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10 Under-The-Radar 2017 Free Agents Posting Strong Seasons

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We often focus on free agents who are lined up for monster contracts — indeed, MLBTR’s most recent power rankings were just released today — but there are plenty of players who can command strong salaries even if they won’t likely receive four or more years worth of guaranteed money. Here are ten somewhat under-the-radar big leaguers who seem primed to hit the open market on a high note:

Steve Pearce, IF/OF, Orioles: Pearce hasn’t quite matched his top-end output since moving from the Rays to the O’s, and he has missed time due to injury, but Pearce is still delivering a strong .256/.341/.513 batting line for Baltimore. He’s running out a 144 OPS+ on the year, which qualifies Pearce as a highly intriguing, multi-position on the market to come.

Sean Rodriguez, IF/OF, Pirates: Always a versatile player, Rodriguez has upped his game this year with a career-best .250/.339/.482 batting line over 252 plate appearances. The 31-year-old doesn’t have the track record or slugging upside of Pearce, but he has enhanced his position quite a bit.

Martin Prado, 3B, Marlins: Though he has had a few poor stretches and no longer hits quite as many home runs as he used to, Prado has somewhat quietly hit rather well ever since he was dealt to the Yankees in the middle of 2014. This year, he’s swinging a .319/.371/.432 stick with typically solid glovework, making a three-year deal possible.

Angel Pagan, OF, Giants: Expectations were rather low heading into the year, as the 35-year-old Pagan has dealt with injuries and was coming off of a brutal 2015. But he has responded with a .293/.346/.437 slash and remains a quality baserunner and fielder. Age will be a major limitation, but Pagan should draw plenty of interest.

Matt Joyce, OF, Pirates: Few players have had as dramatic a turnaround as has Joyce, who just turned 32. He owns a rather remarkable .263/.404/.522 batting line with a dozen long balls in 230 plate appearances. Even if the vast bulk of that damage has come against right-handed pitching, he has been good against lefties in limited action and looks to be quite an appealing platoon candidate.

Franklin Gutierrez, OF, Mariners: Speaking of platoon candidates, the righty-swinging Gutierrez has followed up on a stunning 2015 comeback campaign with a sturdy effort this year. He has been more good than great, and has only really been useful against southpaws, but it’s still a nice place to be for a player who had seemed unlikely to be playing at all not long ago.

Doug Fister, SP, Astros: In retrospect, Fister’s 2015 campaign looks more like an injury-plagued down year than the beginning of the end. The peripherals don’t quite support the 3.60 ERA he carries over 157 1/3 innings this year with Houston, but the towering right-hander is in a strong position with few quality starters available this winter.

Joe Blanton, RP, Dodgers: Sure, Blanton’s reinvention as a reliever came about last year, but was anyone sure if it would last? He has now tallied 69 2/3 frames with the Dodgers in 2016, posting a 2.58 ERA with 8.7 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9, and looks like a high-quality relief target entering his age-36 campaign.

Travis Wood, RP, Cubs: Wood’s days as a pure starter may be over, but his swingman potential adds to the value. A 3.35 ERA over 53 2/3 innings is obviously appealing, even if it comes with rather drastic platoon splits (.937 OPS vs. righties, .500 vs. lefties).

Boone Logan, RP, Rockies: We have already talked Logan up a bit as a trade candidate who was (somewhat oddly) not traded. The 3.15 ERA is nice, but the real star is his 16.1% swinging-strike rate — which is accompanied by a robust 51.6% groundball percentage. Logan has finally translated the whiffs into good results after his two prior seasons were wrecked in part by a sky-high BABIP-against.

Dodgers To Recall Yasiel Puig, Send Clayton Kershaw Out For Rehab Start

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Two notable Dodgers are on the track for a return to the majors, per reports. The club will recall Yasiel Puig at some point this weekend, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. And president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says that peerless lefty Clayton Kershaw will begin a rehab assignment this weekend, as the Times’ Bill Shaikin tweets.

Puig’s return to the majors promises to be an interesting storyline to follow over the coming weeks and beyond. Trade rumors have swirled around Puig for some time as he struggled on the field and was demoted earlier this year.

