Underrated MLB Free-Agent Signings Who Will Have Biggest Impact on 2023 Season<\/h2>\n
0 of 8<\/p>\n
- \n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673300946\/wmd8lxgztt0mmugw9kf7.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Dodgers were the perfect landing spot for J.D. Martinez.<\/span>David Berding\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Major League Baseball’s free-agent market has thus far paid out $3.7 billion, a hefty chunk of which has gone to just a handful of players. All eyes will be on them in 2023.<\/p>\n And yet some of the market’s lesser splashes may steal the show.<\/p>\n We specifically want to talk about eight deals that we think have the potential to pay off in a major way during the ’23 season. In some cases, a team got a very good player at a surprisingly affordable rate. In others, a player has upside beyond what he’s going to be paid. In others still, the player is overqualified for the role he’s about to play.<\/p>\n It seemed silly to try to rank these eight deals, so we opted to simply list the players in alphabetical order.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 1 of 8<\/p>\n Harry How\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>33<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>30 G, 28 GS, 178.2 IP, 145 H (14 HR), 138 K, 34 BB, 2.57 ERA<\/p>\n The Deal: <\/b>3 Years, $39 Million<\/p>\n Given what he had done for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022, the Los Angeles Angels’ deal for Tyler Anderson looked good even at the time it was announced in November. Then the market exploded, making it look even better.<\/p>\n Of course, there is the question of how likely Anderson is to revert to the player who struggled to the tune of a 5.09 ERA from 2019 to 2021. Yet that shouldn’t happen so long as he’s able to carry over the primary keys to his success in ’22.<\/p>\n Generally, those included a chase rate in the 95th percentile and a hard-hit rate in the 98th percentile. And more specifically, greater trust in one of the game’s better changeups.<\/p>\n Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja<\/span><\/p>\n Tyler Anderson, Nasty Changeups. \ud83d\udc4c <a href=”https:\/\/t.co\/BwNfK6mmV1″>pic.twitter.com\/BwNfK6mmV1<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n As Anderson isn’t much for missing bats, there will be pressure on the Angels defense to do its part on whatever soft contact he induces. That’s where there’s room for concern, as the Halos weren’t quite as efficient<\/a> on defense as the Dodgers were last year.<\/p>\n On the plus side, the Angels nonetheless tied for fifth in efficiency even though they shifted their infield significantly less frequently than the Dodgers. As such, they should be prepared for MLB’s looming post-shift era.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 2 of 8<\/p>\n Adam Hunger\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>33<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>30 GS, 181.2 IP, 159 H (19 HR), 167 K, 49 BB, 3.42 ERA<\/p>\n The Deal: <\/b>3 Years, $63 Million<\/p>\n At $21 million per year, Chris Bassitt’s deal with the Toronto Blue Jays carries one of the highest average annual values of any contract signed this offseason. So, yeah, perhaps it’s cheating to treat the pact as an overlooked gem.<\/p>\n What nonetheless excites about it is how Bassitt fits onto the Blue Jays.<\/p>\n He may be making Yu Darvish money, but the veteran right-hander doesn’t figure to bear Darvish-like responsibility. Bassitt is at best Toronto’s No. 3 starter behind Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman. If Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos teases in spring training that he’s ready to put a rough 2022 campaign behind him, Bassitt may enter the season as Toronto’s No. 4 starter.<\/p>\n Either way, he’d be overqualified. Your standard No. 3 starter just doesn’t do what Bassitt has done in pitching to a 125 ERA+ (i.e., 25 percent better than the average pitcher) over the last five seasons.<\/p>\n Having a deep rotation is a good thing under any circumstances, but it figures to be especially crucial when the Blue Jays go up against two American League East foes that likewise have deep rotations: the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. Sans Bassitt, the Jays would have much less of a chance to end up on top of both of them.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 3 of 8<\/p>\n Adam Hunger\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>37<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>47 G, 154 PA, 15 HR, 0 SB, .305 AVG, .412 OBP, .727 SLG<\/p>\n The Deal: <\/b>2 Years, $12 Million<\/p>\n What if the best hitter of 2022 wasn’t Aaron Judge? What if it was actually Matt Carpenter?<\/p>\n We don’t actually mean this, of course, but we couldn’t help ourselves after drawing up last year’s OPS+ leaderboard and setting the minimum to 150 plate appearances. There was Carpenter on top at 217, followed by Judge at 211.<\/p>\n That Carpenter had to settle for a $12 million deal indicates that the market deemed him unlikely to come anywhere close to that performance again. The Padres are clearly bullish, however, and not without good reason.<\/p>\n Lest anyone think they were all Yankee Stadium cheapies, the 15 home runs that Carpenter hit in ’22 were exactly as many as Statcast expected based on the quality of his contact. That was largely the result of him pushing back against the notion that age had slowed his bat down, as he did the bulk of his damage against fastballs. The broken foot he suffered in August, meanwhile, was a freak injury.<\/p>\n Further, Carpenter should benefit from the new shift regulations after seeing infield shifts on 84.1 percent of the pitches he saw last year. If all goes well, he’ll stand out even in a lineup that will also feature Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tat\u00eds Jr.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 4 of 8<\/p>\n Carmen Mandato\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>28<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>20 G, 13 GS, 75.2 IP, 70 H (8 HR), 65 K, 16 BB, 4.04 ERA<\/p>\n The Deal:<\/b> 3 Years, $40 Million<\/p>\n If anyone’s been wondering why the Rays made a guy with a career 4.49 ERA the largest free-agent signing in their history, well, fair enough.