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It’s Just Speculation: Ted Lilly to New York
With the Mets clinging on to the race for the NL East and having a decent chance in the NL Wild Card, they are in need of an improvement to help them over the hump. One of the bigger rumors lately has been that the Mets are wanting to add a veteran arm in the rotation to help them down the stretch.
In a recent article by Jon Heyman of SI.com, a few GMs noted to him that the Mets make sense as a destination for Ted Lilly. Lilly is a veteran lefty that would give some additional experience to a relatively young rotation behind Johan Santana. He would likely displace Hisanori Takahashi from the rotation, unless the aberration that is R.A. Dickey comes to an end and hitters start to square up on his knuckle ball.
But what would it take to get Lilly in a Met uniform? MLB Trade Rumors recently looked at Lilly’s value, comparing a possible trade for him to the one that sent Jarrod Washburn from the Mariners to the Tigers last season. That trade sent prospects Luke French and Mauricio Robles to the Mariners. Both were fringy pitching prospects, but the lefty Robles had a little more potential. French has struggled mightily since and Robles has had trouble with walks.
I can see the tight-payrolled Mets giving slightly better prospects if the Cubs agree to eat some of the salary remaining on Lilly’s contract. Could we see two fringy pitchers like:
RHP Eric Beaulac
RHP Armando Rodriguez
LHP Robert Carson
RHP Josh Stinson
Lefties are devoured in trades like candy falling out of a pinata at a party. So I could see the Cubs taking a flyer on Carson. Stinson is pitching decently at Double-A and could be a year or so away from a relief role in the bigs.
Could Carson and Stinson get it done, or will it take at least one pitcher with a little more potential? Someone like LHP Eric Niesen or LHP Juan Urbina?
Although the Mets’ farm system is relatively barren beyond Jenrry Mejia, Wilmer Flores, Reese Havens and Fernando Martinez, they could have enough to pull off a trade for Lilly and shore up their rotation for the stretch run.
What are your trade packages for Lilly?
It’s Just Speculation: Roy Oswalt to the Dodgers
Yesterday we listed the potential suitors in the possible upcoming Roy Oswalt derby. But let’s not just stop there, how about full-out speculation? Let’s take some potential suitors and see what they could offer the Astros for Oswalt. For this short series, we’ll take John Sickels’ Top 20 Prospects lists over at Minor League Ball and snatch a few players off that great listing to make up a potential trade package.
As a disclaimer, it’s just speculation, this is not a rumor. We also have to consider that there’s a likelihood that Astros GM Ed Wade and owner Drayton McLane will have to kick in some money in the deal. The quality of the prospects that would come back in the trade would likely relate to the amount of money included. Also, Ed Wade’s leverage has been lessened somewhat by Oswalt’s trade demand. He doesn’t have to deal Roy, but it could be a potential negative media storm if he doesn’t.
With all that in mind, let’s look at one of the suitors, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been lingered in 3rd place in the NL West much of the season, but are now in 2nd. Memories of Kevin Malone have an article up on Roy Oswalt and whether or not they need him. Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (MLBTR link) reports that they have at least kicked the tires on him. Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, even rookie Jon Ely have pitched well in the early going. But they have gotten bad performances from Vicente Padilla (6.65 ERA), Ramon Ortiz (6.30 ERA), and Charlie Haeger (8.49 ERA). Adding a fifth solid pitcher and providing insurance against a late-season rookie regression of Ely may push the Dodgers into considering a trade.
What would it take? I imagine that the bidding will likely start with two of the team’s top arms in the system. Likely a combination that includes a couple from a pack of Chris Withrow, Ethan Martin, Aaron Miller, and Scott Elbert. They might then pick an outfielder in the lower levels of the system, but with interesting upside as they prepare for the post-Carlos Lee era in 2013. Power slugging, but strikeout prone Kyle Russell and the toolsy Jonathan Garcia fit the bill.
In the end, I believe that the Astros go after Withrow (B+, Sickels), Miller (B), and a Kyle Russell (C+).
Cliff Lee is the closest comparable that I can find at this time. The Mariners gave up pitchers Phillippe Aumont (B-) and Juan Ramirez (B-), as well as outfielder Tyson Gillies (C+). There were quite a few at the time that mentioned that Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. didn’t get enough for him.
Is this enough? Is it too much? Who’d you throw in a package for the Astros’ ace?
