As the offseason creeps closer and closer, we’ll continue our position-by-position look at the upcoming free agent class. We’ve already covered catchers, first basemen, third basemen, second basemen and shortstops. Next up, center field.
Everyday Options
Starling Marte (33 years old next season): There are some other great players on this list who can play center field a bit, but Marte is your best bet if you’re looking for an everyday center fielder who can help you on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he’s been an above-average contributor for nine of the last ten years, with 2017 being his only dip. (He missed 80 games that season after testing positive for Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid.) Over the 1,134 games of his career, he has hit 126 home runs, stolen 296 bases and has a slash line of .289/.345/.451. All that adds up to a wRC+ of 118 and 30.7 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. And he’s coming off his best offensive season to date, as he slashed .308/.381/.456, with 47 stolen bases, the most in the majors by a significant margin. (Whit Merrifield was second with 40.) His wRC+ on the season of 133 and his 5.4 fWAR were both career highs.
On the defensive side of things, Marte played primarily in left field for the first half of his career, as the Pirates had Andrew McCutchen in center. But since McCutchen’s departure, Marte moved over to center and has hardly moved off it since. Over the past four seasons, he has played exactly one game in left field, logging just three innings. Other than that, he’s been exclusively in center. According to Statcast, he has been worth 17 Outs Above Average in that span, which is the 15th-highest tally among center fielders league-wide. Although Marte just turned 33 and is older than many center fielders in the league, he was still worth 4 OAA, 20th-best among center fielders this season.
Marte is reaching free agency a little bit later than most players due to the extension he signed with the Pirates way back in 2014. As a 33-year-old, that could put a cap on how long teams are willing to commit to him being a regular in center. But the Blue Jays just gave George Springer a six-year contract to cover his age-31 through age-36 seasons. Regardless, Marte is the best option available for any team that needs a center fielder now. He won’t be eligible for a qualifying offer because he was traded midseason.
Kris Bryant (30): Bryant was already written about in the third basemen post linked above. He’s not really a center fielder, only playing 29 games there over his career so far. But his versatility will be a big part of his appeal to clubs in free agency this winter. That said, he’s likely to be considered a third baseman/corner outfielder and only an emergency option in center.
Bryant will command a huge contract because of his offensive track record and strong platform season. His line this season is .268/.356/.496, wRC+ of 123, producing 3.6 fWAR.
Mark Canha (33): If you don’t regularly watch Oakland games, you might not realize how good Mark Canha has been over the past four seasons. From 2018 to 2021, he hit .249/.366/.441. That amounts to a wRC+ of 126, which ranks 39th among all qualified hitters over that time. That’s buoyed by a 12.1% walk rate, 19th among qualified hitters over those years. His 10.4 fWAR over that span is the 18th highest tally among all outfielders.
In 2018 and 2019, he played 62 and 56 games in center, respectively. But in the shortened 2020 season, it was just 9. This year, it was 23. He’s more of a corner outfielder who can cover center in a pinch than a true center fielder. However, Statcast considers him a competent defender, crediting him with 3 OAA this season overall. And given his late-bloom career, he’s reaching free agency for the first time at a somewhat advanced age. That makes it unlikely for a team to consider him a long-term solution up the middle. But for any team that needs a corner outfielder that could slide over when needed, he’s a great option.
Chris Taylor (31): Taylor has already been discussed in the aforementioned MLBTR posts about second basemen and shortstops. While not a true everyday center fielder, he’s one of the most intriguing options on this list by virtue of his versatility. This season, he’s played 61 games in center field, and at least eight games at second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field. In other words, he’s a proper super utility player.
2021 was his fifth-consecutive season with a wRC+ of 106 or higher. His 2021 line is .254/.344/.438, for a wRC+ 113 and 3.1 fWAR. That bat and that defensive versatility makes him a fit on just about every team in the league, meaning he should garner plenty of interest this offseason and will be one of the more fascinating markets to watch.
