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MLB: 5 best free agents who aren’t Bryce Harper or Manny Machado

By Adam H. McGinnis

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 14: Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros in Game Two of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 14, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 14: Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros in Game Two of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 14, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Marwin Gonzalez
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 18: Marwin Gonzalez #9 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Five of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

4. Marwin Gonzalez

Marwin Gonzalez is one of those sneaky good players you don’t hear about very often. He doesn’t put up flashy numbers, but he’s a consistently reliable player who’s been on a championship team.

Gonzalez had a career year at the plate in 2017, slashing .303/.377/.530 with 23 home runs and 90 RBI. Those numbers are above and beyond anything he had done prior to that year, and 2018 was a big step back from that as well. So realistically, interested teams won’t be expecting that kind of production from him again. But there’s still significant pop in his bat. Last year he hit 16 home runs to go along with 68 RBI. And though he only hit .247 on the season, his average was .275 in the second half.

Batting numbers aside, Gonzalez’s real value is in his defensive versatility. Teams love to have at least one guy who can fill a utility role, and Gonzalez is one of the best in the league right now. In 2018, he played 538 innings in the outfield, 269 2/3 innings at shortstop, 183 1/3 innings at second base, 176 innings at first base and 19 innings at third base.

His ability to play all over the diamond should make him a strong suitor for just about any team. The Brewers immediately jump to mind. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Milwaukee is searching for someone who can play either second or third base. Look no further than Gonzalez.

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