With the Red Sox celebrating today,
baseball has now shifted from the end of the year to the 2014 year. With that,
it starts with the free agency market. This week, I’ll be writing nothing but
free agents, both hitters and pitchers, as well as the top international
prospects and about teams that are most interested in these guys.
Remember: the free agency market in
baseball is much different than other sports, because you can’t just go after
the best free agents, sign them to big contracts, and watch them win a title.
But what free agency does is provide an extra support, a catalyst even, to gain
some extra wins for a shot at the postseason.
What’s great about it is that in
baseball, you don’t have to acquire the best free agents to win a title. Look
at the Boston Red Sox: Instead of going after guys like Torii Hunter, Melky
Cabrera, or Lance Berkman, guys who wanted big contracts, they went after guys
unnoticed by other scouts, like Koji Uehara, David Ross, and Ryan Dempster.
The acquisitions that the Red Sox
made was the deciding factor in the Sox winning it all. Granted, they had other
great players and young talent too, but the small guys that don’t cost too much
money proved to be the best.
The Chicago Cubs are doing
something just like the Red Sox, acquiring veteran players and to try and
develop other free agents, but instead of keeping them to try and win, they are
trading them for some of the top prospects in baseball. So yes, it probably won’t
be until 2015 where they will be a playoff contending team, but in a few years,
they have a big shot. On the right is Javier Baez, the Cubs #1 prospect, and the 9th best MLB prospect, according to MLB.com.
But sometimes getting that top free
agent is just the best idea, especially for teams that are just on the border
of being good. Teams like the Rangers, Orioles, Rays, Indians, and Royals were
bubble teams before Tampa Bay and Cleveland prevailed. They should be the teams
that pull some moves in the offseason with the free agency. The only team out
of those that I don’t see doing that is the Tampa Bay Rays, because although
they are losing some players in the free agency, they focus on their farm
system and very cheap spending.
Some teams that are losing a lot
are the Rangers, Yankees, Pirates, and Dodgers. The Rangers are losing Nelson
Cruz, Matt Garza, Colby Lewis, among others, almost all that they traded for at
some point in the past three seasons.
There are much more hitters in this
year’s offseason. Here’s the list of all hitters (without international
players) that are looking to resign or play in a different city for 2014. Note:
Bolded are the top free agents that I’ll talk about below. Italicized are small
guys that I think can make a big impact. Underlined are guys I think players
should look twice before trying to acquire.
Atlanta Braves:
Brian McCann
Arizona D-Backs:
Willie
Bloomquist
Eric Chavez
Wil Nieves
Baltimore Orioles:
Nate McLouth
Michael Morse
Brian Roberts
Chris Snyder
Boston Red Sox:
Stephen
Drew
Jacoby Ellsbury
John McDonald
Mike Napoli
Jarrod
Saltalamacchia
Chicago Cubs:
Scott Baker
Kevin Gregg
Matt Guerrir
Dioner
Navarro
Cincinnati Reds:
Shin-Soo Choo
Cesar Izturis
Cleveland Indians:
Kelly Shoppach
Colorado Rockies:
Yorvit Torrealba
Chicago White Sox:
Paul Konerko (note: if the White Sox
do not try to resign Pauly, he will most likely retire. He loves Chicago too
much and wants to retire as a Sox)
Detroit Tigers:
Omar Infante
Brayan Pena
Jhonny Peralta
Ramon Santiago
Kansas City Royals:
Carlos Pena
Miguel Tejada
Los Angeles Dodgers:
Mark Ellis
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Nick Punto
Skip Schumaker
Juan Uribe
Michael Young
Miami Marlins:
Matt Diaz
Austin Kearns
Juan Pierre
Placido Polanco
(Note: The way
the Marlins are setting up their organization right now, they’re not going to
resign Pierre or Polanco. I don’t see any other team signing them, so these are
two other veterans that we’ve watched through the years at their end of their
career).
Milwaukee
Brewers:
Corey Hart
New York
Yankees:
Robinson Cano
Curtis
Granderson
Travis Hafner
Lyle Overbay
Mark
Reynolds
Brendan
Ryan
Kevin
Youkillis
Philadelphia
Phillies:
Carlos Ruiz
Pittsburgh
Pirates:
Clint Barmes
John Buck
Marlon Byrd
Justin Morneau
San Diego
Padres:
Ronny Cedeno
Mark Kotsay
Seattle
Mariners:
Endy Chavez
Raul Ibanez
Kenrys Morales
Humberto
Quintero
St. Louis
Cardinals:
Carlos Beltran
Rafael Furcal
Tampa Bay Rays:
Kelly Johnson
James Loney
Jose Molina
Luke Scott
Delmon Young
Texas Rangers:
Lance Berkman
Nelson Cruz
David Murphy
A.J. Pierzynski
Geovany Soto
Toronto Blue
Jays:
Rajai Davis
Washington
Nationals:
Chad Tracy
It looks like I
bolded Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, Shin-Soo Choo, Jhonny
Peralta, Robinson Cano, Carlos Beltran, and Nelson Cruz. From what I know of
top international players, it looks like the Chicago White Sox sign top slugger
Jose Abreu and the Houston Astros signed 16-year-old Bryan de La Cruz. I know
that Wasner Peguero, Wladimir Gallindo, and Yimmelvin Alonzo are international
hitters that have yet to sign with a team.
Find out
tomorrow to hear more insight on these hitters, and to see if your team is acquiring
some of these big names.
Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any
questions/comments/concerns.
-Evan Boyd
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