Utility/Platoon/Bench Types
- Delino DeShields (29): DeShields bounced around in the minors for a few organizations this year, eventually seeing a bit of big league action with the Reds. He had a good showing in a small sample size of 25 games, slashing .255/.375/.426. That’s much better than his career slash line of .246/.327/.342.
- Jarrod Dyson (37): Dyson returned to the Royals this year on a one-year deal and hit a paltry .221/.256/.311 before being put on waivers. He was claimed by the Blue Jays, who used him primarily as a late-game defensive replacement and pinch runner. He could potentially fill a similar role for a team in 2022.
- Leury Garcia (31): 2021 was the best full season of Garcia’s career, as he hit .267/.335/.376. His wRC+ of 98 was bested only by his 107 in the shortened 2020 season, where he played only 16 games. His 2.0 fWAR in 2021 almost doubled his previous high of 1.2. The most he’s ever played in center field was 2019, where he got into 80 games there. But this year, it was just 26. He’s more super utility guy than proper center fielder, which is why he was already featured in MLBTR’s posts about second basemen, third basemen and shortstops.
- Billy Hamilton (31): Signed by the White Sox to a minors deal in March, he cracked opening day roster and has managed to hold down his spot all year. With Luis Robert getting most of the playing time in center when healthy, Hamilton was used primarily off the bench as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. In parts of 71 games this year, he hit .220/.242/.378 and stole nine bases without getting caught.
- Ender Inciarte (31): Inciarte has always been revered more for his defensive skills than his bat, but his offense has slumped to new lows over the past couple seasons. This year, in 52 games, he hit just .215/.276/.316 and got released by Atlanta in July. He signed a minors deal with the Reds but opted out of that in September. He’ll probably have to settle for another minors deal this winter.
- Danny Santana (31): Signed by the Red Sox to a minor league deal in the offseason, Santana has gotten into 38 games for them, including 13 in center. On the season, he hit .181/.252/.345 for a wRC+ of 58. He’s now two years removed from his excellent 2019 season and will probably be looking at another minor league deal this winter. He’s played second, third and shortstop in the past, but over 2020 and 2021, he’s only seen time at first base and in the outfield.
Players With 2022 Options
Jackie Bradley Jr.(32): Bradley has had a dismal season at the plate, hitting .163/.236/.261, for a wRC+ of 35. He has a player option valued at $11MM, which he will certainly take instead of heading back to the open market with that kind of platform.
Brett Gardner (38): Gardner has a player option valued at $2.3MM, but if he declines, the Yankees have a team option valued at $7.15MM, with a buyout of $1.15MM. Gardner was thrust into everyday duty this season after Aaron Hicks went down with wrist surgery and wound up playing 105 games in center. Overall, he hit .222/.327/.362 for a wRC+ of 93 and 1.4 fWAR. The Yankees may be motivated to keep him around given the uncertainty surrounding Clint Frazier, but $7.15MM would be a big raise on this year’s $2.85MM salary. They previously declined club options on Gardner in 2018 and 2020 but subsequently agreed to new contracts, which seems like a distinct possibility for this winter as well.
Odubel Herrera (30): In July of 2019, Herrera was suspended for the remainder of the season for violating the MLB-MLBPA joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. He was designated for assignment after that season and cleared waivers, being outrighted to Triple-A. He made his way back to the roster in April 2021 and got into 124 games this season, hitting .260/.310/.416 for a wRC+ of 93. The Phillies can retain him for another year by picking up his $11.5MM option, but it seems more likely that they will buy him out for $2.5MM. However, if they do pick up the option, they’ll be able to control him for 2023 via another club option, this one valued at $12.5MM.
Jake Marisnick (31): Between the Cubs and Padres this year, Marisnick played 99 games, 52 of those in center field. He was passable at the plate when with the Cubs, slashing .227/.294/.438, but slumped after being traded to San Diego, hitting .188/.264/.208. The one-year deal he signed with the Cubs came with a $4MM mutual option for 2022. Mutual options are almost never exercised, meaning the Padres will likely just give him the $500K buyout.
