Twins!

So the Twins supposedly offered Michael Cuddyer a 3 year $25 million deal to stay with the club but Cuddyer took a 3 year deal for $31.5 million from the Rockies. I don’t think you can blame a player for taking the best offer on the table, but I am somewhat surprised Cuddyer left for the Rockies over $5 million. The Twins however, have seemed to replace Cuddyer quite adequately by signing Josh Willingham to a 3 year $21 million deal. Comparing the two I say defensively I’d rather have Cuddyer as he is more solid and versatile, he can play all over the diamond really. Offensively it’s fairly clear over their careers that Willingham is a bigger power threat, and over his career has also been better at getting on base. Cuddyer would seem to be a little faster and strike out less, but overall I think they are very close in who would be the better player. The Twins made an offer that wasn’t accepted and I believe were smart to go out and get a very good player of very similar ability for $3.5 million a year less than they guy they let walk signed for. If there are two free agents that I think are very nearly on the same level it would be Cuddyer and Willingham, so I think the Twins made a good decision to save some money and not pay more than they felt a player was worth. I am a little surprised that these two didn’t get a little more money though, as they signed 3 year deals at 32 years of age, you would assume they will be solid for the duration of the contract. I guess JD Drew ruined teams on giving players like this more money. (I’m only joking, sort of) The free agent market is slimming, but there are still many moves to go before spring training no question about that. Let ‘em keep on coming.

Pujols Who?

Cardinals have re-signed shortstop Rafael Furcal a key piece to them winning the 2011 World Series. Pujols may have left, but the Cardinals are not doomed without him. In all likelihood Lance Berkman will move to 1^st base and Allen Craig will take Berkman’s spot in Right. Craig is no Pujols but he is a solid up and coming player. The signing of Furcal though, gives them back their leadoff hitter who has speed and the ability to get on base like you look for in any leadoff hitter, but he also has quite a good glove and arm in the field. He really was the most under the radar move during the season last year as he was a waiver wire transaction from the Dodgers that boosted the Cardinals defense and offense. Furcal always brings a high level of competition to the field with seemingly unlimited energy. The only worry with Furcal is he’s had some back injuries. If he stays healthy he still has some baseball left in him and could help the Cardinals take the NL Central this year with it getting weaker by the moment. The Astros and Cubs don’t seem to be a threat at the moment, The Pirates showed some progress by putting together a good 1^st half last year but then returned to the “Pirates” way of ball for the 2^nd half, and the Reds seem to be firmly behind the Cardinals in my mind. Now the Brewers are the question, but with the probable loss of Fielder, and the fact that they didn’t get a big name free agent seems to hinder their team greatly, along with the pending 50 game suspension of Ryan Braun. The Brewers still have an alright team, but unless they make some moves I think that the Cardinals are the front runners to win the division. Furcal for 2 years and $14 million is a great deal. By the end of next season the St. Louis fans could be saying Pujols who?

Angels Out Of Left field

I don’t really want to write an article right now but I must. The Angels have signed Albert Pujols to a 10 year $250 million deal and CJ Wilson to a 5 year $75 million deal. I think they would now be the favorites from the AL mainly because of their pitching staff. They now have Weaver, Haren,Santana, and Wilson as a pretty strong top 4. Their lineup doesn’t look too bad now either after adding Pujols. I think they have the best pitching in the AL, and I think with the upgrades at 1^st with Pujols and Catcher with Iannetta, the Angels will be able to produce enough runs to win a lot of ballgames. I think the Mike Trout, easily a top 5 prospect in all of baseball, will step up and contribute a lot to the team this year too, so they have a lot of help coming their way to add to last year’s squad which was 10 games back of the division winners the Texas Rangers. They were 3^rd in the wild card race and with 2 teams getting in the wild card it even betters their chances of making the playoffs which I think is where they will shine due to their pitching staff. The Rangers are no doubt still a strong team, but they LOST their ace CJ Wilson to the Angels so that is a big swing in the Angels favor. I think the worst case for this Angels club now is a wild card spot, but I think this puts them ahead of the Rangers as of now. I wasn’t expecting them to land Pujols, Wilson yes, but not Pujols so I am a little shocked still. This has been a crazy offseason already. A few more quick things, K-Rod now expected to sign arbitration deal, and Octavio Dotel close to a 1 year deal with the Tigers. Oh and LaTroy Hawkings signs a 1 year $3 million deal with the Angels so they are on a bit of a shopping spree, and there goes 3 relievers on a pretty deep relieving market.

