Costly Third Baseman: Mike Moustakas, Free Agent
Mike Moustakas is quite possibly the most interesting free agent on the market. The 29-year-old posted a higher batting average (.272) than his BABip (.263), and that rarely ever happens. A career-best 38 home runs, however, has teams in need of a third baseman drooling over Moustakas with hopes that he’ll be able to repeat this impressive feat.
Not only was Moose a power threat in 2017, but he put the ball in play quite often. The only MLB players with more than 30 home runs and a strikeout rate lower than Moustakas’ 15.7% were Nolan Arenado, Joey Votto, Francisco Lindor, and Anthony Rizzo. That’s some pretty elite company to be in.
Thanks to his prime age and breakout offensive season, Mike Moustakas will command well over $15 million per year. I’ve got a Moustakas contract somewhere close to five years and $90 million, an average of $18 million per year. While the Atlanta Braves may not be in the market for such a contract, it would be awesome to see Moustakas man the hot corner for them.
Moderately-Priced Third Baseman: Todd Frazier, Free Agent
While Todd Frazier won’t be cheap, he’s also not going to cost an absurd amount of money as a free agent thanks to his low-average, high-power playing style. Frazier often walks, doing so at a 14.4% rate in 2017, which adds to his value a bit.
The 31-year-old put up a very Dan Uggla-esque season in 2017, hitting for just a .213 average but collecting 19 doubles and 27 home runs. That worries me a bit, but with Frazier being a lock for 25+ home runs with a chance at upwards of 30, he’s worth the risk for the right price.
Entering his age-32 season, I don’t see Todd Frazier getting any more than a three-year deal with a club option after two years. I’m setting his price at $12-$13 million per year, as no one is going to pay much more than that for someone who has a chance to be the next post-prime Dan Uggla.
Cheap Third Baseman: Jedd Gyorko, St. Louis Cardinals
With three years of club control at around the price, he’s truly worth Jedd Gyorko could probably be had for a reasonable price regarding the Atlanta Braves giving up talent. Gyorko had arguably his best season yet in 2017, slashing .272/.341/.472 with 21 doubles and 20 home runs in just 125 games (481 PA). Entering his age-29 season, Gyorko has an excellent chance to repeat those numbers.
Gyorko is owed $9 million in 2018, $13 million in 2019, and has a $13 million club option for 2020 with a $1 million buyout, which enables the Braves to grant Gyorko free agency following the 2019 season. If Austin Riley has proven himself ready, and they don’t feel like they’re able to swing a trade to rid themselves of Gyorko.
If Atlanta were to try and swing a trade for Jedd Gyorko, it would look something like giving up Julio Teheran and Patrick Weigel, who’s a high-risk, high-reward prospect currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. This is relatively cheap, compared to what it would take to acquire a top-tier third baseman like Kris Bryant or Manny Machado (if Machado had a few years of club control).