The Echo Chamber Blog

Every year after the Word Series ends I entrench myself in complete and utter nerdom. I compile a list of Major League Baseball free-agents, usually around 100-170 or so, and I predict where (or if) they will sign free-agent deals. This isn’t normal behavior, I know. I used to keep it in the dark, but this year, things are different. For the crop of 2008 free-agents I’m composing this list here on TECB, with some minor deletions, mainly free agent relievers, I only predicted closers this year.

You’ll be able to see the player’s NAME, POSITION, (age), 2008 team, and my assumption for their 2009 team. I’ll also be making comments on most of the players on how I came to my decisions.

I’m doing this on the site this year so our millions tens of fans can see if their favorite player(s) are potential free agents or to see who their favorite team could be gaining and losing.

And no, I did not use multi-sided dice to formulate any equations.

CATCHERS

• BRAD AUSMUS, c, (40), Houston Astros – The Astros finally move on, most likely offer him a position with the team. They need to be patient with J.R. Towles. Let him take his lumps on the job. Look for him to catch on during spring training with a team who has a lot of young catching. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ TEXAS RANGERS.
• PAUL BAKO, c, (37), Cincinnati Reds – Left handed stick with zero pop and zero contact rate. Why does he find a job every year? How much of defensive wiz can one be at 37? He’ll probably land a minor league deal but I’ll be surprised if he’s on a major league roster for more than a few weeks throughout the year. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ SAN DIEGO PADRES.
• JOSH BARD, c, (31), San Diego Padres – Bard had significant injuries that derailed his 2008 campaign, but is a decent backstop when given the chance. A switch hitter with decent game calling skills, it would make sense for the Red Sox to bring him back to replace Varitek. Too bad the fan base will only remember him for being unable to catch the knuckler. RE-SIGNS w/ SAN DIEGO
  
• MICHAEL BARRET, c, (32), San Diego Padres – The Pads have a tough off-season ahead of themselves, losing both back-stops to free-agency can’t be easy. An offensive minded catcher who went from hitter friendly Wrigley to hitter nightmare PetCo, has seen his stock drop dramatically. His ‘08 campaign was also riddled with injuries so look for a 1/year, incentive laden deal with a club who has a primarily veteran pitching staff. If Posada’s shoulder is too balky to catch look for the Yankees to kick some tires. SIGNS w/ CHICAGO WHITESOX (and then becomes the most hated man in the windy city).
• HENRY BLANCO, c, (37), Chicago Cubs – Henry Blanco and Ramon Castro are 2 of my favorite back-up backstops. . .if there is such a thing. They don’t play all that often (either from injuries or having a young stud in front of them on the depth chart) but smash lefties and know how to call a game. His option was declined but he’ll be back. RE-SIGNS w/ CHICAGO CUBS.
• JOHNNY ESTRADA, c, (33), Washington Nationals – If you can’t make it on the Washington Nationals, then what’s next? Broadcasting? Estrada has been bounced from team-to-unsuspecting-team over the past few seasons only to fight with teammates and managers and not get on base. Done son. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ TORONTO BLUE JAYS.
• TOBY HALL, c, (33), Chicago White Sox – Another right handed back up in his mid thirties. Here’s a guy that wanted out of Tampa Bay more than anything. Whoops. He receives my award for worst facial hair decisions. Watch for him to go back to the AL East and have him booed by Tampa Fans. . .oh wait, there’s no such thing as Tampa Fans. Also could sign with team to be primary back-up, but ends up getting way too much playing time due to hot streak. SIGNS w/ CINCINNATI REDS.
• PAUL LO DUCA, c, (37), Florida Marlins – Another old red-ass who failed at life in Washington. Owns my award for most poor decisions off the field by catcher with u-shaped goatee. He held his own for 34 meaningless at-bats in Florida; they might bring him back based on that. Sounds like an awesome club house, I hope he doesn’t share a locker with Scott Olsen. The Blue Jays also may make a run at him to replace their Mitchell Report backstop, Greg Zaun. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ FLOIRDA MARLINS.
• CHAD MOELLER, c, (34), New York Yankees – Moeller was DFA’ed at least 2 times by the Yankees in 2008. Posada’s bad shoulder got him a call up and a huge RBI double against the Red Sox on ESPN. Probably the highlight of his career. He’ll kick around the minors for a few years tutoring quadruple A guys on long bus rides. RE-SIGNS A MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ NEW YORK YANKEES.
• IVAN RODRIGUEZ, c, (37), New York Yankees – Talk about an even trade. The swap of Pudge and Loves-to-fight-guy (Kyle Farnsworth) made both teams worse off. Pudge needs a few things to get back to his “Hall of Fame” track, 1. A generous home ball park. 2. A National League team that doesn’t quite grasp the concept of taking a walk. 3. To be teammates with Jose Canseco again. You can probably stick a fork in him. SIGNS w/ WASHINGTON NATIONALS (GM Bowden doesn’t learn his lesson with Lo Duca and Estrada)
• DAVID ROSS, c, (32), Boston Red Sox – Just like Chad Moeller’s career high light was being a Yankee, Ross’ must have been when the Red Sox and Phillies tried to sign him after the Reds let him go. Man, I bet he and his agent wish they had a time machine. Ross can get on base a little bit and has some pop, not bad things from a back up, which is what he’ll be in ‘09. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE DEAL w/ BALTIMORE.
• JAVIER VALENTIN, c, (33), Cincinnati Reds – More of a pinch hitting specialist than a back up catcher, the Reds tried to run 3 catchers (Valentin, Bako, and Ross) for awhile. 3rd catchers are for September call-ups and trips to Japan, not early season baseball. I’m sure the Mets will try to get some late-career-Valetin mojo out of him like they did with his brother. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ NEW YORK METS.
• JASON VARITEK, c, (37), Boston Red Sox – It’s not so much the slowed bat speed, because that’s a given for a guy who’s logged as many innings as ‘Tek, it’s the feeble swings at pitches well out of the strike zone that drive me crazy. You would think a guy who likes to come up out of his crouch to ask for high-heat wouldn’t fall for the same pitch when it’s thrown to him as a batter. Sox bring him back for 2 years at 9-10 million per. You can’t let a guy, who’s caught 4 no-no’s, go just because he hits .220 RE-SIGNS w/ BOSTON RED SOX.
• GREGG ZAUN, c, (38), Toronto Blue Jays – The Jays made a mistake by picking up Rod Barajas’ option and letting Zaun hit free agency. I’m not sure what Riccardi’s infatuation with Barajas is (tried to sign him in the 2006 off-season, only to have Barajas re-neg, then eventually signed him in 2007 off-season, after a pathetic season in Philly), but Zaun has the reputation of a good teammate, switch hits, knows the strike zone, can call a good game, kills the Sox and Yanks, and he isn’t Rod Barajas… I digress, I think he’s got a year or two left and then manages in the minors for awhile, then comes up and beats who ever J.P. Riccardi is in charge of in the playoffs. SIGNS w/ DETROIT TIGERS.

