5 Under the Radar MLB Free Agent Starters That Will Improve Your Team
By Josh Ejnes
Signing a low-cost, high-value MLB free agent starter might not be something that makes your teams’ fanbase go crazy, but it is a move that can have a major impact at a low cost.
It’s easy to ignore the more low key and frugal signings teams make during MLB free agency, especially when superstars like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper take up so much media oxygen. It makes sense that we tend to focus on these big players; they’ll have an immediate impact on their MLB free agent team and will likely stick around wherever they sign for at least the next few years.
Still, this doesn’t mean that the less exciting signings are something we should ignore. Huge contracts are only made possible by the low-cost, high-value role-players that account for a bulk of major league rosters.
This year’s free agent class has a lot of this type of value in the starting pitching department. There are a lot of veteran starters looking to sign who likely only have a few years left in the league, meaning a short-term, relatively low price deal is certainly on the table.
A move like this only makes sense for a certain type of team, one that already has one or two aces and is just looking for a guy to fill out their rotation. On these teams, a quality veteran, especially one with postseason experience, can be a big part of taking advantage of a championship window.
Two of these types of signings have already happened with C.C. Sabathia and Adam Wainwright. Sabathia is returning to the Yankees on a one year $8 million deal, and Wainwright will be returning to the Cardinals on a one year $2 million deal. Both men are taking pay cuts in 2019, and will work themselves into a rotation behind a some much younger arms.
Keep in mind that in these cases the players are returning to teams that they’ve been on for a very long time, giving them a relationship to go off of as far as contracts/pay cuts are concerned. Most veteran starters will be moving onto new organizations, giving them less leverage in negotiation. This could lead to valuable additions at a steal of a price.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 5 value free agent starters on the market right now.