MLBTR Originals

With the regular season winding down, a number of teams (and their fanbases) are already starting to turn their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking an early look at the players who’ll be available on the open market.

Over the coming weeks, MLBTR will go around the diamond to preview the free agent class. We’ve already covered catcher, first base and second base so far. Onto third base!

Note: only players who have been on an MLB roster in 2023 are included for this exercise. Ages listed are for the 2024 season.

Everyday Players

• Jeimer Candelario (30); ineligible for qualifying offer

Candelario has spent some time at first base since being traded from the Nationals to the Cubs, but he’s primarily been a third a baseman both this season and in his big league career. While he drew poor marks early in his MLB tenure with Detroit, he’s been only slightly below-average in 2023 by measure of Defensive Runs Saved, while Outs Above Average and Ultimate Zone Rating have him slightly above average. At the very least, Candelario can be considered a passable defender at the hot corner.

Teams won’t be chasing Candelario for his glove anyhow — he’s a bat-first player who’ll represent one of the top hitters on this offseason’s market. While he’s cooled a bit in recent weeks — just five hits in his past 52 at-bats — the switch-hitting corner infielder is still hitting .253/.338/.473 on the season. That’s 18% better than league average, by measure of wRC+, giving him three seasons of decidedly above-average work at the plate in the past four years. He’s batted .255/.326/.438 (111 wRC+) dating back to 2020 and has played at a three- to four-WAR pace in each of the 2020, 2021 and 2023 seasons.

The 2022 season looks like an aberration rather than the beginning of any sort of decline, and Candelario will be viewed as a safe bet to turn in above-average offense at a thin position — and in a market where there are few above-average hitters available in general. He’d have been a QO candidate had he stuck with the Nats all year, but his midseason trade renders him ineligible. He’ll have a case for a four-year deal in free agency.

• Matt Chapman (31); eligible for qualifying offer

Chapman’s brilliant start to the season has long since faded, as he proved unable to sustain the improved strikeout rate he sported through that torrid April performance. He was still an above-average hitter for much of the season thereafter, but he recently fell into a woeful slump and was placed on the injured list with a sprain in his right middle finger. Manager John Schneider revealed at the time of the IL placement that the third baseman had been attempting to play through it for weeks but aggravated the injury during an Aug. 27 at-bat. He’s been out since, his hand in a splint for much of that time.

The .248/.338/.431  batting line that Chapman has posted overall this season remains well above the league-average (13% better, by wRC+), but he’s been a ways shy of his MVP-caliber performance from 2018-19 for the past four years now. Perhaps not coincidentally, he underwent hip surgery back in 2020.

Chapman remains a sensational defender at third base, and paired with his above-average power and strong walk rates, he has a high floor. Even if his offense never returns to peak levels, he’s still been worth between 3.5 and 4.5 WAR in each of the past three seasons. That floor, plus the allure of Chapman’s elite hard-contact skills (despite not always turning into the desired results), should make him one of the most in-demand free agents on the market. Chapman is eligible for a qualifying offer, which he’ll likely receive and reject.

• Gio Urshela (32); eligible for qualifying offer

That Urshela is eligible for a QO is largely a moot point; he played in just 62 games this year before a fracture in his pelvis ended his season. He won’t receive a qualifying offer, but his track record will still position him for a possible multi-year deal (depending on his recovery) in a thin market at the hot corner.

Urshela hit .299/.329/.374 in 228 plate appearances before sustaining that injury and is a .291/.335/.452 hitter dating back to his 2019 breakout with the Yankees. He doesn’t walk much, but Urshela also puts the ball in play at a strong rate (just an 18.9% strikeout rate in that five-year span) and has previously demonstrated 15- to 20-homer pop in addition to solid defensive skills. There will surely be some trepidation as to how those skills will hold up in the wake of an uncommon injury of this nature, but some teams might also view that as a method of securing Urshela’s talents at a lower-than-expected rate for the next couple seasons.

Multi-Position Veterans

• Isiah Kiner-Falefa (29)

Two years in the Bronx haven’t gone especially well for Kiner-Falefa, who didn’t pan out as the everyday shortstop and stopgap to Anthony Volpe as well as the Yankees hoped. “IKF” has since moved into a utility role that seems to better suit him. He’s batted just .253/.312/.333 over 873 plate appearances with the Yankees. The ten home runs he’s popped underscore his lack of power, but Kiner-Falefa has also swiped 35 bags as a Yankee (in 44 tries) and proven to be a versatile defender. He’s added some outfield work to his resume and can bounce all over the infield. Defensive metrics like DRS and OAA agree that third base is his best position. Contending teams will see him as a bench piece, but it’s possible some rebuilding clubs or long-shot postseason teams will view him as an everyday option.

• Donovan Solano (36)

Solano’s out-of-nowhere emergence as a quality big league hitter after signing a minor league deal with the Giants heading into his age-31 season remains remarkable. He’s not slowing down in 2023. The Twins inked him to a one-year, $2MM deal that’s proven to be a bargain, as he’s slashed .287/.372/.404 with five homers while playing first base, second base and third base. He should get a raise to fill a similar multi-positional role with a team in 2024. He’s played more first base (529 innings) and second base (102 innings) than third (82 innings) in Minnesota, but he’s still capable at all three spots.

• Joey Wendle (34)

Wendle was seen as a premium defender with an above-average but underrated bat at the time of his trade from Tampa Bay to Miami. He’s largely lived up to that “premium defender” billing with the Marlins, but his left-handed bat has fallen off a cliff. In 668 plate appearances with Miami, Wendle is hitting just .244/.280/.345. He has elite defensive marks at second base and above-average marks at both left-side infield positions in his big league career and could still garner interest as a utilityman on a big league deal.