It’s Just Speculation: Roy Oswalt to the Tigers
Yesterday we listed the potential suitors in the possible upcoming Roy Oswalt derby. But let’s not just stop there, how about full-out speculation? Let’s take some potential suitors and see what they could offer the Astros for Oswalt. For this short series, we’ll take John Sickels’ Top 20 Prospects lists over at Minor League Ball and snatch a few players off that great listing to make up a potential trade package.
As a disclaimer, it’s just speculation, this is not a rumor. We also have to consider that there’s a likelihood that Astros GM Ed Wade and owner Drayton McLane will have to kick in some money in the deal. The quality of the prospects that would come back in the trade would likely relate to the amount of money included. Also, Ed Wade’s leverage has been lessened somewhat by Oswalt’s trade demand. He doesn’t have to deal Roy, but it could be a potential negative media storm if he doesn’t.
With all that in mind, let’s look at one of the suitors, the Detroit Tigers. The Detroit Tigers have been at or near the top of the AL Central all season. Although they are currently in second, you’d think that they’d be lower in the standings with Rick Porcello posting an ERA of 5.58 and Max Scherzer running out an ugly 7.29 ERA. Given that Dontrelle Willis‘ WHIP is 1.68, it won’t be long before he joins those two with an ERA above 5.00. The team obviously needs at least a solid #2 behind Justin Verlander.
What would it take? I imagine that the bidding will likely start with one of the team’s top arms in the system. Likely Casey Crosby or Jacob Turner. Then, possibly a near-ready infielder of some type. The Tigers’ system isn’t stuffed with proven prospects in that realm, but two immediately come to mind. Outfielder/first baseman Ryan Strieby may be a potential replacement for Lance Berkman if he’s traded, or second baseman Scott Sizemore could eventually push Jeff Keppinger back to a more appropriate utility role. Brennan Boesch’s emergence and Carlos Guillen’s eventual return from injury have likely made both players expendable. But both players are having significant problems at the plate this season and may make the Astros leery about picking them up.
In the end, I believe that the Astros would sour on Crosby’s elbow history and go after Turner (B+, Sickels), Sizemore (B), and two lower-echelon arms from a pack of Cody Satterwhite (C+), Robbie Weinhardt (C+) or Brayan Villarreal (C+).
Cliff Lee is the closest comparable that I can find at this time. The Mariners gave up pitchers Phillippe Aumont (B-) and Juan Ramirez (B-), as well as outfielder Tyson Gillies (C+). There were quite a few at the time that mentioned that Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. didn’t get enough for him.
Is this enough? Is it too much? Who’d you throw in a package for the Astros’ ace?
Oswalt on the Block?
The talk of the baseball world recently has been Roy Oswalt‘s request for a trade. MLBTR recently posted this quote out of an interview with Rob Dibble and Jim Memolo on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM.
“When you get to a point where you need to start rebuilding they’re going to start with a guy that’s got a lot of value and I understand that if I’m throwing well that they maybe can get two or three guys that can fill holes that they need. I told them from the very beginning when they get to that point I would be open to [being traded].”
So what are the possible destinations. Roy has a no-trade clause in his contract that essentially gives him the choice on whether or not he’ll go to any team once a deal has been struck. Jayson Stark of ESPN stated in an article that a friend of Oswalt believes the hurler’s preferred destinations are Texas, St. Louis, and Atlanta. This batch of destinations is tough as he doesn’t look like a true fit at any location.
Texas- The team would welcome the addition of an ace pitcher, especially one with fan roots in Texas. But the Rangers are going through an ownership change and their budget is pretty tight as it is. If Astros owner Drayton McLane would be open to eating a large chunk of what’s owed on the Oswalt’s contract, the team may be able to snatch some decent prospects from the Rangers’ deep farm system.
St. Louis- Except for the grossly overpaid Kyle Lohse, the Cardinals rotation looks pretty rock-solid. Their budget looks pretty tight as well, especially if they are trying to lock up Albert Pujols eventually.
Atlanta- About the same situation exists in Atlanta. Derek Lowe‘s contract is immovable, it’s doubtful that they’ll move Kawakami out of a starting role, and they are in need of offense more than another starting pitcher.
So, are there other teams that would benefit enough from adding Oswalt to take on the $31 million that he’s owed over the next couple seasons?
Boston- The Red Sox are 24th in the majors in ERA, but they already have a costly rotation and will likely stick to in-house options regardless.
