MLBTR has gone around the diamond with a position-by-position look at the upcoming free agent class in recent weeks. We’ll wrap up the positional player side of things today by checking in on the crop of designated hitters.
Obviously, any hitter is capable of serving as a DH. Many of the players we’ve mentioned at other positions in this series will see sporadic time at DH next year, typically as a way to get them off their feet defensively for a game without pulling their bat completely from the lineup. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll draw the line here at players who either started 40+ games at designated hitter or played more games at DH than at any other position this year. It’s an admittedly arbitrary cutoff but filters out most players who spent a significant portion of their time in the field (and were thus covered in one of our earlier positional previews).
Everyday Players
- J.D. Martinez (35 years old next season)
Aside from the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Martinez has been a well above-average hitter every year since breaking out with the Tigers in 2014. That was again the case in 2022, although this year’s .274/.341/.448 line was his lightest offensive output since his breakout. The dip was tied almost entirely to a drop in his home run power, as his 16 longballs marked his lowest full-season total since 2013. Martinez saw a corresponding drop in his average exit velocity and hard hit percentage, all somewhat worrying signs for a player who’s now 35.
Even as his batted ball metrics and power dropped, however, Martinez was an eminently productive part of the Boston lineup. He didn’t hit as many homers, but he cranked out a career-high 43 doubles. His exit velocities weren’t elite as they’d been in prior seasons, but they were still above-average. Martinez continued to display a knack for roping line drives all around the ballpark, and his batting average and on-base percentage each remained roughly 30 points higher than the respective league marks. In short, Martinez is still a good hitter, even if he no longer looks like the elite masher he was at his peak.
Martinez has some prior experience in the corner outfield, but he didn’t log a single defensive inning this past season. Any team that signs him is doing so for his bat. His age, lack of defensive value and dip in power will all limit the length of his next deal, but there’ll no doubt be plenty of interest from teams on shorter-term arrangements. The Red Sox seem unlikely to tag Martinez with a $19.65MM qualifying offer, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he lands a two-year deal that tops that overall guarantee (albeit with a lesser annual salary).
- Matt Carpenter (37)
It’s difficult to imagine a more unpredictable 2022 season than Carpenter’s. The three-time All-Star hit just .203/.325/.346 between 2019-21, leaving him to take a minor league deal with the Rangers last offseason. He overhauled his swing mechanics and while he performed well in Triple-A, Texas didn’t give him a big league look. After being granted his release from his Rangers deal, Carpenter signed a big league contract with the Yankees to work primarily as a left-handed bench bat.
He very quickly played himself into a more significant role with a staggering offensive explosion. Carpenter popped 15 home runs in just 154 plate appearances, posting a .305/.412/.727 line. He worked primarily at DH but logged some action around the diamond as a bat-first utility type, playing the corner outfield, first base and getting a brief look at third base. That was all a way to get Carpenter’s scorching bat into the lineup, but his incredible season was cut short in August when he fouled a ball off his left foot and suffered a fracture. He missed the rest of the regular season, and while he returned in a limited capacity for the postseason, the effects of the layoff showed. He went 1-12 with nine strikeouts in six playoff games.
Carpenter’s regular season performance was incredible, though. He posted a 217 wRC+, indicating he was 117 percentage points more productive than the average hitter. Barry Bonds is the only other player since 2000 to have a wRC+ north of 210 in a season in which he tallied 150+ plate appearances (Bonds got there every year from 2001-04). Even in a relatively small sample size, it’s exceedingly difficult to do what Carpenter achieved. He certainly won’t replicate that kind of production over a full season, but teams will have to weigh this year’s incredible two months against what looked to be a rapid decline over the preceding few years.
- Nelson Cruz (42)
The seemingly ageless Cruz remained one of the game’s prolific sluggers well past his 40th birthday. He was still tearing the cover off the ball for the Twins early in the 2021 season, but his production dipped in the second half following a trade to the Rays. The rebuilding Nationals signed him to a $15MM guarantee last offseason in hopes he’d be a coveted midseason trade candidate. That didn’t happen.
Cruz played 124 games for the Nats, but he hit just .234/.313/.337 with 10 homers across 507 plate appearances. It was his first below-average offensive season since 2007. His plate discipline didn’t change much, but he saw a notable drop in his hard contact rate and posted his lowest average exit velocity since Statcast began tracking in 2015. Even that personal-low 90.9 MPH exit velocity is a few ticks above average, but Cruz muted his power impact by driving the ball into the ground. More than half his batted balls were hit on the ground, an alarming sign for a lumbering slugger.
