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2022-23 MLB Free Agents

Mike Clevinger Seeking One-Year Deal

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USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported this morning that right-hander Mike Clevinger is seeking a one-year contract according to Clevinger’s agent, Seth Levinson of ACES.

The news regarding Clevinger’s market sets up a contrast between the veteran right-hander and the other free agent starting pitchers still available. Top-of-the-market southpaws Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are both seeking pricey multi-year contracts, with the latest reporting on Snell indicating that the lefty is seeking an opt-out laden two- or three-year guarantee with an AAV in the $30MM range, while Montgomery was rumored to be angling for a seven-year pact earlier this month. Even righty Michael Lorenzen, the other mid-market pitcher still available, is reportedly seeking a two-year deal, with recent reports indicating that the 32-year-old has turned down one-year offers in the $5-7MM range.

While it’s not clear where Clevinger’s salary expectations are as things stand, it’s nonetheless easy to see the 33-year-old’s willingness to accept a one-year deal making the right-hander a more attractive option for clubs looking to bolster their pitching depth with less than two weeks remaining until Opening Day. The dwindling time to find a new home before the season begins is perhaps even more significant for Clevinger than it is for other players left on the market, as the veteran has not been publicly connected to any of MLB’s 30 clubs since hitting free agency back in November.

Despite that lack of public interest, the veteran was clearly among the more interesting mid-to-back of the rotation options available this winter, even as free agency was just getting started. While Clevinger can hardly be expected to replicate the early-career dominance he enjoyed in Cleveland that saw him compare favorably to front-of-the-rotation arms such as Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer, a strong platform campaign with the White Sox last year saw Clevinger flash mid-rotation results. Despite being limited to just 131 1/3 innings by a right wrist injury, the veteran posted a solid 3.77 ERA with a 4.28 FIP in Chicago last season, with even stronger results after returning from the injury in late July. Over his final 12 starts last year, Clevinger pitched to a 3.67 ERA with a nearly-matching 3.75 FIP.

That solid mid-rotation performance comes with some questionable peripherals, however. While Clevinger’s velocity returned in his second season back from Tommy John surgery last year as he average 94.6 mph with his heater, he struck out just 20% of batters faced while generating grounders at a career-worst 30.9% clip. Clevinger’s below-average strikeout and groundball rates are a far cry from his peak years in Cleveland, when he struck out 28.3% of batters faced to go along with a 40.3% grounder rate. Even with those diminished peripherals, however, Clevinger figured to be an excellent option for a club looking to bolster the back of its rotation this winter.

Of course, that hasn’t panned out to this point as Clevinger remains on the market, but a rash of pitching injuries around the game could perhaps open the door for Clevinger to latch on with a club in need of starting depth entering the season. The Red Sox, Astros, Marlins, Yankees, and Giants have all faced unexpected injuries in the rotation throughout the spring, and Clevinger could be a cost-effective insurance policy for any of those clubs if they wish to bolster their rotation in light of those injuries. While the veteran right-hander can’t be expected to replace the production of a front-of-the-rotation arm such as Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander, or Eury Perez, his ability to offer stability to the middle or back of a club’s rotation could help raise the floor for a rotation-needy club ahead of Opening Day. What’s more, his apparent desire for a straight one-year pact provides flexibility that could be particularly attractive to clubs such as the Astros or Marlins that figure to have plenty of rotation depth in the long-term but are currently struggling with multiple injuries.

The Most Notable Remaining Free Agents

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We’re now a week into the regular season and most of the attention amongst clubs and fans is on the games themselves. It’s a quiet time of year from a hot stove perspective. The offseason is finished and it’s far too early for teams to kick the tires on meaningful trades. Some extension talks might trickle into the season but otherwise, transactions this time of year typically take the form of waiver claims and internal prospect promotions.

Even at a relatively quiet portion of the season, there remain a handful of notable players on the free agent market. Gary Sánchez just came off the board on a minor league deal last week, for instance. Which other players — many of whom are late-career former stars — could still find interest as depth options, particularly if they’re amenable to a minor league contract?

Miguel Sanó

Sanó had a disastrous 2022 season. Right knee troubles kept him to 20 games and 71 plate appearances, in which he hit .083/.211/.133 with only one home run. That ended his time with the Twins, who made the obvious call to buy him out of a club option, but he’s only a year removed from hitting 30 homers. Sanó has topped 25 longballs on four occasions in his career. He won’t turn 30 until next month, making him one of the younger players who didn’t sign over the offseason. Sanó reportedly held a showcase for scouts in early February but there was no publicly reported interest from any teams thereafter.

Chris Archer

Like Sanó, Archer spent the 2022 season in Minnesota but was bought out at year’s end. He tossed 102 2/3 innings across 25 outings, posting a 4.56 ERA with a modest 19.2% strikeout rate and an elevated 11% walk percentage. It was the most hittable Archer has been in his career, but he still averaged 93 MPH on his four-seam and 88.7 MPH on his slider. He’s clearly not the upper mid-rotation arm he was when he made two All-Star games during his time with the Rays, but he’s probably the top unsigned starting pitcher. Archer hasn’t been substantively linked to any team since being cut loose by Minnesota in November. Last month, Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote that Archer had conducted a showcase for teams, though it isn’t clear when that workout occurred.

Darin Ruf

Released by the Mets earlier this week, Ruf is a right-handed hitter who has typically been an effective platoon first base/corner outfield option of late. He mashed at a .271/.385/.519 clip two years ago. At last summer’s deadline, he was carrying a .216/.328/.373 line over 90 games for the Giants. New York acquired him for a four-player package including J.D. Davis and Thomas Szapucki. Ruf’s production cratered in Queens but he’s not far removed from being a well-regarded offensive player.

Stephen Piscotty

Piscotty has tallied over 2800 MLB plate appearances split between the Cardinals and A’s. An above-average hitter through his first four seasons, he’s struggled significantly in the last four years. Piscotty was released by Oakland last summer and didn’t return to the majors after signing a minor league deal with the Reds. He caught on with the Giants and collected eight hits in 25 at-bats (.320/.370/.440) but didn’t land a job out of camp. San Francisco granted him his release on Opening Day.

Zack Britton

Britton was arguably the sport’s most dominant reliever during his halcyon days in Baltimore. He remained an elite ground-ball artist for much of his time with the Yankees, excelling in high-leverage innings through 2020. Poor health has intervened in the last two years. Britton spent time on the injured list with elbow concerns in 2021, struggling when able to take the mound. He eventually required Tommy John surgery, which wiped out virtually all of the ’22 season. Britton returned at the tail end of the season but couldn’t find the strike zone and was shut back down. He’s thrown multiple showcases in recent months.

Ken Giles

Much of what applies to Britton is also true of Giles. They’re different pitchers stylistically — Giles is a right-hander whose best days were fueled by huge strikeout tallies instead of grounders — but he’s also a formerly elite reliever who has fallen on hard times from a health perspective. Giles also required Tommy John surgery. His procedure came late in 2020 and cost him all of the ’21 campaign. He returned to the majors with the Mariners last summer and was let go after five appearances. Giles also worked out for clubs late in the offseason but has yet to put pen to paper.

Corey Knebel

Continuing with the run on relievers, Knebel is a former All-Star closer in his own right. He wasn’t as dominant as either Britton or Giles at his peak, and his career has frequently been interrupted by injury. Knebel was very productive as recently as 2021, when he posted a 2.45 ERA in 25 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. That earned him a $10MM deal with the Phillies, which was sidetracked by shoulder problems. He finished the year on the injured list after tearing his shoulder capsule.

Leury García

García spent a decade with the White Sox in a utility capacity. Never much of an offensive threat, he nevertheless endeared himself to multiple coaching staffs based on his defensive flexibility. García signed a surprising three-year deal with Chicago over the 2021-22 offseason. He had a dreadful ’22 campaign and was off to a rough start in Spring Training. The White Sox cut bait in spite of the two remaining years on his contract. García’s an affordable utility option elsewhere.

