Looking ahead

It’s the end of 2021. A new collective bargaining agreement hasn’t been confirmed yet. However, before the CBA expired, several players already agreed to big-money deals. Max Scherzer and the New York Mets agreed to a three-year deal. Corey Seager signed a ten-year deal with the Rangers. Moreover, Marcus Semien inked a 7-year deal with the Rangers. Additionally, Javier Baez and the Tigers structured a six-year contract. Looking ahead, what are the impacts that these players will make to the new team? Firstly, Max Scherzer is back in the NL East. Before being traded to the Dodgers, Max Scherzer had spent 7 seasons with the Nationals. During those 7 years, Scherzer tossed 1229 innings and earned 92 wins. He posted a 2.80 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. The Mets’ fans must be extremely happy to see Scherzer join the Mets. Scherzer made 14 starts at Citi Field so far in his career, posting a 2.14 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. Additionally, he punched out 125 batters. He and Jacob deGrom will definitely be the best 1-2 pitch combo in the majors next season. Furthermore, Scherzer already earned 190 wins by far in his career. He shall celebrate his 200th win of his legendary career in the Mets uniform soon. After spending 7 years with the Dodgers, the 2020 World Series MVP will not return to the Dodgers. Over the last 7 seasons, Seager slashed .297/.367/.504 with 104 home runs and 364 RBI. He’s definitely a top offensive shortstop in the majors. Playing at Globe Life Field isn’t new to Seager. In 2020, Seager collected 5 hits at Globe Life Field during the regular season. Moreover, Globe Life Field was one of the 2020 postseason bubble venues. In the 2020 playoffs, Corey Seager crushed 7 home runs at Globe Life Field. Seager is still the postseason home run leader at Globe Life Field and it will be interesting to see when the Rangers will return to the playoffs. Will Seager become the first player to hit 10 home runs in the postseason at Globe Life Field? The Rangers were quite busy before the CBA expired. They also signed All-Star Marcus Semien, who blasted 45 home runs (4th most in the majors) and collected 102 RBI in 2021. In Semien’s career so far, he has played 10 games at Globe Life Field, hitting 4 home runs with 9 RBI. Javier Baez is another shortstop that inked a long-term deal this postseason. He was hitting .265/.319/.494 with 31 home runs and 87 RBI in 2021. In his career so far, Baez played 8 games at Comerica Park with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. It seems that these players all enjoy playing at their new homes. Scherzer is one of the most dominant pitchers in this generation. However, he’s already 37 years old and the Mets definitely would like to win now. Meanwhile, adding Seager and Semien in the lineup will surely enhance the Rangers’ offense. In the 2021 season, the Rangers had a .670 OPS, lowest among 30 MLB teams. Seager posted a .915 OPS in 2021 and Semien’s OPS was .873, with these two All-Stars, the Rangers lineup shall be more productive. Furthermore, the Tigers won 77 games in 2021 and finished 3rd in the AL Central. Will the Tigers have the first winning season since 2016 after adding Javier Baez?