Fantasy Baseball Drafting During the 2022 MLB Lockout: Top 5 Unsigned Starting Pitcher Free Agents
Published: Mar 01, 2022
Fantasy baseball players may not believe it, but recent reports indicate the MLB lockout could be coming to an end very soon! Pat Ragazzo, a Mets beat writer for Sports Illustrated said, according to his sources, both the MLB owners and MLBPA are “hopeful that they will agree on a new CBA by tonight [Tuesday] or tomorrow [Wednesday] at the latest.” The two sides were deep into negotiations until about 3 am ET on Tuesday and there is more optimism throughout the industry that a deal could get done this week. If that is the case, fantasy baseball players are going to need to stay vigilant as we expect plenty of player movement via free agent signings and/or trades.
That’s where this article series comes in as there are a number of starting pitchers still seeking a new home. There is still plenty to unpack before the MLB season begins and we’ve got you covered right here.
Top 5 Unsigned Free Agents Starting Pitchers
He’s not the Clayton Kershaw of old and we could really use some spring training to see where he is really at, but the name recognition at least warrants a longer look. A recent report had a former teammate of Kershaw’s telling Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he believes the 33-year-old southpaw will either pitch for his hometown Texas Rangers or retire. That’s not exactly reassurance that all is well with Kershaw if it’s Texas or nowhere, but it does have us intrigued even at a 145 ADP mark should he land in Arlington.
It seemed like Carlos Rodón was getting ready to rocket up draft boards after posting a 2.37 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP and 185 strikeouts over just 132.2 innings, but late-season shoulder issues cropped up and then the White Sox decided against giving him a qualifying offer heading into the offseason, so now we’re all scratching our heads, wondering what they know that we don’t. There are likely a number of teams that have studied his medicals, but we won’t know anything until the lockout ends and Rodon finds a home and starts throwing in camp. It’s a pretty big red flag, though, so be careful with his current 111.84 ADP.
Does the old man have enough in the tank for one more good season? Zack Greinke is 38-years-old and is coming off his second-straight season where the ERA was north of 4.00 and his peripherals are telling us the end is near. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t come in on a one-year deal somewhere and give us a final hurrah. We’ll have to see where the landing spot is, but remember, if it’s in a hitter-friendly environment, it could get ugly as he allowed a career-worst 30 home runs last year.
While the walks and home runs rose last season, Yusei Kikuchi put together a solid 2021 with an increased K-rate and an improved ERA from his first two years in the majors. The peripherals weren’t all that tasty, but should he land in the right situation, he could really take off. Jim Bowden mentioned the Mets as a possible landing spot and then a report from Andy Martino of SNY on Tuesday confirmed the Mets' interest. As Bowden said, imagine the lefty sitting between Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, learning how to pitch in the majors and attack hitters. That definitely gets an OH BABY from me!
While the Mariners never gave Tyler Anderson a qualifying offer, they are still expected to try and re-sign the 32-year-old southpaw even after he posted just a 4.81 ERA with only 48 strikeouts over 63.2 innings (13 starts) when they acquired him mid-season from the Pirates. He’s never had big strikeout numbers, so for fantasy purposes, he’s more likely to be serviceable as a streamer against clubs that struggle to make consistent contact. With the universal DH in play now, a return to the NL wouldn’t really mean anything, so just hope for a pitcher-friendly ballpark to call home.
Where does Fantasy Alarm have these outfielders ranked? Full 2022 fantasy baseball player rankings from Jim Bowden, Adam Ronis, and Howard Bender can be found here in our Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide.
RELATED LINKS
Looking for the rest of the top unsigned free agents? This FREE series is in progress, but check out the links below for what's been published already:
- Free Agent Catchers
- Free Agent First Basemen
- Free Agent Second Basemen
- Free Agent Third Basemen
- Free Agent Shortstops
- Free Agent Outfielders
- Free Agent Starting Pitchers
- Free Agent Relief Pitchers
Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.