MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth broke down the top 10 free agents remaining on the market last week, which he based on the Top 50 that Tim Dierkes put together entering the offseason. Edwin Encarnacion and Ivan Nova, the first- and third-ranked unsigned players left as of Dec. 17, have since come off the board. That means a couple new faces will slide into this week’s list, while updates have come in on some of the others in recent days. Here’s the latest:
8. Mark Trumbo, 1B/DH/OF: The Orioles rescinded their four-year offer to Trumbo shortly after our rankings went up a week ago, but general manager Dan Duquette then stated that there’s still a “window open” to re-sign him. Baltimore could face competition from Colorado, whose GM, Jeff Bridich, acknowledged Tuesday that the team is “keeping track” of Trumbo. The plurality of MLBTR readers expect Trumbo to end up staying with the Orioles, though, after he smashed a major league-best 47 home runs as a member of the club in 2016.
12. Jose Bautista, OF/DH: This offseason has not gone according to plan for the 36-year-old Bautista, who seems to stand little chance of landing even a medium-term deal. The idea of joining the Rays, who wouldn’t have to give up their protected first-round pick to sign Bautista, has continued to come up, but it’s clearly a long shot. Although Bautista’s a Tampa Bay-area resident, he’s still out of the Rays’ price range. The longtime Blue Jay is open to accepting a one-year contract, but the value would have to exceed that of the $17.2MM qualifying offer. He rejected the QO from Toronto prior to free agency, of course, and the Jays haven’t made him an offer worth more since.
15. Jason Hammel, SP: As is the case with Bautista, the winter hasn’t unfolded to Hammel’s liking. Thus, the 34-year-old right-hander changed agencies Tuesday.
16. Matt Wieters, C: The four-time All-Star won’t be returning to Baltimore for a ninth season in 2017, but nearby Washington and one of its NL East rivals, Atlanta, look like real possibilities. While the Nationals traded for a potential starting backstop in ex-Padre Derek Norris earlier this month, they could pick up Wieters and flip Norris elsewhere. Plus, their hierarchy is close with Wieters’ agent, Scott Boras. Signing with the Braves, meanwhile, would enable Wieters to head back to his native south (he’s from Charleston, S.C.) and to the state in which the former Georgia Tech star played college baseball.
20. Michael Saunders, OF: There’s not much happening with Saunders (publicly, anyway), though Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reported Sunday that the Orioles are open to inking him to a one-year contract.
21. Mike Napoli, 1B/DH: Napoli’s done in Cleveland, which upgraded over him with Encarnacion, but the Rangers are hot on his trail. The 35-year-old has already been a Ranger twice – from 2011-12 and for 35 games in 2015. The Orioles, who are coming up a lot in this update, have joined the mix, too.
23. Greg Holland, RP: Nothing new to report on Holland, who’s the most proven closer remaining in free agency. The problem is that the former late-game ace with the Royals missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2015.
24. Travis Wood, SP/RP: Wood was a starter from 2010-14 and could conceivably sign somewhere as a rotation option, though he spent the previous two seasons as mostly a reliever with the Cubs. The Blue Jays, who need left-handed bullpen help in the wake of Brett Cecil’s departure, are now in on the 29-year-old Wood.
25. Neftali Feliz, RP: Aside from Winter Meetings connections to the Nationals and Marlins, Feliz’s market has been slow to develop this offseason. Closer-needy Washington continues to look like a fit after losing out on Kenley Jansen, while Miami’s bullpen now appears set thanks to the additions of Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa. Feliz, a longtime Ranger, has 99 saves to his name and is coming off a 29-hold season with the Pirates. All told, the 28-year-old posted a 3.52 ERA, 10.23 K/9 and 3.52 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings, making Feliz an effective buy-low player for a Bucs team that secured him with a modest guarantee ($3.9MM) last January.
30. Brandon Moss, 1B/OF: Tampa Bay is seemingly the only team with Moss on its radar. Given the quantity of similar players on the market, Moss might have to continue to wait for a deal to come along. The 33-year-old impressed with 28 homers and a .259 ISO in 464 plate appearances with St. Louis last season, but his overall line (.225/.300/.484) lagged on account of a .191/.248/.392 showing after the All-Star break.
Neftali Felix needs a chance to return to his closing role like he had in Texas. Put him in a role that he should have never been messed with
As a Ranger fan, I completely agree. I didn’t like the move at the time. He was a dynamic Closer as a rookie. Should have left well enough alone.
