MLB free agency: Four players who could be Black Friday-level bargains

If there’s one thing everyone loves, it’s finding a bargain. It’s true of you, it’s true of me, it’s true of front offices across MLB. So, on this blessed day when consumerism runs amok, I’m here to continue a longstanding tradition at CBS Sports by identifying four discounted MLB free agents who I believe could offer a lot more to teams next season than you’d expect.

For those new to this piece, the only restriction I place on myself is that I do not include any players who were in my top-50 free-agent rankings. Everyone else is fair game. As far as track record goes, last year’s version of this piece included Carson Kelly and Mike Soroka. In the past, this feature has also correctly identified Jacob Stallings, Pierce Johnson, Anthony DeSclafani, and Luis Garcia, among others. 

Now, let’s get to it.

Kinley, 35 come January, closed out the season with an excellent 24-game stint that saw him compile a 0.72 ERA and a 3.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a member of the Braves. Overall, he ranked in the 93rd percentile in average exit velocity allowed, which speaks to his pair of high-quality breaking balls. Those pitches ought to play up even more for as long as he’s freed from Colorado’s high altitude.

There are some real similarities, in style and in background, between Kinley and Brewers reliever Nick Mears. They both survived stints with the Rockies and now they both feature north-south arsenals. That may not read like a flattering comparison for Kinley, but keep in mind Mears made the third-most high-leverage appearances for baseball’s best regular season — that counts for something.

I would expect Kinley to settle for a one-year pact and to serve as a competent middle reliever.

Rodgers, 29, was one of last season’s worst-performing hitters. In 43 games with the Astros, he batted .191/.266/.278 (52 OPS+) with six extra-base hits and more than four times as many strikeouts as walks. Rodgers’ summer didn’t get better after he suffered an oblique injury in mid-June. He had one rehab assignment end after a collision with a teammate resulted in a concussion and fractured nose, and another later dashed because of lumbar spine inflammation. Things can only get better, right? 

I think so, in part because Rodgers’ season did include some interesting underlying tweaks. He upped his bat speed and altered his point-of-contact so that he was intending to pull and lift the ball. Those changes, unfortunately, introduced a significant — and thus far overwhelming — amount of swing-and-miss to his game.

Rodgers has two converging paths to pick from this offseason: revert to being a more contact-driven batter or make the necessary adjustments to his new approach. My guess is he’ll find better results either way — hopefully enough that he’s again a capable second-division starter when combined with his solid defense at second base.

Newcomb split last season between the Red Sox and the Athletics, tallying a 2.73 ERA (153 ERA+) and a 2.94 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Teams aren’t going to view him as a likely bet to perform so well heading forward. Still, I wouldn’t be shocked if some club entertains him as a back-end rotation option.

Although Newcomb hasn’t made double-digit starts at the big-league level since 2018, he continues to sport a six-pitch arsenal that features three fastball variants. He’s not blessed with more than one or two above-average offerings anymore, but recent history has shown pitchers can benefit from the cascading effects of having so many different looks to throw a hitter’s way. 

Newcomb also took a step forward in respect to his control by throwing nearly 65% of his pitches for strikes — not bad for someone who, even now, sits below 62% for his career.

Again, I won’t pretend Newcomb is a secret stud. But when you look around the league at who some teams are starting, it’s probably fair to think he should get a shot.

Wilson had a quality year with the Red Sox, shredding opponents with a three-pitch mix that was heavy on four-seamers, sliders, and cutters. In 61 outings, he generated a 3.35 ERA (123 ERA+) and a 2.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio. I’m including him in this piece anyway for two reasons.

First and foremost, Wilson celebrated his 38th birthday last August. Teams, almost as a rule, no longer give relievers that old multi-year pacts. Indeed, the only free-agent reliever I could find in the past five winters who signed a multi-year agreement was Darren O’Day — and he inked a two-year deal with the Yankees in 2021 for a trivial $3.2 million. Otherwise? Daniel Bard signed an extension with the Rockies the following summer for $19 million, and that’s it. 

I doubt Wilson proves to be an outlier and that’s in part because of the second reason he’s on this list: his erratic past few years. He missed the entirety of the 2023 season because of injury and then posted a 5.59 ERA in 2024. Even so, I think he has a chance to be a solid get on a one-year arrangement.