How Each Top-15 MLB Free Agent Will Be Replaced by Former Team

When it comes to the MLB free-agent market, general managers always need to have a backup plan. 

That's especially true for an executive like Brian Sabean, who's looking to extend Pablo Sandoval's stay with the San Francisco Giants. What follows is a rundown of how each top-15 MLB free agent will be replaced by his team if he ends up departing this winter. 

In most cases, the clubs will have to sift through the trade and free-agent markets to find a suitable replacement. In others cases, the teams won't be required to do much work at all. 

15. Andrew Miller, RP

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The Free Agent: Andrew Miller

Predicted Contract: Three years, $27 million

The Replacement

It's simply not possible for the Baltimore Orioles to find another left-handed reliever who was as dominant as Andrew Miller. Last season, the 29-year-old put up a 2.02 ERA and posted a remarkable 14.9 K/9 ratio. Now, Miller is looking for a four-year deal, according to Jason Mastrodonato of MassLive.com. 

With lefties Zach Britton, Brian Matusz, Pat McCoy and T.J. McFarland all on the 40-man roster, there's no guarantee that the O's will look for outside help to replace Miller.

If the team does, Zach Duke is a pitcher to check in on. Like Miller, Duke posted some big-time strikeout numbers in 2014. In 58.2 innings of work, the 31-year-old racked up 74 punchouts. 

14. Chase Headley, 3B

The Free Agent: Chase Headley

Predicted Contract: Three years, $36 million

The Replacement

Aside from Pablo Sandoval and Chase Headley, the free-agent market at third base is devoid of starting-caliber players. That means that Headley is going to be a popular target this winter. 

According to Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, "ideally" he would be the the New York Yankees' starting third baseman in 2015. If that doesn't happen, some creativity will likely be required. Madden points to Martin Prado as the probable third baseman, and suggests that a trade could be required to cover the team at second base. 

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports told WFAN that the Yankees have checked in with the Los Angeles Angels about the availability of Howie Kendrick. Bringing the veteran to the Bronx would be a shrewd move for the American League East club. 

13. Brandon McCarthy, SP

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The Free Agent: Brandon McCarthy

Predicted Contract: Three years, $36 million

The Replacement

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the New York Yankees have talked to Brandon McCarthy about a return, but the right-hander is "waiting" to see how the market unfolds. 

If the starter ends up signing somewhere else, James Shields would be a more reliable (and more expensive) option to take McCarthy's spot in the rotation. Shields has piled up at least 200 innings of work in eight consecutive seasons. 

Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York argues that Shields would be a strong addition if the Yankees can bring him in on a four-year deal. A deal any longer than that would be risky, as Shields will be 33 by the time Opening Day rolls around.

12. Francisco Liriano, SP

The Free Agent: Francisco Liriano

Predicted Contract: Three years, $40 million

The Replacement

The Pittsburgh Pirates' starting rotation is in a state of flux.

The club has already brought in A.J. Burnett this offseason, but both Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez are free agents. Team president Frank Coonelly told Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the team would like to bring back both starters.  

Whether that will happen remains to be seen. Brink lists Brandon McCarthy as one pitcher who could be a replacement for Liriano. After joining the New York Yankees in a midseason trade, the right-hander reeled off a 2.89 ERA in 14 starts. 

Brink also suggests Brett Anderson as a speculative target for Pittsburgh. The left-hander has a serious injury history, having managed 30 starts just once during his six big league seasons.

Then again, the Pirates have a highly impressive track record with reclamation projects, as the signings of Liriano and Volquez over the past two winters demonstrate. 

11. David Robertson, RP

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

The Free Agent: David Robertson

Contract Prediction: Three years, $42 million

The Replacement

As Bill Madden of the New York Daily News explains, bringing back David Robertson is the "absolute top priority" for New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman this winter. 

Even if the executive swings and misses on that front, the Yankees have Dellin Betances to take over Roberston's closer gig. With Betances shifting to the ninth inning, the team could then ink a right-handed reliever like Pat Neshek or Luke Gregerson to be the setup man.

10. Nick Markakis, RF

The Free Agent: Nick Markakis

Predicted Contract: Four years, $48 million

The Replacement

According to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun, there's an excellent chance that Nick Markakis will be back at Camden Yards in 2015. 

Of course, until the deal is actually done, there's always a chance that the two sides could part ways. If the 2014 AL Gold Glove winner does depart, Torii Hunter is one player who could take over in right field. Hunter is not part of the Detroit Tigers plans moving forward, according to George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press. 

While the 39-year-old doesn't offer the same kind of defensive value as Markakis, he still provides plenty of pop. Last year, the right-handed hitter clubbed 33 doubles and 17 home runs. 

9. Ervin Santana, SP

David Goldman/Associated Press

The Free Agent: Ervin Santana

Predicted Contract: Four years, $48 million

The Replacement

With Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang both hitting the free-agent market, the Atlanta Braves have already begun the process of revamping the rotation. 

On Monday, the Braves acquired right-hander Shelby Miller for Jason Heyward in a four-player deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, as the team announced via Twitter. Adding the 24-year-old to the mix now means that Atlanta has Miller, Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and Mike Minor all penciled in for rotation spots in 2015. 

If the Braves want to bring a veteran on board, Jason Hammel and Edinson Volquez are a couple of free agents who could be available at reasonable prices. 