Part-Time/Platoon Veterans

• Josh Donaldson (38)

The 2023 season has been a nightmare for Donaldson, who turned in a career-worst .142/.225/.434 line in 120 plate appearances before being released by the Yankees late last month. The Brewers signed Donaldson to a minor league deal, called him to the big leagues earlier this week, and have watched him go 3-for-6 with a homer and three walks. Ugly as the season has been, Donaldson has mashed four homers in 32 plate appearances against lefties. If he can show well down the stretch (and perhaps into the postseason) with the Brew Crew, he could attract Major League interest in free agency — albeit likely in a part-time role.

• Evan Longoria (38)

A former American League Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star, Longoria has been roughly average at the plate in 2023 during his first season with the D-backs. He’s hitting lefties at a solid .242/.318/.463 clip, however, and could hold appeal to a contending club as a part-time corner infielder and designated hitter. He’s quite clearly not the superlative defender and perennial MVP candidate he was early in his career, but Longo hits lefties and has popped 11 homers in 219 plate appearances while posting a .214 ISO (slugging minus batting average). He’s also averaging a massive 92.6 mph exit velocity and with a similarly gaudy 53.5% hard-hit rate. He’s sitting on a career-worst 32% strikeout rate, but when Longo makes contact — it’s typically loud.

Depth Candidates

• Ehire Adrianza (34)

A shoulder injury has cost Adrianza most of the 2023 season. He’s taken just 11 turns at the dish with the Braves this year. The switch-hitting 34-year-old can play all over the infield, but he’s just a .209/.295/.310 hitter in 431 plate appearances dating back to 2020.

• Hanser Alberto (31)

Alberto hit .220/.261/.390 in 90 plate appearances with the White Sox this year. His right-handed bat has never been able to handle right-handed pitching (.232/.257/.330), but he’s a career .324/.343/.455 hitter against lefties. He has generally positive defensive grades at multiple infield spots but made some glaring and costly miscues with the Sox prior to his June release.

• Brian Anderson (31)

The former Marlins standout has been hobbled by injuries in recent seasons and was non-tendered by Miami last November. He signed a one-year pact with the Brewers and got out to a big start, but Anderson’s batting line is down to .224/.309/.364 after a slow summer at the plate and he’s striking out at a career-worst 30.1% rate.

• Charlie Culberson (35)

Culberson made exactly one plate appearance with the Braves this season despite spending several weeks on the big league roster. He appeared in 24 Triple-A games with them and hit .204/.234/.255. Culberson is a beloved clubhouse presence and a fan favorite in Atlanta, but his .250/.292/.390 slash since Opening Day 2019 isn’t much to look at.

• Paul DeJong (30)

DeJong technically hasn’t played third base in the Majors, but he’s a plus defender at shortstop and could likely handle the hot corner as part of a utility role. He’s a .200/.274/.353 hitter over the past four big league seasons, though.

• Hunter Dozier (32)

Released by the Royals midway through the third season of a four-year deal back in May, Dozier could sign with any team for only the prorated league minimum. He didn’t sign following his release, however, and carries just a .222/.286/.384 line in 1134 plate appearances since 2021. Dozier was great in 2019 and solid in 2020, but his combined .267/.347/.492 output from that two-year peak is a distant memory in 2023.

• Josh Harrison (36)

Harrison batted .270/.332/.390 in 1074 plate appearances from 2020-22, but this year’s run with the Phillies resulted in a .204/.263/.291 slash in 114 plate appearances. He can play second base, third base and the outfield corners. He could still draw interest on a minor league deal and compete for a bench job next spring.

• Tommy La Stella (35)

A productive utilityman from 2016-20, La Stella’s three-year deal with the Giants was torpedoed by injuries. He was released this offseason and signed with the Mariners but only took 24 plate appearances as a DH and pinch-hitter, due to an elbow injury. He’s batted .242/.296/.373 since signing with the Giants in the 2020-21 offseason, battling a torn hamstring, an Achilles injury and that elbow trouble along the way.

• Mike Moustakas (35)

Moustakas has had somewhat of a rebound season in 2023, simply by virtue of the fact that he’s been healthy enough to stay on the field. This year’s 370 plate appearances are already his most since 2019. Moustakas is hitting .252/.300/.404 with a dozen homers, but most of that damage came while he called Coors Field home. Since being traded from the Rockies to the Angels, he’s posted a .243/.265/.387 line in 263 plate appearances (71 wRC+).

Club Options

• Eduardo Escobar (35)

Escobar was a productive hitter from 2017-22, with the lone exception of the Covid-shortened 2020 season. He reached 35 homers in the juiced-ball campaign back in 2019 and topped 20 dingers four other times. The 2023 campaign was the second season of his two-year, $20MM deal with the Mets and didn’t go well. The Mets traded him to the Angels after a poor start and paid down all but the minimum on his contract to facilitate the deal. He’s been used sparingly in Anaheim and hasn’t hit well: .224/.263/.327. The Angels aren’t going to pick up this option, and the Mets are responsible for the $500K buyout.

• Max Muncy (33)

Assuming he logs another 35 plate appearances, Muncy’s $10MM club option will grow to $14MM. There’s no buyout for the team. Proponents of batting average won’t like it, but a $14MM decision is an easy call for the Dodgers to exercise. Muncy is barely north of the Mendoza Line, but he’s walking at an excellent 14.8% clip and hitting for more power than ever before. He’s already tied his career-high with 35 homers in just 515 plate appearances. Overall, he’s hitting .208/.332/.492.

