Notable Non-Tenders, Now Free Agents

Friday was the deadline to tender a contract to arbitration-eligible players, and while most impact players are tendered contracts, many get non-tendered and become free agents. Let's take a look at the most notable new free agents.

1. 2B Jonathan Schoop (2019 Age: 27): 21 HR, .233/.266/.416, 1 SB, 80 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR
Schoop was projected to earn something in the $9-10 million range, so the Brewers cut him loose and needy teams have an opportunity to pick up a legitimate starting second baseman. He was much better in 2017 (32 HR, .293/.338/.503) than in 2018 (21 HR, .233/.266/.416), but the power is real and it makes him a productive player. However, he rarely walks so his value is fully dependent on his power. For his career, the Curacao native has 110 home runs, a .258/.294/.444 slash line, and 8.2 fWAR over 681 games since 2013.

2. 1B Justin Bour (2019 Age: 30-31): 20 HR, .227/.341/.404, 2 SB, 107 wRC+. 0.5 fWAR

Bour is another player coming off a down season, dropping from a big 2017 (25 HR, .289/.366/.536) to a disappointing 2018 (20 HR, .227/.341/.404). He's still a good hitter who can hit for power and get on base, though the standard for offense is obviously quite high for first basemen. He could get picked up as a DH or a platoon bat at first base, as he hits right handed pitchers well. For his career, the Northern Virginia native has 84 home runs, a .260/.344/.466 slash line, and 4.8 fWAR over 507 games since 2014.

3. IF Wilmer Flores (2019 Age: 27-28): 11 HR, .267/.319/.417, 0 SB, 103 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR

Wilmer Flores is the classic super-utility bat, an average hitting, average defending guy who can play any position you want him to. He's basically your discount Marwin Gonzalez. Flores has been surprisingly consistent over his career, and in 2018 he slashed .267/.319/.417 with 11 home runs over 126 games; those numbers don't make a star, but he gets on base enough and hits for enough power to the point where he's not a liability in the lineup, and that's the best you can hope for from your utility man. For his career, the Venezuelan has 68 home runs, a .262/.303/.424 slash line, and 5.2 fWAR over 581 games since 2013.

4. OF Avisail Garcia (2019 Age: 27-28): 19 HR, .236/.281/.438, 3 SB, 92 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR

Garcia has been, for the most part, a moderately streaky, fringe-starter type of outfielder throughout his career. The exception is 2017, when he broke out to slash .330/.380/.506 with 18 home runs for the White Sox, but everything dropped about 100 points as he slashed .236/.281/.438 with 19 home runs in an injury-shortened 2018. I think the non-2017 Avisail is the real one, so he could be a platoon bat for a contending team or a starter for a non-contending team. As a right handed hitter, he has been much more effective against left handed pitchers (.304/.358/.457) than against right handers (.259/.308/.408) throughout his career. For his career, the Venezuelan has 76 home runs, a .271/.321/.420 slash line, and 4.2 fWAR over 638 games since 2012.

5. OF Billy Hamilton (2019 Age: 28): 4 HR, .236/.299/.327, 34 SB, 69 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR

Probably the most well known player to be non-tendered this offseason, Billy Hamilton is difficult to place a value on. He can't hit, with neither the ability to get on base or hit for power, but oh boy can he run. He's among the fastest players in the entire league, and that speed makes him elite both on the basepaths and in the outfield. His Statcast sprint speed of 30.1 MPH puts him fifth in all of baseball, behind only Byron Buxton (30.5 MPH), Roman Quinn (30.2), Magneuris Sierra (30.2), and Adam Engel (30.1). From 2014-2017, he added one stolen base onto his total every season, stealing 56, 57, 58, and 59 bases, though he dropped to 34 in 2018. On defense, he was fifth among all MLB outfielders in 2018 with 16 outs above average (per Statcast). He's not much better than a pitcher in the batters' box, but once he gets out he's hard to stop. For his career, the Mississippi native has 21 home runs, a .245/.298/.333 slash line, 277 stolen bases, and 10.0 fWAR over 690 games since 2013.

