MLB.com has a fantasy game called Free Agent Frenzy this year; and certainly this year’s “hot stove” seems to be anything but. This off-season does show promise as being one of the biggest free agent markets in history, with the current Home Run King (Barry Bonds), and his potential successor (Alex Rodriguez) both up for bidding.
However, while the majority of writers seem to be frantic about calculating where each member of this star-studded free agency will land, this reporter intends to point out how little significance this year’s market will have on the upcoming season.
It is unfair for me to bias myself upon being a Red Sox fan, so I will do my best to stay neutral. Oh, wait. The Red Sox aren’t losing anybody. Wakefield, Schilling, and soon Mike Lowell, have already resigned with the franchise. The only other alternatives I see for Lowell are the Dodgers - who eat up every Red Sox free agent after a World Series run (see: Garciaparra, Lowe, and Mueller), or the Braves. I look at the Dodgers because I wonder about Nomar playing third base after jostling around the infield of Tinseltown for the past three years, playing short, first and third since his signing with Los Angeles. They could certainly use the bat, not to mention the PR.
The Atlanta Braves could have a stake in the Mike Lowell saga with the continuing uselessness of one Chipper Jones. While he has been a foundation of the team that spawned one of the greatest pitching trilogies in history (Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine), he has become highly injury-prone and often sluggish at the plate in the past two seasons. (It doesn’t take too much to win my metaphoric heart, but I think that if Jones could muster a full season with at least 130 games, it could happen.) It would not hurt Lowell to go to a team that has been willing to spend a little money these past few years in hopes to rebuild a team that once was abundantly triumphant.
While we’re talking about third basemen, we might as well discuss Alex Rodriguez. Oh wait, wasn’t he a shortstop? I think it’s fair to say that most of this country has failed to recognize the fact that A-Rod practically refused to move to third base at the end of the 2003 season, before signing with the Yankees. Only one team has even brought up the notion of A-Rod moving to a different position than third, and that was the Toledo Mud Hens in jest. Could it be possible that with a wide variety of talented third basemen on each of the teams that can afford Mr. Rodriguez, that he will find himself playing shortstop instead?
Let’s think about this: what teams can afford the overpriced Alex Rodriguez, and would consider paying him to bring them to at least a Division Series? I’ll give you a few: LA Dodgers, LA Angels, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves. I will keep the analyses short, since I’m sure you’ve heard all the stories.
The Dodgers could use A-Rod because it could keep Nomar either comfortably at third, or move him back to shortstop. It would be much like the Jeter-Rodriguez combo that held the fort on that side of the infield in the Bronx, so long as Garciaparra can keep up his end of it. Also, with Torre, we know that A-Rod will get the backing of his manager when going into contract negotiations. The two know each other and may be interested in picking up where they left off in New York.
The Angels have denied that they want A-Rod, as they should. For some reason, a lot of people think this is a good fit, but I fail to recognize the need for A-Rod on a team with Vlad Guererro, Orlando Cabrera and Chone Figgins. Right there you have power, a shortstop and a third baseman, all with All-Star quality and the experience to get to the postseason.
I have already exhausted the need for a good third baseman in Atlanta, but their need is even greater at short, where A-Rod could easily take over for the much lesser players on the Braves depth chart. Currently the two players (Escobar and Orr) combine for 5 home runs and 30 RBIs last season. Anybody think the Braves should be reading this article?
The Boston Red Sox wanted a quality offensive shortstop last year and picked up the potential All-Star Julio Lugo and placed him at the top of their order. He provided the speed that Johnny Damon once gave them, but certainly not the batting average. Think that if they’re willing to spend as much money on him, that they might consider giving A-Rod something of a looksee at that position if he doesn’t resign with the Yankees and nobody else can pick up the outstanding bill he is asking for? And who knows? If Lowell moves, the Red Sox will have some extra money to spend on a third baseman, and GM Theo Epstein has already publicly shown interest.
We all know that the Yankees want A-Rod back. He and Joe Torre are the primary reason why the team made it to the playoffs at all last year. Since Steinbrenner couldn’t bring Torre back, they’ve focused on getting Rivera, Posada and most importantly, Rodriguez back in the line card. But can the Yankees afford a $100M contract for a player who chokes in the postseason?
