As we at MLBTR did in 2013, we'll constantly be looking toward the future over the course of the season to see which players are positioning themselves for a healthy payday on the 2014-15 open market. Remember that you can always find a full list of next season's free agents here (or on the right-hand sidebar under "MLBTR Features), and keep an eye out for future editions of these rankings. For now, here's the first entry in our 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings series.
1. Hanley Ramirez. Fragile or not, there's no debating that when Ramirez is on the field, he's one of the best-hitting shortstops of this generation. Hanley, who has slashed .286/.351/.506 since 2012 and batted an insane .345/.402/.638 in a half season last year, is said to be in extension talks with the Dodgers. However, while many thought a deal would get done in Spring Training, it's been eerily quiet. Big spenders with potential needs at shortstop and/or third base next season (in addition to the Dodgers) include the Yankees, Mets, and Angels. Depending upon how injuries, prospect development, and strategic considerations pan out, the Tigers and Red Sox could hypothetically also have interest in adding an impact player to the left side of the infield.
2. Max Scherzer. Fresh off his first Cy Young Award in 2013, Scherzer boldly bet on himself by rejecting a six-year, $144MM extension offer to remain with the Tigers. The strikeout artist trails only Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw in fWAR since the start of the 2012 season, and with agent Scott Boras doing the negotiating, another Cy Young caliber season could position Scherzer to set a new record for pitchers in free agency.
3. Jon Lester. Beyond the top two, things become a little less concrete. Some may prefer James Shields to Lester, but the fact that Lester is a full two years younger and has spent his entire career thriving in the AL East can't be ignored (though Shields, too, spent most of his career there). As was the case with Ramirez, many expected a Spring Training extension for Lester, who said this offseason he wanted to remain with the Red Sox until the jersey was "ripped off [his] back." Lester rebounded from a poor 2012 to post a 3.75 ERA in 213 1/3 innings last season — his fifth 200-inning, sub-4.00 ERA season in six tries.
4. James Shields. In terms of bottom-line results, Shields has arguably been the most consistent performer on this free agent crop. However, he's also had the benefit of a consistently elite defense behind him (both the Rays and Royals are excellent), and he's pitched in a pair of very pitcher-friendly environments. That's not to discount his talent, as he's among the league's best right-handers, but Shields will be entering his age-33 season with this next contract, so concern about his decline is more pronounced than with some of his peers.
5. Ervin Santana. Santana is a surprise entrant on this list after most expected him to sign a multi-year deal this offseason. He could be saddled with another qualifying offer next year, but a second consecutive dominant season would leave his ugly 2012 campaign two years in the past and could convince disbelievers that he's capable of consistently turning in an ERA in the mid-3.00 range.
6. Chase Headley. When a 3.5 fWAR season that came despite missing April causes people to say you had a "down year," you're in good shape. That's the reality for Headley, who saw his Herculean .286/.376/.498 batting line from 2012 (in Petco Park!) plummet to a still-respectable .250/.347/.400 in 2013. Interested teams will look at Headley and dream on his offensive ceiling in a more hitter-friendly environment, knowing that even without tremendous improvement, he's an above-average bat that handles the hot corner well.
7. Justin Masterson. Another player whose extension looked to be a foregone conclusion is Masterson, who surprisingly saw his own offers of $51MM over three years and $35MM over two years declined by the Indians. Masterson's off to a rough start, but the ground-ball specialist posted an ERA south of 3.50 and topped 190 innings in 2011 and 2013. He's added some significant strikeouts to his arsenal as well, whiffing 210 batters over his past 208 1/3 frames.
8. Colby Rasmus. Rasmus finds himself ranked here due to his power and defense at a premium position (center field) as well as his youth (he'll play the 2015 season at 28 years of age). Rasmus was a six-WAR player in 2013 despite a sky-high 32 percent strikeout rate. He kept a passable batting average based on a lofty .359 BABIP, but he'd be well-served to improve his contact abilities this season. Doing so would eliminate a great deal of concern and bolster his free agent stock, although poor contact rates certainly didn't hurt B.J. Upton's market value.
