MLB Notebook: Flood of free agents should lead Red Sox to good value; Hyers shares hitting approach

At some point, in this Winter of Free Agent Discontent, the laws of supply-and-demand have to kick in. Right?

Right?

In just over two weeks, pitchers and catchers will begin reporting to spring training camps in Florida and Arizona and about 130 free agents remain unsigned. There have not been these many unsigned free agents this late into the offseason since the 1994-95 strike was settled. That year, players held a workout camp in South Florida for all the unsigned players and there is talk of a similar idea this spring.

By now, the list of available free agents would be reduced to some aging veterans or role players, or players returning from injuries or subpar seasons. But a case could be made that the four best starting pitchers (Jake Arrieta, Yu Darvish, Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn) remain available, along with the three best position players (J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas).

MLBTradeRumors.com ranked the Top 50 free agents of the winter last November. As of Friday, only three of the Top 11 had signed, and one of those was Masahiro Tanaka, who technically wasn’t a free agent but someone with an opt-out clause who chose to stay put with the Yankees. The only two to actually sign: closer Wade Davis and outfielder Lorenzo Cain, who didn’t sign until Thursday night.

These are not inconsequential names, in other words. They’re stars, accomplished players with a track record. And if the top names aren’t signed, that means a lot of secondary and tertiary players – the middle class, if you will – are still waiting, too.

Everyone assumes that eventually, the stars will get contracts – albeit for considerably less than was projected when free agency kicked off in November and perhaps not until after camps are open – that leaves dozens and dozens of players still looking for work.

And if the top players on the market are going to be forced – by time and circumstance – to accept less than they expected, then what does that mean to the next level of players? What about the everyday position players or the middle-of-the-rotation or back-end starters?

That’s where the rules of economics come into the equation. If a rising tide lifts all boats, then surely the opposite must be true: in a depressed economy, smaller wages at the top correspondingly lead to smaller wages below.

Given that, are there some inefficiencies in the market that a team like the Red Sox can exploit?

Perhaps.

As recently as last weekend, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner confirmed that the team was still pursuing Martinez. That’s been the case since free agency began and it’s gotten both sides exactly nowhere. But while Martinez remains the Sox’ most obvious target, they’ve been in a kind of suspended animation. The team has other needs – a lefty in the bullpen, a versatile infielder, depth starter – but has failed to act on any of these. Nearly three months after the end of the World Series, Sox have made one player transaction of note: the re-signing of first baseman Mitch Moreland.

Meanwhile, a host of lefty relievers, of various abilities (Boone Logan, Jake McGee and Mike Minor) have signed elsewhere. Similarly, the Sox passed on Howie Kendrick, who earlier this month signed an affordable (two years, $7 million) deal with Washington.

Eventually, with time running short, a game of economic musical chairs will begin. There are only so many seats (or, in this case, roster spots) to be filled. This should result in some discounted opportunities for teams. Here are a few which could help the Sox:

Eduardo Nunez

Remember him? Nunez was a nice addition to the Red Sox at last July’s trade deadline. He played three different infield positions (third, short and second), hit for power .539 slugging percentage), ran the bases well (6-of-8 in steals) and became a weapon in the top third of the order. Moreover, he’s well-liked by teammates and brings energy to the clubhouse and lineup. He’s still available, and while he might prefer a chance to go play every day, he could have plenty of playing time in Boston.

He’d be the perfect short-term fill in at second while Dustin Pedroia recovers from major off-season knee surgery. When Pedroia returns – the current timeline suggests late May, though that may be overly optimistic – he’ll need rest and Nunez would be the perfect replacement twice a week. When he’s not filling it at second, Nunez could provide a right-handed complement to Rafael Devers at third base, and he would be the perfect replacement at short to assure that Xander Bogaerts doesn’t become fatigued in the second half of the season.

Nunez would likely require a two-year deal, but the cost wouldn’t be overwhelming – especially in the current climate, where options are few.

Tony Watson

Watson is an experienced lefty in the bullpen, and while his left-on-left numbers aren’t as dominant as they once were, he’s still an effective bullpen piece. He can also get righties out (.661 OPS) and has shown durability, with 70 or more appearances in each of the last four seasons. He had a down year last year, but at 32, he should be able to rebound. And he’d have the advantage of pitching in the American League, where not a lot of hitters have seen him before.

Currently, the only lefties the Sox have in their bullpen are either largely unproven (Robby Scott) or completely unproven (Brian Johnson, Roenis Elias) in a major league bullpen role. Watson would represent an upgrade over any of them.

Chris Tillman

Even before the freeze hit the market, Tillman knew that he would likely have to take a one-year pillow deal to help re-establish his value following a hugely disappointing season (1-7, 7.84). But only the year before, Tillman won 16 games and had a 3.77 ERA while pitching in cozy Camden Yards. After nine seasons in Baltimore, he’s certainly demonstrated that he can be successful in the American League – not something every pitcher can claim.

The Sox rotation may appear crowded, with six established big leaguers. But remember, Eduardo Rodriguez likely won’t be ready to start the season after knee surgery and Steven Wright could be facing discipline stemming from a domestic incident last month. That could provide Tillman a chance to contribute at the beginning of the season. If not, surely there will be other chances over the course of the season, due to injuries or performance. The Sox found this out the hard way when they needed to go get Doug Fister last June. It would be far better to have the solution in-house from the start this time – especially at a reduced price.

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It’s become almost an article of faith this winter that the Red Sox will see improvement from several key members of their lineup.

Dave Dombrowski has cited it in explaining his relative inaction. The team’s analytics department has supplied Dombrowski with data to back up the point.

Bogaerts is expected to rebound. Jackie Bradley Jr. should be more consistent. Even Mookie Betts, who finished sixth in A.L. MVP balloting, is expected to have a better season.

The man who will be largely responsible for effecting this change is new hitting coach Tim Hyers, who returns to the organization following a couple of seasons as the assistant hitting coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hyers has spent the winter examining video and consulting with players – by phone and in person – as he prepares for spring training.

“Looking at the lineup as a hitting coach,’’ said Hyers recently, “it’s exciting, with the athleticism we have and the power potential. Every guy has a resume and a history of really producing in the big leagues. Second, they (work hard) every single day... You can’t ask for more that.’’

Hyers describes himself as a “process guy’’ who will emphasize pitch selection, game-planning and aggressiveness at the plate.

“Mechanically, we’re going to talk about a few things, to be more consistent,’’ said Hyers, whoworked as the roving minor league hitting instructor and filled in at the major league level in 2014. “I have a history with some of the guys, so I have a starting place. I’ve seen some things (watching video) I want to talk to them about.’’

He also wants to make sure that Sox hitters drive the ball in the air, with tweaks to improve launch angle in order to produce more power.

“There’s two parts there,’’ said Hyers. “The mental impacts the physical and some of the guys maybe need to make some adjustments to slow the game down, or attacking early in the count on pitches they can drive without falling behind (in the count) early.’’

Last season the Sox were one of the most passive teams in the game. That could be a holdover from a time when the object was to work counts and drive up pitch counts by exhibiting discipline at the plate.

“The game has evolved,’’ agreed Hyers. “We’re looking for pitches early we can do damage with and I think that’s something we have to sit down with each player and discuss. We don’t want to fall behind; they’re trying to get ahead and we’re trying to do damage early, so the key is zoning in and narrowing our focus, but (with an emphasis) on being aggressive within that narrow focus. As a group, we need to be more aggressive early and take advantage of those pitches when pitchers are trying to get ahead.’’