The biggest prize of MLB free agency finally came off the board Saturday, as two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani announced that he is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Dodgers and Ohtani set a new record for the biggest contract in MLB history at $700 million over 10 years.
With Ohtani off the market, there are still several big-market teams willing and able to spend huge money on the remaining free agents to contend next season.
Some of them were believed to be in on Ohtani, while others have big needs that they still need to address.
Here is a look at the best free-agent options still available to the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
Before the Ohtani signing, no team had made a bigger splash this offseason than the Yankees.
In addition to acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox this week, the Yanks landed superstar outfielder Juan Soto and another outfielder in Trent Grisham in a trade that sent five players to the San Diego Padres, including pitcher Michael King.
The Yankees have completely remade their outfield around Aaron Judge, and most of the rest of their lineup is firmly in place as well, meaning most other moves they make will likely be related to pitching.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Yankees are scheduled to meet with starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the United States on Monday. He appears to be their main target in hopes of pairing him with reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole.
Whether the Yanks sign Yamamoto or not, they may also target another starting pitcher since there are some question marks behind Cole in the form of Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortés and Clarke Schmidt.
Former Yankee Jordan Montgomery, as well as Brandon Woodruff, Michael Wacha, Lucas Giolito and Mike Clevinger stand out as some of the other potential targets at starting pitcher.
Like the Yankees, the Mets are believed to be major players in the sweepstakes to sign Yamamoto.
According to SNY’s Andy Martino, owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns flew to Tokyo last week to have dinner with Yamamoto. That meeting is believed to have “helped level the playing field” between the Mets and Yankees.
Yamamoto may be the Mets’ top target, but they also have major offensive needs after ranking just 20th in runs scored and 25th in batting average last season.
Per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, the Mets have been linked to a pair of power-hitting outfielders in Teoscar Hernández and Jorge Soler, both of whom would add a significant amount of pop to the lineup.
Hernández had a career year with the Toronto Blue Jays when he hit .296 with 32 home runs and 116 RBI en route to his first All-Star selection, and he was solid with the Seattle Mariners last season as well, hitting .258 with 26 homers and 93 RBI.
Soler was named World Series MVP in 2021 when the Atlanta Braves beat the Houston Astros, and last season he hit .250 with 36 home runs and 75 RBI for the Miami Marlins.
Both Hernández and Soler would represent a major upgrade for a Mets lineup that needs more pieces around Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.
The Cubs have been linked to most of the top players in free agency, including Ohtani and Yamamoto, but they have been unable to parlay interest into a big move thus far.
Arguably, the most impactful move the Cubs can make at this point is retaining one of their own in the form of star outfielder and first baseman Cody Bellinger.
Bellinger was the National League MVP as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 when he hit .305 with 47 home runs and 115 RBI, but his play dropped off sharply over the next three seasons.
That led to Bellinger signing a prove-it deal with the Cubs, and it worked out well for both sides, as he bounced back with a .307 batting average, 26 homers and 97 RBI.
The Yankees figured to be big players for Bellinger due to his left-handed power, but after they acquired Soto and Verdugo, they are likely no longer in the mix, so the Cubs could be the best option left for Bellinger.
Aside from Bellinger, the Cubs could also consider third baseman Matt Chapman after getting inconsistent production from Nick Madrigal and Patrick Wisdom at the hot corner last season.
Chapman, who hit 27 home runs in both 2021 with the Oakland Athletics and 2022 with the Toronto Blue Jays, is a four-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Over the past two offseasons, the Giants have fallen short of signing the best available players despite being linked to many of them.
Last offseason, the Giants barely missed out of superstar outfielder Aaron Judge, who decided to re-sign with the Yankees, and they reneged on a deal with shortstop Carlos Correa due to concerns with his physical.
The Giants were rumored to be pursuing Ohtani this offseason, only for him to sign with the NL West rival Dodgers.
Like the Yankees, Mets and Cubs, the Giants are rumored to have interest in Yamamoto, but if they don’t land him either, they may have to set their sights a bit lower rather than attempting to sign a superstar.
One possibility is 25-year-old Korean outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee, who has starred for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes since 2017.
Lee was named KBO MVP in 2022 when he hit .349 with 23 home runs and 113 RBI, and while injuries limited him to 86 games last season, he still hit .318 with six homers and 45 RBI.
Morosi reported on San Francisco’s interest in Lee last month, and there is little doubt that he would be a solid consolation prize after missing out on some of the bigger fish.
