Santander is locked into an everyday role with the Orioles, and he has produced 31 homers with 91 RBIs and an .807 OPS in 130 games over the past two years. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. "There's a nuance to disciplined hitting that needs to become a habit. Take a look at this strikeout from his MLB debut season in 2021: At the moment Drew Rasmussen releases this fastball, Duran's hands are moving up and back, his leg is elevated, and he has a whole lot of movement to execute to catch up with the 98-mph pitch. He hit .264/.367/.487 with 29 doubles, 23 home runs and 10 steals, which, coupled with his usual standout defense in right field, was enough for him to finish fourth in WAR on a stacked Dodgers roster. His 5.7 WAR was second on the AL West champions roster, behind only Carlos Correa. Bill James had him as the 67th best right fielder in major league history and said he had. The MLB Tonight panel breaks . -- Thomas Harrigan Previous picks: Michael Brantley (hit), Nelson Cruz (power), Trea Turner (run), Kevin Kiermaier (defense) You could argue that so long as his arm is healthy, there's none more valuable. The Mariners sent pitchers Gerson Bautista, Justin Dunn, Anthony Swarzak and outfielder Jay Bruce to Seattle for infielder Robinson Cano and pitcher Edwin Diaz. Tabbed as the 58th-best outfield prospect nationally (D1Baseball). Larry Walker is considered one of the best Rockies ever in the team's short existence. The 33-year-old hit .307 with runners in scoring position, and he had a .937 OPS in 205 plate appearances after the All-Star break. I like that he didn't change teams, and he retains the buoyancy of the New York lineup and park . Below you'll find the consensus rankings that eight of our MLB writers were involved in. RP - Joe Mantiply, ARI (2.5 BB%) Devin Wiles. As a rail-thin rookie, Bonds managed to accumulate 10 assists. The 24-year-old hit .251 with 10 homers, 10 steals and 42 runs in 59 games for the Padres last year. He struggled in 2020, with his slugging percentage (.312) matching his on-base percentage. Brewers: The Crew has the Central's best outfield, led by Christian Yelich in right field and Lorenzo Cain in center. He tallied a career-high 42 doubles along with 35 home runs, 84 RBI and 101 runs scored in a 5.9 WAR season. 8 prospect in the game. Meusel threw strikes to any base from the outfield". From first-time All-Star Andrew Kittredge (44 G, 1.41 ERA) to reclamation project Collin McHugh (27 G, 1.30 ERA) to 31-year-old rookie Louis Head (20 G, 3.16 ERA), they continue to plug and play better than any organization in baseball when it comes to building a bullpen. Sometimes he looked like he was guessing wrong over and over and over, with the befuddlement covering his face as he walked away from the plate. This situation happens when an outfielder can make a great throw to try to nail the runner that is heading home. Colavito is another player on this list who has a legendary arm. Ichiro has won a Gold Glove all 10 years that he has been in the major leagues. He's clearly taken pride in his plate discipline from an early age and been rewarded with performance and -- I would also guess -- supportive coaching. With club control through the 2025 season, he is a long-term building block for the O's. These guys. Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide, The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He is an OBP machine, a mini-Votto. MLB fans were up in arms on Friday afternoon because of an absurd shift used during a Spring Training game. I think we'll see him hunt early in counts against next season.". Those being Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Johnson, Jorge Montanez, David Mendelson . Scouts have long graded position players on five tools that are central to success in the game: hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding and throwing. Regardless of who the Rays plug into the pen, they continue to find success. This week, MLB.com is tasking five reporters with building the ultimate five-tool Superman, by picking the best examples of each tool from the talented pool of current big leaguers. He immediately impressed both his manager and scouts with his impressive throwing arm. His nickname is Laser Ramn, so you already knew hed have to make this list. The Red Sox acquired him at the deadline, and he finished with a 148 OPS+ and 32 home runs in 113 games, posting a .266/.374/.554 line that represented career highs across the board. In Game 6 of the 1971 World Series, Clemente showed off this arm on a