Player Option

• Justin Turner (39)

Turner has only logged 57 innings at third base in 2023, though that’s in part due to the presence of Rafael Devers in Boston. Still, defensive grades on him dipped during his final years with the Dodgers, and he’ll turn 39 in November, so it’s hard to assume a rebound. He’s spent some time at second base and first base this year, plus plenty of time at designated hitter.

There might be questions about Turner’s defensive outlook, but there’s no questioning his bat. He’s hitting .283/.354/.475 (121 wRC+) with 23 home runs, an 8.6% walk rate and 16.8% strikeout rate. Turner has become the embodiment of the “professional hitter” classification, and with such a hefty buyout on that player option, he should have no time toppling a net $6.7MM in free agency.

With the regular season winding down, a number of teams (and their fanbases) are already starting to turn their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking an early look at the players who’ll be available on the open market.

We’ve already covered the catchers and first basemen. Today, we move to the keystone. It’s a weak infield class in general and that’s reflected in the second base group. There are players at other positions who could ostensibly move to second base. Virtually every shortstop is capable of playing the less demanding middle infield spot, for instance. Those players will be covered in future positional previous, though, so we’ll limit this list to players who have logged some action at second base this season.

Note: only players who have been on an MLB roster in 2023 are included. Ages listed are for the 2024 season.

Potential Everyday Options

• Amed Rosario (28)

Rosario has been a shortstop for the bulk of his career, but the Dodgers have played him more frequently at second base since adding him at the deadline. One of the youngest players in the entire free agent class, Rosario hits the market coming off a down year. He was a roughly league average hitter from 2021-22 but has slumped to a .261/.302/.377 line over 516 plate appearances. He’s hitting for more power in Los Angeles than he had in Cleveland — largely because the Dodgers have more selectively deployed him in favorable platoon situations — but has reached base at just a .288 clip with L.A.

The righty-swinging Rosario has performed well against left-handed pitching throughout his career. He’s a well below-average offensive player versus righties. Some teams may prefer to keep him in more of a short side platoon role, but the middle infield class is weak enough that he figures to land an everyday job somewhere. Public metrics pegged Rosario as one of the sport’s worst defensive shortstops; he has rated more favorably at second base, though it’s tough to put much stock in a 153-inning sample.

• Whit Merrifield (35)

Merrifield’s contract contains an $18MM mutual option with a $500K buyout. The Jays are very likely to decline their end, sending the veteran back to free agency. A three-time All-Star and two-time hits leader, Merrifield is one of the game’s better contact hitters. While he’s no longer performing at peak level, he owns a solid .281/.324/.396 slash with 11 homers through 549 plate appearances. He has kept his strikeouts to a modest 16.6% clip. He’s a fine defender at second base and can play the corner outfield.

The league has increasingly devalued the hit-first second base profile to which Merrifield belongs, however. Players like Jean Segura (over two years) and Adam Frazier (one year) received annual salaries in the $8MM – 8.5MM range last offseason. Merrifield’s platform year is more in line with Segura’s than Frazier’s, so he has a decent case for a two-year pact despite his age.

• Adam Frazier (32)

Speaking of Frazier, he has rebounded somewhat from his down 2022 campaign. After hitting .238/.301/.311 a season ago, he owns a .248/.304/.415 slash through 409 plate appearances with the Orioles this year. His 13 home runs are a career high, and while he has added a moderate amount of swing-and-miss as a tradeoff, he’s still keeping his strikeouts to a tidy 13.4% clip.

Yet Frazier’s overall production has hovered around replacement level this year, largely thanks to a sharp drop in his defensive metrics. While Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast had each rated him as an average or slightly above-average second baseman for the majority of his career, they’ve soured on his work in 2023. Statcast metrics indicate that Frazier has particularly struggled on balls hit up the middle, perhaps related to a drop in his throwing velocities from the keystone. Whether teams feel that’s a blip or a more worrisome indication of dwindling athleticism as he gets into his 30s could determine whether he matches last winter’s $8MM deal.

Multi-Positional Types

• Elvis Andrus (35)

Andrus has gotten into 98 games for the White Sox this season. It hasn’t gone all that well, as he’s hitting .251/.311/.353 with five longballs across 355 plate appearances. That’s more in line with the numbers he posted from 2018-21, making last year’s 17-homer showing look like a blip. Andrus is still a good baserunner and can play either middle infield spot, but he’s better suited for a utility role than regular playing time at this stage of his career.

• Enrique Hernández (32)

Hernández had a brutal start to the season, struggling to adjust to the Red Sox pushing him into regular shortstop run. He is better suited for the utility role he’s played throughout his career, logging most of his action at second base or in center field. The right-handed hitter was amidst a second straight well below-average offensive season when Boston traded him to the Dodgers a couple weeks before the deadline. He has turned things around in Southern California, hitting .266/.331/.435 in 139 plate appearances since the swap. The Dodgers acquired Hernández in hopes of bolstering their production against left-handed pitching, but he’s been far better against righties than lefties in that minuscule post-trade sample.

• Tony Kemp (32)

Kemp is a contact-hitting second baseman who can also play left field. He was a solid regular for the A’s from 2021-22 before a down ’23 campaign. He’s hitting just .214/.309/.307 across 389 trips to the dish this season. That’s in large part a reflection of an unsustainably poor .227 average on balls in play. Kemp has excellent plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills; he’s one of just four players (Luis Arraez, Ronald Acuña Jr. and José Ramírez being the others) with 300+ plate appearances and more walks than strikeouts. It seems likely he’ll find a guaranteed big league opportunity as a result.

