Bleacher Report - Free Agency

Placido Polanco Signs with the Philadelphia Phillies

Jeremiah Graves — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:43:43 -0500

Placido Polanco is coming back to Philly.

After spending four and a half years in Detroit, the Phillies have reportedly signed the 34-year-old to take over as the club’s everyday third baseman.

The contract is believed to be a three-year, $18 million deal with a fourth-year mutual option for 2013.

As is customary with all deals, finalization of the contract is pending a physical.

Polanco spent parts of four seasons in Philadelphia and posted a very solid .297/.352/.439 line during that time while posting of the best power numbers of his career.

The Phillies will be moving Polanco from second base, where he has two Gold Gloves, to third base to replace the departed Pedro Feliz.

Polanco isn’t a stranger to the hot corner, having originally started his career as a third baseman before shifting to second base full-time during his last stint in Philadelphia.

He posted above average numbers at the hot corner, but has only played nine games at third since the end of 2004.

The addition of Polanco gives the Phillies more flexibility in the lineup as well as in the field.

Polanco, a career .303/.348/.414 hitter can hit anywhere in the lineup.

He is renowned for his plate discipline. He struck out once every 14.7 plate appearances last season, good enough for the second-best mark in all of baseball.

Over the past five seasons, he’s averaged just one strikeout per every 17.5 plate appearances, which is also good for second-best in the Majors.

He has hit primarily out of the two-hole in recent years. His penchant for clutch hits and moving runners makes him an ideal candidate to continue that role in Philadelphia.

Another option would be to hit him lower in the order, to allow more turn-over at the bottom of the lineup. Shane Victorino has handled the two-hole in recent years and has thrived in the role.

No matter where manager Charlie Manuel decides to hit him in the lineup, Polanco figures to be an exciting addition to one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball.

The Phillies were rumored to be interested in Mark DeRosa and Adrian Beltre as alternatives at third base, but the Phillies pursued Polanco very aggressively after it was learned that Detroit would not offer him arbitration.

As a Type A free agent, the Tigers could have gained a first-round draft pick and as supplemental pick for Polanco had they offered him arbitration.

Without the offer, Polanco instantly became more attractive as a free agent option.

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2010 All-Free Agent Team – American League

Jeremiah Graves — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:06:04 -0500

This year 171 players filed for free agency. Of the 171 total free agents, 72 are from the American League and 99 are from the National League. Unlike last year’s class of free agents, only a select few in this crop figure to land blockbuster deals. In fact, an increasing number of teams are choosing to improve via trade or by promoting young talent from within the farm system. As such, many of these veterans can expect to sign short-term and/or incentive-laden deals for 2010 and potentially beyond. I’ve taken a look at all of the free agents left on the market and split them up into two 25-man rosters, one for the American League and one for the National League. League affiliation was determined by whichever team a player finished out the 2009 season. In an effort to keep things as realistic as possible, I’ve ensured that each team has a backup catcher, infielder, and outfielder. Additionally, both the AL and NL rosters have been given a 12-man pitching rotation. These teams certainly don’t reflect an All-Star mentality, but rather they give a good indication of how weak this year’s free agent class can be considered. It should be noted that some deserving players were left off of the roster due to position-eligibility concerns. As such, you’ll note some sketchy inclusions and unfortunate exclusions. Without any further ado, let’s take a look at the AL All-Free Agent Team. All stats are provided by Baseball-Reference.com and all salary information is provided by Cot’s Contracts.

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Arizona Diamondbacks: Surveying the Free Agent Landscape

Jeff Summers — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:45:55 -0500

The passing of the deadline for Major League Baseball teams to offer arbitration to their former players clears the landscape slightly in the free agent market.

Players who have been offered arbitration have until Monday to decide whether to accept, but at least now teams know which players will cost them draft choices if they decide to sign them.

Rather than attempt to list all of the players who were denied arbitration, let’s instead take a look and see which players may now be on the Arizona Diamondbacks radar.

Going into this off-season the Diamondbacks identified three areas they hoped to address: starting pitching, relief pitching, and a power hitter with some position flexibility.

I am going to add a fourth need to the list—second base. I can appreciate that the Diamondbacks feel as though some combination of Tony Abreu, Ryan Roberts, and Augie Ojeda will fit the bill, but I do not share their confidence.