FIRST BASEMEN

• RICH AURILIA, if, (37), San Francisco Giants – I’ve been saying for a few years that this New York native would fit with either New York team. He can play all over the infield (mainly just 1st though) and hits lefties. With the Mets picking up Carlos Delgado’s option, maybe a platoon against lefties would be good fit. Some reports have him staying in San Fran. Why a team going no where would waste money and playing time on a 37 year old infielder is beyond me. SIGNS w/ NEW YORK METS.
• MIGUEL CAIRO, if, (35), Seattle Mariners – If the mariners bring Cairo back, I’m flying out to Seattle and will monologue the scene from Pulp Fiction where Jules and Vince confront the 3 guys who initially have the brief case; “Do they speak English in ‘What’?” No bat, no glove should mean no contract. He must be an awesome club house guy because I see no other reason why this guy gets work. He’ll end up somewhere though, probably be the silver medal to whomever loses out on the Rich Aurilia sweepstakes. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS.
• SEAN CASEY, 1b, (34), Boston Red Sox – Despite what the morning show hosts of WEEI in Boston say, Sean Casey could not start for most other Major League teams. He’s a nice part time player, knows the strike zone well, and can always put the bat on the ball. A return to the National League would make sense, but he’s not wired as a pinch hitter, and he’s hit lefties well through out his career. So who wants someone like that? A team with no defined 1st baseman could use Casey as a back up option, so look for him to sign late in the off season again. Perhaps platoon with Kevin Millar in Baltimore, keep the seat warm for Gaby Sanchez in Florida now that Mike Jacobs is gone, or keep things light in San Fran or Seattle while they go through growing pains? I hope he signs somewhere since he’s one of the few guys who doesn’t take himself so serious that he can’t talk to the media or make jokes in the dug out. SIGNS w/ FLORIDA MARLINS.
• TONY CLARK, 1b, (37), Arizona Diamondbacks – Tony Clark was “going home” so to speak when he signed with San Diego last season. However, it was a bittersweet homecoming because Adrian Gonzalez, the starting first baseman, pretty much plays every inning of every game. Also hitter friendly Chase Field was no longer his home park, later-career-power-sapping PetCo Park was. Long story short, he was traded back to Arizona where he became part of late season collapse. Even with Arizona’s corner infield problems/logjams; I think they finally stay away for good. Done son. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE DEAL w/ DETROIT TIGERS, REITRES.
• NOMAR GARCIAPARRA, if, (35), Los Angeles Dodgers – The Dodgers already appeased their fan base the first time Nomahhh was up for free-agency, so re-upping him again is probably out the window. He plays a good first base and can pass at third and short, but he is predictably unreliable. Given that, he can’t even be the first one off the bench, let alone a starter. Plus he has an ego the size of his nose so he’s not coming cheap. San Diego would be a good fit position wise, but they’re looking to shed salary and start over. At this stage in his career he’s only going to want to play for the NL West but he’s running out of suitors. It wouldn’t surprise me if he it calls it a career at this point. SIGNS w/ COLORADO ROCKIES. (Then realizes his mistake and takes Mia and the kids to see Madagascar 2)
• JASON GIAMBI, DH/1b, (38), New York Yankees – There’s been a few rumors already about The Giambino going back to Oakland. This makes sense as far as stats go, he’s a lefty who mashes and takes walks and strikes out. But, they’re frugal over there and in the midst of rebuilding. Jack Cust can do a similar job for around a million bucks. Where ever he goes, it won’t be on a one year deal. The Rays, Jays, and O’s could use a legitimate DH. The Halo’s would work if they fail on landing big Tex, as could the Rangers if they fail on landing Parker Brothers…er…Milton Bradley. SIGNS w/ TORONTO BLUE JAYS.
• ERICK HINSKE, 4C, (31), Tampa Bay Rays – I’m a big Ske guy myself. I think every team should have a guy like Hinkse, a lefty who can play all four corners (1st, 3rd, RF, and LF). Russel Branyan is another guy and he’s been doing it awhile. Joe Maddon said that Hinske just needed an opportunity after being shafted by the Jays and being stuck behind better players in Boston. He got his opportunity after some injuries and overall Cliff Floydedness. The Rays will unfortunately look elsewhere. Look for him to either stay in the AL East with Baltimore or go out west and try to help out San Francisco. SIGNS w/ SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS.
• DOUG MIENTKIEWICZ, 1b, (35), Pittsburgh Pirates – All glove and no bat first basemen are about as useless as Hollywood starlet’s political opinions. Yes he saves runs, but how many runs does he leave on base. First base is such a crucial power position, especially when your team has guys like Freddy Sanchez and…well the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Please no one sign him so I don’t have to spell his name for next years edition. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ MINNESOTA TWINS.
• KEVIN MILLAR, 1b, (37), Baltimore Orioles – Each year with Baltimore has been better than the final year Millar had in Boston, so it’s hard to say he’s done again. However, he’s usually had the benefit of averages in the .270-.280 range, where as this past year it was in the .240 range. Perhaps a move back to the NL will add to his average and his value. He could also go where ever Manny goes to help keep him happy. SIGNS w/ FLORIDA MARLINS.
• RICHIE SEXSON, 1b, (34), New York Yankees – Players with “old player” skills tend to fall off the baseball map a lot quicker than more rounded players. Watch for this same thing happen to Adam Dunn in a about 3 years. Sexson isn’t really built like a part time player so he can only play one position and his strike out vulnerability makes him ill suited for pitch hitting. His only chance is if a starting first basemen ruptures his Achilles or ACL in spring training. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ PITTSBURGH PIRATES
• MARK TEIXIERA, 1b, (29), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Long Beach – Casey Kotchman is a good player, but when you look back on the deal that brought Tex to Atlanta, it cost them a highly touted catcher and some other young prospects. Essentially they gave up Salty for Kotchman. The Angels made out, even if they don’t re-sign Teixiera. He’s young, switch hits, has huge power, hits for average, and plays a nifty first. Which means he’s going to make bank where ever he goes. He’s exactly what the Angels need to protect Bad Vlad. Oh and his agent is Scott Boras so he can watch him every home game. RE-SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM AND ORANGE COUNTY.
• DARYL WARD, 1b/PH, (34), Chicago Cubs – Looking back on D-Ward’s career stats I always wonder what they’d look like if he was an everyday guy and got 550-600 at bats. At 34 years old it’s probably late for that to start. He is, however, one of the better pitch hitters in the game which is a nice late inning weapon to have in the NL. Cubs fans rejoice, he should stay put. RE-SIGNS w/ CHICAGO CUBS.

