With the regular season winding down, a number of teams (and their fanbases) are already starting to turn their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking an early look at the players who’ll be available on the open market.
We’ve already looked through a generally weak catching class and a stronger (but older) group at first base. We’ll now turn our attention to second base. A quick note on eligibility: we’re only looking at players who have appeared in the majors this season and are either primary second basemen, utilitymen with 100+ innings at the position, or regulars at other positions who could draw legitimate interest as an everyday second baseman. (Ha-Seong Kim, for instance, has been exclusively a shortstop in ’24 but has more than 1000 innings at second base in his career.)
Potential Regulars
Jose Iglesias (35)
Iglesias has had a wildly unforeseen resurgence this season, OMG-ing his way into the hearts of Mets fans with an eye-popping .337/.381/.459 batting line in 265 plate appearances. Iglesias isn’t going to sustain his outlandish .380 average on balls in play, but his paltry 13.2% strikeout rate underscores that he still has plus bat-to-ball skills. He’s drawn strong ratings for his glovework at both second base and third base this season. The former has been his primary position, but Iglesias has long been a well-regarded defender who can handle either position and likely still soak up some innings at shortstop if needed. Teams are going to be skeptical of his ability to recreate this year’s stunning offensive performance, but he should still have a big league deal waiting for him this winter after such a strong showing.
Ha-Seong Kim (29)
Kim has been at least average at the plate in each of the past three seasons and is a plus defender at any of shortstop, second base or third base. He’ll draw interest as an everyday shortstop this offseason, and that’s probably where he’s most valuable, given the importance of that position. That said, he’s drawn his best marks in Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average at second and is a clear everyday option at the position who could also slide elsewhere on the defensive spectrum as his team’s needs change (as he’s done in San Diego). Kim’s .233/.330/.370 line this season is a step back from last year’s .260/.351/.398, but he’s improved both his strikeout and walk rates for a third straight season and swiped 22 bases in 27 tries. Kim has been out since mid-August due to inflammation in his right shoulder. As long as that doesn’t prove to be a more serious issue, he should still command a notable multi-year deal, given his combination of youth, defensive excellence, plus speed and average (or slightly better) power.
Kim has a mutual option that won’t be picked up by both parties. The Padres can make him a qualifying offer if and when that option is declined.
Gleyber Torres (28)
It’s been a poor year overall for Torres by his standards, but perhaps not to the extent many onlookers realize. Torres had one of the worst months of his career in April, enjoyed a solid May and then slumped again in June, leaving him with dismal overall production through half the season. Since July 1, however, he’s hitting .286/.359/.398 in 302 plate appearances. His April now looks like a clear outlier, and if you mix in his slightly sub-par June and solid May, he’s hit .263/.336/.405 in 510 plate appearances. It’s a far cry from his peak output, but Torres has a track record of above-average offense and is finishing the season on his hottest stretch of the year (.320/.385/.469 in his past 143 plate appearances). He’s posted very poor defensive marks at second base, but he could still net a multi-year offer based on his offensive ceiling and age.
Utility Players/Bench Candidates
Brandon Drury (32)
Drury hit .262/.306/.497 with the Angels in 2023 after signing a two-year deal there. Some clubs might’ve looked to trade him after the team struggled so much in ’23, but the Halos held onto him and have watched the versatile slugger scuffle through one of the worst seasons of his career. He’s hitting just .167/.242/.230 (35 wRC+) in 339 plate appearances. Drury can handle any of second base, third base and first base. He’s dabbled in the outfield corners as well. After this season, he’s likely looking at a very low-cost one-year pact or, likelier, a minor league deal.
Adam Frazier (33)
A former All-Star, Frazier didn’t hit much with the 2022 Mariners or the 2023 Orioles, but the Royals added him on a big league deal in hopes of recapturing some of his previous form. It hasn’t happened. In 289 plate appearances, Frazier has batted .202/.283/.296. Kansas City has used him at second, third and in both outfield corners. Second base is traditionally his best position. He’s likely ticketed for a minor league deal this winter.
Garrett Hampson (30)
Another affordable offseason addition from the Royals, Hampson signed a $2MM deal last winter but has turned in just a .227/.271/.300 slash without a homer in 220 plate appearances. He can run and plays solid defense all over the infield and outfield, but Hampson’s lack of offense will probably limit him to a minor league deal.
Enrique Hernandez (33)
Hernandez keeps finding his way back to the Dodgers, but in his third stint with the team this year, he’s managed only a .219/.272/.362 showing. To his credit, he’s picked up the pace with the bat since the calendar flipped to August, but not enough to save his season. Hernandez is a fine second baseman and has been a lights-out center field defender in his career, but he’s now sitting on a .227/.285/.352 batting line over the past three seasons — in just shy of 1300 plate appearances overall.