8. Melky Cabrera, LF

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

The Free Agent: Melky Cabrera

Predicted Contract: Four years, $56 million

The Replacement

The Toronto Blue Jays dished out a monster deal to Russell Martin, signing the backstop to a five-year, $82 million contract, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. 

As ESPN's Buster Olney points out, that investment puts a serious dent in the team's chances of re-signing Melky Cabrera. Nori Aoki would be a far more economical option for the Blue Jays to target this offseason. In 2014, the 32-year-old hit .317 in the second half of the season for the Kansas City Royals. 

7. Nelson Cruz, DH/OF

The Free Agent: Nelson Cruz

Predicted Contact: Four years, $60 million

The Replacement

After leading baseball with 40 home runs in 2014, Nelson Cruz is looking to cash in this winter. 

According to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, the right-handed hitter's "five-year demand is a major stumbling block" as he attempts to earn that payday. Cafardo notes that the Baltimore Orioles are definitely not willing to make such a move. 

With Victor Martinez having already re-upped with the Detroit Tigers, the market for designated hitters is looking thin. Aside from Cruz, the next best option for Baltimore is Billy Butler. Of course, the 28-year-old Butler offers nowhere near as much power as Cruz. Last year, Butler totaled just nine home runs for the Kansas City Royals. 

6. James Shields, SP

Elsa/Associated Press

The Free Agent: James Shields

Contract Prediction: Four years, $72 million

The Replacement

With James Shields set to rake in a lucrative multiyear deal in free agency, the Kansas City Royals will need to bring in a starter to bolster the rotation. 

Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star reports that the team will kick the tires on an array of arms including Brandon McCarthy and Francisco Liriano. As McCullough notes, "one of their top targets" is Ervin Santana, who spent the 2013 season at Kauffman Stadium. Santana actually enjoyed more success with the Royals (3.24 ERA) than he did with the Atlanta Braves (3.95 ERA) in 2014. 

5. Russell Martin, C

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The Free Agent: Russell Martin

The Contract: Five years, $82 million

The Replacement

Russell Martin is the only player on this list who has already signed a new deal. The backstop agreed to a five-year, $82 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. 

Even before that deal came about, the Pittsburgh Pirates were already busy preparing for Martin's departure. The NL Central club picked up Francisco Cervelli in a trade while sending reliever Justin Wilson to the New York Yankees. 

Cervelli, who appeared in just 49 contests in 2014, has never played more than 93 games in a single season. However, the 28-year-old catcher did have highly promising offensive numbers last season, as he hit .301 with an .802 OPS. 

4. Pablo Sandoval, 3B

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The Free Agent: Pablo Sandoval

Predicted Contract: Six years, $102 million

The Replacement

The San Francisco Giants will be in a bad spot if the team loses Pablo Sandoval. 

For now, the Giants' top competition to sign the switch-hitter is the Boston Red Sox, who are "all-in" on Sandoval, according to Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. On Monday, the 28-year-old traveled to Fenway Park and was "excited" to meet with the club's brain trust, as Joe Amorosino of WHDH tweeted. 

Outside of Sandoval, the free-agent market at third base is noticeably lacking in talent. The next best fit for San Francisco is Chase Headley. The trade market for third basemen has also been extremely quiet. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, David Freese, who spent the 2014 season with the Los Angeles Angles, could be available in a deal. 

3. Hanley Ramirez, SS

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The Free Agent: Hanley Ramirez

Predicted Contact: Five years. $105 million

The Replacement

According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, it's a "virtual certainty" that Hanley Ramirez's time with the Los Angeles Dodgers has reached its end. 

As president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman admitted via Plunkett, it won't be easy to replace the three-time All-Star: “We’re going to have to be creative there. There are some free agents we have interest in, some guys we have our eye on trade-wise."

Ultimately, the best course of action for the 2014 NL West winners might just be to go with an in-house option. The Dodgers have an array of defensive standouts to chose from in Miguel Rojas, Darwin Barney and Erisbel Arruebarrena. Plus, it should only be a year or two before super prospect Corey Seager is ready to crack the big league lineup. 

2. Jon Lester, SP

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Free Agent: Jon Lester

Predicted Contract: Six years, $140 million

The Replacement

When it comes to replacing Jon Lester, the Oakland Athletics might not have to do much of anything at all. 

As it currently stands, the club already has five starters on the roster:

• Jesse Chavez
• Sonny Gray
• Scott Kazmir
• Drew Pomeranz
• Jeff Samardzija

Two of those starters—Gray and Samardzija—have the ability to take over the No. 1 spot in the rotation that Lester briefly occupied over the summer. Oakland will likely still have to add another arm, but in typical Billy Beane fashion it will probably be a pitcher that the GM grabs off the scrap heap who ends up paying major dividends. 

1. Max Scherzer, SP

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The Free Agent: Max Scherzer

Predicted Contract: Six years, $150 million

The Replacement

Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski doesn't seem overly concerned about the prospect of losing Max Scherzer. After all, the staff will still include David Price, Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello.

“I think that still might be the best rotation in the majors," said Dombrowski, via Joel Sherman of the New York Post. It will certainly be one of the most expensive rotations in the majors. Those four pitchers are slated to make $80 million in 2015, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. As a result, the final spot in the rotation will likely go to a cost-controlled young starter like Robbie Ray. 

Note: All stats and videos courtesy of MLB.com.

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