He underwent left eye surgery after the season to clear some inflammation that had impacted his vision, offering a possible explanation for his rapid drop in performance. It was an alarming season that’ll surely result in a notable paycut this winter, although he still seems likely to find a big league opportunity. Cruz is generally revered for his clubhouse leadership, and his pre-2022 track record is strong enough another team figures to take a shot on him as at least a part-time player.
Corner Outfield/DH Hybrids
- Michael Brantley (36)
Brantley has been the prototypical “professional hitter” for the past decade. That continued early this season, as he was off to an excellent .288/.370/.416 start across 277 plate appearances. He only managed five home runs, but he picked up 14 doubles and walked more often than he struck out. It was the kind of high average, high-OBP skill set to which we’ve become accustomed from Brantley. Houston gave him 35 games at DH and 29 games in left field, rotating him and Yordan Alvarez between the two positions in an effort to keep both fresh.
While Brantley continued to produce, his season was cut short by a right shoulder injury. He first landed on the injured list in late June, and after six weeks of rehab, he underwent season-ending surgery. Brantley plans to continue playing and is expected to be ready for Spring Training, but he’ll turn 36 next May. The surgery was on his non-throwing shoulder, so he’ll probably continue to see some left field work, but it stands to reason a signing team will use him heavily as a DH to manage his reps at this stage of his career.
- Trey Mancini (31)
Mancini split his time rather evenly between DH and the field, although he bounced between first base and both corner outfield positions. He’s not a great fit in the outfield but plays a solid first base. Mancini has been a slightly above-average hitter for two consecutive seasons since successfully returning from his battle with colon cancer in 2020. Since the start of the 2021 campaign, he owns a .247/.323/.412 line in a bit more than 1200 plate appearances.
While he lacks a standout tool, Mancini brings a well-rounded skillset to the table. He makes a fair amount of contact, draws walks and has decent power, although his 35-homer season from 2019 looks increasingly like an outlier. Pair that solid overall on-field package with a strong clubhouse reputation, and Mancini should be able to find a multi-year deal this offseason.
- Andrew McCutchen (36)
McCutchen signed an $8.5MM pact with the Brewers last offseason to split his time between DH and the corner outfield. He spent the bulk of his days at designated hitter, appearing in 82 games there compared to 53 contests in the outfield. McCutchen stayed healthy and tallied 580 plate appearances, but he had the least productive offensive showing of his big league career. He hit .237/.316/.384, roughly league average offense. He was fine but unexceptional against left and right-handed pitchers alike, a somewhat disappointing turn after he’d mashed southpaws over a three-year stint with the Phillies.
It’s likely McCutchen will be looking at a lower salary next season, and he may not find quite as much playing time as he did this year. Still, he’s a strong veteran presence who works plenty of walks and has decent power. In a more limited platoon setup, he could potentially recapture some of his earlier success against left-handed pitching.
Depth Types
- Carlos Santana (37)
Santana saw a fair bit of action at both first base and DH this past season, although the Mariners increasingly relied upon him as a bat-only player late in the year. He tallied 506 plate appearances between the Royals and Seattle, hitting at a roughly league average level with both clubs en route to a cumulative .202/.316/.376 line. Santana is among the game’s best at drawing walks and he’s tough to strike out, but he consistently posts very low batting averages on balls in play and hasn’t hit above .214 in any of the past three seasons.
- Jesús Aguilar (32)
Aguilar was the primary first baseman for the Brewers and Marlins for a while, a run that included a 35-homer season with Milwaukee. His time in Miami came to an end when he was released in August after hitting .236/.286/.388 across 456 plate appearances. He latched on with the Orioles for the season’s final month but didn’t do much over 16 games. He could be looking at minor league offers this winter.
- Jake Lamb (32)
An everyday third baseman with the Diamondbacks early in his career, Lamb has functioned as a bat-first depth option for a handful of teams in recent years. He’s played for six different clubs since the start of 2020, including a ’22 campaign split between the Dodgers and Mariners. Lamb hit .239/.338/.433 in 25 games with L.A. but stumbled to a .167/.265/.300 line over 16 contests in Seattle before being released. He’s capable of playing all four corner spots in addition to working as a designated hitter and should get some minor league offers after a big showing in Triple-A.
