The 2014 MLB season won't reach its conclusion until a World Series champion is crowned, but fans of most teams are already looking ahead to what promises to be an exciting free-agency period.
While the market has been pretty barren in recent years, that certainly isn't the case this time around. There is a ton of talent in terms of both starting pitching and hitting. It isn't often that potentially elite players are up for grabs, which means there could be some frantic bidding wars this winter.
There is little more than speculation out there right now regarding teams being interested in certain players, but some fits definitely make more sense than others.
With free agency approaching, here is the latest buzz surrounding some of the top players available along with predictions for where they could ultimately end up.
Jon Lester
Starting pitcher Jon Lester had an interesting 2014 season to say the least. He started with the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox, but with the team faltering and no progress being made on a contract extension, he was shockingly dealt to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for power-hitting outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.
The veteran southpaw was a stalwart atop Oakland's rotation, but a loss to the Kansas City Royals in the American League Wild Card Game ended the Athletics' season prematurely. Now that the A's are out, the focus shifts toward Lester's future.
One thing that seems to be fairly certain is that he won't be back in Oakland. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, Lester recently acknowledged that he was acquired strictly as a rental player.
I came out here knowing what I am. I'm a two-month rental and hopefully I can somehow help win a World Series for the Oakland A's. It eases a lot of the questioning of the 'What are you going to do?' Everybody knows it's two months and then probably not sign a contract with the Oakland A's. We're going to go our separate ways and go into free agency.
There is no doubt that Lester will have a ton of suitors on the open market. In addition to being a lefty, he is a two-time World Series champion who is right around his prime age at 30. Also, Lester is coming off the best season of his career with a 16-10 record, 2.46 ERA and 220 strikeouts.
One distinct possibility is a return to Boston. The Red Sox have a penchant for retooling and becoming contenders quickly. Bringing Lester back would undoubtedly speed up the process.
Per ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes shortly after Lester was traded, there were rumblings that the Red Sox plan to get him back:
Free agency is a two-way street, though, which means that Lester has to reciprocate the interest. One person who believes that the hurler still has a soft spot for the Sox is ESPN's Skip Bayless, according to ESPN First Take on Twitter:
If the Red Sox are able to lure Lester back, then they will have essentially acquired Cespedes for only Jonny Gomes. There is no guarantee that the two sides will come together since they couldn't do so previously, but Lester's relationship with the organization makes it a distinct possibility.
Prediction: Lester goes back to Boston
Russell Martin
Catcher Russell Martin has long been a valuable player due to his defense and his pop at the plate, but his level of play reached new heights in 2014 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In addition to throwing out nearly 40 percent of the runners who attempted to steal on him, Martin hit .290 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI. Martin also had an on-base percentage of over 40 percent, which was a new career high. His renewed efficiency at the plate came as somewhat of a surprise since he hadn't hit better than .250 since 2008.
Martin proved to be a complete player in 2014, which is something that can be said about very few backstops. He was one of the biggest keys to the Bucs returning to the playoffs for the second straight year, and it would unquestionably be a huge loss if he decides to sign elsewhere.
The Pirates were crushed 8-0 in the National League Wild Card Game by the San Francisco Giants, but the fans still showed Martin a ton of respect in his final at-bat. According to Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Martin leaving would be just as demoralizing to the fanbase as the organization:
There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Martin's future, and not even he seems to know what is on the horizon, per Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Unfortunately for the Pirates, the market promises to be huge for Martin. There is a dearth of quality catchers in the league right now, and plenty of good, big-money teams could use one.
With that said, the Pirates won't go down without a fight. In fact, Pirates owner Bob Nutting admitted that he would be willing to overpay in order to keep a player as important as Martin, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Russ Martin has been a priority for the organization. As we've made priorities, we've found opportunities to stretch. He's an example of a player we're going to need to do what we can. We're going to need to stretch. We're probably going to go beyond what a rational deal is. He's a player who we love and respect and we hope he's back.
The fact that a small-market team like the Pirates intend to be competitive in the race for Martin has to be promising for supporters. Martin has helped build something very special in Pittsburgh, and it is easy envisioning him wanting to stay if the Bucs are able to offer a reasonable contract.
Pittsburgh has reached a point where it needs to retain top players or else risk falling back into obscurity. Because of that, the Pirates will find a way to keep Martin in the fold.
Prediction: Martin remains in Pittsburgh
Max Scherzer
The Detroit Tigers are considered one of the top contenders to win the 2014 World Series due largely to their impressive stable of starting pitchers. If they are unable to get the job done this year, though, their rotation is potentially in line to suffer a major hit.
Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has been Detroit's ace all season long, and it can certainly be argued that he has been almost as good as he was last year. With an 18-5 record, 3.15 ERA and a staggering 252 strikeouts, the 30-year-old righty will once again be in the running for top pitching honors.
With two consecutive seasons of dominance under his belt, Scherzer is set to hit the open market at the perfect time. The Tigers seem resigned to the notion that they won't be able to keep him, as they made a bold move by acquiring David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays prior to the trade deadline.
In the wake of that move, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times was among those who felt it meant the end of Scherzer's tenure in Detroit beyond 2014:
It can be argued that Scherzer will be pursued more than any other free agent, especially if he turns in a strong postseason performance. All of the league's heavy hitters promise to be in the running, but there is a somewhat surprising candidate that could potentially steal him.
According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Chicago Cubs are looking to add an ace and make a big move in free agency. He mentioned both Scherzer and Lester as potential targets in order to replace Jeff Samardzija, who was traded to Oakland.
The Cubbies have some power arms in their rotation such as Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks, but they definitely need a go-to guy at the top. Scherzer fits the bill, and he could represent their transition from the basement to contention in the NL Central.
Chicago is stacked with big-time offensive prospects like Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez as well, so brighter days are on the horizon. If the Cubs are willing to pony up enough money, they may be able to convince Scherzer that the rebuild is almost over.
Prediction: Scherzer signs with Cubs
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