Cincinnati- With Homer Bailey injured, the Reds could use another arm (who would out-pitch Bailey’s 5.51 ERA). But would the Astros deal within their division?
Detroit- Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello have both struggled this season, could Oswalt somehow fit in their budget?
Los Angeles (Dodgers)- With struggles from a few members of their starting rotation, the Dodgers may be an interesting suitor. Will the McCourt struggles influence things though?
San Diego- The Padres aren’t spending much on their roster now. But they traded away Peavy last season and the team is 2nd in the majors in ERA. They need more hitting than pitching anyway.
Toronto- If the Jays stay in the thick of things, they may be looking to add an ace. If so, it’d definitely be for a smaller package than what they sent Halladay packing with.
Washington- The Nationals are unexpectedly good this season and could use a viable staff ace. But they will soon have Strasburg up and may not want to tear down their rebuilding farm system.
D-Backs Bullpen Woes Fixable?
The Arizona Diamondbacks came into the season with high hopes. Many analysts believed that they were amongst the most improved of the off-season. But those hopes quickly fizzled as Brandon Webb went on the DL and the team’s pitching imploded. The team is currently last amongst all 30 teams in ERA and the bullpen has converted only 8 of the 18 save opportunities handed to them. Aaron Heilman and Billy Buckner (only 5 IP) are the only relievers in the pen with an ERA under 5.00.
There isn’t a whole lot of help down on the farm either. The recently acquired Carlos Rosa has sported a nice 2.76 ERA, but his 1.59 WHIP says that he’ll have problems in the majors. Except for Rosa and Daniel Stange, no other reliever with over 10 innings pitched in Triple-A this season has a WHIP under 1.50. The best relief for the team’s relief woes is probably outside of the organization.
With the team already last place and 6.5 games back of the surprise NL West leading San Diego Padres, it may be best that the team just looks for patch-work options that just makes the pen at least passable so that it doesn’t completely ruin the psyches of the young players throughout the roster.
Chad Gaudin was recently released by the Oakland Athletics. As Ben Nicholson-Smith writes for MLB Trade Rumors, Gaudin’s walk and strikeout rates are pretty good, he’s just been hit harder this season than regularly. The D-Backs may be the latest to give the righty a try.
Going into the season, Brian Bruney was viewed as a potential closer for the Washington Nationals. But he’s walked 20 batters in just 17.2 innings-pitched….needless to say, that’s not a good sign of success. However, he a former Diamondback and the team may be able to get him back on track.
Although neither reliever has been good at all this season, they both have a decent track record and may be salvageable. If the Diamondbacks can stow them away in Triple-A while they try to figure out any flaws, they may be able to at least get some league-average innings out of them.
Something needs to change, or Manager A.J. Hinch may want to replace the boxes of gum in the dugout with antacids.
It’s Just Speculation: Hu’s Available for Trade?
Ok, ok, enough with the homonym-like titles! But I just couldn’t resist! Dodgers shortstop prospect Chin-lung Hu is available for trade, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Although the now 26-year-old Hu isn’t really much of a prospect anymore, you’d think he’d draw some interest from teams interested in adding a shortstop or a backup infielder.
The first team that comes to my mind would be the Pittsburgh Pirates. Considering that their projected starter at short, Ronny Cedeno, hit .208 with a .256 OBP last season, Hu might actually be useful for the Bucs. There may be those who think that Bobby Crosby may be able to push aside Cedeno if Ronny doesn’t hit. But seriously, what are the chances of that happening (.223 with a .295 OBP last season)?
CHONE and ZiPS have very similar projections for Hu this season. The both feel that he can hit in the high-.250s with five home runs, about 20 doubles, a few steals, and an OBP hovering around .300. Sure, that’s nothing to write home about, but it’s decent. He’s also further away from larger pay days / non-tendering than Cedeno is.
The team’s best middle-infield prospect, Chase D’Arnaud, is at least a couple years away. So it’s not like trading for Hu will block anyone in the near future.
Depending on the price, go after him Neal, what do you have to lose?
What can the Cards get for $6-7 million?
Other than a couple free agent signings, the St. Louis Cardinals have been relatively quiet this off-season. Then again when one of your free agent signings is a six-year, $120 million contract for Matt Holliday, can it really be termed “quiet”? With Holliday and Brad Penny now in the fold, the Cardinals have approximately $6-7 million left in their budget according to MLB.com’s Matthew Leach.
