Indeed, most of the top free agents have been signed, with Aaron Judge returning to the Yankees and Jacob deGrom heading to the Rangers. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some gems left on the open market for teams to snatch.
Let’s take a look at the best remaining free agents by position.
Catcher: Gary Sanchez
Early on, Sanchez looked like a potential future catcher for the Yankees, as he hit 53 home runs in his first 175 games in the majors in 2016-2017 and posted an OPS. But then, outside of a solid 2019 campaign, he’s struggled both at bat and behind it. The move handed him over to the Twins. Sanchez didn’t do better for Minnesota, posting .205/.282/.377 in 128 games. But he just turned 30 and may still have something left in his bat.
First baseman: Brandon Belt
You can choose either Belt or Yuri Gurriel as the top remaining first baseman. Each veteran’s profile has its fair share of warts, but I’ll go with the former: Berto, 34, is five years younger than Gurriel, whose batting numbers fell off a cliff in 2022. He has played less than 100 games in each of his last two seasons and underwent surgery to repair the cartilage in his right knee in September. This is his third right knee surgery since 2015.
988 OPS and 38 home runs in 148 games from the start of the shortened 2020 campaign through the end of 2021. His 12.6% Barrel His rate suggests that Belt’s butt still has plenty of life.
Second baseman: Josh Harrison
Jean Segura was the first choice until he agreed to a two-year deal with the Marlins. Instead, the veteran Harrison will get a call after a solid season with White in 2022 with his Sox. When polled in 2014, Harrison had never hit hard before, but effective contact is his hitter. He is in the 78th percentile with a .256/.317/.370 (94 OPS+) strikeout percentage in his 2022, and he has 85 games at second base in Chicago, 20 games at third base, and left field. He started in one game. He produced an above-average offensive season in his 2021 with his 106 OPS+ in Washington and Oakland.
Shortstop: Jose Iglesias
Probably as easy going as Elvis Andrus here – both are about the same age and both produced one or two Baseball Reference wins over their respective club exchanges last season. But kudos to young Iglesias (who turns 33 in January) who has been a bit more stable offensively in recent years. With the Rockies in 2022, he had .708 OPS (90 OPS+). This is in line with his performance with the Angels and the Reds in 2021 with his Sox. Despite just 150 at-bats in the pandemic-shortened season, he had his 2020 season great for the Orioles as he posted a . 956 OPS. His slick defense, in short, is his calling card.
Third Base: Brian Anderson
Anderson has been plagued with injuries the past two seasons, but he’s still only 29. After missing the last four months of the 2021 season with a subluxation of his left shoulder that ultimately required surgery, Anderson made three trips to IL in 2021, including missing three weeks with a sprained left shoulder. 222 with . Anderson is looking to regain his form since 2018 when he finished 4th in NL Rookie of the Year Award voting, scoring .273 with 110 OPS+ in 156 games. increase. He followed that up with a career-high 20 home runs his season in ’19 and a career-high 116 OPS+ in ’20.
Left Field: Jurrickson Proffer
With Andrew Benintendi leaving, Ploffer clinched the top spot among remaining left fielders after a strong all-around season in San Diego in 2022. He produced his career-high 3.1 bWAR and hit 15 homers last season. The pro, who will join the campaign at age 30 in 2023, is a versatile defensive player who has spent time in every position other than pitcher and catcher in his eight-year MLB career. It has the added bonus of being
Center fielder: Adam Engel
Engel was on track to become a potential All-Star center fielder for the White Sox, but injuries and a poor campaign in 2022 derailed that effort. Although he has been a good defender in the , his offense has lagged behind. In his first three seasons in his league in the majors, he recorded his OPS of .601 in Chicago. He showed a notable improvement from his 2020-21, which slashed .270/.335/.488. The problem is that he only played 75 games in that span due to injury. 224/.269/.310 with 260 at-bats last season. However, given his age, he could be a high upside gamble if the team hopes to give him a chance, provided he can stay healthy.
Right Fielder: Adam Duvall
Coming into his 34-year-old season next year, Duvall hit 38 homers to lead the NL with 113 RBIs over the Marlins and Braves, helping Atlanta win the World Series after reaching the trade deadline. Only one more season left. handle. He missed much of last season due to a wrist injury, but if he gets it right after wrist surgery, he could be a huge source of strength in any lineup.
Designated hitter: Trey Mancini
Mancini didn’t get as much as the Astros had hoped for when Houston acquired Mancini on a trade-deadline deal with the Orioles, but all was well and the Astros won the World Series. Still, the 30-year-old has had .735 OPS with 39 homers in 1,203 plate appearances since returning to the majors after a cancer battle in 2021. He’s proven he still has pop at bat, and could be a cost-effective signing for a team that needs an above-average hitter in their lineup.
Starting pitcher: Michael Wacha
After a stellar start to his career in St. Louis, Wacha has had some tough times, including a 5.39 ERA with the Mets and Rays in 2020-21. However, the right-hander he recovered significantly with the Reds in 2022 with his Sox, and in 23 games he was 11-2 with a 3.32 ERA. Wacha hasn’t hit the 130-inning threshold in any season since 17, and his expected earned run average (4.56) didn’t shine as much as his actual mark. It may stop, but Wacha, 31, is better than some of the older pitchers left on the market, like Zach Greinke and Wade Miley.
Relief: Andrew Chafin
Chafin signed a two-year deal with the Tigers before last season, but opted out last month after a huge run in Detroit. He finished his 57 1/3 innings with his 2.83 ERA and 10.5 K/9 rate. Although he has only 11 saves in his nine-year career, Chafin has been pitching effectively in high-leverage situations lately. In his last two seasons, the 32-year-old has limited his opponents’ batting average to . His 33.8% pursuit percentage in 2022 was a career-high, and he ranked in the 89th percentile among eligible pitchers.
