MLB free agency tracker: Latest deals, rumors on top names in the 2021-22 market

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Edward Sutelan
• 18 min read
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The Braves have been crowned World Series champions for the 2021 season. Now, the focus quickly turns to who will be the next champion.

And it starts with the free-agency market. This is a strong free-agent class, particularly with its middle infielders who include stars such as Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Javier Baez and Trevor Story.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the collective bargaining agreement, which expires Dec. 1 and could potentially result in a freeze on transactions if an agreement isn't reached by then. 

As the market continues to develop, Sporting News will keep track of the latest deals and rumors going on in the MLB world.

Where have the top MLB free agents signed?

As the offseason goes along, SN will track where the top 25 free agents, according to our list , will be signing. Deals signed by other free agents will be included in the section below.

Player Position Opening Day Age Team Deal
Carlos Correa SS 27 -- --
Corey Seager SS 27 Rangers 10 years, $325 million
Marcus Semien 2B/SS 31 Rangers 7 years, $175 million
Freddie Freeman 1B 32 -- --
Robbie Ray SP 30 Mariners 5 years, $115 million
Max Scherzer SP 37 Mets 3 years, $130 million
Kris Bryant 3B/OF 30 -- --
Nick Castellanos OF 30 -- --
Starling Marte OF 33 Mets 4 years, $78 million
Marcus Stroman SP 30 Cubs 3 years, $71 million
Javier Báez 2B/SS 29 Tigers 6 years, $140 million
Trevor Story SS 29 -- --
Kevin Gausman SP 29 Blue Jays 5 years, $110 million
Kyle Schwarber OF/DH 29 -- --
Chris Taylor UTIL 31 Dodgers 4 years, $60 million
Carlos Rodon SP 29 -- --
Noah Syndergaard SP 29 Angels 1 year, $21 million
Clayton Kershaw SP 34 -- --
Justin Verlander SP 39 Astros 1 year, $25 million
J.D. Martinez DH 34 Red Sox *1 year, $19.35 million
Jorge Soler OF 30 -- --
Eddie Rosario OF 30 -- --
Eduardo Rodriguez SP 29 Tigers 5 years, $77 million
Avisail Garcia OF 30 Marlins 4 years, $53 million
Jon Gray SP 30 Rangers 4 years, $56 million

*Martinez elected not to opt out of his contract with the Red Sox.

MLB free agency deals, rumors

Dec. 2: The owners lock out the players just after midnight ET Wednesday. There is now a freeze on transactions until a new CBA is in place.

Dec. 1: Superutility player Chris Taylor and the Dodgers reunite just before the start of the lockout.

Dec. 1: Marcus Stroman is staying in the National League. The free-agent starter announces on Twitter that he has signed with the Cubs. Later media reports say that Stroman and the Cubs agreed to a three-year, $71 million contract. The pact also includes escalators that could take its value as high as $75 million. 

Nov. 30: Not long after trading Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings to the Marlins, the Pirates sign his replacement, adding former Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez on a one-year, $5 milliion contract.

Nov. 30: Chicago has added a backup catcher to slot in behind Willson Contreras, inking Yan Gomes to a two-year, $13 million deal.

Nov. 30: The Tigers have their shortstop. Javier Baez is coming to Detroit on a six-year, $140 million contract.

Nov. 29: Is anyone having a better offseason than Texas? The Rangers now have a shortstop to complete their dynamic middle infield, adding Corey Seager on a 10-year, $325 million deal. This comes just a day after they signed Semien to a seven-year, $175 million contract.

Nov. 29: The Mariners just missed out on the playoffs last year. They're going to try and go for it in 2022 as they have made a big addition, signing reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million deal.

Nov. 29: Scherzer is going to be a member of the Mets. ESPN's Jeff Passan is reporting that he has agreed to a three-year, $130 million deal with the Mets, including an option to opt out after year two. 