More Marlins Talk, Plus Some Other Stuff

So Mark Buehrle signs a 4 year $58 million deal with the Marlins. I think he is deserving of every penny as he has been a consistent ace. This definitely adds a sense of security to a rotation that can be very erratic with its play, the Josh Johnson injuries don’t help. I personally like this move better than signing CJ Wilson, who I think is very good, but I think Buehrle is a better fit, and he comes with less risk in my opinion. It now seems the offer the Marlins have reportedly offered Wilson will be off the table and they will focus on Pujols, and if that doesn’t work Fielder. More news out of Miami, Hanley Ramirez apparently wants a raise, even after a down season in ’11, so the Marlins may be looking to trade him. This would hurt the team as Ramirez is a phenomenal player to say the least, but could definitely bring in a lot in return through a trade, as well as give them even MORE money to spend possibly. That’s all I got on Miami right now so let’s move on for the moment. Houston Street was rumored to be traded to the Padres earlier today for a prospect, with the Rockies eating $8 million on his contract. That is apparently false, although the deal may still happen at some point. The padres were also looking into signing K-Rod which seems like it won’t happen at this point. The Padres are aggressively trying to fill the closer roll Heath Bell left open when moving to Miami, but it isn’t quite certain who will fill the void yet. I also hear that the Yankees have won the right to negotiate with shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima and this time it appears to be true (I think). As for free agent CJ Wilson, it looks like he may be going to the Angels, nothing done yet, but that’s where I’d be putting my money if I was a betting man. Nate McLouth and Erik Bedard appear to have been signed by the Pirates. The Pirates had a little more success that usual last year; let’s see if these additions can help things get even a little better for these notorious bottom dwellers. Finally it appears David Ortiz will accept arbitration with the Red Sox and not sign a multi-year deal. That’s all I got for now.

The Mets Doing Business

The Mets traded Angel Pagan to the Giants for Ramon Ramirez and Andres Torres. They also signed Frank Francisco to a 2 year $12 million deal, and Jon Rauch to a 1 year $3.5 million deal. The signing of Rauch and Francisco are great moves, helping their horrendous bullpen greatly, without long term commitments or overspending on a flooded relief pitching market. This will certainly help their bullpen greatly along with Ramon Ramirez acquired in the trade with the Giants. This is a good sign for the Mets as they are making quality moves, and with their organization in shambles that is a nice thing to see. Getting Andres Torres is certainly a downgrade over Angel Pagan in my mind, but a worthy downgrade with the addition of Ramirez to the deal, so the Mets may not be getting big named players like they tried to do in the recent past, but they are building a team that might not lose every single game next season. They likely don’t have much more money to spend this offseason though as they’ve said they had $20-25 million and they are at like $20 million, but it’s been money well spent. Unrelated to the Mets (I’m assuming they aren’t in on one) there are rumored to be some blockbusters in the work. Whether they get done or not is uncertain, but the Indians seem they might be involved in one so watch out for that. Also Andrew Bailey might be on his way to Boston in a package with Josh Reddick and some prospects. This would mean the Sox are relying on Darnell McDonald, and or Ryan Kalish in right field, unless they go out and get someone. I suggest they get someone else if they lose Reddick. Also Gio Gonzalez could be leaving Oakland as Bailey might, but it would take 3-4 very good prospects, but Gonzalez is the kind of pitcher you expect to give up top prospects for, although 4 would be a lot. Stay tuned, I think the next day or two will have some good action. If you want to hear about it, come here because I give you what you need to hear.