Whit Merrifield (36)
“Two-hit Whit” led the big leagues in hits in both 2018 and 2019. He’s thrice led the league in stolen bases and has also put up MLB-leading doubles and triples totals in a pair of seasons. That all feels like a fairly distant memory, as Merrifield’s bat declined over his two seasons with Toronto and bottomed out when he batted .199/.277/.295 in 53 games with the Phillies before being cut loose. He’s rebounded to an extent in Atlanta after signing to fill in for the injured Ozzie Albies; Merrifield owns a .248/.348/.336 line in 161 plate appearances with the Braves. That and his track record could be enough to get him another big league deal this winter, but it’s been awhile since he was a durable All-Star-caliber second baseman. He can also play all three outfield spots and third base.
Amed Rosario (29)
Rosario hit .307/.331/.417 with the Rays before being traded to the Dodgers prior to the deadline. Los Angeles surprised quite a few people by designating Rosario for assignment after just 12 plate appearances. They paid a minimal price to get him in that trade with Tampa Bay though, and Rosario’s production (or lack thereof) since being claimed off waivers by the Reds has made the decision look more sensible. The Reds have given Rosario limited playing time, and he’s managed only a .161/.190/.214 batting line in 21 games/58 plate appearances there. Rosario can handle lefties nicely and hit for an empty average against fellow righties, but he lacks power and grades out poorly all around the diamond. He settled for a $1.5MM deal this past offseason coming off virtually identical rate stats to the ones he’s posted this season.
Tyler Wade (30)
Wade has played six positions for the Padres this season but is on his way to his third straight year of well below-average numbers at the plate. In 149 plate appearances, he’s hitting .229/.299/.252. Wade has homered one time since Opening Day 2021. He’s a solid middle infield defender who’s seen more sparse time at third base and across all three outfield spots. At best, he’ll compete for a bench role somewhere next spring.
Players with 2025 Options
Kyle Farmer (34) — $6.25MM mutual option, $250K buyout
Farmer missed a month this summer with a shoulder strain. He’s pulled his batting line up to nearly league-average after a terrible start to the season, with nearly all of his damage coming against lefties (.277/.342/.466 in 111 plate appearances). Mutual options are virtually never exercised by both parties, however. It was a surprise to see the Twins tender a contract to Farmer and keep him amid payroll cuts last winter. They may try to bring him back at a lower rate in ’25, but this option will be declined.
Wilmer Flores (33) — $3.5MM player option
Flores hit just .206/.277/.317 in 242 plate appearances before undergoing a nonsurgical Tenex procedure on his ailing knee. He’s not going to command more than $3.5MM in free agency this winter, so it’d be a surprise if he didn’t pick his option up.
Brandon Lowe (30) — $10.5MM club option, $1MM buyout
Lowe has had two poor months at the plate (April, September), two roughly months at the plate (May, August) and two blistering months at the plate (June, July) in 2024. It’s been something of a roller coaster overall, but the end result is a .242/.312/.475 batting line with 20 big flies. Even if the Rays are wary of paying Lowe $10.5MM next year, it’s an easy call to pick this up and look for a trade partner. He has an $11.5MM option for 2026 as well.
Jorge Polanco (31) — $12MM club option, $750K buyout
Polanco’s bat has picked up some since a disastrous start to the season, but he’s run out of time to salvage his season. His .206/.290/.343 line is a major surprise for a player who was consistently productive from 2018-23 in Minnesota, when he batted a combined .270/.338/.455 and even ripped 33 homers during the 2021 season. At the time the Mariners acquired Polanco from the Twins, it looked like they were solidifying second base for two seasons, but Polanco’s option now looks likely to be declined.
Miguel Rojas (35) — $5MM club option, $1MM buyout
Rojas will turn 36 in February, but he’s hitting .287/.337/.416 with plus defense at shortstop and the ability to handle either second base or third base as well. For a net $4MM, this is an obvious call for the Dodgers to exercise.
Merrifield is an interesting free agent; he really helped Atlanta when he came over. He would be a great pick up part time player for a young team as he is playing right now with a broken foot
From everything he’s said he attributes his struggles to being a part time player and being moved around off 2B. But his only appeal in the offseason would be as a backup utility player. Seeing as he basically said the results will be much more likely to be there if given everyday at bats (not great results either but perhaps passable) and that he prefers to play 2B, I see a bit of a problem for teams. Does a team think he was mostly just slumping in Philly or do they buy that he may not be suited for a utility/part time role? He’s partially playing thru it because he hates being on the bench. Well if that your role mostly what do we make of that going forward? He’s very hyper active seeming. He wants to play.
Mariners may want to give him a whirl, but there’s just something about 2B in SEA that makes otherwise very good 2Bs go into a flat spin from the get go.
Robinson Canó says hello.
He’s not good. The Phillies never trusted him and got rid of him. Braves were desperate.
Torres wants to stay with Yankees but they don’t want to pay and already have a replacement in Jazz. I think most fans are tired of his gaffs. But I like him and if they lose Soto I don’t hate picking him back up with the Soto money. 3/36 or something but I bet he gets 3/48 somewhere.
