Top 10 Available Free Agents:
Mark Teixeira: Teixeira and Manny are the two biggest free agents left and it's no coincidence that they both have Scott Boras as their agent. The Angels reportedly have stopped pursuing Teixeira, which would leave the Red Sox, Yankees, Nationals, and Orioles in the running. There were reports that the Red Sox were also out of the running, but it seems that they most likely will come back with another offer at some point and I still believe Teixeira will land with the Red Sox. The Orioles have fallen far behind in the Teixeira sweepstakes and the Yankees are probably a long shot at this point. The Nationals, however, made a huge offer to Teixeira and could be a dark horse to land him if the Red Sox don't want to ante up their offer.
Best Fit: Boston Red Sox
Manny Ramirez: A Dominican newspaper is reporting that Manny signed with the Yankees for 3 years, $75 million, but considering the source there is definitely reason to be skeptical. I do believe that Manny will end up on the Yankees though, because their lineup lacks a big time bat other than A-Rod and we all know A-Rod can't always be counted on to come through in the clutch. Manny might be more expensive than Teixeira on a year to year basis, but the commitment is not as long and I think this is why the Yankees prefer to sign Manny over Teixeira. If they do sign Manny, then they would most likely have to trade either Xavier Nady or Hideki Matsui. Personally, I thought they should have traded the aging Matsui before the beginning of last season, and now that he has been hurt for parts of 2 of the last 3 seasons, it might be time to send him off to another team. I like the Manny signing for the Yankees, but only if they play on DH'ing him for most of the time. If Matsui is there, then Manny most likely would have to play LF and that would shift Johnny Damon to CF, which would seriously hurt the Yankees defense in the OF. The Yankees are the only team being mentioned for a possible landing spot for Manny lately. The Dodgers are still interested and the Angles have been named as a possibility, but lately there has been no Manny talk from either of them.
Best Fit: New York Yankees
Derek Lowe: Derek Lowe might become the victim of Scott Boras' greed this offseason, because most teams, including the Mets, are not interested in signing Lowe at his current price. I can't say I blame them either because as I have noted before history is not on Lowe's side for him being able to repeat the success he's had in his career over the next 4-5 years. If the Mets don't sign Lowe, then I could see the Red Sox jumping in if they don't land Teixeira. The Yankees are most likely out of the running after signing Sabathia, Burnett, and most likely Andy Pettitte. There really haven't been any other teams rumored to be interested in Lowe, although there is some speculation the Cubs may be interested. The Angles are also on Lowe's radar, but there is no word if Lowe is on theirs. I still think the best fit for Lowe is the Mets, since they are on the East coast and in the NL.
Best Fit: New York Mets
Milton Bradley: It is well known that the Cubs have made Bradley their top priority this offseason. While Bradley is a great hitter, he is also often injured and I don't think the Cubs should go after him because they would have to play him in the OF on a regular basis. Of course, the flip side to that is he is also the best outfielder defensively of any of the other options, which include Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, & Pat Burrell. The Rays have been named as the other main player with interest in Bradley, but with the Cubs making him their priority it is likely that there will be cheaper options for the Rays. The Reds, Angels, & Nationals also have interest in Bradley. If he doesn't end up on the Cubs, I think the Angels have the money and flexibility to DH Bradley that make them the best fit.
Best Fit: Los Angeles Angels
Bobby Abreu: There hasn't been much news going on this offseason with Abreu. He is a reliable player who offers an excellent bat and not so excellent defense. Teams rumored to be interested include the Cubs, Rays, Angels, White Sox, & Mets. I think he makes more sense for the Cubs than Bradley does despite his poor defense in RF. At least the Cubs could be fairly certain that Abreu would play in 150+ games. I also think he would be a great fit with the Rays, since he has already played in the AL East, but again they will probably go with the cheapest option between Bradley, Abreu, and Pat Burrell.
