Great Market Values to Fill All 30 MLB Teams' Biggest Offseason Need

While it's the big-name free agents signing multi-year, $100 million-plus contracts that steal the offseason headlines, the value moves teams make to fill out their roster and save payroll space are just as important to building a championship team.

Whether it's a player primed for a bounce-back season, a veteran looking to prove he still has something left in the tank or simply a second-tier option that will cost less than the marquee name at the position, there are plenty of value plays to be made each winter.

Taking into account likely areas of focus this offseason, here is a look at one value option each team could consider for filling their biggest offseason need.

Arizona Diamondbacks: 1B/OF Michael Morse

Jason O. Watson/Getty Images

According to Jack Magruder of Fox Sports, the Diamondbacks are looking to add more power to their lineup this offseason as they look to better protect MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt.

That power could come from within if the team can get healthy seasons from Cody Ross and Aaron Hill, or if top prospect Matt Davidson breaks through, but they will likely search the free agent market as well.

Michael Morse is just two years removed from a 31-HR, 95-RBI season with the Nationals, but the 31-year-old hit just .215/.270/.381 with 13 home runs in 312 at-bats this past year, and could be the steal of the market if he can return to form.

Atlanta Braves: 2B Brian Roberts

David Banks/Getty Images

Any move for a second baseman in Atlanta will start with the team somehow finding a taker for Dan Uggla. The 33-year-old hit just .179/.309/.362 last season and saw himself left off the postseason roster as a result.

Uggla is due $26 million over the next two years, so the Braves will no doubt have to eat a good deal of that salary to move him. If they can manage to do that, signing a low-cost veteran to serve as a stop gap to Tommy La Stella looks like the best option.

Roberts, if healthy, is still a capable offensive producer as he hit .242/.312/.392 with eight home runs and 39 RBI in 265 at-bats last year. He'll be looking for a one-year deal from a contender this offseason, and if the Orioles don't bring him back, Atlanta could be a fit.

Baltimore Orioles: SP Jason Vargas

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

The Orioles have assembled one of the best offenses in baseball top to bottom, but they missed the postseason this past year due to an inconsistent starting rotation.

Chris Tillman is solid atop the staff, and they have some options in Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez and Bud Norris, but none of those guys have proven reliable on a start to start basis.

The future remains in the hands of top flight young arms Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman, but the team will likely look to add at least one mid-level veteran to solidify the rotation this coming season. Left-hander Jason Vargas should come relatively cheap, and until a fluke blood clot issue sidelined him last year, he had tallied 190-plus innings in three straight seasons while posting a 3.96 ERA.

Boston Red Sox: RP LaTroy Hawkins

Hunter Martin/Getty Images

The back end of the Red Sox bullpen will return intact in 2014, with Craig Breslow and Junichi Tazawa setting up Koji Uehara. Beyond those three, however, the 'pen looks to be a question.

Brandon Workman is still viewed as a starter long-term, and Felix Doubront will likely either be traded or be back in the starting rotation. Andrew Miller should be healthy, giving the team a solid second left-handed option, but another veteran right-hander would help shore things up.

LaTroy Hawkins signed a minor league deal with the Mets last offseason, made the club out of camp, and was closing games by the end of the season with Bobby Parnell sidelined. He finished the year with 13 saves and a 2.93 ERA in 72 games, which should be enough for the 40-year-old to at least get a major league deal this time around.

Chicago Cubs: CF Chris Young

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

To be honest, the Cubs biggest need is an improved starting rotation, but as they continue to rebuild, they will likely want to get a long look at guys like Jake Arrieta and Chris Rusin rather than signing mid-level veterans to fill out the staff.

Instead, the Cubs most likely area of focus this offseason is center field, where the stop gap veteran duo of Brian Bogusevic and Ryan Sweeney are currently penciled in as starters. The team could very well kick the tires on the likes of Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, but one value play they could make is signing Chris Young.

Young had his $11 million option for 2014 declined by the A's after he hit .200/.280/.379 with 12 home runs and 10 steals in 335 at-bats. Still only 30, Young is a three-time 20/20 player, and a prime candidate for a bounce back campaign on a one-year deal.

Chicago White Sox: C Kurt Suzuki

Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Last offseason, the White Sox opted to let veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski walk in free agency in favor of longtime prospect Tyler Flowers. All told, White Sox catchers hit .196/.238/.325 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI, as their .564 OPS from the position was the lowest in the American League and ahead of only the Marlins.

