The late months of the regular season, and especially the postseason, are where stars are born. It’s where those star players carry their teams deep into the postseason and into the World Series. It’s why the Mets signed Juan Soto for $765 million and why the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani for $700 million.
It’s also where potentially tens of millions are made or lost for upcoming free agents.
While this upcoming free agency isn’t as loaded as previous years, this postseason will still be vital for many of the key players entering the market. Here’s an early look at who everyone in baseball will be watching closely the next couple of months.
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Kyle Tucker, Chicago Cubs
Tucker will be the best free agent on the market this offseason. His contract will exceed $300 million and very well could touch $400 million. As a power-hitting left-handed slugger, he will have many teams pursuing him in free agency.
After a torrid start to his time in Chicago, Tucker has come back down to earth a bit. Still, he’s been a difference-making slugger, and is hitting .267/.380/.461 with an .842 OPS, 18 home runs and 62 RBI.
The Cubs are extremely unlikely to win the National League Central, thanks to the surging Brewers. But what can make the Cubs take down the Brewers, or any other team in the postseason, is Tucker. It’s why the Cubs acquired him in the first place. And if he does, his price in the offseason will only go up.
Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox
Bregman will almost surely opt out of his contract in the offseason. While there was speculation that he could do an extension to stay in Boston, that was never likely with his agent being Scott Boras.
But Boston should do everything in its power to keep Bregman. In 76 games, Bregman is hitting .299/.379/.542 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI.
Keeping Bregman in Boston, and pairing him with Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer among many other impressive young players, would give the Red Sox a long-term foundation on offense that would keep the franchise in contention for years to come. Besides, imagine that group for the next 5+ years alongside Garrett Crochet and perhaps Joe Ryan. Pretty, pretty good.
Pete Alonso, New York Mets
This past offseason, Alonso’s free-agent market was quiet. Really quiet.
It should be different this offseason.
In 120 games, Alonso is hitting a career-best .272/.356/.530 with an .887 OPS, 28 home runs and 98 RBI. He’s durable, and has proven that he can step up in big moments (see: his series-winning, three-run homer against Devin Williams and the Brewers last postseason). He will surely have big moments again this postseason for the Mets, and should set himself up for a lucrative contract in free agency.
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Judge, of course, is not entering free agency. He’ll start and finish his career in the Bronx. But this is undoubtedly an important postseason for him.
Judge is a magnificent player and a sure-fire Hall of Famer. He’s hitting .333/.444/.687 with 38 home runs and 88 RBI this season and has been everything the Yankees hoped when they signed him to a nine-year, $360 million contract.
But Judge’s struggles last postseason, and especially in the World Series, were on full display. A big postseason to quiet that noise (and to get the struggling Yankees back to the World Series) would calm the critics and further cement his status as one of the best players in baseball history, not just Yankees history.