Let’s build a team from best remaining free agents

January involves its conclusion on Wednesday, that means golf equipment across the Majors are placing the ending touches on their rosters with Spring Training solely a pair weeks away.

Yet regardless of greater than $2.5 billion in free-agent spending across the league this winter, baseball’s free-agent market remains to be rolling alongside, loaded with sufficient expertise to place collectively a contending group. Among the gamers nonetheless accessible are a former Most Valuable Player, a two-time Cy Young winner, a World Series champion beginning pitcher and a Platinum Glove-winning third baseman.

Let’s check out the perfect participant nonetheless accessible at each place (age listed is every participant’s age on July 1, 2024).

C Gary Sánchez
Age: 31
Sánchez did not catch on with both the Giants or Mets early in 2023, however the one-time phenom was rejuvenated after touchdown with the Padres in late May. He posted a .792 OPS with 19 house runs in 260 plate appearances, displaying the ability he displayed with the Yankees early in his profession. Sánchez’s largest influence could have come behind the plate, the place he emerged as the private catcher for Blake Snell, who posted a 1.29 ERA of their 18 video games collectively. Perhaps Sánchez is ready for Snell to signal, hoping for a reunion along with his batterymate.
Potential suits: Angels, Red Sox

1B Brandon Belt
Age: 36
The first-base market has been among the many slowest this offseason. Rhys Hoskins’ current two-year, $34 million cope with the Brewers was the primary and solely vital contract handed out to a primary baseman thus far. Belt posted a stable .859 OPS with 19 house runs in 103 video games throughout his first season with the Blue Jays, however there’s a glut of comparable gamers — Carlos Santana, Garrett Cooper, Ji Man Choi and C.J. Cron, as an example — who’re nonetheless on the lookout for jobs. Perhaps Belt’s prolonged historical past with Rangers supervisor Bruce Bochy might assist him land with the defending World Series champs.
Potential suits: Rangers, Twins

2B Whit Merrifield 
Age: 35 
The three-time All-Star (2019, ’21, ’23) isn’t a lock to search out himself a beginning second-base job within the coming weeks. Given his positional versatility, nevertheless, the veteran could possibly be a logical match for a variety of golf equipment. Merrifield has expertise in any respect three outfield spots, together with restricted time on the nook infield positions, providing a jack-of-all-trades sort of participant that each contender appears to worth as of late.
Potential suits: Phillies, White Sox

SS Tim Anderson
Age: 31
Anderson will get the slight edge right here over Brandon Crawford primarily based on his age: Anderson is getting into his age-31 season versus age-37 for Crawford. An All-Star in 2021 and ’22, Anderson struggled by means of a down season marred by accidents in 2023, posting a slash line of .245/.286/.296 with one house run and 25 RBIs in 123 video games, possible placing him in place to signal a one-year deal to reestablish his worth. Anderson has proven how helpful he could be in previous years, so he needs to be motivated to search out his previous type.
Potential suits: Marlins, Rays

3B Matt Chapman 
Age: 31 
Chapman, the AL Platinum Glove winner in 2018 and ’19, stays among the best defensive third basemen within the recreation. Although his offensive numbers slipped a bit in 2023, he has a observe report as an influence menace. He hit a minimum of 27 homers in every of the three full seasons between 2019-22 and owns a 117 profession OPS+. Justin Turner’s cope with the Blue Jays could have closed the door on a return to Toronto, however the Cubs stay a possible possibility for him as he seeks a brand new deal — particularly if Chicago doesn’t carry again Cody Bellinger.
Potential suits: Cubs, Giants

OF Cody Bellinger
Age: 28
Entering the offseason, Bellinger was extensively thought-about to be the second-best hitter on the free-agent market behind Shohei Ohtani, but the outfielder/first baseman stays unsigned. A reunion with the Cubs makes probably the most sense, so why hasn’t a deal gotten accomplished? The 2019 NL MVP is claimed to be looking for a contract price north of $200 million, however even after his bounce-back 2023 season, it may be troublesome to land a deal of that magnitude given the obvious lack of great bidders. Many had the Yankees pegged as a possible touchdown spot, however New York’s acquisition of Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham possible closed the door on that risk.
Potential suits: Cubs, Giants

OF Jorge Soler 
Age: 32 
Soler performed extra video games as a delegated hitter than as an outfielder in 2023, however the slugger is able to filling both function for his subsequent group. He belted 36 house runs for the Marlins final season, rebounding from an injury-riddled 2022 marketing campaign. In a market devoid of a lot significant energy, Soler may simply be the perfect such menace accessible.
Potential suits: D-backs, Red Sox

OF Adam Duvall 
Age: 35 
A former All-Star (2016) and Gold Glove winner (2021), Duvall was fairly productive in 92 video games for the Red Sox final season, belting 21 house runs with 58 RBIs and an .834 OPS. He can slot in in any respect three outfield positions and mashes right-handed pitching (.863 OPS final season). Having performed within the postseason every year from 2019-21 – successful the World Series within the final of these years – Duvall would carry helpful October expertise to go along with his energy bat.
Potential suits: Red Sox, Twins

DH J.D. Martinez
Age: 36
Like some others on this checklist, Martinez bounced again from a subpar 2022 (by his requirements) to put up huge numbers in 2023, hitting 33 house runs with 103 RBIs and an .893 OPS in 113 video games for the Dodgers. Los Angeles’ signing of Shohei Ohtani ended any hopes of a return to Hollywood for Martinez, who has been chosen to the previous 5 All-Star Games.
Potential suits: Angels, Mets

RP Jakob Junis 
Age: 31 
The reduction market has come alive these days, with Josh Hader, Aroldis Chapman, Hector Neris, David Robertson, Robert Stephenson and Matt Moore all signing offers through the remaining 10 days of January. Fortunately for Junis and different accessible relievers, together with Ryan Brasier and Ryne Stanek, loads of groups are nonetheless seeking to bolster their bullpens between now and the beginning of Spring Training.
Potential suits: Phillies, Yankees