<\/p>\n But while we also have our doubts, we can also grant that A) the Rays usually know what they’re doing and B) precisely how Eflin could become a difference-maker for them is no mystery.<\/p>\n His results for the Philadelphia Phillies may not have reflected as much in 2022, but Eflin obviously continued to throw strikes while also turning a corner with his contact management. His hard-hit rate ended up in the 94th percentile.<\/p>\n That mostly traces back to his pitch selection, wherein he basically scrapped his slider and made his curveball his primary breaking ball. Batters hit .155 against it, but it really only takes one look at the pitch to understand why throwing it more often was a good idea.<\/p>\n Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja<\/span><\/p>\n Zach Eflin, Wicked 79mph Curveball. \ud83e\udd22 <a href=”https:\/\/t.co\/cHjaGAmoA3″>pic.twitter.com\/cHjaGAmoA3<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Whereas there’s some question as to whether Anderson is right for his new surroundings in Anaheim, that’s less of a question with regard to Eflin in Tampa. The Rays were a much better defensive team<\/a> than the Phillies in 2022, and Tropicana Field isn’t nearly as friendly to hitters as Citizens Bank Park.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 5 of 8<\/p>\n Steph Chambers\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>30<\/p>\n 2022 Stats:<\/b> 156 G, 602 PA, 3 HR, 11 SB, .238 AVG, .301 OBP, .311 SLG<\/p>\n The Deal: <\/b>1 Year, $8 Million<\/p>\n If there are any Orioles fans out there who are feeling annoyed that the team hasn’t done more this winter, that’s fair. Following a season that effectively marks the end of a rebuilding phase, this should be a time to spend.<\/p>\n Still, don’t discount the impact that Adam Frazier could have on the O’s in 2022.<\/p>\n He hit .305 amid an All-Star campaign in 2021, and he frankly deserved better than to tumble all the way to a .238 average in 2022. He made plenty of contact, ranking in the 95th percentile for strikeout rate, and his expected average came out to .262.<\/p>\n On the other side of the ball, Frazier seems ticketed to play second base full-time in Baltimore. That should suit him better than the utility role he played for the Seattle Mariners in 2022, as second base has traditionally been Frazier’s best defensive position.<\/p>\n To be sure, none of this makes Frazier MVP material. But if he hits up around .300 while forming an effective double-play combination in tandem with either Gunnar Henderson or Jorge Mateo, he’ll be an important part of an Orioles team that should be in playoff contention this year.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 6 of 8<\/p>\n G Fiume\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>35<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>139 G, 596 PA, 16 HR, 0 SB, .274 AVG, .341 OBP, .448 SLG<\/p>\n The Deal: <\/b>1 Year, $10 Million<\/p>\n The Boston Red Sox got more than their money’s worth out of the five-year, $110 million deal they agreed with J.D. Martinez after the 2017 season. But the returns definitely diminished over time, culminating in him posting a modest .701 OPS in the second half of 2022.<\/p>\n All the same, the chance the Dodgers are taking on Martinez is worthwhile for at least one reason: he still crushes left-handed pitching.<\/p>\n Whereas he managed only a .729 OPS against right-handers in ’22, his OPS against lefties was a sturdy .998. The latter amounted to a 175 wRC+, which notably placed Martinez slightly ahead of Aaron Judge (174) in that department.<\/p>\n Then there’s the other reason that the Martinez signing is worthwhile for the Dodgers, and it relates to the presence of hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc. Martinez’s work with Van Scoyoc was instrumental in formulating a swing that made him the best hitter this side of Mike Trout between 2014 and 2019.<\/p>\n At worst, Martinez could be for the Dodgers what Albert Pujols was for the St. Louis Cardinals last season. At best, he’ll enjoy a reawakening that would be powerful enough to make up for the losses of Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner.<\/p>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n 7 of 8<\/p>\n Dilip Vishwanat\/Getty Images<\/span><\/small><\/div>\n Age: <\/b>33<\/p>\n 2022 Stats: <\/b>32 GS, 165.2 IP, 154 H (8 HR), 137 K, 47 BB, 2.93 ERA<\/p>\n The Deal: <\/b>2 Years, $26 Million<\/p>\nLHP Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Angels<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"SAN](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673303509\/g2g44i5jirj65cgoztnu.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRHP Chris Bassitt, Toronto Blue Jays<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"NEW](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673303223\/p2fw4jzdmsnvbaasq8eo.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDH Matt Carpenter, San Diego Padres<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"NEW](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673303822\/exknq2jatfltevljopqw.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRHP Zach Eflin, Tampa Bay Rays<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"HOUSTON,](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673304275\/c4vvizaqtdqwkhv6oi9h.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n2B Adam Frazier, Baltimore Orioles<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"SEATTLE,](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673303037\/kr9ddo5ulgg5ofs5me0y.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nJ.D. Martinez, Los Angeles Dodgers<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"BALTIMORE,](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673302910\/tqaojrfmwy46oipcseca.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLHP Jos\u00e9 Quintana, New York Mets<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"ST](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673305339\/tmremmajxiquanz0jy67.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static-assets.bleacherreport.net\/img\/atoms\/lazyImage\/logo.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"PHILADELPHIA,](\"https:\/\/media.bleacherreport.com\/image\/upload\/w_40,h_27,c_fill\/v1673304712\/wadulfchig8vq5wmnhuu.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n