In an earlier entry , I offered my recommendations for candidates for the Diamondbacks starting pitcher opening. My preferences were: Jason Marquis, Randy Wolf, Ben Sheets, Brad Penny, Joel Pineiro, and Rich Harden. Let’s see how many of these were offered arbitration.

The Colorado Rockies also saw the value of Marquis and although it seems unlikely he will return to Denver, the team was not about to not get anything in return. Marquis was therefore offered arbitration and it is widely assumed he will decline before Monday.

Like Marquis, Joel Pineiro was offered arbitration. The St. Louis Cardinals are still attempting to sign Pineiro and would be content if he would accept arbitration. It is looking more and more like Pineiro will return to St. Louis. If not, the Cardinals will at least get a draft choice out of his departure.

The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in the unfamiliar position of not being among the big-market spenders. With the ownership going through a messy divorce and several of their young players now reaching arbitration age, the Dodgers are acting more like a mid-market team. They were conservative in their arbitration approach. Pitcher Randy Wolf was not offered arbitration, meaning the team signing him will not have to give up a draft choice.

The Chicago Cubs declined to offer pitcher Rich Harden arbitration making his departure from the Northside all but assured. Harden had been listed as a “Type B Free Agent” meaning the Cubs will not receive a supplemental draft choice if Harden signs elsewhere.

Brad Penny was not offered arbitration by the San Francisco Giants which was expected since Penny did not figure in either the Type A or Type B criteria. Ben Sheets was not under contract last season and therefore he is exempt from the process, meaning the teams would not lose any draft choices if they decided to offer Sheets a contract.

Starting pitchers that were offered arbitration included Los Angeles Angels’ John Lackey, Minnesota Twins’ Carl Pavano, and Oakland A’s Justin Duchscherer. Relief pitchers being offered arbitration include Atlanta’s Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, Colorado’s Rafael Betancourt, Detroit’s Brandon Lyon, and Houston’s Jose Valverde.

It is interesting to note that the two most important components of the Diamondbacks 2007 play-off bound bullpen—Lyon and Valverde—are both available. There will be clamoring by the Diamondbacks faithful to bring them back, but their return seems highly unlikely.

With the trade for Aaron Heilman there are questions of whether the Diamondbacks will be interested in signing another reliever. If so, I expect them to target Houston’s LaTroy Hawkins or possibly White Sox reliever Octavio Dotel. Both Hawkins and Dotel are veterans with a lot of experience—something Josh Byrnes covets.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises for me was the fact that the Dodgers did not offer arbitration to any of their seven free agents—Randy Wolf, Orlando Hudson, Ronnie Belliard, Jon Garland, Guillermo Moto, Will Ohman, and Vincente Padilla.

Second baseman Orlando Hudson is a “Type A Free Agent” so not offering him arbitration cost the Dodgers two draft choices. I still believe the Diamondbacks should explore bringing O-Dog back to solidify the middle of the infield and add a veteran to the clubhouse.

While Hudson does not fit in the Diamondbacks plans for a veteran off the bench, he does give them a switch hitter who is very comfortable in the National League West and has had success against divisional pitchers. And while his defense may not be as good as it was earlier, it is still a far cry better than Roberts, Abreu, or Ojeda.

Now that the players have been identified and teams know which free agents come attached with draft pick compensation, it is time for the off-season wheeling and dealing to finally begin.

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MLB Arbitration Rundown: Who’s Staying, Who’s Going?

Jeremiah Graves — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:52:20 -0500

This year 23 free agents were offered arbitration. Of those 23, ten are Type A free agents and thirteen are Type B. Teams that sign a Type A free agent will lose their first-round pick—if that club finished in the top fifteen in the league—as well as a sandwich pick between rounds one and two of the draft. Teams that sign a Type B free agent do not lose a draft pick, but the team that offered arbitration does receive an additional supplemental round pick. The following players were offered arbitration on Tuesday, and now have until December 7th to decide whether to accept:

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Billy Wagner Signs with the Atlanta Braves

Jeremiah Graves — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:16:58 -0500

That didn’t take long.

Just hours after the deadline for teams to offer arbitration, the Atlanta Braves have reportedly signed free agent closer Billy Wagner to a one-year deal.

The deal is reportedly worth $7 million and has a $6.5 million vesting option for 2011.