Rumor Mill: Winter Meetings 2011 Edition

Winter meetings for baseball, if nothing else, equals a pleather of rumors. True, false, or something in between, but how can you tell? You can’t! Early stages of rumors are generally the least reliable and I don’t put too much into anything until I hear multiple sources that are generally good, say they are so. A lot have been spreading and I’m here to spread them some more, although at this point I feel I actually have a pretty good grasp on what is going on (said optimistically). The big one so far, is that the Marlins have reportedly offered Albert Pujols a 10 year deal most likely with an annual salary exceeding $20mil. Pujols decided not to sign a deal with the Cardinals last year because he wanted more than the $22mil per year they were offering for 9 years. So assuming this deal is greater in per year salary, and taking into consideration the money the Marlins have already spent, the Marlins will have spent more money this offseason than their entire payroll in the last 9 seasons combined if they sign him. Now Pujols wants a no trade clause and the Marlins “don’t do those” so that’s another obstacle, there is no guarantee this deal will get done, but it’s looking more and more likely. Two trades to report, Twins send Kevin Slowey to the Rockies for a player to be named, this should help the Rockies pitching staff add depth, Slowey definitely a quality pitcher, although last year was tough on him with a 6.67ERA in a small 14 game showing. White Sox sent Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays for Nestor Molina. Santos is a solid arm for the Jays pen as he had 92 punchouts in just under 64 innings last season, he will be immediate help for them. Molina will be in the minors almost certainly next season but he will add to a barren farm system in the south side Chicago organization (not that the north side is any better in that department). Molina split time between A/AA and compiled 148k’s/16BB’s in 130.1 innings. I like the deal a lot for Chicago. A few names that are also on the trade block are Kyle Loshe of the Cardinals, John Danks of the White Sox, and Andrew Bailey of the Athlestics, among others. I heard that the Red Sox won the bidding war on shortstop Nakajima, but then heard this was FALSE, Cherington (Sox GM) says they didn’t even put in a bid! Crazy rumors. While there definitely some moves at the winter meetings, don’t expect a ton. A lot of times the meetings are just a spring board for deals to come later. A lot depends on arbitration cases, which are generally very much up in the air at this point, and it can be hard to get deals done in such a short span when there are so many deals to be made. Some other things I’m hearing, Fielder likely done in Milwaukee. The Red Sox offered David Ortiz 2 year deal worth $18 million, but Ortiz wants $25 million, so they are still working on it, the Sox would most likely like to get something done since Ortiz will make a killing in arbitration, which in my opinion they shouldn’t have offered him. I don’t find him to be worth arbitration, and feel the Sox were in the driver’s seat because Ortiz’s market seems bleak. Follow me on twitter @ryandana1 to stay posted on the latest news, or keep checking my blog as I will update with news as much as I can. Gotta love them winter meetings!

Marlins Hook Reyes

Like I said, Heath Bell just the first big name to land in Miami this offseason. Second, Jose Reyes, who just inked a 6 year $106 million deal. Also I apologize for not mentioning the Marlins also landed Ozzie Guillen, who should be recognized as a big name acquisition, however he is a manager so I’m just talking about players in this case. Jose Reyes who has had durability issues in the past, played 126 games this past season which isn’t that bad so hopefully he can play at least that many in Miami for years to come. He was the NL batting champ this past season, 5^th in the NL in runs and 6^th in stolen bases. He was probably the most coveted free agent outside of Pujols and Fielder this offseason. The Marlins now have filled a void at 3^rd base as it’s assumed Hanley Ramirez will move their while Reyes takes shortstop, also this will give them a stud leadoff hitter in Reyes. It’s being said that the Marlins are now focusing their attentions on Pujols, which to me is very unlikely of actually happening, but if it did that would certainly shift the dynamics of the NL East. They are also continuing to pursue CJ Wilson and Mark Buherle. The winter meetings are now upon us so we may see them land someone else big soon. This proves the Marlins are definitely committed to spending money and competing this offseason. With Reyes gone from the Mets, as well as virtually everyone else besides David Wright and Johan Santana, look for the Mets to listen to offers for the two remaining vets. Replacing Reyes at short for the Mets will most likely be Ruben Tejada, the young shortstop prospect. The Mets are clearly in a rebuilding phase, and the Marlins are clearly in a reloading phase. Reyes seems to be a risk due mostly to durability, not production concerns, so only time will tell if this is truly a good signing. I guess the Marlins decided they’d rather go big than go home this year.

