With the offseason drawing nearer, MLBTR will be breaking down the free-agent class on a position-by-position basis. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco already profiled this winter’s crop of catchers and first basemen. You can check out the full list of this offseason’s free agents here, but today we’ll take a deeper look at the options for teams in need of help at second base next. It’s worth noting that there are star shortstops (e.g. Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner) who could technically be pursued as a second base option for a team that already has an entrenched shortstop, but we’ll save that group for the shortstop preview.
Top of the Class
- Jean Segura (33 years old next season)
The Phillies hold a $17MM club option on Segura, so he could technically go in the “2023 Options” section later in this preview. However, even though Segura is a good player who’s had a solid season, it’s likelier that the Phils pay the option’s $1MM buyout than pick up that hefty salary. Segura has ample experience at shortstop and has played some third base as well, but he’s been a strict second baseman in Philly recently and other teams likely view him similarly. The open market hasn’t been kind to non-star, second-base-only players like Segura in recent years, even when they’re coming off respectable seasons.
That’s absolutely the case here, as Segura has slashed .273/.335/.393 — good for a 106 wRC+ (suggesting he’s been six percent better than the league-average hitter). Segura is a tough strikeout but doesn’t walk much and has slowly seen his power dwindle to below-average levels. He generally has solid but unspectacular grades for his glovework at second base. He’ll be 33 next spring.
At his best, Segura does a little bit of everything — hitting for power, hitting for average, swiping some bases, playing solid defense — but doesn’t necessarily excel in any one area. It’d be a surprise if he got more than two years in free agency, and there are free-agent second basemen with higher ceilings but far less recent track record. If you want the safest bet to be a solid regular at the position, Segura is the guy.
- Brandon Drury (30)
As is often the case, we’re looking at a pretty thin crop of established second basemen on the market this year’s market. That’s good news for Drury, who parlayed a minor league deal with the Reds into a standout free-agent platform. Drury hit .274/.335/.520 and clubbed 21 home runs with the Reds before a deadline trade shipped him to San Diego. He hasn’t been nearly as good with the Friars (.227/.270/.454) but is still hitting for power. On the whole, Drury has a .261/.317/.501 slash this season — about 23% better than the average hitter by measure of wRC+.
Defensively, Drury embodies the “jack of all trades, master of none” trope, but second base has historically been his best position. He’s drawn average marks there throughout his career and again in 2022. The 30-year-old righty has feasted on left-handed pitching but mostly just held his own against right-handers. Drury hit well in a tiny sample of 88 plate appearances with the 2021 Mets but was a non-factor with the Yankees and Blue Jays from 2018-20, batting a combined .205/.254/.346 in the rough equivalent of a full season of playing time (167 games, 582 plate appearances).
Drury will get a big league deal this winter. The questions are whether his Cincinnati contributions are overshadowed by his San Diego struggles, whether he’ll get a look as a utility option or as a player at one primary position, and whether there’s enough interest to generate a multi-year offer.
Veterans Coming Off Down Years
- Robinson Cano (40)
Cano sat out the entire 2021 season serving a 162-game suspension for his second failed PED test and was released by three different teams in 2022 — the final season of the 10-year, $240MM contract he originally signed with Seattle. Cano hit just .150/.183/.190 in 104 Major League plate appearances this season and might not get another MLB chance at this point.
- Adam Frazier (31)
One of the Padres’ marquee acquisitions at the 2021 trade deadline, Frazier fell into a deep slump the moment he was traded from Pittsburgh to San Diego. He was flipped to the Mariners in a cost-saving move last offseason and hasn’t rediscovered his Pittsburgh form with what’s now his third team. Frazier’s season in Seattle has been the worst full season of his big league career. He’s still been a solid defender between second base and the outfield corners, but he’s hitting just .235/.299/.308 in 579 plate appearances. Since leaving the Pirates, Frazier has a .243/.307/.315 slash in 790 plate appearances; he batted .283/.346/.420 in parts of six seasons with Pittsburgh.