SECOND BASEMEN

• WILLIE BLOOMQUIST, util, (31), Seattle Mariners – Super-sub Bloomquist is a fan and manager(s) favorite out in Seattle. A few experts say that he plays too much and it is at the expense of other players. I think that’s not a fair statement because the Mariners have a squad of over achievers led by a prima donna super star. Bloomquist is a nice fit for every National League team and he would work well for the Angels, Rays, Twins, and Mariners. He’s still pretty fast and he can play everywhere on the diamond. It’s strange that he only pinch ran 10 times all season because I would think he’d pinch run 10 times in the inter-league series’ alone. The Mariners may finally move on and find someone else with a sub .300 SLG to DH a couple of times a year. SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM)
• CRAIG COUNSELL, if, (38), Milwaukee Brewers – Counsell can’t hit anymore but he still knows what ball 4 looks like so he’ll walk more than he strikes out, which is a good trait for a bench guy. He can play second, short, and third all passably. If Ned Yost finds a job before Counsell, look for him to follow. Or he could head back to Arizona and continue to flip flop from a Brewer to a D-Back. RE-SIGNS w/ MILWAUKEE BREWERS.
• RAY DURHAM, 2B, (37) Milwaukee Brewers – Durham was traded to the Brewers from the Giants around the trade deadline and held his own for 107 at-bats of contending baseball. He was acquired because Rickie Weeks was inconsistent and the Brew Crew wanted some more veteran presence. Since becoming a Giant (2003-2008), Durham never amassed 500 at bats and never played more than 142 games. He can still swing it and is only a few seasons removed from hitting 26 homeruns, so a move to the AL where he can DH and stay healthy wouldn’t be a bad idea. It amazes me the only a few AL teams have everyday DHs. The designated hitter has been around for quite awhile and it’s here to stay, so why aren’t more teams employing full time DHs? It’s worked pretty well for Boston and Cleveland (except for this year). SIGNS w/ TAMPA BAY RAYS.
• DAMION EASLEY, if, (39), New York Mets – The Mets caught lightning in a bottle when they signed Easley in 2007. He’s been a pretty good utility infielder over the past two seasons. He does his fair share of pinch hitting and did a fine job passing for the oft-injured Luis Castillo. RE-SIGNS w/ NEW YORK METS.
• DAVIN ECKSTEIN, 2b, SS, (34), Arizona Diamond Backs – It seemed strange to me when the Blue Jays signed Eckstein last off season because they could have had much better defense at a much cheaper cost with fan favorite John McDonald. Jonny Mac can’t hit but Eckstein isn’t Rod Carew either. He’ll walk just about as much as he’ll strike out and take his hit by pitches and sprint to first. He was traded to Arizona to help out at second when the O-Dawg went down. He says he’ll play second if a team needs him to on a daily basis. He could go back to LA and help Mike Soscia make “great” managing decisions for a year or two. SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHIEM.
• MARK GRUDZIELANEK, 2b, (39), Kansas City Royals – The problem with aging second basemen is that if they go down with an injury or become ineffective in the field, there isn’t much room for them on a major league roster. Well if your Seattle you can just make them your DH for a year and a half, but for everyone else, your regulated to bench duties. Grudzy can still swing the bat as he’s been around .300 every year since 2003, but in ‘07 and ‘08 he only played 116 and 86 games respectively. He’d make a nice platoon with a lefty second baseman or he could keep the seat warm for a prospect on the cheap. Maybe the Yankees as the former and the Padres as the latter? SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ SAN DIEGO PADRES.
• ORLANDO HUDSON, 2b, (31), Arizona Diamond Backs – Orlando Hudson is by far the coolest guy in the game. He’s a slick fielder, he runs a little, he gets on base, and (providing the right home field advantage) has a little pop. He’s got a thick Cajun accent that reminds me of Gambit from X-Men and I think that alone is what causes my man crush. Where ever he goes, he’ll make some cake. The Braves could move Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar in separate deals this winter and the O-Dawg could slide in there, or the Jays could bring him back if they’re nervous about Aaron Hill’s concussion. The Cubs could slide DeRosa to right, Fukudome to center and add Hudson as well. Washington maybe? SIGNS CONTRACT w/ ATLANTA BRAVES.
• TADAHITO IGUCHI, 2b, (34), Philadelphia Phillies – For the second consecutive year “Tads”, as Hawk Harrelson referred to him as, wound up in Philly after starting the season with someone else. This time around it wasn’t with the same success as last year. I think Tads got old very quick and is already over matched after just 4 major league seasons. Seattle should look into him as a bench/utility guy and surround Ichiro with more Japanese teammates. Mets are also a possibility if they move on from Damion Easley. He also could go back to Japan. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ SEATLLE MARINERS.
• JEFF KENT, 2b, (41), Los Angeles Dodgers – “Porn ‘Stache Liar” is probably hall of fame bound, and I believe he gets there sooner than later, because I don’t believe he is going to play next season. He could be a candidate for a Billy Beane-late-career-DH-renaissance but he’s hardly spent time in the AL, and after hitting .280/.327/.418, he might not bode well. I wouldn’t be shocked if he wound back in Houston either, as he and Matsui might be able to field the keystone for a full season between the two. RETIRES (then opens truck washing company)
• FELIPE LOPEZ, 2b/if, (29), St. Louis Cardinals – Felipe Lopez is an intriguing guy. He had promise when he was young and now he gets traded at the deadline every other year. He slugged .486 in 2005 (The GAP helped out quite a bit) and only about .373 since. He helped the Cards out after the trade, but teams will still be wary since he’s yet to do much on a consistent basis. Look for him to sign a redeem-myself type deal and hopefully cash in next year. He’ll be the consolation prize after Cabrera, Renteria, and Furcal sign. SIGNS w/ BALTIMORE ORIOLES.
• MARK LORETTA, 2b, (37), Houston Astros – I’m thinking the ‘Stros won’t offer Loretta arbitration again, since he accepted last years as they were employing Kaz Matsui. Even with Matsui’s injury problems, Lortetta only wound up playing 46 games at second (17 at 3rd, 5 at SS and 2 at 1st). He and Grudzielanek are going to have a tough time finding everyday work, but both could wind up being professional pinch hitters. I think the Brewers move Bill Hall or Rickie Weeks this off season and shift their infield around to make way for some prospects. With that, they’ll need better veteran help than Craig Counsell. SIGNS w/ MILWAUKEE BREWERS.
• NICK PUNTO, if, (31), Minnesota Twins – It’s hard to see Ron Gardenhire letting go of his security blanket. Punto played all over the infield again this season and showed a much improved contact rate of last season (2007). I think they keep him because they’re not sold on their everyday solutions at any of the infield positions. Brian Buscher, Alexi Casilla, and Brendan Harris, oh and that bum Justin Morneau (kidding) are their current infield. Third base could get filled through free agency or through trades this off season, so Punto will probably be involved in a three headed rotation at second and short again. RE-SIGNS w/ MINNESOTA TWINS.

