The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Remaining MLB Hitting Market
The big takeaway from Major League Baseball's offseason so far is that teams are seeking out offense, yearning to acquire hitters in any way possible, whether via free agency or trade. Given how fast and furious this market has been, while right-handers Max Scherzer and James Shields remain readily available, it's time for a status check.
The free-agent front, which featured Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez, Victor Martinez and Russell Martin, among others, at the outset of the offseason, mostly has been picked clean already. Over the past few days alone, Melky Cabrera and Chase Headley, as well as Alex Rios and Mike Morse, also have signed contracts, further drying up an already depleted batch of position players.
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On the trade side, the San Diego Padres just completed a three-team swap in which they landed 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers from the Tampa Bay Rays, thus making another available bat unavailable. And assuming the Padres' other big deal to score slugging outfielder Matt Kemp from the Los Angeles Dodgers comes through officially, then yet another hitter will come off the trade table.
These rankings—which are based as much on performance and production as they are on value, which can have different context for different franchises—take into account all aspects of a player, from hitting to running to playing defense.
So, what's left out there?
The Good
The following options are among the (very) few remaining potential starting position players—both on the market via free agency or trade—who possess the ability to be impact hitters.
Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies
When healthy, he's unquestionably the top shortstop in the game, one who plays strong defense and dominates on offense. That is why the Rockies will continue to ask for full value for Tulowitzki even coming off hip surgery and sporting a nine-figure salary, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports.
Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado Rockies
Much of the above also applies to Gonzalez, Tulo's fellow oft-injured teammate. Gonzalez, who missed most of the last half of 2014 with finger and knee surgery, actually might be easier for Colorado to move, considering he has a reasonable $53 million left through 2017.
Ian Desmond, SS, Washington Nationals
While it's unlikely the contending Nats would deal their starting shortstop, who has had three consecutive 20-20 campaigns, the fact that Desmond is entering the final year before free agency has him dealing with rumors, according to Todd Dybas of The Washington Times. "That's part of the business," Desmond says.
Justin Upton, OF, Atlanta Braves
Like Desmond, Upton is a free-agent-to-be, which is why he's arguably been the most talked-about trade candidate since the World Series ended. His big-time right-handed power is coveted by many teams, including the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds
After Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported early on that Bruce could be available, things have been relatively quiet here. The Reds, though, are in a tight spot financially, so if they feel they need to do something to free up payroll, Bruce could go. They would be selling low, however, on the lefty slugger.
Ben Zobrist, INF/OF, Tampa Bay Rays
With all the turnover on Tampa Bay, from the front office to the manager to now Wil Myers, the versatile Zobrist could be next to go. He's more steady than sexy, but his ability to play multiple positions and his .354 career OBP would help a lot of teams.
Justin Morneau, 1B, Colorado Rockies
With so much money and so many injury concerns around Tulo and CarGo, the Rockies' best chip to play might be Morneau, who bounced back in a big way by leading the NL with a .319 average in 2014, his first season at Coors Field.
"Now that there are fewer free-agent hitters to be had, we are getting more calls on our hitters," Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said, via Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. "Justin is a heck of a player and a heck of a hitter under a very fair contract [just $6.75 million in 2015]."
The Bad
In this tier, these players aren't exactly "bad" so much as they're possibly helpful but also flawed for some reason or another.
Dexter Fowler, OF, Houston Astros
The Astros have dangled Fowler, who has a .378 OBP since the start of 2012 but will be a free agent this time next year. The Blue Jays, who could use more certainty in center and another lefty bat, have been interested in the switch-hitter, per Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports.
Desmond Jennings, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Again: The Rays appear to be blowing things up, so why not see what Jennings, a 28-year-old center fielder with some pop and speed, can bring back?
Evan Gattis, C/OF, Atlanta Braves
The Braves already have moved Jason Heyward, and Justin Upton was covered above, so dealing Gattis, who sports a hefty .487 slugging percentage through his first two years, would give them an entirely new outfield next season. The Rangers have been linked, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.
Wilin Rosario, C, Colorado Rockies
Another power-hitting catcher who isn't really a catcher, Rosario also has attracted the Rangers' attention, per Saunders. Last year was a big step back offensively for the 25-year-old, whose OPS dropped for a second straight season to .739.
Jung-ho Kang, INF, Free Agent (Korea)
Here's Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors on Kang, who was posted Monday, "After hitting 38 home runs in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2014, Kang could be the first position player to make the leap from KBO to MLB. MLBTR spoke to an international scouting director who finds Kang fringy at shortstop, suggesting he’s better suited for second or third base."
(Cuban second baseman Jose Fernandez also would fit in this section, but he's believed to be in Cuba still at the moment, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.)
Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B/SS, Free Agent
Cabrera can fake it at short but is better suited at second base, which is where he played the second half of 2014 with the Nationals. There's enough offense in there, as the 29-year-old has hit at least 14 homers and scored and driven in at least 61 runs each of the past three seasons.
Marlon Byrd, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
The rebuilding process has begun, so it would be silly for Philly to hang on to a 37-year-old outfielder who actually has some trade value following 24 home runs in 2013 and 25 more last year.
Colby Rasmus, OF, Free Agent
Rasmus can handle center field and does have the power to hit 20-25 home runs, which would make him a valuable commodity on the open market—if he didn't strike out more than 25 percent of the time and come with so many injury concerns.
Allen Craig, 1B/OF/DH, Boston Red Sox
Last year's line (.215/.279/.315) can't be the real Craig going forward, can it? If some team is willing to gamble on a bounce-back campaign from a 30-year-old who entered 2014 with a .306/.358/.492 career triple-slash, the Red Sox will move him. Craig is more or less an excess piece for them, whether at first base, right field or designated hitter.
Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers
Because he plays a premium up-the-middle position well and is only 26, Andrus would rank higher if not for his massive contract ($120 million through 2022). Then again, he's also regressed with the bat the past few years at a time when he should be getting better.
The Ugly
And this? This is where you'll find players who could be useful acquisitions via trade or signing, if done at the right cost and if used correctly.
Nori Aoki, OF, Free Agent
Aoki plays some D and registered an OBP right around .350 for the third year in a row, but he'll be 33 in January and offers absolutely no power (one homer in 549 plate appearances).
Stephen Drew, SS, Free Agent
Drew can still pick it at short, and he is a better hitter than the one who posted a ghastly .536 OPS after not signing until mid-May last year. But how much better?
Seth Smith, OF, San Diego Padres
With Myers and (presumably) Kemp both manning the corners in San Diego now, that leaves little room for Smith, even in spacious Petco Park. The platooner hits right-handers (.839 career OPS) and is owed just $13 million through 2016 with a $7 million option for 2017.
Dayan Viciedo, OF/DH, Chicago White Sox
Like Smith, Viciedo, who is only 25 and does have two 20-homer seasons in the past three, appears to have been squeezed out of a job after the White Sox signed Melky Cabrera. Hence, this:
Nick Swisher, 1B/OF/DH, Cleveland Indians
Injuries and age—he's now 34—have sapped some of Swisher's consistency. After nine straight 20-homer seasons, the former Yankees, White Sox and A's slugger managed just eight in an injury-riddled 97 games in 2014. No wonder the Indians are looking to unload him, if possible, per Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Everth Cabrera, SS, Free Agent
For teams desperate for help at shortstop, Cabrera could be a very cheap option. An All-Star in 2013 while hitting .283 with 37 stolen bases, he's since been suspended as part of the Biogenesis investigation and has had off-field troubles that caused the Padres to release him. Still, he's just 28 years old and might be eager to make good and turn his career around.
Jonny Gomes, OF/DH, Free Agent
Gomes is getting up there in age at 34 and is best used as a righty-hitting half of a DH platoon—admittedly, not exactly the largest niche—but he always has handled southpaws (.861 career OPS).
Rickie Weeks, 2B, Free Agent
Weeks is a shell of his former All-Star self and has been for a couple of seasons now, but he did sport a .361 OBP and .504 slugging percentage against lefties in 2014. If he were willing to play some outfield in addition to second, he might help his cause as a backup/utility type.
Juan Francisco, 1B/DH, Free Agent
After claiming him from Toronto in November, the Red Sox released Francisco in December, so he's readily available. The lefty swinger has no real defensive home but can make right-handers pay for a mistake (.786 career OPS, 47 of 48 career homers).
Corey Hart, 1B/DH, Free Agent
After years of knee and hamstring injuries, Hart might not have anything left in his legs, which means he might not have anything left in his bat, either. But maybe some club will offer him a deal that gets him an invite to spring training.
Andre Ethier, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers; B.J. Upton, OF, Atlanta Braves
Their contracts are massive. Their production, however, is not.
Others: Geovany Soto, C, Free Agent; Emilio Bonifacio, INF/OF, Free Agent; Nate Schierholtz, OF, Free Agent; Ryan Ludwick, OF, Free Agent; Gaby Sanchez, 1B, Free Agent; Eric Young, OF; Delmon Young, OF/DH; Gordon Beckham, 2B; Nick Hundley, C; David Ross, C
The bottom line? There actually are some intriguing bats—and even a handful of good ones—still available, but the vast majority comes from the trade market rather than the free-agent one.
Teams looking to upgrade on offense, then, are going to have to give up talent rather than just money to improve at a time when pitching is dominating the sport.
Statistics are accurate through the 2014 season and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.
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