By: Jay Miller
Let’s start out with a little bit of honesty here. The fact that the first player I get to discuss is Joey Votto, pains me a great deal. Joseph Daniel Votto has been a cornerstone for not only the Cincinnati Reds, but for me and my boys every single summer since he put on the uniform. The other free agents on this list, I will probably be more accurate on their destinations because my broken heart will not be involved in my decision. Now, as I wipe the tears off of my keyboard, let’s get right into it!
Just putting his name down on the word document feels uneasy. Drafted in 2002 as a catcher, in the second round, Joey Votto has been the face of the franchise since his MVP season of 2010. Some would say it was a Hall of Fame career wasted with bad teams in the Queen City. His resume proceeds him with more than 2100 hits, 350+ HR’s and a career .294 batting average. Votto wants one more season as a starting 1B and or DH. The Reds could not offer him that. So, who can?
Where I think he will end up:
Toronto Blue Jays: This is the obvious choice here. They have already had preliminary discussions on what that might look like. The Blue Jays would be a coming home party for Votto who was born in the province of Ontario in Canada. He has often talked about memories of watching and celebrating Joe Carter’s walk-off in the 1993 World Series. This would be the script that would make this Reds fan happy.
A couple other options:
Cincinnati Reds: If no one else is interested, maybe. It’s a long shot at best.
TB Rays: They love a good platoon guy and Votto’s glove still plays. His bat against RHP could make this possible.
KC Royals: They don’t have anyone, and he could play and then be trade bait at the deadline.
Oakland A’s: Please see above statement on KC Royals.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yep… I certainly thought Joey Votto was more important than Yamamoto. Is he in real life, we’ll never know. Actually, we will eventually know, but for now, he’s not.
A career professional pitching record of 70-29 with a microscopic 1.82 ERA, The Japanese right-handed hurler has conquered everything in his path. MVP awards in 2021 and 2022 highlight what is coming to Major League Baseball in the 2024 season. The question becomes, who is willing to drop the coin necessary to land the oversees crown jewel?
Where I think he ends up:
New York: Both the Mets and Yankees need to make big splashes after lackluster 2023 campaigns. The Yankees have a mixed history with Hideki Matsui and Hideki Irabu, while the Mets last big Japanese name was Kazuo Matsui. Kazuo spent three seasons with the team beginning in 2004.
These are by and large the top two choices and I would give the edge to the Mets.
Other options:
????: Wherever Shohei Ohtani signs
Seattle Mariners: The franchise does an excellent job with Japanese players and they have one of the largest Japanese fan bases as well.
LA Dodgers: They lost Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw is winding down on a HOF career. It makes sense.
The dude has been in the league since 2017 and has been traded twice and just won a World Series with the Rangers. A pretty interesting start to a career for this 30-year-old lefty. Montgomery certainly made his worth known this postseason going 3-1 and carries a career postseason ERA of 2.63 over 37.2 innings pitched.
Where I think he will end up:
The Miami Marlins have a solid rotation, but the addition of this lefty could solidify the franchise competing with the Braves and Phillies.
A couple other options:
NY Mets: They need the rotation help.
Texas Rangers: It seems like it worked pretty well the first time.
He’s just 29 years old, but it seems like he’s been around for a while after making his MLB debut with the Cubs at the age of 22. Candelario’s name has been tossed around quite a bit for a guy who split time between the Nationals and Cubs in 2023. He combined to hit just .251 on the season but did produce his highest HR total of his career with 22.
Where I think he will end up:
There is absolutely no reason to think this, but he strikes me as a guy the Colorado Rockies might eye. His ability to play both corners and DH could help him produce bigger power numbers in the same state where Coach Prime resides.
A couple other options:
Chicago White Sox: They need some depth, and he could provide that.
Chicago Cubs: They are still on the fence of a rebuild and he could be that carry-over player.
The former 16th overall pick of the 2012 by the Washington Nationals never really lived up to the hype. He’s been traded twice and then selected off waivers by the Guardians in 2023. His 8-15 record this past season is not going to help him financially this winter. However, pitching is always a premium and a lot of contending teams could view Giolito as that fifth starter going into spring training.
Where I think he will end up:
TB Rays: This franchise has an excellent track record with pitchers and having their stellar bullpen behind him will cut down on his innings.
A couple other options:
Atlanta Braves or the Philadelphia Phillies: Bringing Giolito in would not hurt either of these franchises financially and the upside could be huge in a division that will be even more competitive in 2024.
Chapman is 30 years old with four gold gloves and one all-star appearance since breaking into the Bigs in 2017. The right-handed swinging corner infielder sits 10th on MLB’s latest free agent rankings and is the highest 3B on the list. Chapman looked destined for stardom between 2017-2019 with 101 doubles, 74 HR’s and 199 RBI’s before a steady decline beginning in 2020. A career-high 202 K’s and a batting average of .210 in 2021 were all terrible marks. Position scarcity will help Chapman get a modest pay day, but who’s going to write the check for a 7-hole hitter who strikes out a ton?
Where I think he will end up:
New York Yankees: He’s 2023 DJ LeMahieu, but with more pop. A two-year contract with a third-year option would be nice for both sides.
A couple other options:
LA Dodgers watched Max Muncy hit .212, but he did launch 36 HR’s. LA is always an option.
Milwaukee Brewers could use a middle of the lineup bat, but I am not sure Chapman fits the criteria of that. He would add a nice glove on the left side though.
The 6’4” Lugo enters his age 34 season with a career record of 40-31. He’s never won more than eight games in a season, which came in 2023. The more alarming number is Lugo has only reach double digits in starts twice since 2016. Can he be counted on as a starter or is he destined for a bullpen role?
Where I think he ends up:
Cleveland Guardians: They are always competitive in their division and a back-end starter doesn’t hurt at all.
A couple other option:
Baltimore Orioles have a young staff across the board and a veteran presence could make a positive impact.
Atlanta Braves could be contenders with this inexpensive option to seal up their rotation.
Hicks is only 27, but he carries with him a career 11-21 record to go along with a 3.85 ERA in five seasons (he opted out for the 2020 season). The Texas native is not a starter having only taken the bump eight times to begin a game. So, is he a closer? Maybe… with just 32 saves in his career, it doesn’t help his resume. Ok, so who needs a good setup man, No. 2 guy out of the bullpen?
Where I think he ends up:
Cincinnati Reds: Former NL Central opponents when Hicks was with the Cardinals, the Reds need help in the 7th and 8th, as Diaz owns the 9th. Hicks could be a viable option.
A couple other options:
Chicago White Sox are going through a “quick” rebuild and Hicks could help the situation.
KC Royals could be after him because he’s affordable.
Hot Stove Free Agent Predictions Part 1
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