The Dodgers pulled their enigmatic outfielder back from waivers after he was claimed (with multiple teams reportedly submitting claims), but some still expect he’ll be dealt this winter. FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported (via Twitter) that it was an NL team who won the claim on Puig, and reports have indicated that the White Sox and Orioles made claims of Puig, though they had lower waiver priority than every club in the NL and subsequently didn’t have a chance to swing a deal. Reports have ruled out the Marlins and Braves, and Giants GM Bobby Evans said in a radio appearance with John Middlekauff on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco that his team did not claim Puig (Twitter link).

Regardless of which team it is that was awarded the claim on the mercurial 25-year-old, he’s staying in the only Major League organization he’s ever known. Following his surprising demotion, Puig obliterated Triple-A pitching over 90 plate appearances, slashing .358/.422/.605. It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that he’ll prove an impactful addition for the NL West-leading Dodgers, and it’s an open question whether Puig will end up on the block at season’s end. If he does, the fact that multiple teams sought to claim him should at the very least indicate that there will be a market for his services.

There’s little question that Kershaw would make for a major addition down the stretch. Remarkably, he still paces all pitchers in fWAR for the season despite not having pitched since late June. Word is that Kershaw may only need a single rehab outing before he is ready to return from his back injury, which suggests he could take the major league hill four times before the regular season wraps up.

Mariners, Padres Complete Nick Vincent Trade

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It has been a long time coming, but the Mariners and Padres have finally completed the late-spring trade that sent righty Nick Vincent to Seattle, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). Cash considerations, rather than a player, will head to San Diego to tie up the deal.

Vincent has been a nice addition for the M’s, contributing 47 innings of 3.83 ERA ball on the year. The bottom-line results may not be terribly exciting, but Vincent has racked up 10.3 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 since coming over. He has been a bit homer-prone, but the slider specialist owns a career-best 12.9% swinging strike rate and seems fairly likely to be tendered a contract this fall heading into his first season of arbitration eligibility.

Pirates, Mariners Complete Arquimedes Caminero Swap

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The Pirates and Mariners have completed the deal that sent righty Arquimedes Caminero to the Mariners a few weeks back. Per an announcement from Seattle, lefty Jake Brentz and righty Pedro Vasquez will go to Pittsburgh to wind up the trade.

Caminero, 29, has been a solid piece for the M’s since the deal, cutting his walk rate but otherwise largely continuing to deliver useful but hardly world-beating frames. On the year, he has thrown 55 innings of 3.60 ERA ball with 7.0 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9.

Pittsburgh will pick up a pair of young arms in return. The 21-year-old Brentz has experienced some command issues early in his career, but generated better than a strikeout per inning at the Class A and High-A level for most of the season. Vasquez, 20, earned a mid-season promotion out of Rookie ball and has turned in a 2.28 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against just 0.8 BB/9 in his eight starts at Class A Clinton.

Heyman’s Latest: Dodgers, McCann, Napoli, Ichiro, Colon, Price

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The Dodgers intend to pursue reunions with at least four prominent free agents, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. Excellent third baseman Justin Turner, relief ace Kenley Jansen, late-breaking lefty Rich Hill, and veteran second baseman Chase Utley would all hold interest to Los Angeles, per the report, though age considerations and the presence of internal alternatives could limit the club’s willingness to top the market for those players. The 28-year-old Jansen may be the highest priority among this group, Heyman suggests. While the Dodgers haven’t exactly broken the bank on relief arms under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, it seems Jansen could warrant an exception given his unbelievable performance level. All said, Heyman suggests it would be surprising if L.A. doesn’t bring back at least two of those four players.

Here are some more of Heyman’s latest notes, from his weekly column:

  • The Braves and Yankees have tabled any talks pertaining to catcher Brian McCann until the offseason, which may not bode well for New York’s chances to trade him to Atlanta. Heyman writes that the Braves have interest in Matt Wieters, Jason Castro and top free agent catcher Wilson Ramos, whom they’d love to snatch away from the division-rival Nationals. Atlanta is willing to pay half of the remaining $34MM McCann is owed from 2017-18. They’re also looking to add a rotation piece for 2017 and beyond, if not two, as a number of their top-ranked minor league arms are still a ways off from the Majors (which, of course, could make them appealing trade chips in an offseason where the free agent market is devoid of talented starters).
  • Mike Napoli, who is enjoying a rebound season at the plate with the Indians, has said he’d like to remain in Cleveland, though the two sides aren’t engaged in talks. Napoli’s defense and baserunning have torpedoed his WAR totals, but he’s batted a well-above-average .259/.345/.494 with 29 home runs in his first season with Cleveland. His bat should draw plenty of interest this winter despite the fact that he’ll turn 35 on Halloween.
  • Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki hopes to play again in 2017 and would like to stay in Miami, per the report. With his club option valued at only $2MM, that may be a fairly easy pick-up for the organization. Playing in his age-42 season in 2016, Ichiro has compiled a useful .294/.365/.366 batting line over 296 plate appearances, continues to rate as an average or better fielder and overall baserunner, and has even cracked double-digit stolen bases for the 16th-straight season.
  • Another aging veteran who intends to continue his career, says Heyman, is Mets righty Bartolo Colon. It’s not yet clear how his market will develop — we don’t know what level of interest New York will have, or whether the 43-year-old will be looking for multiple years — but there certainly ought to be ample interest given that Colon has provided 158 2/3 innings of 3.35 ERA pitching thus far in 2016. Even if the peripherals don’t quite line up with those bottom-line results, he’ll be among the more durable and effective pitchers available on a forthcoming seller’s market for starters.
  • There’s no sense that the Reds are interested in making a change at manager, Heyman says. Skipper Bryan Price’s contract does expire after the year, but with some positive signs in the second half — excluding a current four-game skid, at least — it seems he could be retained.

D-Backs Not Interested In Trading Zack Greinke This Winter

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The Diamondbacks obviously won’t be trading veteran righty Zack Greinke this year, as he wouldn’t be eligible for the postseason with a new team now that the calendar has flipped to September. But the club also isn’t interested in trying to move his massive contract this winter, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter).

Arizona reportedly listened to interest from the Dodgers after Greinke cleared waivers, but those talks didn’t progress. Still, the fact that the club’s ace was able to pass through unclaimed obviously suggests that other organizations don’t view his contract as an asset.

Greinke is owed $157.5MM in salary over the next five years, though some of it is deferred, with Arizona also obligated to make continued signing bonus payouts. That contract represents a major chunk of the D-Backs’ middle-of-the-road budget.

While any premium free agent signing represents a calculated gamble, this one looked questionable from the outset and hasn’t started off in the right direction. The accomplished hurler may have been somewhat unfortunate to post a 4.17 ERA in his 136 innings to date in 2016. (Of course, the opposite was true of his sparkling 1.66 earned run mark a season ago, which earned him the massive payday.) But ERA estimators are lower on him now (3.64 FIP, 3.85 xFIP, 3.99 SIERA) than they have been since at least 2007.

The biggest issue, perhaps, isn’t Greinke’s somewhat underwhelming but nevertheless-useful season. It’s the fact that he is already nearly 33 years old. Greinke is still a quality starter — he’d easily be the best on this winter’s market were he eligible — but it’s certainly fair to ask whether Arizona ought to cut its losses while he is still marketable. A performance turnaround is always possible, but so is the inverse, and Greinke’s age will remain as a deterrent.

Nevertheless, the earliest the D-Backs will consider moving Greinke, per the report, is next summer. Despite its miserable 2016 campaign, the club believes it is still primed to contend in the near-term and evidently isn’t interested in jeopardizing that possibility by trading its best pitcher. The return of A.J. Pollock lends some credence to the idea that Arizona could be a postseason factor in 2017, to be sure, but other developments have been less promising.

Ultimately, it’s impossible to evaluate any decision for or against a trade without knowing the possible return and other market developments. But an openness to listen, at least, would seem wise. After all, the remarkably weak upcoming free agent pitching class may create opportunity, and the D-Backs may be wise to explore options for avoiding some of the risk posed by the back half of the Greinke contract.

Marlins Promote Ogando, Ellington, Telis, Hood; Designate Raudel Lazo

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The Marlins announced a series of roster moves to take advantage of expanded September rosters. The team recalled righties Nefi Ogando and Brian Ellington, along with catcher Tomas Telis, while also selecting the contract of outfielder Destin Hood. That last move required a 40-man spot, which was opened when Miami designated lefty Raudel Lazo.

Ogando, 27, has minimal major league experience but owns a 3.08 ERA in 52 2/3 career Triple-A frames. Ellington, 26, has permitted only ten earned runs over his 44 2/3 innings in the majors over the last two years, though he has accomplished that while compiling only 7.3 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9. He has struggled with command at Triple-A this year, but his upper-nineties fastball has helped him generate 14.0 K/9 in 34 2/3 frames at the highest level of the minors.