9. Pablo Sandoval. Kung Fu Panda will also play the 2015 campaign at 28 years of age, and he's averaged 3.4 fWAR from 2011-13. The switch-hitter has a pair of five-WAR campaigns under his belt and would likely see a boost in his offensive output if he moved away from AT&T Park. Of course, the Giants love retaining their players, are said to be in extension talks with Sandoval (though a wide gap exists) and he's wildly popular among fans. He may end up with an extension when all is said and done — remember, Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum both inked new deals last year right on the cusp of free agency — but if not, he'll be a hot commodity.
10. J.J. Hardy. Hardy's name might not carry much star power, but he's a truly elite defender at shortstop with rare power for the position. He has an injury history, but he's stayed on the field more than his free agent peers in recent seasons. Teams will be hard-pressed to get an OBP north of .310 from Hardy, but it's nice to have a slick-fielding, 20-to-25 homer shortstop in the bottom third of the lineup, and shortstops are always hard to find.
Other players who could force their way onto this year's rankings with a big season include (in alphabetical order as opposed to numbered ranking): Asdrubal Cabrera, Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Michael Cuddyer, Jorge De La Rosa, Corey Hart, Torii Hunter, Josh Johnson, Francisco Liriano, Jed Lowrie, Russell Martin, Mike Morse and Jake Peavy, to name a handful. And, of course, Kendrys Morales and Stephen Drew could also make appearances, should they ultimately sign one-year pacts.
Note: Players whose contracts contain options (e.g. Ben Zobrist, Alex Rios, Yovani Gallardo) were not considered for this list.
No mention of Francisco Liriano?
Liriano had a solid 2013, no question, but he is still a 30 year old who has never topped 200 IP and aside from 2010 and 2013 hes been pretty average.
He’s definitely someone who could work his way up. Oversight on my part. He’s been added to the end of the post. His inconsistent history isn’t enough to merit a Top 10 placement, but if he duplicates 2013 (or comes close), I can see it.
If Ricketts are telling the truth that Theo/Jed can spend as much money they want basically, then It would be very nice see the Cubs get at least 1, maybe 2 of the pitchers on this list right here. Get Scherzer and then either Lester or Shields. Scherzer, Lester/Shields, Wood is a pretty good 1-2-3 punch. (Samardzija will be getting traded) With top prospect hitters coming up starting next season, Its the time to hit the free agent market hard
Sadly, it appears these funds won’t be rolling in until late 2010s/2020.
Yes because dedicating hundreds of millions to two pitchers in their 30s is a great idea. As the young talent enters their prime years, Scherzer, Shields, and Lester will all be leaving theirs. Great idea!!!!
Not saying go over board and get them, plus I’m not giving them that long term of deals, no more then 4 or 5 years. Cubs will be going after at least 1 of them
Scherzer just rejected $144,000,000 for 6 years from a team that just made it to three straight ALCS (Tigers).
Somehow the Cubs are going to finagle him for fewer years (and dollars)?
I go 4-5 years for higher dollars. Scherzer is the only one I want the Cubs to over pay for,
I love Max Scherzer as a player, but paying 25M+ for a guy with really 1 ace-style year isn’t a very good idea.
Got it…
Perhaps Scherzer will accept $155,000,000+ for 5 years then (more dollars AND fewer years)? That is the only realistic way (barring a disaster this season or injury) that you can beat the Tiger offer.
Everyone knows that last year has minimal value. You have to get up in that range to beat the Tigers.
31M for Scherzer after 1 great year. No way in hell.
He was very good in past years. Teams are paying more for future potential than past performance these days, and Scherzer’s advanced metrics have always been good. He was, in fact, a prime candidate to break out in 2013…
I’d rather not. I would rather resign Samardjiza, but that’s not happening either.
Scherzer has had one good season in his career. Lets see him repeat 2013 before anointing him. If he does he is worth $144+. If not, then he will get what he is worth at his career averages. He may have made a huge mistake turning down generational money like that.
If you’re not giving them the most years and top dollar, they’re not coming to the Cubs.
Exactly, he’s not going to sign for less years!
Depends when they think their talent will be ready. I think it’s getting close to the point where their great young talent should be coming up shortly. I don’t think it would be that bad of an idea to at least be involved in the market next offseason. Cubs don’t necessarily need largest bang for their buck. That team if managed right will be able to be right up against the salary cap if they choose to.
The Red Sox got lucky, the Dodgers bailed them out of the fiasco Theo created by hitting the FA market hard. Better hope he learned his lesson and doesn’t go FA crazy again.
