TSN’s top 50 MLB free agents

As teams around the MLB get set to break out the chequebook this winter, TSN Blue Jays Reporter Scott Mitchell and TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips rank the top 50 free agents, predicting their landing spots and examining what sort of payday they might be looking at. Here are the top 50 players on the market from around the MLB:

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1. Gerrit Cole (Yankees)

Position: SP    Age: 29    2018 Salary: $13.5M

2019 Stats: 212.1 IP, 20-5, 2.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 7.4 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Dominant? Check. Durable? Check. In his prime? Check. Legit aces don’t hit the market often, but Cole is doing just that at the age of 29, and he’s coming off a Cy Young-worthy season. The big right-hander posted a career-best 2.50 ERA and struck out 326 hitters en route to 7.4 total fWAR. There aren’t any red flags, either, as he’s now thrown three consecutive seasons of 200-plus innings. The Newport Beach, Calif., native — geography could be an important factor with both the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres ready to pursue top-flight starters — is going to break the bank.

Signs With: New York Yankees

Contract: 9 Years, $324 million 

 

2. Anthony Rendon (Angels)

Position: 3B    Age: 29    2019 Salary: $18.8M

2019 Stats: .319 BA, 34 HR, 126 RBI, 1.010 OPS, 6.2 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Like Cole, Rendon picked a great time to author a career year, slashing .319/.412/.598 with 34 homers and a 1.010 OPS in 146 games for the World Series champs this season. But Rendon also has a long track record of star-level production, as it’s his third straight year of at least 6.2 fWAR and fourth in the past six seasons. The 29-year-old also seems to have gotten over some early career injury issues. Oh, and he also plays Gold Glove-caliber defence at the hot corner. He’s the best position player on the market by a wide margin.

Signs With: Los Angeles Angels

Contract: 7 Years, $245 million

 

3. Stephen Strasburg (Nationals)

Position: SP    Age: 31    2019 Salary: $38.3M

2019 Stats: 209.0 IP, 18-6, 3.32 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 5.7 WAR

Mitchell's Take: By opting out of his final four years and $100 million with the Nationals, the former No. 1 overall pick sets himself up for another huge payday, and get this — he’s coming off a career year, too. Two years older than Cole, Strasburg threw 200 innings for the second time in his career — and first time since 2014 — and also posted a ground-ball rate above 50 per cent for the first time in seven seasons. Then the San Diego native — see Cole above for why this matters — went out and claimed the World Series MVP, simply dominating the month of October with a 1.98 ERA over six starts.

Signs With: Washington Nationals

Contract: 7 years, $245 million

 

4. Madison Bumgarner (Diamondbacks)

Position: SP    Age: 30    2019 Salary: $12M

2019 Stats: 207.2 IP, 9-9, 3.90 ERA, 1,12 WHIP, 3.2 WAR

Mitchell's Take: If you were forced to guess the ages of Cole, Strasburg and Bumgarner, the bet here is that you’d think the lefty was the oldest, maybe by quite a bit. It just feels like Bumgarner has been around forever, and his resume backs that up. But Bumgarner is only heading into his age-30 season and a bounceback year in 2019 provides hope that he could have a lot more left in the tank, similar to another lefty a little further down this list, Cole Hamels. Shoulder and hand injuries limited him to 111 and 129.2 innings in 2017 and 2018, respectively, but Bumgarner got back to his workhorse ways in 2019, throwing 207.2 frames for the lowly Giants. His 3.90 ERA was the highest of his 11-year career, but teams should be asking themselves whether this is truly the decline phase or just a blip like Justin Verlander endured before rebounding.

