Stock Up, Stock Down on Top Available MLB Stars Entering December
Zack Greinke remains unsigned and Aroldis Chapman remains with the Cincinnati Reds, but the top available MLB stars are starting to vanish off the shelf.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Jordan Zimmermann has inked a new deal with the Detroit Tigers, which means that the loaded class of free-agent aces just shrank by one.
Last week, we took a look at potential surprise destinations for the top names on the winter market. This week, it's time to check in on that group and determine whose stock is up and whose stock is down based on all of the most recent buzz.
The list that follows includes the top five players from Bleacher Report's free-agent big board and the two most prominent targets on the trade block. In the process of fitting those two trade targets into the rankings, 2015 performance was the most important consideration, but their respective contract situation was also factored into the equation.
Now that Jose Fernandez has been deemed "not currently available," a new trade piece replaces him in the rankings. Unfortunately for that outfielder, his stock is definitely not on the rise.
7. LF Justin Upton
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It's been awfully quiet on the Justin Upton front during the hot stove season.
That's somewhat surprising because at 28 years old, Upton is one of the younger bats on the market. As David Schoenfield of ESPN sees it, the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants all make sense as logical landing spots for the right-handed masher.
It's possible that one of the reasons why there hasn't been much buzz surrounding the left fielder is that he wasn't much of a masher in 2015. While spending the season with the San Diego Padres, Upton checked in with 26 home runs and a .454 slugging percentage while playing his home games at the cavernous Petco Park.
The strange part about those numbers is that Upton actually hit better at home than on the road:
- Home: 15 home runs, .506 slugging percentage
- Away: 11 home runs, .402 slugging percentage
After taking those splits into consideration, there's no question that Upton will have to wait in line behind guys like Jason Heyward and Yoenis Cespedes before finding a new employer. To make the picture even murkier, there are also talented outfielders on the trade block—including the next guy on this list.
Stock: Down
6. RF Yasiel Puig
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It's thanks to Andy Van Slyke, the former first base coach of the Seattle Mariners and the father of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke, that Yasiel Puig ends up on this list.
Less than two weeks ago, in an interview with Frank Cusumano on CBS Sports Radio 920, Van Slyke implied that superstar Clayton Kershaw would like the Dodgers brass to send the Cuban right fielder out of town.
Since then, Puig, who hit .255 during an injury-riddled 2015, has done nothing to boost his potential trade value.
Last Wednesday, the 24-year-old was involved in an incident at a bar in Miami. According to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, the Miami police consider the case to be closed, but the commissioner's office is set to investigate the right fielder under the league's new domestic violence policy. Puig becomes the second player to become subject to the new policy.
That's not a good look for a guy who has also been asked by his bosses to trim down, as Hernandez reported earlier in the offseason.
Stock: Down
5. CF/RF Jason Heyward
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Earlier in the month, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports argued that Jason Heyward's next payday "could approach, if not exceed, $200 million." Based on how slowly his market has developed, Heyward is going to have to be highly patient if he's going to crack that mark.
From the outset, the St. Louis Cardinals have been in the mix to re-sign the 26-year-old.
"Jason was a tremendous fit on this club," general manager John Mozeliak told the Associated Press, via USA Today, after the Chicago Cubs knocked the Cards out of the postseason. "If we have the ability to make it happen, we're certainly going to try."
Aside from St. Louis, two other teams have been directly linked to Heyward. Per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the Los Angeles Angels "aren’t ruling out a pursuit of [the] free agent." If the left-handed hitter ended up at the Big A, the Halos would have two 2015 Gold Glovers (Heyward and Kole Calhoun) and a finalist (Mike Trout) in the outfield.
Meanwhile, David Kaplan of CSN Chicago connected the Cubs to Heyward, tweeting that the team "like[s] Heyward a lot." There would be a lot to like about an outfield at Wrigley with Heyward in center, Kyle Schwarber in left and Jorge Soler in right.
Stock: Even
4. CL Aroldis Chapman
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The trade market is awash with high-end closers. According to Heyman of CBS Sports, Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Mark Melancon and Ken Giles are all on the block "to some degree."
Even in that crowd, Chapman stands out.
That's because there just isn't anyone else who is as electric as the Cuban. Dating to 1901, the lefty owns the highest strikeout percentage (42.9 percent) and the lowest batting average against (.153) of any pitcher who has thrown at least 300 innings, per Mike Petriello of MLB.com.
That's the definition of dominant. As Heyman noted, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals have all inquired about the ninth-inning ace in recent months, and now the Los Angeles Dodgers can be added to that list.
Stock: Up
3. CF/LF Yoenis Cespedes
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Yoenis Cespedes' representatives at Creative Artists Agency and Roc Nation sure have taken a unique approach this offseason.
According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN, his agents have given teams a book dubbed "52 Reviews" which runs approximately 100 pages and includes praise from players, coaches, execs and others from around the game.
So far, the custom book hasn't led to many bites, as there's been next to zero chatter surrounding the 30-year-old slugger on the rumor mill. However, as ESPN's Jayson Stark pointed out in an interview on the Michael Kay Show on 98.7 FM ESPN, Cespedes is far from the only position player who's in that situation.
“The bat market is just full of guys with different sorts of flaws. And it's really tricky trying to figure out who's going to go where for how much. It's incredible. It's not just Cespedes. Try to name one hitter besides Chris Davis who you've heard any amount of buzz on? It's just not happening yet.”
Eventually, the buzz will begin. After all, Cespedes is a Gold Glove winner who has a cannon for a right arm and who just hit 35 home runs in 2015.
Stock: Even
2. SP David Price
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With Zimmermann off the market, there's one less front-line arm up for grabs. That can only help the AL Cy Young Award runner-up David Price, as there are all sorts of teams looking for an ace.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, "the bidding should reach the seven-year, $210 million range and likely include the [Toronto] Blue Jays, [St. Louis] Cardinals, [Chicago] Cubs, [San Francisco] Giants, and [Los Angeles] Dodgers. And those are just the main players."
As Cafardo added, the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are also on the "periphery" of the conversation.
In an interview with WEEI, via TheScore.com, Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell chimed in on the potential of hauling in Price and Greinke.
"That would be like having two turkeys at Thanksgiving," Farrell said.
The Red Sox—or any of the other teams listed above—will be lucky to get just one of those turkeys. With so many clubs haunting for a No. 1, Price and Greinke both have the luxury to sit back and let the offers start rolling in.
Stock: Up
1. SP Zack Greinke
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It's good to be Zack Greinke.
As the reigning ERA king of baseball, the right-hander has no shortage of suitors this offseason. While the Boston Red Sox have already been singled out as a potential landing spot for Greinke, Heyman of CBS Sports noted that a couple of NL Central powers—the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals—could also make a run at the starter.
But the biggest reason that Greinke's stock is on the rise is that there could be a bidding war between a couple of NL West rivals on tap. According to Heyman, "more and more people expect the [San Francisco] Giants to be the Dodgers' big competition for Greinke."
With the threat of Greinke heading north to AT&T Park in play, the vet will have all the leverage on his side when he sits down to negotiate with the Dodgers.
Stock: Up
Note: All stats courtesy of BaseballReference.com and MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
