Ranking top MLB free agents with postseason looming: Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Blake Snell

The free-agent market is amazingly highlighted by a superstar for a third straight year, and what separates Juan Soto from even all-time greats Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani is that Soto is only 25.As we saw last winter when the also then-25 Yoshinobu Yamamoto cost $325M (plus a $50.6M posting fee), age does play.Here’s where the top eight free agents stand (including those likely to opt out of current deals).The Yankees are understandably anxious to bring back Soto.“They didn’t trade for Soto thinking he’d only be there for a year,” says a rival GM.

But the GM adds, because he’s so young “every team can talk themselves into it.” The Mets are likely to play and while they can outbid anyone, it isn’t easy to leave the Bronx.The Giants, Jays and Cubs tried to trade for Soto, and the Dodgers and Phillies can never be ruled out.

Our 13-agent poll suggested $520M but the guess here is he cracks $600M or comes close.The incumbent Orioles can’t be assumed out for this consistent ace now that the Angelos brood is gone.Might he shoot for Gerrit Cole money?His huge platform year sets him up for monster deal.

A club-record 32 home runs for a shortstop plus 109 RBIs (one less than NL leader Ohtani) could translate to $200M-plus.In an alleged “off” year, he has 33 homers and his 127 OPS+ is actually higher than 2023 following recent mechanical adjustments.The Mets reasonably tried $158M last year, but he can probably beat that.

One rival predicts $185M.If not the Mets, the Astros, Rangers, Mariners, Orioles, Padres and Cubs all work (and possibly the Yankees if Soto walks).His 2.89 ERA is the lowest among qualified starters since 2021 and he’s ninth all-time in ERA+ with a 139 mark (125 starts minimum).

His Harvard-Westlake teammate Jack Flaherty is thriving in L.A., so why not him?The $151M deal for Matt Chapman likely raised the bar for a third baseman who’s a better hitter and nearly as great a third baseman (and who proved he could play short...