The Opener: Free Agency, Bench Bats, Brash

As the calendar flips to March, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. When will the remaining free agents sign?

A whopping seven free agents in MLBTR’s annual Top 50 remain on the open market. That list includes not only three of the so-called “Boras Four” in Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Matt Chapman, but also a pair of quality DH candidates in J.D. Martinez and Brandon Belt along with a pair of solid #4 starters in Mike Clevinger and Michael Lorenzen. By contrast, the only player in last offseason’s top 50 who remained on the open market into march was veteran outfielder Jurickson Profar. There’s other quality free agents who didn’t make our offseason Top 50 that remain on the market as well, such as veteran outfielders Tommy Pham and Adam Duvall. While it seemed as though outfielder Cody Bellinger accepting a short-term deal with the Cubs earlier this week could’ve signaled the dam breaking on remaining free agents, so far that hasn’t come to fruition. Will the remaining players available begin putting pen to paper with Opening Day now less than a month away?

2. Yankees, Red Sox in the market for bench bats?

With so many free agents still available, its no surprise that clubs are still looking to upgrade their rosters even with Spring Training in full swing. That appears to be true of both the Yankees and the Red Sox as things stand, with Boston reportedly interested in adding depth to their position player mix. The club appears to prefer adding a right-handed bat to complement their bevy of left-handed options for the lineup, as they’ve been linked to the likes of Garrett Cooper and Gio Urshela over the past week before they signed with the Cubs and Tigers, respectively.

In the Bronx, meanwhile, the Yankees were a finalist for utility man Enrique Hernandez according to Hernandez himself, suggesting the club is interested in finding a possible alternative to youngster Oswald Peraza on the club’s bench. That could leave the longtime rivals to compete over the remaining bench bats on the free agent market, particularly those with right-handed bats and experience on the infield dirt. The likes of Donovan Solano, Elvis Andrus, and Jean Segura remain on the market as players who check those boxes and could be plausible targets for either club.

3. Brash updated expected today:

The Mariners are reportedly concerned that right-hander Matt Brash could face an extended absence due to as-of-yet unspecified arm troubles. Clarity on Brash’s health and timetable for return could be on the horizon, however, as reporting yesterday indicated that the club hopes to have a formal update regarding the righty as soon as today. Brash, 26 in May, led the majors with 78 appearances last year and dominated in doing so, posting a 3.05 ERA and a sterling 2.26 FIP in 70 2/3 innings of work while striking out opponents and a fantastic 34.7% clip. A lengthy absence from Brash would remove one of the most promising arms from Seattle’s bullpen, though the club enjoys considerable depth in that area with the likes of Andres Munoz, Gregory Santos, and Greg Speier also available for late-inning duty.