One Player that Each Team Should Sign in 2022 MLB Free Agency

MLB Free Agency began on November 7 this year and will likely take a little while to heat up. Below, I have listed all 30 teams, and I have identified one player that I think would be the best fit to join the club in 2022. The only rule I followed was to list just one player by each team, and to only list a player one time. So there are 30 different free agents below. There are going to be teams who are going to sign two of these players below, but I wanted to make sure to include every team.

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Kendall Graveman, RHP, 30

Atlanta Braves

• Freddie Freeman, 1B, 32

Baltimore Orioles

• Jon Gray, RHP,  30

Boston Red Sox

• Justin Verlander, RHP, 39

Chicago Cubs

• Javier Baez, 2B/SS, 29

Chicago White Sox

• Carlos Rodon, LHP, 29

Cincinnati Reds

• Nick Castellanos, OF, 30

Cleveland Indians

• Michael Conforto, OF, 29

Colorado Rockies

• Kyle Schwarber, OF, 29

Detroit Tigers

• Carlos Correa, SS, 27

Houston Astros

• Trevor Story, SS, 29

Kansas City Royals

• Alex Wood, LHP, 30

Los Angeles Angels

• Clayton Kershaw, LHP, 34

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Max Scherzer, RHP, 37

Miami Marlins

• Raisel Iglesias, RHP, 32

Milwaukee Brewers

• Mark Melancon, RHP, 36

Minnesota Twins

• Danny Duffy, LHP, 32

New York Mets

• Kris Bryant, 3B/OF, 30

New York Yankees

• Corey Seager, SS, 27

Oakland Athletics

• Kenley Jansen, RHP, 34

Philadelphia Phillies

• Starling Marte, OF, 33

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Tommy Pham, OF, 33

San Diego Padres

• Kevin Gausman, RHP, 31

San Francisco Giants

• Robbie Ray, LHP, 30

Seattle Mariners

• Noah Syndergaard, RHP, 29

St. Louis Cardinals

• Marcus Stroman, RHP, 30

Tampa Bay Rays

• Anthony DeSclafani, RHP, 31

Texas Rangers

• Steven Matz, LHP, 30

Toronto Blue Jays

• Marcus Semien, 2B/SS, 31

Washington Nationals

• Corey Kluber, RHP, 35

2022 MLB Free Agent Predictions

Below, I have ranked my top 25 free agents for the 2022 season. I have listed their current ages, their position, the team they finished the 2021 season with, the team I believe they will sign with for the 2022 season, the number of years I think they will sign for, and the total dollar amount I project them to sign for. There is so much talent available in this free agent class and I am excited to see where all these stars end up!

1. Carlos Correa, 27, SS, Houston Astros

Signs With: Detroit Tigers (9 years, $297M)

2. Corey Seager, 27, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

Signs With: New York Yankees (7 years, $210M)

3. Max Scherzer, 37, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Signs With: Los Angeles Dodgers (3 years, $105M)

4. Freddie Freeman, 32, 1B, Atlanta Braves

Signs With: Atlanta Braves (5 years, $125M)

5. Kris Bryant, 30, 3B/OF, San Francisco Giants

Signs With: New York Mets (5 years, $125M)

6. Trevor Story, 29, SS, Colorado Rockies

Signs With: Houston Astros (6 years, $144M)

7. Marcus Semien, 31, SS/2B, Toronto Blue Jays

Signs With: Boston Red Sox (5 years, $115M)

8. Starling Marte, 33, OF, Oakland Athletics

Signs With: Philadelphia Phillies (3 years, $57M)

9. Robbie Ray, 30, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays

Signs With: Toronto Blue Jays (5 years, $110)

10. Justin Verlander, 39, RHP, Houston Astros

Signs With: San Francisco Giants (1 year, $20M)

11. Clayton Kershaw, 34, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Signs With: Texas Rangers (3 years, $42M)

12. Kevin Gausman, 31, RHP, San Francisco Giants

Signs With: Los Angeles Angels (5 years, $105M)