6. RHP Mike Fiers (2019 Age: 33-34): 12-8, 3.56 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 139/37 K/BB, 172 IP

Fiers had a bounceback season in 2018, dropping his ERA from 5.22 in 2017 to 3.56 in 2018 and his WHIP from 1.43 to 1.18, looking like a legitimate mid-rotation starter in the process. He has been moderately inconsistent throughout his career, and because he turns 34 in June, I don't know that I would count on him to keep up his current level of success, but he should be a safe bet to hold down a spot in the back of a rotation. For his career, the South Florida native is 54-55 with a 4.04 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and an 827/267 strikeout to walk ratio over 172 games (153 starts) since 2011.

7. RHP Shelby Miller (2019 Age: 28): 0-4, 10.69 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 19/8 K/BB, 16 IP

Like Billy Hamilton, it's tough to place a value on Shelby Miller. When fully healthy, he is a legitimate #2 starter, but the problem is that he hasn't been fully healthy in years. From 2012-2015, Miller went 32-35 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP over 102 games (96 starts) for the Cardinals and Braves. The Braves sent him to Arizona in what turned out to be the worst trade in Diamondbacks history; over the last three years, he is 5-18 with a 6.35 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP, pitching in just 29 games (28 starts) in the process. If a team can figure out how to get Miller healthy, they have an extremely valuable asset on their hands; if they can't then they don't. He'll probably sign an incentives-laden deal and would fit great in a place like LA or Houston, who have deep rotations but could always use another top arm. For his career, the Texan is 37-53 with a 3.83 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 592/269 strikeout to walk ratio over 131 games (124 starts) since 2012.

8. RHP Blake Parker (2019 Age: 33-34): 2-1, 3.26 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 70/19 K/BB, 66.1 IP

Parker has quietly been a very good reliever for the Angels over the past two seasons, posting a 2.90 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 156/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 133.2 innings. While he was a bit better in 2017 than 2018, at 33 years old he's still a valuable reliever who should have no problem posting an ERA below 4.00 and maintaining solid component ratios. As far as relievers go, he's a fairly low-risk seventh inning guy. For his career, the former Arkansas Razorback has a 3.29 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 256/68 strikeout to walk ratio over 229 appearances since 2012.

9. DH Matt Davidson (2019 Age: 28): 20 HR, .228/.319/.419, 0 SB, 104 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR

Davidson has big power, but that's really about it. He hit 26 home runs in 2017 and added 20 more in 2018, but he more than doubled his walk rate from a poor 4.3% in 2017 to a solid 10.5% in 2018, covering up for his .228 batting average and making him a solid, #6ish hitter at his best. He hits left handed pitchers better than right handed pitchers, so unless he ends up on a bottom-rung team, he's probably a platoon bat at best. For his career, the Southern California native has 49 home runs, a .226/.295/.435 slash line, and 0.3 fWAR over 273 games since 2013.

10. 3B Yangervis Solarte (2019 Age: 17 HR, .226/.277/.378, 1 SB, 77 wRC+, -1.3 fWAR

It was a really poor season for Solarte, but he does have upside and can provide value in numerous ways. While he is primarily a third baseman, he can play second base adequately and can also be used at shortstop or first base in a pinch, making him a versatile bench asset. At the plate, his on-base percentage is largely dependent on his batting average, but he has some pop (double digit home runs in each of the past five seasons) and that's hard to find in a cheap infielder. He should catch on as a utility man somewhere. For his career, the Venezuelan has 74 home runs, a .259/.317/.410 slash line, and 5.6 fWAR over 642 games since 2014.