The option reportedly becomes guaranteed if Wagner finishes 50 games next season.

As with all pending deals, it won’t become final until Wagner, 38, passes a physical, which he is expected to take Wednesday in Atlanta.

Wagner is a type-A free agent, who was offered arbitration by the Red Sox on Tuesday.

As such, Boston will receive Atlanta’s first-round draft pick in 2010 as well as a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds.

Wagner spent most of last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

He made two strong relief appearances for the New York Mets before he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he served in a setup role to Jonathon Papelbon.

In all, Wagner made a total of 15 appearances for 13.2 innings pitched. He struck out 22 and walked just seven, while giving up three earned runs.

His overall record was 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA and six holds.

Wagner wasn’t shy about his desire to close and made that clear when he agreed to waive his no-trade clause last summer only if Boston agreed not to pick up his $8 million option for 2010.

Wagner is currently ranked sixth all-time in total saves with 385. He is third on the active list behind only Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.

His return to the ninth inning role also gives him an opportunity to garner out the 40 saves he needs to pass John Franco for the all-time record among left-handed pitchers.

Additionally, the Braves give Wagner a chance to win.

He stated that a big reason why he accepted the trade to Boston last year was an “overwhelming desire to pitch in a pennant race.”

The Braves proved last year that they were only a few pieces away from the Wild Card.

As such, Wagner just might get another chance at a pennant race.

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Minnesota’s Free Agent Targets Become Clearer Following Arbitration Deadline

Jeremiah Graves — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:18:08 -0500

Twins general manager Bill Smith had better have the Pohlad’s checkbook ready. As Tuesday night’s 11 p.m. deadline for teams to offer arbitration came and went, it officially sounded the real opening bell on free agency. Don’t get me wrong, I know that free agents, all 171 of them, have been able to sign with teams since November 20th, however, teams rarely sign any Type-A or Type-B free agents prior to the arbitration deadline. If a team signs a player prior to the deadline, the other team will undoubtedly offer arbitration to recoup their losses in the form of draft picks. Tuesday’s deadline, however, was the last opportunity for teams to offer arbitration to free agents. Any players who were offered arbitration now have one week to determine whether or not they’ll accept. Any players who were not offered arbitration just became a whole lot more attractive on the free agent market. The opportunity to sign high-profile players without surrendering draft picks makes them all the more appealing. As such, I’ve taken a look at some of the popular targets for the Minnesota Twins this offseason who were NOT offered arbitration by Tuesday night’s deadline. All of these players who—reportedly and/or hopefully—are on the Twins’ offseason radar are now available, without the added cost of a draft pick. Let the games begin…

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Come To Think Of It: Some Lower Cost, High Upside Options For Cubs

Bob Warja — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:32:13 -0500

We know all too well that the Cubs are financially constrained this winter. In addition to focusing on moving Milton Bradley, GM Jim Hendry has numerous issues to address on a ball club that seriously underachieved in 2009.

But I'm always here to help my friend Jimbo, so, as usual, here are some moves and/or signings that wouldn't necessarily break the bank, yet may provide some high upside for the Cubbies this winter.

Justin Duchscherer

The right-hander didn't pitch in the majors at all this year — in part because of clinical depression — and is now a free agent.

Duchscherer pitched out of the A's bullpen from 2004 through 2007, before moving into their rotation in 2008. He went 10-8 with a 2.54 ERA in 22 starts during what was his second All-Star season.

Duchscherer underwent hip surgery in 2008 and arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow this March. He has been on the disabled list five times in the past four years.

Sound familiar? It should, because there are several similarities to Rich Harden, whom the Cubs have apparently said goodbye to.

But, like Harden, when healthy, this guy can pitch. Unlike Harden, given the fact that he is considered more of a risk, he may be available at a lower cost. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are said to be interested, but it's worth a look.

Marlon Byrd

The 32-year-old outfielder makes for an interesting free agent case. He set career highs with 599 plate appearances, 20 home runs, and 89 RBIs this year. On the other hand, his .329 OBP and 5.3% walk rate fell short of his 2008 marks.

Byrd played all three outfield positions. He played mostly in center field. His defense in center ranked as a slight negative according to UZR/150 ; it was a positive in previous years. John Dewan's plus-minus system also saw Byrd as a slight negative in center.

