Sign These MLB Free Agents To Contracts And Try Not To BANKRUPT Your Team!

This year's free-agent class doesn't have the superstar power of next year's, which could end up being one of the craziest free-agent periods in history, but there are still plenty of great players out there who could transform also-rans into contenders and contenders into champions - if the price is right.

Free agency is a tricky business, as few teams can afford to become weighted down by multiple bad contracts. Yet, throwing a lot of money over a lot of years at players who are usually nearing the end of their physical primes greatly raises the likelihood that many of those deals will eventually come back to bite certain teams. It's also a business we'd like to see you handle.

The goal of this quiz is to make the ideal contract offer to each player based on his results and skills. Overpay too often, and you'll end up bankrupting your team, but underpay too often and too many free agents will sign with other teams instead, leaving you without a good-enough team. Of course, it's not simply a case of choosing the middle option every time, as some questions will have 2 highball or lowball offers alongside the ideal offer. You didn't really think it would be that easy, did you?

Could you build an MLB contender if you were in charge of a team's pocketbook (and those giant cheques)? Take the quiz and find out!

Question 1

Make Your Best Offer to Jake Arrieta

After an absolutely filthy Cy Young-winning 2015 season, there were whispers that Arrieta could be looking at $200 million in free agency. While he won't get those numbers given the 2 more very good - but not epic - seasons that followed, he could still crack 9 figures. Arrieta was hit harder in 2017, giving up 23 long balls, but he did cut his walk rate back below 3 per 9 innings.

Question 2

Make Your Best Offer to Lorenzo Cain

Cain has largely flown under the radar this offseason, which is somewhat surprising given his dynamic, well-rounded skill set. Cain plays plus-defense, has an above-average bat, and great speed, though he'll turn 32 next April, which brings worries as to how long his legs will last. The 2014 ALCS MVP has been linked to the Blue Jays, Giants, and Rangers, while the Royals may also try to bring him back.

Question 3

Make Your Best Offer to Bartolo Colon

After multiple quality seasons in his 40s (and his first career home run), Colon finally showed some chinks in his arm(or) this past season, tossing 143 dreadful innings of ball. Colon would like to pitch for at least one more year but may have trouble finding anything more than a minor-league deal at this point.

Question 4

Make Your Best Offer to Eric Hosmer

Hosmer is one of the biggest prizes in this year's free-agent crop, coming off a career year in which he slugged a .882 OPS and won another gold glove. The Padres have been mentioned as one of the frontrunners for Hosmer's services but are torn internally about whether the signing would make sense for the rebuilding team. As Hosmer is only 28, he could have several great years left in him.

Question 5

Make Your Best Offer to Melky Cabrera

The Melk Man just wrapped up the three-year deal he signed with the White Sox and is back on the open market. He won't find the same reception that he did three years ago, however, as he's three years older (aren't we all?) and coming off a replacement-level season. Cabrera does provide a dependable bat that could be valuable in a 4th outfielder/platoon/pinch-hitting role.

Question 6

Make Your Best Offer to Jon Jay

Jay is an unspectacular but steady player who does numerous things well. One of those things is not hitting for power, as he's been rather anemic in that regard over the past few seasons. In his favor is the career-high .374 OBP that he posted last year and strong baserunning (a deadly combo). Jay may only be able to land a 1-year deal, but some teams may be willing to offer two years if they like what he can bring to the table.

Question 7

Make Your Best Offer to Adam Lind

Lind had a strong bounce-back season for Washington, which somewhat surprisingly declined to pick up their end of a $5 million mutual option. Lind mashed righties to the tune of a .898 OPS last year, while largely being shielded from lefties (whom he was actually 9-for-29 against, though with no power). The Nats could be hoping they can get him back on a cheaper deal, as the market for 1B/DH types hasn't been strong as of late.

Question 8

Make Your Best Offer to Yu Darvish

The Rangers appear to be interested in a reunion with former ace Yu Darvish, whom they signed out of Japan back in 2011. Darvish's vast repertoire of quality pitches has allowed him to rack up 11 strikeouts per 9 innings during his MLB career and become one of the top hurlers in the league. With his Tommy John baggage now a year-and-a-half in the rearview mirror, teams should feel alright about locking him up for 6 years, though a 5-year deal wouldn't be shocking.

Question 9

Make Your Best Offer to Jay Bruce

Bruce is coming off of his best season since 2013 and has hit at least 30 homers in five of the last seven seasons. Also of note is that defensive metrics (which do tend to be fickle) were much more impressed with his work in the field last year. Bruce, who's still just 30 years old, has been rumored to be seeking a deal of up to 5 years but will more than likely have to settle for a 3-year offer.

Question 10

Make Your Best Offer to Clay Buchholz

Buchholz is one of the more intriguing reclamation projects in this year's free-agent crop, coming off a 2017 that was wiped out by injury (he made just two starts). Buchholz is only two seasons removed from an outstanding 2015 for Boston and is a reliable mid-rotation arm when healthy (which isn't often enough).

Question 11

Make Your Best Offer to J.D. Martinez

Martinez has been rumored to be seeking as much as $210 million in free agency, though it appears unlikely that any team will pony up that much dough to secure his services. Martinez went beast mode after being traded to Arizona last season, crushing 29 homers in just 62 games for the D-backs. The Red Sox are considered the favorites to land the slugger, while the Blue Jays and the Nationals have been mentioned as dark horses that could make a run at him.