The First Domino To Fall?

Heath Bell signs a 3 year $27 million, with the Miami Marlins. Does this trigger more players to join Bell in Miami? The Marlins are a few moves away from being serious contenders even though Bell is the first real move they’ve made this offseason. The have young star on the rise Mike Stanton in right field, Hanley Ramirez at Short (or possibly third), and some pretty decent players in Gaby Sanchez and Omar Infante on the right side of the infield. Logan Morrison a good young prospect in his own right patrolling left field (just had surgery on his right knee, should be ready for start of spring training), starting pitchers Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, and Anibel Sanchez are a solid group. They have the makings of a good team, they really could use a center fielder and someone to play the left side of the infield with Ramirez, and then bolster their pitching staff. Jose Reyes and CJ Wilson are said to be the Marlins primary targets in free agency and if they acquired them which isn’t out of the question at all, they would certainly compete for the NL East. It’s been said the Marlins are looking to add 2 more starting pitchers, most likely sign one and trade for another. Assuming they add two solid guys, and a bat or two, they should be a team to watch, even in a division with the Phillies and Braves. Bell is a very good closer, we might have just witnessed his prime, but no doubt he’s a good edition for the bullpen. Maybe slightly overpaid for, but I think this means the Marlins are serious. So who’s next to take their talents to south beach?

Some Acquisitions To Catch Up On

I haven’t made to many posts lately so here’s one to catch up on some player acquisitions of late. One story that will have implications beyond the players involved in the swap is Chris Iannetta being dealt from the Rockies to the Angels for Tyler Chatwood. This will help the Rockies add to their young pitching options, and make a spot available for Ramon Hernandez. Colorado is rumored to be a favorite destination for Hernandez to land, in order for the veteran to handle the young pitching staff with prospect Wilin Rosario. This also gives the Angels a guy who will most likely see at least a solid share of the catching duties in 2012. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have made their first big move with the cubs (still waiting on that compensation issue to be dealt with…anyways) signing David DeJesus to play right field for them on a 2 year $9 million deal with an option for a 3^rd year. DeJesus had a down year with Oakland in 2011 but was a solid player for Kansas City from 2003-2010. He’ll look to bounce back as the cubs look to actually win some games this season. Now to a player who I’ve been saying is under the radar, Jonathan Broxton signs a 1 year deal with Kansas City for $4 million with $1 million more in incentives. The former Dodger closer will be KC’s setup man while trying to rebound from elbow surgery. Broxton is still young and if he pitches like he is capable of, it will be quite the bargain, we’ll see how he holds up along with their closer Soria, as he has had his share of shoulder problems. Broxton a good arm out of the pen, and insurance policy for Soria. Some good action in the offseason so far and the winter meetings just around the corner, the hot stove is going to heat up, prepare yourselves.