THIRD BASEMEN

• CASEY BLAKE, 3b, (35), Los Angeles Dodgers – Blake didn’t end up being what the Dodgers wanted/needed when they went out and traded for at the deadline, but he helped out a tad. His season totals ended up being prototypical Casey Blake numbers, all while being versatile as always. He’s already been linked to be going back to Cleveland as well as Minnesota and Philadelphia. He probably ends up where he’s comfortable, which seems to be in Cleveland where they have no other option at third. SIGNS w/ CLEVELAND INDIANS.
• AARON BOONE, 3b, (36), Washington Nationals – Even with Ryan Zimmerman and Dmitri Young’s injury problems this year, Boone only played 54 and 16 games at first and third respectively. He’s not a starter anymore but has come along passably as a pinch hitter. His Pops is in the front office at Washington so it’s possible he’ll stay put. A return to Cincinnati wouldn’t be out of the question either. RE-SIGNS w/ WASHINGTON NATIONALS.
• RUSSEL BRANYAN, 3b, (33), Milwaukee Brewers – A nice story for the Brewers this past year was Branyan. They picked him up off the scrap heap, had him play 45 games in AAA and he came to the bigs and mashed. 12 homeruns in only 132 at bats to be exact. Where ever he ends up, don’t expect more than 250 at bats from him. Shielding Bill Hall from righties wouldn’t be a bad idea. RE-SIGNS w/ MILWAUKEE BREWERS.
• JOE CREDE, 3b, (31), Chicago White Sox – Buyer beware. Crede has a balky back so I’m not expecting a huge deal for him. He might be a January or February sign, too. One year with a team or mutual option. The Mariners could be interested, obviously only if the move Adrian Beltre to the Twins or else where. The Indians could be suitors if they don’t get Casey Blake back. It’d be smart for Blue Jays to shift Scott Rolen to DH to help keep him off the DL and try Crede out for a year or so. I can picture the Giants making a big mistake (a-la Aaron Rowand) and hand out big money for someone who won’t be around when they’re ready to contend. Also, Angels if they move Figgins, Milwaukee if they move Hall, Texas if they move Blalock and Baltimore if they move Mora. Or even the Tigers, if they move Guillen back to short, Brandon Inge to full time catcher, he might be a good fit. They’ll probably have to deal Shefield to clear up some cash to make it work financially. SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM.
• JUAN URIBE, if, (30), Chicago White Sox – Other than willingness to bleach his facial hair, Juan Uribe seems, to me anyway, to be useless on a major league roster. He’ll get signed only because he’s somewhat of a common name. He can play second, short, and third, so a utility bench job seems the most likely. He’s got a big Andruw Jones-esque swing with Mendozza line-esque results. I see the Braves as suitors, especially if they pull the trigger on the Peavey trade rumors. Same for San Diego if they move Kahlil Greene. Cincinnati might be unsure of Alex Gonzalez’s knee and I’m sure they weren’t too impressed with Jeff Keppinger. Baltimore makes poor decisions all the time so they could make him their starter. SIGNS w/ BALTIMORE ORIOLES.

SHORT STOPS

• ORLANDO CABRERA, ss, (34), Chicago White Sox – At 34 years old, it’s hard for any front office exec to hand out a big multi year deal to such an important position. But, O.C. makes a good team mate, still plays good defense, and fits into a lot of different offensive philosophies. The Blue Jays could make sense, he’d help out their young pitching staff. Maybe even the Astros, if they move Tejada to third and Ty Wigginton to the bench. That would improve an already lead leaguing defense. Baltimore could gamble on him, but they’re a few top of the rotation starters away from being contenders. And I bet if Dayton Moore can find someone to take on Jose Guillen’s contract, he wouldn’t mind improving his defense, same goes Dave Dombrowski. SIGNS w/ TORONTO BLUE JAYS.
• ALEX CORA, ss/2b, (33), Boston Red Sox – I’ve always thought that A.C. would be wearing red socks for as long as Terry Francona was manager of Boston. He’s somewhat reliable and can be inserted at second or short with out missing a beat defensively. This off-season I can picture the Sox moving on. I can see Alex signing with Chicago where he could join his brother Joey (coaching staff) to replace Juan Uribe or going back to L.A. where Joe Torre could use a veteran utility infielder, Pablo Ozuna and Angel Berroa don’t strike me as Joe guys. SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES DODGERS.
• ADAM EVERETT, ss, (32), Minnesota Twins – All glove short stops are a dying bread. In fact, they’re completely dead. There’s no point in using up a roster spot on someone who can’t hit and can only field one position. Maybe if you’re the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox where you can have a batting order of 1-8 with 20+ homerun potential and an OBP of over .375, than your 9 hitter wouldn’t make much difference. However, no one has a line up like that anymore, and the Twins were the furthest line up from being that. His glove was highly under rated, considering he was probably the best fielding short stop during his stint with the Astros. But he must’ve switched gloves because his defense was suspect in the Twin Cities. I’m sure someone will give him an invite to spring training and he might resurface after a mid-season injury. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE DEAL w/ BALTIMORE ORIOLES.
• RAFEL FURCAL, ss, (31), Los Angeles Dodgers – Furcal might have a hard time finding another big deal only because of the last two seasons have left him in the trainers room more than the field. When he’s healthy, he’s a force. He’s a premier leadoff guy since he’s got on base skills and can run. He plays short pretty good too. How much and how long of a contract do you give him though? I’m sure Frank McCourt can reach in his pockets and ask him to stay though, because the Dodgers don’t want to lose too many guys from this past play off team. RE-SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES DODGERS.
• CESAR IZTURIS, ss, (29), St. Louis Cardinals – Izturis had a decent year in St. Louis. He played his customary good defense and his customary mediocre offense. He doesn’t walk a lot but doesn’t strike out a lot either. Plus he can run a little bit, so a future in the NL is the most likely. If the Cards can’t get Renteria back for a year or two, they might bring Izturis back. Other than that, he might find a hard time to land a full time gig. SIGNS w/ DETROIT TIGERS.
• EDGAR RENTERIA, ss, (33), Detroit Tigers – Renteria should have never been traded out of Boston after just one year. Now everyone thinks he can’t handle it in the American League because of his awful showing in Detroit. This maybe true but we’ll never know definitively because the Sox never game him a second chance. His bat wasn’t really a problem in Boston, it was his glove. He had better range and fielding percentage than Jason Bartlett (who, for some reason, is heralded for his defense), but finished with a line of .270/.317/.382. A return to Tony LaRussa would do wonders to his psyche and confidence but how long of a contract do they give him? Two years with an option for around 20-24 million would make sense for both sides. SIGNS w/ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS.
• RAMON VAZQUEZ, if, (32), Texas Rangers – The swap of Alex Cora and Ramon Vazquez isn’t as one sided as WEEI’s Dale Arnold once said. Vazquez can play all around the infield and can go on one or two long hot streaks during the year. Plus you have to go back to 2004 to find the last season Cora had over 300 at bats, and Vazquez has had back to back years with 300. Now, that says more about the health of Texas’ starters than anything else, but the fact that they were willing to give him at bats rather than go out and get someone else says something. He probably doesn’t want to leave Texas because he wouldn’t get as much playing time any where else. If he’s willing to sign for around 900,000 again, it would be a good deal for both sides. RE-SIGNS w/ TEXAS RANGERS.
• OMAR VIZQUEL, ss, (42), San Fransisco Giants – Vizquel is and should be heading to the hall of fame strictly for his remarkable defense. It’s been a few years since he’s shown it, though. He was towards the bottom of the barrel when it comes to range factors, but still sported a .993 fielding percentage, albeit for only 84 games. See Adam Everett for my rant on all glove short stops, but in Vizquel’s defense, he’s been around since all glove short stops were super stars and the world hadn’t been introduced to A-Rod, Jeter, and Nomar yet. I think he ties ‘em up. Although he hasn’t put off going to play over seas. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE DEAL w/ CLEVELAND INDIANS, RETIRES).

