This guy is the youngest player to hit free agency in a long time. Heyward is 26 years old and a rare young talent to hit the free agency. He is also a 5 tool athlete, which means he can hit for contact, hit for power, has speed, stronger defender, and a strong arm. You can also add the fact that he is one of the smartest and efficient base runners in the game even though he isn't the fastest in the league. Heyward is hands down the best defensive right fielder in the game today. Not only is he a great talent on the field he is a great person in the club house and off the field. His hitting might not be as consistent as people may want, but his other tools well make up for that. Teams will be optomistic about his hitting because he is young and has time to develop into a better hitter. He may cost a hefty price this offseason, but he will be worth every penny. The two teams I feel will sign Heyward are the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees. The Cardinals have that big TV contract, and haven't made a big signing in awhile. Matt Holiday is getting old and on his last year of his contract. Randal Grichuk has had some trouble staying on the field consistently. Steven Piscotty is the bright spot in that outfield, but could be moved to first base if the Cardinals don't fix that problem. Heyward would give them some necessary depth in that outfield. The Yankees are OLD, enough said. They had way to many injuries last year because their team was OLD. The Yankees first priority will be locking down a pitcher, but the outfield is next. There are rumors that the Yankees are looking to trade Brett Gardner, which would open up a spot in the outfield. After Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury both got hurt the Yankees are in desperate need for some young talent.
Justin Upton
Justin Upton is built like a tank, have you seen him? He is 28 years old right now and will be demanding a big contract. You can't ask for a more consistent power hitting threat at the plate. Upton has eclipsed the 20 home run mark 5 times in his career, and 3 in a row. For a power hitter he keeps a decent average hanging around the.270 range. He is a three time all-star and a two time silver slugger winner. He a decent defender with an above average arm in the outfield. He is also a great person to have in the club house, and would be an easy transition. I truly believe that the San Francisco Giant will land the veteran outfielder, but I also think the Baltimore Orioles have a chance to get him as well. The giants have money to spend and didn't do it last year. That didn't work out well for them as they didn't make the playoffs. Besides the pitching rotation they need to get a bat in the outfield. They have been watching him in the division for years back when he was with the D'Backs, and this past season with the Padres. They know him well and know what he is capable of, and I think they like what they see. They lack in power and that is something Upton has plenty of. The Baltimore Orioles will have to figure out what they are doing with Chris Davis before they make this move. The Orioles is terrible outside of Adam Jones. If you could pair Upton and Jones together you would be sitting pretty.
Yoenis Cespedes
The reason I have him ranked third is because of his age, lack of consistency and attitude. Cespedes is 30 years old entering his fifth year in the league. His Average and RBI's have been up and down throughout these four years. You do know something that he will hit you 20 home runs, and be a force in the outfield. He is a pretty good defender if he is in left field, the Mets found out the hard way that he isn't a center fielder. He doesn't have the best attitude and isn't afraid to express when he isn't happy. Something I noticed in the playoffs was Cespedes was the last one on the field and the last one off the field. That doesn't show the quality of leader, especially when you are playing in the world series. He has is upsides and his downsides, which one out weights the other is the question. There are so many teams in the race to land Cespedes, and Mets fans are really hoping they can find a way to resign him. I think the Mets and the Padres are the front runners to land the big name outfielder. The Mets clearly wouldn't have even made the playoffs if it wasn't for Cespedes run he made once he was traded to the Mets. The Mets have Confordo coming up, Granderson is coming off a good year, and Cespedes is coming off his best year in the majors. That would be one good looking outfield if it can be pulled out. The Padres might be a bit of a surprise but after last offseason I don't put anything past A.J. Preller. He wasn't happy with the way his 2015 season went, but what do you expect when you assemble a completely new roster. They will want Cespedes to cover ground in that big outfield, and he clearly has the power to hit home runs in that park.
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