This off-season’s free agent position player market is top heavy with a generational talent coming off one of the most prolific offensive seasons in league history and a quartet of premium shortstops. Beyond that, the dropoff is steep.
And it ought to be out there considering Correa’s only just turned 28, making him the youngest of the winter’s four premier free agent shortstops. He’s also the only one not tied to a qualifying offer. If Corey Seager could find a 10-year, $325-million deal ahead of his age-28 campaign, what’s stopping Correa from doing the same a year later?
The right-handed hitter did lose a tick off his average and maximum exit velocities from 2021 to ’22, and just posted his lowest barrel rate since 2017. But his contact ability and strike zone management ought to give him a stable enough floor to continue producing the all-around excellent seasons he’s known for in years to come.Nimmo, a quietly productive on-base machine, chose a great time to put together the first injury-free season of his big-league career, batting .274/.367/.
And you can make a similar case for his defence. Going forward, will Swanson be the elite defender he graded as in 2022? Or merely the above-average one he was over the five seasons prior? These questions will pose dilemmas for clubs considering Swanson and make his market tough to peg. But something in the neighbourhood of the six-year, $140-million deals Trevor Story and Javier Baez signed last winter entering their age-29 seasons — as Swanson is now — ought to be out there.