• Donovan Solano (36)

After barely playing in the majors between 2015-18, Solano has surprisingly put together a five-year run as an above-average hitter late in his career. He has continued on that trajectory for the Twins this season, putting up a .290/.376/.409 line over 402 trips to the plate. Solano is a bat-first utility option who can play either corner infield spot or second base. Even at age 36, he continues to produce and should earn himself a raise on this year’s $2MM salary.

Utility/Depth Players

• Hanser Alberto (31)

Alberto got into 30 games for the White Sox, hitting .220/.261/.390 in 90 trips to the plate. The right-handed hitter hasn’t caught on since being released by Chicago in early June.

• Isan Díaz (28)

A one-time top prospect, Díaz is a .177/.267/.274 hitter at the big league level. He has spent the majority of the last two seasons in Triple-A, appearing in eight MLB games this year between the Giants and Tigers. Detroit released him a few weeks ago.

• Matt Duffy (33)

Duffy cracked the Royals’ roster out of camp after signing a minor league deal. The well-traveled infielder has spent the entire season on the big league club. He’s hitting .254/.309/.312 over 188 trips to the plate, picking up scattered starts at each of first, second and third base.

• Eduardo Escobar (35)

Escobar has mostly split his playing time between third and second base. The switch-hitting veteran is wrapping up the second season of a two-year free agent pact that didn’t turn out as the Mets had envisioned. Escobar was surpassed on the depth chart by Brett Baty early in the season. The Mets dealt him to the Angels at a time when the Halos were still pushing to compete and decimated by infield injuries. The trade hasn’t worked out, as Escobar is hitting .229/.268/.333 with a 28.1% strikeout rate over 47 games in Orange County.

• Josh Harrison (36)

Harrison posted a .204/.263/.291 batting line over 41 games with the Phillies this year. Released shortly after the trade deadline, he spent some time in the Rangers’ system but didn’t crack the Texas roster. Harrison opted out of his deal with Texas in late August and has been unsigned since then.

• Rougned Odor (30)

After an early-career run as the Rangers’ starting second baseman, Odor has played for four clubs since 2020. He’s been a below-average hitter at every stop, showing some power but running consistently low on-base marks. Odor got into 59 games for the Padres this year, putting up a .203/.299/.355 slash before being released in July. He hasn’t signed elsewhere.

• Jonathan Schoop (32)

A former All-Star, Schoop has hit .204/.248/.311 going back to the start of 2022. While he played Gold Glove caliber defense for the Tigers a season ago, the complete lack of offensive production led Detroit to release him around the All-Star Break. The 11-year MLB veteran hasn’t signed anywhere since, though he is yet to turn 32 and could still find minor league interest if he wants to give it another go.

• Kolten Wong (33)

Wong had a brutal few months as a Mariner, hitting .165/.241/.227 over 67 games. Seattle released their offseason trade pickup at the beginning of August. He’s playing out the stretch with the Dodgers, getting selected to the MLB roster as part of September expansion after initially inking a minor league deal. Wong’s defensive marks have fallen from his Gold Glove peak and he has been one of the least effective hitters in the majors this year. Yet he was an above-average offensive performer just a season ago, when he hit .251/.339/.430 over 497 plate appearances for Milwaukee.

Player Options

• Justin Turner (39)

Turner is a near-lock to head back to free agency. His contract with the Red Sox contains a $13.4MM player option with a hefty $6.7MM buyout. With a buyout worth half the option value, it should be an easy call for the two-time All-Star to head back to free agency. He’d surely beat the $6.7MM difference on his next deal.

Clubs probably won’t view Turner as an everyday second base option going into his age-39 season. He has logged 49 innings there this season, though, showing the ability to moonlight up the middle in addition to his more extensive work at the corner infield spots. The team that signs Turner is doing so for his bat, as the consistent veteran owns a .285/.355/.480 slash with 23 homers over 561 trips to the dish.

Club Options

• Jorge Polanco (30)

It’s unlikely Polanco will get to the open market. The Twins hold a $10.5MM option for next season with a $1MM buyout. The $9.5MM difference is strong value for a quality bat-first middle infielder. The switch-hitting Polanco owns a .260/.341/.461 line on the season. While injuries have kept him to 290 plate appearances, it’s the third straight year in which he’s been a well above-average hitter on a rate basis. Polanco would be the best player in the second base class if he were available. Barring a major injury, he probably won’t be.

* All stats entering play Tuesday

With the regular season winding down, a number of teams (and their fanbases) are already starting to turn their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking an early look at the players who’ll be available on the open market.

Over the coming weeks, MLBTR will go around the diamond to preview the free agent class. Anthony Franco already took a look at the catching market, and next up will be a rundown of the first base options available this winter.

Note: only players who have been on an MLB roster in 2023 are included for this exercise. Ages listed are for the 2024 season.

Potential Everyday Options

• Cody Bellinger (28 years old in 2024); eligible for qualifying offer

Bellinger will be looked at as an outfielder first and foremost, but the general lack of quality bats could lead teams with first base vacancies to consider him as well. The Cubs have given Bellinger 302 innings at the position this season (with positive defensive ratings to show for it), and the recent promotion of top center field prospect prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong could mean even more time there for Bellinger in the final few weeks.

Non-tendered by the Dodgers last year, Bellinger has enjoyed a hugely successful rebound with the Cubs. In 479 plate appearances, the former NL MVP has posted a huge .318/.361/.551 batting line with 25 home runs, 20 stolen bases and a career-low 15.9% strikeout rate. He’s walking at the lowest rate of his career (6.7%) and chasing balls out of the strike zone far more than he did at his peak. However, he’s also sporting career-high contact rates on pitches off the plate (72.3%) and pitches within the strike zone (86.9%).

