MLB Power Rankings: Predicting the best free agent each team will sign
By Tim Boyle
This week’s MLB Power Rankings predicts the best free agent each of the 30 teams will sign.
What’s next for all 30 MLB teams? Free agency is a hot topic right now as it’s set to begin shortly. Each club should be active to some extent in free agency. Last week we ranked the top 10 trade candidates around the league. In this week’s MLB Power Rankings, it’s a chance to take a stab at predicting who the best free agent each team will sign.
There will be a few names you won’t see mentioned on this list because they aren’t what we can consider “the best” free agent they will add. The ranking is based on what the player can offer and also how big of a move it will be for the team.
Who is the best free agent your team will sign this offseason? Let’s get started.
30) MLB Power Rankings: Oakland Athletics sign Didi Gregorius to a minor league deal
Pick any veteran you would like for the Oakland Athletics. Whoever it is, this will be a guy coming off of a bad year who will need to settle on a minor league contract. Didi Gregorius fits. He has struggled on the field during the last two seasons and faced plenty of injuries. The Athletics, on a tryout basis, should give him and others a shot. Don’t expect them to do much else.
29) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians sign Omar Narvaez
It would be great to see the Cleveland Guardians make some big splashes in free agency. Instead, it’s going to be a more underwhelming offseason yet again for this typically frugal franchise. That doesn’t mean they won’t add quality players. Trades are always possible. Unfortunately, catcher Omar Narvaez is the best they will do.
28) MLB Power Rankings: Washington Nationals sign Vince Velasquez
The Washington Nationals aren’t in the business of making big free-agent signings this offseason. It may take another year for them to actually have a more active winter of spending money. This offseason, Vince Velasquez will sign with them for the purpose of eating up some innings as a starter and maybe a reliever if they can find some homegrown players for the former.
27) MLB Power Rankings: Cincinnati Reds sign Jonathan Villar
The Cincinnati Reds didn’t get much from their middle infielders in 2022. To at least have some respectability at the position temporarily, signing Jonathan Villar makes sense. The Reds aren’t quite there when it comes to making major free-agent signings. If it’s not Villar, look for some other utility infielder to be the best free-agent addition for them this winter.
26) MLB Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Pirates sign Andrew McCutchen
At least this signing will get Pittsburgh Pirates fans to bring out some old jerseys. Andrew McCutchen is a shell of his former MVP self but likely to continue playing at least for another year. A return to the Pirates where he can at least go out on his own terms and maybe become midseason trade bait is what makes sense for them this winter.