Report Card Grades for MLB's Top 5 Free Agent Signings So Far
For the most part, the heavy lifting of the MLB offseason is yet to be finished, with most of the marquee free agents still being available.
But that's not to say there some significant players have not already inked new deals, some with new teams and some with their old clubs. With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror and the Winter Meetings coming up from Dec. 9-12, expect the MLB hot stove to keep heating up.
While it's hard to truly assess a free-agent deal until baseball starts up again in 2014, let's take a look at report card grades of the top five signings so far.
C Brian McCann (New York Yankees)
1 of 5
The Deal: Five years, $85 Million
Grade: A
Analysis
The New York Yankees might not have the same aura about them as in years past, but they still have some deep pockets and major attraction as a destination for a free agent. Their five-year, $85 million agreement with Brian McCann still stands as the biggest free-agent deal signed so far this winter, and it reportedly could reach $100 million if McCann achieves all of his incentives.
McCann was undoubtedly the top catcher on the market in an offseason which features a few solid options at the position, like Jarrod Saltalamacchia, A.J. Pierzynski and Dioner Navarro.
But McCann has separated himself as one of the best hitting backstops since becoming an everyday player in 2006. In the past eight seasons for the Atlanta Braves, he has posted a .277/.350/.477 slash line with yearly averages of 21 home runs and 80 RBI. Those are rare power numbers from the catching position, and his move from Atlanta to the Bronx gives him the chance to play designated hitter on days that he needs rest as he gets older.
He also fills a major need for the Yankees, as last year's top catcher Chris Stewart batted .211/.293/.272 with four home runs and 25 RBI. McCann's left-handed swing should also fare well with the short right-field fence at Yankee Stadium, giving him the chance to maintain his power numbers for years to come.
In all, this seems like a great fit for both sides in a deal that reflects McCann's expected market value.
RHP Ricky Nolasco (Minnesota Twins)
2 of 5
The Deal: Four years, $49 million
Grade: C+
Analysis
The Minnesota Twins were linked to several pitchers this offseason, including others like Matt Garza, but they found their man in Ricky Nolasco. While the four-year contract signed on Thursday, per ESPN.com, is certainly a big commitment for the Minnesota Twins, it's much smaller than the reported five-year, $80 million contract that Nolasco initially sought in free agency.
With a pitching staff that ranked No. 29 in team ERA (4.55), the Twins were in desperate need for a reliable starting pitcher. Nolasco has been an effective innings eater since 2008, averaging 192 innings per season since then and winning at least 10 games in each of those six years. Since Minnesota didn't even have a 10-game winner last year, Nolasco has the license to step right in and be the team's No. 1 pitcher.
He certainly looked like an ace after being traded from the Miami Marlins to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July. In his first 12 starts with the Dodgers, Nolasco went 8-1 with a 2.07 ERA. But he had a tough finish to the regular season, posting a 12.75 ERA and a .393 opponents' batting average in his last three starts of the year. Nolasco finished 2013 with a 13-11 mark, 3.70 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 7.4 K/9 rate, and he was able to parlay that into a nice payday with the Twins.
Nolasco turns 31 in December, and while he might be Minnesota's de facto ace, he's still not a No. 1 pitcher in the grand scheme of things. Nolasco is a good presence in the middle-of-the-rotation, but it's hard to justify paying him an average of $12.25 million over the next four seasons at this point in his career.
But the Twins had a gaping hole in the rotation and shelled out the cash to make their move. By 2016 and 2017, however, I suspect this contract will be viewed as an albatross, with Nolasco not living up to his paycheck. Nolasco is a good fit in the short-term, but this deal could come back to haunt the Twins in the long-term.
SS Jhonny Peralta (St. Louis Cardinals)
3 of 5
The Deal: Four years, $52 million
Grade: B-
Analysis
The St. Louis Cardinals made no secret that they were looking for an upgrade at shortstop this year, following a dismal season of offensive production from starter Pete Kozma.
In 143 games for St. Louis in 2013, Kozma batted .217/.275/.273 with one a homer and 35 RBI, which are not numbers you want to see from a virtual everyday player. Peralta, meanwhile, batted .303/.358/.457 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI before being suspended for the final 50 games due to his role in the Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug scandal.
