Updating the Latest 2014-15 MLB Free-Agency Rumors, Speculation
In three days, the 2014 MLB regular season will be over, and the playoff picture is almost finalized. And while most everyone is watching the action on the diamond, the 2014-15 free-agency rhetoric is starting to pick up.
So what new rumors and speculation have there been in the past week? Who’s talking about some of the bigger names set to cash in on large paydays or switch teams?
As a usual note, we will not be covering all of the top targets set to hit free agency, nor will the main speculation come from ideas posited earlier in the season. Older rumors and speculation may be used as supporting information but will not be central to the premise.
The names presented here have all been discussed since last Friday by prominent writers from around the country. That way, we can keep the conversation driven by credibility.
Here are some updates on the latest MLB free-agency rumors and speculation.
Will the Pittsburgh Pirates Buck Recent History and Keep Russell Martin?
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Well, this is news.
“In part because of Russell Martin’s impending free agency,” Travis Sawchik from TribLive.com wrote, “the [Pittsburgh] Pirates are reevaluating their payroll allocation models.” Sawchik went on to add that “general manager Neal Huntington said the club is prepared to ‘stretch beyond our normal comfort zone’ to retain” the former All-Star.
That has to be refreshing news for Pirates fans.
After all, Martin is one of the best catchers in MLB and an unquestioned leader on a club that is now headed to the postseason for the second time in as many years. And to lose him without extending anything other than a qualifying offer would be hard to understand.
That said, Huntington had better get a move on working out a contract.
See, if Martin reaches free agency outright, the Pirates may not be able to compete with the many teams in need of a significant upgrade at the position, including the Chicago Cubs. And let’s not forget that Gordon Wittenmyer from the Chicago Sun-Times posited last week that Martin “might be one of the best fits” for the Cubs.
The Cubs aren't alone, either. There are more than a few teams that will likely offer Martin a three-year deal to join their ranks. This is going to be an interesting storyline to keep an eye on.
Is This Adam LaRoche's Swan Song with the Washington Nationals?
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From the sound of it, Adam LaRoche’s time as the first baseman for the Washington Nationals is coming to an end.
“If you had to ask me now,” LaRoche said, “I would assume that I would have to move on, unfortunately,” via Mark Zuckerman from NatsInsider.com.
To be sure, this isn’t the situation he wants to be in. “I love playing here,” he said, per Zuckerman. But with the financial obligation the Nationals have to Ryan Zimmerman ($74 million through 2019 with a 2020 option, per Cots Contacts), there isn’t any room for him on the roster.
The Nationals' loss will be another club’s gain, however.
The Milwaukee Brewers are just one team that is in dire need of a first baseman who can do more than hit home runs. Entering play Thursday, the collection of players who have logged time at first for manager Ron Roenicke’s club have put up a .208/.288/.360 slash line with 19 home runs, 61 RBI and 24 doubles, per splits at Baseball-Reference.
There are other teams, of course, including the San Diego Padres and Oakland A’s, but the larger point remains—when LaRoche hits the open market, he will immediately become the best first baseman available.
It Appears That Alex Rios Is Set to Join the Ranks of Free Agency
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Alex Rios’ tenure came to an unceremonious end with the Texas Rangers.
Per a report from MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan last Sunday, “the Rangers hold a $14 million option on Rios for 2015 but are expected to decline the option and pay the $1 million buyout so they can move Shin-Soo Choo to right field and use the money on pitching.”
This is welcome news for several teams across MLB that need to add an outfielder. He has the ability to drive the gaps, is accomplished on the basepaths and isn’t an all-out liability in right field.
For his career, Rios has a .278/.323/.439 slash line with 165 home runs, 762 RBI, 244 stolen bases and 352 doubles. In other words, he has proven to be a solid contributor for the majority of his career, although he certainly isn’t worth $14 million.
Rios’ run production (4 HR, 54 RBI, 54 R) suffered greatly this season, but some of that can be attributed to the thumb injury that abruptly ended his campaign. Overall, though, he still has value and could end up signing a one-year deal in order to increase his value in advance of a multiyear contract beginning in 2016.
It must be noted that Rios has entertained the idea of taking a pay cut to remain with the Rangers. “That’s a situation you have to examine,” he said, according to Jeff Wilson from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
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Where Will J.J. Hardy Land?
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J.J. Hardy has some interesting thoughts about his future.
“If I make it to free agency,” Hardy said, “it would be wide open,” via Brendan Kuty from NJ.com. Now Kuty was inquiring about the vacancy the New York Yankees will have at shortstop with Derek Jeter’s retirement, but the comments are significant for quite a few other clubs.
The New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres, for example, each had an OPS under .620 from the position when play began Thursday, according to splits at ESPN.com. That makes the .272/.312/.376 slash line, nine home runs and 52 RBI Hardy has amassed to this point a very attractive option.
One final team to keep an eye on should Hardy make it to free agency is the Milwaukee Brewers. They do have Jean Segura on the roster, and he is under team control for the next four seasons, but Hardy would be a great fit on the club that drafted him in the second round of the 2001 MLB first-year player draft.
All of that said, the Orioles would be foolish to let Hardy walk. He is a Gold Glove-winning shortstop with a lively bat and is one of the guys manager Buck Showalter relies upon thanks to his consistency and leadership.
More will be revealed over the coming weeks, of course, and Hardy and the Orioles are focused on the postseason, but general manager Dan Duquette should already be formulating a plan to keep the All-Star with the club for the next three seasons.
Unless otherwise noted, all traditional, team and historical statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference and are accurate as of game time Thursday, Sept. 25. Transaction, injury and game information are courtesy of MLB.com.
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