It’s been a few days since one of the top MLB free agents on the hitting side signed to a club, though Michael King’s return to the San Diego Padres could put the wheels in motion on a few deals. Plus, with Christmas Day closing in and signing windows about to close for some top international free agents, deals are on the horizon.
Let’s dive into our predictions for where the top 5 hitters in MLB free agency right now will sign.
Cody Bellinger: New York Yankees
It still feels like a two-team race between the New York Yankees and New York Mets. However, with Michael King staying in San Diego and the Mets loading up on relievers, we now tend to believe the Yankees will win the bidding war for Cody Bellinger. He is a perfect fit for the clubhouse and is coming off a season with an .813 OPS, and Aaron Boone loved the versatility (LF, CF, RF, and 1B) that Bellinger provided the lineup. Besides, the Yankees front office would be out of excuses if it misses out on the top talents and loses another All-Star outfielder to the Mets.
Munetaka Murakami: Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds need to spend more money, and the serious effort to poach Kyle Schwarber from the Philadelphia Phillies demonstrates their willingness to do that. What we’ve seen early in MLB free agency, at least based on reports, is that Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami is more widely viewed as a designated hitter or first baseman around the league. That drives down his price into a range that the Reds might be more willing to pay. With the Boston Red Sox also potentially focused on opening their checkbook for someone else, we believe that the Reds will make the big splash on Monday by landing Murakami.
Alex Bregman: Boston Red Sox
We’ve remained steadfast with our MLB free agency predictions on one thing: Alex Bregman is re-signing with the Boston Red Sox. Reports have always made it clear that bringing him back is the club’s No. 1 priority, and Bregman has stated for months that he wants to spend the rest of his career in Boston. He’s just a natural at the hot corner, and if he can stay healthy moving forward, the Red Sox will have a perennial All-Star at Fenway Park and can put the Rafael Devers saga behind them for good.
Kyle Tucker: Los Angeles Dodgers
We’ve predicted Kyle Tucker to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays in recent pieces, but now that’s changing. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been going for short-term deals with a higher average annual value, using that strategy to land Edwin Diaz. Perhaps something similar could work with Kyle Tucker, who remains on the open market more than a week past the MLB Winter Meetings. The prediction now is that Tucker takes a five-year, $200 million contract with the Dodgers that includes an opt-out after the 2027 and 2029 seasons. He gets to make $40 million per season and, if all goes well in Los Angeles, could win a World Series and then test the open market again before turning 31. A deal like this could also protect the Dodgers long-term in case a hard cap is implemented in the new CBA.
Bo Bichette: Toronto Blue Jays
Regardless of where Kyle Tucker signs, we think Bo Bichette will return to the Toronto Blue Jays. He has made it pretty clear that his desire is to spend his career playing alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the Blue Jays’ spending this offseason shows they are all-in on winning a World Series. Plus, Bichette is now more than willing to play second base. It feels like a matter of when, not if, Toronto re-signs Bichette.
Related: Early Winners, Losers from MLB Free Agency
