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Seven Who Bounced Back in Difficult 2020
2020 was notoriously difficult on players of all stripes. Even some of the game’s biggest stars had downright terrible seasons. There were some though, who saw their stock rise during the chaos that was the pandemic season. HEre are seven of those that might have boosted their stock the most.
Mets, Syndergaard Avoid Arbitration
The Mets and their former ace, the oft-injured Noah Syndergaard, have agreed to a 1-yr/$9.7 million deal for the 2021 season, avoiding Syndergaard’s last run through being arbitration eligible. The power-righty is currently slated to be a free agent in 2022.
White Sox to Sign Yoelqui Céspedes
Baseball’s number one international prospect, and younger half-brother of Yoenis Céspedes, has come to tentative terms to sign with the Chicago White Sox once the international signing period opens on Janury 15th. He will reportedly sign for about $2 million.
MLB Declares Oscar Colas a Free Agent
The 22-year-old outfielder/pitcher was recently released by Japan’s SoftBank Hawks. The young star is coming off a contentious time in Japan where he got into an ugly contract dispute with his former team. His lack of total experience and his age further complicate matters for Colas, as he is only eligible to be signed to a minor league deal. This means he falls into the pool of international minor leaguers who have been on thee market and negotiating deals for months already. Many teams simply have no money left to spend on Colas - even if they want to. It remains to be seen if he will accept one of the few offers left to be made or if he will hold out until the next signing period opens in mid-2021.
The 39-year-old former player has been working for the team for the last three seasons as the director of integrative baseball performance.