Aaron Hicks and 10 Under-the-Radar MLB Free Agents Still Available

A slow-moving MLB offseason means several top-tier free agents are still looking for new homes well into January, and this is generally the point in the winter when teams have shifted their focus to bargain hunting.

While we continue to wait on decisions from guys like Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Matt Chapman and others, let's turn our attention to the bottom end of the market and some guys who could provide significant value relative to their next contract.

Jeimer Candelario, Aroldis Chapman, Jason Heyward, Keynan Middleton and Shelby Miller were some of the best under-the-radar signings last offseason.

Ahead we've highlighted 10 players who are still available in free agency and can make an impact well beyond their expected price point.

Included is a look at where each player fell in B/R's Top 100 Free Agents list at the start of the offseason. Only players who checked in outside of the top 50 on that list were eligible for inclusion.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 69

In a market that was thin on impact bats even before guys like Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernández, Mitch Garver, Jeimer Candelario and others signed, C.J. Cron has some intriguing buy-low potential.

The 34-year-old is just a year removed from making his first All-Star appearance in 2022 when he posted a 108 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 29 home runs and 102 RBI in 150 games for the Colorado Rockies, and he posted a career-high 3.3 WAR the year before in his Rockies debut.

He dealt with a nagging back injury that sapped him of his power in 2023, finishing with an 87 OPS+ and 12 home runs in 278 plate appearances, but with an offseason of rest and recovery he can be a nice offensive boost for teams in need of an upgrade at first base.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 80

Outfielder Randal Grichuk has quietly put together a solid 10-year career, posting a 101 OPS+ with 191 home runs and 12.3 WAR, and he has averaged 27 home runs per 162 games during his time in the big leagues.

He hit .308/.365/.496 for a 120 OPS+ in 263 plate appearances with the Colorado Rockies to start the 2023 season before he was shipped to the Los Angeles Angels along with C.J. Cron at the trade deadline.

After ranking well in hard-hit rate (72nd percentile) and expected batting average (64th percentile), Grichuk profiles as a solid fourth outfielder who can step into an expanded role if injury strikes or he is riding a hot streak.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 87

After a series of injury-plagued seasons with the New York Yankees, outfielder Aaron Hicks was finally released in May, and a few days later the Baltimore Orioles plucked him from the scrapheap.

The 34-year-old went on to hit .275/.381/.425 for a 127 OPS+ with 15 extra-base hits and 1.0 WAR in 65 games with the Orioles, and now he hits the open market as a productive player who can be had for the league minimum.

Since the Yankees are still on the hook for his $9.5 million salary in 2024 and 2025, he can only earn a prorated portion of the league minimum from whoever signs him this offseason, making him a potential target for all 30 clubs.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 95

Right-hander Jakob Junis has been a valuable swingman for the San Francisco Giants the past two seasons, posting a 4.18 ERA in 198 innings spanning 21 starts and 42 relief appearances.

The slider specialist threw his signature pitch 62.5 percent of the time in 2023, limiting opposing hitters to a .216 average and racking up a 32.5 percent whiff rate while backing it with a mid-90s fastball.

The 31-year-old recorded more than three outs in 29 of his 40 appearances this past season, including four starts, and his strikeout rate (10.0 K/9) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.57) were both career-high marks.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 61

Once upon a time, Matt Moore was the No. 2 prospect in baseball, slotted between rising superstars Bryce Harper and Mike Trout on the Baseball America Top 100 list to begin the 2012 season.

After dealing with some injury issues, he reinvented himself as a reliever in 2022 with a 1.95 ERA and 10.1 K/9 in 63 appearances with the Texas Rangers.

The 34-year-old split his 2023 season between the Angels, Guardians and Marlins, finishing with a 2.56 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 10.3 K/9, tallying 22 holds in 50 appearances. His 34.9 percent chase rate ranked in the 98th percentile, and that level of deception bodes well for future success.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 52

Left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu signed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays last time he reached free agency.

After finishing third in AL Cy Young voting in 2020 and making a career-high 31 starts in 2021, he pitched just 79 combined innings over the final two years of that contract while missing significant time to Tommy John surgery. The 36-year-old returned to action in August and posted a 3.46 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch.

In a market where guys like Frankie Montas (1/$16M), Jack Flaherty (1/$14M), Luis Severino (1/$13M), Kyle Gibson (1/$13M) and Lance Lynn (1/$11M) have all secured one-year deals worth more than $10 million, Ryu has a chance to be a steal.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 83

Donovan Solano enjoyed a breakout season as a 31-year-old in 2021, and he won Silver Slugger honors the following year when he finished fifth in the National League with a .326 batting average.

Serving as an oft-used super utility player the past three seasons while playing with the Giants, Reds and Twins, he has hit .282/.353/.393 for a 105 OPS+ in 1,098 plate appearances while seeing regular action at first base, second base and third base.

The 36-year-old posted a career-high 1.7 WAR in 2023, and he could be a valuable bench piece on a contending team or a low-cost everyday option for teams on the outside the postseason picture.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 81

Hard-throwing Ryne Stanek was one of the most effective relievers in baseball during the 2022 season, posting a 1.15 ERA and 10.2 K/9 with 17 holds in 59 appearances to help the Houston Astros win a World Series.

The 32-year-old had a less dominant 4.09 ERA in 55 appearances this past season, due in part to his home runs allowed per nine innings spiking from 0.3 to 1.4, but he still has electric stuff and a track record of success in the late innings.

He averaged 98.2 mph with his fastball in 2023 and backed it with a splitter and slider that both generated a whiff rate north of 40 percent, so the pieces are there for him to once again be a dominant setup reliever.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 88

Left-hander Brent Suter had a quietly effective run with the Milwaukee Brewers, posting a 3.51 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 394.2 innings while filling a wide variety of roles on the pitching staff from staple in the rotation to go-to setup reliever.

The 34-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies last offseason, and he finished with a 3.38 ERA in 57 appearances while recording more than three outs in 23 of his outings.

Robert Murray of FanSided recently reported that eight teams are in the mix for Suter, and a few of them are considering him as a potential rotation option. Guys like Michael Lorenzen and Seth Lugo have found success in recent seasons moving into a starting role while changing teams in free agency, and Suter could be a low-cost option with similar upside.

B/R Top 100 FA Rank: 96

Here's a list of the top five active WAR leaders among second basemen:

• Jose Altuve: 49.3
• DJ LeMahieu: 31.5
• Ketel Marte: 24.4
• Kolten Wong: 22.1
• Ozzie Albies: 20.2

Wong posted back-to-back 3-WAR seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021 and 2022 before he was traded to the Mariners last offseason. His time in Seattle was forgettable to say the least, but he went 9-for-30 with two home runs in 20 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers after he was signed to a minor league deal.

The two-time Gold Glove winner might once again have to settle for a minor league deal this winter, but he has the upside to be a solid everyday second baseman if he can put 2023 in the rearview.