13. Raisel Iglesias, 32, RHP, Los Angeles Angels

Signs With: San Diego Padres (4 years, $52M)

14. Kenley Jansen, 34, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Signs With: Toronto Blue Jays (2 years, $22M)

15. Anthony Rizzo, 32, 1B, New York Yankees

Signs With: San Francisco Giants (3 years, $45M)

16. Chris Taylor, 31, 2B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Signs With: Miami Marlins (5 years, $80M)

17. Nick Castellanos, 30, 3B/OF, Cincinnati Reds

Signs With: Seattle Mariners (5 years, $110M)

18. Marcus Stroman, 30, RHP, New York Mets

Signs With: St. Louis Cardinals (5 years, $110M)

19. Noah Syndergaard, 29, RHP, New York Mets

Accepts QO

20. Javier Baez, 29, SS/2B, New York Mets

Signs With: Chicago Cubs (5 years, $90M)

21. Carlos Rodon, 29, LHP, Chicago White Sox

Signs With: Chicago White Sox (2 years, $38M)

22. Nelson Cruz, 41, DH, Tampa Bay Rays

Signs With: Minnesota Twins (1 year, $10M)

23. Kyle Schwarber, 29, OF, Boston Red Sox

Signs With: Atlanta Braves (3 years, $48M)

24. Avisail Garcia, 30, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Signs With: Texas Rangers (3 years, $39M)

25. Michael Conforto, 28, OF, New York Mets

Signs With: Cincinnati Reds (1 year, $22M)

Yankees 2022 Offseason Plan

To say the New York Yankees had an up and down regular season would be an understatement. They started out the year falling far behind in the AL East standings, but with an interesting trade deadline, the team surged into playoff contention and secured a Wild Card spot. There are a few key players running into their final year of club control, and the Yankees have a few main problems they need to address. The Bronx Bombers must add some quality depth to the rotation, improve on their overall defense, and find hitters who can put the ball in play more consistently. Throughout this article, I will go through a plan of what moves I would make if I were the GM of the New York Yankees. I will show you what my 40-man roster and 2022 Opening Day roster would look like. The goal was to keep the opening day payroll below $230 million so that an extra penalty for going over the luxury tax would not occur.

Players to Non-Tender/DFA/Let Walk

Anthony Rizzo
Corey Kluber
Andrew Heaney
Brody Koerner
Greg Allen
Rob Brantly


Rizzo will likely demand a more expensive contract than DJ LeMahieu, so it makes sense to let Rizzo walk, have DJ occupy first base, and let Gleyber Torres take second base.

Kluber only made 16 starts on the year so durability is a little bit of a concern.

Heaney struggled to a 5.83 ERA in 30 games this season.

Koerner, in my opinion, does not possess the stuff needed to succeed in a Major League bullpen.

Allen is out of minor league options and was not productive enough to stay on the active roster.

Brantly is out of minor league options and is not better than some of the free agent and trade options out there.

Club Option Decisions

Darren O'Day (Declined, 700K Buyout)
Joely Rodriguez (Declined, 500K Buyout)
Brett Garder (Declined, 1.15M Buyout)

O'Day only pitched in 12 games, and there are plenty of healthier options in the system and in free agency.

Rodriguez struggled in 2021 and would not be worth the $3 million option.

Gardner could be brought back on a minor league deal. It is tough to decline his option, but better production is needed in the outfield.

Players Under Contract to Pencil in on Opening Day Roster

Gerrit Cole
Luis Severino
Clay Holmes
DJ LeMahieu
Giancarlo Stanton
Gleyber Torres
Gio Urshela
Jonathan Loáisiga
Kyle Higashioka
Tyler Wade
Aaron Hicks
Miguel Andujar
Wandy Peralta
Jordan Montgomery
Chad Green
Aroldis Chapman
Jameson Taillon
Nestor Cortes Jr.
Albert Abreu


Cole has been exactly what the Yankees were hoping for when they signed him to the massive contract. Although he had an unfortunate hiccup in the AL Wild Card Game, he is going to be penciled in as my ace for the next bunch of years.

