MLBTR’s positional take a look at the upcoming free agent class continues with the recent nook. Final month, there a transparent prime two. The Matt Chapman extension leaves one participant nicely above the remainder. Groups that aren’t all in favour of dropping 9 figures on the place might have to show to the commerce or non-tender markets for assist.
Participant ages are for the 2025 season. Stats are by way of play on September 22. Solely gamers who’ve appeared within the majors this 12 months are included.
Prime of the Class
Bregman stands head and shoulders above the remainder of the third base class. He’s arguably the #2 place participant out there (albeit approach behind Juan Soto). The 2-time All-Star has overcome a frigid begin to run a .257/.313/.435 slash with 25 homers over 619 plate appearances. That features a sturdy .266/.320/.479 line in additional than 500 journeys because the begin of Could. Bregman’s stroll fee has fallen off sharply, however he’s nonetheless a superb contact hitter with 20-30 homer pop who performs sturdy protection.
The Astros will make a qualifying provide, which he’ll decline. Houston GM Dana Brown has indicated the crew will keep in contact with Bregman’s camp on the Boras Company. It’ll be powerful to get a deal finished. The Astros’ franchise-record contract was the five-year, $151MM extension in 2018 for Jose Altuve. That’s additionally the quantity which the Giants paid (albeit over six years) to increase Chapman a couple of weeks in the past. Bregman is a 12 months youthful and a extra constant offensive performer than Chapman is. That seems like the ground, and he’ll most likely search for one thing nearer to or exceeding $200MM over seven-plus years.
Utility Varieties/Bench Bats
A career-long center infielder, DeJong had by no means performed third base earlier than this season. He has logged greater than 300 innings over 36 begins on the scorching nook. Most of that has come since a deadline deal to the Royals in deference to Bobby Witt Jr. Public defensive metrics have rated him nicely in that tiny pattern, little shock for a participant who has been a dependable defensive shortstop all through his profession. DeJong strikes out a ton and doesn’t get on base persistently. He’s hitting .230 with a .277 on-base proportion this 12 months and has a .269 OBP in additional than 1500 plate appearances because the begin of 2021. That gained’t reduce it as an on a regular basis participant, however he’s only one house run shy of the third 25-homer season of his profession. The righty energy and skill to defend all through the infield play nicely in a utility position.
Drury topped 25 house runs in each 2022 and ’23. He seemed like one of many higher power-hitting infielders within the sport getting into this season. This 12 months has been a catastrophe. He’s hitting .167/.242/.230 with all of 4 longballs over 92 video games. Drury’s exhausting contact fee has plummeted and his energy utterly evaporated. He can play any infield spot except for shortstop however isn’t an excellent defender. The disappointing stroll 12 months may put him in minor league deal territory.
Farmer is a righty-hitting utilityman who has supplied roughly league common offense in 4 straight seasons. This 12 months’s .229/.308/.378 slash with 5 homers is somewhat beneath his typical normal, although that’s weighed down closely by a horrible begin. Farmer has a robust .286/.346/.473 profession slash in opposition to left-handed pitching in comparison with a .236/.296/.357 mark with out the platoon benefit. He has graded as a stable if unexceptional defender all through his profession, although that might drop off as he enters his age-34 season. Farmer’s cope with Minnesota comprises a $6.25MM mutual possibility or a $250K buyout; the crew is more likely to decline its finish.
Hernández has made a profession off his defensive flexibility, clubhouse repute and double-digit house run energy. The Dodgers have used him most often at third base this season. Hernández entered the season with somewhat greater than 250 MLB innings on the place. He has performed 529 frames over 60 begins there in 2024. The suitable-handed hitter has a really poor common (.219) and on-base proportion (.272), however he’s obtained 11 homers in 373 plate appearances.
Iglesias spent all of 2023 in Triple-A. The previous All-Star shortstop has had a resurgent return to the majors with the Mets since being referred to as up on the finish of Could. Iglesias is hitting .337/.381/.459 over 265 plate appearances whereas splitting most of his time between second and third base. That massive offensive output is buoyed by a .380 common on balls in play that he’s unlikely to keep up over a bigger pattern. That mentioned, he stays one of many extra gifted pure contact hitters. He’s nonetheless a robust defender — he’d have gotten extra alternative at shortstop if not for Francisco Lindor — and has been a spark plug for the Mets’ clubhouse as a part of their second half playoff push. He has definitely earned himself a serious league deal throughout this journey to free company.
