You know all about the big names from this 2024 MLB free-agent class. Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell…the list continues.
For clubs that don’t have sizable budgets, they’re often left hunting in the bargain bin in search of guys who can help them win ballgames at a fraction of the cost. When surveying the current scene mid-way through December, a few names stick out as possible under-the-radar impact players.
Let’s take a look at three of those names:
Brendan Rodgers
Colorado selected Rodgers out of high school No. 3 Overall in the 2015 MLB Draft. First coming up with the team as a 22-year-old in 2019, he’s had some solid yet unspectacular seasons with the Rockies.
Toggling between shortstop and second base, he is a career .266 hitter. He’s coming off a season in which Rodgers hit 13 HRs, drove in 54 RBIs, and sported a .721 OPS. Those numbers won’t jump off the page. Having said that, he has won a Gold Glove in the past. Rodgers did also sport an above-average hard-hit rate in 2024.
At only 28 years of age, a more functional franchise could look to extract more of the talent he flashed as an elite prospect a decade ago. While not a threat to steal or slug, there’s some value here as a guy who can give you quality innings at multiple positions.
Kiké Hernandez
Unless you lived under a rock, you saw what Enrique Hernandez did during postseason play in 2024.
At this point, ‘the legend of Kiké’ is a real thing. He’s an average regular-season player prone to the occasional mistake. When the postseason rolls around, he focuses and becomes one of the best playoff performers we’ve seen over the last 30 years.
It’s uncanny how lethal he can be when locked in. Hernandez crushes fastballs, and his ability to play virtually every position whether in the infield or the outfield is special. He’s a quirky guy, and not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea. You’d expect him to come back with the Dodgers. However, if given the chance to play every day, he may end up elsewhere.
Carlos Estevez
The 31-year-old RHP still has plenty of juice left in his powerful arm
Over this past year, a deep dive into Estevez’s analytic breakdown showed a very effective pitcher. The 6’6″ hurler finished above the 80th percentile in offspeed run value, xERA, walk percentage, and fastball velocity. Estevez averaged 96.8 miles per hour on his heater this past year in time with both the Phillies and the Angels.
With experience both closing and as a high-leverage reliever, Estevez should hold plenty of value for a contending team. It’s somewhat surprising he’s still on the market given his skill-set and strong track record. Estevez has averaged nearly 29 saves over the past two seasons. In 2024, he notched a solid 2.45 ERA and 26 saves over 54 appearances. Expect someone to pull the trigger sooner rather than later.
