Recently, we took a look at 10 still-available pitchers who could offer bounceback opportunities at appealing price tags. Today, we’ll do the same from the position-player side. We’re looking for players who have been limited by injury or suffered dips in performance, but whose age and track record suggest that a turnaround could deliver plenty of value to their new organizations. Here are some of the interesting hitters who remain on the open market as 2017 beckons:
Chris Iannetta, C: Now 33 years of age, Iannetta has turned in two straight marginal campaigns with the bat. But he hit .238/.357/.386 in over 1,000 plate appearances from 2012 through 2014, with 151 walks to go with 251 strikeouts. Iannetta still draws free passes at a hefty clip, but suffered from low BABIPs in each of the last two seasons (.225, .266). Though he’s making more soft contact than he did at his best, Iannetta turned in a 34.9% hard-contact rate and 22.4% line-drive rate last year, both of which were near his career-best marks. Though he rated as one of the game’s worst framers in 2016, he was one of the best in the season prior.
Adam Lind, 1B/DH: From the same age bracket as Iannetta, Lind maintained his power (.192 ISO, 20 home runs in 430 plate appearances) last year with the Mariners, but posted an anemic .286 OBP. There were two main culprits: a .259 BABIP and 6.0% walk rate that represented nearly a 50% drop from his personal best (11.5% in 2015). While it’s unlikely that the left-handed slugger will again post such strong walk tallies, he ought to be able to rebound somewhat in that regard. And it’s reasonable, perhaps, to anticipate a bounceback in the BABIP department; Lind continued to make about as much hard contact as he did during his productive preceding seasons and maintained a fairly typical mix of grounders, liners, and flies.
Logan Morrison, 1B/DH: As with Lind, Morrison represents a particularly intriguing target since the market was so saturated with defensively limited slugger types. The 29-year-old has never been a consistent producer, and seemed headed for an early end to his time with the Rays after an abysmal start to the 2016 season. But he rebounded beyond any expectations over his final 303 plate appearances, slashing .275/.350/.498 and driving 14 home runs in that half-season of work. While hitting to the pull side more than ever before in 2016 (an even 50%), Morrison made hard contact at a personal best rate of 34.2% and left the yard on 15.2% of his flyballs, the second-best mark of his career. His final numbers could look even better had he not ended up requiring wrist surgery in September. The injury risk may harm Morrison’s stock further, but it also increases the potential payoff.
Billy Butler, DH: There isn’t much to love about Butler’s last three seasons, as he has been about a league-average overall hitter — well shy of what you’d hope for from a right-handed hitter who’s limited to DH duties. But he did show quite well in his brief stint at the end of 2016 with the Yankees and remains rather difficult to strike out (career 14.8% walk rate). Plus, Butler produced a strong 28.9% line-drive rate in 2016 while cutting back on an infield fly rate that had soared to 9.4% in 2015, perhaps suggesting he could turn back into a reasonably productive hitter — particularly given that he’s still just 30 years of age.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B: There’s no denying that Plouffe was banged up in 2016, as he was shelved at various times by intercostal and oblique strains as well as a broken rib. He finished strong, posting a .277/.345/.465 slash over his last 113 trips to the plate, and carried a slightly above-average .248/.312/.426 batting line while swatting 74 long balls over his prior four seasons. While there isn’t much reason to expect that Plouffe will be a top-quality regular, he has every chance of returning to being a useful player: he’s just thirty years old and rated as an average-or-better third baseman in 2014-15.
Luis Valbuena, 3B: The role of injuries is even more straightforward in Valbuena’s case, as he was humming along nicely (.260/.357/.459 with 13 home runs over 342 plate appearances) before he was cut down with a hamstring injury. Unlike Plouffe, he hits from the left side, enhancing his function. While the 31-year-old is not well-regarded with the glove, Valbuena can still play third base and has spent time in the middle infield as well (along with a brief foray into the corner outfield).
Chris Coghlan, INF/OF: A left-handed hitter with some defensive versatility, Coghlan has provided the Cubs with over 1,000 plate appearances of .264/.351/.441 hitting and 26 home runs over the last three seasons. Of course, that output came on both sides of his ill-fated stint with the A’s, where he slashed an anemic .146/.215/.272 to start the 2016 campaign. The 31-year-old Coghlan typically receives good marks in the corner outfield, saw spot duty in center earlier in his career, and is at least serviceable enough at second and third to have been utilized at both spots in recent years.
