Written by Derek Harvey at Bloguin
The World Series ended on Sunday and the moment it did, all pending free agents officially became untethered from their previous clubs. However they do still have to wait until Friday November 6th – five days after the end of the World Series – before they’re allowed to negotiate with other teams. That won’t matter though, as many free agents wait to sign until the Winter Meetings in December. Clubs will have plenty of time to identify their targets and as is the case every year, several teams will walk away with a bargain.
Bargain buys are usually players coming off of bad seasons or returning from injuries. Sometimes though you’ll also find a bargain in a younger player that has a breakout season. Sometimes you’ll also see a club get a deal on a player who is undervalued, though that happens less in this era of video and statistical analysis. Here are a few players I think could represent a bargain buy for potential suitors.
Marco Estrada
Marco Estrada raised his profile in the Postseason, making three starts with a 2.33 ERA and 3.08 FIP. During the regular season he pitched from the pen and the rotation for a 3.13 ERA. But his career track record is less impressive. He actually struggled quite a lot last year with the Brewers, leading baseball in home runs allowed. Despite that, he has displayed a keen ability to get strike outs despite his below average velocity. He has also shown an ability to pitch both out of the bullpen and in the rotation. That makes him a versatile option that fits any club. I think he could be had on a two-year deal in the range of $18-22 million. Even for a back-end starter in this era that’s not a bad price. The upside is a 3/4 starter. If he can hit that peak, he’s a steal at $11 M AAV.
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