Gerardo Parra is one of the remaining free agents who has yet to sign with an MLB team. The veteran is garnering interest, but the outfield market is slow to develop this offseason.
Still, based on rumors and reports, we've been able to narrow down the possible destinations for Parra. It seems as if the Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants are among his top suitors even though it's unclear when he'll actually sign.
FOX Sports' Jon Morosi gave us a good hint yesterday:
Gerardo Parra waiting for more of top-tier outfielders to sign; Royals, Nationals, Giants, Angels have varying levels of interest in Parra.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 30, 2015
Let's take a look at how he fits with each club we list below.
San Francisco Giants
Parra would undoubtedly be a fit in San Francisco, but the Giants might be waiting for the prices of other top options (Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton and Alex Gordon) since they have a decent amount of money to spend. They reportedly don't want to add another $150 million contract to their payroll, which is why they're likely considering Parra.
There is no guarantee the price tags on the other top-tier free agents will drop and Parra is much more of a bargain, especially if the Giants want to save some dough moving forward. They have an additional $50 million coming off the books and might be looking to keep the payroll in check with various long-term commitments in the coming years.
Here's what experts predicted Parra will get in free agency:
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports: three years, $33 million
ESPN's Jim Bowden: three years, $25.5 million
Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com: three years, $27 million
Parra isn't exactly the power bat the Giants are probably looking for, but he's a versatile outfielder and can hit atop the lineup, which would be of great value to manager Bruce Bochy since Angel Pagan struggled at the plate and Hunter Pence dealt with injuries last year.
Washington Nationals
Many experts have mentioned Parra's connection with Nats' general manager Mike Rizzo, who signed the outfielder as an international free agent back in 2004. Washington is looking for someone to play center field despite the presence of Michael Taylor. They already offered Jason Heyward $200 million before he signed with the Chicago Cubs.
While Heyward is among the best outfielders in the MLB, Parra would still be a good addition for the Nationals. He can play all three outfield positions and most of his experience has been in left. Jayson Werth currently occupies that position but he'll be a free agent after 2017, which would allow Parra to slip right in once he departs in free agency.
Additionally, the Nats need a bat atop the order after the loss of Denard Span. The veteran was limited to just 61 games in 2015 due to injuries, which clearly affected their run scoring and ability to get on base in the one and two holes.
Parra would serve as a versatile outfielder and leadoff bat at a decent price, which could be of great use for the Nationals. Then perhaps the team could use Taylor as trade bait if they don't feel there's any use for him.
Kansas City Royals
Parra's projected price is right in the Royals' budget. Once the team realizes re-signing Alex Gordon is nothing but a dream (despite what the veteran said this week), they'll be able to get more realistic in their free agent endeavors.
Kansas City already has about the same amount of money committed to their 2016 payroll as they did last year and they aren't big spenders, so it's hard to envision them retaining Gordon at the $20 million per season he wants in free agency.
Parra, at $30-$40 million certainly fits their budget and his versatility will also help manager Ned Yost with his lineup card. The veteran would give them a definitive option in left field and another bat atop the order to replace the loss of Ben Zobrist.
The team's interest in Parra has been reported multiple times in the past few weeks and it's been said he could be their Plan B in the likely event Gordon departs in free agency.
I don't think the Royals are going to open the 2016 season with Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando in the corner outfield spots, so look for them to make a signing, with Parra being among the most fitting options.
