Best MLB Free-Agency Fallback Options, Position by Position
Every MLB teams has a best-case scenario on how their offseason could play out in terms of what specific players they add to address their various areas of need.
However, with 29 other teams vying for the services of the same crop of free agents, things don't always go according to plan, and teams are often forced to move on to Plan B or Plan C to address a particular need.
So with that in mind, what follows is a look at the best fallback options at each position in this year's free-agent class.
For each position, the top tier of available players was established, and then the best of the remaining players at the position were highlighted.
Catcher: Geovany Soto
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2015 Stats
| 78 | .219/.301/.406 | 96 | 41 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 20 | 0 | 1.0 |
First-Tier Options
Alex Avila, Dioner Navarro
Overview
With Matt Wieters surprisingly accepting his qualifying offer and both A.J. Pierzynski and Chris Iannetta already signing in free agency, what was already a thin market for catchers is now virtually nonexistent.
Veterans Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro represent the top tier of remaining options, and both are probably best suited as backups who are capable of stepping into a larger role if need be.
As for a fallback option for teams still looking to add a catcher to the mix, keep an eye on Geovany Soto.
The former NL Rookie of the Year has not topped 200 at-bats in a season since 2012, and his numbers with the Chicago White Sox this past season don't exactly jump off the page.
However, he did post a .780 OPS against left-handed pitching and remains a plus catch-and-throw receiver, so there could some value to be had out of the 32-year-old on a low-cost deal.
First Baseman: Justin Morneau
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2015 Stats
| 49 | .310/.363/.458 | 109 | 52 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 19 | 0 | 0.4 |
First-Tier Options
Chris Davis
Overview
The gap between Chris Davis and the rest of the free-agent class among first basemen is a wide one, as the No. 2 option may very well have been Korean slugger Byung-Ho Park, who was not technically a free agent after being subjected to the posting system.
Two veterans do hold some intrigue as fallback options, though, as Justin Morneau and Mike Napoli are both still capable of making an impact.
Let's focus on Morneau.
Last time he was on the free-agent market, he signed a two-year, $11.75 million deal with the Colorado Rockies.
In those two seasons, he hit a stellar .316/.363/.487 and won the NL batting title in 2014 with a .319 batting average.
However, he played just 49 games this past season, and may very well wind up settling for less money than he got last time around and less than what Napoli signs for.
At 34 years old, Morneau is not the slugger he once was, but his solid batting average the past two seasons was not simply a result of playing his home games at Coors Field, as his home-road splits were not as drastic as you may think.
He's by no means a long-term option, but as a stopgap signing, Morneau may still have a couple of productive seasons in the tank if he can stay healthy.
Second Baseman: Kelly Johnson
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2015 Stats
| 111 | .265/.314/.435 | 108 | 82 | 11 | 14 | 47 | 38 | 2 | 0.3 |
First-Tier Options
Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy, Ben Zobrist
Overview
Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Ben Zobrist are All-Star-caliber options in a surprisingly deep free-agent class at second base, but there's a very real chance all three wind up re-signing this offseason.
The next tier is technically made up of a pair of veterans in Stephen Drew and Chase Utley, but both players will likely be looking for more playing time than they deserve at this point in their careers, and likely won't deliver a ton of value relative to the salaries they'll command.
Instead, a fallback option worth looking into would be the versatile Kelly Johnson.
This past season, he played everywhere but pitcher, catcher and center field, and he actually spent more time in left field than at any other position.
His natural spot is still second base, though, and from an offensive standpoint, that's where he is most valuable.
With 14 home runs in 2015, he now has double-digit long balls in seven of his 10 big league seasons, and his .265 average was his best mark since he batted .284 back in 2010.
He's best served in that super utility role as a solid offensive player and passable defender at multiple spots, but you could do worse than handing the bulk of playing time at second base to the 33-year-old.
