2018 MLB Free Agency All-Star team is actually very good

It’s almost inconceivable how many talented players are still available this MLB free agency period. And if someone compiled a legitimate team made of available players, it would be pretty competitive.

The biggest surprise this offseason hasn’t been a particular signing or trade. Instead, it’s the fact that several talented players on the MLB free agency market are still without teams.

Guys that offered considerable contributions on their teams last season have yet to sign. Yu Darvish, J.D. Martinez, and Eric Hosmer are just a few names on the board, but there are plenty more.

The offseason has become an attrition situation. Teams hope that players will reduce the amount of money they desire, while players hope clubs will eventually meet their demands.

Thus far, that strategy hasn’t worked for a majority of teams or their targets.

More notable free agent transactions occurred throughout the previous three months. Wade Davis received the largest contract for a relief pitcher. Lorenzo Cain signed with Milwaukee, pushing the Brewers into the contention category – for now. Carlos Santana joined the Phillies, surprising most fans.

However, a ton of proven All-Stars – much better than some teams’ starters – still sit without a contract. Most of the more talented guys will earn a convincing offer and take it by Spring Training. Others – older veterans – may accept a minor-league deal at this point.

But an interesting point that could be made is that an all-free-agent squad would likely be better than several teams in the MLB. While this hypothetical will never turn into a reality, rarely has anyone seen a star-studded class like this so late in the offseason.

Hence, until they agree to sign with a respective club, players qualify to be a part of this newly-created team. And after gazing over the lengthy list of options on the free agent market, it’s clear that they could construct a pretty successful squad – based on starters.

Here is what the MLB free agency starting lineup and rotation might look like.

MLB free agency — Catcher: Jonathan Lucroy

A few years ago, Jonathon Lucroy seemed on the cusp of becoming the best catcher in the league. Now, the two-time All-Star remains without a team as Spring Training approaches.

Some teams already addressed their catching issues, including the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox. But some clubs might need an extra boost in the backstop.

Lucroy is the best option on the market. The 31-year-old was ultimately mediocre during his stint in Texas despite hitting a robust .276 with a .885 OPS in 2016. He posted a meager .242 average with just four homers in 306 plate appearances last season for the American League club.

However, he’s proven he can produce at the dish.

Lucroy launched double-digit home runs every year between 2011 and 2014. He also notched a league-high 53 doubles in 2014, when he finished fourth in the MVP race.

The Astros indicated an interest in the backstop to provide support for Brian McCann, but Lucroy didn’t accept any offer. A few other teams, such as the Mets and the Orioles, could give him a call. Washington, which just signed Miguel Montero, could also offer a short-term deal.

Although plenty forgot Lucroy because of his mediocre stats last season, he still has some gas left in the tank. And compared to other catchers that are available, he’s the cream of the free agent crop.

MLB free agency — First Base: Eric Hosmer

Logan Morrison reignited his career last season, but Eric Hosmer continues the most legitimate option for teams in need of a first baseman.

The Kansas City Royals don’t seem too obliged to hand Hosmer a gaudy long-term deal. San Diego already offered the infielder the type of contract he desires, but he has not accepted anything to this point.

Teams are hesitant to give in to Hosmer’s demands, as he is not a top-tier first baseman worth an eight-year deal worth a gargantuan $200 million. But he is still a productive middle-of-the-lineup power option. And he plays almost every game.

The 28-year-old Royal played in at least 130 games in all but one of his seven seasons. And the free agent put together a career-best campaign in 2017, hitting .318 with 25 bombs, as well as a Gold Glove award and Silver Slugger award.

Although he ranked seventh in WAR among first baseman, he was more consistent at the plate than younger guys like Cody Bellinger. Hosmer’s power numbers aren’t out of this world, but his durability is a plus – honestly, double-plus.

Altogether, Hosmer is a much better player than most first basemen in the MLB based on recent numbers and his ability to stay healthy. Not many guys play in every regular season game anymore, but he did. 

Maybe Hosmer will give in and accept a shorter deal, especially if it involves nearly $20 million a year. Either way, Kansas City or San Diego are more likely to sign the All-Star at this point.

Third Base: Mike Moustakas or Todd Frazier

It is surprising to see both of these guys still on the free agent list. Most teams in need of a corner infielder are waiting until the players give in to a fair contract.

But neither Frazier nor Moustakas caved throughout the past three months.

And both are arguably better than guys in the hot corner on some teams. Frazier’s WAR ranked ahead of notable guys like Miguel Sano and Kyle Seager. Moustakas had a higher OPS than Manny Machado and Evan Longoria.

Although that doesn’t mean these players are better options than those guys, it puts into perspective the types of seasons they can have.

