert himself in a rotation on a short-term deal.
He was still effective, but with more than 2,500 career innings between the regular season and postseason and recent arm trouble, it’s difficult to know what to expect from this future Hall of Famer moving forward.
Michael Conforto, OF, NYM, age 29Received qualifying offerConforto had a disappointing walk year, with his worst OPS since his first full season in 2016.
Brandon Belt, 1B, SF, age 33Eligible for qualifying offerThough Belt was limited to 97 games by multiple injuries, including a broken thumb suffered in late September, he had a terrific 2021 at the plate.
Chris Taylor, UTL, LAD, age 31Eligible for qualifying offerThough his numbers tailed off in the second half , Taylor had a solid season that resulted in his first All-Star selection.
Nelson Cruz, DH, TB, age 41Ineligible for qualifying offer Cruz will be back on the market again, likely looking for another one-year contract with the promise that he can provide thump and valuable veteran leadership to a club with an eye on contention.
24.
No, the 4.74 ERA and 1.39 WHIP from 2021 are not exactly encouraging, but today’s front offices will likely be paying more attention to the 3.55 xERA, 27.4% strikeout rate and 7.0% walk rate, all of which were career bests.