Still waiting. Photo via fanragsports.com
Unbelievably, its now mid February, pitchers and catchers are reporting to Spring Training … and the two best FAs and two of the best players in the game remain unsigned.
If there was ever a sign that baseball’s collective pay system is broken, we’re seeing it. An amazing combination of tanking, salary cap, poor CBA negotiating and GMs too smart for their own good has the game barrelling towards a large, ugly work stoppage in a few years time. But we have to get there first.
Here’s my all-still unemployed team. Every one of these players is unsigned as of the date/time i’m writing this and per mlbtraderumors: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/12/2018-19-mlb-free-agents.html
How many games do you think this team wins?
- Catcher: Matt Wieters starting with A.J. Ellis backing him up (post publishing correction per comments; Ellis has retired so we’ll go with Evan Gattis as the backup/DH). Poor defense, but halfway decent offense based on 2018 numbers.
- 1B: Logan Morrison: he fell off a cliff in 2018, but had an OPS+ of 133 in 2017. Bet on a rebound.
- 2B: Josh Harrison. 2 time all star, solid player.
- SS: Manny Machado
- 3B: Mike Moustakas: four straight years of above MLB average production.
- LF: Carlos Gonzalez: would you bet against CarGo with a chip on his shoulder?
- CF: Adam Jones: maybe he can’t really play CF anymore, but he can still play
- RF: Bryce Harper
- Utility: Marwin Gonzalez: can play 6 positions, hits the ball and isn’t 30 yet. Why is he still a FA?
Lots of power potential here: I’d go Harrison, Machado, Harper, CarGo, Jones, Morrison, Moustakas, Wieters and Pitcher.
My Rotation?
- #1: Dallas Keuchel
- #2 Gio Gonzalez
- #3: Clay Buchholz
- #4: Ervin Santana
- #5: Yovani Gallardo
That rotation is better than 10 teams’ rotations right now.
bullpen?
- Closer: Craig Kimbrel
- Setup: Jim Johnson, Sergio Romo
- RH middle relief: Bud Norris, AJ Ramos
- LH middle relief: Xavier Cedeno, Aaron Loup
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Is that a lot of talent still waiting to be signed? I think so. I still count at least 15 starters who could impact nearly any team in the league on the bench. its just crazy.