Mike Minor

Minor made 19 starts for the Reds last season, allowing a 6.06 ERA. He was hampered by shoulder issues at times and struggled significantly with the home run ball. Minor has allowed more than five earned runs per nine innings for three consecutive seasons, though his strikeout and walk rates were solid up until 2022. He held a showcase in February and drew some reported attention from the Cubs last month.

Dallas Keuchel

A former Cy Young winner who was effective for the White Sox during the shortened 2020 season, Keuchel has been hit hard over the past couple years. He played for each of Chicago, Arizona and Texas last season and was tagged for a 9.20 ERA across 14 starts. Keuchel was excellent over four Triple-A outings in the Ranger organization. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported a couple weeks ago that the Phillies had expressed loose interest in the two-time All-Star, though Philadelphia apparently didn’t put a formal minor league offer on the table.

Others of note: Archie Bradley, Kole Calhoun, Robinson Canó, Kyle Crick, Didi Gregorius, Michael Pineda, Garrett Richards, Aníbal Sánchez, Andrelton Simmons, Jonathan Villar

Miguel Sano To Hold Workout For Interested Teams

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Free agent first baseman Miguel Sanó will host a showcase for interested clubs next Tuesday, repots Darren Wolfson of SKOR North (Twitter link). That marks the first update on the 6’4″ slugger since the Twins bought him out at the beginning of the offseason.

Sanó is searching for a new team after 12 years in the Minnesota organization. Praised as a prospect for his prodigious power potential, he’s shown middle-of-the-order upside at his best. Sanó has four 25-plus homer seasons on his résumé, including 34 longballs in just 105 games in 2019. The Twins signed him to a three-year, $30MM extension after that monster year.

That extension didn’t go as the club envisioned. Sanó’s longstanding strikeout concerns peaked in 2020, when he reached base at just a .278 clip while going down on strikes almost 44% of the time. He rebounded with a 30-homer season in 2021, albeit with a slightly below-average .312 OBP. Sanó’s last season in the Twin Cities was a disaster, as a pair of right knee injuries limited to just 20 games and 71 plate appearances of .083/.211/.133 hitting. He didn’t play after July 29.

It’s clearly not the manner in which the former All-Star envisioned testing the open market for the first time. He’s a bounceback target for teams seeking to bolster their first base depth. He’ll be limited to a low base salary on a big league deal at best and it doesn’t seem out of the question he may need to accept a minor league contract with a non-roster Spring Training invite.

Sanó turns 30 in May and has a career .234/.326/.482 line over parts of eight MLB campaigns. An extreme three-true-outcomes hitter, he’s walked at a quality 11.6% clip and struck out at a massive 36.4% rate while averaging 34 homers per 600 plate appearances (roughly the equivalent of one season of playing time).

Sanó is one of a handful of buy-low first basemen still lingering on the market. Former AL batting champ Yuli Gurriel and MLB home run king Luke Voit are also looking for bounceback opportunities after disappointing 2022 showings, while multi-positional players like Mike Moustakas and Donovan Solano also have ample first base experience.

The Top Remaining Free Agent Middle Infield Options

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Jean Segura came off the board last week on a two-year deal with the Marlins. That removed the top remaining free agent middle infielder, leaving clubs with very few possibilities for help either at shortstop or second base.

Of course, Carlos Correa lingers over the entire market. Until he officially puts pen to paper somewhere, there’s at least a chance for another twist in that saga. Various reports have suggested Correa’s focused on hammering out his deal with the Mets in spite of their concerns about his physical, and that was essentially confirmed yesterday by Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. We’ll set Correa aside and look at the best options remaining for teams outside of Queens.

Here are the still-unsigned free agent middle infielders who tallied at least 150 plate appearances in 2022:

  • Elvis Andrus (34): Andrus is arguably the top unsigned free agent infielder. The 14-year veteran still brings a high-contact bat and quality baserunning to the table. Public defensive metrics have been divided on his work recently, with Statcast’s Outs Above Average generally rating him as an above-average shortstop despite less enthusiastic reviews from Defensive Runs Saved. Andrus looked like a glove-only player after hitting .255/.302/.360 from 2018-21, but he bounced back with a solid 2022 campaign. He hit .249/.303/.404 with 17 home runs (the second-highest total of his career) last season. That included a very strong finish, as Andrus hit .271/.309/.464 in 43 games with the White Sox after the A’s released him in mid-August in a move seemingly motivated by a desire to keep him from vesting a $15MM option in his contract for the 2023 season.
  • Josh Harrison (35): The final couple months of the season saw Andrus and Harrison overlap on Chicago’s South Side. The latter played the entire season there after signing a one-year free agent deal during Spring Training. Harrison appeared in 119 games, mostly split between second and third base. He hit .256/.317/.370 with seven home runs across 425 trips to the plate, overcoming a slow start to finish the year with roughly average offensive numbers. The veteran had posted similar numbers in each of the previous two seasons. He doesn’t draw many walks or hit for significant power, but he’s a respected clubhouse presence who consistently puts the ball in play. Harrison still earns solid grades from defensive metrics for his second and third base work; he’s not an option at shortstop, however.
  • José Iglesias (33): Iglesias spent the 2022 season as the primary shortstop in Colorado. He hit .292/.328/.380 through 467 plate appearances, right in line with the production he’s managed over the past four seasons. Igleias is very difficult to strike out and hits for consistently high batting averages, albeit without much else to drive the offensive profile. He rarely walks or hits home runs, though he’s a threat for 25-plus doubles annually. That offense sufficed when paired with the excellent defense that defined his early MLB tenure. He’s drawn less favorable reviews from public metrics the past two seasons though. Statcast has pegged him as a league average shortstop in each of the last two campaigns, but Defensive Runs Saved has rated him a staggering 26 runs below average since the start of 2021. How teams feel about Iglesias’ glove at this stage of his career figures to determine whether he’ll get semi-regular playing time again or have to assume more of a utility role in 2023.
  • César Hernández (32): Hernández suited up 147 times and tallied 617 plate appearances with the Nationals last season. He was a durable presence in the lineup for manager Dave Martinez but had a rough season. Just a year after popping a career-high 21 home runs, the switch-hitter mustered only one longball in the nation’s capital. Hernández is limited to second base and has posted subpar defensive metrics in each of the last two years. He might be limited to minor league offers.
  • Rougned Odor (29): Odor spent the 2022 campaign in Baltimore, his third team in as many seasons. The production was similar as it has been at each of the previous two stops. Odor has enough left-handed power to connect on 10-15 home runs with fairly regular playing time. Yet he also makes plenty of outs thanks both to consistently low walk rates and a propensity for infield pop-ups. Odor is almost strictly a second baseman — he has intermittent experience at third base as well — and posted below-average defensive numbers last year.

Utility Types/Bounceback Fliers

  • Hanser Alberto (30): Alberto brings a high-contact righty bat to a bench. He never walks and has only once topped three home runs in a season but has plus bat-to-ball skills and is well-regarded as a clubhouse presence. Alberto hit .244/.258/.365 in 159 plate appearances with the Dodgers in 2022.
  • Johan Camargo (29): Camargo spent the 2022 season with the Phillies, hitting .237/.297/.316 through 166 plate appearances. The switch-hitter had a pair of productive years with the Braves to open his MLB career but has since had four straight well below-average seasons. Camargo’s most natural fit is at third base, though he played more shortstop with Philadelphia.
  • Harold Castro (29): A left-handed hitter, Castro makes a decent amount of contact. He’s a career .284 hitter but rarely walks or hits for power. He’s played extensively throughout the infield and even logged a fair bit of center field work but rated poorly defensively at every stop. The Tigers non-tendered him at the end of the season.
  • Yu Chang (27): Chang bounced around the league via waivers in 2022, suiting up for four teams. He hit .208/.289/.315 in 190 combined plate appearances. Chang had been a prospect of some regard during his time in the Cleveland farm system. He hasn’t hit in limited MLB looks in any of the past four seasons but can play all four infield spots.
  • Didi Gregorius (33): Gregorius was an above-average shortstop as recently as 2020. Unfortunately, a two-year free agent deal to return to the Phillies over the 2020-21 offseason didn’t pan out. Gregorius struggled offensively in both seasons, including a .210/.263/.304 line in 232 trips to the plate last year. The Phils cut him in early August and he didn’t sign elsewhere before year’s end.
  • Josh VanMeter (28): VanMeter is primarily a second baseman who has some experience at the corner spots. He hit .187/.266/.292 with a trio of home runs through 192 plate appearances with the Pirates last season.
  • Jonathan Villar (31): Villar has excellent speed and has stolen more than 35 bases on three separate occasions. He’s intermittently been a productive hitter, posting above-average offensive numbers as recently as 2021. Last season was a disappointment, however. Villar hit .208/.260/.302 in 220 plate appearances between the Cubs and Angels. He spent the final couple months of the year in Triple-A.

