What If the 2014-2015 MLB Free-Agent Class Could Form Its Own Team?
Imagine a team built entirely of players from the 2014-2015 MLB free-agent class.
No general manager would ever do that. No GM could ever do that. It would be far too expensive.
In this exercise, money is no object.
The idea is to dig through the free-agent market to create a 25-man roster that could immediately compete for a World Series title in 2015. The team would play in the American League, meaning the roster could include as many big-time bats as possible.
All of this winter's free agents are eligible to be a part of the club, even the ones who have already signed deals with new employers. The team's payroll for 2015 is astronomical. The calculation includes actual salaries for players who have agreed to contracts for next season and predicted figures for those who are still on the market.
Suffice it to say that this team, which is loaded with power, is way over the luxury-tax threshold.
Catcher
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Russell Martin
This was an easy call.
Russell Martin wasn't just one of the best catchers in the National League in 2014; he was one of the best positions players overall. Last year, the right-handed hitter landed in the No. 13 spot on the NL MVP Award ballot after posting a .402 OBP and an .832 OPS.
The backstop also provides tons of defensive value at a position where quality glove work is paramount. Russell led all NL catchers with 12 defensive runs saved in 2014, per FanGraphs.
2015 Salary: $7 million
1st Base
2 of 16Adam LaRoche
Left-handed hitter Adam LaRoche checks all the boxes when it comes to playing first base.
The 35-year-old offers a solid glove and the ability to go yard at any time. LaRoche has topped the 20-home run plateau in four of the past five campaigns. The only time he missed out was back in 2011 when he appeared in just 43 games.
2015 Salary: $12 million
2nd Base
3 of 16Asdrubal Cabrera
It's not easy to find free-agent second basemen, as one look at the list on Cot's Baseball Contracts clearly demonstrates.
As a result, utilizing Asdrubal Cabrera at that spot is a logical choice. Cabrera is no magician on defense, but he has the kind of pop that is rare for a second baseman. In 2014, Cabrera clubbed 14 home runs while splitting the season between the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Nationals.
Predicted 2015 Salary: $8 million
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Shortstop
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Hanley Ramirez
It doesn't really matter to Hanley Ramirez where he's lining up in the field.
"I can play anywhere. I want to win," Ramirez said (via MLB.com) after he joined up with the Boston Red Sox to become the club's new left fielder.
On this squad, Ramirez will be playing shortstop, the position he's called home for much of his career. The 30-year-old is certainly a liability on defense, but there are a couple of players on the bench who can cover for him in the late innings.
2015 Salary: $19 million
3rd Base
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Pablo Sandoval
A Gold Glove finalist in 2014, Pablo Sandoval is unquestionably the best defender in this infield.
The switch-hitter produces at the plate, too. Sandoval owns a .294 career average with an .811 OPS. He also has a remarkable knack for stepping up on the big stage. The 28-year-old is a .426 hitter in three trips to the World Series.
2015 Salary: $17 million
Designated Hitter
6 of 16Victor Martinez
There weren't many big leaguers who were more dangerous at the plate in 2014 than Victor Martinez.
The designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers checked in with the best OPS (.974) in baseball and the second-highest average (.335). The most impressive part of Martinez's season was that he managed to hit 32 home runs while punching out just 42 times.
2015 Salary: $14 million
Left Field
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Nelson Cruz
Nobody hit more home runs last season than Nelson Cruz.
The right-handed hitter went yard 40 times for the Baltimore Orioles, setting a career high. Cruz is yet another defensively challenged player in the lineup who will frequently require a replacement late in games. Fortunately, there's room on the bench for just the player to handle that responsibility.
2015 Salary: $14 million
Center Field
8 of 16Colby Rasmus
The 2014 season did not go well for Colby Rasmus.
The left-handed hitter batted .225 and put up a .287 OPS. Rasmus also couldn't stop striking out, as he punched out 124 times in just 346 at-bats. As bad as the numbers were, Rasmus is actually the best center fielder available on the free-agent market. At just 28, he's young enough to bounce back.
Predicted 2015 Salary: $8 million
Right Field
9 of 16Nick Markakis
Nick Markakis earns a spot in the outfield primarily for defensive purposes. The 31-year-old won the American League Gold Glove for right fielders in 2014 and was second among all players at that spot with 11 assists.
Markakis is also one of the most reliable position players in baseball. Over the past two seasons, the left-handed hitter has missed just nine games.
2015 Salary: $11 million
The Bench
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- Emilio Bonifacio, UTL
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $3 million
Emilio Bonifacio is the team's supersub. The 29-year-old is the backup center fielder but also has the ability to play the outfield corners and all over the infield.
- Melky Cabrera, OF
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $14 million
It's difficult to complain about Melky Cabrera as a fourth outfielder. One of his chief responsibilities would be to spell Nelson Cruz defensively in the late innings. There would also be situations where he could start in left with Cruz at the DH and Martinez at first base.
- Stephen Drew, SS/2B
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $8 million
Stephen Drew is another member of the bench whose primary responsibility would be play defense. Stepping in for Hanley Ramirez at shortstop would be his most important job, but he's also capable of filling in at second base.
- Geovany Soto, C
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $3 million
Geovany Soto is an ideal player to back up Russell Martin behind the dish. The owner of a career .779 OPS, the right-handed hitter can hold his own at the plate. He's also a strong defensive catcher. Last year, Soto threw out nine of 17 base stealers.
The Lineup
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- Hanley Ramirez, SS
- Nick Markakis, RF
- Victor Martinez, DH
- Nelson Cruz, LF
- Pablo Sandoval, 3B
- Adam LaRoche, 1B
- Russell Martin, C
- Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
- Colby Rasmus, CF
Surveying this lineup, there are three major observations that stand out.
