MLB Free Agency: Top Free Agent Bargains Available

MLB free agency continues its slow pace, which means there are several bargains to be had on the free agent market.

A lot of teams are starting to figure out how MLB free agency now works, and sometimes its best for small market teams to be patient.

And its not just the small market teams, but even contenders can find great deals late in the offseason.

We know that a lot of MLB free agency this offseason has been held up by Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, but I really think at this point we know the teams who are in on them.

The teams who aren’t in on those two should already be searching for those bargains.

And when you think of a bargain player in baseball, it doesn’t mean signing a guy for a couple million, even some players who were considered top free agents could become bargains as the offseason goes on.

Whether teams don’t view a player to be as valuable as the player thinks he is, or the market for a particular position just doesn’t materialize, there are always going to be players in MLB free agency who get less than they anticipated.

And it’s not always just about the dollars either, it can the length of the deal. We’ve seen a lot of players take one-year deals with a high AAV when their market kind of collapsed. To me, that could be considered a bargain for a team as well.

There are a lot of free agents still available who fit that criteria.

Mike Moustakas

This could be back-to-back offseasons now that a team gets Mike Moustakas at a bargain. Last year, the Kansas City Royals brought Moose back on a one-year deal for $5.5 million with a mutual option for $15 million in 2019 that was bought out for $1 million.

There really hasn’t been much talk about Moustakas this offsesaon, which makes me believe he will have to take another bargain deal.

Last year he hit .251 between the Royals and Brewers with a 28 home runs and 95 RBI.

His average and OBP are nothing to get excited about, but if you are looking for a power-hitting third baseman who plays great defense, then signing Moustakas for another $5 million contract over one year would certainly be a bargain.

Of course, Moustakas’ market could pick up one Machado signs as I’m guessing Mouse is the number one back-up plan for teams who need a third baseman and miss out on Machado.

The Brewers, Padres, and Royals have shown some level of interest. The White Sox and Phillies would make a lot of sense as well if they miss out on the big fish.

Moose is still just 30-years-old and has hit 22 or more home runs in three of the past four seasons (only played 27 games in 2016).

Spotrac has his market value at $10.5 million, but I would be shocked if he sees double-digits.

Adam Jones

Not many players in the game have been as consistent over the years as outfielder Adam Jones. He’s played in at least 137 games in nine straight seasons, and only twice during that span has he hit under .280.

His stock took a big hit last year during his age 32 season when he hit just 15 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles. But you also have to remember he was playing for one of the worst teams in the history of baseball.

Before the 2018 season, Adam Jones had hit 25 or more home runs in seven straight seasons. I see no reason why he can’t get back to hitting 20-plus home runs in 2019.

While his on-base percentage has never been great, his batting average has always hovered around .280, which is very solid.

And while he is no longer mobile enough to play center field, I believe he can still be a good defender in either corner outfield spot.

There hasn’t been much interest in Jones this offseason, but like Moustakas, some of his suitors could be waiting on Harper to sign.

Still, I would be surprised if Jones gets anything more than a two-year deal — if that — and I would venture to guess he makes less $10 million a year.

Whoever signs him is getting a leader in the clubhouse and a productive outfielder at a bargain.

Gio Gonzalez, Jeremy Hellickson, and Yovani Gallardo

There are three starting pitchers left of the free agent market who I think could be solid bargains for a team either looking to fill out the back of their rotation, or a non-contender that is maybe looking for assets to flip at the trade deadline.

Gio Gonzalez is at the top of that list for me. Just going back to 2017 he had a 2.96 ERA in 32 starts. And if you’re looking for dependability, he’s made 27 or more starts in nine straight seasons with eight of those being 31 or more.

But at the same time, he’s had an ERA over four in two of the past three years and didn’t look particularly great at the end of 2018. He still has a chance to get a multi-year deal, but I still think his AAV will be between $5-8 million. The Padres and Mets seem the most interested.

Jeremy Hellickson was actually pretty good when he pitched in 2018, but he couldn’t stay on the field. He had a 3.45 ERA in 91.1 innings pitched for the Nationals with a WHIP of 1.07.

Last offseason he had to settle for a minor league deal after posting an ERA of 5.43 in 2017. I dont’ think he’ll be that much of a bargain this year, but a team looking to fill out their rotation can get a great arm on a one-year deal for around $4-5 million probably.

Yovani Gallardo is someone who may have to take a minor league deal after three straight seasons with an ERA of 5.42 or higher.

I don’t think a contender can take a chance on Gallardo at this point, who was a very solid pitcher from 2009-2015. But a non-contender could take a flier on him and hope they strike gold.

Josh Harrison, Jose Iglesias, Adeiny Hechavarria, and Alcides Escobar

There are several infielders still available who could either start for a team or be valuable depth.

Josh Harrison leads that list as he can play multiple positions on the infield and play some outfield. The most games Josh has every played in a season though is 143 and that was back in 2014.

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Last year he played just 97 games and hit .250 with 8 home runs. Baseball Reference projects him to hit .259 this year with 10 home runs. He could get a deal similar to Ian Kinsler who got two-years at $4 million a year.

Jose Iglesias is still relatively young at 29 and can provide great defense up the middle. His career average is actually better than I thought at .270, but he offers very little power.

Iglesias should get something similar to what Asdrubal Cabrera got at one-year and $3.5 million. I think he would be a solid defensive replacement off the bench and someone who could put the ball in play when needed.

Not that long ago Adeiny Hechavarria was considered one of the best up-and-coming shortstops in the league. His bat really hasn’t developed at the big leag level, but like Iglesias above, he provides superior defense.

He will turn 30 this season, and I think he could get a similar deal to Iglesias. Both will provide solid depth on the infield and could fill in nicely if a starter goes down.

You could say the same thing about Alcides Escobar who is coming off his worst year at age 31 hitting .231 in just 140 games with 4 home runs.

I think all of these guys could be had at a bargain and bring a tremendous amount of experience and depth to a team. Injuries are part of the game, and you can feel confident with any one of these players as part-time replacements.