It’s harder to determine which hidden options will do the same. We know that some players available on the open market will provide significant value in 2024, but which ones?
Well, we challenged seven MLB.com editors to come up with candidates. While your definition of “under the radar” may vary, we’ve narrowed the pool to those outside the radar. the 25 best free agents ranked by MLB.com executive reporter Mark Feinsand.
1. Mitch Garver, C.
2023 Stats (Rangers): 87 G, .270/.370/.500, 19 HR
Why he’s under the radar: It’s hard to say Garver is truly “under the radar” when he just won a World Series as a regular with the Rangers, but he might be undervalued due to his injury history and his lack of position. Garver last played in at least 100 games in a season in 2018, and he made just 42 defensive appearances behind the plate in his two seasons with Texas.
Why it is intriguing: Garver’s recent production at the plate rivals some of the best at-bats in this year’s free agent class. In fact, among current free agents, only Shohei Ohtani posted a higher score OPS+ over the last five seasons than Garver (130). The 32-year-old finished 2023 with a 134 OPS+, and there was nothing haphazard about his performance: He ranked in the 83rd percentile or better in barrel rate (83rd), expected hitting percentage (85th), expected wOBA (87th), walk rate (90th) and chase rate (98th).
And even though Garver spent most of his playing time as Texas’ designated hitter in 2022 and 2023, that was mostly because he shared a roster with top defensive backstops such as Jonah Heim and Austin Hedges during this period. While he may never be a Gold Glove Award contender behind the plate, Garver has the potential to bring considerable value to a roster while splitting time between the catcher and DH spots, especially in a free agent group that lacks attractive catching options.
2. Adam Duvall, OF
2023 Stats (Red Sox): 92 G, .247/.303/.531, 21 HR
Why he’s under the radar: Duvall is 35, he’s been injured much of the last two seasons, and he played for a team that had a disappointing 2023 campaign. All of that is a recipe for flying under the radar, even after hitting 38 homers and achieved 113 points. just two years ago, when he helped the Braves win the World Series.
Why it is intriguing: The main problem for Duvall is health. When he was in Boston’s lineup last year, he was productive, especially over a three-week stretch from August 10th to September 10th. 3, when he slashed .342/.402/.772 with nine home runs – eight of which came in the final 13 games of that span. Duvall can have streaks – throughout his career he has had prolonged slumps in addition to his hot spells. He’s also a very successful guy. But in an offseason with a shallow pool of impact position players, Duvall represents a relatively inexpensive hitting outfielder who can carry a lineup for weeks at a time.
3. Joc Pederson, DH
2023 Stats (Giants): 121 G, .235/.348/.416, 15 HR, 111 OPS+
Why he’s under the radar: As that slanted line indicates, Pederson is coming off a pretty pedestrian season. He also missed 30 games during the year due to right hand and wrist injuries. He still doesn’t hit left-handed pitches very well and isn’t a good outfielder, so Pederson is best used as a designated hitter to get the strong side of a platoon. These limitations make him not even worth considering for some teams.
Why it is intriguing: In 2022, Pederson recorded a career-best OPS+ (146) in 433 plate appearances with the Giants. He obviously didn’t replicate that production over 425 plate appearances in 2023, but he probably deserved better given the way he consistently hit the screws.
Pederson rate hit hard increased for the fifth straight year, to a career-high 52.2%, tied for 11th in the Majors. He also posted a good barrel rate of 12.1% and recorded the two highest exit velocities of his 10-year career. Before 2023, Pederson had never had an electric vehicle exceed 184.3 mph. Then he hit balls 115.0 mph and 116.6 mph last season. All that strong, ideal contact was a big reason why his expected slash line — .263/.364/.483 — exceeded the actual line. Not to mention, he achieved these batted ball boosts while significantly improving his plate discipline (20.9% strikeout rate, 13.4% walk rate).
For all his weaknesses, Pederson’s bat remains very solid. Entering his 32-year-old campaign, he should continue to sting baseballs for his next club. Perhaps he will have more to show in 2024.
4. Sean Manaea, LHP
2023 Stats (Giants): 7-6, 4.44 ERA, 128 K, 117 2/3 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 3.90 FIP, 1.1 fWAR
Why he’s under the radar: Manaea finished the 2023 season with a 4.44 ERA and 3.90 ERA. PIF while splitting time between the Giants’ starting rotation and bullpen. At 31, the southpaw has never been the definition of an ace: He’s never finished a full season with an ERA above 3.50 or a double-digit K/9, and he’s never neither pitched 180 innings in one. season. In a free agent market full of No. 1 and No. 2 starter types, Manaea is sure to be overlooked.
