Potential Free Agents: Top Outfielders
Taking a look ahead, you will find that there are plenty of solid outfielders that could potentially be free agents after the World Series. As a baseball fan I love to see big deals go down in the off season to help out the small market teams. Oakland, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay have all done a great job at scanning the free agent market in years past to find a gem. This year is no different. Except that the outfield market is stacked with talent. Here are some of the best outfielders going on the market this winter.
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Jacoby Ellsbury, who just turned 30, will be a free agent this off season. He relies on his speed to be the number one tool of his game. He has been a great player for the Red Sox over the past seven seasons but will someone want to take the risk of him breaking down late in a contract? The Red Sox could really use him back in center field next season, but do they want to take that risk? In the seven seasons as a Red Sox he only played 130 games four times. He had a very good season this year and that could help his chances in free agency. Look for Ellsbury to get a four or five year deal worth about $90 Million.
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Curtis Granderson had an injury plagued 2013 as he only played in 61 games. He is yet another player that relies on speed in his game. His power numbers have been maximized in New York because of the short porch in right field. Yes, he played in a huge ball park early in his career but the ball park really helped him power wise. He will also be 33 on Opening Day next season and could also be a huge risk to a team. Granderson is a great on base guy, but doesn’t have a great average. The reason for this is the huge amount of strikeouts that he racks up. Look for him to get a 3 year deal, because of the injury prone seasons and the amount of strikeouts.
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Shin-Soo Choo arguably had his best all around season since he has been in the majors. He was second in the National League in On Base Percentage, only behind his teammate Joey Votto. He became a 20/20 player for the third time in his career, but in the other two seasons he didn’t score as many runs or draw as many walks. He was the catalyst for the Cincinnati Reds and without him they would have been a mediocre team at best. His agent is Scott Boras and Boras says Choo will get no less than $100 Million. He is only 31 and doesn’t rely too much on speed so he would be a good fit for many teams. He could end up getting a 5 year deal from a team willing to spend the money.
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Marlon Byrd has come out of nowhere with a breakout season in 2013. He is now 36 with only one or two seasons left but a contender could really use him next season. He plays a very solid outfield and swings the bat well. Having this great season will help him on the free agent market, but look for the Pirates to try to resign him. In 30 games with the Pirates he had 9 extra base hits and 17 RBI. Putting him behind McCutchen and in front of Alvarez has really helped their offense. He will end up getting a 2 year deal most likely and could end up being traded to a contender at the deadline if the team he ends up with is out of the race.
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Nelson Cruz was suspended for a chunk of the 2013 season because of his involvement in the Biogenesis case. Cruz has played all but 8 games of his career in Texas and has had a very consistent career. He will be 33 on Opening Day in 2014 and after missing a chunk of the 2013 season, he could be a risk to a point. He has major power to the opposite field but no one knows if it is because of the steroids he was on. It will be key to see how the other players on this end up, because that will eventually effect where Cruz ends up.
Notable Outfielder Free Agents: Coco Crisp, Chris Young, Mike Morse, Corey Hart, David DeJesus and Carlos Beltran