MLB Free Agency: Five low-profile free agents who could make big impacts
By Tim Haberin
Baseball differs from the other major sports in that free agency tends to drag out over the course of the offseason. Spring Training starts next month, yet several big names such as Justin Upton, Chris Davis and Yoenis Cespedes are still on the market.
That means there is still plenty of talent to be found on the middle and lower tiers of the MLB free agency pool as well. Seemingly minor signings can end up making huge impacts in the upcoming season. Here are five currently unsigned players who might provide an unexpected boost to teams in 2016.
Denard Span: The 31-year-old Span was limited to just 61 games in 2015 due to a hip injury, but he still managed to slash .301/.365/.431 with five homers and 22 RBIs over 275 plate appearances.
Though by no means a power bat, Span has been a very capable big league hitter throughout his eight-year career. In 2014 he hit .302 and led the National League with 184 hits. Fleet of foot, he led both leagues with 11 triples in 2013 and stole 51 bases between 2013-14. Span could be a valuable pickup for a team in need of a lefty-hitting outfielder.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
David Freese: It’s fairly slim pickings on the third base market, making Freese one of the better options for teams looking to add at the hot corner.
Freese has declined since his 2012 All-Star campaign when he slashed .293/.372/.467 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs. He did manage to rebound a bit last year for the Angels, posting a .743 OPS (an improvement of .039 from the season prior) with 14 homers (his most since 2012) and 56 RBIs.
Freese missed some time in 2015 due to a broken finger; if he can stay healthy next season the 32-year-old infielder could be a decent roll of the dice on a short-term deal.
Cliff Lee: It seems a bit strange to label Lee as “low-profile,” but that’s pretty much where he is after injuries wiped out over half of his 2014 campaign along with all of 2015.
The former ace reportedly doesn’t lack for suitors: Jon Heyman claimed last month that 15 clubs had expressed interest. Yesterday Lee’s agent stated that his client would need a “perfect fit” to pitch this year. If he can find one, the left-hander could be an intriguing bounce-back candidate.
Lee has a variety of factors going against him. Elbow injuries to pitchers are not to be taken lightly, and he will be turning 38 next August. His resume, however, remains exceedingly impressive. Full health and a spot in a rotation that doesn’t require him to be its anchor could perhaps help Lee recapture some of his former glory.
Gerardo Parra: The Orioles traded for Parra last July after a hot start to his season with the Brewers. He was slashing .328/.369/.517 through 100 games for Milwaukee. His production took a sharp nosedive in Baltimore, as he managed a meager .237/.268/.357 line in 55 contests with the O’s.
The 28-year-old Parra has struggled mightily against left-handed pitchers throughout his career: he owns a .232/.296/.302 line versus southpaws, but hits at a .289/.335/.432 clip against righties. As a platoon option or extra outfielder, Parra could be an appealing piece.
Doug Fister: Another buy-low candidate on the starting pitching market, Fister had a season to forget in 2015. He posted a 4.60 ERA through his first 15 starts, at which point the Nationals demoted him to the bullpen. He was much more effective there, closing out the year with a 2.12 ERA in ten relief appearances.
The towering right-hander almost certainly wants the chance to start somewhere in 2016, and teams looking to take a flyer on a reclamation project could do worse. Fister is only a year removed from a stellar campaign in Washington when he won 16 games to the tune of a 2.41 ERA and even finished in the top-10 in NL Cy Young voting. From 2011 to 2014 he put up a 3.11 ERA over 750.2 innings during stints with the Mariners, Tigers and Nationals.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Fister has received multiple one- and two-year offers.