Looking Back On Baseball MTJAG's Offseason Free Agent Bargains

Even though he wasn't covered on this blog, Rich Hill has been the ultimate free-agent bargain/Carlos Osorio, AP

During the off-season, Baseball MTJAG wrote up three articles on potential free-agent bargains, categorized in three groups: The Solartes (career minor-leaguers), The Villanuevas (underrated pieces), and The Madsons (injured or rehabbing players). In this article, we will check on these players and see if they have provided any value for their respective organizations.

Part 1

Erik Cordier, RHP (video)
Signed with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan, has 14 strikeouts in 12 innings but with a 4.50 ERA and 8.2 BB/9.
Juan Gonzalez, RHP
Joined the Cardinals organization on a minor league deal, has a 2.66 ERA and 11.1 K/9 for AAA Memphis. Despite not being on the 40-man roster, he could be in line for a call-up soon if the middle relievers struggle in St. Louis.
Andrew Barbosa, LHP
Signed with the Mets, back in AA as a 28 year old despite good numbers. Has been very good in AA Binghamton and had a start in AAA, throwing 5 innings of 1-run ball with 6 strikeouts and no walks. Being a hard-throwing big lefty, its puzzling why he hasn't been challenged more.
Robert Zarate, LHP
Has been injured all year for AAA Indianapolis of the Pirates organization. Displayed good stuff in Spring Training despite being hit hard.
Conner Crumbliss, 2B/OF (video)
Listed as inactive on milb.com, probably retired.
Tommy Field, INF (video)
Released by the Tigers after a slow start in AAA, but signed on with Minnesota and is hitting well in AAA Rochester, batting .281/.324/.469, should get a call-up soon on a struggling Minnesota club.
Destin Hood, OF (video)
Still a toolshed but development has stagnated. Mashed a team-leading 8 homers for AAA New Orleans of the Marlins organization, with 5 stolen bases as well. Plate discipline still needs work, but with the lack of minor league outfield options he might be the next man up should any Marlin outfielders get hurt.

Part 2

Ryan Webb, RHP (video)
Has a 3.31 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen. Settling in as the middle reliever, but with a low 5.5 K/9. Good production for the cost.
Cesar Ramos, LHP (video)
Solid swingman for the Rangers thus far with a 3.58 ERA in 27.2 innings. Carries a 5.33 FIP though, so might be due for regression
Domonic Brown, OF
Scuffling away in AAA Buffalo. May never reach the potential he once had.
Justin Ruggiano, OF (video)
Went 1-4 with a double on April 6, his only major league game of the year. Not doing terrifically well in AAA Round Rock either.
George Kottaras, C (video) 
Batting .161 for AAA Sacramento. Solid defensively, but behind Posey, Brown and Susac on the depth chart.

Part 3

Bobby Parnell, RHP
Bullet Bob pitched well in AAA and has been called up by the Tigers to save their mess of a bullpen. Averaged 94.2 mph on his fastball in his one inning of major league work. Not quite back to his flamethrower status yet, but a major improvement from last year.
Jeff Beliveau, LHP (video)
Still recovering from injury, has struck out 16 in 10.2 rehab innings this year.
Cliff Lee, LHP
Not playing this season, may be retired.
Cory Luebke, LHP
Made the team after a strong showing in spring training, but sent down after a rough start (6 ER, 5 BB in 3.2 innings). Sent down to AAA and has a 14.2 K/9 and 29/3 K/BB ratio. Has received a well-deserved call up again, and will definitely try to pitch better than his first time around.
Carlos Quentin, OF (video)
Didn't make Opening Day roster out of Spring Training and decided to not play.

Overall, this years free agent class did not produce many value signings outside of the Rich Hill deal with Oakland, and most of the players on this list have struggled so far. One player to note is Robbie Grossman, the last man cut from this list, and he has hit .327/.441/.527 in 15 games for the Twins. The gaudy numbers likely won't keep up, but he will provide some plate discipline (10 BB/11 Ks) and a little pop as well. From these writeups, Gonzalez, Field, and perhaps Hood seem like possible callups soon, and Webb and Ramos have been serviceable for their respective teams. Parnell and Luebke have both shown flashes of their pre-injury selves and will try to build on them going forward. While we didn't discover the next Jose Quintana star out of nowhere, overall this list of players has produced decent value for their low costs.

