The Major League Baseball free agent class has been headlined by Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, and both still remain unsigned. But what other stars are still on the market in early February?
5: Mike Moustakas
Moustakas is no stranger to holding out, having waited until mid-March to re-sign with the Royals last offseason. Moose is one of the elite third basemen in the game, and his mid-season trade to the Brewers helped Milwaukee come within one game of the World Series. Moustakas has launched 147 home runs since entering the Majors in 2011, and can help whoever signs him for a while.
4: Gio Gonzalez
Gonzalez has been stuck behind Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg in Washington, and will finally be able to show just what he’s worth. Gio has pitched at least 150 innings since 2010, eclipsing 200 innings pitched three times. He has pitched to a 3.69 ERA over his 11-year career, and has established himself as one of the most reliable left-handers in baseball.
3: Dallas Keuchel
The other top lefty on the market helped the Houston Astros win their first World Series in franchise history. The 2015 Cy Young award winner has posted a 3.66 ERA over 1,189 career innings, and is one of the top groundball pitchers in the league. Coming off a down year in 2018, Keuchel is looking to help elevate whatever pitching staff will sign him to a lucrative long-term deal.
2: Craig Kimbrel
When Kimbrel’s career is all said and done, he might go down as the best closer in baseball history. Kimbrel has racked up 333 saves in his nine years in the Major Leagues, and his microscopic 1.91 ERA would be fourth best in baseball history. Kimbrel has proven that handing him the ball basically ends the ballgame, and has been chasing a nine-figure deal. Whoever snags him will drastically improve their bullpen, and gain some solidarity at the end of ballgames.
1: Marwin Gonzalez
Versatile players have become crucial in todays game, and Marwin Gonzalez is amongst the best. The switch-hitter has played 90 or more games at six different positions over 795 career games played, he has re-defined the “utility player” role. Gonzalez’s numbers might not jump at you, but his reliability and durability allows a manager to give anyone a day off and have a dependable option to take over.
Honorable Mentions: Adam Jones, Josh Harrison, Carlos Gonzalez, Logan Morrison, Bartolo Colon, Yovani Gallardo, Jose Iglesias, Gerardo Parra.