fly ball hit by Frank Robinson. He homered 12 times in a 10-game stretch at the end of June, but he missed most of July with a hamstring strain. Cobb is also remembered for his feisty attitude and his aggressive playing style. Tatis, of course, was a sensation in just about every way as a rookie in 2019, and his throwing ability was no exception. The home run he stole from Freddie Freeman in the NLCS, his leap perfectly timed. Most everyone reading this article is probably asking themselves who Glenn Gorbous is. "He's a hitting outlier," Votto responded. The corner outfield duo of Nick Castellanos and Jesse Winker both rank among the MLB leaders in a number of offensive categories: Joining them isTyler Naquin, who earned a spot on the MLB roster on a minor league contract and is earning $1.5 million on a one-year deal. The 31-year-old is hitting .337/.413/.543 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI in 74 games since the beginning of June, and his 3.5 WAR on the year ranks fifth among all first basemen. A hyped prospect since he was selected fifth overall in the 2015 draft, his breakout season went a long way toward replacing George Springer's lost production. What follows is a ranking of the Top 10 left fielders in baseball. That's why the model. He was snubbed as a Gold Glove finalist despite tallying 11 DRS with a 5.4 UZR/150 in right field while also holding his own when he shifted to center field down the stretch. He also improved dramatically on defense, recording +2 Outs Above Average after finishing at -13 in just 53 games in the field in 2019, so his glove is no longer a reason to keep him out of the lineup. Listen. If Stanton stays on the field in 2021, his production could swing many fantasy leagues. While Bo Jackson's greatest accomplishment might be the fact that he is the greatest video game character ever, it is not the only thing that Bo is known for. The 21-year-old had 23 homers and 20 steals in the Minors in 2019, but thats the only full Minor League season hes played, and the left adductor muscle strain he suffered in his fourth Cactus League game spoiled any chance he had of cracking the Mariners Opening Day roster. An intercostal strain limited Winker to only one game after Aug. 15. Giants Sign Carlos Correa to 13-Year, $350 Million Deal Dansby Swanson's Market Is Heating Up In an empty Fenway Park on Aug. 7, Verdugo had a big day -- two home runs, both over the Green Monster, for the left-handed-hitting Verdugo, and then he took a home run away from Travis Shaw in the ninth inning. In a down year by his standards, Betts was still a 4.2 WAR player. Since there are three times as many outfielders as there are other positions on the diamond, it made sense to tack an honorable mention list of 25 guys onto our top 25 list. A catch made high against the right field wall to take extra bases away from Ozuna. He has a 103 OPS+ with 22 home runs, 84 RBI and an NL-leading 32 doubles. The best arms tend to have lower rates because they get run on less, though Clemente is barely in the top 70 all time and IIRC Vlad doesn't even crack the top 200 Though I guess my point agrees with you, he wasn't great but he wasn't awful 2 Buzzed27 San Francisco Giants 5 yr. ago Not sure what you're talking about exactly. Tier 4: Jeff McNeil, Byron Buxton, Wil Myers, Alex Verdugo, Joey Gallo, Jorge Soler, Tommy Pham, Kyle Lewis, Ramn Laureano, Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Brantley, Ian Happ, Dylan Moore, Eddie Rosario, Ryan Mountcastle, Dylan Carlson. Despite missing almost all of September with a hairline fracture in his left thumb, Bez tied for third in Defensive Runs Saved (26) and placed second among all players in Outs Above Average (+19). September 10, 2021 | 00:05:48. 1 spot. Reynolds hit.302/.390/.522 with 35 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBI and 93 runs scored for a 146 OPS+ despite having little in the way of protection in a bad Pittsburgh lineup. Juan Soto hit .348/.525/.639 after the All-Star break. Laureanos arm is best known for the throw mentioned above, which resulted in a double play after he caught a fly ball hit by Justin Upton at Angel Stadium. His production bottomed out during the abridged 2020 campaign, but he bounced back in a big way this year. For Springer, that box is checked indelibly. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . The quick reaction and retreat and leap before taking extra bases away from Brandon Lowe in Game 4 of the World Series. Geraldo Perdomo (D-backs): 96.7 mph 3. The wild card in this tier is Kelenic, MLB Pipelines No. March 1, 2023. With George Springer, Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert all missing considerable time and Cody Bellinger struggling through a down year, the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers narrowly missed the cut for the title of MLB's best outfield unit in 2021. The Bulldogs and Sooners are joined by California (which is off to a strong 6-1 start) and Ohio State (a . There has been industry speculation that he was still dealing with the aftereffect of the fractured right kneecap he suffered at the end of the 2019 season. 20. Some of Mookie Betts' former teammates watched him go through the postseason last year and believed he really was out of sorts at the plate. 2y Buster Olney. Dylan Carlson, Cardinals (TOP 250 Rank: 11) Key Fantasy Skill (s): Power, OBP Roadblock: Tyler O'Neill, Lane Thomas (Threat Level: MEDIUM) ETA: 2021 Need to Know: Carlson had a rough MLB. No position in fantasy baseball is deeper than the outfield. But Ozuna is valued for his bat, for his advanced understanding of how pitchers will try to work against him. We're focusing solely on 2021 production, so previous track record and future projections were not a factor. They've responded with an MLB-best 3.05 ERA. On the other hand, the league still hasn't had a chance to develop a counterattack against the right-handed-hitting masher. Between a breakout 2021 campaign and 2022, the journeyman reliever dropped his strong 9.6% walk rate to a miniscule 2.5%, good for best in the league. In the third season of a five-year, $60 million contract, Pollock enjoyed his best season in a Dodgers uniform, hitting .297/.355/.536 for a 137 OPS+ with 27 doubles, 21 home runs and 69 RBI. Starling Marte, Miami Marlins Luis Mieses OF (Prev. This year, he barely edges out Pittsburgh's Neil Walker, who checks in at minus-12-2, for the . During Wednesday night's game against the Athletics, Yankees outfield Aaron Hicks broke a Statcast record for the fastest ball thrown in recorded history with a 105.5 mph, 246 . Craig Counsell, Brewers. Baseball's best arms: Ranking MLB's top 10 starters & relievers for 2021. Honorable Mention:Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals. Buxton debuted for the Twins in 2015, and since then has become one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. He threw a ball 445 feet and 10 inches in 1957 while he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' Triple-A team. This prevented the Orioles from scoring that inning and the Pirates would go on to win the World Series. As we wait, Buster Olney continues his annual ranking of the 10 best players at each position heading into the coming season, based on input from industry evaluators. At age 19, Kaline recorded 16 of his career 170 outfield assists. He led the National League in outfield assists twice in his career. After bouncing around the infield over his first five seasons, Bez settled in as the Cubs starting shortstop last year and was one of the best defensive players in all of baseball. Its not as if my defense pick, Andrelton Simmons, has a poor arm. Honorable Mention: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants. One of the most exciting defensive plays in baseball occurs when there is going to be a play at the plate. There are undoubtedly better defensive trios than this group, but their top-tier offensive production earns them the nod for top outfield unit in 2021. Let's get right into it. After back-to-back 20-plus-homer seasons in 2018 and 2019, Teoscar Hernandez showcased a more well-rounded offensive game last year, hitting .289/.340/.579 for a 146 OPS+ in 50 games to finish 11th in AL MVP voting and win a Silver Slugger Award. Non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs at the start of last offseason, Schwarber signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Nationals. Previous picks: Michael Brantley (hit), Nelson Cruz (power), Trea Turner (run), Kevin Kiermaier (defense). Or his 92 mph rocket from right to nail Stephen Strasburg at first base and preserve a Hyun-Jin Ryu no-hit bid on May 12. Clemente is tied with Willie Mays for the the most Gold Gloves for an outfielder with 12. Ha-Seong Kim (Padres): 95.2 mph 4. Yes, Gallo hit .160 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate after the Rangers traded him to the Yankees. But that represents the bulk of the 26-year-olds big league experience. He hit .271 with a .349 on-base percentage, tallying 34 extra-base hits, 30 steals and 3.2 WAR, and he was also a Gold Glove finalist