On Saturday at 12:01 a.m. ET, MLB free agents will officially be free to sign with any club. With 139 names on the free-agent list, there is plenty of intrigue as the hot-stove season gets set to fire up. With so many to choose from, there are plenty of overlooked offensive players on the list, such as Gerardo Parra, Nori Aoki and Marlon Byrd.
We’ll examine which underrated position players and designated hitters may be the best buys given their track records, offensive statistics, leadership qualities and glove work. The age of the players will also be considered.
General managers can find veterans and bargains to add to the lineup or depth chart. Some of these players have been in the game a long time, while others are looking to break into the major leagues for the first time after being posted by teams in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).