It’s a new week which means in today’s column I’m moving onto a new set of free agents: first baseman. There are quite a few really good candidates in this year’s free agent class at first base.
In you either didn’t read my rankings of the Top 5 free agent starting pitchers or the Top 5 free agent catchers, here’s a little reminder about this series of columns. I’m going around the field starting with the position one (the pitcher) to position nine (the right fielder) plus a tenth column ranking the top five free agent relief pitchers.
The day after the World Series all eligible players become free agents and teams have five days to either exercise their option on a player or give them a qualifying offer. If no agreement is made within the five day time period then players can sign with any team in the league and the “Hot Stove” season officially begins.
The Hot Stove season is the name for all the goings on between players and teams over the off-season and all the fans who are talking about it. Imagine fans decades ago standing around a “hot stove” talking about all the different options their favorite teams had and speculating on which player will end up where. There you have it the Hot Stove season.
Bidding can go sky high on free agents as last year we learned when Robinson Cano signed with the Seattle Mariners for ten years and $240 million.
Players who still have options will be considered unrestricted free agents, for all intents and purposes in these columns, as their options have not been exercised by their current teams. Their names will be marked with an asterisk should they make the following list of the top five free agent first baseman out there.
5. Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals*
Age: 28
2014 Stats: .264/.358/.449, 9HR, 59RBI
Billy Butler is the youngest player on this list. Surprised? To be honest I was a little bit but looking at the numbers, there are a lot of veteran first baseman, especially on the free agent market in 2015, that are aging well. We aren’t looking at catchers anymore whose careers are shorter than most position players.
Back to Butler who is 28 years old. He has a great career slash line of .294/.358/.449. Just two years ago he put up the best numbers of his career meaning that there could be better numbers to come despite the relatively average year he had in 2014 and teams should look at that, especially when they are looking at the rest of the first basemen on the list. In 2012 Butler was an All-Star for the first and only time (so far) of his career. He also won a Sliver Slugger Award that season. His best career year average wise was in 2010 he batted .318. However in 2012 he hit a career high 29 home runs.
Butler has also consistently played in a large number of games each year in his career. He played all 162 games in 2012 leading all American League first baseman. In six of his eight seasons in the big leagues Butler has played in at least 155 games each season. He does not have any postseason experience being that he has played for Kansas City his entire career but that just might change in 2014.
4. Michael Morse, San Francisco Giants
Age: 32
2014 Stats: .281/.355/.473, 16HR, 61RBI
Michael Morse, 32, was drafted in 2003 by the Chicago White Sox and spent had spent the majority of his 10-year career with the Seattle Mariners and the Washington Nationals but also played with the Baltimore Orioles and signed a one-year six million dollar contract for 2014 with the San Francisco Giants.
A versatile player, Morse has spent a lot of time in the outfield with San Francisco but is more of a first baseman. His career slash line is .281/.335/.473. Those are great number for a guy who’s never been named to the All-Star team which is a reason that a team might be able to pick him up for a low price with good results like the Giants did this season.
Morse hit a career high 31 home runs in 2011 while with the Nationals and finished in the top 20 in the National League MVP voting that year. He also drove in 95 runs that season giving you an idea of what he is capable of. His lack of awards and All-Star appearances make him appear more average than his numbers actually show, again, making him a great deal for a team in need to pick up at a good price. This year’s market, although full of veterans, is also filled with players who could possibly command high salaries especially if a bidding war were to ensue leaving the smaller market teams to pick up a good player like Morse.
3. Adam LaRoche, Washington Nationals
Age:34
2014 Stats: .257/.363/.457, 25HR, 88RBI
34-year-old Adam LaRoche might be the most underrated player on the list of free agent first basemen for 2015. You’ve probably heard that LaRoche recently came off the bench for the Nationals in the ninth inning and drove in five runs on four hits. Granted the game did reach the 14th inning but nonetheless the timing of his hits were extraordinary clutch tying the game and providing the go ahead run for the Nationals. He is also quite good defensively to have in the game, that day just happened to be, what was supposed to be his day off.
LaRoche has a career slash line of .264/.340/.472. He can be counted upon to drive in between 80-100 runs a season consistently and although he has never been elected to an All-Star game, his name was in the National League MVP conversation in 2012. He won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award that year. He hit a career high 32 home runs in 2006 but consistently averages around the 20-mark which is something most teams are in need of. Providing Gold Glove caliber defense and consistent power is something every team is always looking for, making LaRoche a valuable commodity in 2015.
2. Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies
Age: 35
2014 Stats: .335/.378/.593, 9HR, 29RBI
At 35 years old Michael Cuddyer, who spent the majority of his career with the Minnesota Twins but is now with the Colorado Rockies, got elected to his second All-Star game in 2014 which took him back to the Twin Cities to a very warm reception. Well liked in both cities he’s played in, Cuddyer plays solid defense but his offensive consistency often overshadows that and for good reason.
He has a career slashline of .279/.347/.466 over 14 seasons. He won the National League batting title with a .331 average just last season and so far in 2014 he has a chance of repeating that feat even though he was momentarily derailed by a hand injury suffered on the field, so it is not ongoing. He got back into the Rockies’ lineup in record time and may just able to win the batting title for 2014 as he is currently hitting .335, better than his average in 2013. He isn’t a big power hitter but has the potential to hit up to 20 home runs, especially in a place like Colorado. Look for the Rockies to make him a qualifying offer and if rejected to still make a play to keep their current first baseman.
1. Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers
Age: 35
2014 Stats: .334/.403/.564, 31HR, 100RBI
Martinez might be 35 going on 36 years old in December and the oldest player on this list but he is by far the best and most qualified first baseman available in 2015. He is very versatile being able to play catcher and in the outfield alongside his main position at first base. The five-time All-Star who also won a silver slugger in 2004 really does do it all.
His career (yes career!) slash line is .306/.372/.474. How often do you come across an almost 36-year-old player who in 12 years in the big leagues has a batting average of over .300 and is still hitting well over the .300 mark in 2014? Not too often and the Detroit Tigers know that. They should most certainly give him a qualifying offer and if they are smart make a large bid for them if they need to. Martinez’s batting numbers have been consistent throughout his career and his yearly batting average hasn’t dropped below .300 since the 2009 season. He may be the oldest player on this list but expect him to be the most coveted free agent first baseman in 2015.
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