The 2023-24 MLB free agent class is as loaded as we've ever seen. But which players have raised their stock even higher before hitting the market?
The upcoming 2023-24 MLB free-agent class will be arguably the most significant in baseball history, with Shohei Ohtani increasingly likely to sign a contract worth north of $500 million.
Ohtani's value has only soared throughout the 2023 season, posting video game-like numbers, and further establishing himself as not only one of the best hitters on the planet, but also one of the best pitchers in baseball.
But Ohtani is far from alone. Here are other players who have boosted their free-agent values in 2023.
MLB Rumors: 3 pending free agents who have boosted their free agency stock
3. Shohei Ohtani
This list has to start with Ohtani. No story about the 2023-2024 free-agent class would be complete without him.
Just look at his numbers at the plate: .303/.406/.661 with a 1.066 OPS, 41 home runs and 84 RBI.
And then on the mound: 3.17 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 22 starts.
Ohtani, quite simply, is a unicorn. He's 1 of 1. Never has baseball seen a player like him. And his free agency will be unlike anything we have ever seen.
The bidding will go to at least $500 million and considering his current play, it could approach $600 million. It's only months until Ohtani signs the richest contract in American sports history.
2. Josh Hader
Hader has not only established himself as one of the best closers in baseball, he's established himself as one of the best closers in baseball history.
His numbers – 0.86 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 41.2 innings this season – are historically great. In seven seasons, he has a 2.50 ERA and 626 strikeouts in 374 innings pitched, and has been named to five All-Star games.
It's what made Hader so desirable at the trade deadline. Numerous teams inquired about Hader, and the Padres came closer to moving the star reliever than Blake Snell, but teams got the impression that San Diego was never serious about moving either player considering the astronomical asking price they placed on a player on an expiring contract.
As a free agent, Hader is expected to sign a deal that exceeds Edwin Diaz's mammoth five-year, $102 million contract. The Padres are expected to compete to retain his services, but they will not be alone. There is going to be a massive bidding war for Hader.
1. Michael Lorenzen
The immediate reaction from baseball people after Lorenzen threw a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals was the impact it would have on his upcoming free agency.
Lorenzen, 31, has been dominant since being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, posting a 1.06 ERA in two starts (17 innings). He made the All-Star team with the Detroit Tigers, posting a 3.58 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 18 outings.
In 2022, Lorenzen signed with the Angels and was promised a spot in the rotation. He had previously been a reliever with the Cincinnati Reds, but had always wanted to be a starting pitcher, and drew widespread interest – including significant interest from the San Francisco Giants, among others.
Lorenzen is now in line for a multi-year contract and if he continues this level of performance, he will soon establish himself as one of the better starting pitchers on the market.