The highest free agent storyline of every of the previous two offseasons was the respective star-studded shortstop lessons. In 2021-22, it was Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Trevor Story and Javier Báez. Final winter, Correa was again available on the market once more, joined by Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.
Subsequent winter’s group was by no means going to rival that earlier assortment. The category generally could be very mild on star place participant expertise past Shohei Ohtani. It’s notably barren up the center of the diamond. It’s laborious to think about a extra full 180° flip than how issues look like trending with the shortstop class, although. Just about everybody concerned is off to a really gradual begin.
The early-season performances from the upcoming free brokers on the place:
Amed Rosario (28)*
Whereas Rosario isn’t the famous person some evaluators had anticipated throughout his time within the Mets’ farm system, he’d been a stable common for 2 seasons since touchdown in Cleveland within the Francisco Lindor blockbuster. Rosario’s stable batting averages helped offset his very low stroll tallies. He hit 25+ doubles with double-digit homers in each 2021-22, enjoying on a close to on a regular basis foundation. His cumulative .282/.316/.406 batting line was nearly precisely league common. Public metrics have been blended on Rosario’s protection however the Guardians have been content material to maintain him at shortstop regardless of loads of higher minors infield expertise. Solely 27 and with out a ton of market competitors, he entered the 12 months in place for a robust three or four-year contract.
That might nonetheless be the case however Rosario is doing himself no favors along with his early efficiency. He’s sitting on a .217/.262/.300 displaying by means of his first 130 plate appearances. He has only one homer and is putting out at a 29.2% clip that’d simply be the worst full-season mark of his profession if it holds. After making contact on 81.3% of his swings final season, he’s placing the bat on the ball solely 71.5% of the time this 12 months. He’s additionally dedicated six errors in 255 1/3 innings after being charged with simply 12 in additional than 1200 frames final 12 months. Rosario remains to be the highest impending free agent shortstop by default however he’s struggling in all areas proper now.
Javier Báez (31), can decide out of ultimate 4 years and $98MM on his contract
Báez is hitting .256/.318/.376 by means of his first 130 plate appearances. That’s an enchancment over the lackluster .238/.278/.393 line he managed throughout his first season in Detroit. His 16.2% strikeout fee is the bottom of his profession, pushing his general offense close to league common despite simply three residence runs in 32 video games. Báez’s 2023 marketing campaign has been tremendous however hardly overwhelming. It’s nowhere close to what it’d take for him to beat the $98MM remaining on his current contract. He’d want a torrid summer season to place himself in place to check free company.
Enrique Hernández (32)
Hernández has been pushed into major shortstop responsibility by the Purple Sox’ numerous accidents. The early evaluations from public defensive metrics aren’t favorable, with Statcast placing him at seven outs under common in 199 innings. Hernández is off to an equally gradual begin on the plate. He’s hitting .236/.295/.362 over 139 plate appearances on the heels of a .222/.291/.338 displaying final 12 months. He’s been a priceless super-utility possibility and on a regular basis middle fielder at occasions in his profession, together with a 20-homer marketing campaign in 2021. The previous year-plus hasn’t been particularly spectacular, although, and Hernández has but to display he’s able to dealing with shortstop usually from a defensive standpoint.
Brandon Crawford (37)
The career-long Large had a tricky April on either side of the ball. He’s hitting .169/.244/.352 with a personal-high 28.2% strikeout fee in 21 video games. His defensive marks by means of 173 2/3 innings are unanimously below-average. A proper calf pressure despatched him to the injured listing final week. Even when Crawford is prepared to discover all alternatives subsequent winter after 13 seasons in San Francisco, he’ll want significantly better manufacturing as soon as he returns from the IL to seek out any curiosity as a beginning shortstop.