While those two players add depth to the Miami pen, Telis and Hood will represent additional options in the position player ranks. Telis has been productive at Triple-A, slashing .310/.362/.429 over 368 plate appearances, but has a long way to go to make up for the fact that the Fish parted with Sam Dyson to get him last year.

As for Hood, this represents his first major league action. The 26-year-old was once seen as a fairly promising prospect with the Nationals, but he hadn’t yet earned a call-up. His current .267/.316/.435 Triple-A slash doesn’t exactly scream “promotion,” but he has some speed and pop that could come in handy off of the bench.

Lazo reached the majors last year after a quality season at Triple-A. He fared well in a brief big league stint, but hasn’t yet been asked back despite some solid numbers. The 27-year-old Cuban has pitched at three levels of the minors this year, mostly at the highest, compiling a composite 2.68 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.

Indians Designate Collin Cowgill For Assignment

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The Indians have designated outfielder Collin Cowgill for assignment, the team announced as part of a series of roster moves. Cowgill’s roster spot will go to catcher Adam Moore, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland has also activated Danny Salazar from the paternity list, officially added Coco Crisp to the roster and recalled Cody Anderson, Joe Colon and Erik Gonzalez from Columbus.

Cowgill, 30, received just 14 plate appearances with the Indians this season and spent the bulk of the year in Columbus, where he batted .236/.310/.326 with four homers and seven steals in 392 plate appearances. He’s known primarily for his glovework but has nonetheless managed to rack up 759 plate appearances over the past six seasons, including 293 trips to the plate with the 2014 Angels. That year marked the best season of Cowgill’s career, as he batted .250/.330/.354 with solid defensive work in the outfield.

As for Moore, 32-year-old will return to Cleveland for his second stint with the Indians. Moore picked up just four PAs with Cleveland last season but has 287 Major League PAs under his belt. He’s batted a sub-par .201/.241/.309 in that time but has sound numbers in Triple-A: a .275/.334/.421 slash in parts of seven seasons. The former top prospect will serve as a third catcher for the time being, joining Chris Gimenez and Roberto Perez in that regard. Cleveland also hopes to get injured starter Yan Gomes back before the season is over.

Neil Walker To Undergo Season-Ending Back Surgery

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SEPT. 1: Walker will indeed undergo a microdisectomy operation to repair the herniation in his back which comes with a best-case scenario of a three-month recovery, per ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. Doctors strongly recommended the procedure to him because of the potential for additional weakness and numbness in his lower half. Walker has been experiencing numbness in his toes and is still unable to feel one of them to this day due to the fact that the disk in his back is pressing against a nerve, per the New York Times’ James Wagner (Twitter link).

AUG. 31Mets second baseman Neil Walker is “probably opting for surgery” to repair the herniated disk in his back, manager Terry Collins told reporters after tonight’s game (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). Clearly, that will end the season for the free-agent-to-be.

News of Walker’s herniated disk broke earlier this morning, and while GM Sandy Alderson originally expressed some optimism, manager Terry Collins said prior to tonight’s contest that surgery was an option, though the team and Walker were waiting on a second opinion before making a final decision. That decision, now, looks to have been made, and it comes as a significant blow for a Mets team that topped the Marlins tonight and currently sits just two games back of the second Wild Card spot in the National League.

Walker, 30, has been one of the Mets’ best hitters in 2016, batting .282/.347/.476 with 23 home runs in 458 plate appearances. With the switch-hitter removed from the picture, the Mets can turn to a combination of Kelly Johnson, Wilmer Flores, Jose Reyes and T.J. Rivera to share time between third base and second base.

From Walker’s standpoint, the injury represents a poor way to wrap up what has been an otherwise outstanding contract year. He’ll now enter free agency with the specter of a notable surgery hanging over him and without any in-game setting via which to demonstrate his health to interested parties. Walker has been included in the top 10 on MLBTR’s Free Agent Power Rankings on multiple occasions over the course of the season, though the surgery certainly diminishes his earning power on the open market. It could also make the Mets a bit more hesitant to tender a qualifying offer to Walker following the season, though I’d still wager they’ll be making the offer, as a one-year deal for Walker following a full offseason of recovery is hardly an unappealing outcome for the team.

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