MLB: Three highest upside free agents and possible landing spots

Andrelton Simmons has been one of the top defensive shortstops throughout his MLB career.

Since making his MLB debut back in 2012 with the Atlanta Braves, Andrelton Simmons has been one of the top defensive shortstops in baseball, winning four Gold Gloves and one Platinum Glove Award thus far in his career.

Since 2013, his first full season in the majors, Simmons has a league-leading 172 Defensive Runs Saved, 105 more than the next shortstop on the list, Brandon Crawford and his 67. He leads all major league defenders in that category, with Colorado’s Nolan Arenado sitting in second with 120.

Unfortunately, injuries and a diminishing offensive performance have led to plenty of questions as to whether or not the 31-year-old shortstop can return to his 2017 or 2018 form where he was worth a combined 10.4 Wins Above Replacement.

Simmons appeared in just 103 games in 2019, hitting .264 with a .673 OPS and a wRC+ of 81. Those numbers were slightly better in 2020, but Simmons played in just 30 games and ended up opting out of the final few days of the season, citing COVID-19 concerns. He hit .297 with no home runs, a .702 OPS, and a wRC+ of 99.

Any team that signs Andrelton Simmons will do so for his glove, but if his offensive numbers can look similar to his 2017 or 2018 form and he’s able to put his ankle issue behind him, Simmons can once again emerge as one of the top infield talents in baseball.

The New York Yankees seem like one of the more obvious landing spots for Simmons this offseason. Oakland, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia could also be in on Simmons this offseason. With a decent class of free agent shortstops available this year and a monster class available next year, Simmons won’t get a big payday, but someone will be adding a solid player to plug into their infield.