This is not much when so many analysts say they still need to fill third base and the back of the rotation, plus the bullpen and bench. But is that as hard of a task as everyone is freaking out about?
Third base prospect David Freese, who the team acquired for Jim Edmonds a couple winters ago, hit .300/.369/.525 (albeit in only 225 plate appearances) in Triple-A last season. His strikeout rate (25.5%) while he was there was a little troubling, but he may actually fare better than what some other teams are going to trot out at third on a regular basis next season.
The team will likely let a few different candidates fight it out for the fifth spot in the rotation next season. Jaime Garcia is the most often mentioned name for that spot. But Mitchell Boggs and a player I’ve personally been following, Blake Hawksworth, are also in the running. If you look around the majors, many teams are looking to do the same thing. The difference is, the Cardinals have Dave Duncan looking over the pitchers. He’ll find a gem in the rough….or at least someone serviceable.
All those players are currently on the 40-man roster, so the team will likely have $6-7 million to spend for two spots, not all that bad.
Adam Kennedy seems like a logical choice. The Oakland Athletics played him nearly everywhere last season and he’s left-handed. But he didn’t seem to leave the Cardinals after the 2008 season on a good note.
What about Frank Catalanotto? He has a left-handed bat and has played all over the field. The team could also try Hank Blalock. Although I doubt he could take over the hot corner anymore if Freese failed, he would be a cheap left-handed hitter. The Cardinals could also try Chad Tracy, he could be available through a small major league contract, or even a minor league contract as the market for him probably isn’t that big. With Ryan Ludwick‘s injury history, if Catalanotto doesn’t entice them, the Cards could sign Ryan Church relatively cheaply to add some more outfield depth.
Relief wouldn’t be all that hard, as long as they don’t set their sights too high. Not many of the options above would demand near the $3-$3.5 million average that the Cards have for the final two spots, so it could be likely that they could spend $4 million on a reliever. A relatively decent middle reliever can be had for that amount.
If Ed Wade is overpaying for a reliever (who will likely be their closer) and still only paying him $5 million a year, the Cardinals should find something decent on the market.
So calm down Cardinals fans.
It’s Just Speculation: Edwin Jackson back in Dodger Blue?
Tigers starting pitcher Edwin Jackson broke out this past season as he went 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA after coming to the team in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. Many consider him and staff ace Justin Verlander a good 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. But the Detroit Tigers have been advertising lately that they need to trim some payroll. The vesting of Magglio Ordonez’ option for 2010 hadn’t helped things. Now Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski is considering parting out a few players off of his team to cut payroll. One of the first rumored players to be dealt has been Jackson. Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi from FOXSports.com recently reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers have some interest in their former prospect.
Edwin Jackson was originally selected by the Dodgers with their 6th round pick in 2001. By 2004 he was ranked as the team’s top prospect and 4th overall in MLB by Baseball America. But the team quickly soured on Jackson after struggles in 2005 and 2006. They eventually traded him with Chuck Tiffany to Rays for relievers Danys Baez and Lance Carter. Tampa edged him along and he honed his craft in the majors, throwing a mid-90s fastball and a high-80s slider.
In need of a long-term right field option, the Rays chose to trade Jackson to the Tigers after a decent 2008 season. Jackson had a good overall 2009 season, but he fell apart in the second half. Even with the second half downturn, Jackson will likely get a sizable raise through arbitration. With Jackson’s expected raise, Dombrowski may be interested in trading away the pitcher for a cheaper replacement with an eye to get the roster to a manageable level that he can add parts where he needs.
Although there are some that believe that the Tigers won’t be able to afford to sign both Jackson and Verlander long-term, it is entirely possible. As I mentioned in September, after 2010, the Tigers will not have Nate Robertson ($10 million), Jeremy Bonderman ($12.5 million), potentially Brandon Inge ($6.6 million) and Magglio Ordonez($18 million, $15 million vesting option for 2011 unlikely) on the payroll. That’s $37.1 million off the payroll before counting in arbitration raises and escalating contracts. Considering bothplayer’s current pay and what would be available, both extensions are possible.
But if the Dodgers or some other team has enough interest, I think Dombrowski will pull the trigger to trade him now. Edwin’s ugly second half and the possibility of getting some decent prospects back for him may be too enticing to walk away from. Could a package starting with James McDonald be enticing enough for Dombrowski hand Jackson over to the Dodgers? Are there any other prospects that could draw the interest of the Tigers more than McDonald?
