Top 5 MLB free-agent second basemen for 2020-21
There's no shortage of productive middle-infielders on the free-agent market heading into the 2021 season. Let's take a look at the top five second basemen available.
Age: 32
The Yankees signing LeMahieu to a two-year, $24 million deal prior to the 2019 season turned out to be an absolute bargain. He finished fourth in AL MVP voting in '19 and followed that up by hitting a ridiculous .364 in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. Expect LeMahieu to be in high demand as he hits the open market.
UPDATE (Jan. 15): LeMahieu is staying in the Bronx, finalizing a six-year, $90M deal with the Yankees, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Age: 31
La Stella isn't going to hit the cover off the baseball, but he's one of the peskiest hitters in the game. Since entering the league in 2014, La Stella has been one of the toughest players in the league to strike out. He'll have plenty of teams ringing his agent's phone off the hook this winter.
Age: 29
Schoop was rock-solid with the Tigers in 2020, hitting .278 with eight homers and 23 RBI in 44 games. He's one of the better offensive second basemen in baseball and would fit nicely into a number of lineups.
Age: 30
Wong is one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball and has been fairly productive offensively for St. Louis the last few seasons. With the Cardinals declining Wong's $12.5 million club option, some other team will be getting a solid all-around player.
Age: 27
Once a top MLB prospect, Profar's career has largely been a disappointment. But in 2020 with the Padres, he finished with a .278/.343/.428 slash line with seven home runs. While he may not be the elite player he was once projected to be, Profar could be a valuable and affordable addition for a team in need of middle-infield depth.
