2023 MLB Free Agents: Rumors and Predictions for Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger & More

Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, and several top starting pitchers are expected to command the most attention, and biggest paydays, when MLB free agency begins on November 10.

They are also at the forefront of this collection of baseball rumors.

What motivates Ohtani as he seeks the next team for which he will chase a World Series title? Do the Cubs have any chance of re-signing Bellinger? Which free agent pitchers are the St. Louis Cardinals expected to target in an attempt to improve upon the disastrous 2023 season?

Find out the latest from industry insiders.

Shohei Ohtani may be poised to sign the richest deal in Major League Baseball history this offseason but money appears to be secondary to his real motivation in free agency: finding stability in an organization committed to winning, as reported by Jeff Passan on the Baseball is Dead podcast.

That is not particularly surprising in that Ohtani played the first five seasons of his career for the Angels while making just over $12 million before a one-year deal in 2023 earned him $30 million.

The best player in the sport took a handful of one- or two-year deals because he was focused on playing baseball rather than the triviality of his own financial well-being.

While the size of the contract will likely play some role in where he opts to continue his career this offseason, Ohtani has always been very vocal about his desire to win.

Last October, following another failure by the Angels to make the postseason, Ohtani verbalized his frustration, per Fox Sports.

"I have to say that August and September in particular felt longer to me than last year. We were not able to play as many good games as we would like — including 14 consecutive losses. So I have a rather negative impression of this season."

Yes, Ohtani is going to be a rich man after signing on the dotted line this offseason but he will be richer, in his own mind, if he can finally partake in the postseason and compete for the World Series title that has, to this point, eluded him.

Cody Bellinger may have been the most pleasant surprise of any offseason addition this season, enjoying a career renaissance after a few down seasons in Los Angeles as a member of the Chicago Cubs.

Chicago, though, may not want to get too attached to the former National League MVP, though.

Insider Dave Kaplan reported, "I keep hearing and I heard from someone tonight, they're probably not going to get Bellinger re-signed."

He continued, "The person I talked to tonight said, 'We've already got a center fielder: Pete Crow-Armstrong.' He still hasn't gotten his first career hit, but I like him. He's a good prospect. I said, 'Who's your first baseman?' 'It's a first baseman, it doesn't matter."

Outside of the fact that the total disregard for first basemen is the sort of losing mentality that costs teams the opportunity to compete for playoffs and championships, the idea that the team would pass up Bellinger following a superb season in favor of the unproven Pete Crow-Armstrong, regardless of his potential, is almost astonishing.

Bellinger hit 27 home runs, had a batting average of .307, produced 97 RBI, and compiled an OPS of .881. He was, arguably, the best player on a Cubs team that was in playoff contention through the very end of the season.

Assuming Kaplan is hearing from someone in the front office, the idea that the club is flippantly dismissing their chances of retaining him, and hoping the still-hitless Crow-Armstrong becomes the player they believe he can be, is reflective of the attitude that landed them on the outside of the postseason looking in.

Build on the momentum, re-sign Bellinger, and bring in a piece or two to bolster the lineup. Give the fans something to be excited about. Don't dismiss the best player and take a loser's mentality when it comes to re-signing him.

The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off their worst season in 28 years and will be looking for starting pitching help in free agency, reported Derek Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch.

The organization will have conversations with Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, and Blake Snell, all of whom are expected to attract attention this offseason.

Nola is coming off an uncharacteristically down season, with an ERA of 4.46 and a win-loss record of 12-9. He had a WAR (wins above replacement) of 2.1.

Still, he had a dominant performance in Wednesday's Wild Card win over the Miami Marlins, throwing seven innings of scoreless ball.

Sonny Gray went 8-8 for the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins, with an ERA of 2.79 and a WAR of 5.5. Gray pitched five innings of no-run ball against Toronto in Wednesday's Wild Card game.

Then Snell was the best of the three this past season, recording a 2.25 ERA and 234 strikeouts. He had a 6.0 WAR and is likely to win the NL Cy Young. After the Padres' disappointing season, the team has no plans to bring him back, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

By comparison, the Cardinals' team ERA was 4.79 and its pitchers gave up 179 home runs. It was the most notable area of weakness in 2023 and one the team absolutely must address this offseason if it has any hopes of returning to postseason form in an NL Central that will be up for grabs in 2024.

Those three aforementioned pitchers are as good a place to start as any.