Looking at this year's list of free agents, there are plenty of drool-worthy options at the top of the rankings. Gerrit Cole is one of the most valuable pitchers to become available in free agency. Anthony Rendon was a serious MVP candidate in 2019 and Stephen Strasburg isn't that far behind Cole. Zack Wheeler and Hyun-Jin Ryu would fit near the top of most major league rotations.
However, not everyone is getting a star. Some teams are running up against salary issues -- many of those limits being self-imposed, of course -- and even if the willingness is there, there are a lot more teams than there are available stars. So there is going to be a lot of shopping at the bargain end of free agency. These players won't carry a team to the postseason single-handedly, but they will likely contribute at a reasonable salary.
1. Josh Donaldson, 3B (34 years old in 2020): Coming off a .259/.379/.521, 4.9 WAR (FanGraphs blend) season, I might be stretching the term "bargain" with Donaldson just a little. However, his age (turning 34 before next season) will likely keep the dollars and, especially, the years it will take to sign him for within reach for a lot of teams. It's extremely unlikely Donaldson gets a nine-figure contract, and being able to sign a player who has just one non-star season in the past seven to a non-exorbitant contract has to be considered a relative bargain. Most importantly, Donaldson's defense at the hot corner remains above-average, which is one of the things that is typically a concern for an aging third baseman; his next team may not need to move him to first base during the life of the contract they give him.
2. Didi Gregorius, SS (30 in 2020): The fact that the Yankees didn't want to extend Gregorius even a one-year, $17.8 million qualifying offer suggests that it won't take an obscene amount of money to bring him in for 2020. As he approached turning 30 in 2020, Gregorius' line in 2019 (.238/.276/.441) line was hardly inspiring, but he is still young enough and competent enough to have a bounce-back season. One shouldn't forget that he was a legitimate star as recently as 2018 and will have the benefit of not having to jump back into action after missing significant time due to injury as he did this year.
3. Mike Moustakas, 3B/2B (31): Heading into his age-31 season, the elusive big contract is still unlikely for Moose, who remains a relatively one-dimensional offensive player. However, having home runs going for you as your one trick is definitely the one to have, and the fact that Moustakas didn't fall on his face playing second base regularly gives him some sneaky additional value. Teams such as the Reds and Nationals could certainly use an upgrade at second.
4. Wade Miley, LHP (33): Miley was a disaster over the final six weeks of the season, enough that he was completely left off the Astros' playoff roster, the club choosing to go without a lefty altogether rather than trusting Miley with a roster spot. That combination of developments may keep Miley's price down, but you can't forget that he was one of the best pitchers in the American League up until mid-August. Miley's ERA stayed below 3.50 until after Labor Day and despite his late-season struggles, he allowed multiple homers in an appearance only twice in homer-happy 2019.
5. Drew Pomeranz, LHP (31): A disaster while starting for the Giants, the Brewers put him in the bullpen, simplified his offerings to just a fastball/curveball mix, and he thrived in Milwaukee. Averaging 94 mph with his fastball in relief, well over his 91 mph career average, Pomeranz struck out 45% of the batters he faced. With a short track record of relief excellence, Pomeranz won't break the bank for his next employer, but I think there's a good argument to make that he's the best reliever available in free agency.
6. Kole Calhoun, OF (32): It's totally understandable if you mainly watched Angels games for the Mike Trout at-bats. While Calhoun didn't bounce back to his 2014-2016 peak, his .232/.325/.467, 108 wRC+ line last year to go along with solid defense in right made him a legitimate average-plus contributor. If a team like the Indians had the opportunity to sign Calhoun cheaply last year rather than messing around with the likes of Carlos Gonzalez, they might not have spent October watching the playoffs on TV. Marcell Ozuna is likely to be overpriced, Nicholas Castellanos has no defensive value and Brett Gardner is likely going to remain a Yankee, so there's a lot to like about Calhoun.
7. Ivan Nova, RHP (33): Nova's 4.72 ERA in 2019 was hardly exciting, but that still represented roughly a league-average performance in today's offensive environment. Nova will not be useful for every team, as he puts a lot of balls in play, but if you put him on a team like the Athletics with an excellent infield defense, you can eke out every last drop of value from his arm.
8. Travis d'Arnaud, C (31): The biggest questions about d'Arnaud have centered around his health. With scattered time at first base keeping him fresh, d'Arnaud stayed healthy after a lost 2018 season and responded with his best offensive season since 2015. I wouldn't expect a team to sign d'Arnaud without a competent alternative to split time behind the plate, but in a situation in which you give d'Arnaud 80 starts at catcher and 15-20 as a 1B/DH reserve, his .750-ish OPS will push your team toward a divisional title. Given his past, it's unlikely d'Arnaud will land a multiyear deal, but he'll be worth the investment for clubs looking to win in 2020.
9. Tanner Roark, RHP (33): Roark was over his head in 2016 with a 16-10, 2.83 ERA season, but he has firmly established himself as one of the most dependable average-ish innings-eaters in the majors. For contenders without a strong fourth starter or dealing with a number of rotation injury questions, signing Roark for something like two years and $30 million would be a perfectly reasonable deal. And there are teams who need that kind of player -- the Mets, Nationals, Cubs and even the Yankees, to name just a few.
