After a chaotic weekend with plenty of seeding shuffling, the MLB postseason is officially set and ready to kick off with the Wild Card round on Tuesday.
Before we get to the best-of-three round, however, let's take a look at the Wild Card teams and some of the players who could be playing their last games with their respective squads this week. Each of the players listed in this article are free agents after this year (or expected to be), and we have taken the liberty to rank the players in a list from the player who could be least chased in free agency to the one who could be on everyone's wish list.
Wild Card free agent to watch: Robert Stephenson, Tampa Bay Rays
We start our ranking at the lower end of the spectrum with Stephenson, a reliever picked up from Pittsburgh in June in a move that didn't make many headlines. However, since his arrival in St. Petersburg, Stephenson has pitched well, logging a 2.41 ERA/2.48 FIP/0.696 WHIP in 41 games covering 37.1 frames.
The 30-year-old right-hander has played for four different teams during his eight-year MLB career, and is under a $1.75 million deal for this season. The price tag is right and the performance has been there this season, so Robertson may be under-the-radar find for some team in 2024.
By the way, if you're wondering why Stephenson was chosen as Tampa Bay's representative, take a look at how their roster is structured. The Rays have a number of players under control at very reasonable salaries. Once again, they are the poster child for building a contender with a small payroll.
Wild Card free agent to watch: Josh Bell, Miami Marlins
Like Stephenson, Bell came to Miami in a midseason trade (coming over from the Cleveland Guardians after signing a deal with them in the offseason) and helped his team make it to the postseason. Bell performed much better in south Florida than he did in Cleveland, slashing .270/.338/.480 in 200 at-bats with the Marlins after posting a 233/.318/.383 slash line in 347 at-bats in Cleveland.
The switch-hitting Bell also performed well when the Marlins needed him most, slashing .346/.438/.538 over his last seven games as Miami moved up to the fifth seed in the National League postseason bracket.
Bell does have a player option for 2024, but the belief is that he will decline that $16.5 million option and test free agency. Especially with what he has done in the final few games for the Marlins, there are plenty who will likely look to land him this offseason.
Wild Card free agent to watch: Tommy Pham, Arizona Diamondbacks
Pham will be a very interesting player to watch this offseason after he has been in the news for some of the wrong reasons in recent seasons, including the fantasy football debacle with Joc Pederson and this year's tiff with San Diego Padres fans. His numbers have also dwindled as the season has gone along, struggling in a reflection of Arizona's struggles in the final week of the campaign. Pham slashed .174/.300/.174 over his last seven games (23 at-bats) and will be looking to join the Diamondbacks in getting back on the right side of the offensive numbers in the postseason.
Signed to a one-year, $6 million deal by the New York Mets before the season began, then dealt to Arizona when the Mets purged their roster at the MLB trade deadline, Pham has slashed .241/.304/.415 overall with Arizona, hitting six homers and driving in 32 runs. They aren't eye-popping numbers, but it's been enough for Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo to give him 195 at-bats during a critical part of the season.
Can Pham up his veteran value with what he does for Arizona in the postseason? He came to the Mets with a reasonable price tag this offseason, and a strong playoff push could elevate his value heading into 2024.
Wild Card free agent to watch: Martín Pérez, Texas Rangers
The 32-year-old southpaw is finishing up his ninth season spread over two stints in Arlington. He hasn't started since August began and has become an integral part of the Texas bullpen. On Sunday as the Rangers tried to win the American League West, Perez certainly did his part, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings and hitting a batter to account for the only baserunner against him.
Pérez had a 2.35 ERA in eight September appearances spanning 15.1 innings, allowing 12 hits while striking out 13. He's pitched well for the Rangers during the stretch run, and will likely look to turn that crunch time on the mound into a payday for himself after earning a $19.65 million deal to return to the Rangers this season.
With quality left-handed pitching as a premium, Pérez could find himself with plenty of options this offseason, despite a long history with the Rangers.
Wild Card free agent to watch: Matt Chapman, Toronto Blue Jays
After a hot start to the season, Chapman cooled considerably, slashing just .205/.307/.357 after the All-Star break. His power also dropped off as well, hitting just five homers after the Midsummer Classic compared to 12 before that.
Signed to a two-year, $25 million deal before the 2022 campaign, what the Blue Jays do with Chapman will be one of the most interesting things to watch in Toronto this offseason. Our friends at Jays Journal fairly labeled Chapman as "unpredictable" in this article looking ahead to the offseason. After all, Chapman did win AL Player of the Week and Player of the Month honors in April when he was on fire at the plate, but tailed off considerably from there.
His defensive presence is certainly appreciated in Toronto, but is it enough to offset the frustrations at the plate? He could arguably be the most sought-after third baseman this offseason and land a massive deal that could be the last one signed by the 30-year-old three-time Gold Glove winner. The question is where will that contract take him.
Wild Card free agent to watch: Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
Want to pick one pitcher that will set free agency on fire this offseason? Well, sure, it could be Blake Snell, who is expected to not be a part of the plans moving forward for the San Diego Padres. The likely winner of the 2023 NL Cy Young is expected to be on the move this offseason, as well as Nola, who gathered enough votes to finish fourth for the award last season.
Nola will be a key part of Philadelphia's attempt to return to the postseason. Zack Wheeler will get the start in Game 1 of the Wild Card round against the Miami Marlins, and Nola will look to make as big of an impact in this round as he did last year against the St. Louis Cardinals when he held the Cards to just four hits over 6.2 scoreless innings. He followed that with a one-run, five-hit performance over 6.0 innings against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
The 30-year-old right-hander made 32 starts this season, marking the third consecutive year he has reached that number. He's durable and gives the Phillies a chance to win when he is on the mound. On the heels of a five-year, $56.75 million deal that expires at the end of this season, Nola will likely earn much more in free agency this offseason.
