Projecting the biggest contracts of the MLB offseason

For several years Harper has been projected to get the largest contract in baseball history, and the time has finally come. The 2015 NL MVP and six-time All-Star is just entering his prime and already has 184 career home runs. His contract will be franchise-altering for the winner of the sweepstakes.

Machado moved to shortstop full time last season, which only helped his value. Like Bryce Harper, Machado is just entering his prime. He's been incredibly consistent, with 33-plus home runs in four straight seasons, and he's coming off his best offensive season with a .905 OPS. The teams that need help on the left side of the infield will be lining up.

Corbin is the prize of the pitching market after refining his slider and posting a 3.15 ERA and 246 strikeouts in 200 innings for the Diamondbacks last season. It's a stretch to expect Yu Darvish money (six years, $126 million) given his lack of track record, but he should be able to come close.

Keuchel was the 2015 AL MVP and will be entering his age 31 season. After struggling to stay healthy for two seasons, Keuchel made 34 starts last year with a 3.74 ERA in Houston. His stuff isn't what it once was, but Keuchel can still provoke groundballs consistently in the home run era. That skill is worth a pretty penny.

Perhaps no player in baseball helped himself more in 2018 than Eovaldi. Returning from Tommy John surgery, Eovaldi had a 3.81 ERA in 111 innings during the regular season and allowed only four earned runs in 22.1 innings during the playoffs. He still has elite velocity but is becoming more of a pitcher approaching age 30, with the best strikeout and walk rates of his career last season. The upside is as high as his 100 mph fastball, and teams are salivating for it.

Aroldis Chapman owns the biggest closer contract so far at five-years, $86 million. As revenues continue to grow in MLB, Kimbrel is likely to break that record. He had a shaky playoff performance but remains an elite closer, finishing last season with nearly 14 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.74 ERA.

Catchers are becoming even more valuable as the demands of the position increase with bullpen starts, longer games and more pitches. Grandal has worn down late over the last two seasons, but he's averaged .239/.332/.467 with 24 home runs per year over the last three seasons. His pitch-framing ability is also positively regarded by the analytics community.

Teams looking to give Pollock a multiyear contract are taking a large risk, given his injury history. He's reached 500 plate appearances only once in his career, and that was all the way back in 2015. Still, there's no denying that Pollock is a quality five-tool player when he's healthy, and his ability to play center field makes him an even more expensive commodity. His OPS has been at least .800 in each of the last four seasons he saw significant playing time.

Ramos lost a chance at a huge contract after 2016 due to a torn ACL, but he should make up for it this time. He's proved to be an elite hitter at the catcher position, now averaging .298-16-62 over the last three seasons. Unfortunately for Ramos, the catcher market is deep, but there will be quite a few teams wanting his offensive potential at age 31.

Kikuchi is set to be posted by the Seibu Lions and is about to be extremely rich. The lefty won't be 28 until June and has been one of Japan's most consistent starting pitchers. Last season he went 14-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 23 starts and has shown drastically improved control over the last two years.

Happ is 36 but still going strong. Since 2015, he's 58-29 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Last season his play picked up after getting traded to the Yankees, where he went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts. Even at his advanced age, Happ shows no sign of slowing down.

Britton's walk year was disrupted by a torn Achilles that he suffered in the offseason, but he still managed to make 41 appearances with a 3.10 ERA. Still one of the most extreme groundball pitchers in baseball, Britton has really struggled with his control over the last two seasons but it hasn't stood in the way of success due to that power sinker. A team with a quality infield defense and a need at closer should still find him enticing.

Several teams could shy away from giving Brantley a multiyear contract after he played a total of 101 games in 2016-2017. But he's coming off one of his best seasons. The outfielder hit .309-17-76 with an .832 OPS with Cleveland last year and has made consecutive All-Star appearances. The bat has been consistent when healthy.

Despite entering his age 38 season, Cruz remains one of the league's premier power hitters. He hit 37 home runs for Seattle last season, which is actually his lowest total since 2013. That says it all. He's confined to DH at this point in his career but still has a chance to earn a three-year contract with the immediate power he adds to the lineup.

This is far from the MVP we saw in Pittsburgh early in his career, but McCutchen remains a quality player. He drew 95 walks last year and finished with a .368 on-base percentage between San Francisco and the Yankees while still launching 20 home runs. Entering his age 32 season, McCutchen looks like he still has a few good seasons left.

Ottavino became an elite relief pitcher last season, posting a 2.43 ERA for the Rockies in 75 appearances. Control still isn't his strong suit, but Ottavino had a dominant 112 strikeouts in 77.2 innings and also converted six saves. He's likely to get a few offers to close out games regularly.

Morton has been throwing harder and throwing more curveballs since joining the Astros two years ago, and the results have been striking. Over the last two seasons, Morton is 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA in 55 starts and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He's still not the most durable pitcher and entering his age 35 season, but his recent performance should make him rich.

Ryu is quite a wild card and clearly injury prone but coming off a season in which he posted a sub-2.00 ERA in 15 starts for the Dodgers. The lefty is showing the elite control that he did before shoulder surgery in 2015, and he will be only 32 on Opening Day. Many teams will shy away from giving Ryu multiple years, but the upside is undeniable.

Robertson is representing himself in free agency and likely looking to build on the career-high $13 million he made last season. He's been a setup man for the Yankees over the last two years but has extensive closing experience and has made at least 60 appearances every season since 2010. With his elite strikeout rate intact, Robertson shouldn't have trouble finding a multiyear deal at age 33.

Shoulder problems and off-field troubles lowered Familia's stock in 2017, but he rebuilt it some by posting a 3.13 ERA in 70 appearances between the Mets and Oakland last year. The groundball pitcher will likely get some offers to close again if he chooses to accept one, and he still hasn't turned 30.

Lowrie has a long history of injuries, but he's coming off the two best offensive seasons of his career. The infielder had a career-high 23 home runs and 99 RBI last year and might have priced himself out of Oakland's price range. He's going on age 35, but as Daniel Murphy showed recently, it's not unprecedented for a hitter to put it all together in his twilight years.

Miller was arguably the best reliever in baseball before 2018, but knee problems really limited him last year. Given his age (33) and huge frame, some teams might wonder whether we've seen the last of an elite Miller. He very well could be better off accepting a short-term deal to prove he's still an elite reliever.

Versatility is more valuable than ever in today's MLB, and few players have more of it than Gonzalez. He played seven positions last season and is also just one year removed from posting a .907 OPS as he approaches his age 30 season. Gonzalez has earned a multiyear deal to be a regular.

Jones refused a trade at the deadline last year and would probably prefer to stay in Baltimore if he had his way. However, there seems almost no way he can make that happen with the rebuilding O's. Unfortunately, Jones is also coming off one of the worst offensive seasons of his career, failing to hit 20 home runs for the first time since 2010, and his defense also really slipped last year. There should still be teams interested due to his long track record of success, but Jones is entering free agency at the wrong time.

Donaldson has had calf issues for the last two years and played only 52 games during the regular season last year. Still, he averaged .285-37-100 and won the 2015 MVP in the three seasons leading up to last year. It looks likely Donaldson will sign a short-term deal at age 33 to try to rebuild his value.