They spent a whopping $23 billion on a free agent bat, and it paid off.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, ranked the top offseason acquisitions that contributed to the performance of postseason teams from 1 to 10 on Tuesday.
At the top of MLB.com’s list is Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. The Cubs signed Swanson to a seven-year, $177 million contract in free agency ahead of this season. Swanson is batting .249 with 20 home runs and 74 RBIs, and he’s also a solid defender who won the Gold Glove at shortstop in the National League last year. “Swanson’s stellar defense and solid offensive production have combined to produce a 4.7 wins above replacement (WAR) per FanGraphs,” the publication said.
At No. 2, MLB.com selected Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy. Atlanta acquired Murphy in a three-way trade with the Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers at the end of last season. “Already one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, Murphy has taken a step forward offensively since joining Atlanta,” according to MLB.com. This year, Murphy is batting .262 with 20 home runs and 67 RBIs, all career highs.
Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger, who has had a stellar resurgence this year, is right behind Murphy at No. 3. After suffering through one of the worst offseasons of his career last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, batting .210 with 19 homers, 68 RBIs and 14 stolen bases, Bellinger was forced to leave the Dodgers when he was released as a non-tender, and the Cubs reached out to him and gave him a fresh start. The Cubs signed Bellinger to a one-year, $17.5 million deal that was essentially a gamble. The Cubs had to face criticism for investing too much in a hitter who was hitting in the low 20s last year.
But the opposite happened. In 119 games for the Cubs this season, Bellinger broke out with a .311 batting average, .356 on-base percentage, and .534 slugging percentage, along with 25 home runs, 91 RBIs, and 20 doubles. 토토사이트
“The Cubs signed Bellinger to a one-year, $17.5 million guaranteed deal in hopes that he can recapture the form that earned him the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year and 2019 National League MVP,” MLB.com reported, “Bellinger enjoyed a resurgence, batting .311 with 25 homers and 20 doubles in 119 games. He was considered a trade candidate at this year’s trade deadline, but the Cubs were able to climb back into the National League wild-card race in the second half of the season as Bellinger hit .326 with a .356 on-base percentage and .573 slugging percentage.” The Cubs’ acquisition of Bellinger proved to be a huge success.