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3B Nolan Arenado and 1B Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
Arenado opted into the final five years and $144 million of his contract at the start of the offseason, while Goldschmidt will earn $52 million over the next two seasons to close out a five-year, $130 million pact. Both are among the highest-paid players in the league, but they are also a bargain relative to their market value.
RF Ronald Acuña Jr. and 2B Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
Acuña was not the same superstar-level talent in his return from a torn ACL, posting a 114 OPS+ and 2.8 WAR in 119 games, but there is still every reason to believe he’ll be a steal during the back half of an eight-year, $100 million extension. Albies also has something to prove after injuries limited him to 64 games in 2022, and he’s guaranteed a modest $7 million each of the next three seasons with matching club options in 2026 and 2027. Both players could be right back on the list of best bargains in 2023.
CF Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins and CF Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox
Using the eight-year, $162 million deal Brandon Nimmo signed as a gauge of the center field market, both of these players have the potential to be massively underpaid. Buxton will earn $90.9 million over the next six years, while Robert is owed $37 million the next three years and can earn another $40 million if a pair of club options are exercised. Can either player stay healthy long enough to deliver on his MVP upside?
SS Ha-Seong Kim, San Diego Padres
In a market where more than $1 billion was given to Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson, Kim is worthy of a mention. The former KBO standout took a huge step forward in the second season of a four-year, $28 million deal, and his 5.1 WAR was right in line with Bogaerts (5.8) Swanson (5.7), Correa (5.4) and Turner (4.9), who will each earn several times what he’ll make in 2023.