Not every team will have the luxury of signing superstars like Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and Hanley Ramirez during the 2015 offseason, which is why it is worth looking at some under-the-radar options who will be on the market.
The good news is, these guys come for much cheaper than the top-notch talent and could still be productive next season if put in the right situation. Look for some smaller market clubs trying to contend to take some low-risk, high-reward chances on these players.
Here is a list of all the available 2015 free agents, courtesy of Spotrac.
Jed Lowrie
Jed Lowrie may end up staying put in Oakland thanks to the Athletics’ mid-season trade with the Chicago Cubs.
After all, that deal sent shortstop of the future Addison Russell to the North Side in exchange for some quality pitching. That means Oakland could very well end up keeping Lowrie around for another couple of years as it tries to climb the American League mountaintop.
That may seem like Lowrie has more of the leverage, but there has been a dip in his production this year. In fact, he is only hitting .245 with six home runs, 46 RBI and an OPS of .670 compared to his 2013 numbers of 15 home runs, 75 RBI, a .790 OPS and a .290 batting average.
He’s not a gold glover at shortstop, but he is certainly solid defensively. He only has 13 errors this season and was actually fourth in the National League in range factor per game for shortstops in 2012. He covers ground and catches the ball when he gets to it.
Don’t read too much in Lowrie’s disappointing numbers because they are largely a factor of an abysmal two-month stretch in May and June.
Lowrie proved last year that he is a solid option with the bat and still theoretically has a couple years of production left in the tank (he will be 30 on opening day). Look for someone (likely the Athletics) to grab him for relatively cheap after a down year.
Michael Cuddyer
Michael Cuddyer has spent his entire career playing for the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies. If he played in a bigger market, he would not be such an under-the-radar player because his numbers are impressive.
Cuddyer was the 2013 National League batting champ and has mashed the ball in limited action this year. He sports a .335 batting average, 10 home runs, 31 RBI and a .969 OPS in 48 games, which is a solid follow-up effort to such an impressive 2013.
He proved just how effective he can be at the plate recently, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out:
There are a few concerns that will likely drive his market price down in the offseason. For one, he will be 36 years old on Opening Day and has missed considerable time with injuries. It is just difficult to see Cuddyer playing every day in 2015, which means a contender can pick him up to bolster its depth.
Cuddyer has to be considered one of the more intriguing players on the entire market this offseason.
Kendrys Morales
Kendrys Morales is the perfect example of a low-risk, high-reward opportunity for teams looking to improve in free agency.
He was an absolute superstar in 2009 with a .306 average, 34 home runs, 108 RBI and a .924 OPS. Morales also hit 45 combined home runs in 2012 and 2013.
However, he has struggled mightily thus far in 2014 for the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners with a .218 average, seven home runs and 41 RBI. Perhaps he shouldn’t have rejected Seattle’s qualifying offer this past offseason that would have rewarded him with $14.1 million this year.
For what it’s worth, Morales seems to want to stay in Seattle in comments made to Bob Dutton of The New Tribune:
If it got to the point where we could work something out before I got to free agency. I’d have interest in staying. I’m comfortable with the players. I’m comfortable with the direction of the team.
Yes, I’d love to stay here.
The Mariners may just get a past star on the cheap this offseason. If Morales could tap into that prior production, it would be a major steal.
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