Severino looked impressive in his brief 2021 season. He will slot in after Cole in the rotation and will have the entire offseason to build up his endurance.

Holmes put together a very good stretch of games for the Yankees down the stretch run. I was a little skeptical of the trade for Holmes at first, but he will definitely be a big piece for the bullpen in 2022. With his elite ground ball rate and good strikeout rate, I view him as a guy being first out of the bullpen a lot to deal with inherited runners.

LeMahieu had a down year in 2021, but there is optimism for a bounce back. LeMahieu's batting average on balls in play was way down compared to previous years, but his hard hit percentage was still well above major league average. DJ has become a very solid defender at first base. He will open the year there with the capability of spending some time at second base and third base as well.

Stanton put together a very good season and will be in a position to split time in the outfield and at DH. Going into the year it seemed like Stanton's contract was potentially the worst in the league, but he has performed well enough to not make the deal a terrible one. Keeping Stanton healthy will be one of the most important things in 2021.

Torres has had his struggles both offensively and defensively, but a move to second base permanently in 2022 should relax him a little bit. I think the pressure needs to be taken off Gleyber so a move down in the order should help as well.

Urshela had a down year as well, mainly because he saw his strikeout rate increase dramatically compared to previous years. If he focuses more on making contact instead of hitting for power he should be able to bounce back to being a solid hitter.
Loáisiga improved his walk rate in 2021 and posted a 2.17 ERA in 70.2 innings. He is going to be a big piece at the end of the Yankees bullpen.

Higashioka is a solid backup catcher. He does not hit too much, but he will be solid behind the plate when used sparingly.

Wade is a cheap backup infielder, and also has the capability to play the outfield. He could be a useful utility player.

Hicks has not been able to stay healthy and is under contract through at least 2025. This makes him almost untradeable without attaching prospects to the deal. Hicks will mix in the outfield and at DH.

Andujar is a solid bench player on this Yankees team. He will need to pick up innings at third base, left field, and be a potential backup first baseman.

Peralta came over from the Giants in 2021 and immediately became a weapon for the Yankees. He posted a 2.95 ERA in 42.2 innings in New York.

Montgomery was the second most reliable starting pitcher in 2021 so he will return to help solidify the rotation. If he can stay healthy and give the Yankees some quality innings that is all they can ask.

Green ate up 83.2 innings in 67 appearances in 2021. The Yankees are going to need that durability from him again, as I would plan on using him as the 7th inning guy.

Chapman is going into his final season under contract as is expected to be dominant in the 9th inning. I considered trading him but if New York is serious about contending in 2022, Chapman has to be on the roster. There is always the possibility of resigning Chapman in the offseason.

Taillon had a very inconsistent season, but he did finish with a 4.30 ERA in 29 starts. He is going to be asked to be a depth starter so there will be no pressure on him to perform at an elite level. He is a relatively cheap pitcher with upside. He is a free agent at the end of this year.

Cortes Jr. turned himself into a very valuable pitcher for the Yankees in 2021. I don't view him as a guy that will be able to consistently get you to the 6th inning in his starts, so I view him as more of an opener and multi-inning reliever.

Abreu is out of minor league options and has too much potential to non-tender. He will be given a chance in the bullpen but will have a relatively short leash.

Free Agent Signings and Extensions

Extend Aaron Judge (3 yrs, $63 million)
-Judge has been the face of the Yankees for the last few years. He has had some injury problems so a long term deal would not make too much sense. But if the Yankees want to contend in 2022, a trade of Judge makes no sense as well. In this deal, Judge has two years of Free Agency bought out and still has the potential to be a Yankee for life.

Sign Corey Dickerson (3 yrs, $13.5 million)
-I will say this many times - The Yankees need players who make more contact and put the ball in play. Dickerson has been fantastic at doing just that over the last few years. He is a very capable defender in left field and could play center field if absolutely needed. The reason I went three years is because I think the Yankees would have to give out this long of a deal to get Dickerson and such a cheap salary.