Best Fit: Chicago Cubs
Adam Dunn: Dunn is another outfielder with a strong bat, but weak glove. It appears that he would like to play for the Cubs, but it doesn't seem like Dunn is the Cubs first choice. The only other teams rumored to be in on Dunn are the Nationals and Angels. The Angels could probably have Dunn if they want him, but I'm not sure he is their top priority. I think Dunn ends up with the Nationals.
Best Fit: Washington Nationals
Pat Burrell: The Rays are highly interested in signing Burrell as a DH, which I think would be a great move for them. Burrell's value is in his bat and he is the perfect fit as DH that offers a high OBP and significant power. The Angels are the only other team I have seen that has an interest in Burrell.
Best Fit: Tampa Bay Rays
Ben Sheets: The Yankees are out of the running for Sheets now that they have signed A.J. Burnett and look to bring back Andy Pettitte. The Rangers are rumored to be interested and with their pitching struggles, I think it is worth the risk for them to sign Sheets to a short term contract despite his injury concerns.
Best Fit: Texas Rangers
Brian Fuentes: Fuentes' name has been floating around all offseason, but he had to wait to see where K-Rod and Kerry Wood ended up before being able to sign. The Cardinals and Angels have been the teams most prominently linked to Fuentes and I think the Cardinals would be a better fit for Fuentes who would probably struggle in the AL. The Angels would be better off filling their close role with Scot Shields or Jose Arrendondo.
Best Fit: St. Louis Cardinals
Jason Giambi: The Rays and A's are the only teams that have been rumored to be interested in Giambi. The most logical place for Giambi to end up is in Oakland, since that is where he began his career and the A's have a history of signing aging sluggers to play DH.
Best Fit: Oakland A's
Best of the Rest: Orlando Hudson, 2B; Orlando Cabrera, SS; Joe Crede, 3B; Garret Anderson, OF; Rocco Baldelli, OF; Ken Griffey Jr, OF; Jon Garland, P; Randy Johnson, P; Braden Looper, P; Oliver Perez, P; Brad Penny, P; Andy Pettite, P; John Smoltz, P
Other MLB News:
- Daniel Cabrera signed a one year deal with the Nationals. I think this is a good move for Cabrera who has struggled with his control for most of his career and will now move to an easier league to pitch in and will be pitching in a more pitching friendly ball park. If the Nationals can work with Cabrera they might have themselves a useful pitcher for 2009. Of course if former Braves pitching guru Leo Mazzone couldn't help Cabrera, then I'm not sure who can.
- The Yankees have backed off of trading for CF Mike Cameron because Melky Cabrera has shown an improved plate discipline in winter ball. Most people have given up on Melky in New York, but I guess that is somewhat premature because he is still only 24 years old and it is possible that he can improve. If Melky does not show the improvement the Yankees are hoping to get from him then you might see a lot of Johnny Damon and Brett Gardner in CF this year.
- Rafael Furcal spurned the Braves and signed back with the Dodgers for 3 years. This came after reports that stated Furcal was going to sign with the Braves and it seems to be true because the Braves are pissed about Furcal backing out and signing with the Dodgers.
- The Phillies re-signed the ageless wonder Jamie Moyer to a 2 years deal. Moyer is 46 years old and has said that he wants to pitch until he is 50.
- Former major league pitcher Dock Ellis died of liver cancer at age 63. Ellis played for the Pirates, Yankees, Rangers, A's, & Mets. He won 138 games over his 12 year career, which also included a World Series victory with the Pirates.
- The Angels re-signed Juan Rivera to a 3 year contract. The same Juan Rivera that has played just 104 games combined in the last two seasons and when he has played has been below average with OPS+ numbers of 91 & 86. I don't know why the Angels would give him a 3 year deal, when he hasn't proven he can stay healthy or even be productive lately. I think the Angels are headed for a decline next season, because their offense has gotten much worse and I don't think their starting pitching will match what they did last year. They might want to look at signing Derek Lowe and Adam Dunn in my mind, but at this point it doesn't look likely.
- Aaron Boone signed a 1 year deal with the Astros and will most likely see time for them at 3B.