- Justin Upton (35)
A four-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger award winner, Upton has had an accomplished 16-year big league career. He’s struggled significantly going back to the start of the 2019 season, however, and the Angels released him on the eve of Opening Day despite owing him a $28MM salary. Upton went on to sign with the Mariners and got into 17 games for Seattle, but he managed just a .125/.263/.208 line over 57 plate appearances. He declined a minor league assignment in favor of free agency in July and sat out the rest of the season. There’d presumably be a Spring Training invitation out there for Upton if he wanted to give it another go, but having banked upwards of $173MM in career earnings, he certainly won’t feel any financial pressure to keep playing.
- Jed Lowrie (39)
Another player who’s potentially at the end of what has been an impressive career, Lowrie has played 14 seasons and earned an All-Star nod. He was a decent hitter for the A’s as recently as 2021, but a return to Oakland this past season didn’t pan out. The switch-hitter posted a .180/.245/.263 line through 50 games, seeing essentially all of his time at DH. The A’s released him in August.
- Yermín Mercedes (30)
A longtime minor leaguer, Mercedes briefly vaulted himself into the national spotlight in April 2021 with an incredible first month for the White Sox. He tailed off midway through the season, though, finishing that year with a roughly average .271/.328/.404 overall line and spending the second half of the season in Triple-A. Chicago lost him on waivers to the Giants in mid-June, and Mercedes went on to appear in 31 games with San Francisco. He hit .233/.325/.342 while playing almost exclusively DH or the corner outfield. His days as a catcher look mostly behind him, leaving him as a bat-first depth player without a real defensive home. San Francisco outrighted him off the roster in September after he went unclaimed on waivers, and he elected minor league free agency at the end of the year.
- Alex Dickerson (32)
Dickerson received a big league deal with the Braves, signing for $1MM in Spring Training. He posted a .121/.194/.212 line in 13 April games before being designated for assignment and going unclaimed on waivers. Dickerson spent the rest of the year in Triple-A, putting up a slightly bel0w-average .239/.305/.425 mark across 357 plate appearances. He elected free agency at the end of the season and could get another minor league opportunity as a corner outfield/DH depth player.
Players With Club Options
- Justin Turner (38), Dodgers hold $16MM option with $2MM buyout
Turner got off to a slow start this year, seemingly raising questions about how much he had left in the tank at age 37. He went on a tear in the second half and put those doubts to rest, concluding the season with a quality .278/.350/.438 line over 532 plate appearances. The Dodgers are as willing as any team to pay a lofty one-year salary for a productive player, and it now looks likely they’ll keep Turner around for a tenth season in L.A. He split his time almost evenly between third base and DH this past season and could assume a similar role next year.
Note: Charlie Blackmon is excluded from this list after going on record with his intention to exercise a $15MM player option.
Previous installments: Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Corner outfields, Center Field
Jose Abreau still solid enough at 1st? Love him on the Guardos as a DH/1B
Cleveland had the 3rd lowest payroll in MLB this year. They stand no chance at getting him. What a disgrace to their fans because thats an excellent baseball team.
One might argue that it is an excellent baseball team precisely because they avoid guys like Abreu.
One might also argue that, if it a disgrace for Cleveland, then it must be a triple mistake for Chicago, since Chicago is worse than Cleveland, and had a worse record.
Astros2017Champs;
1. They have Josh Naylor playing 1B. When they face a strong LH pitcher they use one of their middle infielders at 1B (they have so many good young middle infielders they have trouble getting them all playing time).
2, They are a small market team. They do not generate large amounts of revenue either in ticket sales or by selling TV rights.
3. The object of a team rebuilding is to bring down the payroll and play the young guys. As the young players get better they’ll be demanding – and getting – larger salaries. A smart team knows this, rolls over some money each year and then pays the players the salaries they deserve as they keep the team together for years.
A dumb team like the White Sox gives out large contracts to multiple veterans even before their young players establish themselves (what you’re recommending). As the youngsters get better after a few years the veterans production declines and their high salaries make them pretty much unmovable, so the team is stuck with declining veterans and is at max payroll in relation to revenues.
4. They are no disgrace to the fans, they went to the 2nd round of the payoffs this year. The fans love the team. Most of their younger players are going to get better in coming years. The fans are looking forward to seeing that team contend for the next 3-5 years.
5. Jose Abreau is a classic “professional hitter” that’s 36 years-old. He will hold out for a lot of money – at least $20m-plus. It would be nice if the Guardians had him. But I’d suspect most fans as well as the FO would rather they use that money to extend Justin Bieber.