Bellinger’s ability to the play the outfield is valuable enough that it’s hard to imagine a team signing him to play exclusively first base, but teams are more willing than ever to move players around the diamond based on matchups. Bellinger has hit so well — even with lackluster quality-of-contact marks on Statcast — that teams will likely be willing to move some pieces around just to get his bat in the lineup.

• Jeimer Candelario (30); ineligible for qualifying offer (traded midseason)

Candelario has primarily played third base this season, and he’s drawn quality marks for his glovework there. The Cubs have given him ample run at first base since acquiring him, however. And as with Bellinger, some teams may simply want to sign the bat — even if it means playing Candelario at a less-demanding position on the defensive spectrum.

The last two weeks have seen Candelario fall into his most prolonged slump of the season. He’s gone just 5-for-52 over his past 17 games. That’s taken a bit of the shine off an otherwise excellent rebound season, but the switch-hitter was batting .272/.355/.495 as recently as Aug. 23 and still sports a comfortably above-average .253/.338/.473 slash (118 wRC+) overall this season.

Although Candelario’s 2022 season was rough enough to get him non-tendered by the Tigers, he’s bounced back in a big way and now has three well above-average offensive seasons in the past four years. This will likely be his second season with at least three wins above replacement in the past three years, and Candelario was on pace to easily eclipse that mark in the shortened 2020 season as well.

• Rhys Hoskins (31); eligible for qualifying offer

Hoskins would likely have been one of the top power bats on the market with a healthy 2023 season, but things of course did not pan out that way. The 30-year-old followed last season’s six postseason home runs with a huge spring training … but saw his platform free-agent year end before it began when he suffered a torn ACL just a week before the season began.

While he doesn’t quite match Khris Davis levels of freakish consistency, Hoskins batted exactly .246 or .247 and belted between 27 and 34 home runs in four of the five seasons from 2018-22. He hit .241/.350/.483 with 130 home runs, a hefty 13.2% walk rate and a 24.1% strikeout rate that’s higher than average but also a good bit lower than many sluggers of this ilk tend to produce.

As one would expect, the righty-swinging Hoskins is better against left-handers than against right-handers, but he’s posted considerably better-than-average OBP and power numbers against each. There’ll surely be some various, creative contract structures discussed. We’ve seen fellow Scott Boras clients take various paths in recent years; Bellinger signed a straight one-year deal with the Cubs after a down season, whereas Michael Conforto inked a two-year, $36MM deal with a conditional opt-out (contingent on reach 350 plate appearances) after he, like Hoskins in 2023, missed the entire 2022 season due to injury.

He isn’t a great defensive first baseman, but a healthy Hoskins might be the best pure slugger not named Shohei Ohtani in this winter’s free-agent class.

• Carlos Santana (38)

Perhaps it’s a stretch to call Santana a potential everyday option when he’ll turn 38 next year and is wrapping up a below-average offensive season on the whole. But the Pirates and Brewers have both given him plenty of playing time, and Santana still grades out as a strong defensive option at his position. He’s still drawing walks at a 10.4% clip and has never posted a walk rate south of 10%. He’s currently sitting on 19 home runs, which would be his third straight season with exactly that total.

Santana’s .251 average on balls in play looks like a product of poor luck at first glance, but he’s hit a whopping 26 infield flies this season. He’s long been prone to pop-ups, which helps to explain his career .258 BABIP. Still, even if there’s no reason to expect a rapid turnaround on his luck on balls in play, Santana is a good defensive first baseman who walks enough to post close to an average OBP and who clearly still has 20-homer pop. A contender might not plug him in at first base, but if a rebuilding team looking for a veteran to flip at the deadline — just as the Pirates did this season — could view him as a potential regular.

Platoon and Part-Time Bats

• Brandon Belt (36)

The former Giants cornerstone has had a resurgent year in Toronto, hitting .252/.371/.473 with 16 home runs in 380 plate appearances. Belt only has 36 plate appearances against lefties — they haven’t gone well — but has tattooed right-handed pitching. This year’s 34.7% strikeout rate is a glaring red flag, but Belt has also walked at a massive 15.8% rate. Belt will turn 36 next April, so expect a one- or two-year deal, but he’s shown there’s still plenty of power left in his bat.

• Ji Man Choi (33)

The 2023 season has been one Choi would like to forget. After undergoing elbow surgery in the offseason, he suffered a strained Achilles tendon early in the year and wound up missing about three months of action. Choi played in just 23 games with the Pirates before being traded to the Padres, and after seven games in San Diego he suffered a Lisfranc injury in his foot and returned to the injured list. Choi is hitting just .179/.239/.440 in 92 plate appearances, but from 2017-22 he posted a .245/.350/.436 output. He’s never hit lefties well, but he’s a .244/.350/.455 hitter against right-handed pitching.

• Garrett Cooper (33)

Cooper’s consistent productivity has always flown under the radar, in part because he’s spent most of his career playing for non-contending teams in Miami and also in part because he’s frequently been injured. This hasn’t been his best year (.256/.300/.420, 16 homers), but Cooper hit .274/.350/.444 in 1273 plate appearances from 2017-22 and carries a lifetime .270/.337/.435 line in the majors. His occasional dalliances in the outfield haven’t drawn good reviews, but Cooper has above-average marks at first base, both in his career and in 2023.

• C.J. Cron (34)

The former 30-homer slugger has been out since mid-August due to a back injury and also missed six weeks earlier in the season with a neck injury. He hasn’t had his best season when healthy, hitting .252/.299/.441 in 274 plate appearances. He’d been heating up at the plate, however, batting .287/.333/.470 in 123 plate appearances between those two IL stints. It’s been a tough year, but Cron hit .260/.331/.490 with 116 home runs from 2018-22. Between his track record and the lack of quality hitters on the market, he’ll get a big league deal and regular time at first base and designated hitter somewhere.