I think the Padres will sign him
He will be the closer once Maurer implodes
Heck I will go out on a limb and say the Brewers should give both Holland and Feliz 3 yr deals so their back of the bullpen is set when they get good. that way that is set and ready to go. I think it would work out for all parties along with claiming OBrien if Thames doesn’t work out.
Brewers ought to snag Weiters as their new backstop for a few years. Put and early stop to the new revolving door position in Milwaukee.
I’m more confident in the performance that Neftali will deliver than just about everybody left on the list. He will be money well spent for whichever team signs him.
If these are the “top remaining free agents”, then the pickings are pretty slim. I prefer the better value picks remaining (for example players like ex-Twin Trevor Plouffe).
With a career .720 OPS. God help us.
I think Greg Holland could end up almost literally anywhere.
Angels could use him
or nats, they need a closer
we need better bullpen depth
I want the Cubs to buy low last year on a two year deal heavy on 17,16 just to let him recover but GM don’t think like that Hendson Alvarez is in the same boat but now pay off later the A’s will profit on him
Bautista, Feliz and Wood should be high on Toronto’s radar.
They should, but there probably not. This teams going to be offensively challenged next year
Hard to say in December.
Why is Mark Trumbo ahead of Joey??
This is based on projected earning power, not necessarily whom you’d rather have in a vacuum. We at MLBTR predicted Trumbo would land a richer deal than Bautista, and that still seems likely to end up being the case.
Ah that makes sense. But shouldn’t the list be described as “top most expensive” instead of “…best”?
Valid point. I took “best” out of the opening paragraph.
DBacks should be looking at both Wood and Feliz for their bullpen. Rodney is the closer with no one proven behind him. They need some experience at the back end if they have any hope of contending this year
Agree; completely. Our bullpen is atrocious.
Ziegler excellent take by the Marlins…. Taz has aged and hasn’t figured out how to tweak to have same dominating performance he had with his run in Boston… tended to hang stuff and get nailed especially in Toronto land
Feliz makes a lot of sense for the Mets. He could be a closing candidate in place of Familia while he’s suspended.
And Uehara has the slowest split finger in the majors and just dominates with it… swing and miss a lot applies here… Cubs lucky to have him
Bautista seems like a fit for SF, right? They had no power last season and he could play first vs lefties and left field the rest of the time. I’ll bet Trumbo goes back to the O’s. Feliz seems like a good fit with SF too. Hammel I’m betting has bad medicals. Otherwise he’d have signed by now. Wood feels like a good pickup for the Padres or Seattle. Moss isn’t that great, he seems like a cheap Rays pickup. Holland to the Nats. Saunders and Wieters seem to have no obvious fits. Napoli will head back to Texas.
I’ve been wrong about almost everything in the prediction contest so I’ll probably be wrong with all these too, but, hey, it’s Christmas Day and this is what you do when you’re bored on Christmas.
Please no bautista. We’re already over the luxury tax and we’d pay twice as much in an insanely overpriced deal for an aging POWER HITTER in AT
Darn app. ATT PARK. I would love Feliz except for the tax as well. The giants are done for the offseason’s free agents.
Yeah, I forgot how bloated their payroll is. There is obviously no way to get Cain and the 21(!) million dollars he is owed off the books for this season and their other expensive players are useful. It seems though that if you’re already paying the tax maybe just go all in?
But if they are done for the year who is starting in left? They can’t be that excited about Jarrett Parker.
I am picturing Jose Bautista in a Giants uniform and it kind of seems fitting.
The only still available player that really surprises me on this list is Travis Wood. I would have figured that some NL team would have given him a shot to start (like the Marlins or Padres particularly). His bat (for a pitcher at least) would be a potential bonus for an NL team as well.
I figured that both Trumbo and Bautista would likely have more difficult times finding takers (particulary Bautista with a draft pick attached and his published demands for money).
Wieters I felt could have went either way (signed or still available). Boras isn’t unknown to wait until late in the off season to get a client signed.
Still a little surprised Hammel hasn’t ended up somewhere.
me,too
He ended the season hurt and I’ll bet he’s still hurt.
It would make sense. The Cubs could have had him for $12M next year. You would think that if healthy they could have traded him for at least a mid-tier prospect rather than eating $2M to not exercise their option. In this weak starting pitcher market he should be getting more attention than he has. So him still being injured could be realistic.
he had a handahake agreement w Theo that they wouldn’t pick up his option just to trade him.