The MLB Offseason Rolls On, Not Too Many Big Splashes Just Yet Though

To keep you up to date I’m going to quickly run you by some news in the MLB of late. Veteran 36 year old defensive stud Jose Molina signs a 1 year deal worth $1.5 million to play for the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays didn’t bring back Shoppach and traded Jaso, so this fills a need for them, Molina is not a great offensive player but will be a good fit for an always young Rays team who could use leaders like Molina, I think it’s a great fit. It’s been reported that the Phillies reached out to retired closer Billy Wagner to see if he had any interest in coming back and joining their bullpen. He said no, and they moved on signing Jonathan Papelbon. They could still probably use another solid veteran arm in their bullpen, but Madson could come back to them in arbitration, or they could add someone with free agency, there is still a lot of good value arms out there. They say it is not a necessity to bring in another vet to the pen, but I think if they don’t now it will continue to eat away their farm system because they almost certainly would need one or more at the trade deadline. Miami Marlins continue to make people believe they will spend money on some big name free agent this offseason as they had CJ Wilson visit today. Wilson one of the top, if not the top starting pitcher available in this year’s free agency is among good company in sparking the interest of the Marlins. The Marlins have been said to be interested in pretty much everyone on the market from Pujols to Buehrle to Reyes, and now Wilson. A lot of experts are saying they like Miami to land Reyes, which I can’t argue with the fact that it is a strong possibility. This would most likely end with Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez moving to 3B. Finally Johnny Narron was named Brewers hitting coach to replace Dale Sveum who recently became manager of the Chicago Cubs. Narron was a big part of Josh Hamilton’s reemergence to baseball relevancy when he came back with the Cincinnati Reds and when he was traded to the Texas Rangers. Let’s see what he does with what should be a very good Milwaukee lineup next season.

Arbitration: 2011 Edition

I just wanted to take some time to talk about players offered arbitration in 2011. I’ll just focus on the ones I find interesting, but feel free to ask about other one’s as well, which can easily be looked up online at a site like MLB.com. First case I’d like to bring up as interesting. Francisco Rodriguez of the Milwaukee Brewers. Rodriguez, if he accepts, would be due a one year raise from the 13.5 million dollars he made last season. Certainly the Brewers are hoping he declines in search of a longer deal (arbitration only being for one year) and a chance to be a closer for a team again. (Axford is the Brewers closer and Rodriguez was mainly a setup man). However, if Rodriguez accepts, this will certainly hinder the Brewers in the free agent market if they want to resign Prince Fielder, or sign Jimmy Rollins, whom they have a significant interest in. As a type A free agent (while the term lasts) the Brewers are hoping this lands them compensation picks, which would make this move good, but if Rodriguez likes the money then they are more or less screwed. David Ortiz, who made $12.5 million last year, was offered salary arbitration by the Red Sox. That’s an awful lot of money for a player seemingly without anywhere else to go. There isn’t a huge market of the aging 35 year old DH who is in search of a multi-year deal. The likelihood in my mind that he ends up in a uniform that doesn’t say “Boston” on the front of it are slim to none. That was my view before arbitration as well, but I have to feel like he will accept as this is a lot of money and a guarantee that he gets to play next season. I feel like Boston would have been better to not offer him arbitration and sign him for less. I doubt he declines and signs somewhere else, but in that case the Sox would pick up compensation making this a good move. Maybe these two teams are banking on the fact that only 2 of 27 players offered arbitration last year accepted. I’d like to say that offering Josh Willingham, Michael Cuddyer, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Madson, Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson, and obviously Fielder, Pujols, Reyes, Rollins, and Wilson were all good moves. On a final note, interesting to me, Carlos Beltran could not be offered arbitration due to a provision in his contract which leaves the question of where he will land still very much up in the air. Arbitration day is a gamble, we’ll see who appear to be the winners and loser on December 7^th, the deadline to accept, which a bunch of players will probably wait for to make their decision.