Rosario has moved from an on a regular basis shortstop position right into a utility capability. He was hitting .307/.331/.417 in 76 video games with the Rays by way of the commerce deadline. Tampa Bay flipped him to the Dodgers and issues have gone downhill. Los Angeles surprisingly moved on from Rosario after simply 5 video games. He landed with the Reds on a waiver declare. In 21 video games with Cincinnati, Rosario is hitting .161 with 23 strikeouts and only one stroll over 58 plate appearances. His season batting line — .281/.307/.381 with three homers throughout 345 PAs — is now league common. Rosario has precisely 100 innings of third base work in his first season with MLB motion on the scorching nook. As is the case within the center infield, he hasn’t graded extremely in that minuscule pattern.
Late-career Solano simply hits. The righty-swinging infielder has been a median or higher hitter in six straight seasons. Solano has carried that over in stints between the Giants, Reds, Twins and Padres. He’s sporting a .287/.342/.414 slash with seven homers by way of 292 plate appearances for San Diego this season. The market doesn’t worth Solano’s skillset extremely — he needed to accept a minor league deal final offseason — however he’s a pleasant participant to have in a bat-first position off the bench. He has began 28 video games and performed greater than 250 innings on the scorching nook for San Diego.
Urshela was a productive on a regular basis participant for the Yankees for a couple of seasons. He didn’t hit for a lot energy with the Angels final 12 months and hasn’t made an offensive influence between the Tigers and Braves this season. He’s hitting .251/.287/.358 in somewhat greater than 400 plate appearances. Urshela has been higher with Atlanta than he was in Detroit. He ought to land a giant league deal however might be higher fitted to a utility position than on a regular basis third base work as he enters his age-33 season.
Depth Gamers
A former common with the Marlins, Anderson solely had 5 plate appearances in three MLB video games with Atlanta this 12 months. He hit .237/.326/.365 by way of 84 contests in Triple-A.
Davis is in Triple-A with the Orioles, his fourth group of the 12 months. After being reduce free by the Giants in a late spring cost-saving transfer, he has slumped to a career-worst .218/.293/.338 line between the A’s and Yankees. Davis hasn’t hit in any respect within the minors both, placing out at a 44.5% clip whereas batting .147 in 30 video games. He was a stable common for San Francisco simply final season and may have the ability to discover a minor league deal someplace.
Peterson began the season 1-22 with the Diamondbacks. He was launched in April and has been a free agent for months. The lefty hitter turned in a .211/.304/.307 slash between the A’s and D-Backs a 12 months in the past.
Sanó was out of baseball in 2023 however returned on a minor league cope with the Angels final winter. He broke camp and appeared in 28 video games, hitting .205 with two homers and a 37.9% strikeout fee in 95 plate appearances. The Halos launched him across the All-Star Break.
The rebuilding Nationals and White Sox each took photographs on Senzel. The previous #2 general draft decide continued to wrestle, although, combining for a .195/.283/.331 slash throughout 267 plate appearances. Senzel is at 450+ video games and greater than 1600 plate appearances with manufacturing beneath alternative stage in his profession. He’s firmly in minor league deal territory.
Membership Choices
The White Sox are going to purchase Moncada out for $5MM. He’ll be a free agent for the primary time in his profession. The switch-hitting infielder seemed like he was making good on the immense prospect hype when he hit .315/.367/.548 and garnered down poll MVP votes in 2019. His manufacturing dipped throughout the shortened season, rebounded with a robust ’21 marketing campaign, and has fallen off sharply since then. Moncada mixed for a .234/.288/.386 slash from 2022-23. He misplaced most of this season to an adductor pressure and has been restricted to a bench position with the Sox trying towards the longer term. Moncada solely has 12 appearances on the season.
Suárez’s deal comprises a $15MM possibility or a $2MM buyout. Three months in the past, it seemed like a lock to be purchased out. Suárez was placing out at a near-30% clip and hitting .196/.279/.312 by way of the top of June. Arizona supervisor Torey Lovullo briefly deliberate to show third base over to rookie Blaze Alexander and the D-Backs reportedly thought of buying and selling the veteran in what would’ve amounted to a wage dump.
They’re definitely glad they didn’t. Suárez has hit 23 house runs since July 1, tied with Brent Rooker for third within the majors behind Aaron Decide and Shohei Ohtani. The veteran infielder is hitting .319/.362/.637 with an improved 24.9% strikeout fee over his previous 301 plate appearances. Because the begin of July, Suárez is tenth amongst certified hitters in wRC+ and fifth in FanGraphs WAR — trailing solely Witt, Decide, Lindor and Ohtani. The D-Backs presumably don’t count on him to proceed taking part in like an MVP, however three months of elite play ought to make the choice a comparatively simple name to train. Even when the Diamondbacks are involved about regression and/or need to flip third base over to prospect Jordan Lawlar subsequent season, Suárez’s wonderful run ought to give him surplus commerce worth on a $15MM wage.
Earlier installments: catcher, first base, second base