LEFT FIELD

• MOISES ALOU, lf, (42), New York Mets – Alou has had a long successful career. The last four season have kind of put a blemish on it because he’s had a hard time staying off the DL. When he’s able to play, he’s put up some scary good numbers, especially for a guy in his 40s. If he retires he finishes his career with a line of .303/.369/.516. That’s going to get him some HOF chatter, but ultimately no induction. If he doesn’t call it quits, he could replace Luis Gonzalez in Florida as their token veteran or maybe back to a franchise where he started blossoming into a good player, a gets a similar role in Washington. Possibly even a reunion with Dusty Baker in Cincy. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ FLORIDA MARLINS.
• GARRET ANDERSON, lf, (37), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – It would make more “baseball” sense for the Angels to retain Juan Rivera than it does for Garret Anderson. If they can’t find the at bats for him, they won’t sign him just because he’s the franchise leader in almost every offensive category. He has some ties with Joe Maddon, so perhaps he replaces Cliff Floyd as old-guy-DH. It’s hard to picture him not wearing a halo though. He’s been there for 3 different names (California Angels, Anaheim Angels, and everyones favorite Los Angeles Angels of San Bernardino). RE-SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHIEM.
• PAT BURRELL, lf, (32), Philadelphia Phillies – Phillie fans are pretty ruthless. Only a short time ago they wanted this guy out of town. I never understood why because he’s been pretty consistent. He plays everyday and hits some bombs, seems to be every fans dream to me. He plays left field like Manny Ramirez, he’s not too mobile and doesn’t make the best decisions out there. He also says he doesn’t want to DH. That’s laughable to me because teams won’t sign him just for making that comment now. He’s no Willy Mays out there so I’m not sure where he gets off making that comment. I digress, I can see a few American League teams making a run at him; Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Minnesota, Seattle, as well as some NL teams; Philly, Cincy, Arizona, and Washington. I think he stays put… in the NL East that is. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ ATLANTA BRAVES.
• ADAM DUNN, lf, (29), Arizona Diamond Backs – Dunn and Burrell with have the same teams going after one another. Who ever misses out on one will sign the other. Washington has been linked to Dunn a lot already because Jim Bowden drafted him with the Reds. But, if they land Teixiera, they’ll have no cash left. I think Dayton Moore shocks everyone… SIGNS CONTRACT w/ KANSAS CITY ROYALS.
• CLIFF FLOYD, lf/dh, (36), Tampa Bay Rays – Floyd has already said that he’s retiring if his shoulder injury requires surgery. I think he’ll attempt a comeback but will be riddled with set backs. Minnesota tries a reclamation project every year (and fails), this will be there latest. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ MINNESOTA TWINS.
• LUIS GONZALEZ, lf, (41), Florida Marlins – Lu-Gon keeps himself in great shape, and at 41 for next season, he still has something left. He’d make a good primary pinch hitter for an NL West club. The Dodgers already have a log jam of outfielders, San Diego is in rebuilding mode, Colorado doesn’t know if they can contend or if they should rebuild (they seem to be trying to do both at once), San Fran is rebuilding also, and if they sign any more aging veterans I’ll drive to AT&T Park myself and start slap boxing some executives. That leaves Arizona, who let him walk a couple of years ago. He’ll probably sign a minor league deal and make the team out of spring training over someone with no options left and then get designated for assignment a month or so in. It happens every year. MLB needs to stop being so sentimental. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ ARIZONA DIAMOND BACKS.
• RAUL IBANEZ, lf/dh, (37), Seattle Mariners – I’ve read recently the Mariners nixed a deal at the deadline for Ibanez from the Blue Jays that included Lyle Overbay and Jason Frasor. I hope that is just a rumor because the Mariners don’t need Ibanez. They’re not contending. Overbay and Frasor would be under control for more than 2 months (meaning trade deadline was July 31st at the time) and would both fit in perfectly. I guess their first baseman of the future, Miguel Cairo, would have been up set. Ibanez will be the bronze medal in the Dunn/Burrell sweepstakes. He’s still productive and plays every day, but he’s not a right fielder so I hope the teams in New York aren’t serious about having him play there. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ BALTIMORE ORIOLES.
• MANNY RAMIREZ, lf, (37), Los Angeles Dodgers – Clearly Manny isn’t going to hit .400 and slug over .700 for the rest of his career, but his 187 at bat stint with the Dodgers is going to make them pony up some serious dough. Scott Boras won’t be calling for 7-10 years all off season; he’ll come down some I’m sure. A four year deal seems the most likely, since that will bring him through his age 40 season. I wonder why more teams don’t try to front load more deals? Give Manny 40 mil a year for the first 2 years and then 10-12 per year the last 2. 100 million over 4 years is 100 million over 4 years. Whether it’s back loaded or front loaded, it can still buy you happiness. RE-SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES DODGERS.
• JUAN RIVERA, of, (30), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – I was expecting good things from Rivera before he broke his leg after the 2006 season. It pretty much cost him two years, he only achieved 14 games in ‘07 and in ‘08, he was stuck behind a huge contract in Gary Matthews Jr. and a red assed veteran in Garret Anderson. The Angels best outfield would be Willits in left, Hunter in Center, and Rivera in right. His right field isn’t good, but it’s better than Guerrero’s, and his approach at the plate is better than Matthews’. Rivera is a less expensive and less athletic version of Matthews and a rebuilding team should take a flyer on him, play him every day, and let an over spending team sign him for 2010. SIGNS w/ SAN FRANSISCO GIANTS.

