It feels a little strange to hand out winter hardware when 40 percent of the top 10 free agents are still free, including Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery and Matt Chapman. But with less than two weeks left until the pitcher and catcher’s term ends, it has to be done. The top 11 winners are:
1. Dodgers: It doesn’t take a great metrics analysis to know that the Dodgers deserve to be in first place. Not only did we have the best winter this year, we may have had the best winter ever. They brought Shohei Ohtani, the best player in the game, from Anaheim, 45 miles north up Interstate 5, and then Yamamoto, the top free agent pitcher from Japan. I brought Yoshinobu with me. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is only 25 years old, has a career ERA of 1.82, and has never allowed a hit in MLB (and of course, he hasn’t even faced a batter yet). In addition to outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, they have added pitchers Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton to their growing super team. Please take a bow to Chairman Andrew Friedman and Owner Mark Walter.
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto: The Dodgers are known for trading stars (see Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts), but they gave Yamato, a talented and poised MLB rookie, a record $325 million contract for a pitcher. , Gerrit Cole should move on, as the Yankees will likely extend him by one year (after 2024).
3. Orioles: They made this list after Thursday’s shocking trade for longtime Brewers star Corbin Burnes. No matter what Las Vegas says, the O’s should prefer a repeat in the AL East.
4. Lee Jung Hoo: A year after Masanao Yoshida doubled his initial expectations with a $90 million contract, Lee considerably exceeded Yoshida’s expectations with a $113 million, six-year Giants contract. The Padres and Yankees would have been in the top spot if they had kept him, so I don’t think San Francisco would feel bad about it.
5. Red: They spread their newfound wealth and strengthened a young, talented team by adding Frankie Montas to the rotation, Emilio Pagan and Brent Suter to the bullpen, Nick Martinez to the staff, and Jeimer Candelario to the lineup. Strengthened enough veteran depth. Photographed in the spacious central area of the National League.
6. Royals: New additions Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha will give the Royals a solid rotation, while Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier will lengthen the lineup. They may surprise people.
7. Shohei Otani: Of course he had to make a list. Due to the unprecedented postponement, which was said to be the brainchild of Ohtani, 700 million is not a negligible amount, even if it is thought to be $460 million or $432 million.
8. Yankees: Add in Juan Soto, one of the five best hitters in the game, at a time when the hitting market is terribly thin, and it’s going to be a winter of wins. Good thing they had a lot of viable young starting candidates to make that happen.
9. Jordan Hicks: His $44 million, four-year contract with the Giants seems expensive given his injury history and lack of starting pitching pedigree. Sports agency Ballenji Group has had a great winter. Lugo (three years, $45 million), Tom Murphy (two years, $8.25 million) and Luke Weaver ($2 million) also exceeded expectations.
10. Frankie Montas: No one saw him earn $16 million, especially since the Yankees are thought to have decided to start him for about half that amount ($7.5 million), but apparently the coach told him he liked it there. He seemed to believe that he came because I told him. Of course, no one takes half the price, no matter how much they like it.
11. Tyler Glasnow: He certainly has the makings of a No. 1 player, but despite his injury history, he did well to earn a five-year extension worth $136.5 million in another deal with Wasserman. Plus, he can play for the No. 1 winner.