That will likely be enough for the team to look for a veteran option on the free agent market, and while they likely won't spend on Brian McCann or Jarrod Saltalamacchia, they could look to bounce back candidate Kurt Suzuki. 

Suzuki averaged a line of .252/.306/.392 with 14 home runs and 68 RBI as the A's everyday catcher from 2009-2011, and the 30-year-old showed signs of life after being traded back to Oakland down the stretch last year, hitting .303/.343/.545 in 33 at-bats.

Cincinnati Reds: RP Eric O'Flaherty

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Reds have a solid left-handed duo at the back end of the bullpen in Sean Marshall and Aroldis Chapman, but they will be in the market for another southpaw to use in the middle innings.

Manny Parra (57 G, 3.33 ERA, .167 LH BAA) filled that role nicely last season, and the team could wind up re-signing him in free agency, but another option that could wind up being a steal is former Braves left-hander Eric O'Flaherty.

The 28-year-old joined the Braves prior to the 2009 season, and in five years with the team he posted a 1.99 ERA and 1.155 WHIP in 295 appearances. His 2013 ended in Tommy John surgery after just 19 appearances, but if he can return to form he'll be an absolute steal.

Cleveland Indians: RP Edward Mujica

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

A late-season collapse by Chris Perez led to his removal from the closer's role and eventually his release this offseason, and that, along with the free agency of Joe Smith, leaves the Indians' already shaky bullpen as a huge question mark.

With Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir both gone from the rotation, they will likely need to spend on starting pitching this offseason, so they won't want to pay for a front-line closer like Joe Nathan or Grant Balfour to shore up the 'pen.

That said, Edward Mujica could be an option at the right price. A stud for much of the season, Mujica tired down the stretch and ended up losing the closer job to flame-thrower Trevor Rosenthal. Still only 29 and with supreme control (9.2 K/BB), he figures to be solid once again in 2014 and could be a steadying presence in the ninth inning for Cleveland.

Colorado Rockies: SP Mike Pelfrey

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

While the Rockies managed to lower their starting rotation ERA from 5.81 in 2012 to 4.57 this past year, they still have work to do on the pitching side of things if they hope to make a run at contention in the NL West.

Healthy seasons from Jhoulys Chacin (14-10, 3.47 ERA) and Jorge De La Rosa (16-6, 3.49 ERA) gave them a solid one-two punch atop the rotation, and Tyler Chatwood (8-5, 3.15 ERA) was solid when healthy, but the rest of the staff is a question mark as the team waits for the arrival of top prospects Eddie Butler and Jonathan Gray.

Signing a mid-level veteran starter seems like a good move this offseason, and Mike Pelfrey could be a solid bargain. His 5-13 record and 5.19 ERA don't look great on the surface, but his 3.99 FIP and .337 BABIP suggest he threw the ball better than his numbers show. The sinkerballer will also be in his second season back from Tommy John surgery, and seems like a prime buy-low candidate for Colorado.

Detroit Tigers: RP Jesse Crain

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

The Tigers entered the 2013 offseason set to rely on top prospect Bruce Rondon as their closer with Jose Valverde gone in free agency, but when he struggled with his control early-on, the team opted to send him to the minors and instead opened the season with a closer-by-committee.

Joaquin Benoit eventually took over the job full-time, and from July 1 to the end of the year he was 19-of-21 on save chances with a 2.14 ERA. Benoit joined the Tigers on a three-year, $16.5 million deal prior to the 2011 season, and he hits free agency in a good position to make even more this time around.

If the Tigers decide they don't want to spend big on a closer and instead just want an insurance policy for Rondon, Jesse Crain could be a solid option. The 32-year-old had a 0.74 ERA in 38 appearances and made the All-Star team, but he didn't pitch after June 29, as a shoulder injury kept him on the sidelines. That should make him one of the best low-cost, high-reward options out there.

Houston Astros: SP Ted Lilly

As they continue to rebuild their franchise, the Astros likely won't spend much money again this offseason, but they could look to sign a veteran starter to fill out their staff in the mold of the Erik Bedard addition last winter.

With a handful of promising young arms led by Brett Oberholtzer and Jarred Cosart, the team would no doubt benefit from adding a veteran leader to help mentor their inexperienced staff.

Ted Lilly is one guy who could fill that role, as the 37-year-old is currently pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League, according to ESPN Deportes. The southpaw spent most of 2013 on the disabled list and has made just 13 starts over the past two years, but if he can prove he's healthy he could be a big bargain.

Kansas City Royals: SP/RP Chad Gaudin

Right field may be the Royals' biggest area of need, but if they opt to go the bargain route there they will have a hard time doing better than the in-house platoon of David Lough and Justin Maxwell that is currently set to occupy the position.

Instead, we'll focus on the starting rotation, where Ervin Santana is headed for greener pastures in free agency and valuable swingman Bruce Chen may also be on his way out the door. They have a pair of impact arms in Yordano Ventura and Kyle Zimmer that could get a long look, but adding a veteran for depth makes sense.

Chad Gaudin gives the team a guy who is more than capable of stepping into a starting role if he's needed, but is also a useful arm out of the bullpen. The 30-year-old was 5-2 with a 3.06 ERA in 30 games (12 starts) for the Giants last season.

Los Angeles Angels: SP Gavin Floyd

As the Angels look to justify their bloated payroll by putting a winning team on the field, they will no doubt be in the market for a pair of plus arms to slot behind Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Garrett Richards in the starting rotation.

However, they also have needs in the bullpen and at third base, and when all is said and done they may not wind up adding two top flight arms to their staff, especially given how much money they already have tied up in a handful of guys and how thin the starting pitching market is.

Instead, signing someone to a one-year, "show-me" deal could wind up being a viable option for them and Gavin Floyd fits that mold. He likely won't see the field until July after undergoing Tommy John surgery last May, but he won 62 games in a five-year span leading up to the injury and should come nice and cheap.

Los Angeles Dodgers: 3B Juan Uribe

The Dodgers don't exactly fall under the category of bargain shoppers at this point, as they will continue to draw from a seemingly endless pool of money in an attempt to fill out the rest of their rotation with plus arms.

There is a need at third base as well, and while they could get creative and explore the trade market, simply re-signing Juan Uribe looks like their best option at this point, and could be classified as a bargain move.

After hitting just .199/.262/.289 in 143 games his first two seasons with the Dodgers, the 34-year-old put up a .278/.331/.438 line in 132 games this past season. He also led NL third basemen with a 24.0 UZR and ranked second with 15 Defensive Runs Saved, according to FanGraphs. He is projected for a two-year, $12 million deal by MLBTradeRumors, and that would qualify him as a bargain in my book.

Miami Marlins: UT Willie Bloomquist

While the Dodgers don't fall into the bargain-hunter category, that may be the only type of moves the Marlins are willing to make at this point as they continue to rebuild.

Last offseason, the team added veterans Juan Pierre and Placido Polanco on one-year deals to fill out the roster, and they could explore similar moves this winter as well. They could use a veteran option at both second base and third base, though Derek Dietrich could wind up claiming the second base job this year.

Provided he is not scooped up for a similar role by a contender, signing veteran Willie Bloomquist would give the team a nice veteran mentor for their young middle infielders, and one of the more versatile utility men in the game. The 35-year-old has hit .307/.336/.389 in 463 at-bats with the Diamondbacks over the past two seasons.

Milwaukee Brewers: 1B Mark Reynolds

With Corey Hart shelved for the year, the Brewers got a dismal .206/.259/.370 line from the first base position in 2013, as Juan Francisco saw the bulk of the playing time there.

Bringing back Hart on a one-year deal remains an option, and there are some mid-level guys like James Loney and Kendrys Morales that the team could explore as well, but slugger Mark Reynolds looks like the best bargain at the position.

He's going to strike out a ton, but he also draws his fair share of walks and has a respectable .329 OBP despite a .233 career average. The 30-year-old had a down year in 2013 so he'll likely have to settle for a deal similar to the one-year, $6 million contract he got from the Indians last year. 

Minnesota Twins: SP Johan Santana

The Twins' rotation has been an absolute disaster the past two seasons, and they are coming off a season in which their starters posted an MLB-worst 5.26 ERA and won just 39 games.

Still at least a season away from reaping the rewards of arguably the best farm system in all of baseball, the Twins will likely go the bargain route in filling out their rotation once again this offseason, and a reunion with Johan Santana could be one option.

Matt Snyder of CBSSports wrote about a possible reunion between the left-hander and the team where he won two AL Cy Young awards, and as far as reclamation projects go Santana may well be the most intriguing option on the market.

New York Mets: SS Rafael Furcal

It's expected to be a busy offseason for the Mets, as they have a ton of payroll room to work with and are certainly in the hunt for one of the top outfield bats on the market if nothing else. 

