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There are four big-name free-agent shortstops available in the market this winter — Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson, and Trea Turner — and in some ways, it’s quite easy to tell them apart. Which one is the youngest? Correa, though they’re all within two years of one another. Which one is the best hitter? In 2022, it was Correa; during all their careers, it’s also been Correa. Which is the fastest? Turner, obviously.

Now: Which one is the best defender? The answer is: It’s complicated.

It is, of course, a vital question for a shortstop you’re going to have to commit five-plus years to, and it’s an issue that’s more than a little messy, simply because three of them are coming off fielding seasons that — by the leading metrics, anyway — weren’t exactly in line with what they’d done in the past.

If 39-year-old Justin Verlander wins his third Cy Young Award next week after leading the Majors with a 1.75 ERA, he will be the fourth-oldest pitcher to take home the award.

What began as 10-year-old Kyle Schultz and his friends playing in his front yard has evolved into Major League Wiffle Ball with the league’s 2022 World Series being played at SoFi Stadium.

A player’s “walk year,” coming right before he reaches free agency, is an opportunity — and a challenge. Aaron Judge certainly rose to the challenge, and here is where his walk year ranks in baseball history.

Watch the 2022 AFL Championship game livewhen the Desert Dogs face the Saguaros at 8 p.m. ET on MLB Network.

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