Previewing the 2022-23 free-agent class: Second basemen

It’s time to take a deeper take a look at the choices for groups in want of assist at second base.

Top of the Class

The Phillies maintain a $17M membership choice on Segura, so he might technically go within the “Club Options” part later on this preview. However, regardless that Segura is an efficient participant who’s had a stable season, it’s likelier that the Phils pay the choice’s $1M buyout than decide up that hefty wage. Segura has ample expertise at shortstop and has performed some third base as properly, however he’s been a strict second baseman in Philly not too long ago and different groups seemingly view him equally. The open market hasn’t been form to non-star, second-base-only gamers like Segura in recent times, even once they’re coming off respectable seasons.

That’s the case right here, as Segura has slashed .273/.335/.393 — good for a 106 wRC+ (suggesting he’s been seven % higher than the league-average hitter). Segura is a troublesome strikeout however doesn’t stroll a lot and has slowly seen his energy dwindle to below-average ranges. He usually has stable however unspectacular grades for his glovework at second base. He’ll be 33 subsequent spring.

At his finest, Segura does somewhat little bit of all the pieces — hitting for energy, hitting for common, swiping some bases, taking part in stable protection — however doesn’t essentially excel in anybody space. It’d be a shock if he obtained greater than two years in free company, and there are free-agent second basemen with larger ceilings however far much less current monitor report. If you need the most secure guess to be a stable common on the place, Segura is the man.

As is commonly the case, we’re taking a look at a reasonably skinny crop of established second basemen available on the market this yr. That’s excellent news for Drury, who parlayed a minor league take care of the Reds right into a standout free-agent platform. Drury hit .274/.335/.520 and clubbed 21 residence runs with the Reds earlier than a deadline commerce shipped him to San Diego. He hasn’t been practically nearly as good with the Friars (.227/.270/.454) however continues to be hitting for energy. On the entire, Drury has a .261/.317/.501 slash this season — about 23% higher than the typical hitter by the measure of wRC+.

Defensively, Drury embodies the “jack of all trades, master of none” trope, however second base has traditionally been his finest place. He’s drawn common marks there all through his profession and once more in 2022. The 30-year-old righty has feasted on left-handed pitching however principally simply held his personal in opposition to right-handers. Drury hit properly in a tiny pattern of 88 plate appearances with the 2021 Mets however was a non-factor with the Yankees and Blue Jays from 2018-20, batting a mixed .205/.254/.346 within the tough equal of a full season of taking part in time (167 video games, 582 plate appearances).

Drury will get an enormous league deal this winter. The questions are whether or not his Cincinnati contributions are overshadowed by his San Diego struggles, whether or not he’ll get a glance as a utility choice or as a participant at one major place, and whether or not there’s sufficient curiosity to generate a multi-year provide.

Veterans Coming Off Down Years

Cano sat out your entire 2021 season serving a 162-game suspension for his second failed PED check and was launched by three completely different groups in 2022 — the ultimate season of the 10-year, $240M contract he initially signed with Seattle. Cano hit simply .150/.183/.190 in 104 Major League plate appearances this season and won’t get one other MLB likelihood at this level.

One of the Padres’ marquee acquisitions on the 2021 commerce deadline, Frazier fell right into a deep stoop the second he was traded from Pittsburgh to San Diego. He was flipped to the Mariners in a cost-saving transfer final offseason and hasn’t rediscovered his Pittsburgh kind with what’s now his third workforce. Frazier’s season in Seattle has been the worst full season of his huge league profession. He’s nonetheless been a stable defender between second base and the outfield corners, however he’s hitting simply .235/.299/.308 in 579 plate appearances. Since leaving the Pirates, Frazier has a .243/.307/.315 slash in 790 plate appearances; he batted .283/.346/.420 in components of six seasons with Pittsburgh.

Long a gradual common at second base, Hernandez has performed out his free-agent years on a sequence of one-year offers and may need reached the top of his time as an on a regular basis participant in Washington. After swatting a career-high 21 homers final yr, the switch-hitter has only one lengthy ball in 2022.  He’s nonetheless collected 27 doubles and 4 triples, however the swift disappearance of his energy has left him with a .245/.308/.315 batting line — about 23% worse than league common by the measure of wRC+. Hernandez’s defensive marks at second base have taken a nosedive in current seasons, too, and Washington has begun taking part in him at different positions (third base, left discipline) to make room for the youthful Luis Garcia.

Simmons is, after all, primarily a shortstop. He noticed extra time at second base (106 innings) than at quick (104) in a short and disastrous tenure as a  Cub, although. Simmons had two prolonged IL stints in 2022 attributable to shoulder issues, hit simply .173/.244/.187 in 85 plate appearances, and was launched final month. Since a pair of above-average seasons on the plate in 2017-18, he’s mixed for 1087 plate appearances with three groups (Angels, Twins, Cubs) and posted a mixed .244/.298/.311 slash — only a 68 wRC+.

Another veteran infielder who signed a one-year take care of the Cubs and was launched this summer time, the switch-hitting Villar mustered solely a .208/.260/.302 output in 220 plate appearances between Chicago and Anaheim this season. He posted stable numbers with the 2021 Mets and, from 2018-21, batted .259/.327/.408 (99 wRC+) with 58 homers and a hefty 105 steals in simply shy of 2000 huge league plate appearances. Villar can play any second, third, and shortstop however doesn’t grade out properly at any of the three.

Utility Players

Diaz has performed no less than 45 innings at 5 completely different positions this season: all 4 infield spots and left discipline. He was primarily a shortstop early in his profession and nonetheless has extra complete innings there than at any place. He by no means graded properly there, and as he enters his mid-30s, he’ll be considered as extra of a utility participant. Diaz’s .255/.302/.427 line in 2022 is sort of just like the .259/.318/.433 slash he’s posted over 4 complete seasons with the ’Stros. He’s a right-handed bat who’s proven a reasonably noticeable platoon break up over the previous couple of seasons, although early in his profession he hit fellow righties higher than lefties.

