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MLB: Ranking the top 5 free agent shortstops

By Jennifer Rainwater

Oct 6, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (13) catches a pop up by St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams (not pictured) during the third inning in game three of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 6, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez (13) catches a pop up by St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams (not pictured) during the third inning in game three of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 9, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy (2) is interviewed before workouts the day before game one of the 2014 ALCS at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy (2) is interviewed before workouts the day before game one of the 2014 ALCS at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports /

Who are the best free agent shortstops in MLB?

This time on Wednesday, I was ranking the top 5 free agent third basemen and it was the easiest of the rankings thus far. I began with starting pitchers, then catchers, first baseman, second basemen, third and now I’ve hit shortstops. This is by far the most difficult group of free agents to rank that I have come across while on this little journey, this series that will eventually be ten different slideshows for your research and viewing pleasure.

This group is so insanely difficult to rank, I believe, mainly because it is so very small. The list of free agent shortstops got even smaller this week with the player that I would have put at number one on this list, J.J. Hardy, signing a three-year $40 million contract extension with the Baltimore Orioles.

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder there are a at least six teams needing shortstops going into the 2015 season: the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet there are not even six shortstops on the market really.

The players who top this list each have their pluses and minuses. For example, Jed Lowrie and Hanley Ramierez have injury issues that might concern teams and while Stephen Drew might be the best defensively he is coming off a season in which he hit just .162. There’s Asdrubal Cabrera from the Washington Nationals as well, who has youth and decent stats on his side, but many think he is better suited to play second base.

After those four you’ve got Mike Aviles from the Cleveland Indians and Clint Barmes from the Pittsburgh Pirates. There’s 40-year-old John McDonald of the Los Angeles Angels but it’s pretty clear that the end of his career is quickly approaching.

Today’s shortstop rankings are going to be a bit different than the norm because honestly I think it’s a complete toss up between the top four. It depends more upon what a team is really looking for. Youth? Cabrera. Defense? Drew. A Bat? Ramirez. A more well rounded but not stellar shortstop? Jed Lowrie.

So In my mind they each in their own ways could be ranked first. It depends on the team’s priority but I did my best. Here is how I ranked them anyway, enjoy. Oh and as always, an asterisk by the players names means that that have some kind of option team or otherwise on their contract.

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