Joc Pederson (30): Pederson played over 90 games in center in each season from 2015-2017, but it’s been much rarer since then: 32 games in 2018, 2 in 2019, none in 2020 and 26 in 2021. Similar to Canha, he’s more of a corner outfielder who could play center field if you really needed him to. However, his defensive prowess was below Canha’s in 2021, at least according to Statcast. Whereas they valued Canha as 3 OAA, Pederson is -5. Pederson has also seen his offensive numbers slide in recent years. After he logged a wRC+ of 116 or higher in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, his slash line over the past couple seasons is .227/.304/.416, wRC+ of 93. His one-year deal that he signed with the Cubs for 2021 has a mutual option valued at $10MM, which is likely to be bought out by Atlanta at $2.5MM.
Kevin Pillar (33): Pillar signed a one-year deal with the Mets this offseason that came with a 2021 salary of $3.6MM, as well as an option for 2022. It’s a $2.9MM player option with no buyout, but if he doesn’t pick it up, the team has a $6.4MM club option with a $1.4MM buyout. In 124 games this year, Pillar hit .231/.277/.415 for a wRC+ of 90, while playing all three outfield positions. It seems unlikely that the team would pick up the club option, meaning Pillar will have to decide whether he would rather take the $2.9MM contract or turn that down in favour of the $1.4MM, then try to make up the difference in free agency.
Jurickson Profar (29): Profar was already written about in MLBTR’s posts about first basemen and second basemen. He can opt out of the remaining two years and $14MM on his contract, but seems unlikely to do so, given his meager .235/.335/.336 line on the season.
Not a lot of actual major league CFrs on this list. Bad time to need a CFr.
Seriously. Looks like most teams would have a minor league CF that could come up and play close to these guys.
Minor league CF is probably younger and has better range too.
Ender Inciarte is about to stage a come back. I bet he leads the league in hits again next year. Probably stolen bases, too. All of that on top of winning his 4th gold glove award. I bet he at least gets some down ballot MVP votes. Hard to believe he only made about $10 million this season.
You’ve been sipping on some of MetsFan22’s drink I see
Thanks, Mom
That’s Ludacris.
“Looks like most teams would have a minor league CF that could come up and play close to these guys.”
As a Phillies fan this sentence is painful yet true. Phillies sadly need to sign one of these guys if they want to compete, and that isn’t ideal.
Von: Phillies won’t spend the cheese for Marte. JMHO, but they are gonna let Odubel and his .310 OBP walk.
Of those mentioned, the guy I like is Profar. Not much room for him in the OF or INF in San Diego, so why not opt out? Shouldn’t have a problem getting $7 million a year. Maybe more?
And if the unexpected happens, meaning one of Kingery, Haseley or Moniak wins the CF job, Profar could play LF (Don’t think Cutch is returning.).
Which is why I think wherever Chris Taylor signs, he will be primarily a CF. The SS market is saturated. He is the closest thing to a true CF outside of Marte on the market that is worth starting.
I understand the thinking, but I believe Taylor gets his best offer from a team that can leverage his versatility.
The other question to be asked in this CF-poor market is how many teams will be in need of one.
@nebraska,
Free Agency is not the only way to add players. Trades will happen.
You are so smart. Why didn’t I ever think of trades!!!???
Big market for Buxton should the Twins want to make the jump for prospects…
Buxton spends more time on the IL than he does on the field
Looks like a team is going to have to sign Marte to CF money at multiple years and you might get one year out of him at the position. Sounds like a Mets mistake to me.
How about John Fogerty?
He’s ready to play…today…
Look at me….gotta be…
So long as it’s down on the corner.
Put me in coach ⚾️
He spent some time on the Mudville Nine.
If only A’s upper brass (Billy Beane is just a minority owner and there is only so much he can do with limited resources given) be willing to sign Marte to an extension! Marte and Laureano – coming from a suspension on his own – can make a tremendous outfield tandem!
