MLB Rumors: Where Will Adrian Beltre, Carl Pavano and Other Free Agents Go?
Most of the big free agents have already agreed to deals. But even with Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth off the market, there are still plenty of good players available for teams still looking to finish their offseason shopping.
Here's a look at the top 10 remaining free agents and where they might end up.
10. Derrek Lee
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Derrek Lee is one of many first basemen still available, joining a crop that includes Adam LaRoche, Jorge Cantu and Xavier Nady.
The 35-year-old is probably the best of the bunch and had a respectable .260/.347/.428 line in 2010. He's good defensively and still has some power (96 home runs in the last four seasons), so teams are definitely taking an interest.
Thus far the Diamondbacks, Athletics, Orioles, Padres, Blue Jays and Nationals have been connected to Lee. Arizona is probably out of the race after signing Nady, and the Padres don't have as many dollars to spend. But any of those six teams is still a possibility.
9. Vladimir Guerrero
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The Orioles, Athletics and Rangers all showed interest in the 35-year-old slugger, who hit 29 home runs and put up a .841 OPS last season. He's one of the best hitters available, but at this point in his career he's only capable of being a DH and is not worthy of a long-term commitment.
All signs point to Guerrero returning to Texas, probably on another one-year deal.
8. Johnny Damon
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The only teams linked to the 36-year-old outfielder so far have been the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Yankees. The Dodgers appear to be happy with what they have, the Rays are looking elsewhere and the Yankees don't seem interested.
That's bad news for Damon, who had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2010. He batted only .271 and failed to reach double digits in home runs for the first time since 2001.
Looks like Damon will have to wait till the rest of the free agent pool thins out before landing with a team, most likely as a fourth outfielder and hitter off the bench.
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7. Jim Thome
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The same teams competing for Guerrero's services are also competing for Thome's services. The 40-year-old can still definitely rake, though. He hit 25 home runs for the Twins last season to go along with a 1.039 OPS.
Whichever teams lose out on Guerrero (Orioles, Athletics, Rangers) will probably turn to Thome as their fallback option. A return to Minnesota is also a possibility.
6. Brad Penny
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Penny only made nine starts for the Cardinals in 2010 but pitched reasonably well with a 3.23 ERA in 55.2 innings. He comes with a fair amount of risk because he hasn't been great since 2007. But the 32-year-old may still be one of the best starters available.
The Yankees could take a chance on him as a reclamation project, but Penny would probably be best suited staying away from the AL East. The Detroit Tigers are reportedly looking to upgrade their rotation, and Penny might be the answer.
5. Manny Ramirez
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Scott Boras continues to hold out for a big deal for his client, but it appears one won't be coming any time soon.
Ramirez's value has taken a major hit since he bombed with the Dodgers and was useless with the White Sox. He hasn't hit 20 home runs since 2008, and his OPS has declined each of the last three seasons.
He'd be lucky to get anything more than a $5 million incentive-laden deal. The Rays and Blue Jays have showed some interest, but there are cheaper DHs available. Zero chance of Ramirez returning to the National League.
4. Rafael Soriano
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Soriano's problem is not a lack of interested suitors. After all, the 30-year-old reliever had one of the best seasons ever for a closer in 2010.
He saved 45 games and finished 11 others. His ERA was a microscopic 1.73, and his WHIP was a league-leading 0.802. He finished eighth in Cy Young voting, so obviously he's got some talent.
The problem is that Soriano is looking for closer money, and there aren't enough teams with that much money to spend on a reliever. The Angels were rumored to be pursuing Soriano heavily, but that pursuit is likely over with the recent signing of Scott Downs.
The Red Sox and Yankees would both love to add Soriano, but they don't want to pay him close to $10 million a year to be a setup man.
There's also the issue of Soriano being a Type A free agent, meaning any team signing him would forfeit its first-round draft pick. The best fit seems to be Tampa Bay, a team in need of a closer and one that wouldn't have to give up a draft pick, but Soriano's price would have to fall to a level where the Rays would be able to afford him.
This could take all winter.
3. Andy Pettitte
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If Pettitte returns next season, and that's a pretty big if right now, then it will be to the New York Yankees for his 17th and probably final season. He's expected to make his decision sometime next week.
2. Carl Pavano
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With Cliff Lee in Philadelphia, Pavano is the best free agent pitcher left. But who's interested?
The Rangers don't want him. The Yankees don't want him. The Tigers don't want him.
The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly among Pavano's most interested suitors, and the Washington Nationals are at least talking with him. Another possibility for the 34-year-old could be a return to Minnesota, where he was 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA in 2010.
Pavano's asking for more than most teams are willing to give him, but he will find a fit sooner rather than later.
1. Adrian Beltre
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This can't be the way that Beltre and his agent, Scott Boras, envisioned the offseason going. First, Jayson Werth got a mega offer. Then Carl Crawford got a six-figure contract. Yet Beltre, one of the best hitters in 2010, is still unemployed.
The Red Sox would have loved him back, but they have Adrian Gonzalez now. The Athletics made him a good offer, but Beltre ignored it. That leaves just two AL West teams after Beltre: the Angels and the Rangers.
The Angels need to make a big move after losing out on Carl Crawford, but Beltre isn't exactly what they had in mind. The Rangers would love to add Beltre, but they'll have to find a place to put Michael Young first.
No clear favorite for the 31-year-old yet, but Beltre won't stay a free agent for much longer.
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