Brew Crew GM Time

A lot of people are asking what their favorite teams should do, or saying what their favorite teams should do this offseason. I’m going to play a little General Manager here, and try and make some moves for a team. Note I don’t have inside information only what’s provided online and what I can assume so I don’t know exactly how much they are willing to spend or anything like that, but this is what I would do, or something like it for the Brewers. Braun Morgan and Hart from left to right is a solid outfield, no need to do anything there. Weeks at 2B is good and I’d be content with Lucroy behind the dish. Axford closing, and Gallardo, Greinke, and Marcum as my 1-2-3 starters is also fine by me, this is a good framework the Brewers have. Major needs at SS, 1B, 3B, bullpen depth, and maybe starting pitching depth. I don’t really trust Gamel at 1B, and Wolf and Narveson are ok options at the end of the rotation but they could do better. So first of all the Brewers actually have a lot of young arms in the minors that should be ready in the upcoming few seasons. They may be able to give bullpen help this year if needed, so the bullpen isn’t vital to make moves for. At SS I’m looking at Reyes, Rollins, Alex Gonzalez, Betancourt and Furcal. At 1B I’m looking at Fielder, Pujols, Overbay, Pena, Kotchman, and Conor Jackson.  In my opinion they don’t have any key needs in their lineup say leadoff cleanup or whatever, they have some good hitters who can be moved around without too much hassle. So I’d guys I think have the best value not someone to necessarily fit a lineup. Tough decision but I like Reyes (as I cringe with the fear of injury) so I would make him a priority If I don’t get Fielder back. I don’t overpay for any of these guys though so I may have to move down the line. Rollins is not my first choice, he will probably be vastly overpaid, but who knows, so I’d say I’m looking at Furcal. Either way I’m going to get one of these guys. At first I try and Get Fielder, there is more 1B’s I like on the market but he makes my lineup the most dynamic so he’s still priority #1 overall. Now if I miss out on Fielder I’m probably going hard to get Reyes. If that happens I look to Pena at 1B, he gets on base, he has power, he is my second rate Prince Fielder. Pena would command a lot less money, but if I missed on him I would probably go Kotchman. Conor Jackson I think I would sign no matter what. I feel a lot more comfortable with Casey McGehee at 3B if I can put Jackson there if he falters, not to mention Jackson can play 1B, RF, LF too. So here are my two paths. 1. I sign Fielder, then I get Furcal hopefully. I still sign Conor Jackson because he has good value for my team in any case. 2. I sign Reyes, I sign either Pena or Kotchman to play 1B (with Gamel seeing a little time too) and I sign Jackson to give me depth everywhere. 3B I keep my eyes out for trades, I have solid backups everywhere in each situation, so I look to the bullpen if I have more money left. Finally, last concerns, I could use a utility guy, and or setup help, which I do not add in these scenarios but I could. (I would send some bullpen guy down or trade him if I signed setup help, if I add utility guy Gamel probably gets the boot to AAA or trade.) Sample lineups

1.       Furcal, Weeks, Braun, Fielder, Hart, Jackson, Lucroy, Morgan, P

2.       Reyes, Weeks, Braun, Hart, Pena, Jackson, Lucroy, Morgan, P

Bench in either case: McGehee, C. Gomez, Farris, Gamel, Kottaras

Rotation: Gallardo, Greinke, Marcum, Wolfe, Narveson

Bullpen: K. Loe, M. Estrada, B. Kintzler, M. Parra, T. Dillard, J. Axford, Pinero*

*I add Pinero for SP and RP depth, I put him in the bullpen.

