Posted on December 25, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine
Image via espn.com
It’s Christmas Day, and thanks to a market that’s been slow to develop, there are several notable free agents that remain unsigned. For teams that are looking to give themselves and their fan base a Christmas present that comes a little later in the offseason, here are 10 free agents that are still available for any team to put into their shopping cart.
10. Brandon Moss
There hasn’t been a ton of chatter about Moss this winter, but he’s definitely an affordable option for teams looking for a left-hand hitting outfielder. He may be more of a platoon player at this point, but he still provides plenty of power.
9. Neftali Feliz
Many of the top relief arms have been snatched up already, but Feliz remains a viable option for a team that’s looking for a setup man. He proved last year that he can still throw hard and strike batters out at a high rate. He’ll make a fine option for a team in the market for bullpen help.
8. Travis Wood
The Rockies signing Mike Dunn proved that lefty relievers have a chance to strike it rich this winter. He’s still just 30 years old and was actually an all-star as a starter in 2013, so it’s possible that Wood could sign a multi-year deal worth quite a lot of money.
7. Greg Holland
Signing Holland to be a closer after he missed all of 2016 with Tommy John surgery is a bit risky, but he’s certainly a viable option as a setup man. Several teams have shown interest in him, and with a few teams still searching for a closer, Holland may still get a chance to fill that role for someone.
6. Michael Saunders
Despite some struggles during the second half of the season, Saunders was an all-star during a breakout 2016 season. Most would consider him to be the best left-hand hitting outfielder on the market, and so the market for him should start to develop after the holidays.
5. Mike Napoli
Napoli won’t be returning to Cleveland after the Indians signed Edwin Encarnacion, but after the power he displayed in 2016, some team is going to offer him a nice contract. The Orioles, Mariners, and Rangers are all teams that could bid for Napoli, and after Oakland narrowly missed on Encarnacion, perhaps the A’s will jump into the Napoli sweepstakes late in the game.
4. Matt Wieters
The market for Wieters isn’t all that big after the Orioles signed Welington Castillo, but he’s still one of the most productive catchers in the game. The Nationals have become the team to watch for Wieters, although the Braves and Rockies are also possible destinations for him.
3. Jason Hammel
It’s odd that more of a market hasn’t developed for Hammel in such a weak free agent class for starting pitchers. Nevertheless, there are still quite a few teams that could use a solid mid-rotation starter, and so we should start to see more activity involving Hammel over the next couple of weeks.
2. Jose Bautista
The market has not been there for Bautista the way he would have liked, leading him to consider a one-year deal, which could point him back to the Blue Jays. Age is an issue for the 36-year old, but Bautista has been one of the best power hitters in baseball over the last handful of years, and he’ll still be an impact bat for whatever team signs him.
1. Mark Trumbo
After the Orioles reportedly broke off talks with Trumbo, where he ends up is anybody’s guess. The price appears to be dropping for last year’s home run king, and so if the Orioles are out of the running, a few teams could enter the competition to sign Trumbo, who is currently the top free agent left on the market.
