More and more, pitching is dominating Major League Baseball, which means players who provide any kind of offense, and especially power, are coming at a premium on the trade front or in the free-agent market.
Big bats are getting harder and harder to come by, and those that are available tend to come with some sort of flaw or concern, be it age, injury history or contract.
That’s why it’s helpful to know which players who can be labeled “power hitters” are the best targets for teams to go after this offseason.
The aim here is to rank based on the players’ overall skill set and past/future performance with a sprinkle of value mixed in too. But the focus is on those who are not only available, but also can be called power hitters legitimately.
That means you won’t find, say, free agent Pablo Sandoval and trade target Jason Heyward on the pages to follow. They might be better all-around than all but a few of the names, and they do have some pop—but they’re not quite power-hitter-ish.
This also is rooted in projected playing time and role, so power-only sluggers, like free agents Mark Reynolds or Jonny Gomes, who have plenty of power but aren’t everyday players, didn’t make the cut.
Just the same, players with little to no logical chance of being traded, like Giancarlo Stanton, who has engaged in extension talks with the Miami Marlins, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, weren’t considered, either.
Ultimately, think about these rankings like so: a general manager of a contender in need of a big bat and with some payroll to spare might consider trying to obtain these players in this order.