CENTER FIELDERS

• ROCCO BALDELLI, of, (27), Tampa Bay Rays – Baldelli is a candidate for comeback player of the year next year. He might be one of the few winners that plays a part time role, but I think he’ll win it nonetheless. He’d be a perfect 4th outfielder for a team that has primarily left handed hitting outfielders. He can play all three outfield positions, but, his range is significantly less than what it used to be thanks to his rare muscle disorder. I feel a job where he only plays against lefties once or twice a week would do him good. He can probably have a Marcus Thames type career from here on out, just mashing lefties and playing mediocre defense. SIGNS w/ BOSTON RED SOX.
• JIM EDMONDS, cf, (39), Chicago Cubs – I thought Edmonds was done son after his short stint with San Diego this past season. He looked feeble at the plate and in the field. Jim Hendry and Sweet Lou gave him a chance to platoon the friendly confines of Wrigley, and he ended up flourishing. He and Reed Johnson platooned for most of the season, and when you combine their two stats, you have a pretty good offensive centerfielder. However, they’re combined defense is pretty offensive. Edmonds showed the league he’s not finished yet and he could contribute to a team with a generous hitter’s ball park and a platoon partner. If Felix Pie gets dealt in part for Peavey, he could be back. He also could go to the south side of town and take over Griffey Juniors role. He’s also a candidate to be DFA’ed before June. RE-SIGNS w/ CHICAGO CUBS.
• MARK KOTSAY, of, (33), Boston Red Sox – Here’s another guy who could fall into the National League mediocrity category. I’ve always felt he’s been over rated his entire career, then he comes to Boston, lays an egg offensively after hitting .289/.340/.418 with Atlanta. Oh and then leaves about 1,000 guys on base in the playoffs . . . but the fans want him back? Sometimes Boston fans confuse me. He’d make a fine 4th outfielder for a worthless NL ball club that’s not going anywhere. SIGNS w/ CINCINNATI REDS.

RIGHT FIELDERS

• BOBBY ABREU, rf, (35), New York Yankees – Abreu is a Type A free agent, so if the Yanks offer him arbitration, they’ll receiver two draft picks as compensation. They already re-signed another Type-A free agent in Damaso Marte, so hopefully they wise up and move on from Abreu. He doesn’t have the best range in right, but he’s still got a cannon and doesn’t make poor decisions. A move back to the NL and to left field could prolong his career a few years. In his 9 years in Philly he had an OBP under .400 once, and that was in 2001 when it was .393. By comparison, his two full season in New York he’s averaged around .370. He might be the left handed bat the Cubs want in the middle of their batting order, but they might have to move around some guys in order to land him. He could be a fine replacement for Moises Alou and he’d still get to open a brand new New York stadium, only it be in Queens. SIGNS w/ NEW YORK METS.
• KEN GRIFFEY JR., of, (39), Chicago White Sox – Grif has let it be known that a return to Seattle to end his career wouldn’t be out of the question. I’m a sucker for story lines so I’ve been hoping he goes back, too. The AL West division is National-League-esque, so perhaps he wouldn’t be so over matched, especially if he’s placed lower in the batting order, 5, 6, or maybe even the 7 hole. He would definitely help put butts in the seats at Safeco, and perhaps my blog on Seattle helped aid their new GM to say good bye to DH extraordinaire, Jose Vidro. SIGNS w/ SEATTLE MARINERS.
• GABE KAPLER, of, (33), Milwaukee Brewers – Kapler is another guy who is a perfect 4th outfielder for a team that has a bunch of lefties already roaming in the out field grass. Boston and New York team stick out. A return to Boston would ignite the fan base since he was well missed during his hiatus from playing and his return this past season. A return to Texas makes sense too, since they’re outfield is rather young (Hamilton and Murphy are both lefties, too) and if they keep Milton Bradley, he could use a blow every few days to keep his legs fresh. SIGNS w/ TEXAS RANGERS.

DESIGNATED HITTER

• MILTON BRADLEY, dh, (31), Texas Rangers – Bradley is cable of playing the outfield corner spots, and in a pinch, could play center for awhile. He’s more suited for DH duties, since the past few years he’s had knee and quad issues. It’ll be interesting to see what the Rangers do with their first base/third base/dh situation. I’m not sure if I’d trust Chris Davis at third for an entire year and Hank Blalock probably can’t play third anymore, and it remains to be seen if he can even stay healthy enough to hit for a full season. Letting Bradley walk would be a mistake, unless of course his contract demands are ridiculous. But a combination of Chris Davis, Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley in the middle of the order at that home park for 81 games if a pretty formidable force. RE-SIGNS w/ TEXAS RANGERS.
• FRANK THOMAS, dh, (41), Oakland Athletics – If 2008 was the Big Hurt’s final season, it’ll go down as one of his worst. Marred by injuries all year, he could barely play a game before heading back on the DL. Everyone’s favorite slime ball, J.P. Riccardi sent Thomas packing after only 16 games. Then he employed the likes of Kevin Mench and Brad Wilkerson while Adam Lind and Travis Snider were in the minors for a good portion of the year. In any event, Thomas began mashing as soon as he wound up in Oakland for his second tour, but it didn’t last as he was on and off the DL for quad and hamstring issues. With the addition of Matt Holiday to the A’s, Jack Cust should be heading to the bench or the DH spot, perhaps a platoon of Thomas and Cust could keep the Big Hurt fresh. If the A’s lose out on another returning masher, Jason Giambi, they could easily have Thomas back for one more year. RE-SIGNS w/ OAKLAND ATHLETICS.
• JOSE VIDRO, 2b/dh, (34), Seattle Mariners – Who cares… If he is signed to a major league contract this winter, I might lose all faith in man kind and start blogging about fantasy cricket players. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE DEAL w/ WASHINGTON NATIONALS.

