MLB Free Agents 2013: Underrated Stars Teams Must Not Overlook

Everyone who follows Major League Baseball knows the big names that will be at the top of every list of available free agents this offseason. Players like Zack Greinke, Josh Hamilton and Michael Bourn are going to command a lot of attention, and dollars, this winter. 

Since there are very few teams who will be able to afford the top-tier talents available, it is best to know the names of the players who are capable of doing good, or even great, things on the field. 

The best part is they will cost a fraction of what those three players are going to command. Here are the underrated free agents we are keeping tabs on heading into the offseason. 

B.J. Upton, CF

I know there is a lot backlash against Upton either for being lazy or just not a very good player. While I can't deny there are some serious mental lapses involved with his game, Upton is a very valuable commodity who deserves a lot of attention this offseason. 

First, Upton is a true center fielder. He plays the position really well, with speed, range and a good arm. His defense has fallen a bit, at least according to FanGraphs' defensive metrics, but he is still good with the glove (I am not worried about his negative rating this year since traditionally you need a few years' worth of evidence to determine how good or bad a defensive player is).

Second, while he is never going to be an offensive monster, Upton does bring some skills to the table that you don't find from many center fielders. He is a solid baserunner, as evidenced by his 22 stolen bases, and he has good power production. 

He is never going to hit for average or get on base at a high clip, but he does enough around those negative skills to warrant a nice contract. Plus, he doesn't turn 28 until August 21, giving him at least two or three peak years of value left. 

Ryan Madson, RP

Note: Madson has an $11 million mutual option with the Reds

If Madson makes it to the open market, I think he could be a very valuable commodity. While not pitching in 2011 due to Tommy John surgery is going to hurt his financial value to a team, the fact that you could get a potentially dominant reliever cheap is going to appeal to everyone.

The stigma of Tommy John surgery is basically gone. We see pitchers go under the knife all the time, rehab and come back looking better than ever. 

It is going to take Madson time to get back the feel for all his pitches, so plugging him into a high-leverage role right out of the gate would be a mistake. But if you are able to get him on a cheap one-year deal with the idea of making him a closer around May or June, you could get a steal. 

Every team needs bullpen help. Madson is going to be one of the most valuable commodities if the Reds decide to buy out his deal. 

Nick Swisher, OF

Once you get past Hamilton and Bourn, you could make a case for Swisher as the third-best position player available this winter. 

Swisher is not as exciting as those two players, obviously, but he does a lot of things that you have to love. He doesn't have ideal power for a right fielder, but he has a very good eye at the plate and his defense has never gotten as much credit as it deserves. 

The two concerns I would have are his age—he will turn 32 in November—and the fact that his walk rate has decreased by more than four percent from last season (15 percent in 2011 to 10.7 in 2012), while his strikeout rate has gone up more than three percent (19.7 percent in 2011 to 23.1 in 2012).

I don't know if I would give him more than a three-year deal, but if a team goes after Hamilton and doesn't like the price tag, Swisher would be a nice fallback plan. 

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