Desmond Jennings, OF: While things didn’t end well in Tampa Bay, Jennings is still just 30 years of age and isn’t far removed from being a solid, everyday player. He has plenty of experience in center field and has generally drawn strong reviews for his work in the corner outfield. Jennings has been beset by injuries over the last two years, and has been inconsistent at the plate even when healthy. But he managed a .150 ISO last year, even as his on-base numbers were doomed by a .243 BABIP, and could again be a solid asset if he can return to his career plate-discipline marks. Last year’s 9.3% walk rate matched his career numbers, though he jumped to a 25.8% strikeout rate in 2016 while posting a 12.0% swinging-strike rate that was about 50% higher than he had ever carried previously.
Austin Jackson, OF: 2016 was supposed to provide a bounceback opportunity for AJax, who’ll soon turn 30, but a knee injury ended his year after just 203 largely uninspiring plate appearances with the White Sox. Jackson’s power has fallen off a cliff, and he wasn’t running as much even before the injury, but perhaps a lengthy respite can get the still-youthful player back in physical form. He was nearly a league-average hitter with solid glovework in center as recently as 2015, so perhaps his forgettable stint in Chicago is more a blip than the start of a full-scale falloff.
Colby Rasmus, OF: Rasmus played well enough in 2015 to earn a qualifying offer after the season. His return to the Astros wasn’t nearly as productive, as he scuffled to a .206/.286/.355 batting line. But Rasmus was playing with a cyst in his ear, which was ultimately removed via surgery, and also underwent hip and core muscle procedures after the season, so perhaps injuries played a major role in his poor campaign. He also wasn’t helped by a .257 BABIP. Rasmus is still just 30 years of age and produced a strong .238/.314/.475 batting line with 25 dingers in 2015. There are other sources of potential value here, too: Rasmus has typically graded quite well on the bases, though he doesn’t attempt many steals, and metrics were quite pleased with his glovework in both the corner outfield and center in his most recent campaign.
Is it weird that most of these guys were Mariners at one point? ..Nah…
Well, how it goes is that when great players come here they suck, but when the players that suck leave they become great.
First person in mind…. Adrian beltre
Was thinking the same thing haha, 5 former mariners
Beltre didn’t suck as a Mariner he didn’t hit as many HRs because of the ballpark but his D was just as good.
His slash line with SEA was .266/.317/.442. His slash line with TEX has been .308/.358/.516. That’s a big difference and a lot more than just hitting more HR in TEX.
Didn’t realize valbuena was a free agent. Shame he got hurt. I’m sure he will bounce back with a strong year. Have at him boys
After maybe Valbuena & Plouffe, this is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. I mean like leaning all the way over with just what God gave ya sticking out. Like your trying to make a peanut butter & jelly but man that jar was too low even the last time you used it. Bounce back from what? And Beane got a promotion, meanwhile his hire can’t even stay on the roster. Alternate universe.
Rasmus has the most value of the bunch. He hits for power, is a very good runner, has a great arm, and can play all OF positions above average. This past season was a loss due to the ear issues and hip, but he has the highest ceiling/value here.
I do agree that Valbuena and Ploufe have value, just not really as regulars. I like Valbuena a lot, but if he’s a regular on your team, your team has issues.
Why pay rasmus , who batted .206 and .238 last 2 years? He’s going to want fairly significant $, agent and players ego won’t take a paycut which is what he has deservedly earned. Teams would be better off bringing up one of their prospects to see what they have at a more manageable salary
Says who? He made a ridiculous amount last year because he was the first person ever to accept the qualifiying offer. You can’t blame him for taking money he knew he wasn’t worth.
He was the second.
Wrong, but good try. Even a simple google search would’ve helped you avoid being wrong.
Ah what an age we live in. Instead of simply correcting someone when they were wrong, and I obviously was, people have to demean someone. Well if your self esteem needs the boost by putting others down I guess I shouldn’t complain. I feel sorry for you.
What an age indeed, where everyone is super sensitive about everything and they fail to see the forest for the trees. I didn’t “demean” you, I simply had an unnecessary response to your unnecessary comment.
Even if I was wrong, there was no need for you to comment about the particulars when they weren’t even the main point. You felt the need to show how incredibly knowledgeable you are and just had to correct someone to show them how they were wrong. Since you felt like getting on a soapbox, I felt the need to kick it out from under you. Ultimately, you were still wrong.
Four words constitutes a soap box? Lmao
You’re in the wrong for the way in which you corrected him. It’s up to us as peers to educate each other constructively and not with arrogance.
With humility and respect, we as a baseball fandom, can become much more informed and pleasant.
