MLB Free Agency Tracker

The MLB’s free agency is a never-ending loop of players. With no deadline, it leads to all-stars, and former Cy Young Award winners, being left without a team just a month away from the beginning of the season.

With first pitch set on March 20 in Seoul, South Korea, let’s look into the top three MLB free agents who still have yet to sign with a squad for the 2024 season.

Blake Snell

This season could potentially mark the first time the reigning Cy Young will be without a team for the following season. The previous ten winners to enter free agency, dating back to Catfish Hunter in 1974, all ended up with a contract for the next season with four resigning and six putting on new threads.

Snell’s league-leading 2.25 ERA and NL-best 6.0 bWAR should’ve given the 31-year-old a fresh contract with one of the 30 teams in the league. Look for Snell to find a team soon with either a three-to-four-year deal or a last resort one-year “prove it deal” which should never exist for someone with Snell and his updated trophy case.

Cody Bellinger

The career resurgence of Cody Bellinger came, quite frankly, out of nowhere. He was welcomed to the Chicago Cubs on a one-year $17.5 million “make your case” deal, and boy did Belli deliver. A batting average over .300, 26 home runs, almost 100 RBIs and a league-leading 12 sacrifice flies.

Bellinger sits with no contract but has had ties to the Cubs, Giants and Red Sox. Bellinger brought contact back into his repertoire with an increased batting average but a lower exit velocity has apparently brought suspicion to his ability to replicate next season.

Bellinger might just make it to the beginning of the season without a contract offer and then find a deal but I think he could become a very undervalued player on whatever team he signs to.

Matt Chapman

Four Gold Gloves and lackluster offense for the majority of his career, Matt Chapman remains a free agent just 36 days out of the regular season opener. Outside of some decent power numbers during his time in Oakland, Chapman’s offensive output has fallen since going north of the border and joining the Blue Jays.

After winning his fourth gold glove award at the third-base spot, Chapman is looking for his defense to carry him to a fresh contract to a team needing a lockdown option at the position.

I could very easily see Chapman going unsigned and becoming a free agent until the hot summer months when a team’s starter goes down with a long-term injury and no prospect is ready to call up.

With a fresh month to go until the season, there are still many key free agents who could contribute to playoff rosters and leave some teams happy with their late signings.

Jeremy Rose is a first-year studying broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email jmr8177@psu.edu.