Who's Going Where

Given the pace of last year's offseason and how long it took for marquee free agents like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper to sign their respective contracts, I probably don't have to write my 2019-20 offseason predictions so soon after the World Series came to an end.

Following Nick Markakis' decision to re-up with the Braves on a 1-year $4 million contract, I realized that any of the free agents, however unlikely it may be, could resign in the following days.

In what has become a tradition for me to write about each year, I figured I'd make my free agency predictions before it's too late. Even if they turn out as blatantly incorrect as last year's, at least I'll have my picks in writing before anything major happens.

This year, I'm hoping to get at least one prediction right, something I failed to accomplish last time around. Given the unpredictability of the game, however, particularly free agency, I don't know how feasible this is.

Gerrit Cole to the Los Angeles Angels

Last year, I made a couple of unconventional picks (Harper to the Cardinals: seriously, what was I thinking?) to go against some of the more widespread trade rumors. Well, you saw where that got me, so I've decided to go with some more expected choices this time around.

During what will likely prove to be his final press conference as a member of the Houston Astros, Gerrit Cole wore a Scott Boras hat, visibly upset by manager A.J. Hinch's refusal to put him in the game towards the end of the Fall Classic against the Nationals.

Given his ties to California and the management's desire to build a talented team around Mike Trout, Cole to the Angels makes a ton of sense.

Stephen Strasburg back to the Washington Nationals

You're probably thinking, rightfully so, that no one resigns with their previous team anymore, so it doesn't make sense for Strasburg to opt-out of his contract with the Nationals only to stay in D.C. Personally, I don't think the city/team is an issue for the 31-year old; rather, it was the 4-year $100 million remaining on his contract. 

Following a World Series in which he was the MVP, Strasburg can earn more than ~$25 million a year, and I firmly believe that Washington, to keep the team together, will give it to him.

Anthony Rendon back to the Washington Nationals

I'm sure the Nationals want nothing more than to sign Anthony Rendon to a max extension, ensuring that he plays most if not all of his career in D.C. 

However, it remains to be determined whether they can bring back the MVP candidate in addition to Stephen Strasburg given their current contracts for guys like Scherzer and Corbin. 

If it comes down to Rendon or Strasburg, I maintain that Washington will bring back the former, causing the 31-year old to sign elsewhere.

Jose Abreu back to the Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox is the only team that Jose Abreu has ever known since he made his MLB debut back in 2014. Though he's exceeded expectations in terms of his consistency and serves as a leader in the clubhouse, there isn't all that high of a demand for the 32-year old.

With young stars like Eloy Jimenez and top prospect Luis Robert ushering in a new era for the South Siders, something that Abreu most likely won't want to miss out on. Barring any reluctance from ownership, Abreu should be back with the White Sox by Opening Day in 2020.

Josh Donaldson to the St. Louis Cardinals

Donaldson was able to reinvent himself as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 2019, but will a team led by young stars like Ronald Acuña Jr and Ozzie Albies be willing to resign a 33-year old (almost 34) who is past his prime?

The Cardinals, on the other hand, surprised everyone in 2019 by beating Atlanta in the NLDS, including a 13-1 showing that catapulted St. Louis into the next round. If the Cardinals are looking for one piece to complete their championship-contending team, Donaldson could be their guy.

Marcell Ozuna back to the St. Louis Cardinals

Although Ozuna hasn't been able to replicate the breakout 2017 season that he had with Miami, he's been open about how much he loves St. Louis and his willingness to remain a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

He was one of the players who received a $17.8 million qualifying offer, and given the fact that he didn't have the greatest 2019 season, it makes sense for the 28-year old to accept the offer and remain a Cardinal for one more year. That way, if he bounces back in 2020, he'll make more money in the following offseason.

Didi Gregorius back to the New York Yankees

In spite of all the injuries that plagued the New York Yankees this season, and there were a lot of them, the team persevered and finished with one of the best records in Baseball.

Though players like Gio Urshela and Mike Tauchman were able to shine in the absence of guys like Andujar and Gregorius, there's not much doubt in my mind that those two stars will get their groove back and make their way back into the starting lineup.

I simply don't foresee the Yankees letting a talented player like Gregorius walk, particularly if they could sign him for less than, say, they would've 2 years ago. Simply put, they're too smart to let him go.

Madison Bumgarner to the Atlanta Braves

Despite obtaining more success than any other team this decade, the San Francisco Giants are going in a very different direction this offseason than they have in the past. Long-time manager Bruce Bochy has retired, and the club's ace, Madison Bumgarner, has virtually no chance of returning.