Signs with:  Arizona Diamondbacks

Projected Price: 5 years, $85 million

 

5. Zack Wheeler (Phillies)

Position: SP    Age: 29    2019 Salary: $5.9M

2019 Stats: 195.1 IP, 11-8, 3.96 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 4.7 WAR

Mitchell's Take: What’s your appetite for risk? Even though Wheeler has posted back-to-back seasons of 4-plus fWAR, it’s hard to forget his dubious track record of health and the 195.1 innings he threw in 2019 represent a new career-high. On the other hand, teams could be getting a top-of-the-rotation starter for something of a bargain if the 29-year-old continues stay healthy and fine tune things. Wheeler’s strikeouts are going up, his walks are going down, and his ability to suppress home runs is a key skill in this homer-happy era. He also posted a 2.83 ERA in the second half. It will be interesting to see where Wheeler’s total value ultimately ends up, but there’s sure to be a lot of suitors.

Signs With: Philadelphia Phillies

Contract: 5 Years, $118 million

 

6. Josh Donaldson (Twins)

Position: 3B    Age: 33    2019 Salary: $23M

2019 Stats: .259 BA, 37 HR, 94 RBI, .900 OPS, 4.9 WAR

Mitchell's Take: The Bringer of Rain was one of the first prominent free agents to sign last winter, deciding against trolling for multi-year deals in order to bet on himself with a one-year, $23-million offer from long time JD fan Alex Anthopoulos. Figuring he could get healthy enough to continue being an elite bat in his age-33 season, Donaldson didn’t disappoint, slashing .259/.379/.521 with 37 homers. Donaldson also rebounded with the glove, with Defensive Runs Saved handing him a plus-15 mark in 2019, his best since 2014. Most importantly, he played 155 games.

Signs with: Minnesota Twins

Contract: Four years, $92 million

 

7. Hyun-Jin Ryu (Blue Jays)

Position: SP    Age: 32    2019 Salary: $17.9M

2019 Stats: 182.2 IP, 14-5, 2.32 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 4.8 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Another player who picked a great time to have a career year, Ryu went from accepting the Dodgers’ $17.9-million qualifying offer last winter to starting the All-Star Game for the National League and throwing 182.2 innings, by far his highest total since 2013. Heading into his age-33 season, the lefty control specialist has proven he’s good … when healthy. Unfortunately, Ryu has only been able to make 30 starts in a season once, and he only got to 29 this year. He was also much better in the first half (1.73 ERA) than the second (3.18 ERA). The fact he isn’t eligible for a qualifying offer, meaning no draft pick compensation, helps his cause.

Signs With: Toronto Blue Jays

Contract: Four years, $80 million

 

8. Didi Gregorius (Phillies)

Position: SS    Age: 29    2019 Salary: $11.7M

2019 Stats: .276 BA, 16 HR, 61 RBI, .718 OPS, 0.9 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Here we find our first player who didn’t come up with a career season in his walk year. Sidelined until June due to Tommy John surgery late last year, Gregorius’ bat wasn’t what it once was when he returned. After posting a career-best .335 on-base percentage in 2018 and continuing to show more pop than ever before with three-straight 20-homer seasons, Didi slashed just .238/.276/.441 in 82 games. The good news is there’s still enough power and the glove is solid, but he wasn’t as selective and it sapped his overall value. The good news for Gregorius is he’s by far the best middle infielder available.

Signs with: Philadelphia Phillies

Contract: 1 Year, $14 million

 

9. Yasmani Grandal (White Sox)

Position: C    Age: 31    2019 Salary: $16M

2019 Stats: .246 BA, 28 HR, 77 RBI, .848 OPS, 5.2 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Grandal had multi-year offers on the table last winter, but like Donaldson, he decided to bet on himself in hopes of finding a better deal a year later. Grandal did his part, going out and proving he’s one of the best all-around catchers in the game, earning high marks for his defence while slashing .246/.380/.468 with 28 homers from a position teams dream of getting that type of production at. Heading into his age-31 season, Grandal’s walks are going up, his strikeouts are dropping, and his defence is elite. That’s a pretty good combination.