Question 12

Make Your Best Offer to Carlos Gomez

Gomez was briefly one of the best players in the game, posting a godly 8.5 WAR in 2013 and following that up with a great 2014. However, Gomez seemed to wilt under the pressure of being a major trade acquisition in 2015, hitting like a middle infielder for Houston. He remembered how to hit for Texas, though, which has set him up to land a 2-year deal in free agency.

Question 13

Make Your Best Offer to Logan Morrison

Morrison is coming off a monster breakout season, smashing 38 homers and seeing a large uptick in his walk rate (though his strikeout rate also shot up). After earning just $2.5 million in 2017, Morrison's salary is also about to be launched skyward, with him likely landing a deal valued at more than 10 times that amount.

Question 14

Make Your Best Offer to Wade Miley

Miley's command took a turn for the awful in 2017, with his walk rate per 9 innings ballooning to 5.3, nearly double what it was a year earlier. That prompted the Orioles to decline their $12 million option for 2018, sending him to the open market. A reliable innings eater, Miley should be able to land in the back of an MLB team's rotation in 2018 despite his struggles last season.

Question 15

Make Your Best Offer to Jonathan Lucroy

After some surprisingly poor play for the Rangers this year, Lucroy bounced back in Colorado (of course, it IS Colorado, so... grain of salt?). Given that he's just 31 and not far removed from being one of the best hitting catchers in the game, it wouldn't be shocking if he's still able to land a 3-year deal somewhere.

Question 16

Make Your Best Offer to Jose Bautista

Bautista's case is an interesting one, given that just 2 years ago, he was one of the most feared hitters in the game. However, his eye-popping jump in strikeouts (to 170) last season likely signals the end of his elite bat speed and of his days terrorizing opposing pitchers. Bautista should still be able to find a 1-year MLB deal, though at a vastly reduced rate.

Question 17

Make Your Best Offer to Tyler Clippard

Clippard jumped between three teams in 2017, as the always-reliable reliever suddenly wasn't. 10 solid innings for the White Sox were sandwiched between rough showings for the Yankees and Astros, with Houston ultimately leaving him off of their World Series-winning playoff roster. Clippard still struck out a ton of batters in 2017 but gave up far too many walks and home runs.

Question 18

Make Your Best Offer to Mike Moustakas

A 38-homer year has Moustakas in line for a big contract in free agency, as he's just 29 years old. The Cardinals, who've looked into trading for Josh Donaldson and Manny Machado, could be the best fit for Moustakas but may not like the years they'll have to commit to him, with their short-to-medium-term direction being somewhat uncertain (though a full rebuild doesn't seem to be in the, ahem, cards).

Question 19

Make Your Best Offer to Trevor Rosenthal

The former Cardinals closer makes for an interesting free agent case given the fact that he'll likely miss all of 2018 due to Tommy John surgery, which prompted the Cardinals to release him rather than pay his final year of arbitration. A signing team will thus be looking to lock up Rosenthal for multiple years, with the hope that he'll be able to pitch for them in 2019 and beyond.

Question 20

Make Your Best Offer to Seth Smith

Smith has been unable to build on his breakout 2009 campaign but remains a steady hitter with below-average defense. Defensive metrics were down on his work in RF last season after it was his glovework in LF that dragged down his value in 2016. With two subpar seasons in a row under his belt, Smith will hope to build his value on a 1-year deal.

Question 21

Make Your Best Offer to Ichiro Suzuki

The 44-year-old Ichiro has said he would like to play in MLB until he's 50, but after coming off another anemic season with the bat (he's bested a .700 OPS only once in the last seven years), the Japanese star may be forced to return to the Land of the Rising Sun to finish out his playing days. If he's lucky enough to land a backup outfield role with an MLB team, it'll be on a cheap one-year deal.

Question 22

Make Your Best Offer to Chris Tillman

What a difference a year makes. After an outstanding 2016, Tillman was lit up in 2017, allowing nearly eight earned runs to cross the plate per 9 innings pitched. Given his recent track record before last season and his relatively young age, Tillman should draw interest despite those horrific numbers, though teams will want assurances about the state of his shoulder and conditioning before making a leap.

Question 23

Make Your Best Offer to Wade Davis

Davis has been absolutely filthy since heading to the bullpen in 2012, including finishing in the top 10 of the AL Cy Young races in 2014 and 2015 despite not even being a closer during much of that time. While Davis was dominant again last year for the Cubs, his walk and home-run rates did rise. Those small blemishes won't stop Davis from landing a big multi-year deal to be some team's closer.

Question 24

Make Your Best Offer to Lance Lynn

Lynn comes into free agency after a successful return from Tommy John surgery, which wiped out his entire 2016 season. However, underneath his 3.43 ERA last season were some worrisome trends, including the worst walk, strikeout, and home-run rates of his career, which shot his FIP up to nearly 5.00. With the free agent pitching market being thin, Lynn should be able to land a hefty deal.

Question 25

Make Your Best Offer to Neil Walker

Walker has missed nearly 50 games due to injury in each of the past two seasons, which has dented his free-agent stock. His bat remains above-average for a middle infielder, and he did close out 2017 very strong, getting on base more than 40% of the time after being dealt to Milwaukee in August. That should be enough to land him a 2-year deal this offseason.

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