- Cesar Hernandez (33)
Long a steady regular at second base, Hernandez has played out his free-agent years on a series of one-year deals and might have reached the end of his time as an everyday player in Washington. After swatting a career-high 21 homers last year, the switch-hitter has just one long ball in 2022. He’s still collected 27 doubles and four triples, but the swift disappearance of his power has left him with a .245/.308/.315 batting line — about 23% worse than league average by measure of wRC+. Hernandez’s defensive marks at second base have taken a nosedive in recent seasons, too, and Washington has begun playing him at other positions (third base, left field) to make room for the younger Luis Garcia.
- Andrelton Simmons (33)
Simmons is, of course, primarily a shortstop. He saw more time at second base (106 innings) than at short (104) in a brief and disastrous tenure as a Cub, though. Simmons had two lengthy IL stints in 2022 due to shoulder problems, hit just .173/.244/.187 in 85 plate appearances, and was released last month. Since a pair of above-average seasons at the plate in 2017-18, he’s combined for 1087 plate appearances with three teams (Angels, Twins, Cubs) and posted a combined .244/.298/.311 slash — just a 68 wRC+.
- Jonathan Villar (32)
Another veteran infielder who signed a one-year deal with the Cubs and was released this summer, the switch-hitting Villar mustered only a .208/.260/.302 output in 220 plate appearances between Chicago and Anaheim this season. He posted solid numbers with the 2021 Mets and, from 2018-21, batted .259/.327/.408 (99 wRC+) with 58 homers and a hefty 105 steals in just shy of 2000 big league plate appearances. Villar can play any second, third and shortstop but doesn’t grade out well at any of the three.
Utility Players
- Aledmys Diaz (32)
Diaz has played at least 45 innings at five different positions this season: all four infield spots and left field. He was primarily a shortstop early in his career and still has more total innings there than at any position. He never graded well there, and as he enters his mid-30s, he’ll be viewed as more of a utility player. Diaz’s .255/.302/.427 line in 2022 is quite similar to the .259/.318/.433 slash he’s posted over four total seasons with the ’Stros. He’s a right-handed bat who’s shown a pretty noticeable platoon split over the past couple seasons, though early in his career he hit fellow righties better than lefties.
- Jace Peterson (33)
Peterson has played mostly third base in Milwaukee this season and posted sensational defensive marks there, including 10 Defensive Runs Saved and 5 Outs Above Average in just 583 innings. He’s spent more time at second base than any other position in his career on the whole, however. The lefty-swinging Peterson has revived his career with a solid three-year run in Milwaukee, hitting .241/.339/.379 (100 wRC+) with a hefty 12.4% walk rate, 16 homers and 22 steals in 677 plate appearances. He’s even handled lefties well in a small sample over the past two seasons, although a career .217/.289/.282 output against them still suggests he’s best deployed against righties only.
- Donovan Solano (35)
A hamstring strain cost Solano more than two months, but since being activated, he’s batted .292/.343/.397 with four homers and 15 doubles in 280 trips to the plate. Solano has been quite good at home, in Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, and below-average on the road, but this is the fourth consecutive season he’s headed for at least league-average offense. Dating back to his 2019 resurgence with the Giants, “Donnie Barrels” is hitting .303/.351/425 in 1055 plate appearances. He’ll turn 35 in December, though, and his defensive grades at second, third and shortstop in recent years are all lacking. He’s posted excellent numbers in 166 innings as a first baseman this year, however (5 DRS, 2 OAA).
Depth Pieces
- Ehire Adrianza (33): A switch-hitter with experience all over the infield and in the outfield corners, Adrianza has hit just .215/.302/.320 in 415 plate appearances dating back to 2020.
- Charlie Culberson (34): Since hitting a career-high 12 homers with the 2018 Braves, Culberson carries a .248/.291/.384 slash in 542 plate appearances. He still hits lefties well but has never had much success against righties.
- Matt Duffy (32): Duffy opened the season as the Angels’ second baseman but spent significant time on the injured list this season, primarily due to back trouble. He’s hit .255/.311/.317 in 225 plate appearances. Duffy can play any of second, third or shortstop, but injuries have limited him to 716 plate appearances over the past four seasons.
- Alcides Escobar (36): Escobar had a brief resurgence with the 2021 Nats, but that was the only time since 2014 his bat has been close to average. He hit .218/.262/.282 in 131 plate appearances with Washington this year.