Elvis Andrus (35)
A lot of what applies to Crawford can be true for Andrus. He’s a 15-year MLB veteran with a pair All-Star appearances to his title however his offense has fallen off in current seasons. Andrus was a properly below-average hitter from 2018-21. He rebounded with a stable .249/.303/.404 displaying final season however nonetheless didn’t generate a lot free agent consideration. After settling for a $3MM take care of the White Sox, he’s hitting solely .208/.291/.264 in 142 plate appearances this 12 months. Andrus hit 17 homers final season however has only one by means of the primary six weeks.
Nick Ahmed (34)
One other glove-first veteran, Ahmed can be off to a tough begin on the plate. He carries a .227/.239/.318 line over 67 plate appearances. He’s hit just one residence run and walked simply as soon as. Ahmed has at all times been a bottom-of-the-lineup defensive specialist, however his profession .235/.289/.380 slash is way more tenable than the manufacturing he’s managed to this point in 2023. He misplaced nearly all of final season to shoulder surgical procedure.
Gio Urshela (32)
Urshela is hitting loads of singles to begin his time in Orange County. His .303 batting common is spectacular however is paired with only a .325 on-base share and .345 slugging mark. He’s strolling at a career-low 3.3% clip and has solely three extra-base hits (two doubles and a homer) in 123 plate appearances.
Extra regarding for groups seeking to the shortstop market is Urshela’s lack of expertise on the place. He’s been a 3rd baseman for almost all of his profession. Since touchdown with the Angels, he’s assumed a multi-positional infield position that has given him eight-plus begins at shortstop and each nook infield spots. Even when he begins hitting for extra energy, he’s higher deployed as a flexible infielder who can moonlight at shortstop than an on a regular basis answer there.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (28)
Kiner-Falefa misplaced his beginning shortstop position with the Yankees in the direction of the top of final season. He’s been kicked right into a multi-positional capability this 12 months and hasn’t logged a single inning on the place in 2023. Whereas Kiner-Falefa presumably might nonetheless deal with shortstop if requested, he’s contributed nothing offensively within the early going. By means of 72 plate appearances, he owns a .191/.225/.206 line.
Adalberto Mondesí (28)
Mondesí is younger and has flashed tantalizing instruments all through his main league profession. He’s additionally reached base at a meager .280 clip over 358 MLB video games and battled numerous accidents. An April 2022 ACL tear lower that season quick after simply 15 video games. The Purple Sox nonetheless acquired him from the Royals over the offseason, however he’s but to play a sport with Boston. Mondesí opened the season on the 60-day injured listing and gained’t make his Sox debut till at the least the top of this month. There’s an opportunity for him to play his approach into some free agent curiosity. He’ll want an prolonged stretch of well being and efficiency.
Gamers With Membership Choices
Each Tim Anderson and Paul DeJong can hit free company if the White Sox and Cardinals decline respective 2024 membership choices. That appears possible in DeJong’s case however is reflective of the .196/.280/.351 line he managed between 2020-22. If he performs properly sufficient to warrant important free agent curiosity — he has been wonderful in 11 video games this season, to his credit score — the Cardinals would train their $12.5MM possibility and hold him off the market anyhow.
The White Sox maintain a $14MM possibility on Anderson’s providers. That appears as if it’ll be a no brainer for Chicago to maintain him round (or train and make him obtainable in commerce). The one approach Anderson will get to free company is that if his 2023 season is decimated by damage or an uncharacteristic efficiency drop-off, during which case he’d be a query mark as properly.
Outlook
This was by no means going to be an excellent group. It’s comprised largely of glove-first veterans of their mid-30s. Gamers like Andrus, Ahmed, Crawford and José Iglesias — who’ll additionally hit free company and has bounced round on minor league offers to this point in 2023 — don’t are typically precedence targets. That opened the door for the likes of Rosario, Báez and a doubtlessly wholesome Mondesí — youthful gamers who’ve proven some offensive upside — to separate themselves from the pack in a approach they wouldn’t have the final couple winters. Nobody has seized the mantle so far. Whereas there are nonetheless greater than 4 months for somebody to emerge, the early returns on the shortstop class aren’t promising.
*age for the 2024 season
