Top 25 MLB Free Agents
Nos. 7-8
Josh Donaldson (8) was one of the success stories of the 2019 post-season, justifying the one-year, $23 million deal the Braves gave him by rehabilitating his image. He hit 37 home runs, drove in 94, played a solid third base and most importantly did so without significant injury.
His age (34 next season) remains a liability, but if Donaldson is willing to talk about another short-term deal – maybe two years — there’s every reason to believe he can help a 2020 contender.
Marcel Ozuna (7) will be an interesting case. He, too, got a qualifying offer from the Cardinals, meaning that any signing team will lose a draft pick. Teams hate that.
Ozuna had a productive, if not a huge, 2018 with a .280 batting average, 23 home runs, and 88 RBIs. He hit 29 home runs in 2019, but his average fell 40 points.
If you like Ozuna’s profile as a pure power hitter, the decline in average may not hurt his marketability. But if you valued him for his offensive versatility, Ozuna may have become too one-dimensional to justify the kind of big offer he expects.
He once was considered a defensive asset in left, but those days appear to be past. Still, even his minimalist profile as a late 20s power hitter ought to attract attention.