One free agent each MLB team should sign right now

Miami Marlins: Ichiro Suzuki

We all know the Marlins are gearing up to be utterly dreadful in 2018 and beyond. Derek Jeter and his wealthy friends are gutting the team, and every valuable asset from the current roster will be gone before the team next contends. In the meantime, why not throw a little catnip to the 5-10,000 fans who figure to be in attendance on a nightly basis.

Ichiro Suzuki still wants to play baseball in the Major Leagues, and the Marlins should be conscripted by the league office to employ him until their total payroll rises above $75 million for two years in a row.

In his three years with the Marlins, Ichiro has hit .256/.315/.325 in 432 games and has been close to a net neutral as a defender. At the age of 44, that’s pretty darn good. The 17-year veteran still has some gas left in the tank. He also has another important trait — Ichiro might actually be willing to sign up to play for the Marlins.

Things are going to get much, much worse for the Marlins in the coming years. It does no harm to keep Ichiro around to serve as a positive role model to the prospects coming up through the system. He is also a fan favorite and an iconic figure in the history of the league. It’s good for baseball if Ichiro is given one last chance to go out on his own terms rather than being forced out because no one signed him. Do the right thing, Jeter.