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Third Baseman: Nobuhiro Matsuda
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2015 Stats
| 143 | .287/.357/.533 | - | 153 | 22 | 35 | 94 | 91 | 8 | - |
First-Tier Options
David Freese, Daniel Murphy
Overview
The third base market is incredibly thin this offseason, making potential trade chips Todd Frazier and Trevor Plouffe that much more valuable to teams looking to upgrade at the hot corner.
David Freese is still a solid everyday option, albeit one that requires a backup capable of stepping into a significant role given his injury history. Daniel Murphy is also an option, and is probably better suited defensively to play third base, but it remains to be seen if he'll be willing to slide over from second.
After those two, things drop off significantly to the likes of veteran Juan Uribe and slugger Mark Reynolds, who are both best served as part-time players at this point.
However, one player who could emerge as a viable option is Japanese veteran Nobuhiro Matsuda.
The 32-year-old has spent the past 10 seasons playing for the Softbank Hawks, where he's hit .277/.325/.477 with 161 home runs and 577 RBI.
He set new career highs in home runs (35), RBI (94), runs (91), walks (60), on-base percentage (.357) and OPS (.889) this past season, and now appears ready to make the move stateside.
"One’s life in baseball is short," he said in a statement released by the Hawks (via the Japan Times). "To avoid regrets I’ve made this decision out of a desire to learn what I am worth. This is the only chance I will have to find out whether or not I can compete in the majors."
There's always a question of how the talent level will translate, but he has a nice career under his belt already and could be an interesting option at a thin position.
Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera
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2015 Stats
| 143 | .265/.315/.430 | 105 | 134 | 28 | 15 | 58 | 66 | 6 | 1.7 |
First-Tier Options
Ian Desmond
Overview
For teams looking to upgrade at the shortstop position and not willing to pay Ian Desmond, the options are slim.
More accurately, there is really only one other viable everyday option: Asdrubal Cabrera.
The 30-year-old signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal and wound up being one of the few consistent offensive contributors for the Tampa Bay Rays.
His 28 doubles, 58 RBI and 217 total bases each ranked third on the team, while his 15 home runs were good for fourth on the team and seventh among all qualified shortstops.
A below-average glove (minus-7 DRS, minus-10.4 UZR/150) hurts his value, and those metrics are about in line with where he's been throughout his career, but he makes the routine plays.
All that in mind, he should be able to find a multiyear deal this time around, given his age and offensive production.
Behind Cabrera, you're left considering names like Alexei Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins and Clint Barmes who are all well into the downswing of their respective careers.
Corner Outfielder: Gerardo Parra
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2015 Stats
| 155 | .291/.328/.452 | 110 | 159 | 36 | 14 | 51 | 83 | 14 | 1.0 |
First-Tier Options
Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton
Overview
With so many second-tier outfielders capable of playing both left and right field, we'll lump all of the corner outfielders into one group here.
Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon, Jason Heyward and Justin Upton all appear to be locks for at least $100 million this offseason, and that kind of salary commitment is simply not a viable option for some MLB teams.
Luckily, there are also a number of second-tier options, and the best of that group appears to be Gerardo Parra.
The 28-year-old hit .328/.369/.517 with 38 extra-base hits in 323 at-bats for the Milwaukee Brewers last season before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles at the deadline.
Things did not go well in Baltimore, as his OPS dropped from .886 with the Brewers to .625 with the Orioles, but that won't stop him from fielding plenty of multiyear offers.
Parra is a two-time Gold Glove winner capable of playing all three outfield positions, and with a solid .326 career on-base percentage, he's also a viable low-cost leadoff option.
Other fallback corner outfield options include Nori Aoki, Marlon Byrd, Chris Young, Rajai Davis and David Murphy.
Center Fielder: Denard Span
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2015 Stats
| 61 | .301/.365/.431 | 114 | 74 | 17 | 5 | 22 | 38 | 11 | 0.8 |
First-Tier Options
Dexter Fowler
Overview
While Dexter Fowler is an easy choice as the top center fielder on the market, he also comes tied to a qualifying offer and teams won't be nearly as quick to part with a first-round pick for his services as they will be for the other elite free-agent outfielders.
