Top 50 MLB Free Agents for 2015: Where Will They Land? #40-31

November 19, 2014

Justing Berglund looks at the top 50 MLB free agents for the 2015 season, 40-31. Stay up on the biggest free agents as we enter the hot stove season.

With Victor Martinez and Michael Cuddyer signing with the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets, and more recently Russel Martin signing a huge deal with the Blue Jays, the 2015 offseason has officially begun!

From now until Opening Day, teams will be looking to add to the teams by adding some of the top players in the game available through Free Agency. Here, we are going to look at the Top 50 Free Agents this offseason, and which uniform they will be sporting this offseason. This is part 2 of a 5 part series. We already did #50-41, and are now going to analyze #40-31. Keep in mind, I said Free Agent, so I am not going to add Yadmany Tomas and the rest of the international players looking to sign, this will just be players with MLB experience finding a new home.

Top 50 MLB Free Agents for 2015: 40-31

40. Steven Drew, SS

Drew had a rough 2014.  He didn't find a home due to his draft pick compensation, eventually resigned with Boston, hit below .200 and was traded to the Yankees where he barely played due to Derek Jeter. Now, he’ll look to find a team without a starting SS, and Oakland is great at finding a diamond in the rough in free agency.

2015 Most Likely Team: Athletics

39. Billy Butler, DH

He won’t sign with an NL team as he will want to stay as a DH. He had an underachieving 2014, and teams will jump at the chance to add a middle of the order power bat at a somewhat discounted price.  Having been outbid on Victor Martinez, Seattle will want more power behind Cano. However the A's will undoubtedly see an undervalued asset, and Billy Beane loves those OBP skills. To the Northwest Butler will go.

2015 Most Likely Team: Athletics

38. Aaron Harang, SP

Aaron Harang has played for a total of 7 teams in his career, and 36 with no sign of hanging up the glove, it looks like he will make it 8 this 2015. 2014 showed some flashes of brilliance, including a game against the Mets where he was throwing a no hitter through 7 innings, which I attended. The Astros will be inclined to spend some money this offseason and complement their young and budding corps of starters with a veteran arm, and Harang is not the type of high quality starter that can command to play for a winner. Plus, if he starts out hot like he did in 2014, he will be a nice asset for the Astros to move on the trade market around the deadline.

2015 Most Likely Team: Astros

37. Casey Janssen, RP

Janssen had a really bad year in 2014. When you have an ERA almost at 4 coming into the ninth inning, with a lowly 5.5 K/9 and 6.46 ERA during the second half, you're not helping your case on a free agent market with so many other relievers available. He won’t be signed as a closer, but what team showed this postseason they need help in the late innings? The same team that will also sign Rafael Soriano two players down.

2015 Most Likely Team: Tigers

36. Jason Grilli, RP

Sandwiched between two guys heading to Mo-Town (spoiler alert if you haven’t read Soriano's analysis yet), Grilli is a more confusing case. He showed great stuff in Pittsburgh before struggling, getting hurt, losing the closer role to Mark Melancon and getting traded to the Angels. After trading away Andrew Miller, the Red Sox do need help towards the later innings, and as a potential backup plan in case Koji Uehara’s age catches up to him. He should come at a discount considering the off 2014, and should fit well in Beantown.

2015 Most Likely Team: Red Sox

35. Rafael Soriano, RP

Going into his age 35 season, Soriano is not going to command much on the free agent market and will probably only get 1 year from whoever signs him. Despite not having the best year, he is going to be closing come Opening Day, and the Tigers have shown that they need help in the ninth inning. After resigning Victor Martinez, the Tigers need to go all in with the crew they have, and Soriano can help with that.

2015 Most Likely Team: Tigers

34. AJ Burnett, SP

There are rumors that the Orioles are interested in Burnett, which makes sense considering they won’t spend a ton of money on pitching arms. He’s probably going to chase whichever team gives him the most money for 2015, and Baltimore could very well be that team, since no team is likely to offer him very much money at all.

2015 Most Likely Team: Orioles

33. Justin Masterson, SP

I’m going to get a bit personal here. When I was 16, I was in Boston at Fenway after the Red Sox had lost to the Indians. Walking home with my dad, I saw a familiar face, and it was Justin Masterson, who had been traded from Boston to Cleveland a year earlier. Not a huge star and still young himself, he was chatting with some fans. I had asked him if he ever wanted to return to the Red Sox when he was a free agent. He said he would love to if the circumstances were right. After trading away 3 starting pitchers and with money to spend, I’d like to think I know where Masterson is going.

2015 Most Likely Team: Red Sox

32. Chris Young, SP

The 2014 Comeback Player of the Year will be a nice addition to the middle of any rotation, but I think that he will be staying with the team that brought him his renewed success. The Mariners are showing they are ready to compete in the AL West, and Young is the type of veteran arm that can not only help the younger arms along, but be a cheap option to help them win now.

2015 Most Likely Team: Mariners

31. Sergio Romo, RP

After being demoted to set-up work, he might not get the kind of a attention on the free agent market that he will be expecting. This has been a common theme amongst the relievers in this section. The Giants might be the only ones to give him 2 years, and he will have the chance to get his 9^th inning role back.

2015 Most Likely Team: Giants

That wraps up the second part of this series, with next up being numbers 30-21. This part will feature some top OF's and more quality SP's. Stay tuned and see which ones I get right and which ones are very, very wrong.