Sign Corey Seager (11 yrs, $316 million)
-Corey Seager is the absolute perfect player to take over at shortstop. There are a few reasons this contract is so long. I do not have as big of a concern for Seager's injury history as many. Injuries from hit by pitches do not mean too much to me. Anyone would fracture a wrist bone when being hit by a pitch the way Seager did. Seager also looks good in his return from Tommy John surgery.
-The other problem some may have is the length of this contract, because shortstop prospect Anthony Volpe will be in the big leagues in a few years. I think Corey Seager will be a great fit to shift to third base in a few years and still be very valuable.
-The last reason I went with 11 years for Seager is because I think that might be what it takes to sign him. He potentially has a desire to play on the East coast and the more years might sway him to head to New York. The Yankees are trying to stay under the Luxury Tax Threshold so adding more years in will decrease the Average Annual Value needed.

Sign Steve Cishek (1 yr, $7 million)
- Cishek has been a solid and durable reliever over the last handful of years for the Angels, White Sox, Cubs, Rays, and Mariners. The Yankees have plenty of hard throwing right handers so I wanted to add a guy with a completely different arm slot. Cishek should pair well with most of the players coming out of the bullpen.

Trades to Make

Trade Away Zach Britton
-If one team wants to eat the entire salary for Britton is 2022, the Yankees should not hesitate to make the move. They would need to attach a decent prospect to move him, but it would be worth it to make room for the free agent signings coming. 

Trade Away Joey Gallo
-Gallo just does not fit on this roster with how much he strikes out. I think the Gallo deal was the worst one at the deadline in 2021. The Yankees should just get what they can for him.

Trade Away Gary Sanchez
-I thought Sanchez was going to be the next great catcher when he made his debut, but he has underperformed year after year. Now with Sanchez one year away from Free Agency, I would trade him to a catcher-needy team and get a few prospects for him.

Trade Away Luke Voit
-Unfortunately with Gleyber Torres sliding to 2B, Gio Urshela sticking at 3B, and DJ LeMahieu moving to first base, there is no spot for Voit on the roster. This should be an all prospect return for Voit.

Trade Away Rougned Odor
-Odor has great power but does not fit into the new approach I'd like the lineup to have. The Rangers are eating almost all of the contract so Odor shouldn't be hard to move.

Trade Away Lucas Luetge
-Luetge put together an impressive season in 2021, but there are already a few lefties in the bullpen(Chapman, Cortes, Peralta). At 34 years old, Luetge is unfortunately the odd man out. He could be moved for cash and a minor leaguer.

Trade Away Clint Frazier
- Frazier will hopefully get a shot to play everyday elsewhere. He never really got a shot in the Yankees outfield, but now is the time to clear up one 40-man roster spot.

Trade for Austin Nola
-With Gary Sanchez now gone and Higashioka set to be the backup, Nola can step in and be just what the Yankees need behind the plate. He won't hit for much power, but will put the ball in play and play solid defense. He is cheap and controllable, and a bonus is he has the capability of playing first base.
-The asking price won't be extremely high for Nola, as he has sunk to third on the depth chart in San Diego. The Yankees can send players they received in the above trades to land Nola.

Trade for Whit Merrifield
-This trade is what is going to set up the Yankees for success both offensively and defensively. Merrifield will station himself in center field for hopefully all 162 games! He will hit at the top of the lineup and set the table, while also still being able to swipe some bags.

-The Yankees will have some prospects available to trade from previous moves. Luis Medina would be a player I would be okay with parting with. Estevan Florial would likely be included to give the Royals a cheap outfield option for many years. The only untouchables in my opinion are Anthony Volpe and Jasson Dominguez.

