Photo courtesy: Keith Allison
Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in just a few months for the MLB season. A great deal of money has exchanged hands, many players have changed teams, and there are a multitude of names who haven’t reached a deal with any ball clubs.
Here are ten of the top remaining free-agents in no particular order:
Mark Trumbo, 1B/DH/OF
Jose Bautista, OF/DH
Matt Wieters, C
Jason Hammel, SP
Michael Saunders, OF
Mike Napoli, 1B/DH
Greg Holland, RP
Travis Wood, SP/RP
Neftali Feliz, RP
Brandon Moss, 1B/OF
Mark Trumbo might be the best of the remaining free-agents. He was one of the key cogs in a Baltimore offense that finished number one in homers last season. Trumbo slashed .256/.316/.533, hit 47 homers, and drove in 108 runs. The Orioles have constantly kicked the tires on bringing him back. However, he wants a large contract that Baltimore may not be totally willing to pay.
Trumbo has asked for 4 years/$70-75M range, according MLB Trade Rumors. Most likely, he will not receive that amount of money because of the contract that Edwin Encarnacion signed with the Cleveland Indians (3 years/$65M). Encarnacion has a slash line of .272/.367/.544, while Trumbo batted .252/.307/.474 over the past five seasons. It’s pretty fair to say Trumbo shouldn't be paid as much as Encarnacion, which is likely what the Orioles will argue.
In December, the Orioles reportedly offered Trumbo a 4-year/$52M contract—which he obviously did not accept—so Baltimore took the offer off of the table. The contract that he could receive now may be a better fit for both sides. I wrote that I believe Trumbo will receive a 3-year/$45-60M deal at this point in time.
The Colorado Rockies have been a team that constantly shows up on the radar for Trumbo. As it currently stands, Ian Desmond is their starting first baseman. Desmond is a natural shortstop and has recently played the outfield more or less. He was also their biggest free-agent addition of the offseason. So to best make use of Desmond’s glove, they could call on Trumbo to man first base.
Trumbo could crush baseballs at Coors Field, with a combo of his power and the altitude in Denver. His addition could add some serious power to an already capable offense.
The Seattle Mariners are also interested in Trumbo. The Mariners are an interesting match for Trumbo because he was just traded to Baltimore from Seattle last offseason. His trade was thought as a salary dump and he was owed $9.15M from the Mariners. During this offseason, the Mariners would assuredly have to pay him even more than they would’ve last season.
The Mariners home park, Safeco Field, isn’t much of a hitter’s ballpark. Trumbo struggled hitting homers in Seattle, hitting only 13 in 96 games.
. . .
UPDATE:
The Oakland Athletics missed out on the Edwin Encarnacion sweepstakes, after he signed with the Cleveland Indians for a 3-year/$65M deal.
Oakland offered Encarnacion, 33, a massive deal, when it came to the salary per year. He would’ve been set to receive $25M per season, but the years weren’t what he wanted.
#Athletics pursued Encarnacion with $25 million AAV per source. Believed to be shorter term offer, though. EE chose Cleveland
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) December 23, 2016
Now after not pulling through with Encarnacion, the A’s are reaching out to Mark Trumbo, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports.
The Oakland Athletics, who tried hard for free agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion, have reached out to American League home run champion Mark Trumbo, according to Heyman.
It isn’t known how much interest the A’s have in Trumbo, but their interest shouldn’t be discounted considering how close they came to luring Encarnacion. Oakland offered $50 million on a two-year guarantee to Encarnacion before he took a $60-million, three-year Indians deal, and it’s said that he seriously considered Oakland despite a strong predisposition to wanting to stay East.
Trumbo, a native of Southern California, has no such predisposition, and would fit nicely into an A’s lineup that needs power. The Orioles are believed to have maintained their interest in Trumbo after taking their original four-year offer off the table.
The Orioles have stuck in the hunt for the services of Trumbo, 30, since the beginning. Though he has not signed with anyone yet, the need for Trumbo in Oakland could lead to more money being sent in his direction.
The A’s first basemen batted for a combined .273/.336/.399, hitting only 11 home runs in 2016. They ranked 23rd in OPS+ (88) as well and they need a lot of help. Earlier this week, the A’s signed outfielder Rajai Davis and earlier during the offseason, they signed outfielder Matt Joyce.
If Trumbo signed with the Athletics, they wouldn’t have to give up their first round pick. This because they finished with one of the ten worst records in the Majors last season. It could prove to be a move that rights the ship and gives them a boost.
. . .
Logistically, it makes the most sense for Trumbo to return to Baltimore. The Orioles want to upgrade at right field defensively. The best way to do that is to make Trumbo a full-time designated hitter and sign another right fielder. Baltimore has had interest in Rajai Davis, Michael Saunders, and Angel Pagan. They have also been the team that has made the most contact with Trumbo’s camp, according to reports.
Even though Baltimore has taken their offer off of the table, I believe that it’s most likely that he returns to Birdland.
Projected Team: Baltimore Orioles