We continue our countdown of the top 100 free agents. Here’s 100-81 , here’s 80-61 and here’s 60-41. Now let’s do the next 20 on the list.
As previously noted, the rankings are not absolute player rankings or rankings which reflect inherent value or how big a bargain the player may be on the market. Rather, these rankings are based, primarily, on how teams might value these guys, going from the largest expected contracts to the smallest.
40. Lance Lynn (SP) Last year he had to settle for a one-year deal and everyone thought it was madness. This year he'll likely get a one-year deal on merit following a 10-10 4.77 ERA season for the Twins and Yankees. Based on peripherals, though, he actually pitched fairly well. pic.twitter.com/bajXgQz8zv
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
39. Cody Allen (RP) Five straight excellent seasons and then puts up a clunker with an inflated ERA and walk rate in his free agent walk year. That stinks, but he'll do OK on a short deal. Good relievers often bounce back after bad seasons. pic.twitter.com/b4FDl61mFE
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
38. Wade Miley (SP) Taken off the scrap heap on a minor league deal a year ago, Miley posted a 2.57 ERA in 16 starts and had an excellent postseason for Milwaukee thanks in large part to a new cutter. He's not on the scrap heap this year. pic.twitter.com/qDr6Ymi7AF
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
37. Adrian Beltre (3B) Age, injury and, frankly, having no worlds left to conquer in Major League Baseball likely mean Beltre will retire, but he hasn't announced it yet. If he doesn't, the future Hall of Famer will find a job. His glove is still great and he still hit OK in 2018 pic.twitter.com/MHfvwQOS4M
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
36. Asdrubal Cabrera (INF) Still has a decent bat but he's not really an acceptable shortstop option anymore. Someone who wants to play him at third and second or make him a non-SS utilityman will do OK signing him. pic.twitter.com/OjO7XkmF2X
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
35. Kelvin Herrera (RP) Effective when healthy but, boy howdy, did he have some health problems in 2018. A sprained foot ligament ended his season but before that he had a shoulder impingement. Forearm issues the year before. A tough decision for would-be suitors. pic.twitter.com/hqcz2covzV
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
34. CC Sabathia — well, this was where he was until he signed his one-year deal with the Yankees. Let's just leave him here for posterity. Even tweets about him deserve a farewell tour. pic.twitter.com/AZCvNMfhRa
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
33. Joe Kelly (RP) An up and down (largely down) regular season culminated in a dominant playoff run that no doubt helped Kelly's stock immensely. pic.twitter.com/HptLimUK7r
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
32. Ervin Santana (SP) Santana missed most of 2018 and when he did pitch — in only five starts — he gave up 22 earned runs in 24 and two-thirds innings. He's just a year removed from a 16-8 season in which he pitched over 200 innings, however. pic.twitter.com/NaGK42btnA
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
31. Zach Britton (RP) Since his historic 2016 season he's dealt with a strained oblique, strained forearm, a knee injury, and ruptured Achilles’ tendon. Still, he's been good! He may be a risk as your closer at this point, but he could get a nice, multi-year deal as a setup guy. pic.twitter.com/tVb2zlIjWd
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
30. This one was Brett Gardner, but he's not a free agent anymore, so let's go with a Wild Card: Melky Cabrera! He is still around and, somehow, hit .280/.335/.420 in 250 at bats for a contender in 2018. He can't play defense anymore, but let's keep the Melky love alive! pic.twitter.com/PAj9ELzIez
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
29. Nick Markakis (OF) He had a surprisingly good year for Atlanta last year, but based on his previous several years, banking on another 2018 seems super risky. He's durable and well-respected and that will get him a job, but beware multi-year deals. pic.twitter.com/lleY5G4XA2
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
28. Gio Gonzalez (SP) Durable but declining, with a 10-11 record and a 4.21 ERA (100 ERA+) in 2018. I suspect that keeps him from getting a long term deal or real substance as opposed to a 1-2 year deal with incentives built-in. pic.twitter.com/wPJ8hoOtht
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
27. David Robertson (RP) Still has his velocity and still strikes out close to 12 guys per nine innings. That'll definitely get him a lot of interest. pic.twitter.com/sfw85omuIB
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
26. Adam Ottavino (RP) A 2.43 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings in Colorado of all places is going to give him a big, big market. pic.twitter.com/BL9YiIE3oJ
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
25. DJ LeMahieu (2B) A strong defensive second baseman who had a batting title under his belt to boot. OK, that batting crown was a fluke, but the glove/bat combo is better than more famous free agent second baseman like Ian Kinsler can offer. pic.twitter.com/5y21II9FtM
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
24. Jeurys Familia (RP) Familia was healthy again in 2018 and he struck out 83 and allowed just three homers in 72 innings, returning him to the top of the relief pitcher market. Or at least kinda close to it. pic.twitter.com/xt9mHj7tST
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
23. Brian Dozier (2B) A forgettable 2018 in which he hit just .215/.305/.391 and posted his weakest defensive numbers to date makes him a big question mark. He may look for a short term make-good deal someplace. Actually, he may have to settle for it. pic.twitter.com/qegv8sQXBO
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
22. Nelson Cruz (DH) His numbers were down and he's getting older, but Cruz is basically the only pure DH in the game apart from J.D. Martinez and he'd be an offensive upgrade for any AL team other than the Red Sox and, probably, the Yankees, who use the DH to rest other players. pic.twitter.com/56Gf5Hb4nD
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
21. Andrew Miller (RP) The shine came off of him a great deal in an injury-plagued 2018. I suspect most teams will chalk up that up to the injuries, though, and Miller will likely have many, many options in free agency. pic.twitter.com/Vm87tuyDuJ
— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) November 8, 2018