Trade for German Marquez
-Marquez will slot in as the 3 in the rotation behind Gerrit Cole and Luis Severino. He is a very affordable starter who has a team option in 2024. He has been very durable and the Yankees can expect him to make around 30 starts in 2022. The price for Marquez is going to be understandably very high. The Yankees would have to start with Oswald Peraza. Also included in the deal could be Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, Domingo German, and other prospects received in the trades above.


Summary of Moves
- Zach Britton
- Joey Gallo
- Gary Sanchez
- Luke Voit
- Luis Medina
- Oswald Peraza
- Deivi Garcia
- Clarke Schmidt
- Domingo German
- Estevan Florial
- Rougned Odor
- Lucas Luetge
- Clint Frazier
+ Austin Nola
+ Whit Merrifield
+ German Marquez

Rule 5 Eligible Players to Add to 40-man Roster

1 C Josh Breaux
2 INF Oswaldo Cabrera
3 C Donny Sands
4 OF Brandon Lockridge
5 RHP Ron Marinaccio
6 OF Everson Pereira
7 RHP Zach Greene

Opening Day 40-man Roster

1	Gerrit Cole
2	Luis Severino
3	German Marquez
4	Jordan Montgomery
5	Jameson Taillon
6	Nestor Cortes Jr.
7	Clay Holmes
8	Wandy Peralta
9	Albert Abreu
10	Steve Cishek
11	Chad Green
12	Jonathan Loáisiga
13	Aroldis Chapman
14	Austin Nola
15	DJ LeMahieu
16	Gleyber Torres
17	Gio Urshela
18	Corey Seager
19	Corey Dickerson
20	Whit Merrifield
21	Aaron Judge
22	Giancarlo Stanton
23	Kyle Higashioka
24	Tyler Wade
25	Aaron Hicks
26	Miguel Andujar
27	Luis Gil
28	Yoendrys Gomez
29	Michael King
30	Chris Gittens
31	Andrew Velasquez
32	Tim Locastro
33	Nick Nelson
34	Josh Breaux
35	Oswaldo Cabrera
36	Donny Sands
37	Brandon Lockridge
38	Ron Marinaccio
39	Everson Pereira
40	Zach Greene

26-man Opening Day Roster

All projected arbitration salaries come from MLBTradeRumors.com

SP	Gerrit Cole	36	Total Salaries
SP	Luis Severino	11.5	229.96
SP	German Marquez	8.6
SP	Jordan Montgomery	4.8
SP	Jameson Taillon	4.7
LR/OP	Nestor Cortes Jr.	0.575
RP	Clay Holmes	1
RP	Wandy Peralta	1.7
RP	Albert Abreu	0.575
RP	Steve Cishek	7
RP	Chad Green	4.1
SU	Jonathan Loáisiga	1.7
CL	Aroldis Chapman	16
C	Austin Nola	0.575
1B	DJ LeMahieu	15
2B	Gleyber Torres	5.9
3B	Gio Urshela	6.2
SS	Corey Seager	28.73
LF	Corey Dickerson	4.5
CF	Whit Merrifield	4.0625
RF	Aaron Judge	21
DH	Giancarlo Stanton	29
C	Kyle Higashioka	1.2
UTL	Tyler Wade	0.7
OF	Aaron Hicks	10.79
UTL	Miguel Andujar	1.7
	Extra Salaries
Gardner		1.15
O'Day		0.7
Rodriguez		0.5

Opening Day Lineup

1 CF Whit Merrifield R
2 RF Aaron Judge R
3 SS Corey Seager L
4 DH Giancarlo Stanton R
5 1B DJ LeMahieu R
6 2B Gleyber Torres R
7 LF Corey Dickerson L
8 3B Gio Urshela R
9 C Austin Nola R
--
SP Gerrit Cole R




Coming into this offseason, the biggest needs for the Yankees were rotation depth behind Cole and creating a lineup that puts the ball in play more. They also needed to fix their infield defense. I feel like this roster accomplishes both those things while staying under the $230 million threshold. I am interested to see how Brian Cashman works this offseason, but this plan is what I would look to accomplish this offseason. I think this roster gives the Yankees the best chance of capturing another World Series title.