Groups have been spoiled by the star-studded free agent lessons of current offseasons, significantly in relation to shortstops. The previous two winters have seen the likes of Corey Seager, Carlos Correa (twice), Marcus Semien, Dansby Swanson, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts hit the open market, giving groups searching for assist on the place a plethora of All Stars to select from. Groups in want of assist at shortstop this winter have discovered themselves with slim pickings, nonetheless.
Simply three gamers with current expertise at shortstop cracked MLBTR’s Prime 50 MLB free brokers record this offseason, and the best rated amongst them (Gio Urshela) performed simply 9 video games on the place in 2023 earlier than struggling a groin damage that leaves questions on his means to deal with the place defensively getting into his age-32 marketing campaign. That leaves simply two gamers on the prime of the offseason’s skinny shortstop market, and each include main query marks: longtime White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, and former Mets, Guardians, and Dodgers infielder Amed Rosario. Each gamers had profiled as on a regular basis regulars on the place getting into the yr however are coming off important down seasons each on the plate and within the discipline.
Coming into the 2023 season, Anderson was usually thought of to be a top-10 shortstop within the majors. Over the earlier 4 seasons, he had slashed a powerful .318/.347/.474 in 374 video games whereas accumulating two All Star appearances, a Silver Slugger award, and a seventh-place end in AL MVP voting. His 123 wRC+ throughout that time-frame ranked seventh amongst all shortstops within the majors, forward of stars corresponding to Marcus Semien and Francisco Lindor. Sadly, the 2023 marketing campaign noticed the 30-year-old battle badly each on the plate and within the discipline. Anderson posted -2 Outs Above Common final yr after posting a +5 determine over the previous 4 seasons whereas slashing a putrid .245/.286/.296 in 524 journeys to the plate. That efficiency interprets to a wRC+ of 60, 40% worse than the league common hitter and the worst determine amongst all certified main leaguers final yr.
As for Rosario, the 28-year-old was as soon as a consensus top-10 prospect within the sport however struggled early in his profession as a member of the Mets. He took a big step ahead throughout his age-23 season, nonetheless, and from 2019 to 2022 was roughly a league common common at shortstop with a .282/.315/.412 slash line good for a 101 wRC+. Whereas his defensive chops at shortstop had been questionable, he nonetheless amassed a decent 7.3 fWAR throughout that point, good for nineteenth amongst shortstops throughout these 4 seasons. Simply as Rosario’s peak was much less excessive than Anderson’s, so too was his downfall in 2023. Rosario’s total offensive manufacturing dipped solely barely final yr as he slashed .263/.305/.378 (88 wRC+) in 545 journeys to the plate. A lot of Rosario’s regression this season got here within the discipline, as he posted a whopping -14 Outs Above Common at shortstop in 2023, placing him within the first percentile amongst all main leaguers in response to Statcast.
As worrisome as Anderson’s offensive woes and Rosario’s defensive struggles are, groups in want of a shortstop will probably be hard-pressed to discover a higher choice obtainable to them. Whereas it appears there’s at the very least a good likelihood that the Padres commerce defensive stalwart Ha-Seong Kim this offseason, different prime commerce candidates able to dealing with quick corresponding to Willy Adames of the Brewers seem unlikely to be moved at this level within the offseason. Free company doesn’t provide a lot in the best way of different choices both. Wanting past Urshela and his aforementioned defensive query marks, the record of accessible shortstops is made up primarily of growing older veterans coming off down seasons like Brandon Crawford and Elvis Andrus and gamers who’ve struggled to remain on the sphere in any respect just lately corresponding to Nick Ahmed and Adalberto Mondesi.
Given the various query marks surrounding each gamers, rumors of curiosity have been comparatively few and much between up to now within the offseason. The Angels had been related to Anderson again in November, and his presence might permit the membership to offer teenager Zach Neto extra time within the minor leagues to develop after he was rushed to the majors final summer season. As for Rosario, he’s been rumored as a possible goal for the Pink Sox and Blue Jays, although each golf equipment have added center infielders since then in Vaughn Grissom and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, respectively.
So far as golf equipment who might be speculative matches for Anderson or Rosario this winter, the workforce that stands proud most as in want of a shortstop is the Marlins. Miami at present figures to make the most of Jon Berti as their on a regular basis shortstop regardless of him having began simply 86 video games on the place throughout his main league profession, greater than half of which got here simply final season. The Dodgers are additionally identified to be looking out for an improve over their present tandem of Gavin Lux and Miguel Rojas on the place, whereas the Rays might use a shortstop provided that Taylor Partitions remains to be recovering from hip surgical procedure whereas Wander Franco’s future in MLB is in query as a consequence of alleged inappropriate relationships with minors. The Mariners, A’s, and Pirates are amongst different golf equipment who might doubtlessly profit from including one other bat to their center infield combine.
In case your workforce wanted to added a shortstop to its center infield combine this winter, which might you reasonably signal? Would you worth Anderson’s stronger protection and extra spectacular peak, or Rosario’s youth and stronger total numbers final season?
