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MLB free agency 2017: 5 potential teams for Mark Melancon

By Joshua Sadlock

Oct 9, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Mark Melancon (43) celebrates after their win against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Nationals Park. The Washington Nationals won 5-2.Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Mark Melancon (43) celebrates after their win against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Nationals Park. The Washington Nationals won 5-2.Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Closer Mark Melancon may come at a relative bargain in free agency. Here are five teams that could sign him.

Three-time All-Star closer Mark Melancon takes third billing in this year’s MLB free-agent reliever class, finding himself behind Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen. Chapman and Jansen put up the eye-popping strikeout numbers, but over the past four years, Melancon has been just as good.

Since landing in Pittsburgh with the Pirates after bouncing around the American League for the first three years of his career, Melancon has posted a 1.80 ERA over 290 innings, recorded 147 saves, and pitched to a WHIP of 0.914. From 2013 to 2016, Melancon has a better ERA than Jansen and Chapman, a better walk-rate, and a better home-run rate. All three are exceptional closers with different strengths, but Melancon is overlooked because Jansen and Chapman strike out close to two-thirds of all hitters they face.

Melancon will be 32 next spring, and has thrown more innings in his career than Jansen and Chapman. He relies heavily on his cutter, which creates weak contact. Closers who rely on an ability to induce weak contact rather than miss bats often get a bad rap, but Mariano Rivera had a Hall-of-Fame career thanks to his cutter. Coincidentally, Rivera and Melancon have the same career strikeout rate, 8.2 per nine.

Chapman and Jansen should be seeking five-year deals upwards of $75 million. At his age, Melancon should fall into the three or four-year range at around $12 million annually. For the money, he is a huge bargain. Many of the teams who have interest in signing Jansen or Chapman will also look into Melancon. Here are the five most likely landing spots for the All-Star closer.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants desperately need a new closer after Santiago Casilla’s season-long meltdown. Melancon has already met with the San Francisco brass, and came away impressed. Getting after the closer early could give the Giants the leg up in signing him. If the Giants have made Melancon their primary target, expect them to continue pursuing him aggressively while their competition negotiates with Chapman and Jansen.

It may or may not be in Melancon’s best interest to wait out free agency until after the other closers sign. He is not in line to receive the same type of contract, but his bargaining power goes up if he is the last man standing and more than two teams need an elite closer. On the other hand, a year after being traded, Melancon may want the stability of a long-term deal immediately.

Melancon is a good target for the Giants. He does not come with a draft pick tied to his name, and the team’s farm system has been severely depleted by trades over the past few seasons. Last year’s spending spree on starting pitching might also keep the Giants out of the running for Chapman or Jansen. In AT&T Park, Melancon should do just fine without striking out hitters.

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