Blue Man's Top 50 Free Agents & Predictions
1. Daisuke Matsuzaka - Yankees. Unlimited bankroll will obviously give the advantage to the Yankees. Coupled with thier need for a frontline starter, they will be willing to gamble.
2. Alfonso Soriano - Phillies. Philadelphia seems intent on spending some big bucks to acquire another superstar that strikes out a lot. They are taking a gamble that his home runs make up for the Ks.
3. Aramis Ramirez - Dodgers. The Dodgers are looking for a power hitter and as a third baseman, Ramirez would fit with the Dodgers nicely.
4. Barry Zito - Dodgers. The Dodgers' announcement that they would not negotiate for Daisuke Matsuzaka only increases the liklihood of signing Zito. The Mets, Yankees and Red Sox will try to get him, but he seems to prefer to play on the West Coast.
5. Jason Schmidt- Red Sox. Jason Schmidt has shown that he isn't he is all hyped up to be. Don't get me wrong. When he is on, he is one of the best pitchers in the league. But it seems the past couple of years he has been off at least as much as when he is on. That being said, the red Sox are in dire need of pitching.
6. Roger Clemens- Retire. He proved once again that he can still pitch-- if he starts in June. With steroids accusations surfacing, this seems like an appropriate time to call it quits. If for some reason he decides to stick it out, I think it will be with Houston.
7. Carlos Lee - Astros. Almost seems like a foregone conclusion. Lee already lives on Drayton McLane's ranch in the spare bedroom or something like that so it seems appropriate.
8. Gary Mathews, Jr.- White Sox. After a career year, he is generating tons of interest. Although a bit older than most clubs would hope for, he will still play a fine center field and a good enough offense to warrant hois signing.
9. Barry Bonds - Orioles. Any team that is brave/foolish enough to have already announced their interest in a steroid using, aging ball player must be very serious. It will help bring in fans and possibly compete for a bit longer in the tough AL East.
10. Frank Thomas- A's. Reports are already surfacing that a deal is imminent. After his MVP-calibre season, the A's would be foolish to let him go.
11. Jim Edmonds- Cardinals. After his redeeming postseason, he has earned a new contract with the Cards.
12. Jose Guillen - Pirates. Not too many teams are in need of a right fielder, but the Pirates could shift Nady to 1B to make room for Guillen. Because he lost 2006 to injury, Guillen could come pretty cheap.
13. Tom Glavine - Mets. A deal seems rather likely, as the Mets can't afford to lose another pitcher now that it seems Pedro Martinez will miss at least the first half of 2007-- if he even comes back at all.
14. Vicente Padilla - Mets. Omar Minaya seems to feel as if he has to make big-name additions, and in a depleted rotation, this is the biggest that will come.
15. Ray Durham - Giants. The Giants should have a lot of free cash after declining to sign Barry Bonds and Jason Schmidt, and with Durham coming off his best year yet, it makes sense to keep him around. It is a much better choice than Kevin Frandsen.
16. Akinori Iwamura - Indians. The Phillies and Padres will be after him as well, but I think the Indians will prevail, in signing Iwamura. He is versatile and can play either side of the diamond.
17. Greg Maddux - Dodgers. Maddux has already said that he prefers to come back to Los Angeles, and he was excellent in his 73 innings as a Dodger, nearly throwing a couple of no hitters. But, more importantly, the Dodgers need him to help mentor their young arms.
18. Mike Mussina - Yankees. He doesn't seem very interested playing elsewhere.
19. Andy Pettite - Astros. He is in a similar situation as Clemens. Either retire, or play another year with the Astros. I don;t see him fielding any other offers from other teams.
20. Gil Meche- Blue Jays. Seems to be really the only FA pitcher the Jays have a chance to acquire. He is one of the top mid-rotation guys available and would fit nicely in Toronto.
21. Julio Lugo - Red Sox. The Red Sox tried to trade for him this summer and I think they'll snag him this winter. With his adamant desire to play shortstop, that leaves the Red Sox as the only viable option, in my opinion.
22. Kei Igawa- Dodgers. This would be a nice supplement to any ny team for not getting Matsuzaka. Because of all of Matsuzaka's hype, Igawa seems to have been overlooked considerably.
23. Moises Alou - Giants. A player who rubs urine on his own hands is a fitting player for the town that smells like urine.