Playing in the Ballpark At Arlington seemed to help him and his power production seems like an outlier. So Byrd would be somewhat of a risk. But he wouldn't exactly break the bank, either.

Mike Cameron

With Cameron, you pretty much know what you're getting. He will be 37 in January, so a one year contract might be the most I would do.

Cameron can still play an above average center field and offensively, while his .342 OBP didn't set the world on fire, he did walk 75 times, with a .452 SLG and a .795 OPS.

As BleedCubbieBlue points out, "in 138 career PA at Wrigley Field, Cameron has hit .261/.355/.521 with 8 HR, and hits .257/.349/.454 in day games."

David DeJesus

DeJesus may be a left fielder, and we all know that Soriano isn't going anywhere. Still, the Roayls are said to be looking to trade him and if so, count FanGraphs among those that think he has real value.

Matt Klaassen wrote, "As for DeJesus, I have him as about a +10 fielder and a +6 hitter — so he’s also right in that 2.5-3 WAR area." This is similar to Jason Bay.

He’s likely to be worth at least twice as what he’s paid, and he’s just about as good as the far more expensive options on the open market. Hey Jim, it's Dayton Moore on line one.

Ben Sheets

Unless some team overvalues Sheets, and that would be irresponsible given his injury history, Sheets would be worth a gamble with a reasonable one year contract.

I know, we're all tired of the perpetual Kerry Wood/Mark Prior towel throwing, but this is a potential ace willing to sign a reasonable deal to get back on his feet.

Jack Moore of FanGraphs suggested that "Sheets has potential provide value at the level of a John Lackey type pitcher." Yet his price tag will be way, way less than Lackey.

Ryan Spilborghs

It's a crowded outfield in Colorado. I'm tempted instead put Seth Smith here instead, although I think it is much more likely that the Rockies will part company with Spilborghs than Smith.

FanGraphs says this about the Rockies outfielder: "With a .351 career wOBA and passable defense even in center field (-2.1 UZR), he could fill a more important role on another team. Bill James projects him to have a .362 OBP in 2010.

Spilborghs would not start, but let's say the Cubs acquire an outfielder that doesn't hit well against left-handed pitching. This guy could be a bargain as a replacement for Reed Johnson, and they wouldn't have to mortgage the farm to get him.

None of these guys will turn the Cubs into champions, but who knows, they just might stumble onto something, come to think of it.

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Shelley Duncan's Free Agency Offers a Long Overdue Opportunity

Jeremiah Graves — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:23:01 -0500

Shelley Duncan is finally free.

After nine years of indentured servitude in the New York Yankees’ farm system, Duncan is a free agent for the first time.

Unfortunately, Duncan is no longer the long-ball hitting prospect who was drafted in the second-round of the 2001 draft.

He’s now a 30-year-old with just 68 games and 146 at-bats in the big leagues on his resume.

Duncan, the son of St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan, is best remembered for his thunderous debut in the Bronx back in 2007.

Through his first 16 games, Duncan looked like the second-coming of Babe Ruth (or Shane Spencer).

Duncan hit an astounding .317/.391/.756 with six home runs and 13 RBIs in his first 46 big league at-bats. He looked like a star on the rise, until someone decided to start tossing him breaking balls.

He only received another 37 at-bats after his hot start, and rightfully so, over his next 18 games, Duncan “hit” .182/.250/.303 with one home run and four RBIs, all the while piling up strikeouts.

In the two years that followed his Jekyll and Hyde debut, Duncan has only appeared in 34 games, amassing a total of 72 at-bats.

Duncan hasn’t exactly made the most out of his limited opportunities, having produced a dreadful .181/.250/.264 batting line with just one home run and seven runs batted in over various stints the last two seasons.

Numerous teams could show interest in Duncan who can play either corner of the outfield or first base. He’s not going to win any Gold Gloves, but he isn’t a butcher in the field either.

Duncan has shown that he can hit left-handed pitching pretty well and, if nothing else, could serve as part of a platoon.

He did, however, post a cumulative line of .271/.368/.533 with 68 home runs and 226 RBIs in parts of four seasons at Triple-A.

In those four partial seasons his total at-bats equaled out to roughly two-full seasons of big league at-bats, thus making his production all the more impressive.