Which Remaining Free Agent Hitters Were Shifted The Most In 2022?

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It was announced back in September that Major League Baseball would be implementing some new rules for the 2023 season. One such change will be the limiting of defensive shifts, with teams required to have two infielders on each side of second base and all four on the near side of the outfield grass at the time the pitch is released.

The exact ramifications of these changes will be discovered as the 2023 season progresses, but the hope is that some routine grounders turn into hits instead. Those players who have been shifted the most could stand to reap the most benefit from the new environment. The prototypical example of the hitter that is the most harmed by the shifts has been a plodding and pull-happy left-hander who can be neutralized by having an infielder in deep right field. However, each player is unique and will have been attacked in different ways, so let’s look at the data, with a minimum of 100 plate appearances required to be considered here. Which free agents were shifted the most in 2022? (Quick note that Stephen Vogt has been excluded since he previously announced 2022 would be his last season.)

1.  Rougned Odor – 93.8%
2. Kole Calhoun – 93.4%
3. Zack Collins – 88.9%
4. Brett Phillips – 88%
5. Brandon Belt – 85.2%
6. Mike Ford – 84.6%
7. Jed Lowrie (as a lefty) – 83.5%
8. Robbie Grossman (as a lefty) – 82.6%
9. Michael Perez – 81.8%
10. Mike Moustakas* – 81%
11. Tommy La Stella* – 80.5%
12. Josh VanMeter – 79.7%
13. Luke Voit – 76.9%
14. Colin Moran – 75%
15. Adam Duvall – 71.7%
16. Gary Sánchez – 70.5%
17. Dominic Smith – 70.4%
18. Jackie Bradley Jr. – 64%
19. Jurickson Profar (as a lefty) – 63.8%
20. Didi Gregorius – 60.3%

(* – Moustakas and La Stella technically aren’t free agents right now. However, they were both recently designated for assignment and are likely to be released given their onerous contracts.)

Odor has been quite awful at the plate recently, with his batting average finishing at .207 or below in each of the past four years. However, his batting average on balls in play has been at .244 or below in each of those seasons, well below his earlier career marks and the .290 league average in 2022. Perhaps the shift bans could get him closer to his earlier career number when he hit between .259 and .271.

Belt hit .285/.393/.595 over 2020 and 2021, good enough for a wRC+ of 162 which trailed only Juan Soto and Bryce Harper among all MLB hitters in that time. He was actually shifted more in those two seasons than he was in 2022. Injuries limited him to just 78 games and tepid production this year, but perhaps better health and some more open space on the field could help him return to being one of the best hitters in the league.

As for the rest, some of these guys are role players or aging veterans, but a few of them could be sneaky value pickups in the latter half of the offseason. Like Belt, many of them are coming off disappointing and/or injury-marred years and will be looking to bounce back in 2023. Grossman posted a 118 wRC+ over 2020 and 2021 but just an 82 this year. Voit had a 153 wRC+ in the shortened 2020 season but dipped to 112 and 102 in the past two campaigns. Duvall had a 108 wRC+ over 2019-2021 but an 87 here in 2022. Sánchez recorded a 143 wRC+ in his first two seasons but just a 96 in the following five years, including an 89 in the most recent campaign. Smith posted a huge 150 wRC+ over 2019 and 2020 but has slid to just 82 since. Profar is coming off a decent campaign and is arguably the best free agent still unsigned.

The Top Remaining Free Agents

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The current offseason has been one of the busiest in recent years. Over the past few seasons, it wasn’t uncommon for a few of the top free agents to linger on the open market after the calendar had flipped over to a new year. That won’t be the case this year, as today’s agreement between Corey Kluber and the Red Sox means that 46 of MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents are off the board, including all of the top 32.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some notable players still out there. Below is a list of some of the most intriguing names on the open market for clubs still hoping to make upgrades to their roster before Opening Day. The number next to the player’s name represents their placement on the MLBTR top 50 list.

Quick caveat that some of those free agents have reached agreements with clubs that are not official. This wouldn’t normally be worth mentioning, as those deals end up getting completed in the vast majority of cases. However, the Carlos Correa situation has shown that it’s not impossible for a deal to fall through after being agreed upon. He and the Giants agreed to a 13-year, $350MM deal but their physical examination raised concerns about the status of his right leg. Correa then agreed to a 12-year, $315MM deal with the Mets, whose physical raised similar concerns. The deal is still not official but the latest reporting suggests that Correa will likely still end up a Met, though perhaps with some extra provisions in the contract.

33. Jurickson Profar

Profar, 30 in February, has had a mercurial career but he’s coming off a solid season. He hit 15 home runs, walked in 11.1% of his plate appearances and struck out in just 15.7% of them. Outs Above Average wasn’t keen on his left field defense but Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating both thought it was above average.

Profar isn’t a superstar but he succeeds in enough different ways to be useful. FanGraphs pegged him as being worth 2.5 wins above replacement in 2022. It’s also possible that the upcoming shift limitations benefit his contact-based approach. He opted out of his deal with the Padres, which would have seen him make $7.5MM in 2023. By taking the $1MM buyout instead, he just needs to find $6.5MM in free agency to break even. MLBTR predicted he could secure a two-year, $20MM deal.

39. Andrew Chafin

Over the past six years, Chafin has been one of the best relievers in the sport, with his left-handedness only making him more appealing. He has a 3.05 ERA in that time, striking out 26.9% of batters faced, walking 8.8% of them and getting grounders on 48.7% of balls in play. That includes a nightmare 2020 season in which he posted a 6.52 ERA in 9 2/3 innings.

He could have stuck with the Tigers for 2023 on a $6.5MM salary but declined his player option and returned to free agency. MLBTR predicted that to be a wise decision, pegging him for a two-year, $18MM deal. He’ll turn 33 in June.

40. Jean Segura

Somewhat similar to Profar, Segura is a guy who does a lot of things well but isn’t really elite at anything. Over the last six seasons, his wRC+ has been between 105 and 111 in five of them, the lone exception being a dip to 91 in 2019. He hit between 10 and 14 home runs in the past five full seasons. Though he posted bigger stolen base totals earlier in his career, he’s been between nine and 13 in the past three full campaigns. He doesn’t walk much but doesn’t strike out much either. Defensively, he can play shortstop in an emergency but is essentially a full-time second baseman, with advanced metrics generally considering him above average there. He was predicted for two years and $18MM. He’ll turn 33 in March.

41. Michael Wacha

Wacha, 31, posted ERAs of 4.76, 6.62 and 5.05 in the previous three seasons but got that mark down to 3.32 in 2022. That was encouraging but might not be entirely sustainable. His .260 BABIP and 80.3% strand rate surely helped him offset a pedestrian 20.2% strikeout rate and 41% ground ball rate. He did avoid the free passes, however, limiting them to a 6% rate, and was in the 70th percentile in terms of hard hit rate.

Injuries have prevented him from cracking 130 innings in any of the past five seasons but he’s still capable of producing solid work at the back of a rotation. He was predicted for a two-year deal worth $16MM.

Honorable mentions

The bottom of MLBTR’s top 50 list also featured many “honorable mentions” that are still available. Those that are still free agents are listed below in alphabetical order.

HM: Elvis Andrus

Andrus, 34, was miserable at the plate from 2018 to 2021 but is coming off a nice bounceback. He hit 17 home runs in 2022 and finished with a batting line of .249/.303/.404 for a wRC+ of 105. He also stole 18 bases and was considered an above-average defensive shortstop by Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average.

