Elieser HernandezMike Stobe/Getty Images
20. LHP Caleb Smith, Arizona Diamondbacks
After working almost exclusively as a starter in the past, Smith filled a new role with the D-backs in 2021, bouncing between the starting rotation and working as a multi-inning reliever.
The 30-year-old was terrific as a reliever, posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 56.2 innings over 32 appearances. Utilizing him exclusively in that role going forward could be the best way to maximize his skills, while his ability to start also adds some versatility to staff.
19. LHP Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies
After finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2018, Freeland struggled to a 6.73 ERA in 104.1 innings the following year. He rebounded during the shortened 2020 campaign, though not to his previous ace-caliber level.
Over the last two years, he has a 4.33 ERA and 114 ERA+ in 191.1 innings, and he closed out the year with three straight quality starts. The 28-year-old has a $7 million projected salary in 2022. The Rockies could entertain offers a year before he hits free agency.
18. RHP Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers
The 2016 AL Rookie of the Year winner and an All-Star the following year, Fulmer was derailed by injury before returning to the mound with an ugly 8.78 ERA in 27.2 innings last year.
The 28-year-old moved to the bullpen in 2021 and developed into a dominant late-inning arm down the stretch. Over the final two months of the season, he had a 1.63 ERA with eight saves and five holds in 25 appearances. The Tigers are a team on the rise, but Fulmer is entering his final year of club control.
17. C Jacob Stallings, Pittsburgh Pirates
Despite a middling .246/.335/.369 line and just 29 extra-base hits in 427 plate appearances, Stallings ranked eighth among all catchers with 3.0 WAR in 2021 on the strength of his stellar defensive work behind the plate.
The 31-year-old was one of baseball’s better pitch-framers, and his 21 DRS tied with Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa for the MLB lead. Despite having three years of arbitration remaining and a $2.6 million projected salary in 2022, his age makes it unlikely he’ll be part of the next contending Pirates team, and a thin catching market could be the best time to maximize his value.
16. RHP Elieser Hernandez, Miami Marlins
The Marlins are loaded with young pitching talent, and with Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez and Trevor Rogers locked into rotation spots and Jesus Luzardo, Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera, Zach Thompson and Nick Neidert also in the mix, the team could look to trade from an area of strength this offseason.
Hernandez, 26, has a 3.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 87 strikeouts in 77.1 innings in 17 starts since the beginning of the 2020 season. He has club control through the 2024 season, and his $1.4 million projected salary next year fits onto any team’s payroll.
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