Others of note
By any measure, the most versatile free agent on the market will be Marwin Gonzalez. For the 2018 Astros, Gonzalez played at least 20 games in the outfield, at first, second and short. Versatility is a marketable trait in these days of 13-man pitching staffs.
Gonzalez‘ value may be reduced by his offensive numbers, which did fall off from 2017. He batted just .247 with a .324 on base and .409 slugging, none of those better than the league average. He will be 30 next year, but that’s not too young for a versatile and competent, if not overpowering, bat.
If you want an overpowering bat, and are willing to stick him at DH on a short-term deal, then Nelson Cruz is your guy. Cruz turns 39 in mid-season next year, but his 37 home runs and 97 RBIs for Seattle last season suggest he may not be slowing down much. Cruz’s problem is the limited market for a 39-year-old DH, even a powerful one.
At 31, Evan Gattis skews a bit younger. And in a pinch he can catch or play first base as well as DH. Gattis’ problem is that his production took a big hit in 2018, his batting average falling from .263 to .226 and his OPS from .767 to .736.
That’s one take on a team consistingly completely of players in MLB free agency. What do you think? Any choices you would have made different? Comment below!