6. MLB is not rotisserie baseball. There isn’t a draft every year. A team “owner” keeps most of his/her team together and doesn’t have to spend all his money each year or lose it.
In the real world, MLB franchises have long-term, intermediate-term, and short-term plans….like any other billion dollar business. The Cleveland Guardians baseball franchise is executing plans that were put into place years ago. They’re doing a great job.
LOL
Been calling Shane – Justin for years.
Sorry.
Side note* it’s crazy they don’t make good money selling tv rights when aren’t they top 5 in tv viewership?
Abreu won’t get $20+ for sure and I’m doubtful he gets multiple years, see Nelson Cruz
Just the fact that Matt Carpenter is listed in the everyday player section is scary and really shows how poor of a class and winter we are looking at.
Matt Carpenter – There are no more genies in the bottle.
Are you sure?
Why are you surprised Carpenter is listed as an everyday player? Would you not want a player who produced 2.4 WAR and had a 217 wRC+ over 154 PA in the lineup every day? Don’t tell me he’s not good because of 12 at-bats in the postseason when he playing on a broken foot and hadn’t played for 2+ months. Plus, Carpenter’s value and projected performance exponentially increases due to the ban on the shift – he’ll probably hit 30-40 points higher for that reason alone.
I didn’t say that I was surprised that he is listed as an everyday player. I said the fact that he is makes for a poor class. I’ll lean on his cumulative 0.2 WAR over the three previous seasons as a reason he’s not going to be a hot commodity……especially as an everyday player.
I certainly want the numbers he put up this year—I would bank against him being that guy.
Again, not surprised at all.
Thanks for clarification.
Carpenter hit 36 HR with a .897 OPS in 2018 (9th in N.L. MVP voting). He had a 1.7 WAR in 2019 – not great, but not bad.. I don’t think we should consider what he (or anybody) did in 2020 – the 60-game season when the Cardinals were shut down for almost 2 weeks due to a Covid outbreak. Yes, he was terrible in 2021, but most of his at bats in 2021 came as a pinch hitter because he didn’t have a position with Goldschmidt at 1B and Arenado at 3B. The N.L. didn’t have the DH in 2021.
His upside and what you said – “really shows how poor of a class and winter we are looking at” – is why he will be a hot commodity. The free agent market is about supply and demand. This year, there will be a lot more teams looking to upgrade at 1B/DH than there are proven, productive 1B/DH-type players available, especially LH hitters with power/plate discipline..
Again, the shift being banned in 2023 is HUGE for a guy like Carpenter.
I agree that Carpenter should be closer to what he was last year after overhauling his swing and the overshift being banned, but you can’t dismiss those 3 bad years either.
He was so unreliable as a starter in 2019 that he lost the majority of the playing time at 3B in the second half and into the playoffs to rookie Tommy Edman. While 2020 performances could vary wildly, in Carpenter’s case it was the continuation of a clear pattern. Even with Arenado at 3B in 2021, Carpenter still had plenty of opportunities to win playing time at 2B. However, he stunk it up all season long, being easily outplayed by Edman and even rookie Edmundo Sosa (after DeJong’s bat cratered) in the middle infield. The only reason he made it through the season without a DFA was because most of the Cardinals’ other bench options played even worse than he did.
Those 154 PAs were great. The problem is the 900 terrible PAs that preceded them.
Carpenter completely changed his swing and got results. Just like JD did early in his career and got great results. Those 900 terrible PA’s are from a different player with a bad swing.
Older players who are willing to put the work in and still want to play can do it. But after making big money most veterans won’t do it.
If your team signs him, does he get to bring that short joke of a RF Yankee Stadium fence with him?
Yikes. There’s not much here to be excited about.
Joc needs to be on this list
Yep
The DH-only player is not useful unless he’s an extreme impact hitter.
Carlos Santana is going to be an interesting bounce back candidate. He still has an elite eye, and he has all red bars on Savant/Statcast for his exit velocity and such. But what has killed him is the shift. And the shift is banned next year.
Santana was the most-shifted against player in MLB last year and it had the desired effect. He had just a .204 BABIP. The low batting average has been his big issue for years, and without the shifting you can see his average bouncing back into a far more appealing range.