But that same so-called fiasco helped the Dodgers to the NLCS. Probably would’ve had a similar outcome in 2013 if they stayed in Boston. They still would’ve gone out and signed some of those short term deals like Napoli and Victorino.
If Olt doesn’t pan out, look for the Cubbies to be in on the Headley sweepstakes. In that ballpark and the NL Central he will hit 25+ hr and .290+ every year.
I would tend to disagree.
The one thing the Cubs don’t figure to have ready in the next 2 years in their minor league system is starting pitching. That’s the commodity you go buy; you don’t spend your funds on something you already have a better version of (Kris Bryant).
The Jays could extend the QO to both Rasmus and Cabrera if they have strong seasons which could make things very interesting.
hah you called the Mets one of the big spenders.
The Mets spent the 5th most money on FAs this off-season (87 MM) and had the 4th highest AAV for FA contracts (12 MM).
Well, they spent the 5th most of any team in FA this year, and could well have made a bigger splash if Harvey had not gone down. And they have a very high payroll capacity, even though their current obligations are in the middle of the pack. I’d certainly expect them to be a major factor on the FA market over the next few seasons.
Way to steal my point I just finished stealing from your previous article….
haha, sorry
Somehow I knew that even after the Mets spent $87.25MM this offseason and gave David Wright $138MM the year prior, someone would still make this exact comment.
Pirates better be shopping this offseason.. Obvious upgrades are at SS and 1B. RF won’t be a problem anymore with Polanco up. Martin needs to be resigned. I do not have any faith in Tony Sanchez as an everyday MLB catcher in the Major Leagues for a playoff contender. Pitching will also be a big need for the Bucs. They only have Morton and Cole as locks. Volquez, Wandy, and Liriano could all possibly be departing. They were counting on Tallion but he had to get TJ. I don’t trust our depth options like Cumpton or Locke with spots in the rotation. The Pirates have a lot to shop for.
Top 4 is the real meat of this bunch, whole lot better than 2013 class.
Sandoval is playing it wrong if he thinks is going to get close to 90m on the market going up against both Hardy, Lowrie and possibly Drew in 2015. Sure, NY is trying to make do this season and pluck away the best option of the 4, but I see in no way it being Sandoval, probably Lowrie, or Hardy. Probably Lowrie, since he could fill 3 different positions.
Thats what people said about Choo at 90M. I didn’t see him getting 130M. 6/90M probably isn’t out of the question if he could switch to 1B/DH later on.
There is a whole world of talent difference between Choo and Sandoval. Choo is an OBP machine, year in and out with no issues (weight) even if he is a couple of years older.
Its the same projection contract-wise and demand for a player at the position as Choo and the OF. Last years OF and this years 3B is loaded.
Not sure about that. Panda can rake, and is younger, and Choo is a platoon guy really. I may take Panda over Choo.
Probably right. If not extended, Sandoval is a likely recipient of a QO, and if experience is any guide, it will substantially lower his price tag in the free agent market.
Don’t think this is true. The QO only seems to affect marginally regarded free agents. It didn’t stop the great majority of this year’s class from getting paid. It really didn’t affect Ervin Santana either; his inflated opinion of his own worth is what held him back. The only three who really seem affected are Drew, Morales and Nelson Cruz.
You could argue that Drew is an analogy for Sandoval because both play premium positions, but Sandoval’s upside is much higher than Drew’s. He’ll get offers.
You could be right. The QO thing is still too new, but it does seem to increase the likelihood that a player re-signs with his old team, and if he goes to a new one that they will want a good number of years at some discount to offset the loss of the draft pick.
Is Scherzer, Hanley, Lester and Shields really that much better than Cano, Ellsbury, Tanaka and Choo?
I think so. Other than Cano, worlds away the top FA this year, or last. Questions with health on Ells, nobody knew how Tanaka would work out in the US (still do somewhat) and really. 3 top SP like Shields, Scherzer, Lester, then Ramirez. Another #3 SP in Masterson who is available and more of a track record/younger combo than what was available last season. Multiple middle/L/S infielders with talent.
It’s just a better talent level not only at the top, but overall.
