Catchers
1. Yasmani Grandal (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 24 HR, .241/.349/.466, 2 SB, 125 wRC+, 3.6 fWAR in 140 games
Grandal will be a very hot commodity on the free agent market this year, just since good catchers are so hard to come by. In 2018, only three catchers accumulated more than 3.0 fWAR: J.T. Realmuto (4.8), Grandal (3.6), and Francisco Cervelli (3.3). Most teams have to choose between a catcher with some pop who is iffy with the glove, or a good fielder that they have to bury at the bottom of their lineup. However, Grandal can both hit and field well, and in a scarce market, that is valuable. At the plate, he is on a run of three straight 20 homer seasons, and he has always been considered one of the better pitch framers in the game. He's not quite a middle of the order anchor, but among catchers who can field, not many are better than him at the plate. Set to play all of 2019 at 30 years old, he's not too old as far as catchers go either. For his career, the former Miami Hurricane has 113 home runs, a .240/.341/.441 slash line, and 15.2 fWAR over 726 games since 2012.
2. Wilson Ramos (2019 Age: 31-32)
2018 Stats: 15 HR, .306/.358/.487, 0 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR in 111 games
Ramos is a better catcher than he gets credit for. From 2010-2015, he was essentially a league average hitter, slashing .258/.301/.411 for a respectable 92 wRC+. However, since having Lasik eye surgery in 2016, he's at .298/.343/.483 with a 120 wRC+, the latter of which is second among all catchers behind only Gary Sanchez's 124. At this point, it is safe to say that the Lasik has had a profound effect on his hitting and that pre-2016 Wilson is not relevant as a factor for predicting his future performance, leaving us with three seasons as one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. On top of it, he has always been well regarded as a defender. The only downside to Ramos, and it's a big one, is health. He has never played more than 131 games in a season he has only managed more than 88 games four times since debuting in 2010. His signing team will have to grapple with that, especially knowing he turns 32 next August and presumably isn't getting any less breakable. However, if he stays healthy, I can see his signing team getting a great bargain. For his career, the Venezuelan catcher has 109 home runs, a .273/.317/.439 line, and 13.2 fWAR over 760 games since 2010.
3. Kurt Suzuki (2019 Age: 35)
2018 Stats: 12 HR, .271/.332/.444, 0 SB, 108 wRC+, 2.0 fWAR in 105 games
Overall, I think the #3 spot is somewhat ambiguous, with the third best catcher available changing depending on what you're looking for. For some teams, Matt Wieters or Martin Maldonado could be the #3 option. I'm going to go with Kurt Suzuki here though because for someone who turned 35 just after the end of the regular season, he's still a good player. His .271/.332/.444 slash line was very respectable all around, and with good defense, he's an above-average all around catcher. Whether that success continues into 2019, his age 35 season, or beyond is anybody's guess, but my guess is that any 2019 regression does not pull him too far below average, and he should still be a serviceable starting catcher if he's healthy. Even with more regression than expected, he could still be a good backup and with his twelve years of experience in the majors, he's a valuable veteran. For his career, the Cal State Fullerton alumnus has 114 home runs, a .258/.315/.387 slash line, and 18.9 fWAR over 1394 games since 2007.
Other Notable
Matt Wieters (8 HR, .238/.330/.374, 0 SB, 89 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR)
Martin Maldonado (9 HR, .225/.276/.351, 0 SB, 74 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR)
Jonathan Lucroy (4 HR, .241/.291/.325, 0 SB, 70 wRC+, 0.6 fWAR)
Brian McCann (7 HR, .212/.301/.339, 0 SB, 82 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR)
Nick Hundley (10 HR, .241/.298/.408, 2 SB, 91 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR)
Outfielders
1. Bryce Harper (2019 Age: 26)
2018 Stats: 34 HR, .249/.393/.496, 13 SB, 135 wRC+, 3.5 fWAR in 159 games
Bryce Harper represents one of the best free agents we have ever seen, just turning 26 at the beginning of the offseason while bringing an NL MVP award and six All Star selections to the table. The age is especially nice because unlike with most free agents, Harper's signing team will have him for much of his prime, as he won't even turn 30 until after year four. While much has been said about his low batting averages (.243 in 2016 and .249 in 2018), batting average is the last thing you should be concerned about with Harper. His on-base percentages in those two seasons were .373 and .393, respectively, due to an exceptional 14.8% career walk rate, making him one of the game's better players when it comes to getting on base, and that's completely disregarding power. Harper has hit at least 24 home runs in each of the past four seasons, including 42 in his MVP 2015 season and 34 this past year. All of that will amount to a contract in the $400 million range, possibly higher, as a team will look to sign Harper for the remainder of his career. For his career, the Las Vegas native has 184 home runs, a .279/.388/.512 slash line, and 30.7 fWAR over 927 games since 2012.
