Free agents who go unnoticed and could be good additions
Did your favorite team miss out on the biggest names of the winter? Here are 10 players who should sign in his place.
Conversations about the MLB offseason focus, understandably, on the big names. With several top players off the board, the top three still available are Alex Bregman, Roki Sasaki and Pete Alonso, while Jack Flaherty, Anthony Santander, Nick Pivetta and Tanner Scott also remain unsigned.
But what about the players who might be going unnoticed? The ones that can fill holes in the squad or increase the depth of a team? Using Kiley McDaniel’s list of the top 50 free agents as a guide, we’ll consider some of the more interesting available free agents outside the top 20.
Late-game bullpen reinforcement: Jeff Hoffman (No. 22), Kirby Yates (No. 33), David Robertson (No. 50)
Possible options: Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants
Speaking of flying under the radar: Yates’ 2024 season with the Rangers passed without much recognition, even though it was one of the most dominant relief seasons in recent history. He went 7-2 with 33 saves and a 1.17 ERA while holding hitters to a .113 average and a .407 OPS. Among pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched, that is the lowest batting average ever allowed and the eighth-lowest OPS. Can he repeat it? Obviously, some regression is expected as Yates turns 38 in March, but he has had back-to-back excellent seasons since returning from Tommy John surgery.
The main difference between the two: He allowed nine home runs in 2023, but only three in 2024. He’s a guy you can call your closer and feel pretty good about. A return commitment to the Rangers makes a lot of sense, and the Red Sox could be a good option as they may not want to take a chance on Aroldis Chapman. The Blue Jays also need help in the bullpen, while the Mets have a closer in Edwin Diaz, but could use more depth.
Hoffman has also had back-to-back excellent seasons, posting a 2.28 ERA the last two years with the Phillies, who signed former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano back from injury but might want another reliever. Some teams are considering Hoffman as a possible starter — similar to the Mets, who signed Clay Holmes with the intention of making him a starter. Hoffman might be better suited for that role, as he has been a three-pitch reliever (while Holmes has relied on two pitches) and also used a curveball when starting. However, he’s been so good as a reliever that teams might be inclined to keep him in that role, although you can certainly see the appeal of trying him as a starter. The teams on the above list of possible options are the ones primarily in need of a reliever, so Hoffman’s options expand if he is considered a starter.
Robertson, for his part, turns 40 in early April, but he’s still a strong player, coming off a 3.00 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 72 innings. He comes with three healthy seasons in a row after missing most of 2019-2021 and should match a contract similar to the one he signed last year with the Rangers, one year at $11.5 million (or maybe even a two-year deal). years).
Robertson changed his pitch usage significantly last season: He threw his cutter (which he throws instead of a traditional four-seamer or sinker) 63.4% of the time, while he rarely threw his slider (6.7%). after it was destroyed in 2023. The interesting thing is that he has managed to increase the rate of failed attempts with his cutter — from 20.8% in 2022 to 30.8% in 2024, which leading to a .163 average and .209 slugging percentage allowed against him this past season. In other words, he’s becoming the reliever he once spent several seasons grooming: Mariano Rivera. By the way, Rivera pitched until he was 43 and was still as good as ever when he retired. Robertson could go that route too, and if so, he could be worth that two-year deal.
One Hall of Famer who can still bolster a rotation: Max Scherzer (No. 42)
Possible options: Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Rangers, Mets, Blue Jays
Scherzer needs no introduction, except to ask: is he still at the same level? He turns 41 in July and was effective in 2024, but he made only nine starts and had an average ERA of 3.95. However, he’s just one season away from a 3-WAR 2023 — and you should never bet against his competitiveness.
Scherzer’s slider remains an elite swing-and-miss offering, but his fastball averaged just 92.5 mph. Compared to another Hall of Famer, Justin Verlander, who just agreed to a one-year, $15 million deal with the Giants, Scherzer seems like the better bet. His strikeout rate is a bit higher, while Verlander’s has plummeted over the past two seasons. Scherzer will want to go to a contender, and there are certainly openings in the rotation. Your idea won’t be to lean on him entirely, but like Verlander, he’s a reasonable bet on a one-year deal to cover the back end of a rotation — with the potential for something better. Expect something similar to what Verlander got from the Giants. How about the Tigers bring back the former ace?
Left fielders who put the ball in play: Jurickson Profar (No. 24), Alex Verdugo (no ranking)
Possible options: San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Blue Jays, Braves, Astros, Royals
You’d think Profar would be in high demand: His .380 OBP is seventh in the majors, higher than Bryce Harper or Freddie Freeman; his 3.6 WAR is higher than Santander or Alonso; and he’s a solid contact hitter in a strikeout world. His 2024 hitting data also supports his .280/.380/.459 slash line.