• Joey Gallo (30)

Gallo is athletic enough to handle any outfield position, but a Twins’ team deep in options on the grass has given him 322 innings at first base. He’s a solid defensive first baseman but hasn’t found his old All-Star form offensively. Gallo had a strong first couple weeks in the Twin Cities but has slumped since May and now carries a .177/.301/.440 line over 332 plate appearances. The sub-Mendoza average is nothing new, but this year’s 42.8% strikeout rate is high even by Gallo’s standards. He has hit 21 homers and walked at a huge 14.5% clip, leading to a roughly average wRC+ figure (103). That’s still not the bounceback the Minnesota front office envisioned when guaranteeing him $11MM last winter.

• Donovan Solano (36)

Solano’s out-of-nowhere emergence as a quality big league hitter after signing a minor league deal with the Giants heading into his age-31 season remains remarkable. He’s not slowing down in 2023. The Twins inked him to a one-year, $2MM deal that’s proven to be a bargain, as he’s slashed .292/.377/.415 with five homers while playing first base, second base and third base. He should get a raise to fill a similar multi-positional role with a team in 2024.

Rebound Hopefuls and Depth options

• Jesus Aguilar (34)

The A’s signed Aguilar to a one-year deal but released him in June after 115 plate appearances of well below-average production. He’s since signed a minor league deal with the Braves and is hitting .287/.393/.410 in Triple-A. The days of Aguilar looking like a genuine power threat might be behind us, but he’ll still draw interest on a minor league deal.

• Kole Calhoun (35)

Calhoun posted a .906 OPS in Triple-A between the Dodgers and Yankees organizations before an August trade to Cleveland resulted in an immediate call to the MLB roster. He entered the year with just 44 innings at first base in his career but has already logged 192 with the Guardians, while hitting .241/.325/.398 in 123 plate appearances. Calhoun hit .208/.269/.343 in 606 plate appearances from 2021-22, but he’s been a roughly average hitter this year and has plenty of experience in the outfield corners as well.

• Yuli Gurriel (40)

Gurriel was a fixture in the Astros’ lineup from 2016-22 but had to settle for a minor league deal with the Marlins this offseason on the heels of down year in his final year with Houston. He’s now posted a .244/.294/.359 line in his past 892 plate appearances and will turn 40 next June.

• Eric Hosmer (34)

Hosmer signed a big league deal with the Cubs after being released by the Red Sox this winter but wasn’t able to produce in 100 plate appearances before being released a second time in late May. He’s been unsigned since. Any team can sign Hosmer and only owe him the league minimum for any time on the big league roster, as the Padres are still paying the bulk of his contract, which runs through 2025. He’s hit .266/.331/.384 in his past 1084 trips to the plate.

• Jake Lamb (33)

The former D-backs third baseman broke camp with the Angels after signing a minor league deal but appeared in only 19 games before being designated for assignment and released. Lamb popped 59 homers with Arizona from 2016-17, but shoulder injuries tanked that promising trajectory. He’s a .205/.306/.359 hitter in his past 898 MLB plate appearances (2018-23).

• Trey Mancini (32)

Mancini’s two-year deal with the Cubs didn’t work out for either party this winter. He hit .234/.299/.336 in 263 plate appearances — the most tepid production of his career to date. The Cubs are paying Mancini’s $7MM salary next year, so any team can sign him and only owe the league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. His 35-homer campaign in 2019 is a distant memory, but Mancini is a beloved clubhouse presence who hit .247/.323/.412 from 2021-22 after his inspirational return from colon cancer.

• Mike Moustakas (35)

Released by the Reds heading into the final season of his four-year, $64MM deal, Moustakas caught on with the Rockies and hit well enough to merit trade attention from the Angels. His bat has tailed off since. The once-formidable slugger has batted .228/.294/.377 over his past 855 MLB plate appearances.

• Wil Myers (33)

Myers is the third straight player on this list to be released by the Reds this season. (Mancini briefly signed a minor league deal there after being cut loose by the Cubs.) His one-year, $7.5MM deal didn’t pan out as hoped. Myers hit just .189/.257/.283 in 141 plate appearances, striking out at a 34% clip. He’s a capable outfielder in addition to his work at first base and hit .256/.334/.434 with 17 homers as recently as 2021. He hasn’t signed since being released and might have to take a minor league deal this winter.

• Darin Ruf (37)

Ruf can crush lefties (career .270/.368/.512, 141 wRC+), but he appeared in just 20 games this season due to injury and sluggish performance. He was a terrific find for the 2020-21 Giants, but he turned 37 in July and has now had consecutive below-average seasons at the plate.

Player Options

• Josh Bell (31), $16.5MM player option; ineligible for qualifying offer (traded midseason)

Bell looked like a lock to exercise his player option not long ago, but he’s been on a tear since being traded from Cleveland to Miami and may have planted the seeds for that turnaround even earlier than the swap itself. He’s been hitting fly-balls at the highest rates of his career since early June, and the results have been noticeable. The switch-hitter is batting .276/.340/.515 in 148 plate appearances with the Fish and now carries a .262/.322/.472 output in his past 339 plate appearances.

There’s still a chance, if not a likelihood, that Bell will exercise his player option. But he’s been producing at a decidedly above-average level for more than three months now. It’s the inverse of last year’s season, wherein Bell had a productive run with the Nationals but slumped late in his tenure there and cratered following a trade to the Padres. Bell still secured a two-year, $33MM deal on the heels of that season, and while he probably won’t match his current AAV on a multi-year deal in free agency, it’s increasingly feasible to see him declining that player option and signing a multi-year deal with a larger total and lower AAV.

