2018 MLB Free Agents: Rumors and Predictions for Underrated Assets

The upcoming Major League Baseball free-agency season will be littered with big names, as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado headline the list of available players. 

While some teams will be able to afford the massive contracts of the top free agents, others will dig deeper to bring in underrated assets to fill voids on their respective rosters. 

Some of the underrated players turned in career seasons for playoff teams to make themselves more valuable on the free-agent market. 

While some free agents will opt to return to their current clubs, there will be a handful of underrated stars on the open market who could be steals for struggling franchises.

Predictions for Underrated Assets

DJ LeMahieu

DJ LeMahieu has spent the majority of his career in a Colorado Rockies uniform, but he might be moving on from the franchise in the offseason. 

LeMahieu is one of the few free agents who could leave the Rockies in the winter, and no contract talks have been held between the infielder and the organization, per Kyle Newman of the Denver Post.

Despite playing 128 games in the regular season, LeMahieu recorded his career high in home runs (15), tied his best career mark in doubles (32) and was four short of his top RBI mark (66). 

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

The Rockies could be fine with moving on from the 29-year-old because they have top prospect Brendan Rodgers. 

There's still a chance LeMahieu returns to Colorado, but that's likely dependent on what occurs with Nolan Arenado's contract situation, which might open the door for a trade and Rodgers to play third base. 

The Chicago Cubs, his first MLB team, are one of the logical options for LeMahieu to explore, as they'll try to upgrade the middle infield positions. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers might be a landing spot as well, but that's going to depend on who their NL West rivals bring back after their postseason run. 

Prediction: LeMahieu signs with the Cubs. 

Nathan Eovaldi 

For teams looking beneath the top tier of starting pitchers, Nathan Eovaldi could be an option to go after this winter. 

Eovaldi's postseason performance with the Boston Red Sox could boost his stock, and his seven-inning performance in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Monday night might be the moneymaking outing he needed. 

Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

However, there are concerns surrounding the 28-year-old because he had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and went 6-7 in 22 regular-season starts for the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. 

The market for Eovaldi could develop further if he continues to shine in the postseason, and the Texas Rangers could be a potential suitor. 

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News noted the Rangers have always liked the Texas native, and with starting pitching being one of their needs, he could be a realistic fit. 

But until Texas hires a manager to replace Jeff Bannister, the team's free-agent expectations need to be tempered. 

A return to Boston could be in the cards for Eovaldi, especially if he performs well during a run to the World Series, but he wouldn't be a top option in the Red Sox rotation like he might be elsewhere. 

Prediction: Eovaldi inks a deal with Texas. 

Jed Lowrie

Jed Lowrie was one of the most important pieces to the success of the Oakland Athletics in 2018, as he hit 23 home runs and drove in 99 runs, both of which were career highs. 

Lowrie has spent five of the last six seasons in Oakland, and after the numbers he put up in 2018, it would be wise for both parties to get a deal done, especially with the goodwill that remains between the player and franchise. 

In September, Lowrie expressed his interest to stay in Oakland during an interview with MLB Network Radio. 

"They've expressed interest, but they haven't gone any further than that," Lowrie said. "I'm just taking it as it comes and that's really all you can do as a player so we'll see. I can definitively say I really enjoy playing with these guys and I think I'm a good fit." 

The interest in bringing back Lowrie is mutual, as the Athletics explored a new deal with the infielder during the summer, as Fox's Ken Rosenthal reported.

Unless a breakdown in talks occurs, Lowrie should remain in Oakland, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see interest from elsewhere after he produced a career season. 

Prediction: Lowrie stays in Oakland. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.