So why were there so few rumors about Profar? Well, two years ago he was one of the worst regular hitters in the game, with a .689 OPS despite spending most of the season with the Colorado Rockies. His defensive metrics in left field were poor. After a good start in April and May, he didn’t hit as well (.243 with a .794 OPS in the second half). Still, that .794 OPS was higher than Alonso’s season mark. With Profar turning 32 in February, it’s understandable that even a three-year deal is a bit of a risk (Kiley projected a three-year, $45 million deal), but his potential on-base skills are hard to find in today’s game. . He could be worth the gamble, especially if he can absorb some turns as a DH. The Padres need him, but they may not have enough room on the roster to sign him. It would be great if one of the small-market teams signed him, like the Reds, A’s or Royals, who ranked near the bottom of the Major Leagues in OPS in left field.
Of the second (or third) tier outfielders — a group that also includes players like Mark Canha, Harrison Bader, Randal Grichuk, Jesse Winker and Tommy Pham — Verdugo might be the guy to take a chance on, mainly because He is still entering his age 29 season. Admittedly, he had a bad season with the New York Yankees, hitting .233/.291/.356 — and that was after an .804 OPS in April. However, he also has some good qualities: good contact ability, good defense, a strong arm for a corner outfielder, and he produced at a league-average level in 2022 and 2023. You don’t want to have Verdugo as a starter, but as a fourth outfielder or platoon bat against right-handed pitching on a one-year deal for a few million dollars, it’s worth giving him a chance.
Possible options: Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, Mets, Mariners, Padres, Yankees, Athletics (any team, really)
Turnbull was having a great season with Detroit in 2021 when he injured his elbow, and it wasn’t until 2024 with the Phillies that he finally regained fitness. Pushed into starting the season when Taijuan Walker was injured, Turnbull posted a 2.65 ERA in seven starts and 10 relief appearances with good peripheral numbers — before missing the second half with a lat strain.
Durability is certainly a concern, as his only full major league season dates back to 2019, but he has ground balls, had an above-average strikeout rate in 2024 and could fit in nicely as a swingman. He’s an option for any of the Scherzer/Verlander candidates listed, but also for any team in need of a cheap starter — and you could look to trade him at the deadline if he’s pitching well.
After not even playing in the majors in 2023, Iglesias — aka “Candelita” — appeared with the Mets in June and hit .337/.381/.448 in 85 games, producing 3.1 WAR. Without him, the Mets will likely miss the postseason. Now… he’s not going to hit .337 again and he’s definitely not going to hit .402 against lefties; Iglesias didn’t suddenly become Tony Gwynn at 34. In fact, Iglesias’ expected batting average for 2024, based on quality of contact, was .285. Still, that’s doable, even with his limited power and infrequent walks. He has above-average range at second, can fill in at shortstop or third and still runs well. And maybe I can do a couple of concerts after the game.
The Mets might not need to bring him back since they have Jeff McNeil, Luisangel Acuña and Ronny Mauricio, but McNeil didn’t hit, Acuña didn’t hit much in the minors and Mauricio is returning from a knee injury. If the Mets don’t sign Alonso and have to move Mark Vientos to first base, Iglesias could return as an infield option. If the Padres lose Ha-Seong Kim, Iglesias could fit in well at second base for San Diego.
Veteran designated hitters (DH) who may not be too old…yet: JD Martínez (No. 48), Justin Turner (SR)
Possible options: Arizona Diamondbacks, Mariners, Nationals, Reds, White Sox, Mets, Blue Jays
As with Scherzer and Verlander, the question is what’s left for either former All-Star. Martínez is 37 years old and hit .235/.320/.406 with the Mets, disappointing numbers for a DH, but his Statcast metrics suggest he was unlucky with expected numbers of .256 (average) and .472 (slugging percentage ). He still hits the ball hard, with a hard hitting percentage in the 77th percentile, so his skills haven’t deteriorated much. Of course, he’s strictly a DH and not many teams like to have one, so that limits his market. The Diamondbacks are an option after losing Joc Pederson to the Rangers, while the Nationals and Reds ranked 28th and 29th in the majors in DH OPS. Martinez signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal a year ago and could get something close to that again.
Turner is now 40 years old and is coming off a .259/.354/.383 season with the Blue Jays and Mariners. Unlike Martínez, he can at least play first base or even third base if necessary. His game at the plate is based on his experience as a veteran: his hitting speed is in the first percentile and his hard hitting rate is in the 14th percentile, so while the raw tools are at the bottom of the scale, has plate discipline and contact ability, and can still pick a pitch to hit. The Mariners were interested in Carlos Santana, so they may be reunited with Turner to help at first base and DH. Of the two, Turner is the most likely to collapse given his age and hitting speed, but the Mariners are not ones to rely on just a DH player.