Why it is intriguing: Over the final four and a half months of the season, Manaea pitched as well as anyone in baseball, posting a 3.44 ERA and 3.15 FIP while striking out 9.5 batters all the nine rounds. Now, most of that work took place while San Francisco’s “mass innings” arm came out of the bullpen, but a short stint in the rotation in September proved he could still remain a starter. In 24 innings over his last four starts, Manaea had a 2.25 ERA, striking out 18 batters while walking only two. Manaea also had the fastest fastball of his career (93.6 mph), two ticks faster than his 2022 velocity.
5. Shintaro Fujinami, RHP
2023 Stats (A/Orioles): 64 G (7 GS), 2 SV, 7.18 ERA, 83 K, 79 IP
Why he’s under the radar: Because his first season in MLB was an absolute roller coaster. When Fujinami signed with the NPB Hanshin Tigers A’s, scouting reports indicated he had big equipment but spotty command. Well, those command issues torpedoed his time as a starter in Oakland, and even after he converted to a reliever and the Orioles traded him, Fujinami couldn’t stay consistent enough to make the roster of Baltimore’s playoff run as an arm of the bullpen.
Why it is intriguing: Because he throws 100 mph and has shown flashes of becoming a valuable late-inning reliever in Baltimore. Fujinami struck out more than one batter per inning, allowed a batting average of just .193, and had 20 scoreless outings with the O’s. And once again, his work is truly enticing.
Fujinami hit 102.6 mph — on a strikeout, no less, one of three Fujinami K’s recorded over 102 mph in 2023. He was one of 16 Major League pitchers to throw no would it be just one pitch 102 mph or faster last season. , and one of only 10 to get a takedown on such a fast pitch. He was one of only 13 to reach a peak velocity of 102.6 or higher, and one of only five to have a K at that velocity. If Fujinami can join a team that knows how to develop its pitchers and understands his command, he could be a high-value signing.
6. Michael Wacha, RHP
2023 Stats (Padres): 24 GS, 14-4, 3.22 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 124 K
Why he’s under the radar: It’s really not his fault. Wacha fell off the radar after the 2015 season due to injuries and poor performances. Then he had his resurgence with the 2022 Red Sox and the 23 Padres – two clubs that could very kindly be described as underachieving.
Why it is intriguing: Wacha made 23 starts in 2022 and 24 last season. During that span, he went 25-6 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He’s lost about 3 mph on average on his four-seam fastball since his peak of 95.1 mph in 2016, but he’s had 70 strikeouts on changeups this season, tied for third-most in baseball, which suggests that even with a dip in velocity, his repertoire should remain viable. Plus, despite how long he feels like he’s been around, he’s only 32 years old – so, in theory, he has a few good seasons left to offer a club hoping to add a veteran to its rotation .
7. Jordan Hicks, RHP
2023 Stats (Cardinals/Blue Jays): 12 SV, 3.29 ERA, 81 K, 65 2/3 IP
Why he’s under the radar: Hicks underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2019 after experiencing soreness in his right elbow early in the 19 season. He later withdrew from the COVID-affected 2020 campaign due to pre-existing health issues, as Hicks was not only recovering from his procedure, but he also suffered from Type 1 diabetes. Upon his return in 2021, Hicks again experienced discomfort in his right elbow early in the season. He landed on the injured list on May 2 and did not make another appearance that season for the Cardinals. As St. Louis attempted to extend Hicks as a starter in 2022, he remained largely healthy until spending the final weeks on the IL due to right arm fatigue.
Why it is intriguing: Hicks not only had a completely healthy 2023, but he got stronger as the year went on. He posted a 2.63 ERA in 25 appearances for the Blue Jays after being acquired at the trade deadline. Oh, and he averaged 100.3 mph with his four-seamer and 100.1 mph with his sinker — both up from his 2022 averages. Hicks maxed out at 104.3 mph the last season – a throwing velocity achieved by only one other pitcher (Jhoan Duran). When healthy, few pitchers throw as hard as Hicks, and he can be a game-changer out of the back of the bullpen for many contenders.