Signs With: Chicago White Sox

Contract: Four years, $73 million 

 

10. Nicholas Castellanos (Reds)

Position: OF    Age: 27    2019 Salary: $9.9M

2019 Stats: .289 BA, 27 HR, 73 RBI, .863 OPS, 2.8 WAR

Mitchell's Take: A bit of an afterthought as a last-minute deal at the July 31 trade deadline, Castellanos went on to slash .321/.356/.646 with 16 homers in 51 games for the Chicago Cubs, helping to keep their postseason hopes alive in the second half. He finished with a career-high 27 bombs and an .863 OPS, but there could be room for more as Castellanos will only be 28 next season. The issue, however — and the reason he’s not in the top 10 on this list — is that he’s a well below average outfielder and a move to first base would only put more pressure on the bat to continue its upward trajectory.

Signs with: Cincinnati Reds

Contract: Four years, $64 million

 

11. Marcell Ozuna (Braves)

Position: OF    Age: 28    2019 Salary: $12.2M

2019 Stats: .241 BA, 29 HR, 89 RBI, .800 OPS, 2.6 WAR

Mitchell's Take: The top tier of outfielders — Castellanos, Ozuna and Yasiel Puig — all come with similar strengths as well as limitations. Ozuna has graded out fairly neutral with the glove over his career, but he’s far from pretty out there and he’s limited to left field. He hasn’t been able to match the 5.0 fWAR season he put up in 2017 with the Miami Marlins in his two campaigns in St. Louis, but Ozuna dealt with a shoulder injury in 2018 and the hard-hit rate and exit velocities say he’s a decent bet to bounce back even further in his age-29 year.

Signs With: Atlanta Braves

Contract: 1 Year, $18 million

 

12. Jose Abreu (White Sox)

Position: 1B    Age: 32    2019 Salary: $16M

2019 Stats: .284 BA, 33 HR, 123 RBI, .834 OPS, 1.9 WAR

Mitchell's Take: When it comes to counting stats, Abreu has been the model of consistency over six seasons. He’s hit between 22 and 36 homers each season, including three campaigns of 30-plus. He’s also driven in 100-plus runs in five of six seasons. The issue is he doesn’t walk enough to be an elite first base bat, and his pedestrian on-base percentages have turned him into a league-average option over the past two years. Teams are becoming more and more hesitant to pay one-dimensional bats, but Abreu is the best one available at the cold corner.

Signs with: Chicago White Sox

Contract: 3 Years, $50 million

 

13. Yasiel Puig

Position: OF    Age: 28    2019 Salary: $9.7M

2019 Stats: .267 BA, 24 HR, 84 RBI, .785 OPS, 1.2 WAR

Mitchel''s Take: Every so often, Puig dazzles with a tape-measure home run or a chance to show off his cannon for an arm. But, overall, the Cuban outfielder has been worth more than 2.0 fWAR once in the past five seasons and his advanced defensive metrics aren’t going in the right direction. Only 29 in 2020, there’s a chance Puig still has a career-year in his bat but he may have to wait until that happens to get a long-term deal.

Phillips' Fit: San Francisco Giants

The Giants need outfield help. Athleticism is important in Oracle Park. Puig has the kind of power and tools that work there when applied properly. General manager Farhan Zaidi knows Puig well from his time with the Dodgers. Puig goes back to the NL West.

Projected Price: Four years/$50 million

 

14. Mike Moustakas (Reds)

Position: 3B    Age: 31    2019 Salary: $7M

2019 Stats: .254 BA, 35 HR, 87 RBI, .845 OPS, 2.8 WAR

Mitchell's Take: A free agent for the third straight winter, no player has been frustrated more by the process than the former Kansas City Royals third baseman. Maybe the third time is the charm in his search for a multi-year deal, especially coming off a 35-homer season. While Moose has proven he’s a solid third base option with both the bat and glove, he’s also proven he can play a decent second base in a pinch and can hit both lefties and righties.