24. Adam Kennedy - Cardinals. Kennedy could be one of the left-handed bats the Cards need. And the Angels no longer need him now that Howie Kendrick ready.
25. David Dellucci - Cardinals. An affordable, professional, left-handed hitter to play left field. Dellucci could also lead off if need be.
26. Ted Lilly - Giants. Lilly wants to return to the Bay Area, but the A's won't have him. Which means he will probably get stuck in San Francisco.
27. Jeff Weaver - Cardinals. The Cards obviously need a couple of starters. Weaver has had success under Dave Duncan after his career appeared over while pitching for the Angels. Even with the World Series heroics and Scott Boras he could be a mild bargain.
28. Jeff Suppan - Orioles. Jeff Suppan is probably going to be one of the worst signings this offseason. Someone will give him a multi-year deal, and I can see the Orioles making such an awful move.
29. Luis Gonzalez - Giants. He's old and the Giants seem to love that in a player. Todd Linden may be worth a shot in right but the Giants need some kind of stability in left.
30. Nomar Garciaparra - Angels. Even with a possible Miguel Tejada acquisition, Nomar can come in and play some first base or DH. He'd have some name value as an acquisition for the Halos.
31. Frank Catalanotto - Rangers. Not only is he a former Ranger, but they tried to trade for him this summer.
32. Dave Roberts - Rockies. The Rockies are going to find a center fielder one way or another. Roberts looks like that guy. He's a helpful player but may have a hard time playing above average CF defense and staying healthy.
33. Woody Williams - Astros. Williams has been rumored a future Astro for some time, and it seems like an approproate time for those rumors to come true.
34. Trot Nixon - Phillies. This signing might hinge on a Burrell trade, but I can see Nixon in Philly.
35. Kenny Lofton - Rangers. Someone has to fill the void in center when Matthews tests the market and finds something better. Much better.
36. Adam Eaton - Mariners. Usually signing hometown guys just because they are hometown guys doesn't make much sense, but in this case it seems to.
37. Randy Wolf - Rangers. It'll be a somewhat risky signing, but the Rangers need some starters. Unless they plan to trade Young or Teixeira, this seems the most logical.I
38. Mark Mulder - A's. Mulder still has friends on the A's and could be a bargain for Billy Beane on an incentive-laden deal. The Orioles have been mentioned as well, but are probably the third choice after the A's and Cards.
39. Kerry Wood - Mets. With questions in their rotation, he may be worth the gamble to Minaya.
40. Eric Gagne - Dodgers. Gagne seems like he truly wants to stay in Los Angeles and if a team is going to give him an incentive laden contract, it may as well be the Dodgers.
41. Rich Aurilia - Cubs. He'd be a fine fit as the Cubs' second baseman for a year, even with Freddy Bynum, Ronny Cedeno and Ryan Theriot there.
42. Mark DeRosa - Phillies. There have definitely been some whispers that former UPenn player DeRosa might jump to Philly if they offer him a starting job. How about third base?
43. Joe Borowski - Giants. There aren't a lot of decent closers out there. The Giants are in dire need of bull pen help. He's one guy who could slide into middle relief without a tantrum if Armando Benitez actually shows something.
44. Aubrey Huff - Padres. Although some think the team could try Russell Branyan as the starting 3B, I think Kevin Towers will go after some kind of "name" player, with Huff as a decent option. Afterall, the Padres have quite a bit of money to burn.
45. Craig Wilson - Blue Jays. J.P. Ricciardi has liked Wilson for some time, and now he has a need for a LF or DH depending on where Adam Lind plays. I think Wilson would come out to Canada for a chance at a regular role and a team that respects his abilities.
46. Ryan Klesko - Tigers. In Klesko we have a patient left-handed slugger on the cheap who claims he's finally healthy. Why not throw him a few mil to find out? He would be a good fit in Detroit.
47. Kevin Millar - Orioles. Perhaps his second half resurgence saved him. I can't find too many other teams where Millar could be mostly a regular, so he might sign for a little less to stay another year.
48. Miguel Batista - Rockies. One of the game's best groundballers would work in the Colorado rotation. He wouldn't be spectacular, but the Rockies need a starter or two.
49. Orlando Hernandez. Blue Jays. The Blue Jays obviously want to compete in the AL East. To do so, they need an extra starter.