STARTING PITCHERS

• A.J. BURNETT, sp, (32), Toronto Blue Jays – I lost a little respect for Burnett during his last free agency period when he was quoted as saying he’d prefer not to be a number one starter. I’m sure I’ll be taken to task for that since I don’t have the exact quote, but frankly, I don’t really care. Josh Beckett welcomed a trade for Johan Santana last off season and he said he didn’t care if Santana would be paid more than him, but he did say he wanted the ball opening day regardless. Starting pitchers should want the ball every day and they should be pissed off when their managers come to the mound and pull them. Burnett’s always had filthier stuff than Beckett since their days in Florida, but Beckett has always had way better command, and more importantly, way better make up. Burnett will rob some team for millions for the next 5 years or so and will probably never reach 200 innings ever again. Good luck in the Bronx. Watch for an incident with a media member a la Randy Johnson. SIGNS w/ NEW YORK YANKEES.
• PAUL BYRD, sp, (38), Boston Red Sox – Paul Byrd is a Type B free agent so the Sox will most likely offer arbitration. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if he accepted it either, since you can never have too many starting pitchers (have we heard that before?). Byrd can give a team around 30 starts of league average ball. His ERA will be north of 4.50 but he’s a crafty veteran so he’ll still find ways to win. Give him a big ball park and that ERA will go down, since he is prone to the long ball. Rebuilding teams could be kicking his tires as well, as he could make for some sort of prospect come trade deadline time. SIGNS w/ KANSAS CITY ROYALS.
• RYAN DEMPSTER, sp, (32), Chicago Cubs – Dempster returned to the starting rotation after a four year hiatus. It was worth the wait since he started 33 games, won 17 of them, had an ERA under 3.00 and came close to striking out 200 guys. The odds are against him he’s going to maintain those stats for too much longer, since he is going to be 32 next season. It’s hard to picture him not wearing a Chicago uniform, but I think the Mets and Dodgers are going to pursue him just as hard as the Cubs. The Dodgers are losing Penny and Lowe this off season (most likely), so they could use a veteran who gives them a good shot at 200 innings. The Royals surprised everyone with Gil Meche a couple years ago, so look out for them too. SIGNS w/ LOS ANGELES DODGERS.
• FREDDY GARCIA, sp, (33), Detroit Tigers – It was pretty strange that the Tigers decided to give Freddy Garcia a chance in August of an already lost season. He only made three starts for them which probably won’t warrant him a guaranteed contract for next season either. And as of this writing, there have been no talks between Garcia’s agent and Dave Dombrowski. I can see the Mets taking a flier on him but if they re-sign Pedro Martinez, that’s a lot of fragility to count on. The Red Sox were linked to him in spring training so perhaps a deal similar to Bartolo Colon’s of last year is in order. But, I’m thinking a surprise team, one who hasn’t really jumped on the reclamation project bandwagon of the past few years, and one of the poorest run franchises in baseball. . . SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ BALTIMORE ORIOLES.
• JON GARLAND, sp, (29), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Garland is a nice guy to have on your staff. He’s going to help out your bull pen because he makes at least 32 starts a year and hovers around 200 innings. He helps out your defense because he pitches to contact and keeps everyone in the game. He’s coming off one of his worst years statistically speaking but still wounded up with 14 wins. He’d be a nice fit on a team with good defense and good offense. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ HOUSTON ASTROS.
• TOM GLAVINE, sp, (43), Atlanta Braves – This may be the year the big three all retire. Maddux and Boras have hinted towards it and so has Glavine. Smoltz is the wild card of the bunch, he says he could be ready to go by May, but with his injury and age, it’s any ones guess. I think it’s time to move on Atlanta. Last year was the reunion year. He’ll probably sign one of those one day contracts if he’s not healthy enough by spring training. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE DEAL w/ ATLANTA BRAVES.
• MIKE HAMPTON, sp, (36), Atlanta Braves – It’s finally over! The gargantuan contract Hampton signed back in 2001 has finally come to an end. Probably his career as a Brave has come to an end as well. Now that they’re free from Hampton’s contract’s tyranny, they could be players in free agent signings and winter dealings. They’ve been linked to Jake Peavey who’s young and is under contract and has a violent delivery. That would be some ironic stuff if Peavey’s career winds up like Hampton’s. As far as Mike himself goes, he’ll have a hard time finding a guaranteed deal, but someone, somewhere will finally do it and he’ll wind up with about 13-15 starts. Dayton Moore strikes again. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ KANSAS CITY ROYALS.
• LIVAN HERNANDEZ, sp, (34), Colorado Rockies – The fact that Livan made 31 starts this past season speaks to the ineptitude of his team’s upper management rather than his rubber arm. There’s been no knock on his ability to stay healthy over the years, it’s just he’s not very good any more. He had no business as an American Leaguer for the first time at age 33 and had less business being traded to a team who wanted him to put them over the hump for a late season surge. He’ll be available until around February and someone will snag him just to fill out their rotation. SIGNS w/ FLORIDA MARLINS.
• RANDY JOHNSON, sp, (45), Arizona Diamond Backs – With only 5 more wins until he reaches the 300 mark, there’s no question the Big Unit will be back. It most certainly will not be with the D-Backs who have only offered him around 3 million per year. A return to Seattle isn’t likely either, but could you imagine the headlines if he and Junior Griffey return. I anticipate a return to one of his old stomping grounds because he’s almost certain to get to that milestone and it’d be very strange if he was wearing a White Sox uniform when he does. But, Joe Torre is in the NL West and it would be a cool story if his 300th win was against the Diamond Backs. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ LOS ANGELES DODGERS.
• DEREK LOWE, sp, (36), Los Angeles Dodgers – It seems like just yesterday when D Lowe signed with the Dodgers and I thought, “he’s going to be kind of old when that contract is done.” I think I’m only partially right. His birth year says 1973, but you wouldn’t think that when you see his stat lines from the past few years. He’s already said he’d welcome a return to Boston, but his 5.42 ERA and his 224 hits allowed in 182.2 innings from 2004 stick out in my mind. The Rockies just saved some money on the Holiday deal, so perhaps they can throw some money at a veteran pitcher for once. If the Cubs can’t retain Dempster, than Lowe would be a good replacement. Same for the Astros, Lowe seems to be a better investment than Randy Wolf. I think the Blue Jays are torn by the loss of A.J. Burnett that they bring Lowe back to the AL East. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ TORONTO BLUE JAYS.
• PEDRO MARTINEZ, sp, (37), New York Mets – Pedey says he’s not retiring so I’m going to believe him. Omar Minaya has said he’d like to retain him too. Plus I think he’d like to end his career on a better note. One good year and three years wasted on Pedro’s first contract after the Sox makes Boston’s front office brass look like geniuses. Where ever he goes I hope Manny joins him because those two could star in a sitcom together. RE-SIGNS w/ NEW YORK METS.
• JAMIE MOYER, sp, (46), Philadelphia Phillies – It’s still weird to say but the Phillies are your 2008 World Series champs. I don’t think they’re going to change too many things since they have most of the team coming back for ‘09. He only needs 54 more wins for 300, which doesn’t seem too far out of the realm of reality given Moyer’s track record. RE-SIGNS w/ PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES.
• MIKE MUSSINA, sp, (40), New York Yankeess – Moose says he’s leaning towards retirement, Joe Giardi says he’ll retire, and Moose’s friends says he’ll retire. I think he’s going to retire. He had a pretty lucky year and to go out after winning 20 is a nice way to end a long career. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if he changes his mind and he wants pitch in the new stadium, but it’s either the Yanks or no one. RETIRES.
• CARL PAVANO, sp, (33), New York Yankees – Three years and only 26 starts. Nice investment. He’s already been linked to Florida, Colorado and the New York Mets. I’d rather give the money and opportunity to a kid in the minors, not this guy. But I’m here blogging, not running a team. SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT w/ FLORIDA MARLINS.
• BRAD PENNY, sp, (31), Los Angeles Dodgers – The fact that the Dodgers declined Penny’s option makes me think there’s more to his injury then we know. He’s probably looking at a one year deal worth right around the amount his option was worth, if not a tad more, maybe 5-7 million and incentives. Milwaukee is going to have a gapping hole in their rotation if they can’t keep either one of their free agent starters, so watch for them to be players in the Penny, Burnett, and Lowe sweepstakes. Also St. Louis could kick some tires, especially if they lose Braden Looper (which I don’t believe they will). Oh and watch the small market teams too. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ CINCINNATI REDS.
• OLIVER PEREZ, sp, (27), New York Mets – One of the youngest free agent starters this year, Perez hasn’t received the same kind of hype as the other non-CC Sabathians. I believe Minaya will end up over paying for him which might take some money that could go to more of a proven winner. RE-SIGNS w/ NEW YORK METS.
• CC SABATHIA, sp, (28), Milwaukee Brewers – If you look closely you can tell I skipped over Andy Pettite who is the next free agent starting pitcher (of relative importance) in alphabetical order after Oliver Perez. Who cares about Pettitte? Every year he signs a one year deal with the Yankees. That’s not very exciting, go somewhere else and stir up the pot. Clearly, Sabathia is going to be the big free agent prize this winter. The New York papers have already said the Yanks have been gearing up to offer a contract in the 150 million dollar range. . . and that’s just the preliminary offer. Our nation’s economy may scare off some teams, but I think some one in the N.L. gets it done over the Yankees. Maybe even the Brew crew. I think the Nationals shock the world and get inspired by Barack Obama. SIGNS w/ WASHINGTON NATIONALS.
• BEN SHEETS, sp, (30), Milwaukee Brewers – Sheets is going to scare off some teams with his injury history, but I think who ever ends up getting him, gets him for a bargain. I think the Braves go after him, with or with out Jake Peavey. SIGNS w/ ATLANTA BRAVES.
• RANDY WOLF, sp, (32), Houston Astros – The Astros didn’t give up much to get Wolf at the deadline, which is why I’m surprised a better team didn’t try to get him. I think they’ll make a poor decision and extend him for a few years. RE-SIGNS w/ HOUSTON ASTROS.