Player Profile: Byung-ho Park

The 2014 Nexen Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization possessed a lineup envied by many around the league. Current Pirate shortstop and Rookie Of the Year finalist Jung-ho Kang bashed 40 home tuns, and MVP second baseman Geon-chang Seo batted .370 with 48 stolen bases. But the biggest threat in the lineup still lurked behind the two in the cleanup spot in the order: first baseman, Korean superstar and national sensation, and possible future Minnesota Twin, Byung-ho Park. He hit 52 home runs that year, and followed that up with 53 more in 2015, and he is now preparing for his next task, a transition to the MLB.

Byung-ho Park made his professional debut in 2005 at the age of 18 for the LG Twins in Korea, where he was seen by many as the next big thing. The year before, he led his high school team to a national championship, where he led the tournament in home runs with 10, and at one point hit 4 home runs in 4 consecutive plate appearances. A young hitter with prodigious power, Park was very much welcome on the power-starved team who finished with a disappointing 54-71 record, getting picked in the first round of the annual KBO Amateur Draft. However, at just 18 years old, Park struggled, hitting just .190/.265/.313 with 3 home runs. The LG Twins brought him back in '06, but he fared even worse, hitting a measly .162 before he went on military leave, a requirement for all Korean men of that age. Three years later, he resurfaced with the club, but the time off did not do him any good. In 2009, although he hit 9 home runs, he batted just .218, and did even worse in 2010, hitting an extremely disappointing .188. To the LG Twins, who so excitedly bought into the hype and power of the young slugger, he was beginning to seem like a major disappointment. After yet another disappointing start to the 2011 season, hitting .125 in his first 15 games, the LG Twins decided they had enough. They packaged him and swingman Soo-chang Shim to acquire dominant reliever Sin-young Song from the Nexen Heroes, who provided an immediate impact for the Twins. He pitched to the tune of a 1.99 ERA and became one of the bright spots in another struggle-filled season for LG. But Park and the Nexen Heroes got the last laugh. The change of scenery paid off, as Park fixed whatever problems he had and took off for the Heroes. He batted .265/.357/.535 with 12 home runs in 2011, before establishing himself as one of the premier KBO bats in 2012. He hit 31 home runs in 2012, 37 in '13, winning the league MVP both years in addition to the aforementioned combined 105 home runs in '14 and '15, leading him up to where he stands today, as a national celebrity in Korea and the possibility of coming stateside to the MLB.
This is a compilation of his home runs in his 5 years with Nexen, many of which were absolute moonshots:

At the conclusion of the 2015 KBO season, the Nexen Heroes have posted Byung-ho Park, and the Minnesota Twins put up the winning bid at $12.85 million. Rumor has it that, while not publicly available, his batted-ball exit velocities are right up there with the top talents in the MLB, ranking with the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Randal Grichuk, and Paul Goldschmidt. His power has been said to be an 80-grade, and while that may be an exaggeration, there is no doubt that Park is one of the best power bats available on the open market, as evidenced by this 522 foot bomb (note the scouts reaction).

Of course, Park is not without his faults. Even in the KBO, whose equivalent is likely the Double-A level, he struck out 161 times in 140 games in 2015. His swing is simple with a bat plane that will generate lots of fly balls, leading to lots of home runs, but against more advanced pitching the uppercut may be exposed. The load in his swing is slightly unorthodox compared to most Americans, but his main components such as his weight transfer, hip rotation, and hands all look reasonably solid. As a first baseman, he is a solid defender with surprising athleticism and is not your typical lumbering, mashing first baseman. He has a 20 stolen base season under his belt and did take 10 bags this year compared to just 3 times caught stealing. However, unlike fellow country-mate Jung-Ho Kang, he will not have the same leash that some other players may have as he does not play a premium position like shortstop. His value is solely tied to his bat and power at first base, but expect him to produce. A good big league comparison would be Mike Napoli, another power right handed bat who plays decent defense at first. (Napoli, by the way, was a Gold Glove finalist at first base. While he likely isn't that good defensively, he certainly is no slouch with the glove.) If Minnesota gets the deal done, expect Park to hit around .235/.310/.440 with 25 home runs in his first big league year and being a contributor to an offensively sound Twins ball club. 

Here is a bonus video of Park hitting a 475 foot moonshot over the batter's eye to his own catchy theme song: