Best remaining free agents at each position

afterglow Carlos Correa The saga is hanging on the free agency market, but beyond him, the majority of free agents have found new homes for the 2023 season and beyond. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best remaining free agents at each position (in this writer’s view anyway).

See here for the full list of remaining free agents.

Starting pitcher: Johnny Cueto: 158 1/3 innings pitched, 3.35 ERA, 5.8 SO/9, 1.9 BB/9. Last year, Cueto made a comeback with the White Sox, posting his best season since 2016. His strikeout rate dropped significantly, but he offset it by showing the best control of his career. He turns 37 in February, so he’s probably only on a one-year deal, but a team that needs a veteran arm to stabilize the back end of their rotation does worse than adding Cueto. Possibly. The Padres, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Reds have all reported interest in veteran right-handers at various stages of the offseason, and teams like the Angels recently lined up another starter. I am interested in adding.

Relief pitcher: Andrew Chafin: 57 1/3 IP, 2.83 ERA, 10.5 SO/9, 3.0 BB/9Chaffin has been a quality left-handed reliever for the last few seasons, his last with the Tigers. He’s effective against both left-handed and right-handed hitters and should fit as a closing arm wherever he lands. Putting it away, he seems to have hit the mark below 8% for the second season in a row. After turning down a $6.5 million option on his contract with the Tigers, he should be able to top it on the open market with a multi-year deal.

catcher: Gary Sanchez: 471 at-bats, .205/.282/.377, 16 home runs. The Yankees traded Sanchez to the Twins last winter after growing frustrated with his performances over the past few seasons. Sanchez definitely has talent, as evidenced by his 53 home runs and his 143 wRC+ in 2016-17. He hasn’t come close to replicating it since, slashing 202/.295/.427 and achieving a below-average wRC+ of 96 between 2018-22. Sanchez has never been considered a top catcher defensively, but since 2018 he posted the highest number of framings in the Fungraf metric and gave up the fewest wild pitches of his career (shortened Except for his 2020 season which he did and his 2016 which he didn’t). t will play for his one year). Many teams are filling catcher vacancies, but the Red Sox, Tigers, and Marlins could be among the teams of interest.

First base: Trey Mancini: 587 PA, .239/.319/.391, 18 hours. Mancini split time between the Orioles and Astros in 2022 and put together a solid enough campaign at bat. His 104 wRC+ in the last two seasons shows him just 4% above the league average at bat. For first base/corner outfielders who are unlikely to command big guarantees in free agency, Mancini could still get a multi-year guarantee. Mancini is worth more than a two-out average in the first 323 innings of 2022, the position he has played. It was the best result of all.

Second base: Josh Harrison: 425 PA, .256/.317/.370, 7 hoursHarrison, 35, recovered from a slow start to finish in a respectable season for the White Sox, finishing just below average with a 98 wRC+. That was after hitting .167/.248/.255 on June 2nd. Although he doesn’t produce much power, he offers a solid contact bat that can be played all over the infield. He’s also worthy of 3DRS at third base and can fill outfield spots at shortstop and corner in a pinch.A veteran utility Any team needing his player would rather add Harrison on a one-year deal. It can lead to bad results.

shortstop: Elvis Andrus: 577 PA, .249/.303/.404, 17 hoursAndrus started the year with Oakland, but was released in August and finished the season with the White Sox. The 34-year-old had a little bounce at bat and excelled defensively in 2022 at shortstop averaging 3 or more of his outs. He may be the best infielder left on the open market, but it’s been a quiet winter for Andrus, and his market moves go largely unreported. Obviously, Correa hasn’t officially signed a contract, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll assume he’s on his way to the Mets. In that case, Andras would be the next best option for teams looking for a shortstop.

Third base: Brian Anderson: 383PA, .222/.311/.346, 8 hoursAnderson had the worst offense numbers in five full seasons with the Marlins in 2022, ending up with a 90 wRC+. It was the second consecutive offensive decline for the 29-year-old, who posted 115 wRC+ between 2018 and 2020. He’s been splitting his time between third baseman and right fielder lately, and is performing well in both through 2022. The Marlins did enough this winter to not bid him out ahead of the final year of arbitration, but he makes sense as a low-cost comeback candidate for many teams.

Left/Right Field: Jurickson Profer: 658 PA, .243/.331/.391, 15 hoursProfar is arguably the top remaining free agent right now. The 29-year-old (he’s 30 as of February) makes good use of the ball, as evidenced by his 15.7% strikeout rate. He also walks a lot and has a little pop to the bat, and the Padres, a former center fielder, played him only on the left side last year, saving two of his runs defensively. He turned down $7.5 million in favor of a $1 million buyout to enter the public market this winter for a multi-year deal. The Rangers and Yankees make sense as teams looking for left field help, but the Marlins and Rockies could also make sense.

Center field: Albert Almora: 235PA, .223/.282/.349, 5HRThe midfield market wasn’t deep at first and is now largely limited to glove first options. Almora doesn’t pose much of a threat with the bat, as evidenced by his 71 wRC+, but in the Reds’ outfield he’s worth saving eight defensive runs, of which his came in center field four times. He’s unlikely to be his starting option for the team, but he’s a glove he’s first bench he makes sense as an option.

Designated hitter: Nelson Cruise: 507 PA, .234/.313/.337, 10 hoursAfter years of elite production at the plate, 2022 was Cruz’s first below-average year since 2007 (according to wRC+). He’s 42 now, so betting on him getting back up is risky, but he hit his 89th home run and between 2019 and 2021 he posted a 146 wRC+. This is not a steady decline over the years. That being said, he hasn’t played on the field since 2018 and is now fully committed to his DH duties. A few days ago it was reported that he received an offer for his 2023 season, so it looks like he’ll be back for his 19th big league season.