As we inch closer to the fantasy baseball season, many managers want every piece of information they can gather to crush their drafts heading into the season with championship hopes in sight. This article is going to dive into some of the players playing on contract years coming up and how that might impact certain players’ production.
Just like in any other sport, or even any profession, incentives and motivation help significantly raise production. That is where players playing on a contract year to secure the next bag comes into play. Now, this isn’t necessarily just for any player playing on a contract year like an older journeyman, but more so for the younger players looking to prove themselves.
Let’s take a look at some key players by position entering contract years (in no order).
Complete a mock draft in minutes with our free Draft Simulator
Catcher
1st Baseman
- Brandon Belt
- Jose Abreu
- Miguel Sano (team option)
- Carlos Santana
- Yulieski Gurriel
2nd Baseman
- Adam Frazier
- Jean Segura (team option)
- Kolten Wong (team option)
- Whit Merrifield (team option)
- Ketel Marte (team option)
Shortstop
- Xander Bogaerts (player option)
- Elvis Andrus (player option)
- Trea Turner
- Dansby Swanson
- Alcides Escobar
- Tim Anderson (team option)
- Didi Gregorious
3rd Baseman
- Justin Turner (team option)
- Evan Longoria (team option)
- Jose Ramirez (team option)
Outfielders
- Justin Upton
- Lorenzo Cain
- Michael Brantley
- Aaron Judge
- Andrew Benintendi
- Joey Gallo
- Mitch Haniger
- Brandon Nimmo
Starting pitchers
- Noah Syndergaard
- Nathan Eovaldi
- Sean Manaea
- Wade Miley
- Chris Bassitt
- Joe Musgrove
- Andrew Heaney
- Corey Kluber
- Mike Clevinger
- Kyle Gibson
- Michael Wacha
- Michael Lorenzen
Relief pitchers
This certainly isn’t every single player on a contract year at each position, but nonetheless a significant number of players at each position to monitor. Whether they signed a one-year deal prior to the start of the lockout or are entering the final year of an already existing contract, these players all have a little extra incentive to perform up to standards this upcoming season. It’s one of the many deciding factors that can be helpful when having a tough time deciding between multiple players.
Nail your draft with our award-winning fantasy baseball tools
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.
Ari Koslow is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Ari, check out his archive and follow him @koslow_ari.