- Phil Gosselin (34): The journeyman utility player has experience at every infield spot and in the outfield corners. He hit .149/.182/.176 in 77 plate appearances this year but did record a respectable .259/.316/.371 slash in 475 plate appearances from 2020-21.
- Rougned Odor (29): The O’s have somewhat bizarrely given Odor 457 plate appearances despite poor defensive ratings (-9 DRS, -3 OAA) and a .211/.278/.366 slash that generally mirrors the .200/.270/.378 line he’s posted in 966 plate appearances since 2020.
- Chris Owings (31): The big numbers Owings posted in a tiny sample with the 2021 Rockies look even flukier after he hit .107/.254/.143 in 68 plate appearances with Baltimore in 2022. He’s hit .190/.266/.300 over his past 667 MLB plate appearances.
2023 Options
- Hanser Alberto (30): Alberto’s one-year deal with the Dodgers contained a $2MM club option and a $250K buyout. Los Angeles will all likely opt for the buyout after Alberto has batted .225/.235/.344 in 153 trips to the plate. Alberto has solid defensive ratings around the infield and hits lefties well — career .320/.337/.445 hitter in 577 plate appearances — giving him some bench appeal. His recent poor showings will be hard to overlook, though.
- Josh Harrison (35): Harrison’s next plate appearance will be his 400th, boosting his 2023 club option value from $5.5MM to $5.625MM. There’s a $1.5MM buyout, making it a net $4.125MM option for the ChiSox. Based strictly on his production — nearly league-average offense and quality defense at multiple positions — Harrison’s been worth that amount. The Sox already have a crowded payroll and will be looking for more production from multiple spots in their lineup, however. They might also feel they can find comparable production/value either in-house or at a lower net price elsewhere on the market.
- Jonathan Schoop (31): Schoop can technically become a free agent this winter, but he’d have to turn down a $7.5MM player option after hitting just .203/.236/.327 in 484 plate appearances for that to happen. That’s obviously quite unlikely, but it’s worth pointing out that defensive metrics agree that Schoop has resurfaced as one of the sport’s premier defenders. He’s tallied 11 Defensive Runs Saved and posted a comically high 27 Outs Above Average at second base, per Statcast.
- Kolten Wong (32): Wong’s $10MM club option is a bit tougher to predict, if only because the Brewers tend to tread cautiously with club options and often opt for the buyout even of reasonable deals. For Wong, that’d be a $2MM buyout, rendering this an $8MM net decision. Milwaukee’s payroll next year is already loaded, and they may feel they can replace Wong’s value in-house. With an $8MM net value on the option, it’s possible he’d have some trade value to a team who’ll be looking for some upgrades at second base. Wong is hitting .252/.338/.435 and has tied a career-best with 15 homers. His defensive marks have fallen below average, however, as he’s missed time due to a calf injury for a second straight season.
I thought Merrifields option wasn’t until next offseason, but I could be wrong
Never mind I was wrong I seen he had an option after 2023 but I didn’t notice he had one after 2022.
You’re correct. I erred and was defaulting to the longstanding club option he’d had before the Royals restructured his contract back in April. His 2023 salary is guaranteed, and he has a mutual option for 2024.
Sorry about that. He’s been removed. Should’ve caught that before publishing, of course.
It’s all good. I forgot they restructured his contract personally. I do appreciate all of your guys work at MLBTR in preparing for the offseason.
So Toronto has a franchise record payroll, a large upcoming arb class, some roster needs to fill in the offseason and they took on a nearly $7m guarantee next year for a pinch runner? He made some kind of sense as a rental for playing late game matchups in the post season and he’s getting into some games now that Gurriel and Espinal have been out, but that seems like an odd use of resources for the one year (‘23) that they don’t quite have as much flexibility. I really thought next year was an easily declined club option and could sort of make sense of that trade in that context. Now I’m puzzled and curious about what they have in mind for the roster this offseason. Maybe they just non tender Tapia and Merrifield offers similar offensive profile with more defensive utility at a few more million?
Steve, while I know he’s been a shortstop this year, what about Iglasias? I’m thinking he’ll play anywhere a starting slot is offered.
If he bounces back next year then he’ll be looking nice for a big pay day by just comparison of this lot !
