Run creators put on ice this offseason

This offseason has so far been about run prevention. Run creation? We’ll get back to you later.

The supply of frontline free-agent pitching was particularly thin as the 2016-17 offseason began. The primary early winners were closers — Mark Melancon, signed by the Giants for $62 million over four years; Aroldis Chapman, receiving $86 million over five years from the Yankees; and Kenley Jansen, returning to the Dodgers for $80 million over five years.

All of these contracts shattered the previous record for relief pitchers’ deals, both in total amount and average annual value. There have been some position players cashing in, most notably outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, returning to the Mets for $110 million over four years.

• Hot Stove Tracker

Outfielder Dexter Fowler moved from the Cubs to the Cardinals for a five-year, $82.5 million deal. The previous year, of course, outfielder Jason Heyward had gone in the opposite direction for $184 million over eight years.

The Heyward deal turned out to be indicative of a trend. More detailed and definitive defensive metrics made measuring the contributions of a superior defensive player such as Heyward a more exact determination.

It was subsequently incidental that he had a very disappointing season offensively for the team that became 2016 World Series champions. The notion of a player who might be valued as much or more for defense over offense became …

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