HM: Brandon Belt

Belt, 35 in April, produced a batting line of .285/.393/.595 over 2020 and 2021. That production was 62% above league average, as evidenced by his 162 wRC+. Only Juan Soto and Bryce Harper were ahead of him in that department, among hitters with at least 550 plate appearances.

2022, however, saw him battle knee injuries all season long and hit .213/.326/.350 for a wRC+ of 96. He eventually underwent season-ending knee surgery in September, the third knee surgery of his career. That makes him a high-risk, high-reward play, as he’s occasionally been one of the best hitters on the planet but injuries often derail his productivity.

HM: Johnny Cueto

Cueto, 37 in February, is coming off his strongest season in years. He tossed 158 1/3 innings for the White Sox in 2022, his highest such tally since 2016. His 3.35 ERA was also his lowest since that time, outside of a 3.23 mark over a nine-start showing in 2018. His 15.7% strikeout rate this year was well below average but he kept his walks to a 5.1% rate and was good at limiting hard contact.

HM: Shintaro Fujinami

Fujinami, 29 in April, is a real wild card in free agency. He debuted in Japan’s NPB as a teenager back in 2013 and seemed to be cementing himself as a star. He posted a 2.40 ERA over 199 innings in 2015 as a 21-year-old. However, serious control problems have derailed him since. In 2021, he walked 16.8% of batters faced, helping him produce a 5.21 ERA on the year. He made gains in 2022, getting his walk rate down to 7.6% and his ERA to 3.38. He was posted by the Hanshin Tigers and is eligible to sign with MLB teams, who would have to also pay a posting fee to the Tigers on top of what they pay Fujinami.

HM: Michael Fulmer

Fulmer, 30 in March, won the American League Rookie of the Year in 2016 by making 26 starts with a 3.06 ERA. His results slipped in subsequent seasons and Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2019 campaign entirely. He’s since moved to a bullpen role and thrived. He made 67 appearances in 2022 with a 3.39 ERA, 22.1% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate and 35.4% ground ball rate. Those rate stats are all fairly underwhelming, but Fulmer’s best attribute is limiting damage. He was in the 91st percentile in 2022 in terms of barrel rate, 61st percentile in terms of hard hit rate and 55th in average exit velocity.

HM: Zack Greinke

Greinke is now 39 and isn’t the ace he once was, but he’s still got a knack for keeping runs off the board. He posted a 3.68 ERA across 137 innings and 26 starts in 2022. His 12.5% strikeout rate was barely half the league average but he kept walks down to a 4.6% rate and had a 60th percentile barrel rate.

HM: Evan Longoria

Longoria, 37, has slowed down with age, last reaching 90 games played in a season back in 2019. However, he’s still been productive at the plate when healthy enough to step up to it. In 589 plate appearances over the past two seasons, he hit 27 home runs and slashed .252/.333/.466 for a wRC+ of 118.

HM: Trey Mancini

Mancini, 31 in March, was excellent in 2019, hitting 35 home runs and producing a batting line of .291/.364/.535 for a 132 wRC+. A battle with colon cancer wiped out his 2020 but he was able to make an inspiring return in 2021. Over the past two years, he’s hit .247/.323/.412 for a wRC+ of 104. That’s a drop from his 2019 form but still above average, and he’s also considered an above-average defender at first base who can move to the outfield corners on occasion.

HM: Matt Moore

Moore, 34 in June, was once a highly-touted prospect and had a few good years as a starter for the Rays about a decade ago. That was followed by years marred by injuries and underperformance, but a full-time move to the bullpen led to an excellent 2022. He made 63 relief appearances with the Rangers, posting a 1.95 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate, 12.5% walk rate and 43.9% ground ball rate.

HM: Gary Sánchez

Sánchez, 30, earned a reputation as a bat-first catcher when he hit 53 home runs over 2016 and 2017. His batting line over that two-year stretch was .284/.354/.568 for a wRC+ of 143. He’s since cooled off at the plate, posting a 96 wRC+ in the five seasons since, including an 89 in 2022. Despite that tepid platform year at the plate, his previous production should still lead to some interest. He also posted average or better numbers on the defensive side of his game in 2022.

Which Remaining Free Agent Relievers Are Coming Off The Best Seasons?

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The offseason floodgates opened this month, with an avalanche of free agent activity once the Winter Meetings got underway. Things have quieted down in recent days thanks to the holidays, but clubs are likely to again get back to attacking the free agent market in earnest this week.

Most of the winter’s top names are off the board, leaving teams to mostly look through lower-cost options as they search for upgrades on the margins of the roster. There are still a number of experienced options available, particularly for teams seeking to round out the bullpen. Using MLBTR’s free agent list, we find 47 pitchers who tossed at least 20 innings out of a team’s bullpen in 2022 and remain unsigned.

We’ll sort the remaining free agent relievers by various metrics of 2022 performance to identify some of the top arms. There are obviously other factors for teams to consider — quality of raw stuff, pre-2022 track record, the player’s injury history, etc. — but a brief snapshot on the top bullpen arms by last year’s performance should provide a decent starting point for players teams might target moving forward. (All figures cited, including league averages, are looking solely at pitchers’ outings as relievers).

ERA (league average — 3.86)

  1. Matt Moore (LHP), 1.95
  2. Alex Young (LHP), 2.08
  3. Matt Wisler (RHP), 2.23
  4. Wily Peralta (RHP), 2.72
  5. Brad Hand (LHP), 2.80
  6. Andrew Chafin (LHP), 2.83
  7. David Phelps (RHP), 2.87
  8. Ralph Garza Jr. (RHP), 3.34
  9. Jackson Stephens (RHP), 3.38
  10. Michael Fulmer (RHP), 3.39

Strikeout rate (league average — 23.6%)

  1. Daniel Norris (LHP), 30%
  2. Darren O’Day (RHP), 27.7%
  3. Andrew Chafin, 27.6%
  4. Matt Moore, 27.3%
  5. Aroldis Chapman (LHP), 26.9%
  6. Steve Cishek (RHP), 25.8%
  7. Chasen Shreve (LHP), 25.4%
  8. Will Smith (LHP), 24.9%
  9. David Phelps, 23.9%
  10. Noé Ramirez, 23.7%

Strikeout/walk rate differential (league average — 14.5 percentage points)

  1. Andrew Chafin, 19.8 points
  2. Daniel Norris, 19 points
  3. Darren O’Day, 17 points
  4. Chasen Shreve, 16.7 points
  5. Steve Cishek, 16.4 points
  6. Craig Stammen (RHP), 15.7 points
  7. Will Smith, 15.3 points
  8. Matt Moore, 14.8 points
  9. Ross Detwiler (LHP), 14.8 points
  10. Luke Weaver (RHP), 13.8 points

Ground-ball rate (league average — 43.5%)

  1. Luis Perdomo (RHP), 62.5%
  2. Joe Smith (RHP), 57.5%
  3. Alex Young, 55.7%
  4. Alex Colomé (RHP), 55.6%
  5. T.J. McFarland (LHP), 53%
  6. Craig Stammen, 52.6%
  7. Garrett Richards (RHP), 52.4%
  8. Bryan Shaw (RHP), 51.8%
  9. Andrew Chafin, 51.3%
  10. Jacob Barnes (RHP), 50.7%

FIP (league average — 3.86)

  1. Luke Weaver, 2.46
  2. Alex Young, 2.65
  3. Matt Moore, 2.98
  4. Andrew Chafin, 3.06
  5. David Phelps, 3.11
  6. Garrett Richards, 3.16
  7. Jackson Stephens, 3.45
  8. Michael Fulmer, 3.57
  9. Brad Hand, 3.93
  10. Darren O’Day, 4.04

Innings Pitched

  1. Matt Moore, 74
  2. Caleb Smith (LHP), 69
  3. Steve Cishek, 66 1/3
  4. Michael Fulmer, 63 2/3
  5. David Phelps, 62 2/3
  6. Hunter Strickland (RHP), 62 1/3
  7. Will Smith, 59
  8. Andrew Chafin, 57 1/3
  9. Bryan Shaw, 54
  10. Jackson Stephens/Hirokazu Sawamura (RHP), 50 2/3 each

2022-23 MLB Free Agents

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The following players are currently eligible for free agency. Players’ ages for the 2023 season are listed in parentheses.  Generally, the cutoff for this list is at least 50 plate appearances or 20 innings pitched in 2022.

