Top 12 potential free agent MLB starting pitchers in 2021-'22 offseason

12. RHP Zack Greinke

Age in 2022 season: 38
Eligible for qualifying offer? No

Perhaps Greinke isn't the Hall of Fame-caliber pitcher that he was at his peak, but he's still a pretty sure bet to give you 170 or more innings every season. The 2009 American League Cy Young award winner, Greinke is one of the highest-earning players in the history of free agency and without a qualifying offer attached to him, he figures to land a nice deal for 2022.

11. RHP Jon Gray

Age in 2022 season: 30
Eligible for qualifying offer? Yes

The Colorado Rockies held onto Gray at the trade deadline in part because they believed that the draft compensation they'll get if he declines the qualifying offer and signs elsewhere will be as good or better than any return they were being offered. That said, Gray has expressed a desire to remain in Denver, and you wonder if he'd consider accepting the qualifying offer.

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10. RHP Anthony DeSclafani

Age in 2022 season: 32
Eligible for qualifying offer? Yes

Lead executive Farhan Zaidi and the San Francisco Giants gave DeSclafani a one-year, $6-million deal in free agency last winter, and it turned out to be one of the best moves of the offseason. We don't know if the Giants will extend a qualifying offer this winter to DeSclafani, who has a 3.23 ERA and 3.69 FIP across 158 2/3 innings. He'd certainly prefer to secure a multi-year deal this winter, but it's hard to think he'd make more money in 2022 than he would playing on the qualifying offer.

9. LHP Eduardo Rodríguez

Age in 2022 season: 29
Eligible for qualifying offer? Yes

Rodríguez has a 4.97 ERA in 29 starts this season, but his 3.45 FIP suggests that he's been unlucky to some degree. Rodríguez missed the entire 2020 season but is just two seasons removed from throwing more than 200 innings and finishing sixth in the American League Cy Young award voting. If he doesn't accept the qualifying offer, he should have a robust free agent market.

8. LHP Carlos Rodón

Age in 2022 season: 29
Eligible for qualifying offer? Yes

Rodón was a first-time All-Star in a contract year, which is, well, incredible timing. He's on the right side of 30, and though teams will likely need to surrender draft compensation to sign him if he declines the qualifying offer, it's not hard to make a case that he's just now entering his prime and is worth a major investment.

7. RHP Justin Verlander

Age in 2022 season: 39
Eligible for qualifying offer? Yes

Verlander has made just one start since pitching in the 2019 World Series and will turn 39 next February, so he's hardly a sure thing. That said, the former American League MVP had Tommy John surgery in October 2020, so there's no reason he shouldn't be ready for the start of the 2022 season. And considering that he won the American League Cy Young award in his most recent full season, there's going to be teams willing to roll the dice on him. It will be interesting to see if he accepts the qualifying offer, assuming the Houston Astros extend it to him.

6. Marcus Stroman

Age in 2022 season: 31
Eligible for qualifying offer? No

Stroman accepted the qualifying offer from the New York Mets after opting out of the 2020 season, and a strong campaign in Queens has now set him up to cash in this winter. Stroman is probably more like a No. 3 on a contending team, but he's a tremendous fielder and you won't have to surrender draft compensation to sign him, which will appeal to contending teams.

5. LHP Clayton Kershaw

Age in 2022 season: 34
Eligible for qualifying offer? Yes

It's hard to truly evaluate Kershaw as a free-agent candidate because he'll almost certainly end up back in Los Angeles, possibly even before he reaches free agency. But in the event that the future Hall of Famer declines the qualifying offer and earnestly considers other options, he's still a front-line pitcher when he's healthy. A three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, Kershaw probably isn't going to pitch more than 160 innings a year at this stage of his career, but if he's elite during those frames, that'll play.

4. RHP Noah Syndergaard

Age in 2022 season: 29
Eligible for qualifying offer? Yes

Syndergaard hasn't made a start since the 2019 season because of Tommy John surgery, but he'll only be 29 next season. When you consider how well Zack Wheeler -- who once missed two full seasons after having Tommy John surgery -- has pitched the last few years, there's no reason to believe that Syndergaard doesn't still have his best seasons in front of him. It's entirely possible that he could secure a multi-year deal this winter, though given that he's still relatively young, he may be best served accepting the qualifying offer if the Mets extend it to him and rebuilding his value in 2022.

3. LHP Robbie Ray

Age in 2022 season: 30
Eligible for qualifying offer? Yes

After acquiring him ahead of the 2020 trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays didn't allow Ray to reach free agency last winter, instead signing him to a one-year, $8-million deal. They've been rewarded with a Cy Young-caliber season from Ray, who they'll certainly extend a qualifying offer to this offseason. If Ray declines the qualifying offer and reaches free agency, he'll be the most coveted lefty available.

2. RHP Kevin Gausman

Age in 2022 season: 31
Eligible for qualifying offer? No

Some were caught off guard that the Giants extended a one-year, $18.9-million offer to Gausman last winter, but his decision to accept the deal has proved to be mutually beneficial. It took him until his fourth team, but Gausman has finally tapped into his front-line potential, as he has a 3.09 ERA in 238 1/3 innings since the start of the 2020 season. Without a qualifying offer attached to him, Gausman figures to do very well if the Giants allow him to reach the open market.

1. RHP Max Scherzer

Age in 2022 season: 37
Eligible for qualifying offer? No

There are quite a few similarities between Scherzer and Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. The latest is that Scherzer is on an unreal run after being traded to the Dodgers ahead of a trip to free agency, which reminds you of what Johnson did in 1998 with the Astros. Johnson cashed in with a huge deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks before the 1999 season, and even at this advanced stage of his career, Scherzer figures to make out well this winter. Scherzer will be 37 in 2022 and seemingly would prefer to play somewhere on the West Coast. He figures to draw interest from at least both Los Angeles teams -- and probably a lot more contenders.