50. Mike Piazza. Angels. He could be a pretty decent DH for Anaheim.
2. Alfonso Soriano - Phillies. Philadelphia seems intent on spending some big bucks to acquire another superstar that strikes out a lot. They are taking a gamble that his home runs make up for the Ks.
3. Aramis Ramirez - Dodgers. The Dodgers are looking for a power hitter and as a third baseman, Ramirez would fit with the Dodgers nicely.
4. Barry Zito - Dodgers. The Dodgers' announcement that they would not negotiate for Daisuke Matsuzaka only increases the liklihood of signing Zito. The Mets, Yankees and Red Sox will try to get him, but he seems to prefer to play on the West Coast.
5. Jason Schmidt- Red Sox. Jason Schmidt has shown that he isn't he is all hyped up to be. Don't get me wrong. When he is on, he is one of the best pitchers in the league. But it seems the past couple of years he has been off at least as much as when he is on. That being said, the red Sox are in dire need of pitching.
6. Roger Clemens- Retire. He proved once again that he can still pitch-- if he starts in June. With steroids accusations surfacing, this seems like an appropriate time to call it quits. If for some reason he decides to stick it out, I think it will be with Houston.
7. Carlos Lee - Astros. Almost seems like a foregone conclusion. Lee already lives on Drayton McLane's ranch in the spare bedroom or something like that so it seems appropriate.
8. Gary Mathews, Jr.- White Sox. After a career year, he is generating tons of interest. Although a bit older than most clubs would hope for, he will still play a fine center field and a good enough offense to warrant hois signing.
9. Barry Bonds - Orioles. Any team that is brave/foolish enough to have already announced their interest in a steroid using, aging ball player must be very serious. It will help bring in fans and possibly compete for a bit longer in the tough AL East.
10. Frank Thomas- A's. Reports are already surfacing that a deal is imminent. After his MVP-calibre season, the A's would be foolish to let him go.
11. Jim Edmonds- Cardinals. After his redeeming postseason, he has earned a new contract with the Cards.
12. Jose Guillen - Pirates. Not too many teams are in need of a right fielder, but the Pirates could shift Nady to 1B to make room for Guillen. Because he lost 2006 to injury, Guillen could come pretty cheap.
13. Tom Glavine - Mets. A deal seems rather likely, as the Mets can't afford to lose another pitcher now that it seems Pedro Martinez will miss at least the first half of 2007-- if he even comes back at all.
14. Vicente Padilla - Mets. Omar Minaya seems to feel as if he has to make big-name additions, and in a depleted rotation, this is the biggest that will come.
15. Ray Durham - Giants. The Giants should have a lot of free cash after declining to sign Barry Bonds and Jason Schmidt, and with Durham coming off his best year yet, it makes sense to keep him around. It is a much better choice than Kevin Frandsen.
16. Akinori Iwamura - Indians. The Phillies and Padres will be after him as well, but I think the Indians will prevail, in signing Iwamura. He is versatile and can play either side of the diamond.
17. Greg Maddux - Dodgers. Maddux has already said that he prefers to come back to Los Angeles, and he was excellent in his 73 innings as a Dodger, nearly throwing a couple of no hitters. But, more importantly, the Dodgers need him to help mentor their young arms.
18. Mike Mussina - Yankees. He doesn't seem very interested playing elsewhere.
19. Andy Pettite - Astros. He is in a similar situation as Clemens. Either retire, or play another year with the Astros. I don;t see him fielding any other offers from other teams.
20. Gil Meche- Blue Jays. Seems to be really the only FA pitcher the Jays have a chance to acquire. He is one of the top mid-rotation guys available and would fit nicely in Toronto.
21. Julio Lugo - Red Sox. The Red Sox tried to trade for him this summer and I think they'll snag him this winter. With his adamant desire to play shortstop, that leaves the Red Sox as the only viable option, in my opinion.
22. Kei Igawa- Dodgers. This would be a nice supplement to any ny team for not getting Matsuzaka. Because of all of Matsuzaka's hype, Igawa seems to have been overlooked considerably.
23. Moises Alou - Giants. A player who rubs urine on his own hands is a fitting player for the town that smells like urine.
24. Adam Kennedy - Cardinals. Kennedy could be one of the left-handed bats the Cards need. And the Angels no longer need him now that Howie Kendrick ready.
