Free agency in any professional sport is always chaotic. There are always major stars up for grabs and a good free agency period by any given team can lead to major improvement and even a championship. However, this year's MLB free agency timeline was absolutely ridiculous, as superstar upon superstar left their previous teams to pursue a championship and an enormous contract.
The sweepstakes started with Jacob DeGrom, who had been incredible in the Big Apple. However, DeGrom was tired of the Mets organization and left for Texas on Dec. 2. The Rangers signed him to a 5-year, $185 million deal. Just three days later, the Mets replaced DeGrom with last year's AL Cy Young Winner Justin Verlander on a 2 year, $86 million contract.
However, it wasn’t just pitchers making millions. On the same day, Trea Turner left LA after only two years with the Dodgers and signed an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies, the 5th-largest free agent deal ever.
Two days after that, the Yankees were able to coax Aaron Judge into staying by offering him the largest contract in MLB history. $360 million over just 9 years. After his AL MVP season where Judge hit the most home runs in NL history and led the MLB in seven separate hitting categories, it is no wonder he would have the biggest contract ever, but most people didn’t expect the Yankees to get him back after their early playoff exit.
On December 8th, just one day after Aaron Judge’s deal, star shortstop Xander Boagerts left his hometown of Boston to pursue a career with the San Diego Padres and signed an 11-year, $280 million contract, the 7th largest in MLB history.
One would think at this point free agency would come to an end, but more stars kept signing like never seen before. On December 15, Carlos Rodon signed with the Yankees on a 6-year, $162 million contract, leaving the White Sox for one of the true powerhouses in the sport and stacking an already loaded Yankees rotation.
Star shortstop Dansby Swanson was the true surprise of this MLB Free Agency season. He was expected by most experts to stay with Atlanta, the team he had been with his entire career. However, Swanson and the Atlanta front office couldn’t agree on a long-term deal, and he fled to Chicago where he signed a 7-year, $177 million deal with the Cubs.
The latest deal involves star shortstop Carlos Correa, who originally signed with the Giants for big money, but was turned down because of his physical. He then turned in to San Francisco's front office but was also turned down. He then went to the Mets, also signing an enormous contract, but yet again was turned down because of a failed physical. After this fiasco, Correa had no choice but to return to the Twins, the team that let him walk right into free agency. They re-signed him to a 6-year, $200 million contract.
This MLB season will certainly be one to look forward to. With stars in new places all across the league, this is set to be one of the most entertaining seasons of baseball ever.