in center field. In his 10 years, Valentine did manage to win one Gold Glove and he recorded 85 assists. With Merv Retterman on third base, Robinson knocked the ball more than 300 feet deep in center field. NHL trade deadline: Winners and losers, including the Bruins, Devils and Bruce Boudreau? The 33-year-old figures to be a hot commodity on the free-agent market this winter. The damage he did in the playoffs and World Series, against some of the best pitchers in the world, was absolutely staggering. His middling defense (-6 DRS, -4.8 UZR/150) and the time he missed kept him from ranking any higher. Oneil Cruz (Pirates): 97.9 mph 2. MLB Tonight: Outfield Arm. He had an average max-effort arm strength of 94.1 mph, seventh-fastest among MLB outfielders (min. After a terrific finish to the 2019 season with the Chicago Cubs, Nick Castellanos signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds in free agency. While a member of the Indians minor league team in San Diego, he once threw a ball from home plate and it landed 436 feet away, deep over the center field fence. Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman, 505 PA, .235/.309/.504, 56 XBH (31 HR), 76 RBI, 75 R, 4.3 WAR. It is a shame that his career was cut short as the result of a hip injury. He entered spring training far from assured of a spot on the Baltimore Orioles' Opening Day roster, but he won the starting center field job and went on to have the biggest breakout season of 2021. To qualify for inclusion, a player had to have at least 200 plate appearances. He looks ready for a huge breakout season, after another year of offensive maturation. The corner outfield spots are going to be packed with talent in 2023. 3. The 29-year-old proved that performance was sustainable over a full season this year, logging a 133 OPS+ while hitting .296/.346/.524 with 29 doubles, 32 home runs and 116 RBI. There just isn't another divisional outfield duo that comes very close. Ranking MLB's top 10 at each infield spot for 2021. . Robles struggled in 2020, but he had 17 homers, 28 steals, 65 RBIs and 86 runs in '19 and has no competition for playing time this season. All told, he hit .333 with 17 homers and a 1.158 OPS over 43 games in 2020. All of the sudden, the ball is at the base, and a runner who thought he had it made is out. Up next is the 22-year-old Soto, whose production over his first three seasons has him drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Having to play the field regularly could hinder his production, but the fact that he led the NL with 18 homers and 56 RBIs while hitting .338/.431/.636 last season cant be ignored. The Tampa Bay Rays began the offseason by declining their $4.5 million club option on catcher Mike Zunino, who logged a 50 OPS+ and minus-0.2 WAR in 118 games with the team in 2019 and 2020. 2. Adam Eaton, Chicago White Sox, Right field, 11, (14-3) Adam Eaton of the Chicago White Sox makes a run for it | Ezra Shaw/Getty Images. The eight-time Gold Glove winner is one of the best defensive center fielders in major league history. Hot Stove Tracker Starting Lineups Transactions . 22). Kelenic had a rough rookie year for. He racked up 4.7 WAR despite missing 35 games early in the season with a fractured rib. Kolten Wong -- Best Defensive Second Baseman (NL) Francisco Lindor -- Best Defensive Shortstop (AL/NL) Bob Melvin -- Best Manager (AL) Below are the 2021 winners, followed by voting results. In addition to his impressive offensive numbers, Cobb also thrilled fans with his arm. The tattoo was earned, as Mondesi had one of the strongest arms in baseball in the 1990s. He led the NL in home runs, RBIs and total bases last season, thriving with runners in scoring position: in those moments, Ozuna batted .364, with a .444 on-base percentage and a .623 slugging percentage. This is the 14th highest total of all-time. Even though Meusel played just 11 seasons, he still recorded 157 outfield assists. MLB By Chris Novak on March 3, 2023. 3 overall player, followed by Trout, who continues to deliver at the plate year after year and remains among fantasys top five players despite his decline on the bases (one steal in 2020). After fielding the fly ball, Clemente unleashed a rocket that cause Retterman to retreat back to third base. Let's meet the 40 players who had the best outfield arms in the history of the game. There's no doubting that the Chicago Cubs farm system is vastly improved from where it was in 2021. Acuna was squarely among the NL MVP front-runners when he suffered a season-ending torn ACL on July 10. He's already ranked pitchers and infielders, and he will follow these with the top 10 teams on Friday. Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox There's still a chance we'll see him in the Majors before the end of April, however, so he's someone to keep in mind in the latter half of fantasy drafts. According to Bill James' Baseball Abstract, Valentine had the best arm in baseball in the 1970's. Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs/San Francisco Giants. His contract and track record mean more is expected of him, but he was still a top-15 outfielder. O'Neill won a Gold Glove last season, but he hit only .173 with a 70 OPS+ and 0.9 WAR in 50 games, tallying just 12 extra-base hits in 157 plate appearances. Mike Trout was born on Aug. 7, 1991, and every so often, it's worth a few moments to consider the start to his career, to remind yourself that you are watching a historic peer of Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth. Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants. The late-bloomer is controllable for two more seasons, and the Blue Jays could explore a long-term extension to make sure he sticks around as part of the offensive core that also includes Guerrero, Bo Bichette and George Springer. You can make a case for a number of players to go first overall in 2021 drafts, but were giving Acua a slight edge over Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Heres the 23-year-olds per-162-game averages over the past two seasons: 45 homers, 37 steals, 105 RBIs and 139 runs with a .274/.374/.531 slash line. Share. But Bellinger is one of only three outfielders with a tracked throw over 101 mph last season -- Hunter Renfroe and Aristides Aquino are the others -- and that wasn't the first time he hit triple-digit velo on a throw from the outfield (he also did it once during the 2018 postseason). Texas Rangers outfield arms: The Outliers Some of these players were considered to have the best throwing arms on the Texas Rangers, but statistically, they failed to crack the top 10.. The writers involved are Eric Cross, Chris Clegg, Mick Ciallela, Justin Dunbar, Ryan Kirksey, Nic Civale, Logan Kritzeck, and Matt Heckman. As a matter of fact, the consensus top two outfielders Mike Trout and Mookie Betts also are considered the two best overall players in MLB. Starling Marte made a unique bit of history in 2021, becoming the first player in MLB history with at least 20 stolen bases in both leagues in the same season. He was hitting .283/.394/.596 with 19 doubles, 24 home runs and 17 steals through 82 games at the time of the injury, good for a 3.6 WAR season. Guerrero currently ranks fifth on the active list for outfield assists. He also led the field with an average pop time of just 1.88 seconds on throws from home to second, and recorded eight of the 10 fastest caught stealing throws across MLB. More MLB videos How Does Carlos Correa Fit on the Giants? Gallo, Soler, Lewis, Yastrzemski, Happ, Rosario and Mountcastle can provide it. Among the four outfielders with a perfect 99 fielding rating is Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. Reels. The sport needs to have him back on the postseason stage in the next few years. He scored 15 runs in 18 postseason games, reminded everyone that he's the best baserunner in the game -- and then there was his defense, with layer upon layer of highlights. While one of Ramirez's most memorable moments in the field occurred when he walked into the Green Monster mid-game, it should also been noted that Ramirez has also showcased his arm in front of that very same wall. One evaluator said that Bellinger's swing is so unusual that he'll probably always struggle for consistency, for finding the feel he needs to be successful, and because of that, he'll probably have a lot of ups and downs. Speaker was mentioned in Bill James' Baseball Abstract of having the best arm of anyone who played between 1910-1919. He is considered to be one of if not the best center fielders of all-time. The 31-year-old remains one of baseballs most imposing sluggers, but he has appeared in just 41 regular season games over the past two years. Jackson is known most for his alleged participation in the Black Sox Scandal and the fact that he was banned from baseball by commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis following the 1920 season. 