Instead, Bumgarner would be an excellent fit for a team that needs help with pitching as well as a veteran presence in the rotation. If Atlanta doesn't work out, Bumgarner could end up with the Angels if Cole decides to sign elsewhere. 

One thing's for sure, the 3 aces on the market (Cole, Bumgarner, Strasburg) will make for an interesting free agency.

Mike Moustakas to the Tampa Bay Rays

I made this prediction last offseason as well before Moustakas decided to sign a 1-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. However, I don't know how dedicated the Brewers are to keeping him around, but I firmly believe that he will still attract a couple of clubs.

Granted, the market hasn't been kind to 30+-year old sluggers over the past few offseasons, but Moustakas is more of a low-risk, high-reward type of guy, perfect for a young team like Tampa Bay without a ton of money to spend over the next few months.

Top 5 Cards; Alex Bregman

Hopefully, soon after I finish writing this blog post, the 2019 World Series Champions, whether it's the Washington Nationals or Houston Astros, will be crowned.

At the top of the 7th inning, the Astros are leading 2-0 following an RBI single by Carlos Correa and a solo home run by Yuli Gurriel back in the 2nd inning. The highly-anticipated Scherzer vs Greinke pitching matchup has delivered a close game thus far, but there are a million things that could happen over the next few innings.

For instance, as I finished the previous paragraph, Anthony Rendon hit a solo shot for Washington, cutting the lead down to 2-1 with 1 out in the 7th.

Admittedly, my schedule simply hasn't allowed for me to watch much of the Fall Classic whatsoever.

*Update, Howie Kendrick just gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead with a 2-run homer to right field (off the foul pole) off Astros reliever Will Harris. Hopefully, the commercial break allows me to get through this intro without any more action.

Anyways, if Washington holds onto their lead and ends up World Series Champions for the first time in franchise history, I totally envision NL MVP candidate Anthony Rendon taking home the World Series MVP honors.

If Houston rallies and wins it all for the 2nd time in 3 years, AL MVP candidate Alex Bregman will likely win the award.

The respective performances of Rendon and Bregman, arguably the two greatest 3rd baseman at the moment, has made for a thrilling postseason, particularly while they've faced off in the Fall Classic.

One of the newest additions to my player collection list, I've only been collecting cards of Alex Bregman for roughly a month.

The Bregman cards in my collection before I began collecting him make up most of the 21 cards, though I envision coming across more and more at the card show in the future.

Usually, I'd wait until I've been collecting a player for many months or years before formulating a top 5 cards list, but the timing of this post was just too perfect.

#5 2017 Topps Stadium Club

Stadium Club and Archives never fail to produce some incredible cards which is why they appear so frequently on my top 5 cards posts, and the Bregman countdown is no exception. I guess my decision to hunt down new releases back in 2017 paid off because I have my fair share of Bregman rookies, including this action shot from Stadium Club.

2017 was one of the strongest years for the revived photography-centric set. Though the product still has a certain wow factor associated with it, Stadium Club's popularity piqued a few years back.

#4 2017 Topps Archives

The 2nd Alex Bregman rookie to kick off this countdown, Bregman's 2017 Topps Archives card features an action shot that triumphs over the '17 Stadium Club rookie. The timing of the photo seems like something from Stadium Club rather than Archives, but the pairing with the '92 Topps design is a nice one.

The Astros are currently wearing the same orange uniforms that are on Bregman's card above. The Nationals, on the other hand, are in their alternate blues, a jersey that seems to have given them a fair amount of luck thus far.

#3 2019 Topps Stadium Club

Though the 2019 Topps Stadium Club failed to reach the level of previous releases in the revived brand's abbreviated history, there's a large handful of cards that sincerely impressed me.

Throwback uniforms and ballpark shots don't do as much as they used to for me. Rather, I've been looking for Stadium Club cards on the simple side that, simultaneously, incorporate all my favorite aspects of the popular brand. Bregman's 2019 card definitely fits that bill.

#2 2017 Topps

Bregman's been a fairly well thought of player since his MLB debut back in July of 2016, only 1 year after being drafted #2 by Houston in the 2015 MLB Draft.

It wasn't until last season, however, that Bregman morphed into one of the game's brightest stars, and he's continued to improve all throughout the 2019 season, cementing himself as one of the American League's best alongside Mike Trout.

As a result, this 2017 Alex Bregman rookie is probably a lot more desired than it was 2 years ago. The rookie logo and rookie cup combo is something you don't see very often, so that makes for a pretty interesting card.

*During the time in which I wrote about Bregman's 2017 Topps card, the Nationals scored another run, on a Juan Soto RBI single making the game 4-2. They now have runners on the corners*

#1 2019 Topps Archives

As I previously mentioned, Topps Archives and Stadium Club are essential to almost all of my top 5 cards post recipients, particularly modern players. The products, drastically different in concepts, provide my 2 favorite things to see on a Baseball card; a retro design and/or fabulous photography.

