2012 MLB Free Agency: 9 Available Pitchers Who Could Win You a Playoff Game

Even as the free-agency season winds down to a close, it's incredible as to how many talented players are still available.  Prince Fielder has yet to sign with a team, and a veteran hurler in Roy Oswalt (pictured) has still not yet received a new contract despite a fairly low asking price.

To be perfectly blunt, now that the starting-pitching market has reached its peak in terms of thinness, it's surprising how picky teams in need of pitching are being about signing veterans at a low price.  Take the Washington Nationals, for example.  Their starting rotation is just one arm away from being a force to be reckoned with, yet they seem to be standing pat and holding out for Fielder even though another pitcher could push them to the playoffs.

Given the number of available pitchers with playoff experience, it's a wonder that teams needing that extra oomph in the rotation haven't up and snagged them already.  Here are nine arms on the market who if your team signed them, could do some amazing work in October.

No. 9: Jamie Moyer

I just don't know how the man does it.  Jamie Moyer missed all of 2011 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and at 49 years old, just got offered a minor league deal by the Colorado Rockies.

According to Troy Renck of The Denver Post, if Moyer accepts the contract, he will have the opportunity to compete for a rotation spot and also be a mentor to the youngsters of the pitching staff.  If he's in good enough shape to be offered a minor league deal, I'm optimistic as to what he could do in the playoffs.

Moyer has eight playoff starts under his belt and has gone 3-3 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.  In 2001, when he was with the Seattle Mariners, he went 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA over the course of the ALDS and ALCS.

Therein lies the catch with Moyer.  He hasn't won a playoff start since 2001, but has looked decent enough in three of the four starts he made with the Phillies.  If he can grind his way into the rotation, stay healthy and be effective in a hitter's park like Coors Field, he may be just what the doctor ordered should Colorado make the playoffs.

No. 8: Vicente Padilla

Though Vicente Padilla has become famous in recent years for his tendency to hit batters if the count isn't going his way, his playoff numbers paint him as a different pitcher.  In three starts, he is 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA, a remarkable 0.92 WHIP and here's the biggest shocker of all: no hit batters.

The Nicaraguan righty has recently agreed to a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network, and I wouldn't at all be surprised if his performance in October is what made GM Ben Cherington take a gamble on him.  The fact is that when his pitches are working for him and he's in a groove, he's one of the game's more effective pitchers.

He'll be competing with Aaron Cook and Carlos Silva for the fifth spot in the rotation, so there's no telling what Padilla's role in Boston will be just yet.  If he makes the rotation and manages to keep both his pitches and himself under control, then he could prove to be one of the steals of the offseason.

No. 7: Kevin Millwood

The saga of Kevin Millwood's current free agency started in 2010, when he was with the Baltimore Orioles and had one of the worst seasons of his career.  The big righty went 4-16 with a 5.10 ERA and a horrific 1.51 WHIP, and naturally, had major issues getting a contract that offseason as he turned 36.

His first contract was a minor league deal signed with the New York Yankees towards the end of spring training, and he opted out of that one on May 1.  He signed another minor league deal with the Red Sox a couple of weeks later, but opted out again on August 7.

Millwood would sign a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies the very next day and be called up to make a start on August 10, replacing an injured Juan Nicasio.  That one start turned into nine starts as Millwood went 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA and respectable 1.21 WHIP, walking just eight batters in 54.1 innings.

Given how he was still able to pitch effectively despite a shortened stint in the majors along with his being 3-3 with a 3.92 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in the playoffs, teams looking to make that final push for October should definitely give Millwood a second look as he doesn't appear to be out of gas just yet.

No. 6: Jeff Francis

Jeff Francis had another forgetful year in 2011 as he went 6-16 with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP for the Kansas City Royals.  These numbers will surely turn some teams off, but the fact is that there's a great demand for lefty starters and Francis fills that void.

Sure, he won't be a shutdown pitcher and his health will almost always be an issue, but the fact remains that in the 2007 playoffs, Francis was good overall.  He went 2-1 with a 4.86 ERA and 1.62 WHIP, and both of those stats are inflated because his one loss came in the World Series against a hot-hitting and extremely dangerous Boston Red Sox team. 