Rasmus was decent with the Cards, but rumor had it him and La Russa locked horns frequently
His best numbers were in St. Louis. So maybe he performs better for Ahole managers?
He has not panned out to be anything what he was projected/ expected to become. Most criticized trade the cards have made in years, yet, looking back it worked out great for them.
Who criticized it? I remember everyone being happy he and his dad were gone.
I remember hallucinations over this. Wow, that trade was…..
I’d take Adam Lind over Jaso.
Why?
Bucs have no power or threat of power.
I love Starling Marte but he is not a cleanup hitter.
Bell is theoretically their best power bat but they intend to hit him in the 2 hole, evidently.
Lind or Carter or any first base addition would require dealing Cutch first, though.
I don’t see why Pittsburgh would deal for a first baseman. Bell’s only real position is first.
I wonder if the Blue Jays would consider releasing Smoak and taking a one-year flyer on Lind?
Doubtful, seeing as they gave Smoak a 2 year extension in July. Though if they don’t re-sign Bautista, they could sign Lind to DH or potentially platoon with Smoak.
platooning smoak with a lefty makes no sense
2 lefties is no platoon
Technically, Smoak is a switch hitter but he can’t hit lefties, just like Lind
Chris Iannetta a bounce back? Dude has a .229 AVG. in 11 years…. Sure he walks a few times a year, but come on!
I would love to get lind, sell smoak and get bautista, check linds numbers in the past, he is so underrated, he has a strong obp and batting average with pretty good power and clutch rbi hitting, have lind play 1st and bautista play RF, but have them switch sometimes, sign lind to a 2 year contract and bautista to a 1 year contract, then, sell upton and have pearce and carrera platoon, that will be real good, after sign 2 decent bullpen arms with the money you have left and the money you have after selling upton and probably even smoak, I would think that this lineup would be better then the 2016 lineup, I would take morales and lind over edwin any day
Yeah and after watching Lind for a month you will want to beat your head into a wall. That guy is going to have to be made of superball material to have a bounce back year he was awful. It seemed when we needed a clutch hit he was walking up to the plate then 4-5 pitches later walking back with a look of confusion on his face. The only time hee swing the ball wasn’t close to the strike zone.
A bit exaggerated I know but it sure felt like that.
Why trade Upton, he’s an above average fielder who can hit LHP well. Just sign Brandon Moss to platoon with him and you’ve got ~2-3 wins of production out of an outfield spot, maybe more.
You would take Morales and Lind over Edwin? Am I taking crazy pills.
Surprised Dustin Ackley didn’t make the list… speaking of former Mariners.
You have to have been good before to ever bounce back. He’s never been good.
He was good for a few months many years ago.
Chris Iannetta was never good as a hitter, yet he made the list. .
Catchers have a lower ceiling to the term “good” when it comes to hitting.
Iannetta ranged from average to above average for 4 straight years with the Angels. Like Stymeedone says, their definition of good is lower than all the other positions since the defense they provide is much more important
See Jason Castro, who this site claims is a league average hitter for a catcher. That’s a scary thought when you have to watch him hit day in and day out.
I’m still seeing Ramsus signing with Oakland for 2 years 15 million (predictions bleacher report) and going for a trade with jed for dyson
Rasmus has been very vocal about his desire to play in the south, and his strong desire to not play on the west coast or back in St Louis. I still think he will end up back in Houston on a 1 yr deal as a backup, or possibly even in Atlanta.
Not doubting you here, but do you have any links to where he has said he wouldn’t want to play on the west coast? I tried googling it but didn’t see anything other than he wants to stay with the Astros (quotes from this time last year) and that he didn’t see himself playing too much longer (to spend more time with family, so I can see playing closer to family being important). Clearly you are an Astros fan so I’m figuring maybe it’s something he’s said on local feed interviews.
Anyways as an A’s fan I was hoping we could get a good deal on him with Desmond Jennings as a fallback. Basically I’d be bummed if he wrote us off based on location (that seems to be what cost us the chance to sign EE). A’s are probably a couple of years off, but it would be nice to field a decent team and see how the season plays out. Our current CF I believe would be Smolinski. Gulp.
Yes, it was local feeds/interviews. I actually think he’d be a great fit in Oakland and if he is open-minded it would probably be a great destination for him to try to continue his career. Preference is one thing, but we all know money talks.
And for what it’s worth, he wants to play/live somewhere where he can drive his “big truck” around and have plenty of average for his outdoors passions. That’s why he prefers somewhere in the south.