Mark Teixeira: Teixeira and Manny are the two biggest free agents left and it's no coincidence that they both have Scott Boras as their agent. The Angels reportedly have stopped pursuing Teixeira, which would leave the Red Sox, Yankees, Nationals, and Orioles in the running. There were reports that the Red Sox were also out of the running, but it seems that they most likely will come back with another offer at some point and I still believe Teixeira will land with the Red Sox. The Orioles have fallen far behind in the Teixeira sweepstakes and the Yankees are probably a long shot at this point. The Nationals, however, made a huge offer to Teixeira and could be a dark horse to land him if the Red Sox don't want to ante up their offer.
Best Fit: Boston Red Sox
Manny Ramirez: A Dominican newspaper is reporting that Manny signed with the Yankees for 3 years, $75 million, but considering the source there is definitely reason to be skeptical. I do believe that Manny will end up on the Yankees though, because their lineup lacks a big time bat other than A-Rod and we all know A-Rod can't always be counted on to come through in the clutch. Manny might be more expensive than Teixeira on a year to year basis, but the commitment is not as long and I think this is why the Yankees prefer to sign Manny over Teixeira. If they do sign Manny, then they would most likely have to trade either Xavier Nady or Hideki Matsui. Personally, I thought they should have traded the aging Matsui before the beginning of last season, and now that he has been hurt for parts of 2 of the last 3 seasons, it might be time to send him off to another team. I like the Manny signing for the Yankees, but only if they play on DH'ing him for most of the time. If Matsui is there, then Manny most likely would have to play LF and that would shift Johnny Damon to CF, which would seriously hurt the Yankees defense in the OF. The Yankees are the only team being mentioned for a possible landing spot for Manny lately. The Dodgers are still interested and the Angles have been named as a possibility, but lately there has been no Manny talk from either of them.
Best Fit: New York Yankees
Derek Lowe: Derek Lowe might become the victim of Scott Boras' greed this offseason, because most teams, including the Mets, are not interested in signing Lowe at his current price. I can't say I blame them either because as I have noted before history is not on Lowe's side for him being able to repeat the success he's had in his career over the next 4-5 years. If the Mets don't sign Lowe, then I could see the Red Sox jumping in if they don't land Teixeira. The Yankees are most likely out of the running after signing Sabathia, Burnett, and most likely Andy Pettitte. There really haven't been any other teams rumored to be interested in Lowe, although there is some speculation the Cubs may be interested. The Angles are also on Lowe's radar, but there is no word if Lowe is on theirs. I still think the best fit for Lowe is the Mets, since they are on the East coast and in the NL.
Best Fit: New York Mets
Milton Bradley: It is well known that the Cubs have made Bradley their top priority this offseason. While Bradley is a great hitter, he is also often injured and I don't think the Cubs should go after him because they would have to play him in the OF on a regular basis. Of course, the flip side to that is he is also the best outfielder defensively of any of the other options, which include Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, & Pat Burrell. The Rays have been named as the other main player with interest in Bradley, but with the Cubs making him their priority it is likely that there will be cheaper options for the Rays. The Reds, Angels, & Nationals also have interest in Bradley. If he doesn't end up on the Cubs, I think the Angels have the money and flexibility to DH Bradley that make them the best fit.
Best Fit: Los Angeles Angels
Bobby Abreu: There hasn't been much news going on this offseason with Abreu. He is a reliable player who offers an excellent bat and not so excellent defense. Teams rumored to be interested include the Cubs, Rays, Angels, White Sox, & Mets. I think he makes more sense for the Cubs than Bradley does despite his poor defense in RF. At least the Cubs could be fairly certain that Abreu would play in 150+ games. I also think he would be a great fit with the Rays, since he has already played in the AL East, but again they will probably go with the cheapest option between Bradley, Abreu, and Pat Burrell.
