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Nov 7

Plenty of options this offseason in MLB free agency. Heres a look at the best available players. – Peoria Journal Star

Long Term Weight Loss Comments Off on Plenty of options this offseason in MLB free agency. Heres a look at the best available players. – Peoria Journal Star

Baseball free agency began Tuesday, giving all 30 teams an opportunity to fill holes, create depth or look for that one player who can boost TV ratings and bring fans to the park.

How many teams will use this opportunity wisely remains to be seen.

Nearly a third are at the start or in the middle of long-term rebuilds, and another five or six teams are wary of exceeding the $208 million luxury-tax threshold.

The Chicago Cubs aren't saying if they'll be buyers or just window shoppers.

"As an organization, we're not talking about payroll or luxury tax at all," Cubs President Theo Epstein said last week. "I feel like every time we've been at all specific, or even allowed people to make inferences from things we've said, it just puts us in a hole strategically."

A few days later, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts went on WSCR-AM 670 to inform everyone the Cubs paid millions last year in luxury-tax penalties, calling it "a dead-weight loss" and allowing people to infer the Cubs won't be spending big this winter.

The Cubs may even have to shed some big salaries, Ricketts warned.

"Maybe we can't keep them all because of the salaries that they'll demand over the next few years," he said. "But ultimately, now I think we can stop talking about windows (to contend)."

Meanwhile, White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf needs the next phase of the rebuild to include some winning along with the nonstop developing. The Sox have the resources to address the rotation and outfield while also getting a left-handed bat and rewarding free agent Jose Abreu.

After failing to outbid the Padres for free agent Manny Machado in February, general manager Rick Hahn said the Sox would be just as aggressive down the road.

"The money will be spent," Hahn said. "It might not be spent this offseason, but it will be spent at some point. This isn't money sitting around waiting to just accumulate interest. It's money that's trying to be deployed to put us in the best position to win us some championships."

Assuming they did accumulate some interest on the $250 million Machado rejected, Hahn will have even more to play with this winter.

Now would be a good time to spend it, with stars such as Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Yasmani Grandal available and potentially J.D. Martinez and Stephen Strasburg as well, if they invoke opt-out clauses.

Here's a look at the top available free agents, though some will re-sign with their teams and others will be available when teams non-tender arbitration-eligible players next month.

STARTING PITCHERS

Gerrit Cole: The dominant Astros starter figures to become the highest-paid pitcher in history after a brilliant season that might lead to his first Cy Young Award. The Southern California native got into the spirit of free agency immediately after the Astros' Game 7 World Series loss, donning a hat from his agency instead of his Astros cap. That's keeping it real.

Stephen Strasburg: The World Series MVP has been through so much in Washington, it's hard to imagine him leaving now when he and the Nationals are at the top. But money talks, and the timing couldn't be any better to cash in.

Madison Bumgarner: It's a tricky situation for teams interested in Bumgarner, one of the best postseason performers of any era. Was his career-high 3.90 ERA in 2019 a blip or a trend? Either way, the old-school lefty would be a good influence on a young staff such as the White Sox's.

Dallas Keuchel: He made only 19 starts for the Braves after accepting a one-year deal in June, but Keuchel limited left-handed hitters to a .189 average and posted a 2.06 ERA in eight starts from Aug. 14 to Sept. 22. He should finally draw some interest, especially from teams scared off by Cole's price tag.

Jake Odorizzi: A career-best 15-7 season with a 3.51 ERA in 30 starts for the Twins suggests he'll be high on the list of any team looking for a top starter who costs only a mini-fortune.

Hyun-Jin Ryu: The Dodgers lefty turns 33 in March, so a long-term deal might not be advisable. But his agent is Scott Boras, so expect a long-term deal. Ryu led the National League with a 2.32 ERA, which he had down to 1.64 in mid-August before tiring.