CLOSERS

• CHAD CORDERO, cl, (27), Washington Nationals – The Nationals out righted Cordero to triple A after the season which technically made him a free agent. He was bound to be non-tendered anyway. Forcing a 27 year old stud closer to early free agency must mean his shoulder injury is pretty bad. He’ll get plenty of looks, but won’t get signed until the big names are off the table. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ ARIZONA DIAMOND BACKS.
• BRIAN FUENTES, cl, (33), Colorado Rockies – The Rockies have it made (as far as closers go) this off season. Fuentes is a Type A free agent who is bound to be signed and the Rockies have already groomed his replacement. So out goes Fuentes, in comes to draft picks, and Manny Corpas will officially take over the closers role. Now they also have Huston Street, who can be flipped for some prospects or maybe even some major league talent. As far as Fuentes goes, I think the Mets make him their relief priority and sign him to 3 or 4 years. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ NEW YORK METS.
• ERIC GAGNE, cl, (33), Milwaukee Brewers – Well that went well. I’m sure Boras told the Brewers that his struggles in Boston were due to the fact that he wasn’t closing anymore and if he was in a full time closers role again, he’d flourish. Nope. At this stage, he’s just too unpredictable. He’ll still get a major league deal from someone, but not at 10 million like last year. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ SAN DIEGO PADRES.
• TREVOR HOFFMAN, cl, (41), San Diego Padres – It’s pretty sad that Hoffman’s legacy is ending the way it is in San Diego. I’ve already heard that he doesn’t want to set up else where so he’ll have to close no matter where he goes, which makes sense. But a return with old manager Bruce Bochy isn’t likely since the Giants already have a closer. I’d be willing to think Brian Wilson would concede his job for a future Hall Of Famer. Maybe the Brew Crew replaces Solomon Torres with him. I’m going with that. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ MILWAUKEE BREWERS.
• BRANDON LYON, cl, (29), Arizona Diamond Backs – Looks like Lyon might be one of those guys who are better at setting up than they are closing. He’ll probably wind up switching between the two positions through out his career. He’ll end up in a closer by committee in ‘09. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ FLORIDA MARLINS.
• FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ, cl, (27), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Saving a ton of games has as much to do with luck as it does with skill. Your team has give you those opportunities before you can either save them or blow them. To have 69 save opts in one season is pretty remarkable in it’s own right like the Angels did. His ability to save games will still give him a record deal for closers. I think Detroit will pony up the dough and still stink next year. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ DETROIT TIGERS.
• KERRY WOOD, cl, (32), Chicago Cubs – With the advent of Kevin Gregg, Kerry Woods days as a Cub are no more. Whether Gregg sets up Marmol or Marmol sets up Gregg, there is no room for Kerry Wood. If Dusty Baker had his druthers he’d hold off one more year on signing a closer so he could ruin Kerry Woods new career. I think Wood stays in the NL central and goes to the Cardinals to replace Isringhausen for a year or so, before LaRussa turns the reigns over to Chris Perez permanently. SIGNS CONTRACT w/ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS.