Written by Mike Axisa at CBS Sports.com
It has been less than a week since the Houston Astros clinched the first World Series championship in franchise history, though already free agency is upon us. Free agents will be able to negotiate and sign with any team as of 12:01am ET Tuesday. MLB free agency doesn’t feature a rash of Day 1 signings like the NFL, NBA, and NHL, though there are always a few quick deals.
With the world Series in the rear-view mirror, there is no better time to lay out some bold predictions for the 2017-18 offseason than right now. I went 4 for 10 with my predictions two offseasons ago. That’s pretty great! Last offseason I went 0 for 10. That’s not so great. Hopefully I can crack the Mendoza Line this winter. Here are 10 sure to be wrong bold predictions for the 2017-18 MLB offseason.
1. Stanton to the Red Sox
It’s hard to believe, but it sure seems one of the first major moves of the Derek Jeter era in Miami will be trading franchise cornerstone Giancarlo Stanton. The Marlins want to trim payroll substantially and the best way to do that is by trading Stanton, the team’s best (and highest paid) player. Will it be a popular move? Oh no. Definitely not. It’s hard to think of a worse way for the new ownership group to make a first impression, in fact. But it sounds like it’ll happen.
Even with his massive contract — Stanton is owed $295 million from 2018-27, though he can opt-out following 2020 — the Marlins won’t have any trouble find suitors for Stanton. He’s so good and he’ll turn only 28 later this week. We’re talking about baseball’s top power hitter right smack in the prime of his career. And think about it, when Bryce Harper hits free agency next winter, Stanton’s contract will probably look like a bargain in comparison.
Anyway, I’m going with Stanton to the Red Sox for a few reasons. One, the BoSox have an obvious need for a power hitter. They finished dead last in the AL in homers this past season. And two, I think there’s some pressure on the club to win now. Craig Kimbrel will be a free agent next winter and both Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz will be free agents after 2019. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. will soon get pretty expensive through arbitration too.
That urgency combined with the team’s need for a power hitter makes Stanton and the Red Sox an obvious fit. Can you imagine him taking aim at the Green Monster for 81 games a season? Good gravy. Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about making a blockbuster or trading top young players. I think he builds a package around Andrew Benintendi, gets the Marlins to kick in some cash, and gets a deal done for Stanton this winter.
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