Frazier’s biggest issue is putting the ball in play. The slugger hit just .225 in 2016 and .213 in 2017. Nevertheless, he crushed 67 home runs and accumulated 174 RBIs in that span.

What was most impressive last season was Frazier’s ability to remain patient at the dish. After whiffing a career-high 163 times in 2016, he struck out just 125 last year. More importantly, he drew a career-high 83 walks, which was about 14.4 percent of his plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Moustakas put together his best campaign at the plate. He blasted a career-high 38 home runs and sported a .835 OPS. The two-time All-Star never hit more than 22 homers before last year.

While the uptick in power is promising, the free agent third baseman might have hit his peak. Considering that he’s never been a top-tier power guy, last season might be an anomaly.

He doesn’t strike out a lot, but he also doesn’t walk a lot either. And he’s typically an average fielder, though his ability is nothing special. He’s a run-of-the-mill starter, but he’s not worth what he’s asking.

And that might be the most worrisome aspect of this free agency period. Guys like Moustakas desire the big bucks when they don’t deserve nearly as much. Even with all of the career-high numbers, the former Royals infielder owned a meager 1.8 WAR.

That being said, he’s still more qualified in the hot corner than someone like Nicholas Castellanos or Maikel Franco.

MLB free agency — Second Base: Neil Walker

Every team in baseball has a weakness in its lineup, and in this case, it’s the middle infield. The MLB free agency market doesn’t showcase outstanding options at second base and shortstop, so it’s essentially a toss-up between veteran guys.

In this instance, Neil Walker just seemed to be more appealing than the rest. Only Brandon Phillips can compare in this category.

While Walker is a borderline starter for any team, he still provides something that many second basemen don’t – power. The infielder cracked double-digit home runs in eight consecutive seasons.

His OPS sat above .750 in all but one season, while his average never dipped below .250 in his career. He will likely never qualify for the All-Star team with his numbers, but he is consistent and rarely endures terrible stretches at the plate.

Walker ranked seventh in OPS among second basemen with at least 350 at-bats last season, better than Robinson Cano and DJ LeMahiue. While that doesn’t seem like much of an accomplishment because of his lack of at-bats, it’s encouraging.

It represents Walker’s potential, even as a 32-year-old free agent.

Walker might be heading toward a reunion with the New York Mets. But until a deal is made, nothing is set in stone. He is arguably a more talented player than both of the Yankees’ second basemen – not Gleyber Torres. 

Some team will sign him before Spring Training, even if it’s a minor-league deal.

MLB free agency — Shortstop: Erick Aybar

Few teams, if any, desperately needed a shortstop before the offseason began. And the two teams that arguably did – Mets and Royals – acquired them prior to the final stretch.

That leaves slim pickings for any team looking for another solid free-agent shortstop. To be blunt, there aren’t any left.

Thus, in this situation, Aybar will suffice for the all-free-agent squad.

Aybar hasn’t been relevant since his days in Los Angeles, and even then, he was never a prodigious up-and-comer. At this point, he’s a veteran that can eat up innings and provide tips for younger infielders – not much more.

The Dominican never made a name for himself at the dish. But he is much more consistent than any other guy on the market, including J.J. Hardy and Mike Aviles. At least teams know they will get someone that can hit about .250 to .270 with Aybar.

But overall, there’s nothing special about the 34-year-old, other than the fact that he celebrated his birthday last month. He is easily the least-talented member of this hypothetical team.

Also, any team willing to sign Aybar this offseason should look at giving him a minor-league deal. That probably suits him best.

MLB free agency — Left Fielder: Jon Jay

Although he didn’t provide much power or speed in the bottom of the order for the Chicago Cubs, Jon Jay got on base often. Also, his competition in the category is Jayson Werth, Melky Cabrera, and Ben Revere.

None are very enticing options. Hence Jay gets the nod.

Jay’s slash wasn’t anything special last season – or any season for that matter. But he posted an average better than .270 in every season but one throughout his career. His .296 average last year ranked fifth among left fielders with more than 400 plate appearances.

The free agent outfielder primarily hits out of two spots in the order – leadoff and the No. 9 spot.

Being that his wheels cooled off since he was in St. Louis, he wouldn’t seem like the prototypical leadoff guy. However, he does get on base often so that he could earn a chance there. The Cubs slotted him in the No. 1 spot in more than 50 games, but he was much better in the No. 9 hole.

Essentially, Jay is better as a second leadoff guy in Joe Maddon’s scheme. And he might be best in that role for just about any team.

Either way, he’s still arguably the best-left fielder on the market, even if Cabrera boasted better numbers offensively last season.

MLB free agency– Center Fielder: Carlos Gomez

All of the center fielders left on the market boast speed. But Gomez is the only one left that possesses a speck of power as well.

What each free agent center fielder lacks is consistency, including Gomez. He used to be a former All-Star, yet he can’t hold down a starting job anymore.

Rajai Davis and Cameron Maybin join Gomez as gold members in the platoon club because of their speed and experience. Maybin swiped more than 30 bags last year, keeping him relevant on the Angels’ roster.

Nonetheless, Gomez is an overall better hitter – at least he was last season. He clobbered 17 homers while hitting .255. Yet, his on-base percentage was a decent .340, better than guys like Adam Jones, Jackie Bradley Jr., and A.J. Pollock.

His fielding abilities aren’t what they used to be. He didn’t save any runs defensively in either of the previous two seasons. Maybin was an efficient defender in Los Angeles, but not in Houston.

Most of this decision boils down to whether a team is more confident in Gomez or Maybin at the plate. Considering Gomez had a rebound campaign last season, he probably gets the upper edge.

Neither of the two is above-average options, though.

MLB free agency– J.D. Martinez

Martinez is arguably the best free agent position player. If it weren’t for Yu Darvish, he would probably be the best free agent left on the market overall.

Rumors connected Martinez and the Red Sox since the first day of the offseason, yet nothing has come of it. Either Martinez is unhappy with the role Boston wants him to play, or he is asking for too much money.

Teams aren’t willing to overpay the outfielder despite the mind-boggling amount of power he demonstrated in the second half of 2017. But his overall resume is above-average for many reasons.

And he would be the biggest star in the lineup on this squad, along with Hosmer. Martinez is a former All-Star that hit better than .300 in three of his previous four seasons. He smacked 128 bombs in that time span, including 45 last season.

What Martinez did last season was impressive. He would have been a significant MVP contender if he played a full season, as he posted a .303/.376/.690 triple-slash line in 2017. Mike Trout was the only player with a better OPS last year among players with more than 400 plate appearances.

Any manager would stash the outfielder into the No. 3 or cleanup spot of their lineup. And that should be the case with nearly any team, as Martinez possesses some of the best power in the game.

Not many opposing pitchers foiled Martinez since 2014. And unless they can figure the slugger out, he may put up another 40 bombs – or more – in 2018 as well.

MLB free agency — Yu Darvish

This rotation would make this team competitive in either league.

Darvish would be an ace on several teams, and he also possesses one of the best repertoires in the MLB. He eclipsed 200 strikeouts in each of his three full seasons, and he is a four-time All-Star.

Teams acknowledge his status as an ace, hence why he’s asking for a massive contract worth more than $20 million a year. Only a select few are willing to pay that much, and teams drop out as days go by.

Nevertheless, everyone knows how valuable Darvish is at the head of any rotation. Even though he owned a losing record last season, he ranked 12th in strikeouts in the league and 13th in WHIP. He ranked higher than other aces, such as Gerrit Cole and Marcus Stroman, in both categories.

Fans knocked Darvish last year for his poor performance in the postseason. While he did cause mayhem in the World Series, he’s much better than that. He should be able to rebound if he makes it into the playoffs again.

Any team would be lucky to have the right-hander, but his price will determine where he goes. And thus far, it hasn’t gotten him anywhere yet. He’s still the best pitcher on the market by far.

MLB free agency — Jake Arrieta

The former Cubs hurler is a semi-ace. He was the team’s best pitcher before last year, and he compiled one of the best second-half stretches in recent years.

Arrieta, though not a premier ace anymore, is still a very high-caliber pitcher at the top of any rotation. Even though he posted his worst ERA since 2013 last season, he still put up relatively good numbers.

An uptick in hits allowed forced Arrieta’s WHIP to increase, and he also a career-high 23 home runs. As an example, Arrieta surrendered 150 hits in 168 1/3 innings last year. He also allowed 150 hits in 2015, but that was across 229 innings.

Arrieta wasn’t his old self-last year. However, he still racked up a stable strikeout rate and yielded fewer walks per nine innings compared to 2016. He ranked within the top 20 in ERA and WHIP.

Most teams still need an above-average arm, but of course, money gets in the way. Only a few can ultimately afford the 31-year-old.

But he will suit up for some club before Spring Training begins. He’s too talented to be left on the free agent market in March.

MLB free agency — Jaime Garcia

Jaime Garcia was one of the better back-end pitchers in the league during his stint in St. Louis. Although he rarely overpowered hitters, he found ways to diminish his ERA to under 4.00 while posting subpar hit and strikeout ratios.

However, the southpaw looks more like a borderline starter based on his numbers from the past few years. And his 2017 campaign is the epitome of what teams expect from him. That is why he remains a free agent.

