MLB free agency 2017: 5 potential teams for Ian Desmond
Another year, another crack at free agency for Ian Desmond. Will the shortstop turned outfielder have an easier time finding a team this year?
In the history of Major League Baseball, Ian Desmond is the one player who may have cost himself the most money by betting on himself. Prior to the 2014 season, he turned down a seven-year offer from the Washington Nationals for $107 million. Desmond envisioning an offer coming along for more than $100 million seems ridiculous today.
After turning down the long-term extension, Desmond entered free agency following the 2015 season. His walk year could not have gone worse. The shortstop batted .233/.290/.384 and failed to top 20 home runs and 20 steals for the first time since 2011. The Nationals stuck Desmond with the qualifying offer, which he turned down. The fear of losing a draft pick kept most teams away from Desmond, and he was eventually forced to settle for a one-year deal at $8 million to play outfield for the Texas Rangers.
Now, as an outfielder, Desmond returns to free agency once again, and will carry the qualifying offer for a second year in a row. With the Rangers, he was able to rebound offensively, hitting .285/.335/.446 with 22 home runs and 21 steals. Desmond made his second All-Star team, and proved his natural athleticism could translate to the outfield. There were some rough moments defensively, but given a full offseason to work out as an outfielder, the defense should continue to improve.
Offensively, Desmond is still a lock for 20 swipes, but also runs the bases well in all situations. He will continue to hit 15-25 home runs per season depending on his home ballpark. There are still some concerns about his swing-happy approach at the plate, but Desmond was able to curtail his strikeouts in 2016.
The mid-tier outfield class is deep, with names like Carlos Gomez, Michael Saunders, and Steve Pearce joining Desmond. All three of those players did not receive the qualifying offer. Still, Desmond likely did enough in 2016 to recover his lost value and convince the rest of the league that he is worth losing a draft pick for. Interest should be much higher this time around. Here are five teams that should be viewed as potential landing spots for Ian Desmond.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have been among the best in the league at swooping in at the last second to snap up undervalued free agents. They did it with Nelson Cruz, and nearly did it with Dexter Fowler. The Orioles have tried the same approach with the pitching market, and have received underwhelming results from Ubaldo Jimenez and Yovani Gallardo.
Baltimore did not have a great deal of interest in Desmond as an outfielder last winter, but they are already showing interest this year according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Desmond would occupy left or right field for the Orioles, replacing Mark Trumbo in the outfield. Anything is an upgrade over Trumbo’s below-average defense at this point. Offensively, Desmond will fit nicely into an Orioles lineup that is packed with power. His speed would also be a welcome addition to a roster that is the most stationary in the league.
With another of their likely targets, Josh Reddick, already signing a deal with the Houston Astros, the Orioles may not be able to wait the market out if they want to sign Desmond. He did enough in his one season in Texas to re-establish his value. Under Dan Duquette, the Orioles have not been an aggressive team early in free agency, but if they are serious about Desmond as their primary outfield target, that may have to change.