Julyn, you can’t cry about “limited resources” when both the Rays and Mariners went farther than Oakland with lower payrolls this season.
Be grateful I don’t bring up prior seasons!
Only has a low payroll because Beane convinced them such. It worked until other teams did moneyball too
Yep, at this point the A’s owner John Fisher is simply a cheapskate who doesnt have MLB’s best interests at hand in terms of putting the best possible product on the field, He always could have had the A’s payroll at $200M every year the last 20 years if he wanted, he still would have made a profit.
Yeah spending doesn’t equal winning otherwise Yankees and dodgers would meet every single year in the World Series. Since between both teams since 2010 they’ve won how many World Series. Just stop with the ridiculous narrative. You should want the team to spend less money.
I remember when Billy was the next Ricky. Went 12 in my fantasy league (that year) and was destined for 150 plus stolen bases a year. Times sure have changed.
Couldn’t agree with you more! I’ve been thinking of Matte and Laureano also together in the outfield. But I’d hate to say very unlikely!
Unfortunately for Hamilton, he can’t steal first.
Like Vince cloeman lite. Can steal Luke no one can but can’t get on base.
He was never going to be the next Rickey. You do realize that Henderson, while a hot dog, is a hall of famer who is truly one of the best players all-time?
Please Please!!! JBJ takes some pride and leave Milwaukee atleast look for a team that actually wants you. Would love to to see Taylor in Milwaukee or Santana on a minor league deal
Santana is all yours, you can have him!
Seriously??!! I’ll take JBJ over either one of those two. Along with Vogelbach & Maile! Where would you play Taylor in Milwaukee? “Super utility?” Isn’t that JP’s job? Counsell is such an idiot. His 5th inning “strategy” today is a perfect example!
When Kris Bryant shows up at the #2 slot for best free agent CFers, then you best be hoping your team already has a CFer.
For me, Starling Marte is the one free agent that is virtually a Must Have for the Yanks.
We definitely need to address SS. But we need to do something in center too. Hicks has baseball skills smeared all over himself, serious. However, relying on him is proving to be untenable. Perhaps as a 4th outfielder he can stay healthy(er).
An OF defense of Gallo/Marte/Judge would be sublime. & Marte would be that mayhemic force out of the leadoff spot @mlbnyyfan has been pining for &,the Yanks really have been missing. Marte addresses very real problems for this squad on both sides of the ball.
Go Big Blue.
Ugh, cowpokes.
See now that’s an easy team to loathe.
Was out on the Big Muddy when your Jets played in London. But if the Jints don’t win this afternoon, the NFL will more than likely be completely meaningless back in The City.
I always thought Hicks should move into the Gardner, 4th-OFer role, which in today’s game is probably good for 450 PAs. Perhaps the reduction in planned playing time will lead to an increase in actual playing time by reducing injuries. He also has the skill set of being able to cover all three OF positions.
D’accord.
& that really seems like it was always his destiny. I think it’s a year – or two – sooner than Cash had hoped. I just don’t know what to make of Florial & it doesn’t seem like the Yanks do either.
Aww, man.
Not Barkely. Might be hot stove season a lot sooner than I had hoped.
Ducky, right with you…I know they tried to get Ketel, but I’d rather have Starling. He would be a game-changer for the Yankees.
I can honestly see running the pitching staff back & calling it good. That pen will go 6+ deep, & – despite lacking a co-ace/proven #2 (Sevy?) – the rotation is in pretty good shape.
I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to a rather extensive remodel to the lineup though, @Clip. Bring Rizzo back, trade for DeJong, sign Marte & Brad Miller.
Our pitching held up. & it’s in place. We’re only losing Kluber who wasn’t much of a factor anyway.
Go back to scoring close to 900 runs with better defense & base running. I will take my chances with that.
Gardner better take the player option… I don’t see the Yankees wanting him in the outfield next year. He had a decent year, but I think the Yankees are looking for more than decent..