2. Michael Brantley (2019 Age: 31-32)
2018 Stats: 17 HR, .309/.364/.468, 12 SB, 124 wRC+, 3.5 fWAR in 143 games
I think a lot of people forgot about Brantley because he played just 101 games between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, but he bounced back nicely with a .309/.364/.468 line and 3.5 fWAR in a full season this year. When he's healthy, Brantley is actually a pretty consistent two to four win player who gets on base, hits for some power, and unlike most players these days, rarely strikes out. He's not much help on defense, but his consistent, productive bat would fit in any lineup and could help any contender. For his career, the outfielder from Florida's Treasure Coast has 87 home runs, a .295/.351/.430 slash line, 118 stolen bases, and 19.5 fWAR over 1051 games since 2009.
3. Andrew McCutchen (2019 Age: 32)
2018 Stats: 20 HR, .255/.368/.424, 14 SB, 120 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR in 155 games
McCutchen isn't the consistent six to eight win player he used to be, with his last three years looking more pedestrian. While I think this is now the true McCutchen, a consistent two to four win player is still a good find on the market and he should get a considerable amount of money. He has hit at least 20 home runs and 25 doubles in each of the past eight seasons, and only in 2016 did he fail to steal more than ten bases. While his batting averages have dropped from the great to decent range, he has kept a great walk rate (12.0% career), which makes him overall a pretty good power/on-base threat even at this stage in his career. His defense has taken a hit since his prime, but he's not necessarily a liability at this point as long as you don't play him in center field. For his career, the small town Florida native has 223 home runs, a .287/.378/.481 line, 185 stolen bases, and 48.6 fWAR over 1501 games since 2009.
4. A.J. Pollock (2019 Age: 31)
2018 Stats: 21 HR, .257/.316/.484, 13 SB, 110 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR in 113 games
Pollock might have slashed .315/.367/.498 with 39 stolen bases and 6.8 fWAR in 2015, but he's more realistically a two to three win player who can contribute a little bit of everything. He's got some power, good for 15-20 home runs per season, some on-base ability, some speed, and pretty good defense. Turning 31 in December, he should be able to maintain that all-around ability at its current level for at least a few more years and should land a nice contract. For his career, the Notre Dame product has 74 home runs, a .281/.338/.467 slash line, 103 stolen bases, and 17.2 fWAR over 637 games.
5. Marwin Gonzalez (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 16 HR, .247/.324/.409, 2 SB, 104 wRC+, 1.6 fWAR in 145 games
Marwin Gonzalez is much more valuable than the numbers say. As a guy who has seen significant time at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and left field throughout his career, he can fit on literally any roster, but unlike other recent super-utility men (Andrew Romine, Alfredo Amezaga), he can swing the bat. In four of the past five seasons, he has produced a wRC+ above 100 (league average), including a 144 mark in 2017 that stemmed from a .303/.377/.530 line and 23 home runs. The numbers were down a bit this year at .247/.324/.409 with 16 home runs, but there is not a team out there that shouldn't be at least a little bit interested in a guy who can play almost anywhere you want and still hit enough to remain relevant in the lineup. For his career, the Venezuelan has 76 home runs, a .264/.318/.419 slash line, and 7.8 fWAR over 795 games since 2012.
6. Adam Jones (2019 Age: 33-34)
2018 Stats: 15 HR, .281/.313/.419, 7 SB, 98 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR in 145 games
For baseball's sake, I hope Jones stays in Baltimore, having become synonymous with the Orioles over the past eleven years. However, for now he's a free agent and will test the open market. Turning 34 in August, he's not the 4-5 win player he once was, with both his glove and bat regressing to about average. Still, he's good for some all around contribution, hitting for some power while getting on base enough to justify keeping him in the lineup as long as he stays out of center field. He has been extremely durable, having avoided the disabled list entirely since his 2009 season was cut short by a sprained ankle, so that should help him remain a productive player deep into his thirties. Off the field, he's a great role model both in the clubhouse and out in the community. For his career, the San Diego native (weird to think about, isn't it?) has 266 home runs, a .278/.318/.456 slash line, and 29.4 fWAR over 1686 games since 2006.
7. Nick Markakis (2019 Age: 35)
2018 Stats: 14 HR, .297/.366/.440, 114 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR in 162 games
Despite turning 35 in November, Nick Markakis is showing no signs of slowing down. Having landed on the disabled list just once in his entire major league career (for just over a month in 2012), the durable outfielder had his best season since 2008 in terms of fWAR this year, his 2.6 being the most he's had in a season since he put up 6.0 in 2008. He gets on base, smacks doubles (at least 38 in each of the past four seasons including 43 in 2018), doesn't strike out much, and isn't too much of a liability on defense. He could start even for some contenders, with his age being the only reason he ranks this low on the list. I see no reason he won't be a productive player at least in 2019 and 2020. For his career, the Atlanta area native has 179 home runs, a .288/.358/.424 slash line, and 28.5 fWAR over 2001 games since 2006.