Shortstop is also a clear area of need, as they got a terrible .215/.285/.276 line from the position last season and likely won't rely on Ruben Tejada to hold down the position again in 2014. There are options, both in free agency and on the trade market, but the best value may wind up being Rafael Furcal.

The 36-year-old missed all of the 2013 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but he was an All-Star in 2012 when he hit .264/.325/.346 out of the leadoff spot in the Cardinals' lineup. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets have already expressed interest in the veteran bounce-back candidate.

New York Yankees: C Dioner Navarro

The Yankees let Russell Martin walk last season offseason, a move they no doubt regretted the moment it became clear they'd open the season with Chris Stewart as their primary catcher. Prospect Austin Romine did not exactly step up as hoped either.

When the dust settled, the Yankees had gotten a .213/.289/.298 line and an MLB-low eight home runs from the catcher position. That should be more than enough reason for them to look for an upgrade this offseason, and while they are expected to make a serious run at Brian McCann, a decent Plan B could be Dioner Navarro.

Signed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal by the Cubs last offseason, Navarro had seen just 369 at-bats in the three seasons leading up to 2013, but quickly played his way into a semi-platoon with Welington Castillo in Chicago. All told, he hit .300/.365/.492 with 13 home runs in 240 at-bats, and that may be enough for him to get a look as an everyday option.

Oakland Athletics: RP Bruce Chen

The A's have a big decision to make at the back end of their bullpen this offseason, as incumbent closer Grant Balfour has likely priced himself out of Oakland in free agency. The most likely scenario appears to be moving one of the team's two ace setup men in Ryan Cook and Sean Doolittle into the role.

Doolittle may be the front-runner at this point, and that would leave the bullpen in need of another solid left-hander arm to fill the late-inning void. Veteran Bruce Chen served as a swingman for the Royals this past season, and in 19 relief appearances he had a 2.41 ERA.

What's more, Chen could provide some insurance to a young starting rotation that will likely lose Bartolo Colon in free agency as well. The 36-year-old was effective in 15 starts for Kansas City as well, going 6-4 with a 3.61 ERA and 1.076 WHIP.

Philadelphia Phillies: RF Corey Hart

While a tear-down and rebuild looks like the best option in Philadelphia at this point, chances are they'll look to add a handful of mid-level pieces this offseason in an effort to put together a winning season. One area they could look to improve is right field.

Domonic Brown and Ben Revere have left and center field locked down, but right field was a revolving door of sorts last season with Delmon Young and John Mayberry seeing the bulk of the at-bats. A right-handed bat would seem to be the likely target, with four left-handed bats already in the lineup.

Depending on his price tag, Corey Hart has a chance to be one of the biggest steals of the offseason if he's over the knee issues that cost him all of 2013. The 31-year-old averaged a line of .279/.343/.514 with 29 home runs and 83 RBI from 2010-12.

Pittsburgh Pirates: 1B James Loney

As they did in August, the Pirates will look to fill clear holes at first base and in right field this offseason, and while Marlon Byrd looks like a candidate to be re-signed, it looks like fellow August pickup Justin Morneau will likely be headed elsewhere.

The team rolled with a platoon of Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez for much of the year at first base, but with Jones looking like a non-tender candidate they will at the very least need a left-handed bat to pair with Sanchez.

James Loney looks like a good fit after thriving away from Los Angeles on a one-year deal with the Rays. MLBTradeRumors has him projected for a two-year, $16 million deal which certainly falls in the Pirates price range.

San Diego Padres: SP Dan Haren

The Padres pitching staff already looks better than it did heading into the 2013 season, thanks to the emergence of Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross and the deadline addition of Ian Kennedy.

The hope is that Kennedy can bounce back and anchor the staff, but they'll likely still be in the market for a front-line starter if they can find one. Enter Dan Haren, who signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Nationals last offseason.

The 33-year-old went 10-14 with a 4.67 ERA, but a closer look at the numbers shows he was 6-4 with a 3.52 ERA in the second half and 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA over his final four starts. Despite that strong finish, he may still wind up being a bargain, and if the Padres can sign him to the one-year, $10 million deal that MLBTradeRumors projected he'd have a chance to be an absolute steal.

San Francisco Giants: LF Nate McLouth

With the departure of Melky Cabrera last offseason, the Giants were left with a platoon of Gregor Blanco and Andres Torres to man left field in 2013, and all told they got a .257/.314/.337 line and just five home runs from the position.

The focus of the offseason will likely be adding a front-line arm or two to the rotation, so when they are finished with that there may not be enough money left to sign one of the top outfielders on the market. A mid-level option like Nate McLouth could make sense.

