With all the focus on big-name free agents — both those who signed, like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and those who didn’t, like Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger — it can be easy to overlook some. Talented players are still available. But with the calendar turning to 2024 and training just over a month away – seriously, training starts in just over a month – it’s doubtful there will be a flurry of signings. And you’d be surprised to see some of the names still available.
While we all stay up to date with news about Josh Hader, Jordan Montgomery and other big names on the market, let’s take a look at six free agents that no one is really talking about right now, but who are sure to be major assets for anyone. The team that I ended up signing him to. These players deserve more attention than they get. (They are listed alphabetically by last name, and the ages listed are the ages each player will play through 2024.)
Brandon Belt, 1B (age 36)
Dominican Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Bo Bichet. Matt Chapman. George Springer. Mexican Alejandro Kirk. Big names with All-Star Game experience, key pieces of Toronto’s offense built to carry the team through the tough American League East division over the years. But in 2023, none of those players had the highest OPS on the Blue Jays. That distinction belongs to Belt, whose .859 mark (albeit in 103 games) was 45 points higher than the next-highest Blue Jay (Bichette). As always with Belt, this was driven by his on-base percentage, which has always been his strength; He has impeccable eyesight, which he will surely retain until he is about 80 years old. He’ll turn 36 in April and while he’s never been flashy, he’ll get on base and play perfectly respectable first base. The guy had a higher on-base percentage than Corbin Carroll, Jose Ramirez, Paul Goldschmidt, Rafael Devers and Marcus Semien. What team could not benefit from such a bat?
Aroldis Chapman, LHP (36 years old)
For casual baseball fans who didn’t follow Cuban Chapman since he was a dominant pitcher with the Yankees, seeing him with the Rangers in the playoffs may have come as a bit of a shock. He looked physically isolated, couldn’t find the strike zone, rarely got out of tight spots, and collapse always seemed imminent. But it’s worth noting: The meltdown wasn’t over, Chapman came out of that postseason with a World Series ring, you know? And also, during the regular season, Chapman was very close to his old self. His strikeout rate with the Rangers and Royals was the highest in the last decade, he didn’t allow a home run in 29.1 innings with Kansas City, and his fastball velocity was in the top percentile among all pitchers. It’s not like it was a decade ago. But it’s closer than you think. And it won’t cost as much as a header.
JD Martinez, BD (36 years)
Naturally, especially in the current market, there will be a limit to who is a designated hitter. (Well, unless you’re Ohtani in 2024. But we digress.) However, when it comes to being a “designated hitter only,” you really can’t do much better than Martinez. The only year in the last decade in which Martinez didn’t destroy the ball was 2020, and well, who among us was the best in 2020? He only played in 113 games last year, but he hit 33 home runs and, by the way, surpassed his teammate Freddie Freeman. There aren’t many teams that couldn’t benefit from more power in their lineup. Martinez, as always, provides instant power.
Tommy Pham, OF (36 years old)
Pham will turn 36 in March. 36! Pham didn’t debut until September 2014, when he was 26, so he doesn’t really look that old. He’s played for seven teams in 10 seasons, which technically qualifies him as a globetrotter, but it should be clear that this man doesn’t hit like a player who isn’t able to find a home. He might have been the Mets’ best hitter (not named Pete Alonso) before New York traded him to Arizona at the deadline, and he was a monster in the World Series for the D-backs. A chance to go 5-for-5 in the Fall Classic game so teammate Jayce Pederson can have an at-bat. He is a guy you want on your team. Pham will be a low-key signing that few will notice, and then you’ll look in June and he’ll be your club’s best batsman for a fortnight.
Jorge Soler, BD/OF (32 years)
Cuban Soler will always be best remembered for that three-month stretch in 2021 when, as a rental player for the Braves, he helped the team win its first World Series in 26 years. But what he has done in the regular season has been more impressive and perhaps because he was in Kansas City and Miami, he was overlooked. Soler is simply hitting homers at a rate that few in baseball can match. This guy hit 48 home runs in 2019! He hit 36 home runs last year for the Marlins that made the postseason, and that’s no idle power: His .341 on-base percentage is entirely respectable. He is a middle-of-the-order hitter who is still in his prime. What’s not to like about it?
Marcus Stroman, RHP (age 33)
Did everyone forget that Strowman was a Cy Young Award candidate for most of last year? Sure, he faded of late, but through the first half of 2023, he was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. (In fact, he was talked about as a potential All-Star Game starter!) And it’s not like that came out of nowhere. He hasn’t had an ERA worse than 4.00 since his troubled 2018 campaign, and he can usually stay on the field, too: except for 2020 (the season he opted out), he’s made 25 or more starts. In six of the last seven campaigns.
