Free-agent reset: Elite players may be gone, but talent remains

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) The Yoenis Cespedes offseason saga finally came to an end Friday. The New York Mets came out as the winners, inking the 30-year-old to a three-year deal.

Though only a few teams were though to be seriously involved for Cespedes, his signing impacted all 30 clubs. Cespedes was the final elite player left on the free-agent market. With him now off the board, the level of talent has dropped significantly.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t value to be had. A number of useful players remain available as the season inches closer. With less than a month before pitchers and catchers report, these players might start flying off the board pretty quickly.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the remaining talent still on the board, and some of their potential landing spots.

DEXTER FOWLER, OUTFIELDER
With Cespedes off the board, Fowler not only becomes the best outfielder on the market, but the best overall player still available. The 29-year-old hit .250/.346/.411 over 690 plate appearances, showing solid power and speed. Fowler has always posted solid on-base percentages, and could be a huge boost to a club in need of a leadoff man. Fowler rejected a qualifying offer at the start of the offseason, so that could scare some clubs away. That said, Fowler is a difference-maker who is coming off a solid season. With Cespedes gone, the rumor mill surrounding Fowler should pick up significantly.
POSSIBLE FITS: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Washington Nationals(?)

IAN DESMOND, SHORTSTOP
Desmond is coming off a poor season, but it’s rare to see a shortstop of his caliber reach the market. That said, concerns over his approach and last year’s decline seem to have impacted his value. There’s already been talk that Desmond is willing to play multiple positions, which shows he’s willing to step out of his comfort zone to find the strong deal. The other issue is that Desmond rejected a qualifying offer, so a team would have to forfeit a draft pick to sign him. That wasn’t an issue in 2014, but it’s tough to justify that cost for a 30-year-old who hit .233/.290/.384 last year. Unless he’s completely toast, Desmond is a good bet to see some uptick in his numbers. He’s risky, and that’s been reflected in his market thus far, but he can still put up strong numbers, especially for a shortstop.
POSSIBLE FITS: Tampa Bay Rays, White Sox

HOWIE KENDRICK, SECOND BASE
Kendrick is about as consistent as they come offensively. Over the past five seasons, he’s posted a batting average between .285 and .297 and an on-base percentage between .325 and .347. Aside from an outlier in 2011, his slugging percentage have remained fairly consistent as well. There might be some concern over age (he’s 32), and the fact that it will cost a draft pick to sign him. Still, the consistency in his numbers matters. Teams know exactly what Kendrick brings to the table, and that’s solid production at a relatively weak position.
POSSIBLE FITS: Arizona Diamondbacks, Angels

YOVANI GALLARDO, STARTING PITCHER
Gallardo is in decline. In fact, he’s been in decline for a couple of years now. His strikeout rate, which was once a mighty 25.9 percent, has fallen to just 15.3 percent. The good thing is, he’s managed to cope with that loss. Despite no longer striking out hitters, Gallardo has a 3.46 ERA over the past two seasons. The declining peripherals are worrisome moving forward, but there’s still a chance he can settle in as a solid mid-rotation starter for at least a one or two seasons before he falls off. Gallardo also rejected a qualifying offer earlier in the offseason, so whichever club signs him will surrender a draft pick.
POSSIBLE FITS: Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies

DAVID FREESE, THIRD BASE
Due to the weak market at third, there was once a scenario where Freese received a massive deal this offseason. That no longer appears to be the case. Freese is about as average as they come at third. His .257/.323/.420 slash line is eerily similar to the league-wide .260/.318/.420 slash line put up by all third baseman. His defense is also pretty average. That’s not a knock on Freese, though. Being average at a weak position is a good thing. He can still provide value to a club, and he should come at a reasonable price.
POSSIBLE FITS: Cleveland Indians, Angels

JUSTIN MORNEAU, FIRST BASE
When healthy, Morneau is still an excellent hitter. A brief career resurgence with the Rockies reminded fans that Morneau was once an MVP candidate before a concussion nearly ruined his career. Unfortunately, those issues cropped up again in 2015. Morneau missed time with another concussion. And while he was great when he returned to action, it was just a small sample. Morneau is now 34, and needs to prove he’s healthy, and that his offensive performance wasn’t linked to playing in Coors Field. Morneau did show some real growth with Colorado, especially with his strikeout rate, but there’s considerable risk here. If healthy, he seems like a possible bargin.
POSSIBLE FITS: Milwaukee Brewers, Rockies

DOUG FISTER, STARTING PITCHER
Regression smacked Fister pretty hard last season, as did opposing hitters. While his 2.41 ERA in 2014 was nice, there were underlying signals that he just wasn’t that good. Fister doesn’t strike out hitters at a strong clip anymore, and found himself giving up homers at an alarming rate last year. He also missed time with an arm injury, so that might explain some of those struggles. The declining strikeout rate may be here to stay, but Fister could see some improvement if his home run rate settles. At the same time, he’s 31 and he’s gone over 200 innings just once in the past four years. He’s worth a speculative add, but there’s plenty of risk.
POSSIBLE FITS: Astros, Orioles, New York Yankees

TIM LINCECUM, PITCHER
Despite having more name recognition than most of the players on this list, the market for Lincecum has been non-existent thus far. That’s probably because the former Cy Young is coming off hip surgery. Lincecum is expected to throw for clubs in February, and that should kick-start some interest. He remains an intriguing player as his upside is through the roof. No one expects the old Lincecum to return, but it only takes one team to believe they can get him close to his former level. If not, there’s still some hope he can become a knockout reliever.
POSSIBLE FITS: Miami Marlins, San Francisco Giants

TYLER CLIPPARD, RELIEF PITCHER
There’s an argument to be made that Clippard is the best reliever available. While his 2.92 ERA should have suitors lining up, there’s some reason for concern with the 30-year-old. Clippard saw his strikeout rate decline and his walk rate increase last season, which is never a good sign for a pitcher. On top of that, he’s an extreme fly ball guy, and that can lead to some brutal home runs. Advanced metrics have never liked his approach, but he’s continued to outperform both his FIP and xFIP over his career. So, while those numbers indicate a collapse is coming, he could still churn out another solid season. The decline in peripherals is concerning, as is Clippard’s innings total over his career.
POSSIBLE FITS: Any club in need of relief help? There’s not much of a market for Clippard at this time, it seems.