Nov 29: There were reports Sunday night that the Mets had reached, or were close to reaching, an agreement with Max Scherzer but nothing was finalized. MLB Network's Jon Morosi gave an idea of just how rich Scherzer's next contract will be:

Nov. 28: Another big deal by the Rangers. They sign Jon Gray to a four-year, $56 million deal, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Nov. 28: One of the top starting pitchers has been taken off the market. Kevin Gausman is heading back to the AL East, this time as a member of the Blue Jays.

Nov. 28: Could the Mets bring in another top free agent? They've been linked to Scherzer. 

Nov. 28: The Rangers keep making moves. They've now signed a deal with outfielder Kole Calhoun, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Nov. 28: Not quite a free agent signing, but some big news nonetheless. The Twins are extending outfielder Byron Buxton with a seven-year, $100 million deal to stay in Minnesota.

Nov. 28: The Rangers have been rumored for a while to be prospective big spenders. They're starting by signing Marcus Semien to a seven-year, $175 million deal. And ESPN's Jeff Passan reports they might not be done.

Nov. 28: The Marlins are making a splash, signing outfielder Avisail Garcia to a four-year, $53 million deal, according to Jon Heyman.

Nov. 26: Make it a triple for the Mets. New York strikes at midnight, reportedly agreeing to a four-year, $78 million contract with free-agent outfielder Starling Marte. The move sets the team's outfield for the time being. Marte is expected to plug into center field, with fellow pickup Mark Canha moving into one corner and incumbent center fielder Brandon Nimmo shifting to the other corner. Marte is still a speed threat at 33; he led the majors with 47 stolen bases last season playing for the Marlins and A's. He almost matched the Mets' team total for 2021; New York stole 54 as a team, putting it 13th in the National League. 

Nov. 26: Another Black Friday purchase for the Mets: outfielder/first baseman Mark Canha. The free agent reportedly agrees to a two-year, $26.5 million contract that also includes a club option for the 2024 season. ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to report on the agreement . Like earlier reported addition Eduardo Escobar, the 32-year-old Canha is versatile; he can be used at all three outfield spots and first base. He also has experience at third base. The right-handed-hitting Canha logged 17 home runs in a career-high 625 plate appearances for the A's in 2021.     

Nov. 26: The Mets, under new GM Billy Eppler, make their first significant offseason addition, agreeing to a two-year, $20 million contract with infielder Eduardo Escobar (per MLB Network's Jon Heyman and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal ). Escobar, 32, offers power (28 home runs for the Diamondbacks and Brewers in 2021) and versatility (he can plug in at second base or third base). Heyman reported that the signing will not prevent the Mets from signing Javier Baez, whose market is heating up amid reports the Tigers are in discussions with him.

Nov. 22:  The Giants are bringing back two of their starting pitchers. The team announced it had re-signed Anthony DeSclafani to a three-year, $36 million contract , and ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Alex Wood will also return to San Francisco on a two-year deal worth more than $10 million per season.

Nov. 22:  Another former Met is heading west. The Angels have signed Aaron Loup , who pitched to a 0.95 ERA in 56 2/3 innings last year, to a two-year, $17 million contract.

Nov. 22:  Seiya Suzuki was officially posted , immediately making him one of the top free agent bats on the market.

Nov. 21:  Two NL Central teams have inked a few veterans to deals, as left-handed pitcher Jose Quintana has signed with the Pirates , while the Brewers have signed former Orioles catcher Pedro Severino to a deal.

Nov. 18:  A pair of top free agents have met with Texas-based teams. Story has reportedly met with the Rangers as they look to make a huge splash in free agency this winter, while Correa was seen meeting with his former manager — and now Tigers' skipper — A.J. Hinch.

Nov. 18:  Another extension signed as the Rockies lock up catcher Elias Diaz in a three-year, $14.5 million deal.

Nov. 18:  The Blue Jays have locked up one of their top starting pitchers, inking Jose Berrios to a seven-yar, $131 million extension, according to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi.