Plucked from the scrap heap in the second half of the 2012 season, McLouth went on to hit .268/.342/.435 over 55 games and that earned him a one-year, $2 million deal last offseason. He fell off after a terrific first half in 2013, but would still represent an upgrade after hitting .258/.329/.399 with 12 home runs and 30 steals on the year.

Seattle Mariners: RP Kevin Gregg

The Mariners will likely address their top offseason need, center field, with a splash signing in free agency. A close second on the shopping list is shoring up the bullpen, especially considering they'll likely have at least two rookie arms filling out the rotation this coming season.

Their 4.58 bullpen ERA was 29th in the MLB, and while they have some quality arms to work with in Yoervis Medina, Carter Capps and Danny Farquhar, they could use a veteran or two.

Kevin Gregg was scooped up by the Cubs in April after being released by the Dodgers, and quickly became their closer. He threw 14 straight scoreless innings to begin and converted his first 12 save chances. Even with a late-season falloff, he was 33-of-38 on save chances with a 3.48 ERA on the year.

St. Louis Cardinals: SS Jed Lowrie

The Cardinals biggest need this offseason is an upgrade over shortstop Pete Kozma, and while there are some free agent options in Stephen Drew and Jhonny Peralta, the trade market seems like the more likely option, so we'll turn our attention there for a moment.

Elvis Andrus and Troy Tulowitzki are the top names that are potentially available at the position, but both players will likely take a four-player package of high-end talent that includes Matt Adams and one of the team's young arms.

Another option could be A's shortstop Jed Lowrie, who hit .290/.344/.446 with 15 home runs and 75 RBI in his first season in Oakland. Lowrie is a free agent at the end of the season, and with shortstop Addison Russell ranking as the team's top prospect he's not likely to be re-signed. He'd be a significant upgrade, and should come significantly cheaper than Andrus or Tulowitzki.

Tampa Bay Rays: C Carlos Ruiz

The Rays have rolled with defensive-minded Jose Molina as their primary catcher for the past two seasons, and while they will likely let the 38-year-old walk in free agency, they could look for a similar option.

They got a respectable .245/.310/.355 line from the position in 2013, thanks in part to Jose Lobaton (.249/.320/.394, 7 HR, 277 AB), and chances are they'll be looking more for a defensive-minded platoon partner for Lobaton than an everyday option.

After a breakout season in 2012 that saw him hit .325/.394/.540 with 16 home runs in 372 at-bats, Carlos Ruiz saw his offensive production drop off substantially in 2013. Still, he's an upgrade over Molina and does a great job handling the staff.

Texas Rangers: C A.J. Pierzynski

After missing out on a number of free agent targets last offseason, the Rangers wound up signing a handful of consolation prizes to fill out their roster, with A.J. Pierzynski among them on a one-year, $7.5 million deal.

The 36-year-old ended up being one of the their better offensive producers, hitting .272 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI while playing in 134 games.

The Rangers are expected to make a run at Brian McCann or Jarrod Saltalamacchia this offseason, but bringing back Pierzynski on a two-year deal to bridge the gap to top prospect Jorge Alfaro looks like the much better value at this point.

Toronto Blue Jays: SP Roy Halladay

Maybe I'm a sucker for the late-career return to where it all started, having pegged Johan Santana as a target for the Twins, but a reunion between Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays could make a lot of sense.

Just two seasons removed from a second-place Cy Young finish, when he went 19-6 with a 2.35 ERA in 2011, Halladay has dealt with injuries and overall ineffectiveness the past two seasons and he enters free agency as one of the biggest question marks on the market.

He'll no doubt have to settle for an incentive-laden, one-year deal wherever he signs and for a Blue Jays team that has a lot of options to fill out their rotation he would not need to be anything more than a No. 5 starter and innings eater.

Washington Nationals: SP Tim Hudson

The Nationals entered the 2013 season with what looked to be the most complete roster top-to-bottom of any in baseball, and with essentially the same core group coming back this season, they really don't have many areas of need this winter.

With Dan Haren departing in free agency, adding a veteran starter is one move they could consider, though they have internal options in Ross Detwiler, Taylor Jordan and Tanner Roark to fill out the final two spots in the rotation.

Signing Tim Hudson to a deal similar to the one-year, $13 million contract they gave Haren last offseason would make a lot of sense. The 38-year-old was still going strong at 8-7 with a 3.97 ERA through 21 starts lats season before a broken ankle ended his season.