Cole Hamels: While he's eighth among active pitchers with 163 career wins, Hamels' age (36 in December) and health make him a bit of a risk. The Cubs lefty had a 2.92 ERA before suffering an oblique strain June 28, then posted a 6.39 ERA in his first nine starts after coming off the injured list. The Cubs shut him down until a meaningless start the final weekend so he could prove he was healthy.

Zack Wheeler: The No. 6 pick in the 2009 draft by the Giants, Wheeler has always been hyped as a future star but has yet to show it with the Mets. He pitched 195 1/3 innings in 2019, ninth among NL starters, so there's that.

RELIEF PITCHERS

Aroldis Chapman: He's still the most dominant reliever in the game, despite giving up a season-ending home run to Astros star Jose Altuve in the American League Championship Series clincher. He can opt out of his deal with the Yankees.

Dellin Betances: A torn Achilles in his first 2019 appearance robbed Betances of a chance to prove himself in his walk year, but he has been a potential closer for years with the Yankees and at worst would be a quality setup man. Betances has a career average of 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

Will Smith: The Giants inexplicably held on to Smith at the trade deadline when everyone needed a late-inning lefty. He finished a career year with 34 saves and a 2.76 ERA, and everyone still needs a late-inning lefty.

CATCHERS

Yasmani Grandal: The Brewers star is coming out of a one-year, $18.25 million contract after failing to find a lucrative deal last winter. He's the only top catcher on the market, not to mention a left-handed bat. Grandal rejected a four-year, $60 million deal with the Mets last winter, so start from there and go up ... way up.

INFIELDERS

Anthony Rendon: A consistent hitter who led the NL in RBIs (126) and doubles (44) before leading the Nationals to a championship, Rendon will be this year's version of Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, commanding $300 million or more. And he will be worth it.

Josh Donaldson: With a 37-homer season after signing a one-year, $23 million deal with the Braves, Donaldson will be a less pricey alternative to Anthony Rendon for those in need of a slugging third baseman.

Jose Abreu: The White Sox have repeatedly said they want Abreu back, and Abreu has said he will sign himself if he has to. Now it's a matter of filling in the numbers and years on the new contract.

Mike Moustakas: Another year of free agency for "Moose," who settled for one-year deals the last two offseasons. Thirty-plus-home-run hitters just aren't what they used to be, are they?

OUTFIELDERS

J.D. Martinez: Another player with an opt-out, and with Scott Boras as his agent, he could be one of the more coveted free agents for AL teams looking for a designated hitter who can also play the outfield. Martinez has a .995 career OPS against left-handers and is not slowing down at 32.

Nicholas Castellanos: The one bright spot of the Cubs' second half was the play of Castellanos, who had 16 home runs and 21 doubles in 51 games and posted a 1.002 OPS. A small sample size perhaps, but 58 doubles overall in 2019 suggests he's only getting better, and he hustles.

Marcell Ozuna: The Cardinals outfielder hit .160 over the final month of 2019 to end his walk year with a thud. Someone will bite on his potential.

FIVE OTHERS TO WATCH

Yasiel Puig: Looking for a bat-licking, showboating outfielder who is not nearly as good as he thinks he is? Puig is your man.

Ben Zobrist: The Cubs second baseman/outfielder hasn't decided whether to hang it up, but finishing his career with Joe Maddon in Anaheim wouldn't be a bad send-off.

Hunter Pence: It was a nice comeback season for the inimitable Pence, who hit .297 in 83 games with the Rangers. Like Ben Zobrist, he's a good guy to have on the bench and in the clubhouse.

Howie Kendrick: After his postseason heroics, including the go-ahead home run in Game 7 of the World Series, the Nationals should do anything to keep him around.

Rich Hill: His age (40 in March) and history of injuries make Hill a considerable risk, but when he was available to pitch the last four years, he went 30-16 with a 3.16 ERA with the Dodgers.

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Plenty of options this offseason in MLB free agency. Heres a look at the best available players. - Peoria Journal Star

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