Nov. 17:  Verlander will be staying in Houston after all. His brother, Ben Verlander, reported that the two-time Cy Young winner will be returning to Detroit on a 1-year, $25 million deal with a player option.

Nov. 17:  It looks like the Yankees are going to be bowing out of the sweepstakes for one of the two star shortstops in this class. According to the New York Daily News , the Yankees prefer to targeting a defensive-minded shortstop to hold down the position until prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza are ready for the big leagues.

Nov. 17:  Brandon Belt is going to be staying put in San Francisco. He accepted his qualifying offer of one-year, $18.4 million to remain a member of the Giants.

Nov. 17:  Justin Verlander could sign as early as this week, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports, and the Yankees are among the teams interested in him. The Braves are another team that has joined the mix of teams that would be interested in signing the veteran right-hander, according to The Athletic's David O'Brien.

Nov. 16: The Angels hope to boost their starting rotation with a reported one-year, $21 million deal with pitcher Noah Syndergaard. Though the former Met returned to the bigs at the end of the 2021 season after recovering from Tommy John surgery, he has pitched just two innings since 2019. 

Nov. 15:  The Tigers are poised to make the first big move of the offseason, agreeing with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $80 million, The Athletic  and other media reported. The team has not made an announcement. Rodriguez, 28, will join Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning in the rotation as Detroit gears up for playoff contention in 2022.

Nov. 12:  The free-agent market could hit a standstill on Dec. 1 if the CBA is not agreed upon by that point, but two big names could potentially have deals in place before then. According to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan , Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are "increasingly likely to sign before Dec. 1," Passan wrote. In addition, he wrote that there could be several starting pitchers who sign before a potential lockout freezes the market.

Nov. 11:  The Phillies have been linked to both Starling Marte and Aaron Loup, Jon Heyman reports. Both are coming off career years.

Nov. 11:  The Angels have been interested in adding starting pitching talent, with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reporting that the team has seen Robbie Ray, Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard and Alex Wood as options.

Nov. 11:  The Tigers haven't just been connected to Correa. They're also reportedly looking at a few different starting pitchers.

Nov. 10:  Andrew Heaney is returning to the Dodgers. After he spent about five years with the organization during the 2014 offseason between a trade from the Marlins to the Dodgers, and then from the Dodgers to the Angels, Heaney reportedly signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal.

Nov. 10:  New York could look to add a center fielder, with Starling Marte appearing to be in the mix as an option.

Nov. 10:  The Yankees appear to be in discussions with the top two shortstops in the class, having spoken with the agents for both Correa and Seager. It is no secret that New York have been interested in adding a shortstop, especially as Gleyber Torres has continued to produce league-average results at the plate since launching 38 home runs in 2019.

Nov. 10:  The Red Sox have reportedly offered left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez a multi-year deal to try to keep him in Boston. He was previously offered a qualifying offer as well.

Nov. 8: Free agency is officially underway.

Nov. 6:  The Astros have reportedly made an offer to Correa for five years and $160 million, which would have an average annual value of $32 million. Though it is a substantial contract offer, similar players to Correa have received much larger. Francisco Lindor signed a 10-year, $341 million extension with the Mets and Manny Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal when he hit free agency and ultimately landed in San Diego.

Nov. 5:  Seiya Suzuki, one of the biggest bats in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, is expected to be posted this winter, adding another big name to the pool of available bats, according to a report from MLB.com's Jon Morosi . Last season, Suzuki launched 38 home runs in 133 games with a slash line of .319/.436/.640.

Nov. 5:  After being placed on waivers by the Reds, Wade Miley was claimed by the Cubs. They picked up his option two days later. Miley was outstanding in 2021 as he pitched to a 3.37 ERA with a 3.97 FIP and 2.9 Fangraphs' WAR. He also spun a no-hitter against the Indians during the campaign.

Nov. 4:  The Astros have plenty of players hitting free agency, including 38-year-old Zack Greinke. It appears unlikely, however, that he will be among the names set to return to Houston.

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Edward Sutelan
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