The size of this deal caught many off guard, as Jon Heyman and two of his baseball sources expected a deal in the neighborhood of two years and $20 million. In the aftermath of the deal, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak took a defensive stance on giving so much money to a known cheater but told reporters, via ESPN.com, "I feel like he has paid for his mistakes, and obviously if he were to make another one, then it would be a huge disappointment."
According to Heyman, this will be a rare front-loaded deal, with Peralta set to earn $15.5 million in 2014, followed by yearly salaries of $15 million (2015), $12.5 million (2016) and $10 million (2017). This is a wise move for a player who will turn 32 in May.
Per Spotrac.com, Peralta will be the game's third-highest paid shortstop, behind Jose Reyes ($17.7 million) and Troy Tulowitzki ($15.8 million), but that doesn't include fellow free agent Stephen Drew, who figures to earn a nice payday this winter as well.
Peralta has certainly been productive since 2005, posting a .270/.332/.431 slash line with yearly averages of 17 homers and 75 RBI. Even though shortstop was a major area of need for the Cardinals, you have to expect Peralta's production to decline as he reaches his mid 30s.
The front-loaded contract was a smart decision, but the Cardinals might be kicking themselves by the end of this big deal. For now, Peralta is a more reliable option than Drew, and he doesn't come at the expense of a draft pick, making this deal one that is full of pros and cons.
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LHP Jason Vargas (Kansas City Royals)
4 of 5
The Deal: Four years, $32 million
Grade: C
Analysis
The Kansas City Royals have a major void to fill in the rotation with Ervin Santana testing free agency following a productive 2013 campaign.
With Santana reportedly seeking a five-year deal worth $112 million, per Heyman, Vargas is a much cheaper veteran option, albeit with a much lower ceiling. One of Vargas' top attributes is the ability to eat innings, as he averaged 204 innings pitched from 2010-12 before a blood clot limited him to just 150 innings this past season.
After checking out his medical records, the Royals deemed him fit for a four-year contract that will keep him with the club through 2017. According to Dave Skretta of the Associated Press, the deal will pay Vargas $8 million in 2014, followed by $8.5 million salaries in 2015-16 and $7.5 million in the final season of the deal.
Since becoming a full-time starter in 2010, Vargas has a 42-44 record with a 3.97 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 5.9 K/9 ratio. Those are serviceable numbers, and his new contract is about on par with what the market price is for pitching these days.
While the $8 million average annual value isn't all that bad for a solid middle-of-the-rotation presence like Vargas, the length of the deal is questionable. Vargas will turn 31 in February, and his skills will likely diminish by the third and fourth years of the contract, when he could be the team's expensive fourth or fifth starter.
Vargas enters 2014 as the second or third starter on the team, depending on where you view he and Jeremy Guthrie behind ace James Shields. With some more young pitching on the way, Kansas City could look back to this signing as an overreaction to Santana's departure.
C Carlos Ruiz (Philadelphia Phillies)
5 of 5
The Deal: Three years, $26 million
Grade: D
Analysis
Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. provided the first major head-scratching signing of the offseason when he inked Carlos Ruiz to a three-year deal to keep him with the club. Keith Law of ESPN.com went as far as to call it "absolute lunacy," saying the team has once again overpaid for an aging hitter on the decline of his career.
The catcher turns 35 in January and hasn't shown much power at the plate, aside from his lone All-Star campaign in 2012, when he batted .325/.395/.540 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI. Paying a catcher nearly $9 million annually for numbers like those would be justified, but right now, that season looks like an anomaly for Ruiz, and there's no reason to think he'll be able to accomplish similar numbers as he reaches the twilight of his career.
But this is on par with the Phillies, who now have a bevy of high-paid veterans in their mid-30s, including Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd.
While the Phillies needed a catcher, this seems like way too much money for Ruiz, who has his limitations at the plate. Since becoming an everyday player in 2007, Ruiz has batted .275/.359/.411 with yearly averages of eight homers and 47 RBI. Those aren't numbers that warrant such a big contract in terms of years and dollars.
Though it's hard to put a price tag on Ruiz's influence with the pitching staff, this just further handcuffs the Phillies for the future. It wouldn't be surprising if Ruiz was a backup by the final season of this deal, which will likely be an easy target for scrutiny going forward.
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