Shopping wisely on the free-agent market
Posted: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 4:56 PM
Trades now rule the baseball offseason. Most teams have followed a path of signing potential free agents early, buying out arbitration years in the process, or locking up veterans on the verge of declaring free agency like Curt Schilling, Greg Maddux, and Matt Stairs, who is a bargain sign by the Blue Jays.
The most interesting player movement of this winter -- other than the grotesque A-Rod circus -- will come via trades. First stop is Florida where word is the Marlins will shop Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, a major story one year ago but now greeted by more muted headlines.
As for free agency, there are still some wise deals to be made on the open market. I don’t like many of the multi-year options available so most of these recommendations are for guys who wouldn’t command more than two years.
TORII HUNTER
More teams need center field help now than at any time in recent memory so if they are going for a big signing than Hunter is the safest play. He is a Gold Glover with pop in his bat, and, importantly, a class act that will infuse any clubhouse with a winning spirit.
MIKE CAMERON
An older version of Hunter, Cameron is slightly less dangerous with the bat but every bit Hunter's equal with the glove and in the clubhouse. His leverage decreased when he was hit with a season-opening 25-game suspension after a positive drug test for stimulants, but Cameron’s reputation calms any concerns of long-term issues.
MILTON BRADLEY
Now we swing into the one-year gambles, perfect for the team seeking flexibility and the player needing redemption. And redemption thy name is Milton Bradley. He was clearly wronged by umpire Mike Winters, but Bradley’s reaction is all too typical of his career. Now his questions are not just emotional but physical as he is coming off reconstructive knee surgery. Yet if his knee mends, he is still a terrific talent. And signing him is so much more fiscally prudent than pursuing Aaron Rowand on the open market.
GEOFF JENKINS
A one-year deal locks up his lefty bat and he could be a valuable part-time player. Another solid citizen who provides the most sought after trait in today’s game: power.
SEAN CASEY
Another short-term fix for a rebuilding team or a last piece for a contender. Casey can flat hit. He just has no power at a position (first base) where it is demanded. Sadly for one of the game’s great guys, teams have caught on to the inflated numbers he posted in Cincinnati’s bandbox. Still a strong one-year signing.
TODD JONES
Yes, he’s going to be 40 and can’t throw the ball by anyone. Still, he saved 75 games the last two years in a winning situation. And pitchers who can do that are harder to find than many think. A perfect short-term signing for a team that needs end-game security.
KERRY WOOD
Last on this list is my gamble. For if a team is going to roll the dice, it should do so with the hope of a big payoff. There were late-season moments when Wood was coming in from the Cubs' bullpen and blowing 96 mph inside heat past hitters. No one knows if he can sustain that from the bullpen, but there isn't often such a shot at someone with Wood's potential.
AND WHAT WILL BE THE WORST FREE-AGENT SIGNING: KYLE LOHSE
Lohse hired super agent Scott Boras in the hopes of making chicken salad. Here’s the inconvenient truth: his record the last four years is 32-48 with a 4.93. He is the only big-league starter with 10+ losses in each of the last four years. But Boras will surely sell Lohse’s respectable years with the Twins in 2002-03, just as he sold the Giants on Barry Zito’s early years.
