Hall-of-Famer Rogers Hornsby once delivered what might be the ultimate offseason baseball quote, saying “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do: I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
We feel you, Rajah. In our modern times (Hornsby played from 1915-1937 and batted .358), the offseason usually brings some distraction via free agency, trades, and other moves. But it’s been slow going recently. So we stare at our computer screens and wait for the hot stove to flare again.
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With that in mind, here are 10 predictions for the rest of this chilly baseball winter. Some may differ from some of our earlier prognostications – hey, the offseason evolves as it goes, depending on what players sign where.
Five of the first 10 players on MLB Trade Rumors’ thorough list of the top 50 free agents are still out there, and 10 of the top 30. A team or two could be vastly different by the time spring camps open.
So, even if you’re unsatisfied with your favorite team’s offseason (you know who you are), there’s still plenty of time to enjoy this winter.
Tuck(er) everlasting
Yes, Kyle Tucker gets his long-term deal and it’s with the Blue Jays. Why not? They’ve already had a huge winter and one more mega move could put them in a Dodgers-esque stratosphere. In all the chatter out there on Tucker, the Mets and Dodgers have profiled as teams looking to give him a shorter pact. Toronto’s been believed to have interest in a longer one. That’s the difference.
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Back to Belli
We admit, the staredown between the Yankees and Cody Bellinger (and Scott Boras) is mildly amusing. But this signing still feels inevitable, even if the Yanks are looking into the other big free agents still remaining. Bellinger just fits perfectly in the Bronx, thanks to his lefty swing, versatility and the contact skills the club needs so badly.
Met life
So much online handwringing over the Mets winter, eh? It’s not over yet and, at least in the top-of-the-rotation part of the market, waiting and giving a shorter-term deal works. Hello, Framber Valdez! Since 2022, only Logan Webb has thrown more innings than Valdez and the Mets sure need reliable length considering how, um, unreliable their rotation was last season. Valdez, 32, gets tons of ground balls, which melds nicely with David Stearns’ run-prevention dictum.
Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez (59) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers in game one of the Wild Card round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina – Imagn Images
Speaking of run prevention…
The Mets also sign free agent outfielder Harrison Bader, who certainly fits. He’s a spectacular defender and this is the Met winter of, well, you know. Bader can play center field while the Mets see if prospect Carson Benge really is ready to take over a big league gig. If Benge earns a job, Bader could play some left field, be a defensive replacement, and a righty bench bat. He had career-bests in homers and OPS last season.
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Bo knows LA
The Dodgers are two-time defending champs and already addressed one weakness by adding Edwin Díaz. They only got a .649 OPS from their second basemen last season, so they sign Bo Bichette to fix another flaw. It puts Bichette at a position he’s better suited for and adds a nifty contact bat to their lineup. Could be a short-term deal, which Bichette, who turns 28 in March, might consider because it’d put him back on the market while still in his prime. Three-peat, anyone?
Swap meet
The Yankees have some intriguing prospect arms. But it’s unlikely they all bloom into big league stars. So Brian Cashman and his front office look to use a few to dive into the trade market and acquire lefty MacKenzie Gore, who will be 27 in February, from the Nationals and infielder Nico Hoerner from the Cubs. Gore provides high-end rotation depth and a talented arm that they could develop further. Hoerner, 28, would provide up-the-middle versatility, some on-base skills, and speed.
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Rotation lions
Wait, all our predictions don’t come true? Huh. In that case, we offer this Yankee contingency: If they deem the prospect price too dear for Gore, they pivot to a cash-only deal and sign either Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer to provide the rotation insurance they need with both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón starting the season on the shelf. Fun to think about one of the two future Hall-of-Famers donning pinstripes for one last October romp.
Giant addition
Can’t stress this enough – if you are in a division with the Dodgers, you must load up. So the Giants, who have already done some pitching work this winter, add another arm by signing Ranger Suárez. He goes into their rotation mix behind Webb and Robbie Ray. For whatever it’s worth, Suárez got a playoff win against the Dodgers last October and has a 3.64 ERA against them.
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Make contact
Maybe we’re just trying to write this one into existence, but here goes: The Yankees sign Luis Arráez, the bat-to-ball Jedi. We know contact is his lone skill and that he’s not a good defender, doesn’t have power, yadda, yadda. He’s a lefty, too. So it’s got a few rough edges, roster construction-wise. But after the baseball world watched the Blue Jays set a postseason record for hits last October, it might be worth adding a little contact to the homer-happy Yankees. Arráez owns three batting titles and has led his league in hits twice, including last season.
Bass(itt) fishing
You still have hard feelings over Chris Bassitt’s poor outing for the Mets in Game 3 of the 2022 Wild Card Series against the Padres? Get over it. He can help the Mets now and exudes a toughness that, frankly, the current group could use. Bassitt pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen for Toronto last October (1.04 ERA in seven games) and provided reliable innings as a starter in three years there. Teams love versatility! So the Mets sign him as a hybrid pitcher.
