We're set to see the players and owners fighting over money in an ugly battle that already has the owners waging a public propaganda war. Once the dust is settled on all that nonsense, we'll get to free agency. It's a common myth that players step up and have huge seasons in contract years.
You're playing for your next deal, right? Sure, there will be some big performers, but we'll also see underperformance. Maybe it's the added pressure.
Maybe it's just how baseball works. So, let's take a quick glance at both sides. The top dog of the free-agent class was the biggest trade chip in July.
He's having another great season, even if he won't win a third straight Cy Young. He's 10-7 with a 2.70 ERA (156 ERA+) and 173 strikeouts against only 25 walks in 146 ⅔ innings. Being great isn't a surprise, but the area where Skubal might've helped himself the most this season is how quickly he returned from elbow surgery.
He was only out from April 30 to June 12. It only took him roughly three starts to look like his old self, too. Skubal may choose to get an early jump on his decision and have everything settled before the CBA negotiations truly begin, or he could wait until it's all sorted out, but he'll eventually sign one of the biggest pitcher deals in MLB history.
And thanks to his midseason trade, there's no qualifying offer attached. He got a late start due to an injury in the WBC, but once he settled in, Suzuki let loose with the best season of his MLB career. He's hitting .266/.365/.479 (128 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 24 home runs, 81 RBI and a career-high 4.8 WAR.
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