How quickly we forget that he gave up just two runs on four hits in six innings of great baseball against the Philadelphia Phillies in that year's NLDS.

Simply put, just by showing a wee bit of confidence in Francis, teams looking to make the playoffs could find themselves with quite a bargain both during the regular season and in October.

No. 5: Jon Garland

No matter which team signs him, contender or not, Jon Garland and his surgically repaired shoulder are going to be a big question mark going into 2012.  Still, despite the fact that he tends to put up a high WHIP, the man has proven to be a reliable arm over the course of a 12-year career.

He hasn't been any less reliable in the playoffs, going 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 2005, when he won a World Series with the Chicago White Sox.  Sure, it was a long time ago and Garland has had his share of injuries since then, but he still looked solid against a pesky Anaheim Angels team and a momentous Houston Astros squad.

If he can prove he's healthy and that his arm strength is at 100 percent, then Garland could easily do wonders on the right team.

No. 4: Livan Hernandez

Livan Hernandez will be 37 by the time spring training starts and at this rate, the best he can probably hope for is a minor league deal.  Still, for teams like the San Francisco Giants that may need a little extra help at the back end of their rotation to take that extra step into October, the veteran could be just what that young rotation needs.

Hernandez has 10 postseason starts under his belt and has gone 7-3 with a 3.97 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.  The last stat may scare some people off, but this man deserves a chance anyway.  Let's not forget that he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997 and was named World Series MVP.  In the 1997 postseason alone, the man went 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA and remarkable 1.07 WHIP.

He may not be the pitcher he was all those years ago, but the fact remains that Hernandez knows how to pitch in the playoffs and on young teams looking to make a mark there, his experience would be priceless.

No. 3: Edwin Jackson

Edwin Jackson is like the little girl with the curl.  When he's good, he's very very good.  When he's bad, he has the fans tearing their hair out.

Still, Jackson earned his playoff bones this past postseason.  He made four starts and went 1-1 with a 5.53 ERA and 1.59 WHIP.  Those numbers may not look pretty, but hear me out.

Jackson's one playoff win last season came against the heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies, who could have gone to the NLCS with a win.  Instead, Jackson came out and pitched six innings, giving up just two runs on five hits while allowing just one walk as his St. Louis Cardinals won 5-3.

Thus, while he may be unpredictable on the mound, Jackson proved that he has what it takes to go up against one of the most dangerous lineups in the league and just take them to school.  Teams are currently scared off by his asking price, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, but Jackson is definitely worth the risk (for the right money) for a team who needs that extra arm to get into some October baseball.

No. 2: Roy Oswalt

Like Garland and Moyer, Roy Oswalt is going to be something of a gamble because of his health.  He did not look like himself in 2011 due to a nagging back injury, going 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.

The Phillies have shown no interest in bringing him back and according to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, the Boston Red Sox have been in contact with Oswalt's agent.  Oswalt is reportedly seeking a one-year deal worth around $8 million.

That being said, despite Oswalt being 34 years old and injury prone, teams like the Red Sox could really use his playoff experience.  The man has 11 postseason starts under his belt and has gone 5-2 with a 3.73 ERA and 1.34 WHIP from 2004 up until this past season.  The WHIP may be a bit scary, but keep in mind that Oswalt isn't necessarily a power pitcher and his stuff is prone to contact.

So long as his control doesn't betray him, Oswalt could easily still win a playoff game.

No. 1: Matt Garza

I'm cheating a bit here, seeing as how Matt Garza is technically not a free agent.  Yet, he is being shopped so heavily this offseason that he is, arguably, "available."  According to David Kaplan of CSN Chicago, the Cubs have spoken to the Detroit Tigers about a deal involving the hard-throwing righty.

No matter how you look at it, on teams that will either make the playoffs or make a push for the postseason, Garza is a great man to have in the rotation.  He made five playoff starts while pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays and went 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.  In 31 innings, he struck out 29 batters.

Most importantly, Garza is just 28 years old and already has World Series experience.  That alone is always a good thing to have on a resume and in any clubhouse.  If the trigger is pulled on a trade involving him, then Garza could quite possibly make some team very lucky come playoff time.