That leaves Denard Span and Austin Jackson as the potential fallback options to focus on.
Jackson may be a safer bet from a health standpoint and will likely come cheaper, but Span has a chance to be a real impact player if his injury issues are behind him.
Span hit .302 and led the NL with 184 hits in 2014, but he played in just 61 games this past season while dealing with a hip injury that eventually required surgery in August.
The Nationals were 36-25 (.590) with him in the lineup compared to 47-54 (.465) without him, so his value as a catalyst atop the lineup was very clear.
A one-year, incentive-laden deal with a second-year option seems like the best approach to signing Span this winter, but that may be easier said than done for the Scott Boras client.
Starting Pitcher: John Lackey
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2015 Stats
| 33 | 13-10 | 2.77 | 3.57 | 1.211 | 53 | 175 | 218.0 | 5.7 |
First-Tier Options
Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke, David Price, Jordan Zimmermann
Player Overview
There are is an abundance of second-tier pitching options this season beyond the Big Four listed above, as this ranks as perhaps the deepest crop of free-agent starting pitchers in recent memory.
The likes of Wei-Yin Chen, Yovani Gallardo, J.A. Happ, Hisashi Iwakuma, Scott Kazmir, Ian Kennedy, Mike Leake and Jeff Samardzija are all capable of providing middle-of-the-rotation production with varying levels of upside and salary expectations.
However, the cream of the crop in that second group is John Lackey.
After playing out the 2015 season for $500,000 due to a clause in his last contract, he'll be due a significant raise, but given his age (37) there's a good chance he can be had on a two- or three-year deal at the most.
The veteran stepped up big for the St. Louis Cardinals this past season when Adam Wainwright went down, finishing among the NL leaders in ERA (2.77, seventh) and WAR for pitchers (5.7, fifth).
He also comes with a tremendous amount of postseason experience, going 8-5 with a 3.11 ERA in 127.1 career innings of work in the playoffs.
It's worth noting that he did have some significant home (9-4, 1.93 ERA) and road (4-6, 3.82 ERA) splits, but he's generally pitched better at home wherever he plays.
Lackey does come tied to a qualifying offer, just like Chen, Gallardo, Iwakuma, Kennedy and Samardzija, but for teams not looking to commit big money on a long-term deal, he looks like the top option.
Relief Pitcher: RHP Shawn Kelley
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2015 Stats
| 53 | 2-2 | 7 | 2.45 | 1.091 | 15 | 63 | 51.1 | 0.8 |
First-Tier Options
Tyler Clippard, Darren O'Day, Joakim Soria
Overview
The trade market for high-end relief pitching has been incredibly busy already this offseason.
Joaquin Benoit and Craig Kimbrel have already been traded by the San Diego Padres, while names like Aroldis Chapman, Mark Melancon, Andrew Miller, Brad Boxberger, Jonathan Papelbon, Drew Storen and Ken Giles are all potentially available, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Part of that has to do with a newfound value being placed on having an elite bullpen, and part of that has to do with a relatively thin crop of high-end free-agent relievers.
Tyler Clippard, Darren O'Day and Joakim Soria all figure to get significant multiyear deals, but beyond those three the market is up in the air.
One name worth keeping an eye on, though, is Shawn Kelley.
A 3.02 FIP and a strong 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 2014 profiled him as a potential impact late-inning arm, and that's exactly what the San Diego Padres were hoping to get when they traded for him last offseason.
The move to the National League and pitcher-friendly Petco Park resulted in career bests in ERA (2.45), WHIP (1.091) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.20), and there is reason to believe he can post similar numbers regardless of where he winds up in 2016.
As good as that 2015 performance was, Kelley has undergone two Tommy John surgeries, and he missed time last year with a calf strain and a forearm strain, so injury concerns could keep him to a one-year deal.
Provided he stays healthy, though, he could be a steal as an impact late-inning bullpen arm.
All standard stats and WAR totals courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, while defensive metrics like DRS and UZR/150 come via FanGraphs.
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