• Justin Turner (39), $13.4MM player option with a $6.7MM buyout; ineligible for qualifying offer (has previously received a QO in his career)

Whether a team would install Turner as its everyday first baseman isn’t clear, but the Red Sox have given him 249 innings there in 2023. At the very least, he could presumably handle multiple infield spots and log ample time at DH with a new team.

There might be questions about Turner’s defensive outlook at this point, but there’s no questioning his bat. He continues to age like fine wine at the plate, hitting .285/.355/.480 (122 wRC+) with 23 home runs, an 8.4% walk rate and 16.9% strikeout rate. Turner bas become the embodiment of the “professional hitter” classification, and with such a hefty buyout on that player option, he should have no time toppling a net $6.7MM in free agency.

Age is going to limit Turner to a one- or two-year deal, but he’s one of the best hitters on the market and should command a strong annual rate of pay with a contending team.

Club Option

• Joey Votto (40), $20MM club option with a $7MM buyout

Votto told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer earlier this month that he hasn’t made any decisions on his future. Only 40 qualified hitters in MLB history have gotten on base at a higher clip than Votto’s career mark of .410, but he’s followed up a staggering 2021 renaissance (.266/.375/.563, 36 homers in 129 games) with a .204/.313/.405 slash in his past two seasons — a total of 575 plate appearances.

The Reds will surely buy Votto out rather than pay him a net $13MM for his age-40 season, but if the Canadian-born slugger wants to continue his playing career, doing so in Cincinnati will remain high on his list. Whether he earnestly fields interest from other teams remains to be seen, but his track record, plate discipline and power — he hit 14 homers in 199 plate appearances this year — would likely gather interest on a one-year deal.

With the regular season winding down, a number of teams (and their fanbases) are already starting to turn their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking an early look at the players who’ll be available on the open market.

Over the coming weeks, MLBTR will go around the diamond to preview the free agent class. As always, we’ll start behind the plate. It’s a thin group, with no one in the class a threat to approach the five-year, $87.5MM contract that Willson Contreras received a season ago.

Note: only players who have been on an MLB roster in 2023 are included for this exercise.

Potential Regulars/Platoon Options

• Mitch Garver (33*)

Garver could prove a tricky evaluation for teams. He’s having the best season of any impending free agent who can catch. The right-handed hitter is mashing at a .286/.387/.541 clip with 16 home runs over 270 plate appearances for the Rangers. He slugged 31 homers for the Twins back in 2019 and is a career .254/.343/.489 hitter. A fully healthy Garver is one of the best offensive catchers in the sport and easily the best player in this winter’s free agent catching class.

Fully healthy is a notable caveat, however. Not only will Garver turn 33 this winter, he has a lengthy injury history. He has spent some time on the IL in every season since 2019 and required season-ending surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in 2022. That injury affected Garver’s throwing even before he went under the knife, and Texas has eased him back to catching action. He has logged only 230 innings behind the dish this season, seeing more time as a designated hitter. The Rangers have that luxury thanks to the presence of All-Star backstop Jonah Heim, but it raises questions for teams evaluating whether Garver will hold up as a true #1 elsewhere.

• Gary Sánchez (31)

Sánchez has never returned to his early-career Yankees form. He’s nevertheless coming off a decent bounceback showing for the Padres, hitting .218/.292/.500 with 19 homers through 260 plate appearances after landing in San Diego. His much-maligned blocking drew an average grade from Statcast this season, while he threw out baserunners at an acceptable 20.8% clip. The year ended on a sour note when Sánchez sustained a right wrist fracture on a hit-by-pitch last week, but it was a reasonably encouraging effort overall.

While he’s not a star, Sánchez looks like an acceptable #1 catcher. He’s a power-first offensive player with middling on-base marks. One of the younger players in the class, he has a case for a multi-year contract after settling for a minor league pact a season ago.

• Tom Murphy (33)

Murphy has mashed in a small sample this year, hitting .290/.335/.538 over 159 plate appearances. He has shown significant offensive upside in prior seasons — highlighted by a .273/.324/.535 line over 76 games in 2019 — but only has two years in which he has reached 200+ plate appearances. Murphy lost all of 2020 with a foot fracture, a good chunk of last season to a dislocated shoulder, and has been out for the past month with a sprained left thumb.

When healthy, he consistently shows plus power from the right-handed batter’s box. He strikes out a lot but brings more offensive upside than most players at the position. At age 33, he’ll be limited to one or two-year offers, but he should be a target for teams that can pair him with a more stable veteran to compensate for the injury risk.

• Víctor Caratini (30)

Caratini is a switch-hitting backstop with good strike zone awareness and solid contact skills. He hits the ball reasonably hard but makes most of his contact on the ground, muting his power impact. This year’s .247/.327/.368 line over 54 games for the Brewers is in line with his career track record. He rates as a decent pitch framer but has a well below-average throwing arm. While Caratini doesn’t have a standout skill, he’s a reasonably well-rounded player and the youngest option in the catching class.

• Yasmani Grandal (35)

Grandal was still performing at an All-Star level as recently as 2021. The final two years of his $73MM free agent deal with the White Sox didn’t go as planned. He limped to a .202/.301/.269 line last season and is hitting .236/.309/.345 over 388 plate appearances this year. He’s a switch-hitter who still draws a decent number of walks, but he hasn’t shown the same kind of power he had at his peak.

