Forget the glory. Forget the championships. Forget legacy.
Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, is more motivating to a professional athlete than money. This is their livelihood, after all, and from the second they enter the league the clock is ticking on just how long they’ll have to make it worth something.
Over the past few years in Major League Baseball, the issue has become even more fraught as it’s mostly just the elite free agents securing the bag each winter. For the fringe guys — the ones who just missed out on being considered a headline acquisition — it’s the difference between guaranteeing yourself millions in December versus waiting for a phone call from a needy club in spring training.
It may be a broken system, but it is one fantasy baseball managers can use to their advantage. We already know which players will become free agents after the 2024 season. We already know contract years tend to bring out the best in players.
Now we just need to draft the guys with the most to lose if they don’t perform. These nine should get you started.
(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
A three-time All-Star and two-time Home Run Derby champ, it’s kind of amazing the New York Mets weren’t able to lock up Alonso longterm, but their loss will be someone else’s gain.
And while he tries to drive up his price this summer, be sure not to miss out on all the runs he’s driving in.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
There’s probably an argument to be made that the St. Louis Cardinals should have traded their first baseman last year as their season began to tank. Instead, he’s one of the most likely candidates to get moved this season if St. Louis is struggling in the NL Central again.
He’s entering his age 36 season and coming off a down year. A perfect time to scoop him up in your draft before he starts adding zeroes to his next contract.
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Wheeler’s ERA topped 3.00 for the first time in his Phillies’ tenure last season. Expect it to regress back down into the twos as he looks for a new deal this winter.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Now with a rebuilding Boston team, Jansen needs to rack up as many saves as possible to get paid on his next deal. He’s also a likely trade candidate for a contender this summer. All the more reason to pick him up.
(AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, File)
The new Baltimore Orioles’ Ace is in line for a big year after his trade from Milwaukee — and an even bigger contract if it all goes according to plan.
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Jack Flaherty has always had good stuff, but controlling it has been a larger issue. Now with the Detroit Tigers on a one-year deal, the former Cardinals star is looking to bounce back from a 4.99 ERA, 1.58 WHIP season in 2023. Going up against a a supremely weak AL Central should help.
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This is a tricky one. No one has ever denied Eloy’s talents at the plate, but his inability to stay healthy has overshadowed all of his power.
Not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Jimenez has played more than 100 games in a season just twice in four years. That’s kept him from even coming close to surpassing the 31 homers he hit as a rookie.
With the White Sox trying to rebuild on the fly, picking up the $16 million option on an oft-injured player isn’t a guarantee. And if Chicago doesn’t think he’s worth that investment, it’s hard to imagine many other teams will. That should be motivation enough to keep Eloy producing (and more careful) all summer long.
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
The reinvention of Joey Gallo begins in Washington D.C., but after signing a one-year, $5 million deal, the Nationals are likely hoping they can flip him for parts at the trade deadline.
At just 30 years old, there’s room to believe the former Three True Outcome king can get back on track. He’s already betting on himself that’ll be the case.
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Speaking of players betting on themselves, 31-year-old Tim Anderson only just accepted a one-year, $5 million deal from the Marlins to prove it was the White Sox messing up his game and not the other way around.
The former All-Star was arguably the worst-qualified hitter in baseball last year after winning a batting title in 2019. Will the real Tim Anderson please stand up?
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