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2016 MLB free agency: Who hurt stock in postseason

By Matt Whitener

Oct 14, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Johnny Cueto reacts after retiring the Houston Astros in the 7th inning in game five of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Johnny Cueto reacts after retiring the Houston Astros in the 7th inning in game five of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 13, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the MLB logo during a rain delay in the game between the Texas Rangers and the Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the MLB logo during a rain delay in the game between the Texas Rangers and the Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The MLB postseason has proven to be hurdle not completely cleared unscathed for a handful of impact upcoming free agents.

Everything seems to mean a bit more when the calendar reaches October, and rightfully so. The course of full season’s workload can come crashing down on a single bad at-bat, lost pitch or misplaced play in the field. Under the ever intense magnifying glass of the postseason, the margin of mistakes goes from –in the words of one Aubrey Graham— zero to 100, real, REAL quick.

So for a player that finds himself in a rut, it can seem like a ditch. But for those that are pending a dive into the seas of free agency after their playoffs come to a close, a bad postseason impression can potentially rewrite their image at the worse potential time.

Look no further than those that decided 2014’s National League MVP/Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw was not a “big game pitcher” because of his struggles in a pair of postseason appearances. Even with his currently unapproachable overall resume among his peers, that rhetoric impacted his image (although he has since put those doubts to be as well).

But sometimes perception can truly become reality, and for a group of October underachievers from this year, the future could potential be plagued by the immediate past.

Here are four men who hurt their stock going into 2016 MLB free agency…

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