The buzz of the 2013 offseason has been where all star second baseman Robinson Cano would sign. As we all know now he has signed and is taking his talents to Seattle. He signed a 10 year-deal for 240 million dollars. Other big names to sign have been guys like Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann. Although a lot of huge stars have signed there is still a lot to be done. Below is the top ten remaining free agents.
10. Omar Infante, Utility
Infante is one of the most underrated players in the game of baseball today. He does it all and is a great teammate. He has a career batting average of .279 and has over 400 career RBIs. He played the 2013 season with the Detroit Tigers; who are also the team that he first played in the Majors with. The New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals are the two front runners who are actively seeking the infielder/outfielder.
9. Roy Halladay, Starting Pitcher
It feels like just yesterday that Halladay was the best pitcher in baseball and winning Cy Youngs. He is no longer the young man that he was in 2003 when he won the Cy Young for the first time. He is coming back from an elbow injury that only allowed him to pitch in 13 games. He struggled in a hand full of games and ended the season with a 6.82 ERA. His ERA was the highest that it has ever been since his time in Toronto where he recorded a 10.64 ERA over 67 innings pitched. There has not been a lot of buzz surrounding Halladay but the three teams that could potentially sign him are the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets or Philadelphia Phillies.
8. Grant Balfour, Relief Pitcher
Arguably the most intense player in all of baseball is now up for free agency. Balfour is a proven closer who can seal up about any save. He saved 44 straight saves at one point and has saved 62 of 67 saves. One thing you would have to worry about is the amount of walks Balfour gives up of any given night. Overall though he is a good closer who could help any team out. The main teams that are trying to sign him are the Mariners, Yankees and Rays.
7. Ubaldo Jimenez, Starting Pitcher
Jimenez may have saved his career in Cleveland over the second half of the 2013 season as he pitched phenomenal. Before the All Star game he had a horrible ERA of 4.56. He seemed to figure things out over the second half of the season as his ERA was South of two. He was just six strikeouts short of the ever impressive 200 mark and has declined a 14 million dollar option with the Indians. Look for a team like the Blue Jays or Texas Rangers to go after 29 year-old. You can also look for him to be receiving anywhere from 10 to 15 million dollars in his upcoming contract.
6. Ervin Santana, Starting Pitcher
Here we have another player who is highly underrated. He had an ERA of 3.24 in the American League with the Kansas City Royals in 2013. He struckout 161 men over 211 innings of work. He is a real work-horse and has pitched in over 1,600 innings over his eight year career. The Philadelphia Phillies seem to be the main team that is trying to snag up Santana. Look for other teams like the Minnesota Twins and possibly the Kansas City Royals to sign him.
5. Bronson Arroyo, Starting Pitcher
Where has the time gone? Arroyo is now 36 years-old and could be leaving the Reds for the first time since 2005 when he was a Boston Red Sock. Arroyo had a pretty good season with an ERA of 3.79, 124 strikeouts and a 2.5 WAR. The two main teams that keep coming up with his name is the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets. Even though he is 36 years-old he has never proved that injuries have been a problem.
4. Nelson Cruz, Right Fielder
Cruz has proven over the past three years that he will without a doubt bat .260. Over the past three years he has batted; .263, .260 and .266. After seeing those numbers it only makes sense that his career batting average is .268. Over the past five years he has never hit less than 22 home runs and has hit as many as 33 in one season. At 33 years-old he has a decent amount left in the tank and should sign anywhere from a three to five year deal. The only dark cloud that hangs over Cruz is the good ole’ biogenesis case, along with his lack of defensive ability. Once again the Philadelphia Phillies seem to be the front-runner to get Cruz in their outfield.
3. Matt Garza, Starting Pitcher
30 year-old Garza has had himself a very impressive career. His 2013 season was not too shabby either. He recorded a 3.82 ERA to go with a 1.24 WHIP. He won ten games last season and struck out 136 men. He pitched in only 155 innings but has been so consistent over that time. There are not a lot of what most people would call “ace” pitchers in free agency this season so this might be the best of the available players. Look for a team like the New York Yankees of Los Angeles Angels to go after him.
2. A.J. Burnett, Starting Pitcher
Burnett had the greatest season of his entire career in 2013 posting a 3.30 ERA which is the lowest ERA he has posted to date. He struck out the second most men in a season in his career as well at 209. Although his WAR was only 1.7 he proved that he is still a good pitcher. Name another pitcher in the free agent market who had a better season than Burnett. My guess is that you can’t name one. The Pirates are looking to re-sign him but that is all depending on the market. Other teams that you could see Burnett pitching for next year include the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals. Although he did state that he would like to pitch in Pittsburgh next season.
1. Shin-Soo Choo, Cincinnati Reds
Choo had another amazing season and is looking to make a killing in the free agent market. He is one of the most patient hitters in baseball and had the second most walks in all of baseball at 112. He scored 107 runs in 2013 and had an impressive WAR of 4.2. This guy is a dream for any manager to have on their team. The amount of walks in itself is impressive but what is even more impressive is the durability that he has. He played in 154 games last season and played 155 games the season before. He batted .285 with a .423 OBP which ranks among the top five in all of baseball. Look for a team like the Detroit Tigers or Seattle Mariners to sign Choo. The only problem for the Mariners is that they have a lot of money tied up in Robinson Cano and may not be able to pay Choo his desired amount.