Updated 3-28-23

Catchers

Robinson Chirinos (38)
Kevin Plawecki (32)
Austin Romine (34)
Gary Sanchez (30)

First Basemen

Franchy Cordero (28)
Miguel Sano (30)

Second Basemen

Robinson Cano (40)
Charlie Culberson (34)
Cesar Hernandez (33)
Andrelton Simmons (33)
Jonathan Villar (32)

Shortstops

Alcides Escobar (36)
Didi Gregorius (33)
Andrelton Simmons (33)
Dee Strange-Gordon (35)
Jonathan Villar (32)

Third Basemen

Charlie Culberson (34)
Phil Gosselin (34)
Jonathan Villar (32)

Left Fielders

Albert Almora (29)
Franchy Cordero (28)

Center Fielders

Albert Almora (29)
Odubel Herrera (31)
Rafael Ortega (32)

Right Fielders

Albert Almora (29)
Luis Barrera (27)
Kole Calhoun (35)
Travis Demeritte (28)
Nomar Mazara (28)

Designated Hitters

Gary Sanchez (30)
Justin Upton (35)

Starting Pitchers

Chris Archer (34)
Dallas Keuchel (35)
Mike Minor (35)
Michael Pineda (34)
Anibal Sanchez (39)

Right-Handed Relievers

Archie Bradley (30)
Jhoulys Chacin (35)
Kyle Crick (30)
Ken Giles (31)
Will Harris (38)
Corey Knebel (30)
Reyes Moronta (30)
Garrett Richards (35)
Hansel Robles (32)
Joe Smith (39)

Left-Handed Relievers

Zack Britton (35)
Ross Detwiler (37)

The 2022-23 Offseason Begins

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The Astros are World Series champions, officially bringing the 2022 baseball season to a close.  As the party continues in Houston, the rest of the baseball world has already gotten started on winter business, as (knock on wood) the league prepares for its first “regular” offseason in three years.  The 2019-20 offseason was interrupted by the pandemic, with that uncertainty continuing to cloud MLB’s preparations heading into 2021.  Last winter, the offseason was shut down by a 99-day lockout, until the league and the players’ union finally agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Fortunately, it looks like we might be in store for nothing but hot stove talk during this offseason, in a welcome return to normalcy.  We at MLB Trade Rumors are already in the swing of things, with Matt Swartz’s annual arbitration projections posted and our annual Offseason Outlook series well underway.  In addition, the annual Top 50 Free Agents list and Free Agent Prediction contest are both coming soon, so stay tuned.

Here is the rundown of the offseason’s key dates on the baseball calendar…

NOVEMBER 6: All eligible players can officially file for free agency, though even though this technically marks the start of free agency, players still aren’t allowed to negotiate with anyone but their current team.  During the five days until the full opening of the free agent market, teams and players must make their contractual decisions about any club options, player options, opt-outs, and mutual options.  The trade market also fully re-opens today, and it is rare but not totally uncommon to see a prominent swap take place as soon as the market opens.

NOVEMBER 7-10: The annual GM meetings, this year taking place in Las Vegas.

NOVEMBER 10: The free agent market officially opens, and free agents are now free to negotiate and sign with other teams.  This is also the deadline for option decisions, as well as the deadline for teams to issue qualifying offers to eligible free agents.  MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently examined which players are most likely to receive the one-year, $19.65MM offers from their current teams, and which players represent trickier decisions for the clubs.

NOVEMBER 14-17: Awards week begins, as the league announces the results of one major award on each of these four days. The Rookie Of The Year winners are revealed on the 14th, the Manager Of The Year winners on the 15th, the Cy Young Award winners on the 16th, and finally the league MVPs on the 17th.  Many players can earn extra contract bonus money based on high finishes in these awards races, but there is an extra hot-stove element this year.  Due to the Prospect Promotion Incentive plan included in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the top two finishers in AL and NL ROY voting will receive a full year of Major League service time, regardless of how much time they actually spent on their clubs’ active rosters.

NOVEMBER 15: The deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters in advance of the Rule 5 draft.  This usually involves adding some prominent minor leaguers onto the 40-man to prevent their selection in the R5, and several clubs might be looking to swing trades to free up 40-man space and ease any possible roster crunch.

NOVEMBER 15: The deadline for the free agents issued qualifying offers to decide whether or not to accept the QO.

NOVEMBER 18: The non-tender deadline, as teams must decide by this date whether or not to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players.  This date represents a notable difference to the regular offseason calendar, as the non-tender deadline is usually in late November or early December.  Given the closer proximity to the 40-man roster decision date, it seems quite possible we could see some earlier non-tender decisions than usual, so teams can free up more roster spots.

DECEMBER 4-7: The annual Winter Meetings, this year taking place in San Diego.

DECEMBER 7: The Rule 5 Draft, returning to its usual date on the final day of the Winter Meetings.  Last year’s Rule 5 Draft was canceled due to the lockout, marking the first time since 1891 that some form of the R5 didn’t take place.

JANUARY 13: The filing deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to submit 2023 salary numbers.  Arbitration hearings will begin to take place in March, though teams and players can agree to a salary at any point (even minutes before) a hearing takes place.  However, many teams adopt the “file and trial” tactic, meaning that they’ll automatically opt to go to a hearing with any player who doesn’t agree to a salary by January 13, with no further discussion about an arbitration-avoiding deal.

JANUARY 15: The international signing window officially opens, and closes 11 months later on December 15, 2023.  Many of the top names of the 2023 int’l class will sign on the first day the market opens, as several of these prospects have already agreed to unofficial deals with teams years in advance.  Because Major League Baseball and the MLBPA didn’t reach an agreement on the league’s desire to implement a draft for international prospects, the current int’l signing system and the qualifying-offer system will both remain in place for the length of the CBA (though the 2026 season).

FEBRUARY 24: Spring Training games officially begin.

MARCH 8: The World Baseball Classic begins, with games played in Taichung, Tokyo, Phoenix and Miami over the course of the 14-day, 20-team event.  The WBC returns for the first time since 2017, as the 2021 tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.

MARCH 30: Opening Day

Previewing The 2022-2023 Free Agent Class: Right-Handed Relief

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MLBTR has gone around the diamond with a position-by-position look at this winter’s free agent class. With all the hitters and the starting pitchers now covered, it’s time for a look at the relievers. Just about every team will be looking to make an investment in improving its bullpen, and they will have a choice of all options, from veteran journeymen to a lights-out closer who could get a record-setting contract.

The Cream of the Crop

Díaz has had some ups and downs in his career but he reached incredible heights in 2022. He pitched 62 innings with a tiny ERA of 1.31. He did that by striking out 118 batters, an incredible rate of 50.2%. He also kept his walks at a reasonable 7.7% and got grounders on 46.9% of balls in play. He even added 2 2/3 innings of scoreless work in the postseason before the Mets were eliminated. He was the best reliever in baseball this year and it could be argued that he’s the best in quite some time.

He hasn’t been quite this good at all times. He had a 5.59 ERA in 2019, for instance, and a 3.45 mark last year. However, there are reasons to be skeptical of those numbers. He allowed a .377 batting average on balls in play in 2019 and saw 26.8% of fly balls go over the fence. Both of those numbers are outliers relative to his career, leading to all the advanced metrics to view him as worthy of much better. Last year, his 67.8% strand rate caused a similar though less-extreme disparity. Although his ERA was wobbled a few times, his xERA, xFIP and SIERA all suggest he’s been much more consistent than you might think at first glance.