Call the Cubs and try and get Ian Happ. Switch hitter with power from the left side. Gallo in left and Judge in right and that’s a pretty solid outfield. If Gardner takes the option, he can be the 4th outfielder.
It really was an offense issue, meaning a lack of offense compared to what was expected. The starting rotation and the bullpen kept them in the race, and even those spectacular meltdowns they had were a byproduct of the offense and playing so many close games. Increase the runs scored and the rest falls into place.
& that’s pretty much how I see it too, @RobM.
Add some innings to the rotation. Doesn’t need to be a spectacular pitcher either. Someone like Brett Anderson – for example – would be plenty. & again, I really wouldn’t fault Cash if he does absolutely nothing with pitching – aside from MiLB deals.
But, yeah.
The offense was The Problem. All season long, man. & that was actually a surprise. I would like to see Cash add 3 (4?) bats to the lineup/bench (which can take a lot of forms).
We just need a decent SS & a couple more offensive threats. & probably ~ a hundred more innings or so from the starters we currently have.
We did win 90+ games. Ya know?
Not like we are starting from ground zero or whatever.
The biggest criticism was in Yankees pitching, and it performed incredibly well. I don’t know if that was because of Matt Blake, but it was impressive.
The only one I’d really seek for pitching is Iglesias. He, Chapman, and Lasagna could rotate theough the high-leverage innings. I could see a Robbie Ray acquisition because Cash has been high on him before. His home run tendency makes me a bit hesitant, but add a solid starter to this stout pitching staff? Of course Sevy’s progress will impact that as well. 100+ wins again and division is ours.
Offense, offense, offense. Boston is an offensive-based team, and along with cheating, they’re doing pretty well.
So adding 3 bats to the lineup….where does the $$ come from to do that especially with your comment about acquiring Marte who will want a boatload to start with?
Love to hear your plan and its specifics.
He’s going to want a boat load of money and a 4 year deal….at 33, when does the regression begin and what do you do with a 36 year old now corner outfielder with the offense of a CF’er on the downside of his career……don’t disagree, but this guy isn’t coming cheap, and if you spend on him, say goodbye to any meaningful acquisition at SS, and that probably means another year of Sanchez behind the plate….no meaningful pitching acquisition etc.
There’s only so much Hal is going to spend without subtraction before addition.
I mostly stand pat with the pitching staff. Those guys held up.
Marte will probably get 3 or 4 years. But I don’t think the AAV will exceed $15MM. That is one bat. I would trade Abreu or King for DeJong: second bat.
That is less than 20 mil in AAV.
Obviously, I don’t know the budget for ’22. But I think there should easily be enough left to add another hitter. Maybe at C or 1B or a bench bat.
Look.
I know it was a lousy finish to a rugged season. But we won 92 games. Not 72 or whatever. Ya know? Sure we need to get better. I just don’t think any kind of major overhaul is in order.
Rocky7: the money restrictions are self-imposed, so the money comes from the most valuable sports franchise in baseball.
In terms of the CBT, that is an unknown at this point but we know it isn’t staying the same; it will increase, probably substantially. 2-3 years at a higher AAV is better than 4 years for Marte, imho.
SS is a binary choice – spend the money, or trade for DeJong, for example.
C – As proposed in an article today on PSA, Yankees should ardently pursue a trade for Willson Contreras.
They will save money with non-tenders, Kluber, and through trades, depending upon who they trade.
Even Hal, as aloof as he is, understands that he has to make changes to push for a title. This is not a zero sum proposal, it can’t be to improve. But, don’t forget the Yankees are dumping a lot of committed money off the books within 4-5 years.
Why is MLBTR not writing on Tepera’s statements regarding the Cheatin’ Astros cheating at home again?! He specifically cited there swing and miss rates were noticeably higher away from home – shocker (in more than one way)….bzzzzzz!