Agree Cursed….there has to be more to this than meets the eye. Now that he has changed agencies is a red flag that he isn’t getting the exposure he thought. First, from a team that has just won the World Series and is gunning for another, they just don’t do a handshake agreement with a $12M pitcher if he would equate to a solid 3 on most other clubs. If he were 100% healthy and the Cubs were rolling towards the playoffs next year, they wouldn’t trade him. What would they trade him for? More young players? Nope. Can almost guess that there is something medical in there that is keeping him on the market. The Cubs saved $10M by not taking the option. The “handshake agreement” is a nice way of making both sides look good.
I’m not sure why any ownership/management would want to …
their hierarchy is close with Wieters’ agent, Scott Boras
… get close(r) to an agent, especially when who clearly lies to maintain the appearance of having ‘mystery’ teams just waiting for his every client.
Every time I read borassss b.s. leaked/manipulative stories, it makes me wish his client gets hung out to dry in the free agent world.
Because Boras has the best players and he generally gets them what they’re asking for because he’s really good at his job. A team that refused to do business with him would be shooting themselves in the foot.
Just wait and see what your buddy Scott Boras does to the Nats in a couple years..
The last couple of years the players he represents have been going later and later into the offseason before they are signed. He’s gotten lucky with a few injuries in spring training that have allowed his players to sign good deals. In my opinion, his magic touch is starting to lose some of its luster.
Pirates should resign feliz and make an offer to hammel would be a good 4 or 5 man in the rotation
Your kidding me right? Hammels in a Pirates uniform is never going to happen. Felix I can see being signed if the Pirates plan to shop Tony Watson by the trade line. I believe he can step into a setup role for the Buccos and be eased into closer role. He needs to learn to have a slow heartbeat in the 9th inning again. I think Felix is a possible better fit in Pittsburgh and closer than Watson is. Watson is more of a set up guy tbh.
But for Hammels, White Sox is a team that I see him signing onto for a year or two. Sale being traded and Jose Quentin (possibly being traded), White Sox can add a few “fill-ins” for the next year or two. I think Hammels can easily sign on with them
Feliz. And who is Quentin? Quintana?
It’s Jason Hammel. There is no s. And who is Felix?
“José Quentin” is a very good player lol
benny the jet Rodriguez
Tyson Ross should be at or near the top of this remaining free agent list. He was non-tendered by the Padres at the December 2nd contract deadline and has been a FA for weeks.
Btw-I get it that the original FA list was put together at the beginning of the offseason but if players can be removed from it as they sign, others should be added as they become available…particularly those at the annual non-tender deadline in early December.
We add players to our basic list — mlbtraderumors.com/2015/03/2016-17-mlb-free-agents… — but don’t try to update the ranking in terms of the top 50 list with its predictions. Otherwise, we’d constantly be adjusting expectations as the market develops for all the guys on the list.
As far as Ross goes, I’m not sure exactly how high I’d place him, but I suppose he’d be in contention with some of the guys that are left among the ten best remaining FAs. Still haven’t gotten much indication as to how much of a guarantee, and how long a term, he might command. Other question is what he’ll seek; have to believe he’ll want a one-year deal to hopefully set up a bigger contract, though I guess the right multi-year arrangement would have to be considered.
I’d like Moss here in Philly.give us a lh bat with some pop,that could give Franco some protection.could be our rf,or could give us insurance or a platoon option at either corner of spot or 1b.pretty much what Nava could be,just with more pop.
What is the chance that the Twins go out and get one for the pitchers on this list? If they have any chance of competing this year, they need to go out and get a pitcher, whether it’s starting or bullpen.
I think Holland and Travis Wood would look great in Dodger Blue….
How is mark trumbo still a free agent. I know it would cost a lot, but it would be great signing
Trumbo is not good at anything except power, and there’s a lot of cheaper power guys who get on base more
There were too many DH
I really hope the bo Sox go out and snag holland
Both Mark Trumbo (TB=327) and Edwin Encarnacion (TB=318) had their best seasons in 2016. In the last 6 seasons, Trumbo has only one bad season in his career. Because of his age and his ability to play 1B and the OF, I think Trumbo would’ve been a better pick up for Cleveland than Encarnacion.