Due to the volatile nature of relief pitching, teams generally avoid spending lavishly on the bullpen. The largest ever guarantee for a reliever was the five years and $86MM secured by Aroldis Chapman. Díaz is going into free agency at the same age as Chapman was then, with a résumé that’s similarly dominant. Add in six years of inflation, increased luxury tax thresholds, a free-spending Mets team and Díaz’s marketable entrance and there’s a chance baseball could see it’s first ever $100MM reliever.

Potential Closers

Jansen was a free agent one year ago, eventually settling for a one-year, $16MM deal with the Braves. Though he’s not quite at the same level he was at while at his peak with the Dodgers, he was still plenty effective. He threw 64 innings in 2022 with a 3.38 ERA, striking out 32.7% of batters face while walking 8.5% and getting grounders on 29.9% of balls in play. That was all while functioning as the team’s closer, racking up 41 saves on the year. Naturally, Jansen’s velocity is trending downwards as he ages, but his fastball still averaged 93.6 this year. That’s just a few ticks below his peak of 96 which was back in 2014.

Though the Braves have said they would love to have Jansen back, it seems they already acquired their replacement closer by grabbing Raisel Iglesias at the trade deadline. With Iglesias under contract for three more seasons and the Braves needing their funds to address shortstop and perhaps left field, it seems possible that Jansen gets a new jersey for 2023. Given his age, he won’t require a lengthy commitment and could hold plenty of appeal for teams that want to bolster the top of the bullpen chart but are scared off the Díaz market.

Kimbrel is likely the most divisive name on this list. He’s already established himself as one of the best closers of all-time, with his 394 career saves placing him seventh on the all-time list. However, he’s been remarkably inconsistent over the past four years. After the 2018 season, Kimbrel turned down a qualifying offer from the Red Sox but teams were apparently unwilling to surrender a draft pick to sign him. He languished on the open market until after the draft, when the Cubs signed him to a three-year deal with an option for 2022.

Kimbrel was awful in both 2019 and 2020, posting ERAs of 6.53 and 5.28, respectively. In 2021, he seemed to get back on track, posting an elite 0.49 ERA before getting traded across town to the White Sox. He then put up a 5.09 ERA on the other side of town, but the Sox still picked up his option and traded him to the Dodgers. In L.A. this year, Kimbrel posted a 3.75 ERA with a 27.7% strikeout rate, 10.8% walk rate and 39.7% ground ball rate. Those numbers aren’t dreadful, yet Kimbrel lost his hold on the closer’s job throughout the season and didn’t make the postseason roster.

His market will be tough to peg and could depend on what Kimbrel wants. Is he looking for maximum dollars? A spot on a competitive team? A closer’s role? It might be hard to get all three, based on his recent struggles, which could put him in a position of making tough choices. Would he rather be a closer on a rebuilding team, hoping to get flipped to a contender at the deadline? Or would he prefer to sign with a contender right away, even if he’ll be farther down the depth chart?

Tommy John surgery limited Robertson to just 18 2/3 total innings over 2019-2021 but he bounced back with aplomb in 2022. He signed a one-year deal with the Cubs that came with a $3.5MM base and $1.5MM in incentives. He threw 40 1/3 innings with the Cubs with a 2.23 ERA, 30.9% strikeout rate, 11.5% walk rate and 48.4% ground ball rate, racking up 14 saves in the process.

He got flipped to the Phillies at the deadline and continued along similar lines. His 16.2% walk rate wasn’t ideal, but he still managed a 2.70 ERA in 23 1/3 innings while striking out 30.3% of batters and getting ground balls on 43.4% of balls in play. As the Phillies charged through the postseason, he was able to add even more innings, despite missing the NLDS due to a freak calf injury sustained while celebrating Bryce Harper’s home run in the Wild Card series. He’s already expressed his desire to return for another season in 2023.

Solid Leverage Arms

Estevez missed the entirety of 2018 due to injury but has been a mainstay of the Rockies’ bullpen in the four seasons since then. He racked up at least 10 holds in each of the past three full seasons as well as six in the shortened 2020 campaign. He also scattered 14 saves across those four seasons. He had a very unfortunate 7.50 ERA in 2020 but was at 3.75 in 2019, 4.38 in 2021 and 3.47 in 2022, not bad for a pitcher making Coors Field his home. If you’re wondering about the effect of the ballpark, he has a career 5.57 ERA at home versus a 3.51 on the road.

The 2016 American League Rookie of the Year missed all of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery and then was awful in 2020. Switching from the rotation to the bullpen paid dividends as he put up a 2.97 ERA in 2021 and a 3.39 mark in 2022. He doesn’t have huge strikeout stuff, with his 22.1% rate this year slightly below average for relievers. However, he does have an ability to keep hitters off balance, finishing this year in the 91st percentile in terms of missing barrels. That’s generally come in high-leverage situations, as he earned 17 saves over the past two seasons along with 34 holds.

Givens has eight seasons of MLB experience under his belt and has been fairly consistent in that time. He posted a 1.80 ERA in his debut but has been mostly in the 3.00-4.00 range since then. In 2022, he split his time between the Cubs and Mets, throwing 61 /3 innings with a 3.38 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 42.8% ground ball rate. He notched a pair of saves and seven holds, bringing his career tallies to 31 and 84, respectively.

A consistently solid late-game arm for the Mets, Lugo has five sub-4.00 ERA seasons in his seven-year MLB career. He’s posted mid-3.00’s marks in each of the past two seasons, striking batters out and inducing ground-balls at slightly above-average rates. Lugo’s swinging strike rate bizarrely dipped in 2022, but he’s typically adept at getting whiffs behind a fastball in the 94 MPH range and a curveball with top-of-the-scale spin.

Martin had a quietly fabulous season split between the Cubs and Dodgers. He worked to a 3.05 ERA through 56 innings, punching out an elite 32.9% of opponents against a remarkably low 2.2% walk percentage. The veteran righty has been one of the game’s more underrated middle innings arms for the past four seasons. He virtually never hands out a free pass, owns a fastball in the mid-90s and picks up strikeouts and grounders. Martin’s age is the drawback, as he’ll turn 37 next June, but his performance might be enough to land him a multi-year deal.

A typically solid middle innings arm for the Twins and Mets, May had a down 2022 campaign. He lost a couple months after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his throwing arm, limiting him to 25 innings across 26 appearances. May posted an unimpressive 5.04 ERA during that stretch, although he paired it with an above-average 27% strikeout rate and a solid 8.1% walk percentage. He still misses bats and averages north of 96 MPH on his fastball, so he should be a solid bounceback target.

Montero rebounded from a rough 2021 season to post a stellar platform campaign in Houston. The righty soaked up 68 1/3 innings, pitching to a 2.37 ERA while fanning 27% of opponents against an 8.5% walk percentage. Montero has also posted a grounder rate above 50% in each of the last two seasons, and his average fastball sits just a bit below 97 MPH. He’s already 32, but that combination of excellent run prevention and accompanying underlying marks should make him one of the more appealing relievers in this year’s class.

Ottavino has had some ups and downs late in his career, but he was downright excellent in 2022. He gave the Mets 65 2/3 innings of 2.06 ERA ball, striking out 30.6% of opponents against a 6.2% walk rate that’s his lowest mark since 2016. Ottavino has never had much trouble missing bats, but he’s battled wobbly control at times. That wasn’t an issue this year, and he thoroughly dominated same-handed opponents. Righties mustered a pitiful .160/.226/.253 line in 177 plate appearances against him. Lefties have long given him trouble, but he’s at least a high-end situational option. He should beat the $4MM guarantee he received in free agency last winter.

Wild Cards

Bradley moved from the rotation to the bullpen in 2017 and then had five consecutive solid seasons. He signed a one-year deal with the Angels for 2022 but dealt with injuries for much of the year. He ended up throwing 18 2/3 innings when able to take the mound and had a 4.82 ERA, a step back from his previous work. There was likely some bad luck in there, especially from his 48.7% strand rate, but his strikeout rate has been below 20% for the past two seasons after being around 25-27% in the previous four. Perhaps he just needs to get healthy in order to rebound but he’ll probably have to settle for less than the $3.75MM he got from the Angels a year ago.