Obviously, the big-time power potential is there, so a starting gig isn’t entirely out of the question.

Given his attachment to the city of New York, it is conceivable that Duncan could sign-on with the Yankees’ cross-town rival, the New York Mets.

The Mets currently have question marks at both left field and first base. Additionally, the club is looking to add more power to the lineup.

The Mets are just one of many logical options for Duncan.

The St. Louis Cardinals are another seemingly perfect fit.

Duncan could be reunited with his father and—barring the club’s attempts to bring back Matt Holliday—there may be an opening in left field next season.

These are just two of the potentially limitless options Duncan should have this offseason.

He is finally free and should be able to choose from what should be a hearty stock of suitors this offseason.

His positional flexibility and power potential will make him intriguing to numerous clubs looking for cheaper alternatives to high-priced marquee free agents.

Duncan should use his new found freedom to choose a team that offers him the one thing the Yankees failed to in nearly a decade, a real opportunity.

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The Chicago Bulls Should Pursue Allen Iverson

TAB BAMFORD — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:16:43 -0500

I know, Allen Iverson's retiring from the NBA. Or at least that's what he says.

The fact is that Iverson is leaving the game on someone else's terms. He's one of the greatest guards of his, or any, generation, and the game is forcing him out. After 14 years, there's nowhere for the former MVP and scoring champ to go.

Really?

In my mind, there's a perfect situation for Iverson, where he could contribute in a way that makes him happy enough to stay around and that also benefits the team. Iverson's a perfect fit for the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls are young and have issues scoring the basketball. They've scored over 100 points only once, and have been held under 90 five times already this year. Their roster is filled with skinny tweeners whose defense can only take a team so far. For the Bulls, it will probably be the Draft Lottery next summer.

One specific problem the Bulls are facing is their bench.

This past summer they let Ben Gordon, their uber-sixth man, walk away as a free agent (he landed in Detroit). Gordon was lights out off the bench, and when he came in, it appeared he had the option to shoot the second he got his hands on the ball.

But the Bulls didn't want to commit long term—or the substantial dollars for which Gordon was asking—to a player his size and who plays such little defense. With the legendary 2010 Free Agent Class coming, nobody wanted to spend money for longer than one season.

When Gordon left, the calculated risk the Bulls were taking was that someone, somewhere on their bench, would pick up his scoring. That risk has fallen flat. Nobody's scoring off the Bulls bench.

In fact, the Bulls head to Thanksgiving with only four players averaging double-digits in points per game this year. Luol Deng is currently the team's leading scorer at only 17.5 points per night, a number that represents a bad year for Iverson.

Iverson could join a team that has such luminaries as Jannero Pargo and Lindsay Hunter on the payroll, a team whose leading scorer off the bench is Kirk Hinrich at barely over eight points per game.

Why wouldn't the Bulls at least pick up the phone?

Iverson could join a team that's played with Gordon rarely passing the ball for years. The role isn't new, and the chemistry wouldn't completely change. By letting Iverson play freely and shoot at will, he would likely be more comfortable coming off the bench.

There's something else to consider when thinking about the Bulls adding Iverson: dollars. The Bulls don't run the United Center any more.

The Blackhawks are the trendy team in Chicago now. They're the organization selling out games and jerseys and hats and sweatshirts.

Bringing in a player with Iverson's resume would give the Bulls marketing they lack in their own building. While the Bulls struggle to stay in the middle of the pack in their division, the Blackhawks are adding one of the best scoring wingmen in hockey to a team that's already considered one of, if not the best in the entire NHL.

I'm not saying the Bulls need to sign Iverson to compete with Marian Hossa and the Hawks, but their marketing department wouldn't mind a boost in headlines.

The one major issue with this idea is something the Bulls will be dealing with until they make a change in coaching. Iverson might kill Vinny Del Negro.

But then again, anyone who has ever used a timeout appropriately might be in front of Iverson in the line to handle that issue.

Del Negro is an amateur trying to coach a young, talented team in the arena Michael Jordan built. His questionable use of players, timeouts, and play selection might drive one of the most passionate players of this generation crazy.

But that would be worth it.

These Bulls have enough talent, and energy, to compete. They just don't have the scoring. The last time I checked, Iverson's name was synonymous with putting points on the board.

This should be a no-brainer rental for the Bulls.

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