Cuban Hitting Missiles: Yoenis Cespedes

The uber Cuban center fielding prospect Yoenis Cespedes, is the buzz of late in a lot of baseball circles. He is said to be a 5 tool player, possibly the best all-around player to come from his home country of Cuba in a generation. You guessed it, he wants to be paid like it too. People are projecting him to get Aroldis Chapman money, so $30 million plus, like the super Cuban defector prospect of the 2009-2010 offseason. Major difference besides position, Cespedes is 26 and considered by some to be in his prime (I believe he might need another year or two) and Chapman is still only 23 as of today, so he has needed a little more development than Cespedes should demand. Cespedes is said to have plus power and speed, which I’m buying, but the transition from playing in Cuba to playing in the MLB will not be seamless, so I think he’s going to take a year or two to reach his potential, yet I too have fallen for this prospect. It’s hard not to like the guy after watching his YouTube video. Sorry the original was taken down, so I could only get the edited version. In this video of roughly 18 minutes in length, Cespedes shows off his fielding skills (and I can’t lie his behind the back catches are just impressive), his power (he hits bombs), and his athleticism (he’s got speed, he’s got bounce, he’s got strength, he’s impressive). I wish he showed off his arm a bit more/at all, but I trust scouts who say it’s superb as they have been right about the rest of his abilities it appears. Now in case you haven’t seen the original version I’m here to say you are missing out. The edit cuts out the good music that was previously on the video, and my favorite scene. The scene at the end which is not shown on this version is of a pig roast (I know random, but it’s on there). In it Cespedes tends to the fire under where the pig is cooking, it was awesome like the rest of the showcase video. He’s going to be a big deal in the MLB soon, so remember the name, Yoenis Cespedes. And watch whatever amount of the showcase video you can handle, it’s actually a good view even though it’s somewhat lengthy. A lot of teams are interested, so he could be coming to a city near you very soon. I wish this man the best in the MLB because he seems like a standup guy, and he has a lot of talent that I’d hate to see go to waste. Good luck Yoenis.

Under The Rader Free Agents

Alright, so I’ve compiled a list of unsigned free agents in 2011 as of 11-18, that are not type A or B, so they won’t cost a team any draft picks, and not ranked in the ESPN top 50 free agents. I believe they are under the radar yet worth a look and I’ll explain what I like about each of them. Jonathan Broxton, Casey Kotchman, Chris Capuano, Rich Harden, Conor Jackson, Joel Zumaya, Chris Young, Jack Wilson, Dontrelle Willis, and Brandon Webb. Jonathan Broxton, not a good or healthy 2011 but still young (27) and was once a very effective reliever, if healthy could go close games for any team. I think he’ll definitely bounce back and be a productive bullpen arm. Casey Kotchman, signed a minor league free agent deal with Tampa last year and all he did was hit .306/.378/.422. On top of that, he’s a pretty good defensive first baseman. I’m taking a chance on him no doubt. Chris Capuano, probably better suited for the NL, still a solid #3-5 starter depending on where he lands, very dependable in my book. Rich Harden, will definitely give you headaches, but might be good valued depth for starting pitching. Yes, he is an injury waiting to happen, but he has #2-3 stuff when healthy in my opinion, but do you want to count on him being healthy? Conor Jackson, if given the chance can play some ball. A career .271/.351/.407 hitter, isn’t too shabby. Can play pretty much any corner position, and will most likely be pretty inexpensive. He’s a good value for sure. Joel Zumaya, I pretty much just like his upside as a reliever. Throws hard, has good stuff, has had some success with Detroit. He could be considered risky due to injuries and the fact he hasn’t really put it all together and been dominant to this point, but a high upside guy who’s young and might be worth a look. Chris Young, like Capuano he’s reliable and a solid #3-5 in my eyes. He was pretty much injured all of 2011 (I know real reliable) but his career numbers are solid, and I’m under the impression he will be healthy and ready to bounce back and perform in 2012. Jack Wilson, solid middle infielder, I really like him defensively, and think he’s a good end of the lineup hitter if you need someone. Probably more suited to be a backup infielder, but he’s solid. Dontrelle Willis, well I’d sign him and pray he is a resemblance of that which he once was. Probably won’t get back to his ace status, but if you can sign him cheap might be worth a shot. Brandon Webb, also some injury problems recently like many of the guys on this list, but he was one of the best pitchers in baseball for a while, why not give him a shot? I guess you’d have to take a look at what he’s got at this point, but a guy who was once that good, could be that good again, right? Comment and add anyone you like that you think is under the radar. Tell me what you think of the guys I mentioned.