Castro has been bouncing around the league for the past eight seasons, spending time with the Blue Jays, Rockies, Orioles, Mets and Yankees in that time. Those clubs were likely tantalized by Castro’s combination of strikeouts and ground balls, as he has gotten grounders on 49% of balls in play in his career while punching out 25% of batters faced over the past four seasons. However, control has been a consistent issue, with Castro sitting on a career walk rate of 12.3% and having never been below 10% in any single season except for a short stint back in 2016. He’s gotten some leverage work in his career, racking up 46 holds, but never more than nine in a single season. He hasn’t quite earned enough trust to be considered a proper setup option, but he’s still relatively young and could find another gear with a bit more command.

Giles was one of the best relievers in baseball as recently as 2019, when he earned 23 saves for the Blue Jays while pitching to a 1.87 ERA and 39.9% strikeout rate. However, it’s been a rough few years since then, as he only pitched in 3 2/3 innings in 2020 before eventually requiring Tommy John surgery. He missed all of 2021 but seemed to be on track to return to action in 2022. Unfortunately, a finger injury kept him out of action until June, when he threw 4 1/3 innings before returning to the IL with shoulder tightness. He was designated for assignment and signed a minor league deal with the Giants, getting released in August. He’s only been able to throw eight total MLB innings over the past three seasons but was excellent the last time he was healthy enough to get a meaningful stretch of playing time.

Green has pitched for the Yankees in each of the past seven seasons as an effective setup man. He has 11 saves and 52 holds while putting up a 3.17 ERA, 32.5% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 32.3% ground ball rate. He would have been one of the highlights of this list if not for ill-timed Tommy John surgery. Of course, there’s never a good time for a pitcher to require TJS, but news of Green’s procedure came out in May, when he was just a few months away from his first trip to free agency. He will likely miss at least the first half of 2023, depending on his recovery. Pitchers in this situation will sometimes agree to a back-loaded two-year deal, with the signing team aware they are unlikely to recoup much return on their investment in the first season.

Hunter missed most of 2021 due to back surgery and eventually settled for a minor league deal with the Mets. He later cracked the club’s big league roster and tossed 22 1/3 innings with a 2.42 ERA, 23.4% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 40% ground ball rate. He’s generally been a solid performer, including this year, but he hasn’t eclipsed 25 innings in a season since 2018. He will certainly garner interest but the durability issues will likely create some hesitancy.

Jackson had a breakout season in 2021, throwing 63 2/3 innings for Atlanta with a 1.98 ERA, 26.8% strikeout rate, 11.1% walk rate and 52.5% ground ball rate. He also added 8 2/3 more frames in the postseason on the way to becoming a World Series champion. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in April of 2022, which wiped out the entire season for him. He should be able to return in 2023, though perhaps not for the entire season, depending on his recovery.

Johnson spent 2019 in Japan and pitched well enough to get himself a two-year deal with a club option from the Padres. Over 2020 and 2021, he tossed 78 2/3 innings for the Friars with a 3.09 ERA, 32.1% strikeout rate, 11.1% walk rate and 33% ground ball rate. The club had a $3MM option for 2022 that came with a $1MM buyout, making it a fairly easy call to trigger that net $2MM decision. Unfortunately, Johnson landed on the IL in April due to right forearm tendinitis and didn’t return until September 10. He only threw 14 1/3 innings this year and had a 5.02 ERA in that time. That’s a small sample and his rate stats were relatively unchanged, meaning that he might be able to recapture his previous form.

Kahnle hasn’t pitched much over the past few seasons. He threw just one inning in 2020 and underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of that year, knocking him out for all of last year. Kahnle made it back this past April, but he missed roughly four months battling renewed arm troubles. He managed just 12 2/3 regular season innings, but he looked the part of a high-leverage arm during that time. Kahnle averaged almost 96 MPH on his fastball and pitched to a 2.84 ERA with a 30.4% strikeout rate. He’s a high-risk, high-upside play but was one of the game’s best relievers with the White Sox and Yankees between 2016-17.

Knebel parlayed a 2021 rebound with the Dodgers into a $10MM guarantee with the Phillies last winter. The former Brewers closer didn’t match his best numbers. His 3.43 ERA across 44 2/3 innings was fine, but Knebel only struck out 21.1% of opponents while walking batters at a massive 14.4% clip. He was diagnosed with a tear in his shoulder capsule in August, ending his season. Knebel also lost roughly three months to lat issues in 2021 and missed 2019 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

A starter for most of his career, Williams appeared in 30 games in 2022 with 21 of those being relief appearances. He posted quality results over his 89 2/3 innings, registering a 3.21 ERA along with a 22.6% strikeout rate, 6.2% walk rate and 36.2% ground ball rate. He could garner interest as a reliever but could also get another shot at a rotation job.