The other thing I wonder about him is if a guy with his command of the strike zone would do better with robo umps. The idea being that Carlos probably can tell a borderline pitch is a ball, but might be induced to swing anyway because the umpire is a wild card. With a perfect electronic K zone, he would chase less – walking more, making pitchers give him more favorable pitches to hit.
He’s still slow and old but I suspect he’ll be a good get for someone.
Love Devotion Surrender …one of his many great albums
lol bounce back. He’s going to be 37. Minor league deal maybe.
Martinez is only one worth signing. Maybe Mancini. Is Martinez power drop a sign of things to come or an anomaly? Somebody will take a chance. I’d take Abreu over anybody on this list. Santana is horrible. No idea why anybody would bother. Bounce back candidate? When was he ever any good, You have to be good before you can bounce back.
Santana has a career bWAR of almost 33. While never great, he was pretty damn good for a lot of years.
Martinez isn’t the only Boston hitter who experienced a power decline this year – there were frequent comments throughout the year about the power alley to right center not working anymore. The humidor seems like an obvious answer. But I’ve also been wondering if a stadium modification may have affected fly ball trajectory in this direction. The wall behind the RF bleachers used to have more open air exposure at the sides and underneath the billboards that used to be out there above the rear wall. This year, they turned this into a TV studio/club area, and there’s no longer any open air at the bottom of this rear wall. Even if there was an effect, it’s not enough by itself to crater JD’s power production, but I’m interested if it had an impact on fly balls out that way.
I was thinking Martinez would interesting for the Cubs, yes he is a DH only but unlike Abreu, he is more apt to sign a one year, bounce back, deal vs Abreu looking for 2-3 years.
I wouldn’t be upset with Abreu on a two year deal either, he’d be a good bridge for Mervis and the Cubs would have added insurance at third base with Wisdom.
I’d still like to see Bellinger in center if the Dodgers non-tender him. Another one year bridge for PCA/Davis/Canario.
Happ, Bellinger, Mervis (fingers crossed) providing left handed at bats, Wisdom with his all or nothing power hitting low in the order with Abreu or Martinez in the heart of the order.
Dras——I’ve seen you and a lot of others clamoring for Bellinger. What about his last three seasons doesn’t scream Jason Heyward to any Cubs fan? He literally hit .165 with a 44 OPS+ in 2021. Not much improvement in 2022.
I challenge anybody to come up with more than a handful of worse baseball players the last couple of years.
If we are looking at a deal like Simmons or Villar got last year, fine….problem is he is most likely to continue to just be a bad offensive player.
The Cubs just lived that reality for almost seven years and are stopping that train. No need to jump aboard another.
Actually pretty easy, first he is a plus defender in CF, not RF and we need a short term solution ar CF. Second, odds are he will only get a one year deal. Third, 23 doubles, 19 home runs, 3 triples and 14 stolen bases out of a cf that has been on offensive waste land for the Cubs would be a step up regardless of batting average. Fourth, mlb is banning the shift, this to me is the most intriguing… Bellinger was already pull happy but this allows him to not worry about trying to go the other way. He can “lock in” at the plate and look to pull, spit on anything outside.
Do I expect belly to regain his mvp form, no. However I expect him to see improvements across the board offensively. Definitely worth the risk on a one year flyer contract.
I’m ok with it if it’s a really short and really inexpensive deal—the Cubs don’t need a 12-13M placeholder in center. I just don’t see him signing a $5M deal for one year….and if PCA and/or Davis aren’t ready in 2024 there are other issues that need to be addressed.
My point is—go for the gusto, but when you get a Jason Heyward line again don’t be upset or surprised. There are obvious flags out there.
Baseball fans cannot expect every single left handed hitter to be saved by the shift. That is not going to happen.
Why are you even bringing up Jason heyward. Bellinger will get a one year contract similar to Schwarber most likely. Not a 7 year deal.
The shift isn’t going to save every lefty but it’s going to increase their babip. Bellingers wOBA with no shift in 2022 was .302. That’s a risk worth taking. He was shifted against over 90% of the time, he will see a benefit.
And what are you even talking about with the Cubs don’t need a 12 million dollar place holder? Are they pushing the luxury tax? Is a one year deal at 15 million going to prevent a long term contract? The Cubs can sign Rodon, Correa, Abreu and Bellinger and be fine financially… (not saying they would or should).
Here is where I will agree with you on Bellinger and the shift. I guarantee you the shift is going to more greatly benefit the left handed hitters that hit the ball up the middle, not the ones that pull the ball. The gap between the shortstop and second baseman is greater than the gap between the second baseman and the first baseman.
