On Tuesday, Mike Napoli and Chris Carter reportedly agreed to deals with the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees, respectively, taking two of the last remaining power hitters off the free-agent board.
Despite hitting a combined 75 homers and driving in 195 runs, the pair only managed to secure $12 million between them in free agency on one-year deals.
The agreements for Napoli and Carter came after a market for power hitters bursting with options such as Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Trumbo, and Jose Bautista didn't lead to the long-term, big-money contracts those types of players secured in the past.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement's stricter penalties for exceeding the competitive balance tax thresholds, MLB front offices appear more frugal, shifting their money toward relievers (Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, Mark Melancon) or players with a wider range of skills such as Ian Desmond (five years, $70 million) and Dexter Fowler (five years, $82.5 million), while filling roster spots with budding prospects or players on minor-league deals.
Teams also appear be budgeting in anticipation of the impressive free-agent class set to hit the market after the 2018 season, which includes Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Adam Jones, and potentially Clayton Kershaw.
With all of this in mind, let's take a look at the power hitters who signed this offseason, and see if they deserved the contracts they received, should have received more, or were lucky to get what they got.
2016 stats
| PLAYER | HR | RBI | OPS | WAR | CONTRACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoenis Cespedes | 31 | 86 | .884 | 3.2 | 4 years - $110M |
| Edwin Encarnacion | 42 | 127 | .886 | 3.9 | 3 years - $60M |
| Mark Trumbo | 47 | 108 | .850 | 2.2 | 3 years - $37.5M |
| Mike Napoli | 34 | 101 | .800 | 1.0 | 1 year - $8.5M |
| Jose Bautista | 22 | 69 | .817 | 1.4 | 1 year - $18M |
| Chris Carter | 41 | 94 | .821 | 0.9 | 1 year - $3M |
After Yoenis Cespedes secured a four-year, $110-million deal to return to the Big Apple, the market for power hitters didn't develop the way many of the free agents classified as such would have hoped. When you put certain player traits - and the traits they may be lacking - into context, though, maybe front offices of the past were in fact overvaluing home runs and RBIs.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Encarnacion was clearly worth the $60 million he received from the Cleveland Indians, and if it wasn't for faulty negotiations between his agent Paul Kinzer and the Toronto Blue Jays, he may have gotten more.
The 34-year-old Dominican's power is obvious - he tied for the AL lead in RBIs while hitting 42 bombs - but he also appeared in 75 games at first base for the Blue Jays and earned a better score in defensive runs saved than Justin Smoak, who played the majority of the innings at the position for Toronto.
Encarnacion also posted an OBP above .354 for a fifth consecutive season, had a career-high 318 total bases, and scored 99 runs - good for 13th in the AL. Cleveland got a bargain at $20 million per year, considering Encarnacion's track record and the club's need to win now after just barely losing the World Series to the Chicago Cubs.
Trumbo (minus-11 DRS) and Bautista (minus-8 DRS) were among some of the AL's worst outfielders as far as that statistic is concerned, ranking similarly to Jay Bruce and Michael Saunders, and although each still posted a decent OPS, they weren't valued particularly highly by WAR.
Bautista still got on base at a high clip (.366), but suffered through injuries and missed 46 games, while Trumbo's OPS of .316 was about on par with his career mark.
After drawing little interest on the open market and posting his lowest OPS since 2009, Bautista worked out a one-year deal with the Blue Jays that will pay him $18 million, which includes a mutual option.
Despite the down year, he's still making the highest annual salary of his career at 36. Bautista did well to stay in a market where he's adored, make some decent coin, and get a chance to re-establish his value with the hope of landing a larger deal next offseason. Securing that contract counts as a big win for him.
Trumbo's initial ask of $70 million-$75 million seemed high in an oversaturated market. Receiving a multi-year deal after one good season in more than three years was a good find for the 31-year-old. He's now set to make $12.5 million annually on a potential playoff team after he was cast away by the Seattle Mariners in December 2015 for a catcher who isn't even playing baseball.
At first base, Napoli and Carter weren't liabilities, but they certainly didn't improve their team's defense, posting a combined minus-9 in DRS, and the 400 strikeouts between them were an eyesore.
Napoli hasn't hit for an average above .259 since 2013, and Carter owns a lifetime .218 average and .314 OBP, yet they still managed to find work - and a pay increase.
Keep in mind Napoli and Carter both compiled fewer WAR last season than Chase Utley - who remains a free agent - and Jason Heyward - who some considered to have one of the worst years by a player. Finding work in two big markets after being part of a flooded and undervalued free-agent crop is a victory for both sluggers.
In conclusion, the power hitters in this free-agent crop got exactly what they deserved - with Encarnacion perhaps the exception - as front offices continue to value power less than they did in the past.
It may be time for these sluggers to diversify their skill sets if they want to land some extra dollars, or term, down the road.