Let’s now discuss the players that may have impact on the next season. Paul Lo Duca will probably be done with his career as a first-stringer, with the Mets looking at Yorvit Torrealba to take over behind the plate. It wouldn’t hurt Lo Duca to do what Mike Piazza did in this situation a few years ago: go to the AL and try for a designated hitter job.
Lo Duca’s move may also be that of Barry Bonds. In the midst of another good controversy, in which Bonds has refused to attend his own induction ceremony, so long as the marked home-run record-setting baseball is displayed in the Hall of Fame; Bond could use a steroid-free and controversy-free season to boost his PR with the sports writers of America. The best way to do that may be to sit on the bench and take a few swings every nine at-bats as a DH. Since the NL doesn’t have this option, it makes little sense for teams like the Giants to sign him. He’s grown old and weak around the bases, and perhaps he, like Roger Clemens, should just hang his hat and give it a rest. But so long as he doesn’t, teams like the White Sox, Blue Jays, and Athletics may be willing to give him a shot to prove himself as a hitter again, as they did for Thome, Thomas, and Piazza.
Schilling and Wakefield are already going to give a nice buffer to the Red Sox lineup, and with a very young team with no significant players set on leaving, they may prove that a six-man pitching rotation can work. Terry Francona has already suggested that with Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Wakefield, Lester, and Buckholtz, there is a chance to dominate the American League with pitching alone. Oh yeah, and they’ve got some pretty good hitters too (see: Ortiz, Ramirez, Pedroira, Youkilis).
I’ll run down the list of free agents that MLB.com thinks will impact.
Torii Hunter did a fantastic job as the gold-glove winning center fielder for the Twins, but with the recent comments by Johann Santana, as well as the overall feel of the Minnesota franchise, several free agents will suspend any thoughts of sticking with the team with other options on the table. At least for the next year or two. I expect Hunter to find his way to a team like the White Sox. The Yankees had expressed some interest in him earlier last season, but when Miguel Cabrera started to fill in well with his speed and his glove for the injured Hideki Matsui, the club started to consider the possibility that they had an overly-stable outfield in Damon, Cabrera, Matsui and Abreu. Hunter may also be a considerable option for the Red Sox, who were not terribly pleased with the performance of Coco Crisp throughout the season, and may look to put Hunter in his place, or even rotate him or another outfielder for the sometimes weary J.D. Drew.
Andruw Jones had a mediocre season last year, and may not be the top free agent on the market, but expect him to be wanted back by the Braves. Other than that, he will be fighting for a spot against Torii Hunter, who is younger, faster, and has more potential in his youth. But Jones also picked up the Gold Glove this season for his job in center.
Bartolo Colon and Tom Glavine are a pair of pitchers who were once dominant, but have stuttered greatly in the past two years; mostly due to injury. I’d watch Colon to stay in the AL, and go to a lesser team than the Angels for a little less money, where he can be the number one guy, while Tom Glavine is expected to dig back into his roots at Atlanta, rejoining with former teammate John Smoltz. Now all Atlanta needs to do is get Maddux back and they’ll have a team of old and useless oafs who can’t figure out when to take that AAA coaching job.
I’ve already mentioned, and most have already heard: Rivera and Posada have already talked to the Yankees and both been offered deals. The odds of another team taking Rivera for an equal contract are slim, and Posada will likely stay in pinstripes, where he feels he belongs.
I also think Aaron Rowand will be staying in Philadelphia. But even though MLB.com claims him to be a hot topic, I haven’t read anything discussing his potential as a free agent. Funny how we grasp at straws when all we have to talk about is Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Lowell and a manager.
To say the least, don’t expect the playoffs to be determined by what happens this off-season. Sure, whatever team picks up A-Rod will get a few more notches in their wins column because of it, but they will also suffer a few more losses from all they had to give up for his contract. Torre may be able to bring another team that Grady Little failed with back into orbit; and without much depth, Torre may be the only man capable of doing so. In my opinion, MLB.com’s “hot stove” has turned itself into Plath’s oven. Have I really discussed anything exciting today?
No.
Go watch the Celtics.
Baseball is boring this off-season. I need a better job.
Originally posted at ChewThemOut.com by Andrew Keating
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