Adding More Punch to the Giants’ Offense
There’s no question that the San Francisco Giants need offensive help. The team ended the 2009 season 14th in the National League in slugging percentage and last in on-base percentage. This put them dead last in the National League in OPS with a .699 mark. But what can be done to improve this?
On November 13th Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors continued his great Offseason Outlook series with a review of the Giants. He figured that the Giants have $62 million committed before arbitration raises to Jonathan Sanchez, Brian Wilson, Brandon Medders, Ryan Garko and Tim Lincecum. Tim figured that these raises will push the payroll up to $80 million. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts (another site with a wealth of information), the Giants started the 2009 season with a payroll of $82,616,450. Unless Brian Sabean is given permission to raise payroll back to the $90 million mark they had for 2005-2007, Brian will have little to work with. Tim cited an article from Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that stated that the Giants have the payroll room to afford “one free agent starting pitcher and one modestly-priced free agent hitter,” so the return to a $90 million payroll may be the case.
IF Brian Sabean has any sense (if you are familiar with this site, you’ll see that I’m not a big fan of his), he’ll make signing Tim Lincecum to a long-term contract his first priority this off-season. This may let him back load the contract to give Sabean a little more flexibility this winter.
The most obvious move would be letting Benji Molina walk and having prospect Buster Posey play regularly. I named Posey the Minor League Player of the Yearin an earlier post, noting that he is essentially ready for regular duty in the majors. He’s not exactly tearing up the AFL right now, but once he settles in behind the plate in Frisco, Posey should definitely carry an OPS above .699. The team can also expect minor rebounds in output from Aaron Rowand and Freddy Sanchez.
The main spots for improvement look to be the corners in the outfield and the infield. Ideally, the addition of a bat like Adam LaRoche would be nice. But payroll issues may limit the team to adding a more affordable slugger like Troy Glaus or Carlos Delgado who both need to re-establish their value after a ’09 season marred by injury.
The team may also look to move Pablo Sandoval over to first and upgrade the defense at third while nabbing another bat. The Giants were interested in Joe Crede last winter, but his continuous injuries might shy the team away from signing him. Sadly, I can see the veteran-minded Sabean signing Melvin Mora for third base.
As for the outfield, Grant over at McCovey Chronicleswrites about a couple rumors that are swirling around that the Giants may be after Jason Bay or Jermaine Dye for an offensive boost. He makes a good argument that the team shouldn’t sign either one. Personally, I feel that there’s more hope for Nate Schierholtz with his modest power potential and plus defense in right field than for Fred Lewis in left. With Lewis’ inefficient base stealing, the only real asset that he brings to the offense is a good on-base percentage and occasional ability to stretch doubles into triples. Adding a Johnny Damon might be nice, but with limited payroll flexibility the team might be inclined to try to sign Xavier Nady and spend their remaining funds on an infield corner. Nady could also be used in either corner of the outfield (unlike Damon), allowing the team to go with whichever outfielder emerges out of what they currently have.
There’s plenty of options out there, some better than others. It’ll be intriguing to see how Sabean reforms this offense.
Where will the Top Free Agents Go? – 2009-2010
About every baseball writer tends to do a piece each year to pick where at least the top few free agents will go. To follow the crowd, TBO will conduct this shot-in-the-dark as well. Feel free to pick some of your own, but you might have a better chance at the lotto.
Hitters
Bengie Molina – Mets. The Mets aren’t truly settled at catcher and Molina gives the team some additional offense, which it needs.
Gregg Zaun – Giants. This is a tough one as I can definitely see the Rays keeping Zaun around at the relatively cheap $2 million option they hold on him. But Giants GM Brian Sabean likes aging players and Zaun helped Matt Wieters settle into Baltimore, he could help another standout catching prospect Buster Posey in San Francisco.
Adam LaRoche – Giants. The Braves are more interested in a righ-handed bat and may not be interested in keeping LaRoche long-term with Freddie Freeman on the way. Although LaRoche may be a little young for Sabean’s taste, he’ll provide some offense at the relative black hole that has been first base over the past few seasons.
Russell Branyan – Mariners. They are both interested in Branyan sticking around. It’s just how long Jack wants to commit to keeping Branyan around that seems like the issue.
