Top 10 MLB Starting Pitchers Free Agents: Rankings and contract projections ft. Max Fried, Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes
Teams looking to add an arm this winter are in luck with the amount of MLB starting pitchers who are now free agents. From bonafide frontline starters to younger guys who are coming off a great season, there are tons to choose from.
Today, we take a look at the top 10 arms available and what their next contract could look like.
Top 10 MLB Starting Pitchers Free Agent List
1) Corbin Burnes
Corbin Burnes has received a qualifying offer from the Baltimore Orioles, but many believe he will decline. He surely understands his value and will be looking for a big-time contract this winter.
According to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, the 2021 NL Cy Young winner is expected to land a contract north of $200 million. He is widely recognized as the top arm in this free agent class.
2) Blake Snell
Blake Snell is another top arm searching for his next big contract. The lefty opted out of his remaining contract with the San Francisco Giants and will be somebody that multiple teams make their priority. According to McDaniel, Snell could land a $100 million deal this winter.
3) Max Fried
Max Fried is coming off a successful season where he appeared in his second All-Star Game. Many insiders are high on him and believe he is one of the top MLB starting pitchers on this list. The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts Fried will land a six-year, $174 million deal.
4) Jack Flaherty
Jack Flaherty came into the league as a highly-touted pitching prospect. Since then he has had some struggles but looked more than impressive this year with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
He will be a starter that multiple teams will call. McDaniel has projected his next contract to be around $100 million, joining Snell's current projection.
5) Yusei Kikuchi
Yusei Kikuchi helped stabilize the Houston Astros rotation late into the year. Across 10 starts in Houston, he compiled a 5-1 record with a 2.70 ERA. The crew over at The Athletic predict him to land a three-year, $63 million deal.
6) Walker Buehler
Walker Buehler would be higher on this list if it were not for his injury history. Over the last three seasons, he has only made 28 regular-season starts, dealing with two Tommy John surgeries and various other injuries. McDaniel projects Buehler to land a three-year, $54 million deal.
7) Nathan Eovaldi
Nathan Eovaldi recently declined his player option with the Texas Rangers making him a free agent. He will be an attractive arm for a team searching for starting pitchers as he likely will not cost much. MLB Trade Rumors predict the hard-throwing righty could land a two-year, $44 million deal.
8) Sean Manaea
Sean Manaea was a big part of the New York Mets' success this past season. He was effective, going 12-6 across 32 starts, and throwing a career-high 181.2 innings. ESPN projects his next contract to be for four years, valued at $86 million.
9) Nick Pivetta
Nick Pivetta had a successful season with the Boston Red Sox, and the club made him a qualifying offer. Many do not believe he will accept, becoming one of many free-agent starting pitchers. McDaniels projects his next contract at three years, valued at $63 million.
10) Shane Bieber
Shane Bieber could have gone a lot higher on this list of starting pitchers, and there are arguments he should not be here at all. He is coming off Tommy John surgery, making him a big question mark. ESPN projects him to secure a three-year, $54 million contract with ties to some smaller-market teams.