5 one-year deals working wonders for clubs

There is a saying among executives that there is no such thing as a bad one-year contract. But it goes without saying that some work out better than others.

We saw that Monday, when the Pirates announced they had extended David Freese to a two-year contract worth $11 million, with a club option for 2019. The Bucs had taken advantage of a soft market on Freese in nabbing him on a one-year, $3 million pact in March, and he’s proven to be a nice add for them, compiling a .355 on-base percentage and earning more playing time than anticipated in their infield.

With that in mind, here are the five best one-year deals from the offseason. And note that, with apologies to the Dexter Fowler types, we’re only including external additions here, not guys who were re-signed by the club that controlled them at the end of 2015.

5. Pedro Alvarez, Orioles ($5.75 million) When the Pirates non-tendered Alvarez, it was a guarantee that he’d land with an American League club, where his power supply wouldn’t be as compromised by his defensive struggles. The move to Camden Yards has improved that power production, as Alvarez has seen a 56-point jump in his slugging percentage. The primary reason he’s on this list is that he’s raised his offensive game in the second half (.283/.313/.651 slash), at a time when the O’s are in the throes of that AL East race.

4. Doug Fister, Astros ($7 million) No, Fister hasn’t discovered new life on his fastball and returned to the Cy Young Award consideration he received in 2014. But despite the occasional blips on the …

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