The upcoming offseason free agent class is described as weak despite being headlined by Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young winner. Skubal is currently out after elbow surgery to remove loose bodies, which lowers the group’s overall earning power. Free Agent Power Rankings are based on total earning power rather than individual impact, favoring younger players who can access longer, more lucrative contracts over older players. Several top names are having difficult seasons: Skubal is unlikely to win a third straight Cy Young, Bo Bichette’s production is low, Trevor Rogers has struggled with a near-7.00 ERA, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has inconsistent monthly performance, and Tatsuya Imai’s early results are poor despite prior hype and an opt-out contract structure.
"The upcoming offseason's free agent class is ... well, it's... not exactly the stronge-- ok, it's not good. It's a weak class. Despite being headlined by a two-time Cy Young winner, that was always expected to be the case. The fact that said Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal, is currently out following surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow only further dampens the group's overall earning power."
"Our power rankings are always based on total earning power rather than individual impact. If you're a 38-year-old ace, you probably won't rank as highly as a 28-year-old regular at third base, because that 28-year-old is going to have access to a much longer (and thus more lucrative overall) contract than said 38-year-old. Sorry Chris Sale, them's the breaks."
"That said, it's been a brutal year for most of the names at the top of an already underwhelming free agent class -- pitchers and hitters alike. Skubal, as mentioned, had elbow surgery. He'll be back -- sooner than originally anticipated, by all accounts -- but he's not going to take home a third straight Cy Young Award. Bo Bichette can opt out of his Mets contract ... but he's hitting .225/.273/.317. Trevor Rogers missed time on the injured list and has a nearly 7.00 ERA through nine starts."
"Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been terrific in May, but that only offsets an awful April. Tatsuya Imai came to MLB with plenty of hype and an opt-out-laden contract that potentially set him up to reenter free agency and cash in on a mega-deal next winter -- at least until he posted a 6.17 ERA through his first six MLB starts. Any and all of these players have time to turn things around, and while the headline of this particular post is admittedly a bit hyperbolic, it's also true that most of the market's top bats aren't doing much to elevate their case."
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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