With the World Series quickly approaching the fans of teams who are no longer in the playoffs have to start looking towards the offseason and who could come to help their teams in 2014. The free agent market is packed full of players every season, but in 2014 there are some very intriguing players out there. From a leader behind the plate, Brian McCann to pitchers with multiple Cy Young awards under their belts, Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay, there are players that could be the missing link for a team looking to take the next step. The starting pitching is so abundant this season that many of them won’t even be in the top ten, the aforementioned Lincecum included.
10. Hiroki Kuroda
Kuroda will be 39 years old when the 2014 season begins but he proved he has plenty left in the tank. In his 2013 season with the Yankees he proved he still has plenty left in the tank as he finished the season with a 3.31 ERA over his 32 starts while pitching 201.1 innings. It is highly doubtful he ends up anywhere other than New York if he decides to continue his career, but he will have plenty of suitors in the offseason.
9. Grant Balfour/Fernando Rodney
Closers have been getting paid in recent years and this season two of the best of 2013 head to the market and look to cash in. Balfour was a journeyman for most of his career before Tampa Bay began to use him in a more prominent role and he had a breakout season with them in 2010. That breakout season earned him a contract to be the setup man for the A’s in 2011 where he eventually moved into the closer role in 2012. Rodney is a different story. Rodney has the stuff teams look for in a closer and eventually worked his way up to become the Tigers closer before heading to the Angels in free agency. Where Rodney has really earned his money this offseason, though, is in his 2011 season with the Rays where he finished fifth in the Cy Young voting and 13th in the MVP voting. Both men will draw a lot of interest in the offseason and will likely be putting on new uniforms in 2014 as both of their teams don’t have the payroll to keep them. The Yankees will be looking for a replacement for Mariano Rivera and Rodney could be the guy. For Balfour, he could end up just about anywhere. The Angels could be looking for a closer as they look to fix one of the worst bullpens in baseball. The move would move current closer, Ernesto Frieri, back into the setup role.
8. Mike Napoli
Napoli was supposed to be the Red Sox first baseman for the next three years but questions about his health in his physical led to the Sox only giving him a one year deal. Napoli has proved that he is fully healthy and proved even more how valuable he can be to a team as he helped turn the last place Sox into a first place team. It is hard to believe that Napoli goes anywhere else but Boston next season but he will get plenty of offers to tempt him. In the end the Sox will shell out the bucks and keep Napoli in Boston.
7. Roy Halladay
After back to back less than stellar years for Halladay he may not receive nearly as much attention as he would have in the past, but when healthy he is still one of the best pitchers in the game. That’s the issue, though, can he prove he is healthy to teams who are willing to spend. There are a lot of teams out there looking for pitching and Halladay should be high on the wish list of GMs this winter. One of the teams that will be looking to build a solid rotation as they try to improve off of a disappointing season will be the Blue Jays. With Josh Johnson coming off of the books it wouldn’t be surprising if Halladay returns back to where it all began to try and help the Jays do what they couldn’t do this season, return to the playoffs.
6. Bartolo Colon
Colon will get votes for the Cy Young and is 40-years-old. Take that in for a moment and then let this sink in, he believes that he can pitch for another three years. It’s hard enough to believe that Colon could be a Cy Young candidate at the age of 40, but to believe he could keep this up for three more years just seems crazy. Baseball is a crazy sport, though, and pitchers have played into their forties in the past. There may not be a lot of teams looking into the 40-year-old in the offseason, but he will garner some attention, but it is hard to believe he ends up anywhere else but back in Oakland.
5. Shin-Soo Choo
Choo is an interesting case. He could really end up anywhere as a lot of teams are looking for a guy like him who can lead off, hit in the power spots and play all three outfield positions. One thing is for sure, though, that the Cincinnati Reds probably cannot afford to keep him. In the end it is tough to make a call on where he will end up, but if the Pirates really want to make a deeper run into the playoffs they will go after Choo and move him back to right field and make one of the most dangerous outfields in the game today.
4. Jacoby Ellsbury
Ellsbury is an interesting situation. Before injuries derailed his 2012 season it seemed like Ellsbury could get $100 when he became a free agent, but the injury bug hit and even though he had a more healthy 2013 he still won’t get as much money as it appeared he would get when he finished second in the MVP voting in 2011. Either way there will be plenty of interest in the 30-year-old centerfielder, but in the end the Red Sox have the money to keep their leadoff hitter on the roster and are likely to retain him.
3. Matt Garza
Even though he has been plagued with injuries over the past two season Garza was the pitcher everyone wanted at the trade deadline two years in a row. He will be 30-years-old when the season starts and will likely be the top pitcher on the list of all GMs in the offseason after finishing his season strong with the Texas Rangers. Multiple teams will make offers to Garza, but in the end it is hard to believe he will not end up in pinstripes in New York. The Yankees need someone that can be the ace of the staff if CC Sabathia continues to struggle and will definitely need someone like Garza if Kuroda decides to leave via free agency or retirement.
2. Brian McCann
McCann is a guy that every team wants behind their plate. He calls a great game, he is a fiery leader and he is an offensive weapon. With the emergence of Evan Gattis in his rookie season it is likely that the Braves will not go hard after McCann which means he is likely on his way out. The best destination for McCann will be the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are losing A.J. Pierzynski to free agency after his one year contract and many believe that the reason they only gave him a one year deal was so that they could make a run at McCann this season, and McCann is exactly what the Rangers need. Not only can McCann help an already solid pitching staff get better but he could fill the offensive void that they were missing this season when they lost Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli to free agency.
1. Robinson Cano
Only one thing is for certain about the free agency of Cano, he will be the highest paid player in recent history, if not of all time. Any team in baseball could use a guy like Cano who plays a premium position and can bat in the heart of the order. In the end there are only a few teams, though, who are going to be willing to play the money that Cano is going to be looking for. The Yankees are the obvious favorites, but the dark horse in this could be the Blue Jays. The Jays have shown they are willing to go all in with the trades and signings of the 2013 offseason and could lure Cano in where he can play up the middle with his Dominican Republic WBC teammate Jose Reyes.