Five Remaining MLB Free Agents Who Can Help a Team

With spring training in full swing, several talented veterans remain unsigned by major league clubs.

With injuries (Joe Nathan) and ineffectiveness starting to show as teams put together rosters, many of these players could find new homes.

Here are five players who could instantly contribute to and improve a major league team.

Joe Beimel, LHP

2009 Team: Colorado Rockies

2009 Statistics: 1-6, 3.58 ERA, 19 BB, 35 K (71 appearances)

Status: Type B, not offered arbitration

Potential Suitors: Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies

Since 2006, when he arrived with the Dodgers, Beimel has been a steady lefty reliever and setup man. He had a slight drop-off in performance last season but also had to play in Coors Field.

He has nasty breaking pitches and a decent fastball. He doesn't pile up strikeouts, but he also rarely has a high ERA. He knows how to get outs.

He could be a fit for any of the listed teams, which could use left-handed help or need a setup guy.

His best option might be Washington or LA, where he has been before and where he could likely work his way into a late-inning role. He won't get big money, but a one- or two-year deal seems in order.

Braden Looper

2009 Team: Milwaukee Brewers

2009 Statistics: 14-7, 5.22 ERA, 64 BB, 100 K (34 starts)

Status: Type B, not offered arbitration

Potential Suitors: Washington Nationals, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians

Looper's numbers last year weren't pretty. His 5.22 ERA was the worst of his career (discarding a four-appearance stint in 1998) and almost a full run higher than his 2008 number (4.16).

His walk and home run totals ballooned to career worsts, and his strikeouts declined slightly.

Looper has decent pitches, but his stuff is starting to decline with age. He isn't fooling batters, and the late movement on his pitches was missing last season.

Still, Looper is a steady back-end starter. He would do best on a team with offensive weapons and stellar defense. He isn't the ideal candidate to mentor a young staff, however.

New York and LA make the most sense, with LA already having veteran pitchers but in need of an insurance starter. The Mets need starters in the worst way, and Looper would be able to fill that dire need effectively.

He shouldn't get more than a one-year deal unless the second year is a team option. His numbers don't seem likely to rebound very far, so he's a stopgap at this point.

Joe Crede

2009 Team: Minnesota Twins

2009 Statistics: .225 AVG, 16 2B, 15 HR, 48 RBI, 29 BB (333 AB)

Status: Free Agent

Potential Suitors: Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals

Crede has battled injuries in recent seasons and has never been a high-average hitter (career batting average: .254). He is a good defensive third baseman and a good short-term option for teams with unprepared prospects or injuries.

He could be a fit with any of the potential suitors listed, but perhaps the most likely are St. Louis and Oakland, where there are serious questions surrounding the third base position.

He could also be an injury substitute in Kansas City (Alex Gordon is hurt) or Atlanta (Chipper Jones is getting injury-prone with age).

A return to Minnesota is also possible.

Wherever he lands, Crede will be a positive clubhouse presence, a steady defender, and an average, bottom of the order batter.

Rocco Baldelli

2009 Team: Boston Red Sox

2009 Statistics: .253 AVG, 4 2B, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 11 BB (150 AB)

Status: Free Agent

Potential Suitors: Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners

Finding suitors for Baldelli shouldn't be this hard and is a testament to the glut of talented outfielders in baseball right now.

Still, Baldelli is a fine player when healthy. He worked off the bench in 2009 and could do so again or attempt another run as a starter (if he can find a team in need).

He hits well to all fields and has decent power potential. He sports a .279 career average, which isn't great, but he's a steady player who doesn't strike out much.

2009 was key in that he made it through healthy for a change. He will eventually catch on with someone. He could be a fit with the Mets or Cubs, who have questions in their outfields. He could also move to Seattle if the Milton Bradley experiment there goes sour.

Jarrod Washburn

2009 Teams: Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers

2009 Statistics: 9-9, 3.78 ERA, 100 K, 49 BB (28 starts)

Status: Free Agent

Potential Suitors: Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians

Washburn's season was a tale of two halves. With Seattle, he was 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA in 20 starts. He looked quite dominant and was dealt to the pitching-needy Tigers mid-year. He made eight starts for the Tigers, going 1-3 with a 7.33 ERA.

Washburn seemed to be playing hurt, and this season will likely identify which pitcher he is going to be moving forward.

He does not have dominant stuff, but his control and pitch selection are excellent, and he can get outs consistently with good breaking pitches.

He would be a good fit back in Seattle if the money is right, but the Mariners are set to go with what they have. The Mets should be begging him to come to New York. His stuff may play better in the NL.

The Dodgers, Nationals, and Indians are all in need of a veteran arm and could take a run at Washburn if his price is low. He should ink a one-year deal sometime before the end of spring training and could serve as a fourth or fifth starter on a contender.