Other notable

OF Robbie Grossman (29): 5 HR, .273/.367/.384, 0 SB, 108 wRC+, 0.7 fWAR

RHP Hunter Strickland (30): 3-5, 3.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 37/21 K/BB, 45.1 IP

LHP Luis Avilan (29-30): 2-1, 3.77 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 51/18 K/BB, 45.1 IP

IF Tim Beckham (29): 12 HR, .230/.287/.374, 1 SB, 79 wRC+ -0.5 fWAR

RHP Matt Shoemaker (32): 2-2, 4.94 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 33/10 K/BB, 31 IP

C James McCann (28-29): 8 HR, .220/.267/.314, 0 SB, 58 wRC+, -0.1 fWAR

OF Chris Owings (27-28): 4 HR, .206/.272/.302, 11 SB, 51 wRC+, -0.8 fWAR

RHP Matt Bush (33): 0-0, 4.70 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 19/14 K/BB, 23 IP

OF Bubba Starling (26-27): Spent 2018 in minors

Padres Trade Yangervis Solarte to Blue Jays

Blue Jays Get: Yangervis Solarte: 18 HR, .255/.314/.416, 3 SB, 93 wRC+, 1.1 fWAR

Padres Get: Edward Olivares: 17 HR, .269/.327/.468, 20 SB, 122 wRC+ at Class A and High Class A,

Jared Carkuff: 3-4, 3.86 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 51/15 K/BB, 63 IP at Class A Short Season, Class A, High Class A, and AAA,

With middle infielders Troy Tulowitzki and Devon Travis both missing most of last season, and Tulowitzki especially looking fairly unpredictable health-wise, the Blue Jays went ahead and picked up infielder Yangervis Solarte to fight with fellow newcomer Aledmys Diaz to fill whatever holes may arise. Playing in San Diego, Solarte doesn't get much press, but he has been quite the productive player over the past few seasons. In 2016, he cracked 15 home runs and slashed .286/.341/.467 for a 119 wRC+, racking up 2.8 fWAR in just 109 games. His slash line fell to .255/.314/.416 and his wRC+ to 93 in 2017, but he did set a career high with 18 home runs and picked up 1.1 fWAR in 128 games. Toronto is a more hitter-friendly environment than San Diego, and he hits his fair share of fly balls, so his numbers could see a small bump in 2018 just on park context alone. He's set to make $13.5 million over the next two seasons, which isn't too bad, and he has played at least 36 career games at each infield position. For his career, Solarte has 57 home runs, a .267/.327/.419 slash line, and 7.1 fWAR over 520 games.

Meanwhile, the Padres got a pair of prospects, including the well-regarded center fielder Edward Olivares. The 21 year old Venezuelan spent most of the season at Class A Lansing, where he showed off in all facets by slashing .277/.330/500 with 17 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 101 games. His 82/22 strikeout to walk ratio was a bit underwhelming given he wasn't exactly young for the league, but his overall production and skills led to a late-season promotion to High Class A Dunedin. He had some hiccups adjusting, slashing .221/.312/.265 with no home runs and two stolen bases in 19 games, but he did walk eight times (10.4% rate) and wasn't totally overmatched. He'll likely start back in High A in 2018, but there is reason to believe he could be on the verge of a breakout. He's extremely athletic, as seen in the power/speed combination he showcased in Class A, and he's still growing into his 6'2" frame, so the Padres are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and get a future starting center fielder. Of course, he doesn't have absolutely everything going for him, as he does turn 22 in March and is a bit older than the typical projection play. Given his age, that 82/22 strikeout to walk ratio at Class A was a bit disappointing, and he does have a long way to go with his offensive profile if he wants to be productive at the major league level. He's certainly one to watch. 24 year old Jared Carkuff is slightly less interesting, but that is okay. The Blue Jays drafted Carkuff in the 35th round of the 2016 draft out of Austin Peay State in Tennessee, converting him to relief and getting results immediately. After posting a 1.42 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 35/3 strikeout to walk ratio in the Gulf Coast League immediately after being drafted in 2016, the Jays pushed him all the way up to High Class A Dunedin to start 2017. He held his own but didn't dominate in ten appearances, putting up a 5.14 ERA, a 1.43 WHIP, and a 15/6 strikeout to walk ratio in 21 innings. He missed a couple weeks with a minor injury and was briefly sent to Class A Short Season Vancouver to ramp back up (and he threw three shutout innings), then spent much of the season a level below Dunedin at Class A Lansing. In 21 appearances, he looked very good, posting a 3.79 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 32/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 35.2 innings. At the end of the season, he got a brief, one game call up to AAA Buffalo, where he shut down the Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals AAA) over 3.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk. He's a middle relief prospect who could be in the majors in the near future.