While there were bargains on the free agent market for relievers, there were also many bargains for position players as well. It's more difficult to compare position by position, so I am going to attempt a general overview. I will look at players such as A.J. Pierzynski, Mike Napoli, Cody Ross, David Ross, and Jonny Gomes.
A.J. Pierzynski: Pierzynski may be the best bargain from this free agent class. He signed a deal with the Texas Rangers, which was worth $7.5 million. While he will be 36 going into next season, he is durable. Pierzynski has not played in fewer than 114 games since becoming a full time catcher, and he played in 135 games last year at the age of 35. Pierzynski had a career year. He posted a Batting Average of .278, an On-Base Percentage of .326, and an On-Base Plus Slugging Percentage of .827, and he amassed a career high 27 HomeRuns. That's about the best production a team is gonna get from a backstop, now on to David Ross.
David Ross: Ross compares nicely to Pierzynski. Ross will also be 36 at the start of next season. He will earn $3.1 million while playing for the Boston Red Sox. This was a good signing for the Red Sox. They picked up an excellent defensive catcher with a strong and accurate arm, and he is a veteran as well. Ross will make slightly over 1/3 of what Perzinski will but the offensive production is not worth the contract. Ross posted a BA of .256, an OBP of .321, and an OPS of .770, and he totaled 9 HR. Those are premium numbers for a backup catcher, and the Red Sox didn't overpay much, but an Average Annual Value of $2.75 million would have been more sensible.
Mike Napoli: Napoli is an interesting case. His deal with the Boston Red Sox has not yet been made official. However, the expected deal is supposed to be for $39 million/3 years. Napoli has age on his side compared to the two players above. Napoli is 31 years old. He is a catcher, however he is expected to play first base for the Red Sox if/when the deal becomes official. Napoli underperformed in his contract year, posting a .227 BA, .343 OBP, and an OPS of .812. He also mashed 24 HR. This is nice production from a catcher, but a major step back from his 2011 campaign. Where the slash line was .320/.414/1.046, all while hitting 30 HR. Napoli had a down year, and he should not have cashed in this big, but this contract speaks for the market especially since Napoli is extremely injury prone.
Cody Ross: Cody Ross is a versatile outfielder who can play all three outfield positions, but Ross may very well be nothing more than a platoon player for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite this fact, Ross cashed in on a solid year. Receiving a contract worth $25 million/3 years. He posted a slash line of .267/.326/.807. He played regularly with Boston this year hitting 22 HR, but keep in mind in parts of 9 seasons, Ross has only hit 20 plus HR three times.
Jonny Gomes: Jonny Gomes is a platoon player in either outfield corner, but unlike Ross he is a left handed hitter. Gomes signed a contract that is probably accurate concerning his value. Gomes signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox for $10 million/2 years. Gomes posted a slash line of .262/.377/.491. He hit four HR less than Cody Ross, hitting 18 HR. That's nice production from a platoon player, and he comes at a reasonable price.
All of these players are respectable in their own right. However, evaluating the value of each contract and player, Pierzynski is the best bargain seemingly, and no contract is majorly overpriced. However, Jonny Gomes contract is more valuable than Cody Ross's for similar production.
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