3 Most Likely Free Agent Destinations for Michael Brantley

MLB's free agency period is here, allowing teams to find the right players for all of their offseason needs. This year's outfield market has some intriguing names available, including five-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger Michael Brantley.

Brantley enters free agency after an injury-plagued 2022 campaign with the Houston Astros. A shoulder injury limited him to just 64 games, but he was still productive with 5 home runs, 26 RBIs and a .288 batting average across 243 at-bats.

At 35 years old, Brantley has proven that he still has a lot left in the tank. Here's a look at the three most likely free agent destinations for him this offseason.

Michael Brantley Free Agency

3. San Francisco Giants

With Joc Pederson hitting free agency, the San Francisco Giants should pursue Brantley to fill the hole in left field. Even though his ceiling may not be as high as Pederson's at the moment, Brantley is a proven veteran who's good for around 20 HR, 70 RBIs and a .300 BA when healthy. The Giants aren't known for breaking the bank in free agency, so the fact that Brantley's injury-shortened season could make him more affordable would be appealing. San Francisco is looking to compete for a World Series sooner rather than later and bringing in a proven veteran with a ring would only help in that regard.

2. Houston Astros

As with any free agent, there's a chance that Brantley could stay put. After all, he just won his first World Series championship with the Houston Astros and it's clear that he's an important piece of the locker room. It was Brantley who gave a much-needed speech to the team following the Astros' 7-0 loss in Game 3 of the Fall Classic, firing up the club to win three straight games and the championship. That sort of presence is incredibly tough to replace and with Dusty Baker returning as the manager, he might want Brantley back as a go-to leader when similar issues arise. Brantley may also want to avoid moving again at this stage in his career, so sticking around in Houston is a legitimate possibility.

1. Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves' left field situation was a mess last year, resulting in Marcell Ozuna, Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall combining for -2.5 WAR. With Duvall hitting free agency, Brantley would be a big upgrade in the left side of the Braves' outfield. For starters, Brantley hasn't had a negative WAR since 2016, finishing at 1.3 or better in each of the last six seasons. He also boasts a career .994 fielding percentage in left field, committing just one error since the start of 2020. After Atlanta's postseason ended earlier than expected, the 2021 World Series champs need a better solution to their left field problem and Brantley is the perfect man for the job.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.