Apparently then Rasmus has never been to Northern California or looked at a map. He can drive an hour north of the Bay Area and be in some of the most secluded forests on earth. Plenty of room for his “big truck”.
In Detroit, they currently have to chose between Collins, Presley and Gose. I am keeping my eyes open on Jennings, Gentry, and Bourjos. I am hoping they will avoid Rasmus, who is probably out of their price range.
I agree with the idea. These WERE fast players and HAD a reputation as good defensive CF. None of these players hit and although they appeared to be good defensive CFs, their defensive statistics weren’t that good, even at their peak.
The Tigers could use a fast CF with high defensive range. They need to start looking within first as a rule. I think the Tigers should be patient and work with Anthony Gose more. He’s young, fast, good defensively and bats left handed. If the Tigers give up on him, we will watch him excel on his new team. Alex Presley won’t make it past spring and I never want to hear about Tyler Collins again.
Valbuena makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox. Insurance for Panda if he can’t get his act together and he’s a lefty that the Sox could use to balance their righty dominant lineup.
Not a bad idea.
Hello.. they call it platoon for a reason.. righty needed against the lefties
Plouffe to the Angels seems like a good fit – maybe even to the Padres. Improvement for either team at third, plus some insurance at first.
I can see plouffe going to the Padres especially since the market drop on 1B/3B this offseason.
Not really sure why the Padres would want plouffe. Doesn’t really fit on a rebuilding team that already has an extra third baseman on the roster in Spangenberg (or Schimpf). But maybe as a depth piece for a Solarte trade. Padres have to spend some money on payroll this year, I suppose.
I’ve long been advocating signing Valbuena for 3B and flipping one year of Escobar for whatever he might bring. The defense would improve, a reduction in offense, but another LH bat is added to the lineup.
Can sign Valbuena for 2 yrs, and if a better choice for 3B is found for 2018, then Valbuena represents bench depth at 2B and 3B.
Escobar is to make $7M on the last year of his deal, which would enhance his trade value for a team needing a bat in the lineup, and Valbuena can probably be signed for $10M/2 given how long he has sat on the sidelines this offseason.
I think Valbuena could be had for that price, and he will be well worth the money. He gets dogged for defense, but I actually think he’s pretty solid defensively. He has one of the best “bat flips” in baseball too!
I’m surprised there isn’t more movement on Hundley; he would seem to be a better option than Ianetta. Unless hundley’s defense is really as bad as it seems.
How the hell is Billy Butler still just 30 years of age? I had to double check that, thought for sure it was a mistake. A lot of country breakfasts, I guess.
because he’s been in the league forever. 1st round pick in ’04 and didn’t stay in the minors more. If NYY wasn’t in such a youth movement, they should have asked him back.
Still, Billy Butler and Desmond Jennings both on this list, both the same age? Took me by surprise for sure.
Yes Matt Holliday sure fits the youth movement better than Butler.
Desmond Jennings makes sense as a minor league signing for the Padres, he could be a less expensive Jon Jay. With 4 young outfielders competing for 3 spots & Possibly wanting to delay Manuel Margot’s clock, it could make sense to bring in the veteran Jennings for flexibility.
Heck, for depth & incase of an injury to the current group as well. He would come cheap & would be a flip at the deadline candidate if he performs well & they are ready for Margot to come up.
I know it’s been a while since Morrison played a significant amount of innings in the outfield (2011-2012 maybe?), but if he still can, I could see the Phillies goin after him… They need a corner OF lefty bat in the lineup with power potential, so at least sign this guy and see how he does in Spring Training. If he can stick it in the OF, they can move Kendrick to 2B (keeping an open OF spot for youngsters Quinn/Alterr/Williams?), and trade Caesar Hernandez while his trade value is relatively decent…
He played some for Seattle a couple years ago and he wasn’t the worst but not what you would want out there a lot. It got interesting a few times. He was coming off his knee surgeries though so he might be better but I don’t think he would be one I would count on to be an everyday OFer.
Who’s the ogre in the cover picture for this article? Yeesh. Less chocolate cake more haircuts bro.
It’s Adam Lind
Honestly forgot Jennings existed…
Rasmus: isn’t he always a bounce back candidate? I’m not sure what he’s bouncing back to- maybe league average? He’s got to be one of the whiniest guys in the league. I was entertained by his thoughts on young players not flourishing under Larussa because he was hard on them-I guess he never met Pujols, Molina, or Wainwright-not to mention others. I wonder if his dad is still part of his signing package.
LaRussa is human garbage.