Depth Options

  • Tyler Beede (30): Once a well-regarded prospect, Beede has yet to click in the majors. In 2022, he split his time between the Giants and Pirates, making five starts but coming out of the bullpen most of the time. He had a 5.14 ERA on the year while striking out just 13.7% of batters faced. He was designated for assignment and cleared waivers in September.
  • Jhoulys Chacin (35): Chacin was decent enough in 2021 that the Rockies re-signed him for one year and $1.25MM. Unfortunately, 2022 was a nightmare, with Chacin posting a 7.61 ERA in 47 1/3 innings. He was released in September and would have to settle for minor league deals this winter.
  • Jesse Chavez (39): Chavez signed with the Cubs on a minor league/split deal and ended up also pitching for the Angels and Braves. Between the three clubs, he threw 69 1/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA, 25.3% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate. His age will limit him to one-year deals but he’s still plenty effective out there.
  • Steve Cishek (37): 2022 was Cishek’s 13th MLB campaign, which he spent with the Nationals. He tossed 66 1/3 innings of 4,21 ERA ball. He still got strikeouts at a solid 25.8% clip, though his 11 home runs surrendered were a career worst. He could potentially get a somewhat similar contract to the one-year, $1.75MM deal he signed with the Nats last offseason, though he has also considered retiring.
  • Alex Colome (34): Colome was a solid closer from 2016 to 2020 but is coming off a second straight poor season. He had a 4.15 ERA in 2021 and saw that climb to 5.74 here in 2022. He played this year on a one-year, $4.1MM deal with the Rockies but will surely have to settle for less in 2023.
  • Jharel Cotton (31): Cotton tossed 43 innings between the Twins and Giants with a 3.56 ERA, 21.5% strikeout rate, 11% walk rate and 29.4% ground ball rate. The Giants put him on waivers in October, with Cotton clearing and electing free agency.
  • Tyler Danish (28): Danish only had 13 innings of MLB experience before 2022, when he logged 40 1/3 for the Red Sox. He put up a 5.13 ERA in that time while striking out just 18.5% of batters faced but limiting walks to a 6.9% clip. He cleared waivers in October and elected free agency.
  • Tyler Duffey (32): Duffey has long been a solid member of the Twins’ bullpen but had a rough 2022. His ERA shot up to 4.91 as he gave up eight homers in just 44 innings. His strikeout rate also fell to 21.1% after being above 30% in 2019 and 2020. He was released in August, eventually signing minor league deals with the Rangers and Yankees.
  • Jeurys Familia (33): Familia has a long track record of effective relief work but the wheels came off in 2022. He split his time between the Phillies and Red Sox and put up a combined 6.90 ERA in 44 1/3 innings. Boston designated him for assignment in September, with Familia rejecting an outright assignment and electing free agency.
  • Will Harris (38): Harris hasn’t pitched since May of 2021 after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. He was a very effective reliever almost a decade prior to that, but given his age and recent history, it’s unlikely teams will guarantee him significant dollars or a roster spot.
  • Heath Hembree (34): Hembree has had some good seasons in the past but hasn’t posted an ERA below 5.50 since 2019. In 2022, he split his time between the Pirates and Dodgers, throwing 22 innings with a 7.36 ERA. He was designated for assignment by the Dodgers in September before clearing waivers and electing free agency.
  • Dominic Leone (32): Leone posted a 4.01 ERA through 49 1/3 innings with the Giants this year. He didn’t have eye-catching strikeout and walk marks, but he induced swinging strikes at a fantastic 18.1% clip. He’s an interesting buy-low target, although he was let go in September after hitting the injured list with an elbow issue.
  • Ian Kennedy (38): Kennedy signed with the Diamondbacks last offseason, but his stint in the desert didn’t go as planned. He posted a 5.36 ERA across 50 1/3 innings while allowing almost two home runs per nine innings.
  • Mike Mayers (31): Mayers was really good over 2020 and 2021, throwing 105 innings with a 3.34 ERA and 30.5% strikeout rate. He couldn’t sustain it in 2022, however, as his strikeout rate dropped to 20.2% and his ERA jumped to 5.68. The Angels designated him for assignment in September.
  • Keynan Middleton (29): Middleton pitched for the Diamondbacks in 2022, logging 17 frames with a 5.29 ERA. His 4.3% walk rate in that time was excellent, though he also allowed five homers in that stretch.
  • Darren O’Day (40): The submariner O’Day put up a 4.15 ERA across 21 2/3 innings with the Braves this season. Despite a mid-80s fastball, he still misses bats thanks to his unconventional arm angle.
  • Wily Peralta (34): Peralta put up a 2.58 ERA through 38 1/3 innings for the Tigers. It wasn’t supported by his lackluster strikeout and walk rates, and Detroit cut him loose in August.
  • David Phelps (36): Phelps soaked up 63 2/3 frames for the Blue Jays with a 2.83 ERA. He had a useful 23.5% strikeout rate, but he walked batters at an elevated 11.4% clip and was extremely fortunate to only surrender two home runs despite a modest 35.5% grounder percentage.
  • Erasmo Ramirez (33): Ramirez was a capable long relief option for the Nationals. He absorbed 86 1/3 innings over 60 outings, putting up a 2.92 ERA in spite of a modest 17.6% strikeout rate.
  • Noe Ramirez (33): Ramirez posted an ERA of exactly 3.00 in both 2020 and 2021 but saw that number jump to 5.22 in 2022. His strikeout rate actually increased, but he also allowed more walks and more homers.
  • Garrett Richards (35): Richards signed with the Rangers in Spring Training. He was let go in August after putting up a 5.27 ERA through 42 2/3 innings. Richards induced ground-balls at a productive 52.6% clip but didn’t miss many bats.
  • Hansel Robles (32): Robles was hit hard in Boston, posting a 5.84 ERA across 24 2/3 innings with subpar strikeout and walk numbers. He was released in August and finished the year in Triple-A with the Dodgers.
  • Sergio Romo (40): The veteran slider specialist pitched 18 innings between the Mariners and Blue Jays this year. He gave up a 7.50 ERA and was unsigned for the second half.
  • Hirokazu Sawamura (35): Sawamura put up a 3.73 ERA through 50 2/3 innings for the Red Sox. He throws hard and got a fair number of ground-balls, but he didn’t have especially strong strikeout and walk numbers. Boston released him in September.
  • Bryan Shaw (35): Shaw’s a bullpen workhorse, but his 2022 season with the Guardians was unspectacular. He allowed a 5.40 ERA through 58 1/3 innings and was outrighted off the 40-man roster just before the playoffs.
  • Joe Smith (39): A submariner, Smith had some success as recently as 2019. He’s had a tough go the past couple years, including a 4.61 ERA across 27 1/3 innings with the Twins in 2022. Minnesota released him in August.
  • Craig Stammen (39): A veteran grounder specialist, Stammen has soaked up plenty of innings for the Padres in recent years. His 2022 season wasn’t his best, as he allowed a 4.43 ERA over 40 2/3 innings. He still induced grounders on half the batted balls he surrendered, but he gave up a number of homers and was scratched for the playoffs.
  • Hunter Strickland (34): Strickland spent the year in Cincinnati, posting a 4.91 ERA through 62 1/3 frames. He throws in the mid-90s but had an 11.6% walk rate.
  • Vince Velasquez (31): Velasquez came out of the bullpen for 18 of 27 appearances with the White Sox this year. The former Phillies starter logged a 4.25 ERA in 36 innings of relief.
  • J.B. Wendelken (30): Wendelken had a really nice stretch of results from 2018 to 2020 but put up an ERA of 4.33 in 2021 and then 5.28 in 2022. His 29.2% strikeout rate from 2020 dropped to 20.1% and then 17.2% in the two most recent seasons. He was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks in July and seemed to get back on track in the minors, posting a 2.63 ERA with 35.1% strikeout rate.
  • Matt Wisler (30): Wisler pitched 44 innings with the Rays. He had an excellent 2.25 ERA but was nevertheless let go in September. That’s largely an acknowledgement of his modest 19.9% strikeout rate and a 10.8% swinging strike rate that, while decent, is down a few points from prior seasons.
  • Nick Wittgren (32): Wittgren worked 29 innings for the Cardinals this year. He posted a 5.90 ERA with a 12.7% strikeout percentage and was released in July.

Players With Options

Acquired by the Blue Jays from the Marlins at the deadline, Bass is coming off the best season of his career. He put up a 1.54 ERA in 70 1/3 innings between the two clubs. Some of that is good luck, as he had a .256 BABIP and 89.5% strand rate. However, he also struck out 26.5% of batters faced, almost four ticks above his previous personal best. His 7.3% walk rate was also the lowest in years. It will be hard for him to be quite that good going forward, but he’s been a solid reliever for five years running and is a bargain at this price.

Boxberger threw 64 innings for the Brewers in 2022, ending up with a 2.95 ERA , 25.4% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate and 34.3% ground ball rate. The ERA is nice but all three of those rate stats moved the wrong direction compared to his 2021 numbers. Still, this is a net $2.25MM decision, a fairly reasonable price for a solid veteran coming off three straight good years. The Brewers seem to have a tight payroll this year and might look for creative ways to save money, but if they don’t want to pay Boxberger, they should be able to pick up this option and line up a trade with a team that does.

Leclerc was dominant enough in 2018 to get a four-year extension from the Rangers, which included club options for 2023 and 2024. He had a poor season in the first year of the deal and then missed most of 2020 and 2021 due to Tommy John surgery. He got things back on track in 2022, throwing 47 2/3 innings with a 2.83 ERA and 27.3% strikeout rate. That’s not quite where he was at his peak but he got stronger as the season went along, even earning a few saves and holds down the stretch. If the club decides to give him another go, they can retain him again for 2024 via a $6.25MM club option that again has a $750K buyout.

  • Nick Martinez (32), can opt out of final three years and $18.5MM in favor of $1.5MM buyout

Martinez pitched in Japan from 2018 to 2021, posting quality results and earning himself a four-year, $25.5MM deal from the Padres. However, that deal was actually structured as a one-year contract followed by a series of player options, meaning Martinez can return to free agency now if he wants. He posted a 4.30 ERA as a starter and then got bumped to the bullpen, putting up a much stronger 2.67 ERA there. He’s likely get lots of interest from bullpen-needy teams but reportedly wants a rotation gig.

Nelson underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2021 and then was re-signed by the Dodgers, with the club knowing they were unlikely to see him in 2022. The reasoning for the gamble was pretty clear since he was excellent prior to the surgery. He posted a 1.86 ERA in 29 innings in 2021, striking out 37.9% of batters faced. If the Dodgers expect him to be healthy at any point next year, this is a no-brainer to be picked up.

Suarez had never pitched in the majors prior to 2022, spending the previous five seasons in Japan. The Padres then signed him to a one-year deal with a player option for 2023. Suarez excelled in his 47 2/3 innings, posting a 2.27 ERA with a 31.9% strikeout rate. The 11% walk rate was a little on the high side, but it didn’t stop Suarez from earning high-leverage opportunities. He grabbed one save and 11 holds in the regular season and then three more holds in the playoffs. He’s got a net $4MM decision to make but should be able to easily top that mark on the open market.

Previous installments: Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Corner outfields, Center Field, Designated Hitter, Starting Pitcher, Left-Handed Relief

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