Steve, how is a 106WRC+ 7% better than league average? Isn’t it 6% better? Not that it makes any difference whatsoever, it just got me thinking about which number is actually league average (I thought it was 100) and how those above/below are calculated from that number… plain curiosity, sir.
Thank you! You guys are hammering out the articles and keeping us entertained, man. I’m looking forward to the offseason editions too.
That’s just a typo, 100 is league average
Fair enough, thanks man.
I started writing this yesterday, and updated any necessary stat lines to reflect last night’s games. I did not, however, catch the “six” versus “seven” in the parenthesis after Segura’s name there. Silly mistake on my end, which I regret. Thanks for pointing it out.
Deep regret, I am sure. Such an unforgivable mistake! No, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss something. Honestly, you guys are much more familiar with these statistical numbering systems than I am, and I don’t mind being wrong, man. Feel free to point out my mistakes because I make at least one in just about every post (including this one, I’m sure). I do apologize for that, Steve.
Now, 100 lashes will suffice.
Is 100 lashes league average? Or is it 101?
Good Lord LordD99, I loved your post. Funny stuff.
Maybe his effort is 107% and his result is 106.
Clipper! Haven’t seen you in a while. Hope all is well. We’re getting into Fall here and it’s great. What’s new with you?
Hey, Prov, I hope you’re doing well, my friend! I was down in FLA during this Ian disaster, so the weather isn’t nearly as nice….
Man, fall there has to be absolutely beautiful right now. I had planned a trip there but more toward the mountainous region, where several friends of ours have family members living.
I really look forward to moving to that area. It just seems like such a nice compromise from the harsh NY winters and hot Florida forevers.
Anything new on your end?
God bless, my friend.
Clip – Love to have you in Tennessee. If you get to the Nashville area, let me know and we’ll grab coffee!
I sure will!
This has to be the weakest FA class at 2B in the history of free agency. When I saw Cano’s name pop up near the top of the list I knew there had to be nothing but flotsam and jetsam to follow, and I was right.
Spot-on correct. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like this. I’m confident of Segura, but I’m thinking one year plus an option at $8M. Wong will almost certainly be picked up, even if he is traded. My guess is that a lot of teams will look to the SS market for a 2B, or to move their current SS to 2B.
Cano’s name popped up near the top because, after Segura and Drury, the rest of the sections are just alphabetical, ha.
But yeah, it’s not a great class. Second base generally never is.
To my knowledge, Schoop has a player option in Detroit, which I assume he will take, due to his bad year. This list does make him more tradeable than I had thought. Some team may be willing to take a shot with him for a bucket of balls.
Steve, Alcides Escobar was gave permission for unconditional release on August 3rd by the Nationals by the way.
Solaris,
Makes you realize how valuable Gleyber Torres and D J LeMahieu will be as trade chips! They have Volpe, Peraza, Cabrera, and IKF to cover 2nd, short, and third. It’s true that Volpe probably won’t be ready until mid season but they are in an enviable position.
RE: Weakest FA class. Glad you said it because I was reading these names and thinking of the star power in the SS class. What a difference.
As an Angels fan, it makes me think that Luis Rengifo’s job is relatively safe for next year, but then what do you do with David Fletcher? Fletch can play SS, but with his injury history, may be better served as a super utility and have the Angels bring in a serviceable SS. Rengifo is 3 years younger and has a more offensive skillset than Fletch, so I gotta believe Rengifo is at 2B to stay.
dirkg;
It appears to me that Rengifo will be moved around 2B, SS and 3B.
In today’s MLB you can throw depth charts out. Managers are working around injuries and giving players periodic rests. Players that can perform at multiple positions are extremely valuable. Cleveland is currently using young players – Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias – at those 3 positions. At times they also move Andres Gimenez from 2B to SS when Amed Rosario is rested or DH’s.
Under another article someone noted that the Guardians had less injuries than any other ALC team this year. That is correct. A large part of the reason why is because they rest and DH all of their players some during the season.
As for Mr. Rengifo – I like him a lot. Along with Ward he’s been a major addition to the position player roster in 2022 as the Angels are slowly moving out so-so veterans and replacing them with quality young players that will hopefully get better in the next few years. .
