Ranking the power-hitting options still available on the open market

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With the recent presser by Toronto Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins, he hinted that the club will be looking to add just one more player, as opposed to multiple players, for this offseason prior to spring training. He also further elaborated by saying that that player will most likely fall under the category of outfielder or designated hitter.

With that in mind, what potential power-hitting candidates are still available in free agency for the Jays to pursue in finalizing their 2024 roster? Here, we rank the top six candidates that the Jays should sign that also fall under the outfielder or designated hitter category.

6. Teoscar Hernández

Bringing Teoscar Hernández back to for a second go-round would be the feel-good choice among Jays’ fans. Not only does he already know about the Jays’ system and how things are run, but he would fit in seamlessly as their new DH for the 2024 season. He spent last year with the Mariners and played a key role in contributing to their run production by putting up big numbers across the board. All told, he hit .258 with 70 runs scored, 29 doubles, 26 home runs and 93 RBI as he did his part in keeping the Mariners in the playoff hunt right up until the second last game of the season.

Back in his time with the Jays, Hernández often came through with the big hits at clutch moments, so perhaps he can bring back that magic and reliability once again in his second stint with the ballclub. However, there may be two things working against him in making that a reality. One is his alarming strikeout rate that had been steadily increasing for the past three seasons, including striking out a career-high 211 times last year. If he continues to have trouble putting balls in play with an uptick in whiffs, his overall offensive output will likely suffer as he ages. Secondly, bringing him back would inadvertently mean the Jays made a mistake in letting him go in the first place, so it would be awkward to see Atkins willing to agree to that just to get the Jays back on track.

5. Rhys Hoskins

One of the more intriguing options include former Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins. He has proven from the past that he can put up strong production numbers, averaging close to 30 home runs and 80 RBI per season. He had played some left field when he first entered the league, but had been primarily a first baseman ever since 2019. So if he were to join the Jays, it will likely be in the capacity as a designated hitter, with spot starts at first when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has a day off in the field.

However, Hoskins missed the entire 2023 MLB season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers. The timeline for his recovery has Hoskins back to full health by the time Spring Training rolls around. However, after coming off major surgery to repair his knee, there is always a risk factor involved on whether or not he will be up to speed by the time the regular season commences. A good example was Brandon Belt’s slow start with the Jays during the 2023 season after having knee surgery the previous fall. As a result, with the pending uncertainty in question, he is ranked slightly lower than expected among the available candidates despite his potent power potential.

4. Joc Pederson

In recent weeks, the Jays have been rumoured to be seriously interested in two-time All-Star Joc Pederson. For Jays’ fans everywhere, their most memorable moment of Pederson was perhaps his epic battle with Guerrero during the 2019 All-Star Home Run Derby. But aside from that, Pederson has actually put together a solid career after spending ten seasons in the league thus far.

To date, Pederson has amassed 186 home runs and 485 RBI in 1140 career games played. In the average season, he is good for about 20-25 home runs and 60-70 RBI of production. However, his overall power potential has been somewhat offset by a lifetime batting average of .237, which can limit his effectiveness in run production at certain times. In a way, he resembles a poor man’s Matt Chapman, as he profiles very similar to the departed third baseman from an offensive standpoint, while not likely to demand as large of a contract as what Chapman is projected to receive at the same time.

In terms of Pederson’s defensive capabilities, the Jays should do their best to keep him off the field if possible as in the past two seasons playing in the outfield, he has registered a -20 DRS along with a sub-par .961 fielding percentage. As a result, he would fit the team in the designated hitter’s role to prevent his offensive output from being nullified by his defensive deficiencies.

3. J.D. Martinez

If it wasn’t for the fact that J.D. Martinez was heading towards his twilight years pretty soon, he would be ranked even higher on this list. That is because Martinez has been a proven, reliable, prolific hitter for much of his 13-year MLB career. With a career .287 batting average and an .874 OPS, along with 315 home runs and 1002 RBI in 1522 games played, he can no doubt be an offensive machine for any ballclub that he ends up joining. If that wasn’t convincing enough, Martinez was also named an All-Star six times, including the past three seasons, and captured the Silver Slugger award twice.

At this point in his career, Martinez is most suited in the designated hitter role in which he has played primarily for the past five seasons to maximize his effectiveness. But if the Jays need him for a spot start or two in the corner outfield positions once in a while, he could probably still hold his own. Nevertheless, Martinez would be an amazing add to the ballclub as not only is he a considerable upgrade over Brandon Belt from last season, but he also brings with him his breadth of playoff experience, including his World Series winning season in 2018. But at age 36 entering the 2024 season, there is a slight risk that Father Time could hit Martinez any time soon.

2. Jorge Soler

Soler almost single-handedly fueled the Miami Marlins’ offensive attack in 2023, leading them to their second postseason berth in four years in the process. In 2023, he also became an All-Star for the first time ever in his career as he led his team in runs scored with 77, home runs by a mile with 36 (the next closest player had only 19), walks with 66 and a slugging percentage of .512. More impressively, he was able to accomplish it without the benefit of having any superstars batting before or after him in the lineup.

Also, when compared to some of the other candidates, Soler at least is able to provide acceptable defence in the outfield if needed. In his past two seasons, he had committed zero errors in 89 total games as a corner outfielder to go along with a -6 DRS. Consequently, it can give the Jays some flexibility in terms of if they wanted to deploy him as an outfielder or designated hitter depending on the matchups. And at only the young age of 32 entering the 2024 MLB season, Soler should have plenty of good years left in the tank and remain an effective hitter for the near future.

1. Cody Bellinger

Finally, the number one prime power-hitting candidate the Jays need to focus on signing is none other than former MVP Cody Bellinger. Bellinger represents the best positional player available in the free agent market. It comes as no surprise after putting together a stellar 2023 season in which he posted a career-best .307 batting average, along with an .881 OPS, 133 OPS+, 95 runs scored, 29 doubles, 26 home runs, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases. More importantly, after struggling for up much of his previous three seasons, Bellinger appeared to have finally regained his MVP form.

In addition, unlike most of the other candidates on this list, Bellinger can actually provide reliable and steady defence in the outfield. As a former Gold Glove winner, he has posted a solid .988 fielding percentage or higher as an outfielder in each of the past five seasons. On top of that, Bellinger is the exact solution to solve the Jays’ woes when hitting with runners in scoring position as in 2023, he batted .323 with an .898 OPS, 6 home runs, 12 sacrifice flies and 71 RBI in such situations.

With the perfect blend of both potent offence with steady defence, Bellinger ideally is the number one target the Jays should sign right now. In addition, he also brings with him a wealth of postseason experience as he has played in 69 career playoff games, including being named NLCS MVP in 2018, and winning it all in 2020. However, one thing to keep in mind is that following the re-signing of Kevin Kiermaier this offseason by the Jays, their outfield appears already set for 2024. So if Bellinger is signed only for the role of the designated hitter, not only would his defensive talents be wasted as he heads into his prime years, but most likely the Jays will end up overpaying him if he strictly hits as a DH. So either the Jays need to find a viable solution when Bellinger joins their outfield, or they will need to convince Bellinger to take on a lesser contract by becoming their primary DH for the foreseeable future.

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