First, Hanley Ramirez is an unorthodox option to lead off; however, he's also the best fit of any player on this roster. Ramirez has always reached base at a high clip, owning a .373 OBP in 10 big league seasons.
The next observation is that the lineup is loaded with switch-hitters. Victor Martinez, Pablo Sandoval and Asdrubal Cabrera all hit from both sides on the plate. Having those three players in the lineup (plus Melky Cabrera on the bench) would cause all sorts of matchup problems for opposing teams.
This lineup would also cause opposing pitchers all sorts of problems because it's loaded with power hitters. All nine players could easily put up double-digit home run totals (and potentially a lot more than that).
The Rotation
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- Jon Lester, LHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $23 million
Jon Lester is on the verge of cashing in.
The left-handed starter has already drawn the interest of the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants, per Rob Bradford and Alex Speier of WEEI. According to Bradford and Speier, the Los Angeles Dodgers are now "late entrants" into the bidding war for the 30-year-old.
Lester claims the top spot on this staff thanks to his dominance during the second half of the 2014 regular season. In his final 13 outings, Lester reeled off a 7-4 record and 2.18 ERA.
- Max Scherzer, RHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $22 million
Max Scherzer is the obvious pick to pitch second in this rotation. Last year, the right-hander racked up 252 strikeouts, which was the third-best total in baseball.
- Francisco Liriano, LHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $14 million
Francisco Liriano was lights out in the second half of the 2014 season. Following the Midsummer Classic, the lefty posted a 6-3 record and a 2.20 ERA.
- James Shields, RHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $16 million
Having eclipsed the 200-innings mark in eight consecutive seasons, James Shields is about as consistent as it gets. It's a luxury to be able to utilize the veteran as the No. 4 starter.
- Brandon McCarthy, RHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $12 million
There were a lot of contenders for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Some of the most prominent names battling for this role with Brandon McCarthy were Ervin Santana, Edinson Volquez and Jake Peavy.
McCarthy gets the edge because of the way he rebounded following a midseason trade which sent him to the Bronx. In 14 starts for the New York Yankees, McCarthy went 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA.
The Bullpen
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- David Robertson, RHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $14 million
While it remains to be seen just where David Robertson will be pitching in 2015, he's the closer on this team. There's no question that Robertson can handle high-pressure situations. After all, he stepped in for Mariano Rivera last season and didn't skip a beat.
- Andrew Miller, LHP
- 2015 Salary: $9 million
The top lefty in this bullpen, Andrew Miller has a remarkable ability to generate swings and misses. Last year, he posted 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings while making 73 appearances for the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles.
- Pat Neshek, RHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $5 million
With Miller and Robertson locking down the eight and ninth innings, respectively, Pat Neshek would pitch primarily in the seventh. Last year, the journeyman dismantled right-handed batters, limiting them to a .176 average.
- Luke Gregerson, RHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $6 million
With his devastating slider, Luke Gregerson is the ground-ball specialist on this team. When a double play is needed, the 30-year-old is just the pitcher to summon from the pen.
- Zach Duke, LHP
- 2015 Salary: $4.5 million
Zach Duke is a strong fit as a left-handed specialist. In 2014, he held lefties to just a .198 average.
- Jason Frasor, RHP
- 2015 Salary: $1.25 million
Jason Frasor is more than qualified to hold down a role in middle relief. The right-hander has a posted a sub-3.00 ERA in back-to-back campaigns.
- Chris Capuano, LHP
- Predicted 2015 Salary: $3 million
Every team needs a long reliever, and that's Chris Capuano's role in this bullpen. The 36-year-old lefty also has the ability to make a spot start if called upon.
The 25-Man Roster
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Pitchers
- Chris Capuano
- Zach Duke
- Jason Frasor
- Luke Gregerson
- Jon Lester
- Francisco Liriano
- Brandon McCarthy
- Andrew Miller
- Pat Neshek
- David Robertson
- Max Scherzer
- James Shields
Catchers
- Russell Martin
- Geovany Soto
Designated Hitter
- Victor Martinez
Infielders
- Emilio Bonifacio
- Asdrubal Cabrera
- Stephen Drew
- Adam LaRoche
- Pablo Sandoval
- Hanley Ramirez
Outfielders
- Melky Cabrera
- Nelson Cruz
- Nick Markakis
- Colby Rasmus
The 2015 Payroll
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The projected payroll for this 25-man roster in 2015 would be $266.75 million. While that's a remarkable amount of money, it's not that much more than the $229 million that the the Los Angeles Dodgers dished out to the team's players in 2014.
The highest earner on the squad is Jon Lester, who's predicted to rake in $23 million. Jason Frasor has the lowest salary, checking in at $1.25 million.
The starting lineup costs $109 million, while the rotation comes in at $87 million.
The Projection
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The key to this team is power, both at the plate and on the mound.
Sure, there are a couple of major question marks in the field (Ramirez at shortstop and Cruz in left), but the club has enough pop to make up for those limitations. In a league where the majority of teams simply struggle to bring runs across the plate, this lineup has the potential to outscore the opposition in every single game.
With Lester and Scherzer anchoring the rotation, the pitching staff is loaded, too. Those aces and the relentless lineup could power this team to a division title in any division in the AL in 2015. After reaching the postseason, the team's array of bullpen weapons would allow the squad to make some serious noise in October.
Projection: World Series favorite
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com. All videos courtesy of MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProsepctus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBscheck.
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