7. After years of teasing his immense raw power potential in the minors and sporadically in the big leagues, Tyler O'Neill finally put together his long-awaited breakout season. Harper hit .338/.476/.713 with 20 home runs after the All-Star break, doing his part to help a Phillies team that tried in vain to chase down a postseason berth. J.T. Or his game-saving throw from center field to the plate against the Red Sox in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the 2018 World Series. Ken Griffey Jr. may have been the greatest player in baseball history had injuries not plagued him during his career. Translation: Realmuto dominates the catcher throwing department. With three more home runs from Albies, the 2021 Braves will become only the second team in MLB history to have all four primary infielders tally 25 home runs, per ESPN Stats & Information's Jared Berson, joining the 2008 Florida Marlins. Honorable Mention: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays. Let's keep our 2021 MLB Player Rankings series rolling with a look at the top 25 outfielders. If you don't have coaching that can support that, then the player needs to be very stubborn with his thinking, which, in my opinion, requires a strong independence. The 23-year-old had more walks (145) than strikeouts (93) on his way to an MLB-best .465 on-base percentage. He also slugged 38 home runs while winning his second straight Gold Glove. Two seasons into his 13-year deal with the Phillies, his production has been excellent -- a .385 on-base percentage, an OPS+ of 134, 139 runs in 215 games. He also once again took home Gold Glove honors in a 6.3 WAR season. From Jimenez's first season to his second, his wRC+ jumped from 116 to 141. The safe bet is that he'll bounce back and do a ton of damage in the summer ahead. 2. Which non-quarterback group will define each top-25 team's season? His career will always be under a microscope, but it's hard to call his 2021 performance anything but superstar-caliber. The well-rounded Betts is our second-ranked outfielder and No. Its certainly not about skill, and combined with Simmons fundamentals and defensive savvy, look out. For reference, Bradley Zimmer has one of the best throwing arms on the big league roster and has always had a strong arm, considered to be plus (60) and maybe even double-plus (70). Similarly, Grisham has played fewer than 120 games in the Majors. His swing rate on all pitches dipped to 35% (in '20), which ranked 141st among 142 qualified hitters. Jesse Barfield had an incredibly strong and an incredibly accurate throwing arm. The best player at the position was Ronald Acuna (.280 with 127 runs, 41 home runs, 101 RBI, and 37 steals . A good spring could get the 29-year-old on the 40-man roster. The towering right fielder posted a 149 OPS+ with 39 home runs and a career-low 25.0 percent strikeout rate. has him drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Yelich is 29 years old. March 1, 2023 5:25 pm ET. The 30-year-old is hitting .268/.333/.482 for a 105 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBI. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. Scouts noted that he has a plus arm in the. Despite his great arm, Gorbous only managed to play three seasons in the major leagues. The Yankees re-signed Brett Gardner, but they may finally give Frazier a chance to play every day. Mookie Betts is the sixth-best outfielder in baseball, and it feels wrong to rank him this low, but wait until you see the top five. That seems almost impossible. Few players have joined an organization under more challenging circumstances than Verdugo faced when he went to the Red Sox. Stadium MLB insider Russell Dorsey breaks down who the top five outfield arms in MLB are. best outfield arms in mlb 2021 This is the best team in baseball. Other choices were more complicated, particularly by the question of who might be more suited to be ranked among the designated hitters. Runners were afraid to take the extra base when these outfielders had the ball in their hands. He also quietly held his own in right field (3 DRS, 2.0 UZR/150) after posting negative defensive metrics in left field previously, and his 7.1 WAR led all outfielders and ranked fifth among all players in 2021. The man known as El Mago (The Magician) is blessed with many gifts and would have been a fine pick for the fielding tool, but lets focus on his rocket for a right arm. Not just mine, but any site's rankings of outfielders will not be . With free agency looming after the 2022 season, another performance like that would set him up for a huge payday next winter. Despite his defensive limitations, he should be able to find a more lucrative deal this winter. The league may have changed the rules on shifting .