With the 2022-2023 off season looking to possibly be the best year ever as far as talent available in free agency, I thought we’d check out some of the biggest names on the market.
1B/DH Liam McGurk (97): He set career high numbers last season in HRs, RBIs, batting average, and OPS. And he’s only 29 years old. Clearly the best hitter on the market this year, although his defense makes him mostly suited to the DH role.
1B Nomar Gauna (96): Everyone’s favorite utility man, Gauna can play virtually every position on the field and is good for 40+ HRs a year. His OBP is a bit of a concern but his power and defense should more than make up for that.
LF John Sanders (96): Sanders struggled a bit in his 2/3rds of a season in Minnesota, possibily contributing to his release. Still, he has a proven track record and can play all four corner infield/outfield positions so he should command a pretty nice contract.
SP Rohan Leger (94): Leger is one of the best pitching FAs to hit the market in quite some time, and should command top dollar. His 2022 season was somewhat of a regression but I think most teams will look past that and hope he can put up numbers like he did in 2021.
CL Jared Helmuth (92): Helmuth had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2022, yet still managed to convert 32/37 save opportunities. At 34 years old, he’s getting up there, but I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in this proven veteran.
SP Jorgé Villaroel (86): Don’t let his low overall fool you…he still managed to put up a 2.81 ERA in 2022, and has a .728 career winning percentage. His lack of health is a bit of a risk but one that many teams are willing to take a chance on.
That’s just a brief summary of some of the top players in this year’s free agency, although there’s quite a bit more out there than I listed. I’ll look at a few more players in Part 2, later tonight. Free agency will kick off sometime Monday afternoon or evening, so start doing your homework!