@Samuel, these are the kinds of posts I enjoy and why I access mlbtraderumors so often. I wasn’t aware of Cleveland’s health successes. Makes sense. Ironically, I think that’s one of the biggest demerits of Shohei Ohtani – his bat clogs the DH spot. I know that sounds ridiculous but it does indeed affect the team as a whole. I guess you could argue that it’s a good problem to have.
I think Rengifo’s flexibility is definitely going to benefit him and I honestly didn’t realize he’s only 25 years old. He still has more to give and if the Halos are going to turn this thing around (with a new owner!), he’s going to be a part of the journey.
Rengifo is a horrible defensive player who is practically unplayable. They can’t start him. I don’t know what they are going to do with him.
Halo11Fan;
I’ve read your posts…for now.
Do you watch any games?
Do you know that broadcasters doing the games – including those of teams that are playing the Angeles – don’t agree with you.
What this list tells me is teams better have their 2B candidates in house, or be prepared to make a trade. Paying big dollars for one of the top SS’s and then immediately moving that player down the defensive spectrum may not be the best use of a team’s dollars.
That said, the shift restrictions MLB plans to implement in 2023 promises to change the type of player best suited to 2B. We should see a return to more athleticism, with an increased premium on defense. Smart teams will get in front of this, so locking in a good defensive SS who can hit and moving that player to 2B could give a team an edge over the competition who are either stuck with a good bat, poor fielder type; or a poor bat, good fielder type. Curious to see what the Rays, always a smart organization, do here with someone like Brandon Lowe.
Whenever I see that wRC+ statistic used, it often shows me just how bad the leagues “hitters” have become. Pitiful.
How does that show a drop off in hitting? It’s based on the MLB average. You would need to compare what was the average season to season to know that. Plus, with MLB changing the ball, like they did between ’21 and ’22, even that wouldn’t be an accurate reflection.
When Segura is the best available it’s a tough market.
A lot of those players will be playing musical chairs with eachother, swapping teams that don’t have in house options.
Segura back to Seattle or to the White Sox. Frazier as a LH hitter probably makes more sense for the White Sox but this market is basically lateral moves around the chess board
I see Segura as a fit in Boston with Story moving to SS.
Sox have Keke and Arroyo to play 2B if Story moves back to SS (in the event Xander Bogaerts signs elsewhere), Ceddane Rafaela could sneak into the conversation at SS (keeping Story at 2B) as well and David Hamilton is another option at 2B. They need a Center Fielder more than another 2B option
Rsox
Sox have Keke and Arroyo to play 2B if Story moves back to SS
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It would be a heck of a bold move to start Arroyo at 2nd, but it would free up some cash for a high-end SP & RP.
There was a stretch when he was the Sox best hitter. The ability is there offensively and defensively the only issue is his durability
Maybe it is just me, but I wouldn’t sign any of these guys.
Maybe Xander and Turner can make bank agreeing to play 2nd this year.
Clearly there’s an element of pride in being THE (singular) shortstop.
True, but how often have we seen players toss aside pride for dollars?
How many times have they had the chance? Shortstop is considered the more valuable position so generally the team that intends to use the player at SS offers him more $ than the one that intends to use him at 2B.
This FA list explains why SS like Semien Story etc get such high dollar long term contracts. Move em 2b Nothing out there at 2b for a few years
Semien got big bucks because he had an MVP caliber year play 2B for Toronto in 2021, Texas didn’t arbitrarily move him to 2B.
Story was last man standing when the music stopped and all the chairs were taken at SS last winter. Story’s ability to play SS wasn’t why he was left out it was a combination of too many players/not enough job openings + Story’s contract demands/teams worried about how he would hit away from Coors Field.
To be fair defensively it was rough, especially at the beginning for Story at 2B and offensively all of April validated team’s fears of his not being able to hit outside of Denver, though he had a great month after he was very streaky the rest of the time he played
People laughed when the Red Sox resigned Kiki hernandez earlier this summer. But when you think of the free agent options available this winter having Enrique on board will definitely be a plus.
With CF and 2B being the weakest positions, it makes a lot of sense that the Sox needed to pay 10 Million for him.
