Upcoming MLB Free Agents with the Most to Win or Lose in 2022 Playoffs

For some upcoming free agents, the MLB postseason is a golden opportunity to boost their stock on a national stage.

Regular-season standouts like Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner, Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Anderson are going to get paid regardless of how they perform this postseason, but the stock of role players is far more volatile.

Just ask Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler, who both parlayed a stellar 2021 postseason with the Atlanta Braves into lucrative multiyear deals despite lackluster numbers during the regular season.

Ahead we've highlighted nine players headed for the open market this offseason who have the most to gain or lose in free agency based on how they perform this October.

Let's start with a few honorable mentions to watch.

Pitchers

LHP Matthew Boyd, SEA
RHP Miguel Castro, NYY
RHP Kyle Gibson, PHI
LHP Brad Hand, PHI
RHP Tommy Kahnle, LAD
LHP Sean Manaea, SD
RHP Chris Martin, LAD
RHP Nick Martinez, SD ($6.5M player option)

Hitters

IF Brandon Drury, SD
OF Joey Gallo, LAD
IF/OF Marwin Gonzalez, NYY
OF Robbie Grossman, ATL
C Austin Hedges, CLE
1B/OF Wil Myers, SD ($20M club option)
LF Jurickson Profar, SD ($7.5M player option)
1B Carlos Santana, SEA
2B Jean Segura, PHI ($17M club option)

First baseman Josh Bell enjoyed a great start to the season with the Washington Nationals, hitting .301/.384/.493 for a 153 OPS+ with 24 doubles, 14 home runs and 57 RBI in 103 games before he was traded to the San Diego Padres.

The 30-year-old went on to hit just .192/.316/.271 in 210 plate appearances following the trade, but he went 3-for-13 with a home run in the National League Wild Card Series against the New York Mets, taking Max Scherzer deep in the first inning of Game 1.

His downturn in production during his two months in San Diego could easily be forgotten with a strong postseason run, and the switch-hitter has a chance to rebuild his stock as one of the top power bats on the market this offseason.

After spending the entire 2021 season watching from the sidelines while he recovered from Tommy John surgery, Mike Clevinger returned to the San Diego rotation this season just in time for his contract year.

The 31-year-old finished with a 4.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 91 strikeouts in 114.1 innings, a far cry from the numbers he posted during his last full season in 2019 in Cleveland when he finished with a 2.71 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 126 innings.

He lasted just 2.2 innings in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing six hits, two walks and five runs (four earned) before he departed.

His strong track record of success makes him one of the higher-ceiling starters on the market this offseason, but he'll need to better seize the moment if he gets another opportunity to pitch this postseason.

Adam Frazier hit .331/.397/.463 during the first half of the 2021 season to earn the first All-Star selection of his career. But his production dipped following a summer trade to the San Diego Padres, and he was dealt again during the offseason to the Seattle Mariners.

Despite middling offensive production, he was a staple in the everyday lineup at second base all year, finishing with a .238/.301/.311 line and an 80 OPS+ en route to a 0.7 WAR season in 156 games.

That loyalty paid off in the American League Wild Card Round when the 30-year-old went 4-for-9 in two games against the Toronto Blue Jays. His RBI double off closer Jordan Romano in the ninth inning of Game 2 capped off a massive comeback and plated the game-winning run in a 10-9 victory.

More of the same would help separate him from the free-agent pack as far as versatile veteran infielders are concerned.

After playing just 63 games in 2019 and zero games in 2020, Mitch Haniger returned as one of the most productive sluggers in baseball last season, posting a 122 OPS+ with 39 home runs and 100 RBI in a 3.1 WAR season.

Injuries were an issue once again in 2022, and he missed 88 games from late April to early August with a high ankle sprain. But he was productive once again when he did manage to take the field

The 31-year-old finished with a 114 OPS+ and 11 home runs in 57 games, and while his injury history is inevitably going to limit his free-agency stock, a strong October could help make it easier for teams to overlook that red flag.

In one of the first moves of the 2021-22 offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Andrew Heaney to a one-year, $8.5 million deal on Nov. 10 to add some needed depth to the back of their starting rotation.

The 31-year-old tossed six innings of one-hit ball with 11 strikeouts against the Cincinnati Reds in his second start of the year on April 17, but shoulder inflammation sidelined him for all of May and limited him to just one start each in June and July.

Since finally returning fully healthy in July, he has a 3.77 ERA with an eye-popping 87 strikeouts in 57.1 innings.

His postseason role could depend on the health of Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May and whether either of them is able to handle the No. 4 starter role when the time comes. Even if he doesn't get a start, strong work out of the bullpen from the left side could be equally effective in boosting his offseason stock.

Rafael Montero struggled to a 7.27 ERA in 40 appearances with the Seattle Mariners last season before he was sent to the Houston Astros in the Kendall Graveman-for-Abraham Toro deal, but he quietly logged four solid appearances after the trade.

This year, he's emerged as one of the best setup relievers in baseball while pitching ahead of Ryan Pressly in the eighth inning, posting a 2.37 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 with 14 saves and 23 holds in 71 appearances.

The 31-year-old is leaning more heavily on his fastball this season, with usage of the pitch up from 35.4 to 45.3 percent, and it's a good one that averages 96.4 mph and generates a 34.9 percent whiff rate. The results should make him one of the most sought-after relievers on the market this winter provided he continues to shine in the playoffs.

With Trea Turner set to reach free agency for the first time and both Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts expected to opt-out of their current contracts, it's going to be a crowded shortstop market once again this offseason.

Dansby Swanson has made a strong case to join that top-tier group by hitting .277/.329/.447 for a 115 OPS+ with 32 doubles, 25 home runs and 96 RBI to go along with his usual solid defense en route to a 5.7 WAR season, but his production has dipped as the season has unfolded. His OPS during the second half was 131 points lower than it was during the first half, and he hit .236 with a .274 on-base percentage over the final month of the year.

His market and earning potential are among the toughest to predict this offseason, but there's an outside chance he could command a nine-figure payday if he can put together a strong October run.

Who would have guessed when Noah Syndergaard signed a one-year, $21 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels during the offseason that he would spend the postseason pitching out of the bullpen for the Philadelphia Phillies?

The 6'6" right-hander missed all of 2020 and threw just two innings in 2021 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he bet on himself with a one-year deal, hoping to pitch well enough to command a lucrative multiyear contract this coming offseason.

Instead, he went 10-10 with a 3.94 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and only 95 strikeouts in 134.2 innings.

He averaged just 93.6 mph with his sinker, down from 97.5 mph during his last healthy season in 2019. If he can show more lively stuff in a relief role, teams might be more willing to bet on his stuff bouncing all the way back another year removed from surgery.

In his second season with the New York Yankees, right-hander Jameson Taillon went 14-5 with a 3.91 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 151 strikeouts in 177.1 innings, topping 30 starts for just the second time in his MLB career.

The 30-year-old was knocked around a bit in June and July, but he finished strong with a 3.82 ERA and six quality starts in his final 11 outings, and that should be enough for him to get the nod over Domingo German when the Yankees need a fourth starter this postseason.

At his best, Taillon has been a quality No. 2 starter, and two straight healthy seasons should help ease concerns about his ability to stay healthy after he dealt with a variety of injuries early in his career. If he can put together a strong start or two in October, his stock could soar as much as anyone heading into free agency.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.