Hot Stove Preview: Top MLB Free Agents: Middle Infielders

We continue following the top players departing their teams with a list of the top middle infielders.  Hanley Ramirez, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Rickie Weeks lead the class, plus some guy named Jose Fernandez (not the pitcher) defecting from Cuba will add some diversity to the market.

Second Basemen

1. Jose Fernandez (Cuba): 1 HR, 10 RBI, .315 AVG, 1 SB (Cuban Stats). 2015 age: 27.

Wait, Jose Fernandez is a free agent? And isn’t he a pitcher? No, there is a new Jose Fernandez coming out of Cuba, and this one is a second baseman. In a shallow second base market, this Fernandez may come out on top as the most sought-after second baseman. Fernandez will be 26 on Opening Day, making him much younger than other free agent second baseman. Additionally, big years from Jose Abeu and Yasiel Puig have helped his stock immensely. Unlike many players who defect from Cuba, Fernandez is not known for his speed or defense, but rather his approach to hitting. Scouts have praised his incredible plate discipline and his ability to get on base. At the time he defected, his on-base percentage for the Matanzas baseball club was .415. However, Fernandez does not possess big time power, nor is he a fast baserunner or a slick fielder. Just a good guy to have in the lineup, as many consider him ready for a full time job in the majors right away.

2. Rickie Weeks (Brewers): 8 HR, 29 RBI, .274 AVG, 3 SB. 2015 age: 32.

Though his last few seasons in Milwaukee have been disappointing, Weeks remains a solid option at second base for any team. Though the Brewers are unlikely to re-sign him, as Scooter Gennett has proven to be ready for an every day role at second base. Weeks is a power hitter who can get on base, but his career has been plagued by inconsistency and injury. His best year came in 2010, when he hit .269 with 29 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 160 games with Milwaukee. However, after batting .269 again in 2011, he hit .230 in 2012 and .209 in 2013 before finishing the first half of the 2014 season with a .253 average. Weeks rebounded strongly in the second half, batting .302 with five home runs, including a 9-18 (.500 AVG) stretch with two home runs over his final eight games to finish the season with a .274 average, giving teams hope that Weeks can be a big time contributor in 2015. For his career, he has 148 home runs, 430 RBI, and a .249 average with 126 stolen bases over 1142 games for the Brewers.

3. Emilio Bonifacio (Braves), 4. Hector Olivera (Cuba), 5. Kelly Johnson (Orioles).

Shortstops

1. Hanley Ramirez (Dodgers): 13 HR, 71 RBI, .283 AVG, 14 SB. 2015 age: 31.

Ramirez followed up a couple disappointing seasons with a huge bounce back 2013 campaign (even if it only lasted 86 games), but 2014 turned out to be mediocre by his standards. Even then, he will still be one of the most sought after free agents this offseason. He finished the 2014 season at just 30 years old, meaning he has plenty of room for a multi-year deal. Ramirez is an offensive force who can both smash home runs and get on base, and he’s had double-digit stolen bases in each of the past nine seasons. In an age with very few top-tier shortstops (the only others being Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Desmond), any team would be thrilled to get an all around offensive force on their team in the form of a shortstop. The only downsides to Ramirez are his defense, which is merely average, and his recent history of injuries, which have caused him to average 116 games per season over the last four years, as compared to 154 per season from 2006-2009. For his career, the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year has 191 home runs, 654 RBI, a .300 average, 261 stolen bases, and 303 doubles in 1223 games for the Red Sox, Marlins, and Dodgers.

2. Asdrubal Cabrera (Nationals): 14 HR, 61 RBI, .241 AVG, 10 SB. 2015 age: 29.

Cabrera has quietly been a solid contributor to the Indians and Nationals teams he has played on over the past couple of seasons, putting up consistent offensive production while playing above-average defense. The natural shortstop can also play second base, but the Nationals remain undecided on whether to retain him. As of now, it looks like Cabrera will walk. His best season came in 2011, when the 25 year old hit .273 with 25 home runs, 92 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 32 doubles in 151 games for the Indians. For his career, the Venezuela native has 87 home runs, 451 RBI, a .268 average, and 72 stolen bases in 963 games, all but 49 of which were with the Indians.

3. Jed Lowrie (A’s), 4. Stephen Drew (Yankees), 5. Clint Barmes (Pirates).

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Teams followed in this update: Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers

If your team is not included, please leave a comment.

HR: home runs. RBI: runs batted in. AVG: batting average. SB: stolen bases. ERA: earned run average. WHIP: walks/hits per innings pitched. K’s: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage

Zack Silverman