Overall-wise, I completely disagree. I think Drew, Ervin, Ubaldo, Garza, Nolasco, Tanaka, Burnett, Ellsbury, McCann, Beltran, Peralta, Cano, Choo, Napoli, Ruiz, Nathan, Kuroda, Granderson, Colon, Kazmir, Haren, and Infante is a pretty good crop of legitimate starters, and Nelson Cruz, Kendrys Morales, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Joe Smith, Brian Wilson, Joaquin Benoit, Fernando Rodney, Grant Balfour, Scott Feldman, Nate McLouth, David Murphy, Bronson Arroyo, Edward Mujica, Marlon Byrd, Chris Young, Boone Logan, and Jason Vargas make an excellent set of complementary players.
Its better, but the only ones in that whole group doing anything noteworthy are Beltran and Ellsbury. Tanaka has been pretty good racking up all the strikeouts as well. Still early though
Nelson Cruz has been doing what he was supposed to. Napoli has been good. Cano has had a power outage so far, but AVG and OBP are there. Beltran, Ells, and Tanaka have been as advertised, Ervin had a stellar debut, Garza has been fine best I can tell, Haren has been solid, and, like you said, it is extremely early. Not all of these contracts will be excellent but that isn’t the question at hand. The issue is whether this crop is better depth-wise and overall than the upcoming free agency class. I also didn’t include Mark Ellis, Jose Abreu, Edinson Volquez, Alex Guerrero, Chris Perez, Jamie Wright, LaTroy Hawkins, Justin Morneau, Phil Hughes, Mike Pelfrey, Rajai Davis, or several other signees. I also can’t remember the other guy LAD signed from Cuba’s name.
The Twins are already paying the price for that Hughes signing
Thirteen games. Thirteen. Less than two and a half weeks of baseball.
I have seen enough of Hughes to judge how bad of a pitcher he is
Sandoval could fill 3 positions at the dinner table.
Yes, but at the same time I wouldn’t be surprised if 1-2 signed extensions.
Probably most of these players with the exceptions of Ramirez, Scherzer, and Sandoval, are going to be strong candidates to be traded in July.
Why exactly is Lester and Ervin getting traded?
You’re right, I should have included those two also.
JJ Hardy too. The O’s aren’t trading him.
Dunno, if the team fall out of contention. I was making the standard assumption about what teams at least have to consider under those circumstances. Maybe he gets a QO anyway.
depends how machado comes back, how lombardozzi continues to do, and how schoop progresses. If all of those things go well I could see them trading him
If they are out of it, they could. Deal him, Cruz and Crush.
I would think that the Tigers would be willing to come close to Scherzer’s offer… for Lester. They have not had a dominant lefty in a while.
Honestly I can’t see Lester getting Lee or Hamels money. He should look more for 5/90 to 6/120M at his highest.
better start drafting better because the FA list keep getting dryer each year
I personally like this class better then last year, except for C and the OF.
Lester and Hanley will not make it to the open market. Scherzer will be the big player in play if he doesn’t get traded in a big deal this summer
Are the Tigers not still considered to be favorites in the ALC? Same deal as with Lester and Ramirez. I can’t see either of these teams cashing in their chips early.
Scherzer won’t be traded. Tigers will need him in the playoffs and down the stretch. They don’t have anything in the minors to get them through.
I was surprised Victor Martinez did not get an honorable mention. Sure, he’s a DH and he will be 36 next year, but he can hit .300 and drive in 100 runs. He is also a solid defender at first base (2 DRS in just 11 games in 2013). His defense isn’t a fluke either, he had one DRS in 6 games in 2011 too. However, past injuries limit his time on defense. He’s a career .303/.368/.465 and age hasn’t slowed him down.
He hit under league average the entire first half last season. Nowadays if a man has no glove he has no job unless he absolutely rakes.
After missing a whole year of baseball! The second half of the season, however, he hit the highest average of any player in the MLB and ended up above .300.
17 total games spread out between 2011 and 2013 with +3 DRS, no mention of any other defensive statistics, and failing to mention his age is not much of a compelling argument for his defense at first being a plus in 2015 and beyond.
Never said it was a plus, I said he is solid. He can hold his own at the position and is not looking like he doesn’t know what to do with a glove.