Best Fit: Chicago Cubs
Adam Dunn: Dunn is another outfielder with a strong bat, but weak glove. It appears that he would like to play for the Cubs, but it doesn't seem like Dunn is the Cubs first choice. The only other teams rumored to be in on Dunn are the Nationals and Angels. The Angels could probably have Dunn if they want him, but I'm not sure he is their top priority. I think Dunn ends up with the Nationals.
Best Fit: Washington Nationals
Pat Burrell: The Rays are highly interested in signing Burrell as a DH, which I think would be a great move for them. Burrell's value is in his bat and he is the perfect fit as DH that offers a high OBP and significant power. The Angels are the only other team I have seen that has an interest in Burrell.
Best Fit: Tampa Bay Rays
Ben Sheets: The Yankees are out of the running for Sheets now that they have signed A.J. Burnett and look to bring back Andy Pettitte. The Rangers are rumored to be interested and with their pitching struggles, I think it is worth the risk for them to sign Sheets to a short term contract despite his injury concerns.
Best Fit: Texas Rangers
Brian Fuentes: Fuentes' name has been floating around all offseason, but he had to wait to see where K-Rod and Kerry Wood ended up before being able to sign. The Cardinals and Angels have been the teams most prominently linked to Fuentes and I think the Cardinals would be a better fit for Fuentes who would probably struggle in the AL. The Angels would be better off filling their close role with Scot Shields or Jose Arrendondo.
Best Fit: St. Louis Cardinals
Jason Giambi: The Rays and A's are the only teams that have been rumored to be interested in Giambi. The most logical place for Giambi to end up is in Oakland, since that is where he began his career and the A's have a history of signing aging sluggers to play DH.
Best Fit: Oakland A's
Best of the Rest: Orlando Hudson, 2B; Orlando Cabrera, SS; Joe Crede, 3B; Garret Anderson, OF; Rocco Baldelli, OF; Ken Griffey Jr, OF; Jon Garland, P; Randy Johnson, P; Braden Looper, P; Oliver Perez, P; Brad Penny, P; Andy Pettite, P; John Smoltz, P
Other MLB News:
- Daniel Cabrera signed a one year deal with the Nationals. I think this is a good move for Cabrera who has struggled with his control for most of his career and will now move to an easier league to pitch in and will be pitching in a more pitching friendly ball park. If the Nationals can work with Cabrera they might have themselves a useful pitcher for 2009. Of course if former Braves pitching guru Leo Mazzone couldn't help Cabrera, then I'm not sure who can.
- The Yankees have backed off of trading for CF Mike Cameron because Melky Cabrera has shown an improved plate discipline in winter ball. Most people have given up on Melky in New York, but I guess that is somewhat premature because he is still only 24 years old and it is possible that he can improve. If Melky does not show the improvement the Yankees are hoping to get from him then you might see a lot of Johnny Damon and Brett Gardner in CF this year.
- Rafael Furcal spurned the Braves and signed back with the Dodgers for 3 years. This came after reports that stated Furcal was going to sign with the Braves and it seems to be true because the Braves are pissed about Furcal backing out and signing with the Dodgers.
- The Phillies re-signed the ageless wonder Jamie Moyer to a 2 years deal. Moyer is 46 years old and has said that he wants to pitch until he is 50.
- Former major league pitcher Dock Ellis died of liver cancer at age 63. Ellis played for the Pirates, Yankees, Rangers, A's, & Mets. He won 138 games over his 12 year career, which also included a World Series victory with the Pirates.
- The Angels re-signed Juan Rivera to a 3 year contract. The same Juan Rivera that has played just 104 games combined in the last two seasons and when he has played has been below average with OPS+ numbers of 91 & 86. I don't know why the Angels would give him a 3 year deal, when he hasn't proven he can stay healthy or even be productive lately. I think the Angels are headed for a decline next season, because their offense has gotten much worse and I don't think their starting pitching will match what they did last year. They might want to look at signing Derek Lowe and Adam Dunn in my mind, but at this point it doesn't look likely.
- Aaron Boone signed a 1 year deal with the Astros and will most likely see time for them at 3B.
More: MLB & MLB Weekly
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