Carlos Delgado – Mets. Minaya is interested in bringing Delgado back. But the aging Delgado might have to take a lesser role with left field filled (see Halladay) and the Mets wanting to play Dan Murphy more.
Troy Glaus - Rangers. The Rangers are looking for a right-handed bat. Troy Glaus will provide the team with a DH and a stop-gap at first base if Chris Davis doesn’t work out, while the wait for Justin Smoak‘s arrival.
Chone Figgins – Angels. The Angels would like to keep both Figgins and John Lackey, but they can probably only afford Figgins. I believe there is some concern on their part regarding Lackey’s health anyway.
Orlando Hudson – Nationals. The Nationals have expressed interest in him in the past. He’d be good for their middle infield defense and his .357 OBP would be better for the second spot in the order than Cristian Guzman’s .306.
Placido Polanco – Twins. Alexi Casilla hasn’t impressed and Gardenhire has campaigned for Cabrera to be re-signed for second base. But Cabrera will likely want to stay at short, signing elsewhere. The team might spend some money in their inaugural season in the new stadium to get Polanco’s defense and on-base ability. If the Mets are able to dump Luis Castillo, they might go after Hudson and Nationals would in-turn go after Polanco, changing the entire situation.
Felipe Lopez – Dodgers. Lopez has been pretty good since he’s gotten out of Washington. Hudson wasn’t a fit with Torre’s Dodgers and Belliard isn’t that great to watch defensively. Felipe may find a home in Dodgertown.
Marco Scutaro – Red Sox. Although the Jays would like to get him back, I believe that the Red Sox will spend the money they save by signing Bay over Holliday to grab Scutaro.
Orlando Cabrera – Blue Jays. The Blue Jays will likely not be able to meet Scutaro’s salary demands and will instead go with Cabrera at short. The Twins want him back, but I doubt Cabrera will want to move to second base.
Miguel Tejada – Astros. Keeping Tejada around for another year would give the Astros some insurance in case prospect Tommy Manzella doesn’t pan out. He should be better defensively with a regular starting job at third as well. This would give prospect Chris Johnson more development time in the minors too.
Juan Uribe – Mariners. Uribe came out the depths of ineffectiveness to play relatively well last season. He may be a short-term fit for the Mariners.
Adrian Beltre – Braves. This is where the real craziness starts to factor. Chipper Jones’ defense was ugly this season, a move back to left field or first base may let him concentrate more on hitting. They are also craving a right-handed power bat.
Mark DeRosa – Phillies. I liked the MLBTR pick on this one. Rumors from other sources also point this way. It seems like a good fit.
Mike Cameron – Cubs. The Cubbies are looking to deal away Milton Bradley. If they are able to dump Bradley, they may move Kosuke Fukudome back to right and give Cameron center. He may also go cross-town to the White Sox, moving Alex Rios back to right field.
Matt Holliday – Mets. The Cardinals need to keep Holliday around, but GM John Mozeliak doesn’t seem to mortgage the future of the team to pay Scott Boras’ demands. The Mets will likely step in with a major offer and sway Holliday away from St. Louis.
Jason Bay – Red Sox. Bay’s proven that he can hit in Boston. Although it may be tempting to go after Holliday, the Sox will stick with Bay and look into finding a left-handed first-baseman with the extra money.
Johnny Damon – Yankees. Damon still has decent speed on the base paths. His power numbers have also gone up in New York. He’s a decent fit to stay with the Yankees as they want more flexibility in the DH spot.
Vladimir Guerrero – White Sox. White Sox could go with Vlad as a DH and occasional right fielder, especially if they don’t sign Mike Cameron or Marlon Byrd.
Marlon Byrd – Rangers. Although the Cubs have been rumored to be interested in Byrd, I believe that they’ll go after Cameron instead. The Rangers are rumored to be wanting to move Josh Hamilton to a corner, letting Byrd play full-time in center.
Xavier Nady – Cardinals. After loosing out on Holliday, the Cardinals will likely sign the cheaper Nady. Nady will need to recoup some value after sitting out the season due to Tommy John surgery. He’ll make Mozeliak look good with a decent rebound season.
Rick Ankiel – Pirates. The Pirates have been rumored to have interest in Ankiel for some time. Although Ankiel was the feel good story of the Cardinals a year ago, it doesn’t seem like they care if he goes elsewhere.
Jermaine Dye – Giants. GM Brian Sabean loves veteran players. The bad side is that he’s expecting better results from a player that is obviously on the decline.
Coco Crisp – Royals. The Royals still need his defense in center and have been open to re-signing him.
Hideki Matsui – Mariners. I discussed this possibility in a previous posting. Since that posting I’ve read that scouts don’t believe he can play left field anymore. With the Griffey re-signing, that gap is filled. Matsui would still be a fit at first base/DH though.
Jim Thome – Athletics. Billy Bean loves big, lumbering, power-hitters with good on-base skills. Thome is a perfect fit and could come relatively cheap.
Pitchers
John Lackey – Brewers. Yes, I am that crazy. Doug Melvin needs an ace to take pressure off of Yovanni Gallardo. Doug’s intent on improving the rotation this off-season. He saved money by not re-signing Mike Cameron, he’s not paying J.J. Hardy anymore, and the team made a healthy deal to C.C. Sabathia last year to stay. If the New York teams get serious, things may change, but I can see Doug going all-out.
Joel Pineiro – Mets. He won’t fare as well without Dave Duncan, but Joel will go where the money is and the Mets are looking for additional pitching behind Santana. If they don’t get Lackey, the Mets will go after Pineiro.
Randy Wolf – Mets. The Mets need to solidify their rotation and they may sign two veteran starters to do it. I’m not too big on Randy Wolf outside of Chavez Ravine, but the Mets may sign him anyway.
Andy Pettitte – Yankees. He’s a Yankee. If he continues his career, he’ll be in a Yankee uniform.
Jarrod Washburn – Mariners. The Mariners need some experience in the rotation and Washburn could go back to the them if Lackey signs with the Brew Crew. If Lackey doesn’t I can see Washburn in Milwaukee.
Jon Garland - Dodgers. Garland had a 2.72 ERA for the Dodgers after the trade (although his peripheral stats weren’t as good). They may be interested in keeping him around for the back of the rotation.
Carl Pavano – Twins. The Twins have shown interest in keeping the veteran around for more after they traded for him last season.
Erik Bedard – Cardinals. Dave Duncan is great at remaking pitchers into great starters. He’s brought Chris Carpenter back from major surgery to become a front-line starter twice, he’ll do the same with Bedard.
Jason Marquis – Mets. He’s friends with Jeff Francoeur and there’s been rumors about his desire to play there.
Rich Harden – Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks may be enticed by Harden’s nice K/9. His injuries may eventually force him to relief though where he could be a dominant presence at the back end.
Doug Davis – Brewers. Signing both Lackey and Doug Davis would admittedly be a stretch. But if they aren’t able to grab Lackey, I believe that Washburn and Davis would be towards the top of their list.
John Smoltz – Cardinals. Smoltz liked his time in St. Louis and it would be cheaper than re-signing Joel Piniero.
Justin Duchscherer – A’s. Justin will sign a one year with the Athletics to re-establish his value to get a larger contract after the 2010 season.
Ben Sheets – Rangers. Although the Brewers may like to have him back, they may be less inclined to sign him due to his injury history with them. Although the Rangers had some decent performance from Scott Feldman and Tommy Hunter, they need some veteran leadership in the rotation beyond Kevin Millwood.
Aroldis Chapman - Red Sox. Boston’s been in on Chapman the entire time and they have the ability to spend money on Chapman and hide him in the minors as he develops.
Brad Penny – Giants. Penny performed relatively well in Frisco and they’ve been interested in bringing him back.
Jose Valverde – Yankees. By the end of the post-season, Yankees fans were biting their nails every time Girardi went to the pen (other than for Rivera). They are telling a few of their current bullpen regulars to prepare as they would be starting next season. The Yankees may be preparing to improve their pen. Although Valverde wants to close, a big paycheck from the Yankees could make him into a dominant setup man in front of Rivera.
Mike Gonzalez – Phillies. If Brad Lidge rebounds, Gonzalez will be a shut-down lefty setup man for the Phillies pen. If he doesn’t, Gonzalez can step into the closer spot with ease.
Rafael Soriano – Angels. Although Brian Fuentes racked up the saves, the team may have lost confidence in him. Soriano has electric stuff to step into the closer role if Fuentes falters again.
Billy Wagner – Braves. With Gonzalez and Soriano leaving via free agency, the Braves may be interested in a deal with Billy Wagner.
Fernando Rodney – Orioles. With the plethora of decent closer options on the market, Rodney may become relatively affordable to a team like the Baltimore Orioles.