I’m going to use Eric Hosmer (2013 Gold Glove winner) as a comp. He was pegged at +3 DRS last year in 153 games. Victor had +2 in 11 games. He had 2/3 of Hosmer’s DRS in 93% of the games. Since you want other stats, Hosmer had a total zone per year of 4. In Victor’s 17 games over his past two seasons, the numbers extrapolated over a year would be -4. Not too shabby. Hosmer’s UZR/150 was 2.2, Martinez’s was 9.7 just in 2013 (19.9 in 2011). I’m not saying Martinez is a better fielder (although it could be possible) but he isn’t lost on defense. One more year of age isn’t going to deteriorate his skills to a point where he looks terrible. 1B/DH is a position where age doesn’t matter as much as other positions. Last year there, 1B/DH had the most regular players over the age of 35 than any other position that isn’t RF (tie)
And he has proven he can still catch on occasion. Career 300 hitter from both sides of the plate.
I can see Headley, Masterson, Rasmus, Sandoval and Hardy having their market significantly effected by QO’s, I wonder if one of them will be the first to accept a QO.
Rasmus shouldn’t even receive a QO. His offense and ‘premium position’ puts him into the same category with Salty. Same RBI, Same OBP, Same offensive WAR and similar defensive WAR. Both play premium positions. The difference? One got 3/21M and one is going to be a FA. If he gets a QO, he would be smart to accept it.
Rasmus isn’t a star but if he can replicate his 2013 season Im sure the Blue Jays would be happy to have him back on a 1 year deal. Even if the AAV is a bit high a QO would make sense
I’m thinking he gets extended before he reaches FA.
Saltalamacchia hit free agency off his first good offensive year at a time when many teams had catchers in place whether they be veterans or potential-filled prospects. He also went up against McCann and Ruiz, where one re-signed and the other’s former team filled the void internally. Not to mention his former team didn’t want a long-term solution due to Swihart/Vazquez’ presence.
As soon as I read this list I immediately wondered where the cut off is for rejecting the QO. Seems after Shields, even his market could be effected, everyone else would face a limited or nonexistent market if they were to reject.
Would Sandoval have much worse of a market than Choo did? Masterson would be in Jimenez/Garza/Nolasco territory.
Yes! Choo had a .423 OBP to go with 21 HR’s and 20 SB last year. Other than being younger Sandoval has nothing on Choo.
Sandoval has two 5-win seasons on his resume and might be the best option at his position aside from the resident superstar (Hanley, Ellsbury)… Youth also matters significantly, especially when the latter can’t hit lefties, was horrendous defensively and does not project to improve much, and is signed through age-37. Pablo Sandoval’s platform season also has not happened yet. I think we all know he could flounder out, but he could also shine and have a typical Kung Fu Panda season.
Timing matters a lot. Sandoval’s last 5 WAR season was 2011, Choo’s was 2013. Also, Choo has averaged 3.4 fWAR while Sandoval has average 2.9. Plus beyond his WAR there is the issue of Sandoval’s weight fluctuation.
I hate to think that the Jays will have to decide between extending Rasmus or Cabrera.
I’d extend Rasmus if I were them. Bautista still has one more year on his deal after this one, right?
One more and an option for 16
Chase Headley is the most over rated player in baseball
I agree, can’t figure out how he deserves to be in the top 10 let alone #6.
Because he is better than the players behind him. 2012 was a fluke, but it doesn’t mean he’s an awful player. I’d much rather have him than Rasmus.
Chase Headley’s 2012 was on par with Robinson Cano’s. There is nothing wrong with regressing from a super star to an above average player. Headley’s 2013 was on par with Jed Lowrie, Jean Segura, Brett Gardner, JJ Hardy, Chase Utley and Mike Napoli in terms of overall value. That is a respectable list to be a part of.
Except Cano played in one of the best hitters parks and Headley in the worst.
I would guess from your comment that you have never seen him play and really don’t understand just what park factors are.
Do you realize just how hard it is to hit at Petco? Especially for left handed hitters? (Headley hits lefty 70+% of time) Do you know what he hit on the road vs home for his career? Or how much better he has been at Petco vs visiting 3B? Or just how good his defense is?
There is a reason Headley is considered one of the top FA. He is fantastic with the bat AND glove. He hit .293/.366 away from Petco and more than 30 points better in BA and SLG than visiting 3B at Petco.
Its time you took a deeper look at the game.
Well said.
