Baseball: Five Free Agent Signings That Make Sense (At Least in My Head)

He will never be confused with an ace, but then again he will cost a lot less than Javier Vazquez. His style would fit very well with the Cardinals, who shored up their already stellar defense by acquiring shortstop Khalil Greene from San Diego yesterday.

In addition, Garland would offer more stability to a rotation that has many questions. Will Chris Carpenter be healthy? Will Todd Wellemeyer repeat his breakthrough 2008 season? What will they get out of Joel Pineiro in 2009?

4. Ben Sheets to the Rangers

There is no team in baseball that needs starting pitching more than the Rangers do. It's not like they haven't tried before to bring in quality arms (cough...Chan Ho Park, Kevin Millwood, Vincente Padilla), but with each big contract comes another big failure.

Sheets is a different animal, though. He has absolutely filthy stuff and has the potential to be a bona fide ace, but his health has always been up in the air. When healthy, he is one of the best pitchers in baseball...and for the pitching-impaired Rangers, that kind of talent isn't available every day.

So here's a little tip for Texas GM Jon Daniels: Go after Sheets hard, but do not under any circumstances give Sheets a four- or five-year contract. Stick to a one- or two-year deal that would protect the Rangers if Sheets gets hurt.

That would take the risk out of this contract and give the Rangers the ace they have not had in roughly a decade. Plus, I think Sheets would prefer a shorter contract right now so he can prove he can stay healthy and be in line for a huge payday down the road.

5. Trevor Hoffman to the Indians

I know Hoffman might not like the idea of going to Cleveland too much, but if he wants a shot to win, the Indians might be his best bet. The Indians are only a year removed from the ALCS and still have a solid core group of guys. Their 2008 season was ravished by injuries and dominated by the CC Sabathia trade talks, but I look for the Indians to rebound in a big way in 2009.

And that's where Hoffman comes in. It's true that he is no longer a dominant closer and will probably only play for another season or two. But what Hoffman offers the Indians (experience, stability) is much better than anything else they have currently in their bullpen.

Sure, Jensen Lewis is a good pitcher and could wind up one day as a great closer, but for right now he would be better suited as a setup man. The Indians lack depth in the bullpen and they need to find a way to build a bridge to the ninth inning. Signing Hoffman would enable them to begin building that bridge that could lead the Indians back to the playoffs.

And look on the bright side: Hoffman is much better than Joe Borowski!

For more, check out: jorgesaysno.blogspot.com

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