Surprise Suitors for Top Names on the Offseason MLB Market
What had been a relatively quiet MLB offseason exploded Monday afternoon, leaving baseball fans wondering what else could be in store well in advance of the annual winter meetings.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Giancarlo Stanton agreed to a record-setting 13-year, $325 million extension with the Miami Marlins. The top free-agent catcher on the market, Russell Martin, signed a five-year, $82 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden from the Atlanta Braves for Shelby Miller and prospect Tyrell Jenkins, giving us our first big trade of the winter.
The Stanton extension had been in the works for some time, but the other two moves were surprises.
Staying on the subject of surprise moves, let's take a quick look around the league at some of the top remaining players in free agency and identify some surprise teams that have been rumored as potential suitors for them.
SP Ubaldo Jimenez
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Surprise Suitor: Cleveland Indians
Overview
At this time last year, Ubaldo Jimenez was viewed as one of the top free agents in a relatively thin class, and he wound up walking away with a four-year, $50 million deal from the Baltimore Orioles after turning down a qualifying offer from the Cleveland Indians.
All of that came on the heels of a terrific bounce-back season in which he went 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 182.2 innings. That included a brilliant second half where he was 6-5 with a 1.82 ERA in 13 starts.
The 30-year-old regressed in a big way this past season, though, going 6-9 with a 4.81 ERA and eventually losing his rotation spot in the second half.
With Kevin Gausman ready to occupy that rotation spot this coming season, it comes as no big surprise that the Orioles are now looking to unload Jimenez.
One possible landing spot could be back in Cleveland, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.
That comes as a surprise. Who would have guessed that the Indians, having let Jimenez walk a year ago, would be in a position to reunite with him?
There is a need in Cleveland, though. The Indians are looking for a proven veteran to slot alongside Corey Kluber in their young rotation. It would probably take the Orioles eating a good chunk of money and accepting very little in return to get a deal done, though.
LF Melky Cabrera
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Surprise Suitor: Seattle Mariners
Overview
It is no secret the Seattle Mariners are in the market for a bat this offseason. They are looking for some help for Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager in the middle of the lineup to get into the postseason next year.
Nelson Cruz, Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Billy Butler have been popular names thrown around this offseason, and CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported the team is also kicking the tires on Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas, though others are expected to offer him more money.
The addition of Melky Cabrera to Seattle's list of targets comes as a surprise, but the team is said to have some interest, according to Bob Dutton of The News Tribune (Tacoma).
Cabrera had a strong season in 2014, as he hit .301/.351/.458 with 35 doubles, 16 home runs and 73 RBI. He is not the right-handed power hitter the team would prefer to slot between its aforementioned All-Stars, but he does provide some lineup flexibility as a switch-hitter.
The Mariners' interest in him may not matter much, as he reportedly prefers playing on the East Coast or in the Midwest. If nothing else, this shows that the team is casting a wide net in its search for an offensive boost.
C Miguel Montero
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Surprise Suitor: Chicago Cubs
Overview
The Chicago Cubs were viewed by many, including Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, as the front-runners to sign free-agent catcher Russell Martin.
But then, just like that, the Toronto Blue Jays swooped in Monday and signed the 31-year-old to a five-year, $82 million deal according to ESPN.com. It was their willingness to offer a fifth year that likely pushed them ahead of the Cubs and got a deal done.
So where does that leave the Cubs?
They still have a passable incumbent in 27-year-old Welington Castillo, who posted a .686 OPS with 19 doubles and 13 home runs last year while again providing plus defense behind the dish.
The free-agent market is virtually bare behind Martin at catcher. It is led by A.J. Pierzynski and Nick Hundley, so the Cubs will have to turn their attention to the trade market if they still want to upgrade.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Arizona Diamondbacks have indicated they are willing to move All-Star catcher Miguel Montero this offseason, and Buster Olney of ESPN recently tweeted that he could be the answer for the Cubs.
Montero hit .243/.329/.370 with 13 home runs and 72 RBI last year, and he is owed $40 million over the next three years, which is the back end of what was a six-year extension.
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SS Hanley Ramirez
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Surprise Suitor: Houston Astros
Overview
It will be interesting to watch how the market for Hanley Ramirez unfolds this offseason.