• Austin Hedges (31)

Hedges is an all-glove veteran who has found semi-regular run despite one of the league’s least imposing offensive profiles. He was an everyday catcher for three years in Cleveland and got into 65 games for the Pirates after signing a $5MM free agent deal last winter. The Rangers have pushed him into a depth role since acquiring him at the deadline.

The 31-year-old is hitting .176/.229/.222 through 203 plate appearances. He has had a hard time controlling the running game this season but has been excellent in that regard in prior years. Hedges’ elite receiving skills have not waned. Statcast rates him 11 runs above average as a pitch framer and credits him with eight more blocks than average. That’s in line with his career-long reputation as an elite receiver, and both Cleveland and Pittsburgh trusted him as their top catcher to work with fairly young pitching staffs.

• Martín Maldonado (37)

Maldonado is a beloved clubhouse presence in Houston. The Astros have continued to give him a starting workload on a World Series contender despite dismal offensive numbers, reasoning that his unquantifiable work with the pitching staff compensates for the lack of productivity at the dish. Maldonado has hit only .187/.254/.337 through 366 trips to the plate. He has occasional power but consistently poor on-base marks. Unlike Hedges, Maldonado has a well below-average grade from Statcast for his 2023 pitch framing. It hasn’t dissuaded Dusty Baker from keeping him in the lineup, though — a testament to how the coaching staff feels about his leadership and game-calling acumen.

Backups/Depth

• Jorge Alfaro (31)

A longtime top prospect who was a key piece in multiple blockbuster trades (Cole Hamels, J.T. Realmuto), the now-30-year-old Alfaro (31 next June) has never developed into the slugger that many expected. Alfaro posted a solid .269/.322/.429 batting line from 2017-19, but in 737 plate appearances since that time he’s at .236/.278/.354 with a glaring 33.6% strikeout rate. Alfaro has typically thrown well (28% caught-stealing rate), but he’s at 18% in Triple-A this year. Statcast grades him last among 75 qualified catchers since 2018 when it comes to blocking pitches in the dirt.

• Tucker Barnhart (33)

Barnhart has spent the past week in Triple-A with the Dodgers. He signed a minor league pact with L.A. after being released by the Cubs in the first season of a two-year, $6.5MM free agent deal. The two-time Gold Glove winner managed only a .202/.285/.257 line over 123 plate appearances with Chicago and is a .215/.286/.264 hitter since being traded from the Reds to the Tigers over the 2021-22 offseason. Despite the tepid offense, Barnhart should draw depth interest based on his glove and reputation as a strong clubhouse presence — especially since the Cubs are responsible for all but the league minimum on next year’s salary as well.

• Curt Casali (35)

The Reds are likely to opt for a $750K buyout on their end of a $4MM mutual option. The right-handed hitting Casali has operated as the third catcher in Cincinnati when healthy, batting .175/.290/.200 over 96 plate appearances. He is currently on a rehab stint working back from a July foot contusion.

• Sandy León (35)

León, currently in Triple-A with the Guardians, appeared in 22 games for the Rangers early in the season. The switch-hitting backstop is a classic journeyman depth catcher. He has gotten to the majors in each of the past 12 years. He’s a well-regarded defender who has hit .176/.254/.261 for five teams since the start of 2019.

• Luke Maile (33)

Maile signed a $1.175MM free agent deal with his hometown Reds last winter. He has essentially played at the level they’d expected as their backup, putting up a .234/.305/.392 line through 175 plate appearances. He has roughly average framing and blocking numbers and has cut down a quarter of opposing basestealers. He has probably done enough to secure another major league contract this offseason.

• Roberto Pérez (35)

Pérez won consecutive Gold Glove awards in 2019-20. He has continued to get looks based on his defense, but injuries have kept him off the field for most of the last two seasons. He suffered a season-ending hamstring tear in May 2022. He was capped at five games with the Giants this year before tearing the rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder, necessitating another surgery in April. He’ll likely be limited to minor league offers as a result.

• Manny Piña (37)

Piña had a few seasons as a productive depth option with the Brewers. Unfortunately, left wrist issues have essentially robbed him of the last two years. He underwent surgery after just five games in 2022. Piña started this year back on the injured list with continued soreness. He returned for four games this summer but Oakland released him around the trade deadline as they evaluated their younger catching options.

• Mike Zunino (33)

Zunino signed a $6MM contract with the Guardians a year ago on the heels of thoracic outlet surgery. He couldn’t recapture his pre-surgery form on either side of the ball. Zunino hit .177/.271/.306 with a 43.6% strikeout rate in 140 plate appearances. Perhaps even more concerning was that he struggled mightily as a receiver and threw out only 16.7% of baserunners. Cleveland released him in late June and he has remained a free agent since then.

Club Options

• Yan Gomes (36)

The Cubs hold a $6MM option that comes with a $1MM buyout. It’s a $5MM call, which seems reasonable after Gomes’ decent 2023 showing. The 12-year MLB veteran is hitting .269/.311/.414 with nine home runs through 360 trips to the plate. He hasn’t rated highly for his receiving but has thrown out an above-average 26.4% of attempted basestealers. The Cubs may look to turn the top catching job over to rookie Miguel Amaya, but it’s a low enough price point that the team could still retain Gomes as a veteran backup.

Player Options

• Omar Narváez (32)

Narváez is unlikely to hit free agency. His contract with the Mets contains a $7MM player option. The left-handed hitter has slumped to a .192/.272/.253 line in 39 games, missing a chunk of the year with a calf strain. Unsurprisingly, he told Will Sammon of the Athletic last month that he expects to exercise the option rather than retest free agency on the heels of such a tough season.

* Listed ages are the player’s age for the 2024 season.