No team is going to get Gleyber at 3/48.
I’d be surprised if he got that much.
Deplorable, lame, pitiful. Next! Ahahaha!
which two amazing 2B did they lose?
Couldn’t find it. Please enlighten me on the two amazing 2B they gave up.
Are you talking about Zach McKinstry and Eddys Leonard?
Describing Brandon Drury as a ‘versatile slugger’ seems to be overly generous
I think it was spell check. It was supposed to say versatile slug.
Guy had 54 HR in the two seasons prior, literally won a silver slugger and plays a bunch of positions, I dunno but it seems to track
Anyone signing Drury to anything but a minor league deal is overpaying. Angels should hopefully cut loose on him with Moore coming up next season and having a couple of just much better minor league options.
And Thairo Estrada
I think he could be had on the cheap
2B FA lacks a really good player — all those seem barely average or below average to bad.
Teams better hope they are not in the need of a FA 2B because its famine there.
Imagine needing both a 2B and starting catcher for 2025. Time to press the panic button and trade the farm for something better than you’d find in this rag and bone buffet.
Most teams today that need a 2B simply use back-up SS’s. FO’s seemed to learn from the now outlawed shift that D on the right side of the infield makes a big difference.
There are very few pure 2B’s anymore. Many that play it full-time are converted SS’s (Gimenez – Guardians; Bogaerts – Padres; even Albies – Braves). In fact, some – like Cronenworth and Arraez of the Padres – were moved to play 1B or DH at times because they’re primarily offensive threats.
Players such as Gleyber, Drury, and Frazier don’t hit enough to keep their 2B job full-time. Because they can’t play some SS it’s tough for a team to justify keeping them on roster. Even if a back-up SS doesn’t hit quite as well as an offensive 2B their range on D makes them more attractive to a team.
Solaris602: possible play could be a trade with the Mets who have a surplus of middle infielders ready or in the pipeline.
With Lindor entrenched at Shortstop and a good bet to play most days, LuisAngel Acuna may slide over to 2B. That leaves Jeff McNeil and Ronnie Mauricio battling for 2B-OF playing time, so one or the other becomes available via trade. The Mets have already moved Jett Williams from shortstop to centerfield. And forgotten Brett Batt is learning 2B in the minors now that Mark Vientos is holding down third base.
The Mets fans surely love Iglesias, but other teams may be able to offer him a bigger payday than the Mets.
I like Torres and Kim as buy-low candidates, and Merrifield as a decent #26 type.
I’m betting on a Polanco rebound. Seattle is where hitters go to suck.
Wow, this is almost as bad as the catcher class. If I’m a GM of a team, I’d be looking internally.
There are trades too.
Polanco was such a bust and we gave a top 100 player and our 3rd best reliever to get him
But hey, I hope cole young is ready to be our opening day 2nd baseman in 2025! It’s going to be fun to potentially see him and Emerson and felnin in 2028
If you’re talking Topa then so far the trade is a wash. He hasn’t seen the field yet.
It’s a lose-lose trade so far unless Gonzalez becomes a good player
If the twins had a good topa that would have been huge for them
Every piece that the mariners gave up is injured or has struggled those young guys may figure it out but it looks like it could just be a wash.
Ah hey guys, You forgot Miles Mastrobuoni and Nick Madrigal.
Cubs could never quit Mastrobuoni. Not sure why, but they love that guy.
Maybe they think if they cut him he will go back to the Rays and be good?
Kim and then good luck with the others
Braves should sign Kim to be their shortstop.
What would the Brewers have to deal to Tampa for Lowe?
Jesus Made and Josh Knoth. No money changing hands.
*hangs up*
This off-seaon’s Top 50 FAs may need to be trimmed down
Kevin Newman is a free agent, right? He should probably be mentioned somewhere in the bench/utility player section.
He is in the short stop one
If the Mariners give Polanco that club option…Just Dipoto can suck it. What a moron.
He’s been struggling (again) for a solid month and we know they have very real budget limitations.
They already have two bad contracts they’ll try to move.
Teams should consider signing Ian Happ and make him a second baseman again
Sure, a Gold Glove outfielder with pop and some speed; let’s stuff him at 2B. Who cares that the Cubs love him?
No, just no.
Yanks should offer Gleybor 10mil on year deal so he can prove himself if he wants a one year deal.
A multi year deal
Wilmer Flores should be no where near a second base write up at this point
Incompetent Steve Adams has no clue how to use commas. If “though” is in the middle of the sentence, it needs to be surrounded by commas, not just one after it.
Then this:
“After this season, he’s likely looking at a very low-cost one-year pact or, likelier, a minor league deal.“
What a mess. How many times can you screw up “likely” in a sentence? Here’s how it actually should go:
“After this season, he’s likely to sign a very low-cost one-year pact, more likely a minor league deal.”