25. David Dellucci - Cardinals. An affordable, professional, left-handed hitter to play left field. Dellucci could also lead off if need be.
26. Ted Lilly - Giants. Lilly wants to return to the Bay Area, but the A's won't have him. Which means he will probably get stuck in San Francisco.
27. Jeff Weaver - Cardinals. The Cards obviously need a couple of starters. Weaver has had success under Dave Duncan after his career appeared over while pitching for the Angels. Even with the World Series heroics and Scott Boras he could be a mild bargain.
28. Jeff Suppan - Orioles. Jeff Suppan is probably going to be one of the worst signings this offseason. Someone will give him a multi-year deal, and I can see the Orioles making such an awful move.
29. Luis Gonzalez - Giants. He's old and the Giants seem to love that in a player. Todd Linden may be worth a shot in right but the Giants need some kind of stability in left.
30. Nomar Garciaparra - Angels. Even with a possible Miguel Tejada acquisition, Nomar can come in and play some first base or DH. He'd have some name value as an acquisition for the Halos.
31. Frank Catalanotto - Rangers. Not only is he a former Ranger, but they tried to trade for him this summer.
32. Dave Roberts - Rockies. The Rockies are going to find a center fielder one way or another. Roberts looks like that guy. He's a helpful player but may have a hard time playing above average CF defense and staying healthy.
33. Woody Williams - Astros. Williams has been rumored a future Astro for some time, and it seems like an approproate time for those rumors to come true.
34. Trot Nixon - Phillies. This signing might hinge on a Burrell trade, but I can see Nixon in Philly.
35. Kenny Lofton - Rangers. Someone has to fill the void in center when Matthews tests the market and finds something better. Much better.
36. Adam Eaton - Mariners. Usually signing hometown guys just because they are hometown guys doesn't make much sense, but in this case it seems to.
37. Randy Wolf - Rangers. It'll be a somewhat risky signing, but the Rangers need some starters. Unless they plan to trade Young or Teixeira, this seems the most logical.I
38. Mark Mulder - A's. Mulder still has friends on the A's and could be a bargain for Billy Beane on an incentive-laden deal. The Orioles have been mentioned as well, but are probably the third choice after the A's and Cards.
39. Kerry Wood - Mets. With questions in their rotation, he may be worth the gamble to Minaya.
40. Eric Gagne - Dodgers. Gagne seems like he truly wants to stay in Los Angeles and if a team is going to give him an incentive laden contract, it may as well be the Dodgers.
41. Rich Aurilia - Cubs. He'd be a fine fit as the Cubs' second baseman for a year, even with Freddy Bynum, Ronny Cedeno and Ryan Theriot there.
42. Mark DeRosa - Phillies. There have definitely been some whispers that former UPenn player DeRosa might jump to Philly if they offer him a starting job. How about third base?
43. Joe Borowski - Giants. There aren't a lot of decent closers out there. The Giants are in dire need of bull pen help. He's one guy who could slide into middle relief without a tantrum if Armando Benitez actually shows something.
44. Aubrey Huff - Padres. Although some think the team could try Russell Branyan as the starting 3B, I think Kevin Towers will go after some kind of "name" player, with Huff as a decent option. Afterall, the Padres have quite a bit of money to burn.
45. Craig Wilson - Blue Jays. J.P. Ricciardi has liked Wilson for some time, and now he has a need for a LF or DH depending on where Adam Lind plays. I think Wilson would come out to Canada for a chance at a regular role and a team that respects his abilities.
46. Ryan Klesko - Tigers. In Klesko we have a patient left-handed slugger on the cheap who claims he's finally healthy. Why not throw him a few mil to find out? He would be a good fit in Detroit.
47. Kevin Millar - Orioles. Perhaps his second half resurgence saved him. I can't find too many other teams where Millar could be mostly a regular, so he might sign for a little less to stay another year.
48. Miguel Batista - Rockies. One of the game's best groundballers would work in the Colorado rotation. He wouldn't be spectacular, but the Rockies need a starter or two.
49. Orlando Hernandez. Blue Jays. The Blue Jays obviously want to compete in the AL East. To do so, they need an extra starter.
50. Mike Piazza. Angels. He could be a pretty decent DH for Anaheim.
posted by Blue Man | 2:51 PM
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