Five Impact Free Agents Still Left on the Market
With spring training underway, teams are finally seeing in-person the roster that they’ve spent the offseason evaluating on paper. With many teams turning up in Arizona or Florida, it is an opportunity for coaches to try out a few new ideas, for fringe players to get themselves into contention, and for front offices to recognize the real gaps in the roster by taking another look at the free agent market. To be sure, there are high impact free agents still available.
The news that J.D. Martinez signed with the Red Sox took one of the biggest names off the list of available free agents, but there is plenty more business to be done ahead of the new season, with an unusually high number of free agents still on the market for this time on the baseball calendar. Here are the top five names on top of the list, who could change the season outlook for their new squad.
Jonathan Lucroy
That Lucroy remains a free agent going into March seems strange, given that he is the best catcher left on the market and a number of teams could use his talents. Admittedly, he had a poor season by his standards in 2017, but even a below-par Lucroy is above-average standard for the league(B-Ref has him at 0.3 Wins Above Average), and if he can return to his best, he would be a great addition. Washington would be the most obvious team to come in for him. The Nationals are rated as the sixth favorites to take the World Series by baseball betting fans, but they have no replacements for Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy in the pipeline and their incumbent catcher, Matt Weiters, is coming off of a dreadful 2017.
Mike Moustakas
On the face of it, Moustakas would also appear to be a tempting proposition to most teams. The top hitter and position player on the free agent market, he is coming off his best season so far, recording career highs for slugging percentage, runs scored, home runs, and RBIs, and he has significant playoff experience. Next year’s high-quality free agency market, and the draft pick compensation attached to him, may be inducing caution on the part of some teams, but the Braves, Yankees, and Cardinals have all been linked with him, and the two-time All-Star player will surely be snapped up sooner rather than later.
Jake Arrieta
The Nationals’ interest in Arrieta is not a surprise, given their close links with agent Scott Boras and their history of making late player signings. The former Cy Young Award winner would also complete a fearsome-looking front three with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. The sticking point is likely to be Arrieta’s contract requirements. Apparently, his expectations are close to the six-year, $126 million deal given to Yu Darvish, and while $20 million a year is not a problem for Washington, they are unlikely to commit to a six-year deal with a player who will shortly turn 32. The Phillies are another viable destination for the starter.
Lance Lynn
There are few more consistent pitchers around than Lance Lynn, and after bouncing back from Tommy John surgery to record solid numbers in 2017, he has attracted the interest of the Twins, Angels, Orioles and Brewers. The delay in taking the plunge on Lynn may be down to the same clubs prioritizing Arrieta, but it certainly isn’t to do with Lynn’s performance. He has never posted a season ERA over 3.97 and would be an asset to the ambitious Twins and Brewers, and to the Orioles, who are lacking in starting pitchers.
Alex Cobb
Another player to come back strong after Tommy John surgery, Cobb has a career 3.50 ERA and has always shown above-average control. Particularly encouraging was his strong finish to the 2017 season. He represents something of a risk, given his history of injuries, but he would fit in well at the Cubs, who may have an open rotation spot with Mike Montgomery likely to switch back to the bullpen, and who have a couple of former Rays men in manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey. However, if the Cubs decide not to go for him, then the Brewers, Rangers, and Orioles are likely to be interested. Regardless of the team, Sean’s prediction that Cobb was destined for a $100M contract.
It is rare to see so many experienced top-tier players still on the market this late in the calendar, but it does allow baseball fans to keep those debates about the merits of these familiar faces going deep into spring training and adds an extra layer of interest to the anticipation of another season of baseball.