Stadium Club can't use a vintage design, but Archives often has fabulous photography, and Bregman's 2019 Topps Archives card is no exception. The diving grab that he appears to be making in the photo above, in one way or another, resembles something out of the original 1993 Topps set.

Now, with the game heading to the bottom of the 8th, I'm going to take some time to read over this post. After I'm done, I'll (hopefully) watch a World Series Champion be crowned.

By the way, I'm rooting for Washington.

Top 5 Cards; Ryan Zimmerman

Just a couple of hours ago, the Washington Nationals' 2005 first-round draft pick and mainstay of the franchise, Ryan Zimmerman, hit the first World Series home run in club history.

The team was just coming off a move from Montreal to the U.S. capitol and, for a long time, their win-loss reflected their inexperienced roster. They didn't have a winning record until 2012 when the next big Nationals rookie, Bryce Harper, made his MLB debut.

Nonetheless, Zimmerman has stuck with Washington through the good and bad for well over a decade. He's had his ups, like hitting .303 and making the NL All-Star team in 2017, as well as his low points such as his injury-plagued 2016 campaign.

He's spent his entire MLB career so far with a single team, something that has become increasingly rare in today's game. It's whether this feat will continue that's still up in the air.

Zimmerman had just 171 at-bats during the 2019 regular season, the fewest in his career since his September call-up back in 2005. Though he's come up big in the playoffs, I don't foresee the Nationals exercising the 35-year old's $18 million option.

That said, I've heard Zimmerman state that money isn't on his radar this offseason. Whether Washington wins the Fall Classic or not, this team and these players have a bright future ahead of them.

Whether he earns $18 million or $1.8 million in 2020, I expect the 2-time All-Star to remain with the Nationals until he retires.

One of my largest active player collections, I've amassed 77 Ryan Zimmerman cards since I started collecting him a few years back. Behold, my favorite 5.

#5 2009 Topps Heritage

I promise, my love of the 1960 Topps design was not the only thing that influenced my decision to include this card in the top 5, though it certainly helped.

Rather, the card shows how much Zimmerman has changed over the last decade and a half. Both he, as well as the Nationals' logo and uniform, have evolved since this card was made back in 2009.

Thus, I suppose the card can make one nostalgic for 2 different eras, 1960 and the late 2000s, which is a pretty neat thing about Heritage.

#4 2018 Topps Stadium Club

No matter how many star players continue to emerge from the Nationals' organization (Harper, Rendon, Soto), Zimmerman will forever remain the first superstar in franchise history, and he'll always be a fan favorite in D.C.

Look no further than the "ZIM!" sign in the background of his 2018 Topps Stadium Club card. Given the crowd's reaction in the background, I can only assume that he's just hit a walk-off.

#3 2018 Panini Donruss Holo Green Parallel

The combination of the green parallel with the red color of Zimmerman's 2018 Panini Donruss card makes me think of Christmas time, but there's more to this card than those 2 colors.

For some reason, this card stands out to me among the average design of most Panini Donruss sets. The holo green parallel certainly helps with this, but so does Zimmerman's alternate uniform and the timing of this photograph.

I'm sure that most collectors if they looked through my Zimmerman PC, could find a couple of other cards to put at #3 instead of this Donruss parallel, but there's just something unique about this card that influenced my decision.

#2 2015 Topps Gold Parallel

The more polished the Topps Flagship set, the more polished the parallels, particularly the golds, will appear. Because 2015 Topps remains the greatest base design of the century, the product's gold parallels pair excellently with the base design.

The photo of Zimmerman in his 2015 card is an action shot just like the 2018 Panini Donruss card. As much as I try to look past logoless cards, I'll admit that the MLB licensing helps this card out a ton and picks up where the Donruss card is lacking.

#1 2007 Upper Deck Masterpieces Ryan Zimmerman

I don't think I've ever seen the Nationals play in this uniform, but after seeing this card, I really want to. Sets like Upper Deck Masterpieces and Topps Archives are perfect for special and unusual jerseys, and this D.C. uniform certainly fits the bill.

Plus, the attention to detail in regards to this card is just unreal. The photo, which features Zimmerman in the on-deck circle, is taken from quite a unique angle, something that we rarely see on Baseball cards.

Currrently, the Nats are on top of the Astros 5-3 at the top of the 8th inning. I'm not necessarily rooting for either team. I just want to watch an action packed World Series.

Whatever happens, I know an insanely talented team is going to win it all.