(3B) Alex Bregman
Bregman is the obvious mention here. As the top available free agent with buzz about him heading back to Houston, Bregman is coming off of his first Gold Glove season with a hitting slash line of .260/.315/.453/.768
While he doesn't put up the power numbers he did back in 2018 and 2019, Bregman is still a great bat to have in the middle of any team's lineup after hitting 26 home runs and 75 RBI last year.
And at 30 years old, signing Bregman to a multi-year deal isn't far-fetched, especially after what Anthony Santander just got from the Toronto Blue Jays.
(1B) Pete Alonso
Although there have been reports that Alonso and his side are asking for way too much money, the power-hitting first baseman can undoubtedly make an impact on any team's lineup.
Alonso is coming off of a 34 home run and 88 RBI season where he also slashed .240/.329/.459/.788. While his .459 slugging percentage is a career-low, and his 172 strikeouts were the most since his rookie year (183), Alonso played in all 162 games last year - proving a rare attribute of great durability that many players nowadays lack.
So Alonso will undoubtedly provide one of the best power bats and an instant three, four, or fifth option in any team's batting order. The question is, how much is a team willing to spend on the 30-year-old?
(DH) J.D. Martinez
While not as great of a hitter as he once was, Martinez could be a cheap option for any team looking for a solid DH and possible hitting depth. The 37-year-old veteran is just a season removed from being an All-Star three years in a row.
Martinez slashed .235/.320/.406/.725, which are some of the worst numbers of his otherwise fantastic career, but he could still provide some pop after hitting 16 home runs and 69 RBI last season for the New York Mets.
(SP) Max Scherzer
After former teammate Justin Verlander signed a one-year deal worth $15 million with the San Francisco Giants, it's hard to imagine Scherzer (40) landing a deal that's much more than that. However, Scherzer can undoubtedly provide a nice veteran arm in any rotation granted he stays healthy.
Scherzer returned from back surgery this past season and only started nine games, which he came out of with a 3.95 ERA. The three-time Cy Young and eight-time All-Star has yet to throw above a 4.00 ERA in a full season since 2011.
For a cheap price, I can't imagine why any team wouldn't take a shot with Scherzer to bolster their rotation.
(RP) Kenley Jansen
Despite not being the dominant closer he once was in 2011 and 2012, Jansen is still a serviceable closer as anyone else in baseball. His 3.29 ERA for the Red Sox last season was his best since 2021 and he still managed to put up 27 saves on a rough Red Sox team.
His 62 strikeouts were up from the previous season and he gave up fewer hits as well. Even at 37 years old, Jansen can still provide any bullpen with a quality arm on what would likely be a simple one-year deal.
(1B/3B) Justin Turner
Turner had a sneaky good season for the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. Despite not putting up the numbers he did during his run with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Turner can still provide a serviceable bat. And at 40 years old, there's no reason for any team to break the bank on someone who can still make an impact.
Turner slashed .259/.354/.383/.737 last season, seeing a downturn in each category besides on-base percentage, which went up slightly after walking more this past year than striking out. But Turner has an interesting trend of hot-cold years when it comes to power numbers.
In 2021, he hit 27 home runs and 87 RBI. The next year, he only put up 13 and 81. But in 2023 he rebounded for 23 home runs and 96 RBI. As for this past season? 11 home runs and 66 RBI. So by that trend, Turner could break out some better power numbers this upcoming season for a sale price.
(RP) David Robertson
Another possible bullpen arm that can make an impact for a cheap deal, Robertson has been one of the best since entering the league.
Robertson is coming off a year for the Rangers where he put up a 3.00 ERA in 72 innings of relief (68 games) and struck out 99 batters, which is just one short of his career-high that he set back in 2011 with the Yankees.
His 72 innings were a career-high, so he has shown no signs of slowing down. And at 39 years old, any team could nab an impactful bullpen arm for a cheap price and more than likely a one-year deal.
(RP) Danny Coulombe
Coulombe has been absolutely stellar the past three years and was a key piece in the Orioles bullpen. But injury concerns lingered and the Orioles moved on which still shocked fans and local media alike.
In 33 games last season, Coulombe threw just 29.2 innings in 33 games but still posted a 2.12 ERA and 32 strikeouts to just five walks. The previous season, the lefty threw a 2.81 ERA in 61 games (51.1 innings) with 58 strikeouts, 45 hits, and 12 walks.
So any team willing to take a shot on the 35-year-old will undoubtedly be beefing their bullpen up with one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball. Any team that signs him would get a great pitcher, but an even better person.
(SP) Jose Quintana
Quintana, despite being 36, has found his second wind late in his career, especially in the past few years. He's coming off of a season for the Mets in which he threw a 3.75 ERA in 31 starts, striking out 135 and walking 63 in 170.1 innings.
Quintana can serve as a solid middle-of-the-rotation piece for any team that needs depth. While I wouldn't necessarily put him at a number two, or three, spot, he can definitely be a great back-end starting pitcher for any team that needs one, probably on a cheap deal, too.
(SP) Jack Flaherty
Ever since his rough 2023 season between the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles, Flaherty has turned a lot of heads, especially after this past season being a key piece in the Dodgers' World Series rotation.
Flaherty is coming off his best season since 2019, throwing a 3.17 ERA in 162 innings (28 starts). His 194 strikeouts were the second most in his career while his 34 walks were also the fewest he has allowed in a full season (100+ innings).
Injury history aside, Flaherty is without a doubt the best-remaining free-agent starting pitcher, especially after a season where he posted a career-high strikeout-walk ratio (5.11). And he's waiting himself to see where he'll go...