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Sure, several superstar free agents have been signed as we near Christmas, with Aaron Judge returning to the Yankees, Carlos Correa joining the Giants, Jacob deGrom heading to the Rangers, and others. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t several gems remaining on the open market for teams to snatch up.
Here’s a look at the best free agents still out there by position:
Catcher: Gary Sánchez
Early on, it looked as though Sánchez could be the catcher of the future for the Yankees after he posted a .923 OPS with 53 home runs in his first 175 games in the Majors from 2016-17. But then, outside of a solid 2019 campaign, he’s struggled both at the plate and behind it. That led to the Yanks dealing him to the Twins prior to last season in the move that sent Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to New York. Sánchez didn’t fare any better with Minnesota, hitting .205/.282/.377 in 128 games. But he just turned 30, and he may still have something left in his bat.
First base: Wil Myers
You could make an argument for Brandon Belt here, but given that he’s entering his age-35 campaign in 2023, and that he just had another knee operation, there are a lot of question marks there. There are health questions with Myers, too, after he was limited to 77 games last season, but he’s nearly three years younger than Belt and was more productive in 2022. He posted a .713 OPS (108 OPS+) with seven homers in 286 plate appearances for the Padres, but he’s also just two seasons removed from a .959 OPS and 15 homers in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Second base: Jean Segura
Segura finally got to put his talents on display on the postseason stage last fall, reaching the playoffs for the first time in his 11th Major League season. He delivered some clutch hits for the Phillies to help them win their first pennant in 13 years, also hitting .462 in the National League Division Series against the Braves. He’s been steadily solid into his early-30s, with a .761 OPS over the past three seasons, though he’s been limited by injuries. Health moving forward will be part of the risk a team will take when it signs Segura, but he’s proven that when he’s able to stay on the field, he’s productive.