In theory, the shortstop can still remain almost right behind second base–but Cody’s numbers indicate he is much more center of the field than pull.
I think that there is this huge misnomer that the shift widely only kills left handed pull hitters. I believe going forward we will see many more hits to either side of second base that were taken away recently than past the second baseman into right field. There is just more landscape in the base area.
Generally if your a plus defender in CF, you’ll be better in RF as it is an easier position with basically the same required skill set.
Nice attempt but maybe take a look at his spray chart and then comment on how he is more up the middle than pull and look where his outs were made.
No player only pulls but Bellinger would have seen an estimated twenty point increase in batting average. And where a .230 batting average and .300 on base still isn’t great, 27 doubles and 19 home runs with plus defense is a significant upgrade.
Also, being able to “look to pull” should help with his walk rate which has steadily fell.
Let’s play a game called “state the obvious!”
Obvious statements:
The Cubs CF situation was awful in 2022
The Cubs have three top prospects who can play CF that are near ml but not ml ready (PCA, Davis and Canario)
The Cubs need a short term solution in CF for 2022
Cody Bellinger is the clear cut best option for a short, one year contract, at CF.
Cody Bellinger, in 141 games, out produced all our CF combined.
Our combined CF were worth -18 drs and -7 OAA.
Bellinger was worth 0 drs and 6 OAA.
Why is there ANY argument against the recommendation that the Cubs should sign Bellinger if the Dodger non-tender him?
Dang, bunch of trash in those offerings. Good thing certain teams like picking through trash dumps.
Mancini would be a pretty good fit here. Could play first base vs. lefties, cover a corner outfield spot a couple of days a week, DH here and there.
I think Mancini is underrated. He’d be a good pickup for just about anyone.
I could see the A’s signing Cruz. I think a one year $5-9 million contract would not be a crazy signing for the poor A’s. God knows they need some offensive help.
It’s too early to start drinking. Why would Cruz go to the A’s. 28 days my man.
The As can give him regular ABs without jeopardizing their desire to finish last in the AL West. And if Cruz rebounds there’s a good chance he gets traded to a contender.
Exactly
No love for the franimal? Agree in a perfect world Mancini would be a guardians next season.
The Cubs have two more years of control over Franmil. Although there is an outside chance they DFA him.
Well, the Cubs definitely will DFA Reyes, however, there is a high likelihood they non-tender him this off-season.
I know some people in the Cubs organization like Reyes so there is a chance they non-tender him and attempt to re-sign him later but I kind of think it will be unlikely unless it’s a minor league with an invite to spring training and an opt out clause.
Wisdom right now is very similar to Reyes but with a lot more value since he actually cost less and provides defensive value. Odds are they keep him, non-tender Reyes.
At $6M there’s no doubt that the Cubs will non tender him. Not sure he showed anywhere near enough to be a part of the future unless he signs for less on a short term deal. I think Wisodom is more likely to fit that role going forward and is much cheaper and has more control.
Exactly, Reyes raked as soon as he was claimed by the Cubs and then went back to being negative value.
As I mentioned, some of the Cubs brass was really pumped to get Reyes but he isn’t worth a 6 million dollar deal… not when Wisdom has the same offensive profile and actually has defensive versatility
The first five or six on the list are ready for assistive living. Not much here. Invites to spring training
Not exactly the caffeine in the afternoon coffee, is it? You have to look at the potential costs of a nearly full-time DH against keeping the position open to rotate other players on.
Mancini does have a mutual option. Nobody expects it to be picked up, but it is a possibility
I’d rather have Carpenter than Martinez knowing I can plug him into the infield now and then. JD has a stone glove.
Yankees are going to resign Carpenter and probably on a 2 year deal. Nothing crazy but probably 2 years/$20M. As a platoon guy who produces that’s a great value.
JD will want more money and some foolish team will give him a 1 year deal at $12-$15M.
I wish the Cubs would “foolishly” give Martinez a one year deal at 12 million dollars. Solid batting average, solid on base, double machine, slight increase in home run rate moving away from the monster… yeah I’ll take that at 12 million dollars
I would LOVE for the Astros to give Brantley 4 million guaranteed and incentives up to 12
That list has quiet an “AGE” to it.
Spelling is hard….
Feels like Upton was 35 8 years ago. His bat just vanished. Him and BJ were both supposed to be stars
Justin Upton only being 4 years older than Mancini is mind blowing