The lingering Carlos Correa saga hangs over the free company market, however past him the majority of the free brokers have discovered new houses for the 2023 season and past.
Whereas we received’t be seeing any monster offers from right here, there are nonetheless a handful of gamers that would nonetheless have a constructive affect on a brand new staff.
With that in thoughts, let’s check out the perfect (on this author’s view anyway) remaining free brokers at every place.
For a full listing of the remaining free brokers, go right here.
Beginning pitcher: Johnny Cueto: 158 1/3 innings pitched, 3.35 ERA, 5.8 SO/9, 1.9 BB/9. Cueto loved one thing of a resurgence final yr for the White Sox, placing collectively his finest marketing campaign since 2016. His strikeout price declined significantly however he offset that by displaying a few of the finest management of his profession. He’ll flip 37 in February, so probably will solely command a one-year deal however groups in want of a veteran arm to stabilize the backend of the rotation may actually do worse than including Cueto. The Padres, Marlins, Blue Jays and Reds have all had reported curiosity within the veteran right-hander at varied levels of the low season, whereas groups just like the Angels have proven latest curiosity in including one other starter.
Reduction pitcher: Andrew Chafin: 57 1/3 IP, 2.83 ERA, 10.5 SO/9, 3.0 BB/9. Chafin’s been a high quality left-handed reliever for the previous few seasons now, the final of which got here with the Tigers. He’s efficient towards each left and right-handed hitters, and may slot in as a late-inning arm wherever he winds up touchdown. Management was a difficulty earlier in his profession, however he appears to have tidied that up and posted a mark beneath 8% for the second-straight season. That determine got here with a high quality 27.6% strikeout price. After declining a $6.5M possibility on his contract with the Tigers, he ought to be capable to high that on the open market on a multi-year deal.
Catcher: Gary Sanchez: 471 plate appearances, .205/.282/.377, 16 dwelling runs. The Yankees flipped Sanchez to Twins final winter after rising pissed off along with his efficiency over the last few seasons. Sanchez undoubtedly has expertise, as evidenced by the 53 dwelling runs and 143 wRC+ he compiled between 2016-17. He’s not come near replicating that within the years since, slashing .202/.295/.427 for a below-average wRC+ of 96 between 2018-22. Sanchez has by no means been considered one of many high defensive catchers, however did submit his finest framing numbers per Fangraphs’ metric since 2018, and gave up the fewest wild pitches of his profession (excluding the shortened 2020 season and 2016, when he didn’t play a full yr). Whereas plenty of groups have crammed their emptiness at catcher, the likes of the Pink Sox, Tigers and Marlins may very well be among the many groups .
First base: Trey Mancini: 587 PA, .239/.319/.391, 18 HR. Mancini cut up time between the Orioles and Astros in 2022, placing collectively a stable sufficient marketing campaign on the plate. His 104 wRC+ previously two seasons signifies he’s simply 4 % above the league common on the plate. For a primary base/nook outfielder that’s unlikely to command a major assure in free company, however Mancini may nonetheless land a multi-year assure. There’s actually an argument to be made that Mancini belongs in that outfield group of such an article, however any buying staff would certainly have him splitting time between first base and the outfield. Mancini was price 2 Outs Above Common in 323 innings at first in 2022, the perfect mark of any of the positions he performed.
Second base: Josh Harrison: 425 PA, .256/.317/.370, 7 HR. The 35-year-old Harrison recovered from a sluggish begin to end with a good season for the White Sox, ending with a barely beneath common 98 wRC+. That got here after he was hitting simply .167/.248/.255 on June 2. He doesn’t provide a lot in the best way of energy, however he offers a stable contact bat who can play all around the infield. Harrison logged most of his defensive time at second base, the place he was price 3 Defensive Runs Saved. He was additionally price 3 DRS at third base, and may fill in at brief and the nook outfield spots at a pinch. Groups in want of a veteran utility participant may do worse than including Harrison on a one-year deal.
Shortstop: Elvis Andrus: 577 PA, .249/.303/.404, 17 HR. Andrus began the yr in Oakland, however was launched in August and completed the season with the White Sox. The 34-year-old has a little bit of pop in his bat, and grades out properly defensively at shortstop, the place he was price 3 Outs Above Common in 2022. He might very properly be the perfect infielder left on the open market, but it’s been a quiet winter for Andrus, with little reported motion in his market. Clearly Correa has not formally signed a contract, however for the needs of this text we’ll assume he’s heading to the Mets during which case Andrus could be the following most suitable choice for groups on the hunt for a shortstop.
Third base: Brian Anderson: 383 PA, .222/.311/.346, 8 HR. Anderson put up the worst offensive numbers of his 5 full seasons with the Marlins in 2022, ending up with a 90 wRC+. That was the second-straight season of offensive decline for the 29-year-old, who put up a 115 wRC+ between 2018-20. He’s cut up time between third base and proper discipline in latest instances, grading out properly in each till 2022. Final yr, he was price -4 DRS after choosing up 12 DRS over the earlier three seasons on the sizzling nook. The decline was sufficient for the Marlins to non-tender him this winter forward of his closing yr of arbitration, however he may make sense as a buy-low bounceback candidate for any variety of groups.
Left/Proper discipline: Jurickson Profar: 658 PA, .243/.331/.391, 15 HR. Profar is arguably the highest remaining free agent obtainable. The 29-year-old (30 in February) places the ball in play a lot, as evidenced by his high quality 15.7% strikeout price. He additionally takes loads of walks and has a little bit of pop within the bat. A former center infielder, the Padres performed him solely in left final yr and he picked up 2 Defensive Runs Saved. He turned down an $7.5M in favor of a $1M buyout this winter to hit the open market searching for a multi-year deal. The Rangers and Yankees make sense as groups on the lookout for left discipline assist, whereas the Marlins and Rockies may additionally make sense.
Middle discipline: Albert Almora: 235 PA, .223/.282/.349, 5 HR. The middle discipline market was not deep to start with, and is now largely restricted to glove first choices. Almora doesn’t pose a lot of a risk with the bat, as evidenced by his 71 wRC+, however he was price 8 Defensive Runs Saved within the outfield for the Reds, with 4 of these coming in middle discipline. He’s unlikely to be a beginning possibility for groups however would make sense as a glove-first bench possibility.
Designated hitter: Nelson Cruz: 507 PA, .234/.313/.337, 10 HR. After plenty of years of elite manufacturing on the plate, 2022 was the primary beneath common yr for Cruz since 2007 (per wRC+). He’s now 42, so betting on him bouncing again is a dangerous one, however he mashed 89 dwelling runs and compiled a 146 wRC+ between 2019-21 so it’s not like this has been a gentle decline over plenty of years. With that being mentioned, he hasn’t performed the sector in any respect since 2018 so is solely restricted to DH duties. It was reported a couple of days in the past that he has obtained provides for the 2023 season although, so it appears he will probably be again for a nineteenth huge league season.