Signs With: Cincinnati Reds

Contract: 4 Years, $64 million

 

15. Edwin Encarnacion (White Sox)

Position: DH    Age: 36    2019 Salary: $21.6M

2019 Stats: .244 BA, 34 HR, 86 RBI, .875 OPS, 2.5 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Three years younger, Encarnacion is trending towards Nelson Cruz status as a big DH bat that continues to produce well into his late thirties. At the age of 36, Edwin went out and slashed .244/.344/.531 with 34 homers, the eighth straight season he’s hit at least 32 baseballs over the wall. And he did it in only 109 games. A $20 million option for 2020 was too much for the Yankees, but Encarnacion’s consistency is attractive.

Signs with: Chicago White Sox

Contract: 1 Year, $12 million

 

16. Dallas Keuchel (White Sox) 

Position: SP    Age: 31    2019 Salary: $13M

2019 Stats: 112.2 IP, 8-8, 3.75 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 0.8 WAR

Mitchell's Take: A victim of the qualifying offer and the draft pick compensation attached to it, Keuchel waited until that disappeared following the draft in June. He still managed to secure $13 million for two-thirds of a season’s work, but he’ll be seeking multiple years this winter after posting a 3.75 ERA across 19 starts for the Braves. The southpaw isn’t dominant or flashy, and he’s not going to get paid like his 2015 Cy Young might suggest, but he provides a safe, innings-eating option — and a lefty to boot — for a contender seeking a No. 3 starter.

Signs with: Atlanta Braves

Contract: 3 Years, $55.5 million

 

17. Will Smith (Braves)

Position: RP    Age: 30    2019 Salary: $4.2M

2019 Stats: 65.1 IP, 34 SV, 2.76 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 1.2 WAR

Mitchell's Take: With Aroldis Chapman re-upping in the Bronx, Smith is the clear-cut top reliever on the market. That should help the lefty in a year where bullpen implosions around baseball may force GMs to re-think lavish multi-year deals for relievers. Over the past two seasons, Smith has been lights-out, registering ERAs of 2.55 and 2.76, while upping his strikeouts to an elite level. He blew away lefties to the tune of a .157/.167/.229 slash line against in 2019.

Signs with: Atlanta Braves

Contract: 3 Years, $39 million

 

18. Jake Odorizzi (Twins)

Position: SP    Age: 29    2019 Salary: $9.5M

2019 Stats: 159.0 IP, 15-7, 3.51 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 4.3 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Another player who picked a great time for a career year, Odorizzi struck out a career-high 10.1 batters per nine innings, while keeping the ball in the ballpark for the second straight season. There are some red flags, however. One is the fact he was much better early than late (4.77 ERA from June 15 on), plus the fact left-handed hitters enjoyed some success with a .277 average.

Signs with: Minnesota Twins

Contract: 1 Year, $17.8 million

 

19. Julio Teheran (Angels)

Position: SP    Age: 28    2019 Salary: $11.1M

2019 Stats: 174.2 IP, 10-11, 3.81 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 1.6 WAR

Mitchell's Take: At one time the top prospect in the Braves system, Teheran has teased more than he’s actually produced in his seven full big-league campaigns. The slight righty has three sub-3.21-ERA seasons on his resume, but has spent the last three seasons hovering around 4.00. The Braves thought $12 million was too much for his age-29 season, but there’s interesting upside here.

Signs With: Los Angeles Angels

Contract: One year, $9 million

 

20. Rick Porcello (Mets)

Position: SP    Age: 30    2019 Salary: $21.1M

2019 Stats: 174.1 IP, 14-12, 5.52 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 1.8 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Similar to Bumgarner, Porcello is another pitcher who feels like he’s been around forever after debuting at the age of 20, and he’ll head into his 12th big-league season as a 31-year-old next spring. Porcello’s final product wasn’t pretty this season as he pitched to a 5.52 ERA in 32 starts, the worst qualified ERA of 61 starters across baseball. There’s some buy-low upside at the right price, especially if Porcello can escape the AL East.

