Bauer, LeMahieu, Springer top list of available players
The free agent market received a small boost this week, although it remains to be seen whether teams will be eager to take advantage.
A record 59 players became free agents when their teams declined to offer them contracts by Wednesday night’s tender deadline. That group included a few well-known names like Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs and Eddie Rosario of the Minnesota Twins — but these additions to the free agent class did little to change the sense the market could be slow this offseason.
Teams may be looking to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic, and so far there have been only a few short deals, such as Charlie Morton going to Atlanta on a one-year, $15 million contract and Mike Minor signing with Kansas City for two years and $18 million.
As we enter the heart of the offseason calendar, here’s a look at the top free agents still available, broken down by position. The biggest names on the market are players who were already free agents well before the new group of non-tenders joined the pool.
Players are listed with their most recent teams, with their ages in parentheses:
Left-handed starter: James Paxton, Yankees (32). Paxton made just five starts this year because of problems with his pitching arm, but a string of solid seasons leading up to that make him a potentially valuable pickup if teams aren’t scared off by his health.
Left-handed reliever: Brad Hand, Indians (30). Hand converted all 16 of his save attempts and then promptly had his $10 million option declined by Cleveland. That was certainly an ominous sign for the market.
Right-handed starter: Trevor Bauer, Reds (29). The last time a Cy Young Award winner switched teams via free agency was when Greg Maddux went from the Cubs to the Braves following the 1992 season. Bauer is now in a position to do the same, and although this might not be an ideal offseason for obtaining a big contract, he certainly entered it on a high.
Right-handed reliever: Liam Hendriks, Athletics (31). Coming off back-toback stellar seasons as Oakland’s closer, Hendricks has a strong case as the top reliever available.
Other options: Kirby Yates was sensational in 2018 and 2019, but elbow issues this year may give teams pause. Mark Melancon had his ups and downs after signing a $62 million, four-year contract with San Francisco, but he was decent enough for Atlanta in 2020 in the final season of that deal.
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Phillies (29). A two-time All-Star, Realmuto has been remarkably consistent with the bat over the past few seasons and stands out as one of the top position players on the market.
First base: Carlos Santana, Indians (34). Santana is older than some of the other big names on this list, but he played all 60 games this season and 158 in 2019. After hitting 34 homers in 2019, he batted just .199 this year. A small-sample dip or a sign of a more meaningful decline?
Second base: DJ LeMahieu, Yankees (32). A two-time batting champion who made the jump into MVP contention the past couple years, LeMahieu can fill an up-the-middle position with a consistently productive bat. He should be one of this offseason’s top targets.
Third base: Justin Turner, Dodgers (36). Turner caught some heat for his lack of social distancing at the end of the World Series. Prospective suitors are probably more concerned with his age, but he has hit over .300 in three of the past four seasons.
Shortstop: Marcus Semien, Athletics (30). Semien hit 33 home runs in 2019. His production dipped significantly this season, and if that causes his price to drop, he could be a steal.
Outfield: George Springer, Astros (31); Marcell Ozuna, Braves (30); Michael Brantley, Astros (33)
Ozuna led the National League with 18 home runs this year, and the two Houston outfielders are proven commodities as well. There’s plenty to pick from at this position.
Designated hitter: Nelson Cruz, Twins (40). After 16 more home runs in this extremely abbreviated season, Cruz is up to 417 for his career and still rolling along. He’s also hit over .300 the past two years.