Don't sleep on these 6 free agents -- including a former MVP

January 5th, 2023

Though many of this offseason's top free agents wasted no time finding new (or old) homes, there are still plenty of players available who could make an impact in 2023.

With that in mind, six MLB.com experts were asked to pick their most interesting remaining free agent on the market. To be clear, it's not necessarily the best available player, but simply the most intriguing -- for whatever reason.

Here are the six players who made the list:

Andrew McCutchen, LF/DH
It¡¯s been a very long time since McCutchen was the MVP centerpiece of some very good Pirates teams, and, at 36 years old, he¡¯s not likely to be viewed as an everyday player for teams hoping to contend in 2023. That said, in the right situation, there¡¯s still an opportunity to contribute, because he¡¯s a league-average bat who¡¯s got a streak of 14 consecutive double-digit-homer seasons going, and his running speed is still near the top of the league -- even after tearing his left ACL in 2019.

These days, McCutchen is most effective against lefty pitching (.901 OPS over the last three seasons, compared to just a .672 mark against righties), so it¡¯s not hard to see a fit on a club with young, lefty outfielders, like Seattle (where he could platoon with Jarred Kelenic) or Arizona. Maybe ¡°aging platoon part-time DH¡± doesn¡¯t excite you. But who among us wouldn¡¯t want to see one of the most important players of the last 15 years finally get a chance at that ring he¡¯s never been close to?
- Mike Petriello

Nelson Cruz, DH
It¡¯s so easy to take a quick glance at Cruz¡¯s 2022 stat line, with his career-worst .337 slugging percentage and other sad marks, and say, ¡°Ah, he¡¯s too old.¡± But Cruz, who didn¡¯t experience his breakthrough season until his age-28 campaign in 2009, has sort of always been old in the Majors. And until very recently, he was unquestionably elite at the plate. From 2015-20, no player crushed more homers (220) and only Mike Trout had a higher OPS+. Cruz was on his way to another stellar year in ¡®21, slashing .294/.370/.537 with 19 home runs in 85 games with the Twins before he was dealt to the Rays just three weeks after his 41st birthday.

Cruz hit 13 dingers for Tampa Bay, but his batting average (.226) and on-base percentage (.283) fell off a cliff. Matters didn¡¯t improve last year with the Nationals. He still hit the ball hard with regularity, but his power totals plummeted. His .103 ISO ranked 120th out of 130 qualified batters. Was this the inescapable grip of time on Cruz¡¯s shoulder or something more tangible? In October, he presented a good reason to believe it was the latter: He couldn¡¯t see clearly out of his left eye. Cruz said then that he had been dogged by the issue for almost a year and a half. Surgery at the end of the month was a success. He should be ready for Spring Training and has stated his desire to keep playing.

With Albert Pujols retired, Cruz holds the crown as the oldest active position player in MLB (lefty pitcher Rich Hill arrived into this world a few months earlier). Cruz is also just 41 home runs away from 500. He almost certainly won¡¯t reach that revered benchmark in 2023, his age-42 season. But with his vision restored, Cruz deserves a look from a team searching for some lineup thump.
- Brian Murphy

Alex Reyes, RHP
Reyes is tantalizing if he pitches, but that might be the biggest "if" of any free agent out there. The former Cardinals top prospect has pitched a full season only once in the seven years since his big league debut. That one season, 2021, was great, as Reyes was an All-Star reliever for St. Louis. Instead of building on it, though, Reyes missed all of '22 due to right shoulder surgery.

But if a team throws a dart on Reyes and he stays healthy, that club is getting a 28-year-old pitcher who has a 2.86 career ERA and averages 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings -- and he throws in the upper 90s with a wipeout slider. Reyes' last season on the mound, his fastball averaged 96.6 mph and his slider generated a 56% whiff rate, making it a top-5 swing-and-miss breaking ball in 2021, behind only Craig Kimbrel's knuckle-curve, Jacob deGrom's slider, Liam Hendriks' slider and Josh Hader's slider. With the top closers now off the market, you're not going to find many remaining free-agent relievers with Reyes' talent, and none that are so young.
- David Adler

Adam Duvall, OF
Duvall is coming off a disastrous 2022 campaign that ended prematurely when he underwent surgery for a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. Prior to that injury, he slashed just .213/.276/.401 (.677 OPS) with 12 home runs in 86 games. Duvall struck out 101 times in 315 plate appearances, which equates to a strikeout rate of 32.1%.

But Duvall had a strikeout rate of 31.4% in 2021 -- and that didn't stop him from racking up 38 home runs and 113 RBIs. He also had a ridiculous 19 Defensive Runs Saved during that 2021 campaign, tied with Michael A. Taylor for the most by any outfielder. It was good enough to earn Duvall his first career Gold Glove Award. There are certainly some risks when it comes to Duvall. He's 34 years old, he's coming off wrist surgery and he's going to strike out plenty. But if he can rediscover his '21 form that helped lead the Braves to a World Series title, he could help just about any lineup.
- Paul Casella

Brandon Belt, 1B
A soon-to-be 35-year-old first baseman with a significant injury history and a .676 OPS (92 OPS+) in 2022 might not seem all that interesting, but consider what Belt did when he was healthy across 2020-21. The veteran slashed .285/.393/.595 with 38 homers over 148 games in that span, and his 165 OPS+ ranked third in MLB (minimum 500 plate appearances) behind only Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. Belt crushed the ball in that two-year stretch, registering a barrel rate (17.0%) that put him in the same neighborhood as some of the game¡¯s most impressive sluggers.

Even last year, when his production dipped as he battled a lingering right knee injury that ultimately led to season-ending surgery, Belt had a 12.6% barrel rate, a number that would have ranked in the 87th percentile if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He also had an excellent 12.4% walk rate, in line with his career mark. Belt is always an injury risk, but now that his knee issue has been addressed, his left-handed bat could be a potential difference-maker.
- Thomas Harrigan

Zack Greinke, RHP
Greinke is always one of the most interesting players and personalities in baseball. And right now, the 39-year-old is one of the most interesting free agents remaining because he presents us with a fascinating question: Can he keep the magic going for at least one more season?

If you look at most of Greinke¡¯s 2022 numbers with the Royals, you see a pitcher who had no business being effective. His fastball velocity was in the fourth percentile (less than 20% of his ¡°heaters¡± reached 90 mph). Of the 140 pitchers who threw 100 innings, his 12.5% strikeout rate ranked dead last. And yet, Greinke found a way by mixing five pitches, avoiding walks and generally using all of the crafty veteran-ness he could muster. While he averaged only a little more than 5 innings per outing across 26 starts, the six-time All-Star posted a 3.68 ERA that was 11% better than league average by ERA+ -- the same as MLB strikeout king Gerrit Cole. (Amazingly, Greinke¡¯s ERA was 2.53 over the six starts in which he struck out no more than one batter.)

Now, the issues mentioned above are undoubtedly concerning to potential suitors. Same goes for the fact that the gap between Greinke¡¯s expected ERA, per Statcast, and his actual ERA was one of the widest of any regular starter. Father Time is undefeated, but the future potential Hall of Famer is not your typical pitcher in any way. If he finds a home for 2023, he will be worth watching.
- Andrew Simon

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com