Signs with: New York Mets

Contract: One year, $10 million

 

21. Michael Pineda (Twins)

Position: SP    Age: 30    2019 Salary: $8M

2019 Stats: 146.0 IP, 11-5, 4.01 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2.7 WAR

Mitchell's Take: The hulking right-hander was enjoying a successful return from a year and a half lost to Tommy John surgery when he was popped for a banned diuretic and was suspended 60 games in September. Not only did it cost him more than $1 million this season, it’s going to cost him in free agency, too, as Pineda will miss the first 39 games of 2020. After posting a 2.76 ERA over his last 11 starts, he’s an intriguing buy-low candidate heading into his age-31 season.

Signs with: Minnesota Twins

Contract: 2 Years, $20 million

 

22. Cole Hamels (Braves)

Position: SP    Age: 35    2019 Salary: $20M

2019 Stats: 141.2 IP, 7-7, 3.81 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 2.5 WAR

Mitchell's Take: No longer the front-of-the-rotation arm he once was, Hamels is still a solid rotation piece for a contender after posting a 3.81 ERA over 27 starts with the Cubs. Those numbers look even better when you consider he was sporting a 2.98 ERA through the end of June before an oblique injury led to a second half collapse. 

Signs with: Atlanta Braves

Contract: 1 Year, $18 million

 

23. Tanner Roark (Blue Jays)

Position: SP    Age: 33    2019 Salary: $10M

2019 Stats: 165.1 IP, 10-10, 4.35 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 2.0 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Roark was only able to haul 165.1 innings this season, which led to the burly righty’s worst fWAR since 2013 at an even 2.0. There’s nothing sexy about what the 33-year-old brings to the table, but he’s capable of pitching at the back end of a rotation for a contender and a decent contract comparable could be the three-year, $30-million deal the Texas Rangers gave Lance Lynn last winter.

Signs With: Toronto Blue Jays

Contract: Two Years, $24 million

 

24. Kyle Gibson (Rangers)

Position: SP    Age: 32    2019 Salary: $8.1M

2019 Stats: 160.0 IP, 13-7, 4.84 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 2.6 WAR

Mitchell's Take: On the surface, Gibson’s season was about as average as it gets. He totalled 2.6 fWAR, ran up a 4.84 ERA and won 13 games. But Gibson ended up losing his rotation spot in September and was generally seen as a frustrating pitcher every fifth day, nibbling too much and allowing too many home runs. On the bright side, Gibson’s strikeout totals rose for a fourth straight year.

Signs with: Texas Rangers

Contract: 3 years, $30 million

 

25. Shogo Akiyama (Reds)

Position: OF    Age: 31    2019 Salary: $2.1M

2019 Stats (Japan): .303 BA, 20 HR, 62 RBI, .864 OPS

Mitchell's Take: After posting an .863 OPS with 20 homers and 12 stolen bases for the Seibu Lions last season, the 31-year-old outfielder decided it was time to see what North America is all about and filed for international free agency. Unfortunately, Akiyama fractured his right foot Oct. 31 and will have to deal with that this winter, but when healthy he’s considered a decent defender — he played centre but many think he will be a better fit in left heading into his age-32 season — with a contact-and-speed-oriented approach from the left side of the plate.

Signs with: Cincinnati Reds

Contract: 3 Years, $13 million

 

26. Brett Gardner (Yankees)

Position: OF    Age: 36    2019 Salary: $7.5M

2019 Stats: .251, 28 HR, 74 RBI, .829 OPS, 3.6 WAR

Mitchell's Take: Even in his mid-thirties, Gardner continues to be a useful piece. While he’s no longer the elite outfield defender he was a decade ago, the 36-year-old bashed a career-high 28 homers in 2019 and provided capable glovework in centre and left for an injury-ravaged Yankees team. Gardner hit .265/.346/.546 with 23 homers against right-handers this season.

Signing Team: New York Yankees

Contract: One year/$12.5 million

 

27. Yoshitomo Tsutsugo (Rays) 

Position: 1B/OF    Age: 27    2019 Salary: $3.5M

2019 Stats (Japan): .272 BA, 29 HR, 79 RBI, .899 OPS

Mitchell's Take: Unlike Akiyama, Tsutsugo should be right in the middle of his prime, heading into his age-28 season, but other than dabbling at first base and potentially left field, his best position might be designated hitter. Tsutsugo posted a .906 OPS over parts of 10 seasons with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, including a career-best 44 homers and a .322/.430/.680 slash line in 2016. This year’s posting window runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 5, followed by a 30-day period to negotiate with teams once Tsutsugo is posted.

Signs with : Tampa Bay Rays 

Contract: 2 Years, $12 million 

 

28. Josh Lindblom (Brewers)

Position: SP    Age: 32    2019 Salary: $1.7M

2019 Stats (Korea): 194.2 IP, 20-3, 2.50 ERA, 0.99 WHIP

Mitchell's Take: A second-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008, Lindblom was quickly shifted to the bullpen in the upper minors and turned out to be a decent depth reliever for a couple of big-league seasons. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound right-hander then made the move to the KBO in 2015, had some success, returned to MLB for a failed one-year stint with the Pirates in 2017, before heading back to Korea. But something has clicked lately and the 32-year-old has been one of Korea’s best starters, posting 2.88 and 2.50 ERAs over the past two seasons, striking out about a batter per inning. MLB teams have reportedly been intrigued by his spin rates, and the Arizona Diamondbacks gave righty Merrill Kelly a two-year, $5.5-million deal (plus a couple of option years) last off-season with a similar resume. Kelly posted a 4.40 ERA and was worth 2.0 fWAR in his return stateside. It’s an upside gamble on the unknown, but one that won’t break the bank.

Signs With: Milwaukee Brewers

Contract: $9.125 million (plus incentives)

 

29. Kole Calhoun (Diamondbacks)

Position: OF    Age: 32    2019 Salary: $14M

2019 Stats: .232 BA, 33 HR, 74 RBI, .792 OPS, 2.5 WAR

Mitchell's Take: A veteran of eight big-league seasons, the Angels thought Calhoun’s $14-million option was a tad pricey and cut the 32-year-old outfielder loose on the heels of a career-high 33 home runs. Still a good defensive outfielder with a strong, accurate arm in right field, Calhoun should have lots of interest in a weak outfield market.

Signs with: Arizona Diamondbacks

Contract: 2 Years, $16 million

 

30. Wade Miley (Reds)

Position: SP    Age: 32    2019 Salary: $4.5M

2019 Stats: 167.1 IP, 14-6, 3.98 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 2.0 WAR

Mitchell's Take: The 33-year-old southpaw has been able to out-pitch his peripherals over the last two seasons, leading to solid work at the back end of the Milwaukee and Houston rotations. At this point, there’s not much upside, but there are worse fifth starters out there.

Signs With: Cincinnati Reds

Contract: 2 years, $15 million

 

31. Rich Hill (Twins)

Position: SP    Age: 39    2019 Salary: $18.6M

2019 Stats: 58.2 IP, 4-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 0.9 WAR

Mitchell's Take: When Hill is healthy enough to pitch, he’s pretty darn good. Turning 40 in March, how many innings the crafty lefty will be available for next season is anyone’s guess. Over the duration of his recently-expired three-year, $48-million contract, Hill’s innings fell from 135.2 to 132.2 to just 58.2 in 2019. They’re still quality innings, there’s just not a lot of them. He’s clearly worth the most to a contender than can use him judiciously and, at times, sparingly throughout the season.

Signs with: Minnesota Twins

Contract: 1 Year, $3 million

 

32. Dellin Betances (Mets)

Position: RP    Age: 31    2019 Salary: $7.1M

2019 Stats: 0.2 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 0.1 WAR 

Mitchell's Take: Betances came into the season with five years of lights out bullpen work under his belt, and needed only one more to make it free agency as the top potential closer on the market. That didn’t happen. Shoulder issues shut him down until September, before the 6-foot-8, 265-pounder suffered a partially torn Achilles, one that didn’t require surgery. The injury clouds things, but there’s huge upside in a relief market short on top-tier options.​

Signs with: New York Mets

Contract: 1 Year, $10.5 million