A team performs better at home than away no way. Checks Yankees stats… what’s going on here. Did you forget the yanks were caught cheating too? Maybe mlb needs to look into the Yankees again? Quit hating not a Astros fan by the way. Not sure why intelligent people have to qualify who they’re a fan of before making a thoughtful, intelligent point on here but seems to be a requirement for the simpletons here.
Don’t disagree Clipper as their “up the middle defense” (Catcher, SS, CF) is woefully behind the rest of the AL East…….the Yankees $$ issues as always are that they have a lot of money tied up in 2 players (Cole and Stanton).
Depending on what happens with negotiations between the players union and management, decisions will have to be made as to how to allocate the resources that are left…not an easy decision with Judge due to get monster $money also within the next 12 months…..
We need to remember its his money.
Iverbure: Thanks for the thoughtful response. You can’t justify the largest cheating scandal and new accusation by players by saying, “your team did it too!”
They didn’t. And it’s well-noted the only team who did anything like it was the Red Sox because of the Cora link.
I surmise most would lean on the side of cheating if other players are publicly accusing them. Bzzzzzz!
Rocky7: No doubt, you’re 100% correct. Of course it’s easy for me to spend his money – that said, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made some relatively minor moves and called it a day, ran mostly the same team out there and said they were confident it’s a WC caliber team. Your points are accurate and valid, I’m just hoping otherwise.
I love spending Hal’s money!
But:
looking at our arb list, the Yanks are already over $210 mmil in payroll. $$$ might be “short”.
So: add Brad Miller for Jay Bruce’s (LH 1B/occasional RF) + Odor’s (LH 2nd/3rd baseman) combined role. With Marte & DeJong that would be adding < $25MM in AAV on one, two, & 3 (maybe 4) year commitments.
I think that would fix "enough" of the offense.
I don't think Hal is overly concerned with winning a championship. He appears – however – to be *very* concerned with collecting that playoff loot. At RAB we used to joke about the "85 win management plan". I think it's now the "95 win management plan".
But…there really are worse fates as a fan.
Ducky, those are great points on the economic balance while filling the holes (?) we have. I agree with your assessment about Hal only desiring a perennial playoff team as well – butts in the seats.
What’s your take on Villar or Leury Garcia?
I really like Villar’s offense: SH & speed/power guy. But his glove may actually be worse than Gleyber’s. & I have seen Garcia play out here. He is pretty “meh”, @Clip.
Ducky, Got to disagree. He’s 33 and a right handed hitter. I think they be better off using Florial and one of the right handed veterans(Marishnick, Pillar …) in a platoon. I would save the money for a SS, First Baseman, or starting pitcher. If George still owned the team I’d say sure go for it, but now we are counting pennies. My “solution” is hardly ideal and if we could get Marte at a bargain price (given the dearth of CFers this is highly unlikely) then I say let’s go for it. I would also strongly pursue the trade market (Ketel Marte?).
Bet you could get Mercado, zimmer or Harold ramarez from Cleveland a lot cheaper than signing any of these guys.
I don’t see what teams and fans see in Marte. Defensively he is good but the offense is really lacking. Most teams would be better off bringing up one of their prospects than signing these guys for the money they want.
leading the game in steals and OPSing over .800? yeah, horrid hitter.
No power and doesn’t produce any rbi’s. Stealing bases is a lost art in the game now.
He has batted leadoff or #2 for a good portion of his career. He’s not going to have many chances to drive in runs. He’s not there to drive in runs anyway. Plus he’s hit 12+ home runs in 6 of the 7 seasons he has played at least 100 games.
Wanting your leadoff man to have RBIs is dumb. Stop being dumb.
Marte is elite at every facet of the game except hitting for power and a powerful OF arm (which is cancelled out by his elite range).
According to Savant, he is a top 5 defensive CF. He led MLB in steals with 47. OPS = .837 in ’21 & .798 career. .A 355 OBP (.345 career). He hit .308 (.289 career) & puts the ball in play (99 K’s).
That’s what I see.
Bet MLB GM’s do too.