Which of the guys above would you rather have signed and for what amount? The Sox will probably give in house guy a shot at second and if they falter, Enrique can step in and cover. Not only second but also if things go south in Center, which has a weak free agent class too if you ask me.
People laughed when the Red Sox resigned Kiki hernandez earlier this summer.
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As it usually is with the RS, most of the people that hated the Kiki signing, also hate 100% of the RS signings. It was the same with Epstein. Those that hated Epstein thought 100% of his moves were wrong.
I remember one nimrod criticizing Theo for drafting Trey Ball because, in his words, “the RS didn’t need another slow-footed white outfielder”. It was particularly humorous because, not only was Ball a pitcher, he actually had very good foot speed.
Wilmer Flores? I thought he was a free agent and he can handle 2B. Maybe he’s best suited at an infield corner though.
Wilmer signed an extension with San Francisco earlier this month:
mlbtraderumors.com/2022/09/giants-wilmer-flores-ag…
Gleyber Torres will be available.
Wilmer Flores just signed an extension with the Giants.
Can Matt Carpenter still play 2nd? Isn’t he a free agent after this year?
i would say no at this point then again he barely was able 2nd in his prime, but in all seriousness carp is a dh/1b at this point in his career as long as his bat doesn’t revert back to 19-21. (which i hope it doesn’t i wanna see carp go out on a high note)
Matt Carpenter is a second baseman in the same sense that putting a glove in a tree makes it an outfielder.
Matt Carpenter is a second baseman in the same sense that putting a glove in a tree makes it an outfielder
Matt Carpenter is a second baseman in the same sense that putting a glove in a tree makes it an outfielder…
As the 2nd youngest listed, Drury will attract attention for that alone, (as well as because the only one younger stinks!) but doesn’t he come with concussion risk attached?
What a pack of meh players. Cost of trading for a 2B just went up – someone will overpay for a 2B. Yanks might even be able to attach Hicks to either Torres or DJ and get something pretty damn good in return
With the shift banned next year the value of second basemen should rise, right?
Good defending 2B.
Or flexible defenders. If the Dodgers re-sign Turner, and are playing a team with predominantly LH pull hitters, Turner could play 2B with Lux on SS and against teams with predominantly RH pull hitters have Turner on SS and Lux on 2B.
WampumWalloper;
You might want to check that……
I could be wrong, but thought I read something in the new rules that limits moving around infielders like that.
Segura would be a good fit for the Angels. Gets on base on a consistent basis. Would allow them to have more runners on base, for when Trout and Ohtani bat. Could go with,
Segura 2B
Fletcher SS
Trout CF
Ohtani DH
Ward RF
Rendon 1B
Rengifo 3B
Adell LF
Catcher
Could flip Rengifo for BP help. The way Soto is playing. Could factor into playing SS next season
@angelsfan4life your going to need a 1b too, since rendon is most likely going to be on the il for most of next year too.
Walsh and Thaiss will be other options and. Walsh could go back to being an option out of the BP. Or give someone a day off, playing a corner outfield spot.
Fletcher is a second baseman, not SS. I think with Rengifo and Soto, and a healthy Rendon (ha), we actually might be good with our infield. That assumes Rengifo’s season wasn’t a fluke, Fletcher stays healthy, and Soto continues to develop. Rendon is always a question mark so you never know.
I forgot to mention Walsh at first but that’s a given.
@prov356 now granted Fletcher is better suited to play 2B. Rengifo is better suited for 3B. He should not ever play SS. Fletcher is still the best option at SS. Unless Soto can show he is an every day player. The Angels desperately need help with the lineup. Which is why I mentioned signing Segura. If Soto hits well in spring training and wins the SS job. The Angels can move Segura to third. Have Fletcher play second. Rendon would be better off moving to first base. Less pressure on his hip. Won’t have those long throws. Maybe the Angels sale high on Rengifo and package Stassi to get some BP help.
angelsfan4life;
The Angels are not spending big bucks on yet another veteran. Older players get hurt more often and take longer to heal. Happened to Segura this year.
I don’t know what your problem is with Rengifo at SS. I saw him play multiple times this year and he’s fine.
As I noted above, throw the depth chart out. Players need rest during the year even if they’re healthy. Guys play multiple positions. Rendon is primarily a 3B – wouldn’t doubt he plays some 1B in 2023. Soto, Fletcher, and Rengifo will play between 2B, SS, and 3B – maybe some 1B and DH when possible.