8. Lonnie Chisenhall (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 1 HR, .321/.394/.452, 1 SB, 129 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR in 29 games
It's easy to forget about Lonnie Chisenhall, as he has played just 111 games over the past two seasons due to injury, including just 29 in 2018, but he's actually a very productive player when on the field. Over those past two seasons, he is slashing .297/.368/.503 with 13 home runs and 2.1 fWAR in what amounts to about two thirds of a season's worth of games. That's a three win pace if he's healthy, comparable to what we might see out of a guy like Josh Reddick, except Chisenhall's left/right splits aren't as drastic. He also joined the fly ball revolution last year, which helped produce those numbers. His lack of consistent health pushes him down to #8 on this list, but a healthy Chisenhall could be a steal for whoever signs him. For his career, the eastern North Carolina native has 64 home runs, a .268/.320/.427 slash line, and 7.9 fWAR over 688 games.
9. Carlos Gonzalez (2019 Age: 33)
2018 Stats: 16 HR, .276/.329/.467, 5 SB, 96 wRC+, 1.7 fWAR in 132 games
Gonzalez isn't the 3-5 win player he once was, but he's still a solid left handed bat with a proven track record and enough sock to justify a spot lower in the lineup. He has fairly significant left/right splits, hitting righties at a .284/.344/.485 clip in 2018 but putting up just a .259/.295/.424 line against lefties, so he could fit nicely into a platoon role. His numbers will drop with his new team, but expect some power with the ability to get on base at a decent rate, especially against right handed pitching. For his career, the Venezuelan has 231 home runs, a .287/.345/.506 slash line, and 26.3 fWAR over 1332 games since 2008.
10. Denard Span (2019 Age: 35)
2018 Stats: 11 HR, .261/.341/.419, 9 SB, 112 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR in 137 games
While Span's loss of speed with age has sapped his value on defense and on the base paths, he still walks enough to get on base at a pretty good rate, and he seems to have found his home run stroke late in his career. After never hitting more than eight home runs in a season from 2008-2015, he has reached double digits in each of the past three seasons. This shifts his value more to his bat and away from his speed and defense, and while he shouldn't be a starter for a contending team, he could be a productive regular on most non-contending teams and even bat at the top of a few lineups. He does turn 35 in spring training, so he won't get a long term deal. For his career, the Tampa native has 71 home runs, a .281/.347/.398 slash line, 185 stolen bases, and 27.7 fWAR over 1359 games since 2008.
Other notable
Curtis Granderson (13 HR, .242/.351/.431, 2 SB, 116 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR)
Jon Jay (3 HR, .268/.330/.347, 4 SB, 86 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR)
Cameron Maybin (4 HR, .249/.326/.336, 10 SB, 88 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR)
Melky Cabrera (6 HR, .280/.335/.420, 1 SB, 102 wRC+, 0.4 fWAR)
Carlos Gomez (9 HR, .208/.298/.336, 12 SB, 80 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR)
Jose Bautista (13 HR, .203/.348/.378, 4 SB, 107 wRC+, 1.0 fWAR)
Matt Joyce (7 HR, .208/.322/.353, 0 SB, 89 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR)
Gerardo Parra (6 HR, .284/.342/.372, 11 SB, 80 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR)
Austin Jackson (3 HR, .245/.299/.326, 3 SB, 74 wRC+, -1.0 fWAR)
Hunter Pence (4 HR, .226/.258/.332, 5 SB, 59 wRC+, -0.9 fWAR)
Designated Hitters
1. Nelson Cruz (2019 Age: 38-39)
2018 Stats: 37 HR, .256/.342/.509, 1 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR in 144 games
Even though Cruz turns 39 in July, he is proving that he still has plenty of sock left in his bat and can contribute to any lineup that can fit him in at DH. Even with no defensive value, he has put up five straight seasons with at least 37 home runs, and with his decent walk rate, he gets on base enough to where he's a real threat at the plate. At this point, nearing 40, he probably fits as a #5 hitter on a non-contending team or as a #6 hitter on a contender, and even at this age I see no reason why he can't hit 30+ home runs in each of the next two seasons, albeit with falling on-base percentages that sit in the .340-.360 range now but could fall below .330 in the near future. For his career, the Dominican has 360 home runs, a .274/.342/.518 slash line, and 33.1 fWAR over 1569 games since 2005.
2. Evan Gattis (2019 Age: 32)
2018 Stats: 25 HR, .226/.284/.452, 1 SB, 99 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR in 128 games
The bad news is that Gattis' offense took a hit in 2018 and dropped below league average for the first time in his career, but the good news is that he still hit more than 20 home runs for the fourth time in his five major league seasons. He's not exactly the impact hitter that Cruz is, and as a DH, that's problematic, but he can still fit in towards the bottom of a major league lineup and if a team has an opening at DH, it's a starting-quality bat. As recently as 2016, he slashed .251/.319/.508 with 32 home runs and 2.7 fWAR, and he can get behind the plate and catch in a pinch, so Gattis should find a place to fit in and contribute to a major league team. For his career, the Dallas native has 139 home runs, a .248/.300/.476 slash line, and 7.7 fWAR over 706 games since 2013. Not bad for a former janitor.
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