The Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves put on six games of exhilarating baseball in the season-ending World Series this year. Ultimately, the Braves ended a 26-year drought with a dominant victory in Game 6 this past Tuesday, triggering a plethora of scenes across the world.

With the 2021 MLB season now over, the focus shifts to next year. The Astros could face a tough time in between now and Opening Day on March 31, 2022 because seven of their players are officially free agents. Among those seven players, shortstop Carlos Correa and pitcher Justin Verlander are arguably the most prominent names.

Carlos Correa among seven Houston Astros players to become free agents

Since making his MLB debut with the Astros in 2015, Correa established himself as one of their key players. During the 2021 season, the shortstop recorded impressive statistics, which make him an attractive free agent to snap up.

The 27-year-old scored 104 runs, of which 26 were home runs this season with an OPS of 0.850. In addition, he also recorded 92 RBIs with a WAR of 7.3 displaying his value to the AL Pennant winners. While Correa is holding out for a more lucrative contract, rumors strongly link him with a move to the New York Yankees, who are in the market for a shortstop.

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In March 2019, Verlander signed a two-year, $66million extension with the Astros which ended this season. He missed a major chunk of the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to Tommy John surgery. However, his impressive resume still makes him an exciting prospect for several teams looking to add a star pitcher to their roster.

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160 players listed as free agents

This year’s free agency sees some of the most exciting talents on a list of 160 players. Some of them include Los Angeles Dodgers stars Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw and ace pitcher Max Scherzer.

Marcus Semien of the Toronto Blue Jays and Javier Báez of the New York Mets also feature among exciting prospects for various teams. However, Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves is a shock inclusion on this list. Following his maiden World Series victory, the 32-year-old expressed his desire to stay with the Braves, which looks likely to continue given he’s only played for them in the MLB.