While players like Aaron Judge, Trea Turner and Jacob deGrom are getting their first taste of free agency this offseason, there is another group of players who should be plenty familiar with the process.
That includes a number of stars who did this just last year and are back at it again.
For various reasons, the 11 players below signed one-year deals (or multiyear contracts with an opt-out after Year 1) heading into 2022, then went out and put up impressive seasons to significantly improve their value before getting another chance at free agency.
Technically, this isn’t Anderson’s second chance at free agency, it’s his fourth. He hit the open market after the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons, signing a one-year deal each time. But after having the best season of his career at age 32, Anderson could be in line for a multiyear contract. Anderson finished 2022 with a 2.57 ERA over 178 2/3 innings for the Dodgers, inducing a ton of weak contact and limiting walks by consistently getting batters to swing at pitches outside the zone. He also showed his mettle on the postseason stage, throwing five scoreless innings of two-hit ball against the Padres in his lone playoff start.
Carlos Correa, SS
2022 contract: 3 years, $105.3 million with Twins (including opt-outs after 2022 and 2023)
Part of a star-studded class of shortstops who reached free agency after the 2021 season, Correa was expected to be in the running for the largest deal of the group. However, after remaining unsigned through the lockout, he inked a surprising short-term contract with the Twins that guaranteed him $35.1 million per year but gave him the ability to opt out to test the market again this offseason. Correa indeed exercised his opt-out clause, joining another strong shortstop class alongside Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts. Now 28 years old, Correa leads all shortstops in Baseball-Reference WAR over the past two seasons.
Drury’s free-agent options were few and far between after he hit .214 with 20 homers and a .624 OPS in 218 games for the Yankees, Blue Jays, Mets from 2018-21. The veteran signed a Minor League deal with the Reds and made the big league club out of Spring Training, earning $900,000. The 30-year-old ended up producing a career-high 28 homers, 87 RBIs and an .813 OPS in 138 games between the Reds and Padres, who acquired Drury at the Trade Deadline. With the ability to play adequate defense at first, second and third base, Drury could be a popular target this offseason.
Joc Pederson, OF
2022 contract: 1 year, $6 million with Giants
Pederson’s power is his best attribute, but after hitting .227/.304/.416 with 25 homers over 180 games for the Dodgers, Cubs and Braves across 2020-21, his value entering free agency a year ago was not exactly at its highest point. Pederson had a rebound year with the bat in 2022, improving his hard-hit rate and barrel rate to elite levels while recording an .874 OPS. The 30-year-old is a poor defender and a strict platoon bat, but his ability to mash against right-handed pitchers should give him a solid market.
Pérez’s deal with the Rangers received little attention last March, especially after a free-agent spending spree that saw Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jon Gray join Texas for a combined $556 million. A free agent for the fourth straight year, the lefty signed another one-year contract, returning to the team with which he began his career in 2012. Pérez was a back-end starter at best for the first decade of his career, but he emerged as the Rangers’ ace in 2022, recording a 2.89 ERA over 196 1/3 innings.
Quintana’s career hit its nadir with a 6.43 ERA over 63 innings between the Angels and Giants in 2021, giving the lefty a 4.51 ERA since the beginning of 2017. However, the 33-year-old got back on track with the Pirates in the first half of 2022 (3.50 ERA) and raised his game after joining the Cardinals (2.00 ERA) at the Trade Deadline. Quintana finished the regular season with a 2.93 ERA over 165 2/3 innings, then threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Phillies in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B
2022 contract: 2 years, $32 million with Yankees (including opt-out after 2022)
Rizzo was one of baseball’s most consistent hitters from 2014-19, averaging 30 homers and 99 RBIs per season with a collective .901 OPS, but his production dipped in the two years before he reached free agency. The Yankees brought him back on a two-year deal, guaranteeing the 32-year-old first baseman $16 million per year and giving him the chance to opt out after the first season. After bouncing back with 32 homers and an .817 OPS over 130 games in 2022, he’ll test free agency again.
After throwing just 18 2/3 innings from 2019-21, a large portion of which was spent recovering from Tommy John surgery, Robertson made a healthy return to regular action in 2022. The 37-year-old saved 20 games and posted a 2.40 ERA with 81 strikeouts over 63 2/3 innings for the Cubs and Phillies, re-establishing himself as a trusted late-inning weapon ahead of another run at free agency.
Carlos Rodón, LHP
2022 contract: 2 years, $44 million with Giants (including opt-out after 2022)
Rodón had a brilliant season for the White Sox in 2021, but his free-agent value was difficult to gauge due to his injury history and uneven performance over his first six seasons. He ultimately landed with the Giants on a two-year deal that granted him opt-out power after 2022. The left-hander went on to validate his breakout with another excellent showing, notching a 2.88 ERA while leading the Majors in FIP (2.25) and K/9 (12.0) over 178 innings. He’s one of the top starters available in this year’s free-agent class.
Justin Verlander, RHP
2022 contract: 1 year, $25 million with Astros (plus 2023 player option for $25 million)
Although Verlander was limited to one start during the shortened 2020 season and missed all of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Astros re-signed him for $25 million in guaranteed money when he became a free agent a year ago. His deal also included a $25 million option for 2023 that vested when he reached 130 innings. The 39-year-old blew past that number while putting together a season that will likely land him his third career Cy Young Award. After finishing with an MLB-leading 1.75 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP and 185 K’s over 175 innings, Verlander is expected to decline his player option to seek a multiyear deal.
The Red Sox were the fourth team in four years for Wacha, who entered 2022 having posted a 5.11 ERA and 5.07 FIP for the Cardinals, Mets and Rays from 2019-21. Although a rough finish put a dent in his final numbers, the 31-year-old was Boston’s best starter in 2022, recording a 3.32 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP over 127 1/3 innings. He was worth 3.3 WAR for the Red Sox, almost double what he produced in the previous six seasons combined (1.7).
Free agents coming off one-year deals - MLB.com
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