Fan Interference

This is it! The last of MLB.com’s list of best available free agents. Let’s see who made the last of the list.

Carlos Gomez – CF. — Gomez did not work out well in Houston, but seemed to find himself against with the Rangers. Here was his stat line with Texas – .284/.362/.543 with eight homers in 33 games. If he’s able to sustain that with his new team, he’ll be a valuable asset to a clubhouse. I imagine that much like Ian Desmond last year, CarGo will have diminished value going into Free Agency, and he’s going to be a steal. Of course, this depends on whether he is the same player he was with Milwaukee (and those 33 games with Texas) or if he plays like he did with the Astros.

Michael Saunders – OF. — Saunders, a Canadian native (not that it matters, I just love knowing that there’s another Canadian playing ball not named Justin Morneau), had some injury prone seasons the last couple of years, but was able to stay healthy in 2016 and put up a fine season. The first part of the season was monstrous, but after the All Star Break, Saunders cooled down a bit. Still, he did set career highs for doubles, slugging percentage, and home runs.

Sean Rodriguez – UTIL. — Rodriguez is a true utility man. He’s played every position except pitcher and catcher in his career and did so again in the 2016 season. He also had a surge in power, seeing his slugger percentage go over .500 for the first time in years. Even if his bat isn’t as mighty in 2017, Rodriguez will still be a highly sought after player because of his versatility.

Mitch Moreland – 1B. — Moreland is useful. He’s not a sexy player, but he is useful, which in my opinion is underrated. He does have an average OPS of about .750 or so, and a very good 2015 season. Moreland also snagged his first Gold Glove this season. A team who is looking for a quality fielding first baseman who can average about 20 homers a year might be interested in Moreland.

Alex Avila – C. — The last guy on the list, and it’s a catcher. However, unlike Ramos, Wieters, or Castro. Avila has struggled both behind home plate and at bat. Poor pitch framing and a lot of strikeouts might drop his value to teams. Also, he’s coming off of a hamstring injury. He might not be signed right away if the three catchers on this list are still available.

So, that’s it. What do you think? Anyone catch your eye?