Duquette on Moose, Lynn, Cobb & more

MLB.com analyst answers fans' questions about free agents, more

February 20th, 2018

The free-agent market has started to pick up as Spring Training camps have opened, but many big names are still without a home. Here to provide some insight on that situation and more is MLB.com analyst Jim Duquette, who fielded fans' questions on Twitter at @Jim_Duquette on Tuesday.
Check out his answers below. (Questions have been edited for clarity.)
Where do you see Mike Moustakas ending up?
-- @Ben_Yoel

Already with fewer potential landing spots this year than he might have next offseason, Moustakas seemingly lost another suitor when the Yankees acquired from the D-backs in a three-team trade Tuesday night. The move increased the likelihood that Moustakas will remain in the American League Central by signing with the White Sox, who have Matt Davidson and slated to man the hot corner in 2018, with '17 No. 11 overall Draft pick a couple years away from being a viable option. But don't count out the Royals -- the only professional franchise Moose has ever known. Although general manager Dayton Moore has said the club doesn't plan to pursue any other costly free agents after losing to the Padres, I wouldn't be surprised if Kansas City jumped back into the discussions.

Do you think Corey Dickerson would be a good fit in Houston?
-- @Rpage51

A few teams will be interested in Dickerson after the Rays designated him for assignment, but the Astros might not be one of them. Houston has Evan Gattis at designated hitter and can play any of , and in left field. The Astros also have one of baseball's top outfield prospects in waiting in the wings. Dickerson performed well against lefties and righties last season, and he is a better defender than many think, so teams shouldn't have qualms about playing him regularly. He's a good fit for the Braves, Pirates and Orioles.
Is anyone interested in ?
--@PJ_Buckley

As is the case with many free agents, the market for Duda has been slow this offseason. But with strong power (lifetime .215 ISO) and a strong grasp of the strike zone (career 11.5 percent walk rate), he could be a valuable piece for many lineups. The same goes for , who is a similar player and has also had trouble finding a deal this offseason. Either would fit well with the Royals or the Rays.
Are the Orioles done, or will they sign or Alex Cobb?
-- @wvwllw

The Orioles would like to find another starter after missing out on a chance for a significant upgrade by acquiring Jake Odorizzi from the Rays. They are one of a handful of teams still actively searching for rotation help, along with the Brewers, Nationals, Phillies, Dodgers and Rangers. The latter five clubs are more likely to pursue Cobb, Lynn or even , while the Orioles seem to be focused on pitchers from the next tier of hurlers, such as R.A. Dickey.

Who gets more playing time at first base for the Mets this year: or ?
-- @MJMets

At the moment, Gonzalez appears likely to receive more playing time early in the season. But in the end, I believe Smith will see more at-bats -- he's in much better physical shape than his veteran counterpart, and his struggles last September may have been related to fatigue, as he played 163 games between the Majors and Minors. Smith was never a big strikeout guy on the farm, so he should be able to improve upon last year's 26.8 percent whiff rate with more experience against big league pitching.