Top 25 MLB Free Agents
Nos. 17 through 19
Speaking of post-season boosts, Daniel Hudson (19) went from being an afterthought trade deadline pickup in July to delivering the final pitch of the 2019 World Series. With the Nationals, Hudson recorded a half dozen saves in 14 appearances following his acquisition from Toronto, then added four more post-season saves. A 33-year-old veteran, he is probably the top available right-handed reliever.
In a slim market for catchers, interest in Robinson Chirinos (18) could only have been spiked by his post-season showing. Chirinos only hit.238 for the Astros, but that was no surprise. He’s a career .234 hitter whose chops have always primarily been made defensively, which is exactly what teams are emphasizing in their catching these days. As for his game-calling skills, isn’t handling Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke enough of an endorsement?
Atlanta’s decision to pass on the $12 million team option it held on veteran starter Julio Teheran (17) puts him on the open pitching market. With a career 77-73 record, Teheran may no longer have front-end potential, but he made 33 starts in 2019 with a 3.81 ERA, stats that ought to be of at least conversational interest to several teams. His 119 ERA+ suggests he still has above-average desirability, so all we’re really talking about here is cash.