He was always a sucker for a curveball in the dirt here in Pittsburgh. In the games I have seen him in Miami and Oakland, it doesn’t seem to have changed. It’s Pavlovian. I like the guy. Good outfielder and plays hard. But I don’t know why anyone would think a diet of fastballs is how you get him out
Offense is not “really lacking” you are straight up wrong in saying that, he’s one of the best 20 position players in MLB right now.
Where’s officer Barbrady when you need him?
LOL. Agreed.
Unfortunately Barbrady was fired and replaced by Detective Yates. AKA “Yolanda”
A six year free agent, JaCoby Jones, looks to have some options in front of him. Don’t know what happened that he lost all ability to make contact, but when he did, he was showing some power and speed. If some team can correct the flaws, he’d be number 2 on this list.
If A’s are likely rebuilding, canha/ Marte leaving and with Ramon laureano suspension into early next season. A’s may consider cheap outfield options. Although they do have some older but semi interesting outfielders like Seth brown, skye bolt, Cody Thomas, Luis barerra, buddy reed they can give chances
Do the A’s ever rebuild?
I don’t think they will this off season. I think they’ll give it another run but if they are out of it early next year I definitely see trading some pieces. Also I don’t see them going full rebuild.
@lord99 – 2015 was a rebuild – the Donaldson trade everyone remembers & Samardzija trade (which netted amongst others Marcus Semien & Chris Bassitt) which everyone forgets…
I hope the A’s give it one last run with Chapman & Olson and the pitching core. Prior to covid the purse strings were untied a little bit – they should have stayed that way because the non-offer to Semien (a Q/O would have kept him in Oakland) was the difference between the post season & the 86 wins we achieved. And that’s no slight on Elvis Andrus who gave it everything every day.
I think there will be a huge roster turnover though – I’d be surprised if any of Marte, Harrison, Gomes, Lowrie, Canha, Romo are on our opening day roster next year…
Yes, they rebuilt from 2007-2011 and 2015-2017.
angels may need an outfielder/pinch runner that can steal bases.
Marte and Taylor are the best options here. Bryant and Canha are better suited for LF than CF
If the Yankees keep playing Gardner next year instead of buying him out, they deserve to lose.
Pederson would be a good pick up for the Angels if his option is declined. Would be fourth outfield option. If Marsh or Adell struggle, could platoon him with Upton. Or have him, for when Trout gets hurt.
magangels wont like lefty pederson and his pearl “bad b” necklace!
BR comp for Chris Taylor is Fernando Tatis, so he should be asking for $300 mil.
~zooms off in my sports car before I can learn any other important details~
I think Adam Dunn deserves mentioning, as he’s played a lot of centerfield for the Braves down the stretch.
What about David Dahl?
Unless the Rangers cut him, he has two more seasons of team control.
Dahl isn’t a CF anymore. He only played 8 innings there this season, with the rest of his time in COF.
Adam Duvall and Guillermo Heredia could also be on this list. Duvall has a mutual option and Heredia is a FA.
As much as I’d applaud the balls it would take to sign Duvall as a strict everyday CF, I don’t see it happening.
He’s a better option than Inciarte or Peterson.
*Pederson.
Because of the small market for CF’s Marte is a lock for min 3/60 – 4/80 right? Maybe 4/100? He was a top 12 player in MLB last year according to fWAR, that’s enough for a big money deal, right? He won’t get 5 years but he’s extremely good at every aspect of the game but hitting for a lot of power or a big OF arm (but his range is elite). He physically looks more in shape than anyone, so I think his age wont be a factor.
I wish cheapskate John Fisher would at least offer him 4/80 but we all know he’s not interested in putting the best team he can on the field.
Let’s Go Brandon!
Marte will be a Mete.
This list should have just 1 name… Starling Marte. The rest are either playing another position or backups.
LOL
Two shockers in this article: I can’t believe Mark Cahna is already 33, and I can’t believe Kevin Pillar is only 33.