Free Agency Begins TODAY! Who's getting the top 5 free agents predictor. || How I did with the NFL Picks. ||

Edition #14 1/2

Intro

Yeah, don’t get worried if you read the subtitle. I accidentally wrote edition 14 on the other one when THIS is actually edition 14. Anyway, weird night of football especially with America’s Game of the Week, Joshua Dobbs being the hero, and the Seahawks getting TORCHED UP by the Ravens, but that isn’t what we’ll be talking about. It’s all BASEBALL, baby! Let’s get this thing up!

Top 5 Free Agents. Who’s Getting Who?

Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers

Today is free agency and the biggest target of the market has not accepted any offers from the Los Angeles Angels, meaning that a funny change is on the way…

Personally, I love the Dodgers, but I see a fit with Ohtani and the Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, the Diamondbacks don’t have as much money as the Dodgers, and maybe you can consider this as a fluke? The Dodgers make the postseason every year and it’s so consistent, they can even do it without a set starting rotation. The Padres are set to spend A BILLION DOLLARS on their whole team next year, while the Diamondbacks are in 18th place in money spent this year, and that is pretty low (I’m supporting my case with the Diamondbacks) and we all know that Shohei just wants to go to a winning team, make the playoffs and WIN the world series and something else we all know is that has a better chance with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Dodgers

Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto? They both played in the same league, so there is a high chance they would’ve played against each other. Plus, the Dodgers need pitching and declined Joe Kelly, Lance Lynn, and Daniel Hudson to 1 million dollar buyout tries. They picked up Blake Treinen because it depended on the innings pitched and since it was low it was another 1 million dollars. Yamamoto will be posted by the Orix Buffaloes this offseason, adding another intriguing arm to the free-agent market. The 25-year-old has won both Pacific League MVP honors and the Sawamura Award (Japan’s version of the Cy Young) in each of the past two years, and the Triple Crown in each of the past three. Scouts believe Yamamoto can immediately jump into the No. 1 or 2 spot in a big-league rotation.

Cody Bellinger: Yankees

Following his disappointing 2021 and ’22 seasons, the 2019 National League MVP was forced to settle for a one-year, $17.5 million “pillow contract” with the Cubs last season, giving him an opportunity to reestablish his value before hitting the market again this winter. Bellinger made the most of his time in Chicago, posting a .307/.356/.525 slash line with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs in 130 games. The 28-year-old Bellinger should be set up for a sizeable multi-year deal in his second go-around in free agency. The Yankees also definitely tried to pursue him during the trade deadline, but it just didn’t work.

Aaron Nola: Cardinals

Nola was one of the most consistent and durable starters in the Majors from 2017-20, posting a 3.23 ERA in 106 starts for the Phillies. He finished fourth in the NL Cy Young race in 2022, but his performances in 2021 and ’23 began to raise questions about what his 30s could look like. Nola’s strikeout percentage this season was his lowest since 2016, though his walk percentage remained quite strong. He has never relied on velocity, using a 92-93 mph fastball effectively thanks to his strong command. Nola bolstered his free agent résumé with a strong postseason, going 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA in his first three starts before allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings in his final NL Championship Series outing. The Cardinals need a guy like this and will definitely go above and beyond for him.

Josh Hader: Dodgers

Weird choice right? I say it works. The Dodgers have a great closer in Evan Phillips, but imagine if the Dodgers got a guy like Josh Hader to close out games, and put Evan Phillips in the 8th inning. Two innings of SHUTOUT baseball.

There are other proven closers on the market this winter, including David Robertson and Craig Kimbrel, but those two former All-Stars are on the wrong side of 35 and won’t be viewed as long-term options for a club seeking to stabilize the ninth inning. Hader, on the other hand, turns 30 in April and is arguably the best reliever in the game right now. The lefty posted a 1.28 ERA in 61 appearances in 2023, ranking in the 97th percentile or better in strikeout percentage, xBA, xERA, and hard-hit percentage. Edwin Díaz landed a record-setting five-year, $102 million deal last winter, a figure Hader might approach or eclipse as the best reliever available. 

How Did I Do This Week In the NFL Picks?

Here we go!

Dolphins vs Chiefs Chiefs 33-30 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ not even close

Vikings vs Falcons Falcons 38-10 Winner: ❌ Score: ❌ not even close

Bears vs Saints Saints 27-24 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ very close

Rams vs Packers Rams 30-17 Winner: ❌ Score: ❌ not even close

Commanders vs Patriots Commanders 17-14 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ very close

Seahawks vs Ravens Ravens 27-14 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ not even close

Buccaneers vs Texans Texans 27-3 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ never will this pick ever be close

Cardinals vs Browns Browns 23-0 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ very very very close

Colts vs Panthers Colts 30-17 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ very, very close

Giants vs Raiders Raiders 20-10 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ not even close

Cowboys vs Eagles Eagles 38-37 Winner: ✅ Score: ❌ pretty close. not close enough

Bills vs Bengals Bills 33-27 Winner: ❌ Score: ❌ not even close.

Winners: 9-3

Scores: 0-12 (lol)

Conclusion

We’ll talk more about the NBA Cup tomorrow and also tell YOU where everyone in the MLB free agency went so far! See you!