Grading the 2019 MLB season free agent signings
National League West
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
Although his performance has mitigated during the past month, Hyun Jin Ryu’s performance remains the pitching story of the season. Keep in mind that the Dodgers re-signed him for $17.9 million, and to date have gotten 2.7 WAA on that payout. At $4.5 million, David Freese has been a modest benefit.
Arizona’s free-agent class is enhanced by the re-signing of Eduardo Escobar, which has netted 2.2 WAA at a cost of $6.16 million. The far more heralded signing of Adam Jones looks like a bust by comparison; Jones signed for $3 million and has delivered -1.5 WAA.
The Padres made one of the off-season two mega-moves, signing Manny Machado to a deal that paid him $12 million this year. Machado has been a 1.0 WAA player, probably less than what the Padres had hoped for. They also laid out $7 million for a recovering Garrett Richards in the hope that he will yield benefit next year.
San Francisco invested $7 million in Derek Holland, watched him flop through the first three months 2019 MLB season, then unloaded him to the Cubs for cold, hard cash. In his first season running the club, Farhan Zaidi didn’t get much more out of his other eight signings.
Colorado GM Jeff Bridich fundamentally sat out the free-agent season. He signed the only infielder Daniel Murphy, who in exchange for $10 million has flopped badly, and Mark Reynolds, the latter to a minor league deal that also flopped.
Grades
- Los Angeles: Net ROI: C; Gross ROI: B; GPA: B-
- Arizona: Net ROI: B-; Gross ROI: C. GPA: C+
- San Diego: Net ROI: C; Gross ROI: C; GPA: C
- Colorado: Net ROI: C; Gross ROI: D; GPA: C-
- San Francisco: Net ROI: C; Gross ROI: D: GPA: C-