As an Angel and Dodgers fan (Yes, it’s possible) I’d prefer he remain with the Dodgers, but if not I hope the Angels stay away given their history with long terms contracts and older players.
Angels’ fans rooting for the Dodgers is like roaches rooting for raid!
Or the Red Sox winning the series again
Not really. The smartest thing a baseball fan can do is have both an AL and NL team.
Those big contracts could’ve gone either way. It’s too easy to second guess in hindsight. However, the Angels have so much control over their active roster, especially with arbitration, that it’s very likely they’ll go the same route they went this past offseason and go for depth moves. Their next big batch of FA’s doesn’t hit until after the 2016 season.
Hard to believe the Dodgers let Ramirez get to FA. IIRC, they don’t have a replacement ready, and he’s better than Asdrubal, Drew, Hardy and Lowrie.
what about Dee Gordon?
i wouldnt mind this if he could throw the ball accurately that far.
Poor free agent class, save your money teams.
Sheesh, outside of this top-10, this doesn’t look inviting. Cuddyer, Cruz, Hart, Hunter, and Peavy have all had varying degrees of good/very good careers, especially Hunter and Peavy, but they’re either injury-prone, defensive liabilities, or both. The Cabrera duo, Russell Martin, Jed Lowrie, Josh Johnson, and Francisco Liriano could certainly all score multi-year commitments with ease, I would think, assuming Johnson comes back healthy and performs. .
Not an inspiring class. But the idea of Drew and Morales being back in chills the soul.
Padres fans who diss Headley without understanding park factors please take note of the comments in the article.
Hope the Yankees make a play for Hardy
Likewise. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if he got an extension with the O’s.
I just dont want Cashman overpaying for HanRam.
Arods money, Jeter coming off the books, Kuroda and Soriano are also probably gone. That should be enough for Lester or Shields and JJ Hardy?
A-Rod is on the books for 2015-2017.
Arod’s money will be back on the books.
Depends on how the season goes. If Pineda/Nova/Tanaka/Sabathia turn out a good year, then I could very well see them passing on a big name starter, and spending more of their money on a 3B/SS.
If Mariners are smart, they should target either Rasmus or Big Panda, or both if they just feel frisky.
I can see some of those “honorable mentions” getting slightly stiffed on contract
That PED scandall will follow Melky around for his entire career, so I can’t see him walking away with over $12,000,000 annual, and Cuddyer is older and he won’t command massive money and Morse is good, but he won’t command a salary north of 10 mil.
However, due to the lack of catchers on this season’s market, Martin will most likely get a pretty penny on this market.
I also think that anyone who declines a QO is an idiot after watching what happened this year. Get $14.5mm in 2015 and they can’t hit you with one for the next season so you can get your pay day. It’s as simple as that
There’s nothing to prevent a team from offering a QO every year, so long as the impending free agent was with that club the entire season. So if a FA accepts a QO, he is risking receiving one the following offseason.
Also,if Dee Gordon keeps playing well, then the Dodgers should trade Hanley, call up Guerrero and catch a nice group of prospects. The last thing that the Dodgers need is another huge untradable contract that will look stupid in 3 years.
I can’t see the Dodgers trading Ramirez under any circumstances, short of some terrible midseason collapse.
While it would be enticing for the Mets to acquire Hanley Ramirez this winter, I can’t see them making a move like this. For one, Hanley is easily gonna command $100+ million. If my memory serves me correctly, the Mets have said in the past that they only have room for one $100+ million player with their situation. Next, the injury history as well as his sketchy defense has me hesistant. However, IF the Mets were to be serious players in the Hanley sweepstakes, I’d advise them to sign Hanley for no more than 4 years, and at the same time, finish building that SS depth they have going in the farm. Drafting a potential impact player like Jacob Gatewood (who I’ve heard the Mets really like) should give them the green light. Ultimately, I see the Yankees going hard after Hanley to be the successor to Jeter.
I think teams will wind up overrating Headley, in part because 3B has a lot of lack of players right now. He had a fluke/career year in 2012, the only year his OPS+ has been above 120. He’s league average in the field. But, since he’s not a Boras client, his demands may not be so high as to kill a contract.
In all 115 of these comments, I didn’t see what I’d say is the most obvious match: Justin Masterson calling Wrigley Field home.