Dean Zipes On Where Will This Year’s Top Free Agents Land?

As the NFL playoffs approach and the NBA season continues to ramp up, most sports coverage tends to sway in those directions. But for baseball fans, the upcoming winter meetings signify that free agency is in full swing, and this year’s class is one of the heartiest in recent memory.

Headlined by players like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and the already-signed Patrick Corbin, MLB organizations are prepared to spend what some would consider a stupid amount of money to invest in top talent. The biggest question on most people’s minds isn’t how much money constitutes “stupid,” but rather where these players will land.

Bryce Harper

At just 26 years old, Bryce Harper is in position to land a deal that will net him between $400 and $500 million. Evidently, hitting a ball that travels an alleged 570 feet at age 16 can put you on quite the lucrative career path.

After a long tenure with the Nationals – the team that drafted Harper out of junior college – he predictably declined their qualifying offer, making him a free agent.

Right now, the Phillies and Dodgers seem to be the frontrunners for Harper. The Phillies have a need for production in the OF, and now have a spot for Harper after the Carlos Santana deal opened up a spot at first for Rhys Hoskins. With that same deal bringing in Jean Segura, signing Manny Machado seems less likely (as he’s made it abundantly clear that he would prefer to play SS rather than 3B).

Prediction: Phillies

Manny Machado

Machado, another 26 year old superstar, came under some heat recently for his comments about hustle and his alleged dirty play during the postseason. Regardless, those instances haven’t done too much to jeopardize the fact that he’s lined up to receive a deal similar in nature to Harper’s.

With the above-mentioned trade making Machado a bit harder to fit into the Phillies lineup, the Yankees become an obvious landing spot for the star. They have money to spend on a superstar, and the addition of Machado would turn an already packed lineup into an offensive powerhouse. With Didi Gregorius facing a long recovery from Tommy John surgery, Machado slots nicely into the lineup in his spot.

Prediction: Yankees

Craig Kimbrel

With news breaking recently that he’s seeking a six-year deal, Kimbrel, who is 30, is clearly looking for long-term security in his contract. Still one of the best closers in baseball (and obviously the best on the market), Kimbrel has seen a dip in productivity over the last few years. While the Braves are a definite candidate to bring Kimbrel back, his asking price may be outside of their budget. The Phillies (whose owner John Middleton was the one to make the “stupid money” statement mentioned above) are always a candidate to bring in a big-name reliever, particularly after their bullpen woes last season.

The most likely landing spot for Kimbrel may be the Cardinals, who were too plagued by bullpen issues most of the year, and are poised to make a run for the playoffs after securing a trade for Paul Goldschmidt recently.

Prediction: Cardinals

Though the above players are projected to bring in nearly a billion dollars across their contracts, the verdict is still out on which teams will be doing the spending to lock up a superstar for the next 5-15 years.

Originally published at DeanZipes.net.

Dean Zipes is currently enrolled as a law student in Florida. When he isn't busy with classes or studying, he volunteers in his community and watches baseball.