As for 2023, look to their farm system for other additions. Teams have to develop their own players. That’s what Perry Minasian has put in place. Looking to sign FA’s and trade for established players each offseason is exactly what the Angels have done under Arte. If they continue to do that then they’ll just get the same results.
Prov, I don’t know what the Angels can do next year.
They shouldn’t spend for a C, 3B, SS, 2B or first baseman. I would imagine you have to leave a spot open for Wash, Fletcher and Rendon. It looks like they have players who can fill in at SS, and I don’t think anyone wants to block Neto.
Do they want to spend money on a LF? I wouldn’t, LF? Who do you add.
I still like Myers. Maybe a middle of the rotation starter and bullpen help. But they are in a strange spot.
Sheesh. 18 months on and Thairo Estrada for cash considerations is looking like really good business.
Odor has a crazy 132 OPS+ with RISP. He’s getting those AB’s because he’s been hella clutch this year and seems to be a great leadership piece in Baltimore.
That slashline is rough though.
….and he’ll always have that punch.
Orioles would be a good fit for mean Jean. Phils will buyout his option and put all that $ and more towards a SS
Jonathan Schoop has been a much better hitter the second half of the season. His defense has been outstanding. On one hand, I hope the Tigers keep him but on the other hand, I want them to use home grown talent. The Tigers are a mess. If the BoSox don’t retain Xander Bogarts, Schoop could be a good option.
Kolten Wong hits better now than he ever has and is still a good defender. The Brewers need to keep him and fix their sad OF. The Brewers are confusing. They sacrificed the post season keeping Lorenzo Cain as the full time CF until he achieved tenure. No matter if the Brewers keep him, Wong would improve most teams.
Jean Segura doesn’t look like an IF but can hit and defend. I don’t expect the Phillies to resign him. He’s a little pricey. If Dave Dombrowski has a flaw, it’s that he undervalues defense. Segura is aging but he would be a good fit for the ChiSox short term.
Alcides got permission for unconditional release back in August by the Nats.
Wow, garbage time options for 2B. I would not put any money into the 2B class of this upcoming free agency.
Uninspiring bunch. Second Base is a weird position. Doesn’t demand the athleticism and arm of a Shortstop–and probably less so now with positioning.
Crazy what has happened with Jonathan Schoop. His bat has absolutely disappeared after two above average offense seasons in 2020-2021 with Detroit, but he’s 4th in the league in DRS this year for 2B. Hope he can turn it around next year.
He was never that good. Even in the above average seasons, those eere pretty much his ceiling. But he was never anything special
You know it’s not a good class when a 33 year old Jean Segura leads the pack… Drury is overrated as well and will probably ask for more than he’s worth. I see an active trade market for second basemen.
M’s need a 2nd baseman in the worst way. I think they move JP to 2nd and try to go after Turner, Bogaerds, or Correa this offseason.
Charles Culberson is going to have a monster season next year. He’s just now getting in the zone. I’m predicting an MVP type year for him.
As teams get smarter, FA classes get weaker.
B I N G O !
Rougned Odor (29): The O’s have somewhat bizarrely given Odor 457 plate appearances despite poor defensive ratings (-9 DRS, -3 OAA) and a .211/.278/.366 slash that generally mirrors the .200/.270/.378 line he’s posted in 966 plate appearances since 2020.
Hahaha, I like him nonetheless
And honestly his defensive ratings do not do him justice!!!
I think he is pretty slick at second
What an underwhelming class. Even for 2B, this seems light.
Thinking the White Sox front office won’t pick up Harrison’s option is giving them way too much credit. The best move, if they don’t trade him, is to move Yoan back to second and give Colson Montgomery a shot at third base.
Time for Mr. Wong to go. Defense very poor. We have 2 minor league prospects in Rios and Terang. Nice two years in Milwaukee, but time to get younger and better!
Lately I think they’ve figured out Segura. They’re all pitching him inside plate letter high. He’s smothering it.
“…taken a nosedive in recent seasons, too, and Washington…”
No need for a comma before too.
32 years old isn’t the mid thirties