When healthy and producing up to his potential, Han-Ram is still one of the best all-around offensive players in the game.
Look no further than his abridged 2013 performance, when he hit .345/.402/.638 with 25 doubles and 20 home runs in just 304 at-bats.
However, a number of red flags could keep him from landing the monster deal many would have predicted at this time last year.
His injury history, the draft-pick compensation attached to signing him and his declining defense at shortstop all cloud his list of potential suitors.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports recently tweeted that the Houston Astros have checked in on the 30-year-old, and that would at least make sense in the short term.
Both the shortstop (.258 BA, .699 OPS) and third base (.212 BA, .577 OPS) positions provided well-below-average production last year, so Ramirez would be a significant offensive upgrade at either spot.
However, with top prospects Carlos Correa and Colin Moran expected to man the left side of the infield in the long term, Ramirez probably only makes sense on a two- or three-year deal.
SP Jon Lester
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Surprise Suitor: Toronto Blue Jays
Overview
Even after coming to terms on a five-year, $82 million deal with catcher Russell Martin, the Toronto Blue Jays have continued to show interest in at least one other top free-agent name.
According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, the Blue Jays are still among the six teams showing legitimate interest in left-hander Jon Lester, arguably the top free-agent starter on the market alongside Max Scherzer.
There has been some talk that the Blue Jays are looking to unload veteran Mark Buehrle and his $19 million salary for next season, according to Nick Cafardo of the The Boston Globe, and that would likely need to be a precursor to signing Lester.
With R.A. Dickey, Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison and J.A. Happ all slated to return to the Blue Jays rotation, and top prospect Aaron Sanchez potentially making the jump to starting after an impressive debut in the bullpen, the team's starting pitching outlook is much brighter than it was a year ago.
Still, with the AL East as wide open as it has been in recent memory, going all-in and signing Lester could be enough to make the Blue Jays favorites heading into the 2015 season.
The Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox remain the favorites to land Lester, and both have a ton of money available to make him an offer he can't refuse, so a move north of the border for Lester still looks like a long shot.
The fact that the Blue Jays are being so proactive, especially after signing Dioner Navarro was their only significant move last offseason, at least shows they are making an effort this time around.
3B Pablo Sandoval
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Surprise Suitor: San Diego Padres
Overview
Considering that the two-year, $15.5 million contract they gave reliever Joaquin Benoit last winter is the largest free-agent deal in franchise history, the San Diego Padres are hard to take seriously in free-agency rumors.
Then again, something has to be done about an offense that ranked dead last in team batting average (.226), OPS (.634) and runs per game (3.30) last season.
Third base is one of a number of areas the team could look to add a bat, as the position provided just a .234/.290/.324 line on the year. Yangervis Solarte is currently penciled in as the starter, but he may be better suited in a super-utility role.
Pablo Sandoval is the top option at the hot corner on the free-agent market, with the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox viewed as the favorites to sign him. The Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have also been tied to the 28-year-old.
However, the Padres were recently named as another suitor for the postseason hero, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
If the Padres can find a way to steal him away from the division-rival Giants, that would be a victory for them in more ways than one.
SP Max Scherzer
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Surprise Suitor: St. Louis Cardinals
Overview
The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a blockbuster deal Monday according to The Associated Press (via ESPN), acquiring Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden from the Atlanta Braves for Shelby Miller and prospect Tyrell Jenkins.
The move filled the Cardinals' two biggest holes—right field and eighth-inning setup man—but it may have created a new area of need in the process.
Marco Gonzales and Carlos Martinez would appear to be the front-runners to fill Miller's vacated rotation spot at this point, but the move could put the Cardinals in the market for a free-agent starter.
As they look to maintain NL Central supremacy, could a splash free-agent signing be the next step in a big offseason in St. Louis?
Max Scherzer, one of the market's elite options and a St. Louis native, has indicated in the past that he would like to play for the Cardinals one day.
"It would be too cool," Scherzer said, via Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch back in March. "I grew up there. When you’re a little kid, you picture yourself putting on the (Cardinals) uniform."
That sort of talk had led some to speculate that the Cardinals could make a run at Scherzer, and now that there is an opening in the rotation, it's likely that talk will gain some steam.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.
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