Garcia is relatively inconsistent.

The left-hander posted some of his best numbers during his rookie season. Between then and 2015, he endured several injuries and stretches of inconsistency. He wasn’t seen as a reliable starter for the Cardinals.

But even with mediocre numbers, three teams brought Garcia in last year to occupy back-end spots in the rotation. He became the first pitcher since 1895 – you read that correctly – to start three consecutive games for three different clubs.

Garcia has a few underlying issues.

Most notably, the lefty yields far too many hits to keep players off the base path. And if opposing hitters can’t slap the ball around, they allow Garcia to do damage to himself. He allowed more walks per nine innings in 2017 than any other year in his career.

However, even with his issues, he remains a target on the free agent market. If a team needs a veteran in the rotation to eat up innings, Garcia is the guy.

John Lackey seems to be his biggest competition if that’s the rationale behind signing someone. And the righty’s postseason experience might give him the edge.

Yet, Garcia surely will have a contract before Spring Training pops up. Lackey, on the other hand, might still be without a team at that time.

MLB free agency Relief Corps: Greg Holland, Tony Watson, Trevor Rosenthal

All of the attention paid toward relief pitchers this offseason centered on Wade Davis. Though he was not nearly as dominant on the Cubs as he was on the Royals, he still earned a monumental amount of cash. Colorado will figure out whether he’s worth every penny over the next three years.

Still, it’s surprising to see two of the three guys mentioned in the MLB free agency market.

Watson is arguably the only premier left-handed pitcher in free agency. But his depleted numbers may have directed teams elsewhere to acquire a southpaw.

The left-hander was never deemed an elite closer, but he was difficult to hit against. While in Pittsburgh, he compiled a combined 2.68 ERA throughout seven seasons. HIs numbers in Los Angeles were similar as well.

His closing days may be over, but he’s still a good option late in games. Watson upped his strikeout rate during his stint on the Dodgers, and he sported a similar hit ratio compared to his glory days on the Bucs.

Even if he’s not an overpowering closer, he’s a great setup option, especially for teams in dire need of a lefty reliever.

Fans and analysts turned their heads away from Rosenthal and Holland across the past few seasons. Holland replied by accruing a league-high 41 saves. Rosenthal rebounded by posting a career-high strikeout ratio.

Neither might possess a closing job by March, but they offer nearly every team an experienced, electric arm in the pen. Holland is a three-time All-Star, while Rosenthal collected 40-plus saves in two seasons.

Both fell under the radar throughout the past few seasons. Holland missed the entire 2016 campaign, and fans didn’t know if he planned to pitch again. Opposing hitters lit up Rosenthal more often than not in 2016, so he lost his closing job in St. Louis.

Holland is likely the only one to become a ninth-inning fireman immediately. The Rockies offered him a deal, but he rejected. Other teams might want him as a setup guy. Thus he may have to accept it to get some money this season.

On the other hand, teams will probably hand Rosenthal a deal to be a middle reliever. Despite racking up more strikeouts than usual, he still allowed more hits than his career average, leading to a 3.40 ERA.

Most teams would be glad to have either of these three options in their pens. Piecing the three together also gives any relief staff any upgrade, though that won’t happen.

MLB free agency

This MLB free agency club doesn’t possess an intimidating lineup from top to bottom nor a pitching staff that will wipe away hitters relentlessly. But it maintains a top-five starting rotation in the league and a powerful trio of hitters at the top of the order.

Another aspect to keep in mind is who could manage the club.

Several experienced skippers lurk for new opportunities, and many have yet to find them. All of the vacancies that opened up prior to the offseason were filled rather quickly.

But some trustworthy minds remain on the MLB free agency market, including Dusty Baker, who had two seasons of success in Washington, and Joe Girardi.

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

Some fans demonstrated their outrage when each of the two was terminated. More importantly, some were afraid their rivals would pick them up, leading to their own team’s imminent doom.

Girardi would be a better option solely because he has a better resume in the postseason. Baker knows how to get his teams to the playoffs but struggles to get them to the Fall Classic.

Just about any manager can have success with this sort of lineup/rotation combination. And a handful of serviceable veterans headline a solid relief corps as well.

Thus, inevitably this team would be competitive no matter what league it played in. Several organizations might overshadow it because of its weaknesses in the middle infield and outfield, but most starters are reliable.

Next: Where will Jose Altuve hit in the order?

And that pitching staff could ultimately carry this MLB free agency team into the postseason. It would be an enjoyable twist to see the 31st squad like this added in the mix in the MLB. And while it probably won’t ever happen, it’s still exciting to think about nonetheless.