Peterson has performed principally third base in Milwaukee this season and posted sensational defensive marks there, together with 10 Defensive Runs Saved and 5 Outs Above Average in simply 583 innings. He’s spent extra time at second base than some other place in his profession on the entire, nevertheless. The lefty-swinging Peterson has revived his profession with a stable three-year run in Milwaukee, hitting .241/.339/.379 (100 wRC+) with a hefty 12.4% stroll charge, 16 homers and 22 steals in 677 plate appearances. He’s even dealt with lefties properly in a small pattern over the previous two seasons, though a profession .217/.289/.282 output in opposition to them nonetheless suggests he’s finest deployed in opposition to righties solely.

A hamstring pressure value Solano greater than two months, however since being activated, he’s batted .292/.343/.397 with 4 homers and 15 doubles in 280 journeys to the plate. Solano has been fairly good at residence, in Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, and below-average on the street, however that is the fourth consecutive season he’s headed for no less than league-average offense. Dating again to his 2019 resurgence with the Giants, “Donnie Barrels” is hitting .303/.351/425 in 1055 plate appearances. He’ll flip 35 in December, although, and his defensive grades at second, third, and shortstop in recent times are all missing. He’s posted glorious numbers in 166 innings as a primary baseman this yr, nevertheless (5 DRS, 2 OAA).

Depth Pieces

• Ehire Adrianza (33): A switch-hitter with expertise all around the infield and within the outfield corners, Adrianza has hit simply .215/.302/.320 in 415 plate appearances courting again to 2020.
• Charlie Culberson (34): Since hitting a career-high 12 homers with the 2018 Braves, Culberson carries a .248/.291/.384 slash in 542 plate appearances. He nonetheless hits lefties properly however has by no means had a lot success in opposition to righties.
• Matt Duffy (32): Duffy opened the season because the Angels’ second baseman however spent important time on the injured listing this season, primarily attributable to again bother. He’s hit .255/.311/.317 in 225 plate appearances. Duffy can play any of second, third, or shortstop, however accidents have restricted him to 716 plate appearances over the previous 4 seasons.
• Alcides Escobar (36): Escobar had a short resurgence with the 2021 Nats, however that was the one time since 2014 his bat has been near common. He hit .218/.262/.282 in 131 plate appearances with Washington this yr.
• Phil Gosselin (34): The journeyman utility participant has expertise at each infield spot and within the outfield corners. He hit .149/.182/.176 in 77 plate appearances this yr however did report a decent .259/.316/.371 slash in 475 plate appearances from 2020-21.
• Rougned Odor (29): The O’s have considerably bizarrely given Odor 457 plate appearances regardless of poor defensive rankings (-9 DRS, -3 OAA) and a .211/.278/.366 slash that usually mirrors the .200/.270/.378 line he’s posted in 966 plate appearances since 2020.
• Chris Owings (31): The huge numbers Owings posted in a tiny pattern with the 2021 Rockies look even flukier after he hit .107/.254/.143 in 68 plate appearances with Baltimore in 2022. He’s hit .190/.266/.300 over his previous 667 MLB plate appearances.

Club Options

• Hanser Alberto (30): Alberto’s one-year take care of the Dodgers contained a $2M membership choice and a $250K buyout. Los Angeles will all seemingly go for the buyout after Alberto has batted .225/.235/.344 in 153 journeys to the plate. Alberto has stable defensive rankings across the infield and hits lefties properly — profession .320/.337/.445 hitter in 577 plate appearances — giving him some bench enchantment. His current poor showings will probably be exhausting to miss, although.
• Josh Harrison (35): Harrison’s subsequent plate look will probably be his four-hundredth, boosting his 2023 membership choice worth from $5.5M to $5.625M. There’s a $1.5M buyout, making it a web $4.125M choice for the ChiSox. Based strictly on his manufacturing — practically league-average offense and high quality protection at a number of positions — Harrison’s been value that quantity. The Sox have already got a crowded payroll and will probably be on the lookout for extra manufacturing from a number of spots of their lineup, nevertheless. They may additionally really feel they’ll discover comparable manufacturing/worth both in-house or at a decrease web worth elsewhere available on the market.
• Whit Merrifield (34): One of the perfect all-around gamers in MLB from 2017-21, Merrifield’s bat has fallen off a cliff in 2022, as he’s hitting simply .235/.286/.356 in 521 plate appearances. Still, his membership choice is valued at an affordable $6.5M and comes with a $750K buyout. It’s a web $5.75M resolution for the Blue Jays, and given Merrifield’s monitor report, that’s a reasonably straightforward name to make. During that ’17-’21 peak, Merrifield hit .292/.338/.438, twice main the Majors in hits and likewise main the American League in steals three completely different instances.
• Kolten Wong (32): Wong’s $10M membership choice is a bit more durable to foretell, if solely as a result of the Brewers are inclined to tread cautiously with membership choices and sometimes go for the buyout even of cheap offers. For Wong, that’d be a $2M buyout, rendering this an $8M web resolution. Milwaukee’s payroll subsequent yr is already loaded, they usually could really feel they’ll change Wong’s worth in-house. With an $8M web worth on the choice, it’s potential he’d have some commerce worth to a workforce who’ll be on the lookout for some upgrades at second base. Wong is hitting .252/.338/.435 and has tied a career-best with 15 homers. His defensive marks have fallen under common, nevertheless, as he’s missed time attributable to a calf harm for a second straight season.