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The MLB offseason is in full swing, and RotoBaller is here to help break down the top 50 MLB free agents for the upcoming 2015 baseball season. As the hot stove season swings into full gear, we'll be taking a look at the biggest players of this offseason and where they might end up. Here are the top MLB free agents ranked 50-41.
Top 50 MLB Free Agents for 2015: 50-41
50. Rickie Weeks, 2B
He ended up as a backup to Scooter Gennett by the end of the season, but Weeks still has starter potential at 32 years old. Assuming the Marlins don’t go for Bonifacio and the 2 years he wants, Weeks is really the only sustainable short-term option for Miami at second base. Considering what they did in the early stages of 2014 before Fernandez and Stanton had their seasons cut short, Miami would be wise to put something better than a paper bag in their infield. Low and behold, Weeks is not a bag, or made out of paper (he is #50 out of 50 on this list, what kind of analysis do you want from me?), but he still just might be serviceable
2015 Most Likely Team: Miami Marlins
49. Josh Johnson, SP
The Padres took a risk in signing him due to his injury past. After being hurt again in 2014, they will probably be looking to sign Johnson fo another cheap low-risk contract. He is still only 30, and is an above average option when he is healthy.
2015 Most Likely Team: San Diego Padres
48. Brett Anderson, SP
Anderson gets hurt way too much, and has been horribly inconsistent after debuting with such potential. That said, he’ll still be only 26 come opening day, and will be worth the risk to any team who signs him. My guess is the Cubs, as they are going to have some money to spend this offseason, and after the majority of it is gone, they will still have enough to bring in low-end, cheap, low-risk guys like Anderson for rotation depth.
2015 Most Likely Team: Chicago Cubs
47. AJ Pierzynski, C
AJ said he wants to play again in 2015 after a career worst season between Boston and St. Louis. He has become somewhat of a pariah in clubhouses as a result of his stuck up and overall selfish attitude. This will also hurt the value of the aging backstop. His last really good season was in 2012 with the Rangers, and in looking for a veteran backup for Robinson Chirinos, AJ might be the answer.
2015 Most Likely Team: Texas Rangers
46. Jason Motte, RP
Motte finished up his 2 year deal with the Cardinals where he missed all of 2013 and much of 2014 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. After coming back in May, Motte never regained the closer role with mediocre K/9 and BB/9 numbers and due to Trevor Rosenthal having a firm grip on the ninth inning. Pat Neshek, Seth Maness and Carlos Martinez all saw save opportunities as well so Motte's days as a closer are likely behind him. Motte will likely not get much on the market, and I see him resigning with the team that gave his original 9th inning chance.
2015 Most Likely Team: St. Louis Cardinals
45. Tsuyoshi Wada, SP
In fantasy terms, Wada was almost the perfect free agent in 2014. He was hot for about two months, then cooled off and was worth dropping in most leagues. In real baseball, however, Wada will need to find a team worth keeping him the entire season. The teams that stand out are the Yankees and the Athletics. Both are losing more than 1 starting pitcher to free agency, and are not in the initial running for any of the big name arms on the market. I think this race will come down to which of the two teams offers him the most money, and we both can guess who that will be. Whichever of these two teams do not land Wada will, in my opinion sign ex-Yankee Chris Capuano.
2015 Most Likely Team: New York Yankees
44. Jonny Gomes
Jonny Gomes is a middle of the order guy that is going to provide solid power on the LHP side of a platoon. Looking at the OFs on this list, I see one team that is going to have a big hole in the OF, and that is north of the border. The Blue Jays are set to lose Melky Cabrera and/or Colby Rasmus. While they could hold onto Melky, there will still be a need to fill an OF spot on the cheap. Toronto is a team that always hangs around in the AL East, until the end of May at least, and they never shy away from the power bats. Despite inconsistent regular season stats, Gomes has shown that he can produce as one half of a productive platoon.
2015 Most Likely Team: Toronto Blue Jays
43. Geovany Soto
As you will see in a later addition of this list, the Cubs will be looking to upgrade behind the plate, leaving Geovany Soto without a home. With a very inconsistent career, I am not sold on him being an everyday starting Catcher. I believe his best option is to look for a team that is invested long term in prospect catchers, and is looking for a veteran to plug in until the younger guys can take the reins. Cue the Red Sox, who have Christian Vazquez going into his first full season in the majors. It might not be the most popular option, but a move to the Sox could benefit both them and Soto.
2015 Most Likely Team: Boston Red Sox
42. Ryan Vogelsong
At 37, Vogelsong won’t be anything but a back of the rotation guy. He will be pushing for a 2 year deal, even though most teams won’t feel he is worth it. The Braves are losing Aaron Harang, Gavin Floyd and Ervin Santana. While they have a lot of their money tied up for the long term in guys like Kimbrel, Freeman and Heyward, one thing they were thin on in 2014 is starting pitching, and they should use what they have to secure a modest improvement to their rotation in Vogelsong.
2015 Most Likely Team: Atlanta Braves
41. Kendrys Morales
In the DH Rankings, Morales is 4th behind Martinez, Cruz and Butler. He will not be signing with an NL team, leaving half as many options for him. One team that traded away their DH before he retired was the White Sox. Adam Dunn is gone, and after he was traded to Oakland, they had nobody to take over their DH duties. With Paul Konkero retired, Morales will fit in as a leader for a team without much veteran presence going forward. Assuming they lose Alexei Ramirez during the offseason, Adam Eaton and Conor Gillaspie will be the two position players with the most MLB experience returning to the ChiSox.
2015 Most Likely Team: Chicago White Sox
That wraps up the first part of this series on the top 50 MLB free agents. Next up is numbers 40-31, which will feature some top relievers along with quite a few quality starting pitchers. Stay tuned and see which ones I get right and which ones are very, very wrong.
