2012 MLB Free Agency: Second-Guessing One Move of Each MLB Team

Each MLB team went into the offseason with certain areas that needed to be addressed in the winter to come, and as we close in on the start of spring training most of those holes have been filled for better or worse.

Teams always have their ideal free-agency situation, but that rarely comes to pass, and when the dust settles, fans are often left wondering what their favorite team was thinking with their offseason signings.

So here's a look at one free agency move each MLB team made that is at the very least worth second guessing prior to the start of the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Signing Jason Kubel

The Diamondbacks were one of baseball's biggest surprises last season, and they are in a good position to make another run at the postseason as they return more or less the same lineup they had last season.

However, one significant change will be in left field, where the team signed Jason Kubel to a two-year, $15 million contract after he hit .273 BA, 12 HR, 58 RBI last season.

While he is a solid addition, his addition pushes Gerardo Parra to the bench. The 25-year-old Parra hit .292 BA, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 15 SB last season and won a Gold Glove. He's under team control through 2015 and is not even arbitration eligible for the first time until next year. 

In the end, it comes down to a question of whether or not Kubel is really worth $7 million more than Parra this coming season, or if the team would have been better served going with the younger, cheaper option.

Atlanta Braves: Not Re-Signing Alex Gonzalez

After turning over starting first-base duties to 21-year-old Freddie Freeman out of spring training last season, the Braves will once again open the season with an unproven rookie playing everyday in shortstop Tyler Pastornicky.

Many believed the team would bring back veteran Alex Gonzalez on a one-year deal to help bridge the gap to Pastornicky, as he was coming off a solid season, but he wound up signing with the Brewers on a one-year, $4.25 million contract.

The team did re-sign veteran Jack Wilson to back up Pastornicky, but the 34-year-old brings next to nothing to the table offensively and will likely only get 150-200 at bats.

Baltimore Orioles: Signing Wei-Yin Chen and Tsuyoshi Wada

While they did little to address their offense, the Orioles will open the 2012 season with a completely re-worked starting rotation, starting at the top where ace Jeremy Guthrie was dealt to the Rockies for starter Jason Hammel and reliever Matt Lindstrom.

Joining those guys as new faces on the pitching staff are international signings Wei-Yin Chen (8-10, 2.68 ERA, 94 Ks) and Tsuyoshi Wada (16-5, 1.51 ERA, 168 Ks).

Chen is a 26-year-old left-hander who is a native of Taiwan but has been pitching in Japan, and he was signed to a three-year, $11.3 million deal.

Wada is a 31-year-old left-hander with five years experience pitching in Japan, and he is coming off the best season of his career. He was signed to a two-year, $8.15 million deal.

While those two arms ranked among the top international pitchers on the market, the Orioles are no doubt taking a risk in relying on both guys to be key parts of their rotation in 2012.

Update: Via Mel Antonen, GM Dan Duquette says both pitchers could start in the minors.

Boston Red Sox: Signing Cody Ross

A postseason hero for the Giants in 2010, Ross failed to match that success in an everyday role with the Giants last season when he hit just .240 BA, 14 HR, 52 RBI.

With J.D. Drew hitting the free-agent market, it looked as though the Red Sox were ready to hand the everyday right field job to Josh Reddick. However, he was shipped to Oakland in the trade that sent Andrew Bailey to Boston.

There was speculation that the Red Sox could go after Carlos Beltran, Josh Willingham, Michael Cuddyer and a handful of other free-agent outfielders, but in the end, they settled on signing Ross to a one-year, $3 million deal.

He could wind up platooning with Ryan Sweeney once Carl Crawford returns from injury, but the question remains is Cody Ross really who you want as your everyday right fielder when you are a team expecting to contend for a World Series title?

Chicago Cubs: Signing David DeJesus

With the additions of Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein in the front office, the Cubs have begun a transitional period as they work towards rebuilding the organization from the ground up.

The team dealt Carlos Zambrano this offseason and avoided signing any major free agents, instead making a number of small moves to set the roster up better for the future.

However, one move that was a bit of a head scratcher was the signing of right fielder David DeJesus to a two-year, $10 million contract that includes a club option for 2014.

DeJesus is a nice player, and he fills a need at the top of the lineup, but the Cubs have a number of young who are close to big league ready in the outfield. A one-year deal for DeJesus would have made much more sense moving forward.

Overall though, the new front office has stuck to their originally laid-out game plan and have resisted making the big slash move this offseason.

Chicago White Sox: None

The White Sox have been active on the trade market this winter, dealing closer Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays for pitching prospect Nestor Molina and also sending slugging right fielder Carlos Quentin to the Padres for a pair of pitching prospects.

With so many high-priced veterans, the team appears to be trying to stock pile minor league talent with the assets they can trade as they try to set themselves up for a rebuild in the not-too-distant future.

Because of that, they have been very quiet on the free-agent market this offseason, and recently signed outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (news from Chicago Sun-Times) may be the only new signing who breaks camp with the team. 

He gives the team an experienced fourth outfielder who could push Alejandro De Aza for playing time if he struggles early, and at one-year, $1 million it is a low-cost move.

Cincinnati Reds: Signing Ryan Ludwick

After trading Jonny Gomes to the Nationals at the deadline last season, the Reds split left-field duties between Chris Heisey, Dave Sappelt, Yonder Alonso and Fred Lewis.

However, with Lewis departed in free agency and Alonso (Padres) and Sappelt (Cubs) both traded it looked like Heisey had a clear shot at a starting job, and deservedly so.

The 26-year-old appeared in 120 games last season and hit .254 BA, 18 HR, 50 RBI over just 279 at-bats. However, there was little question he was the team's top pinch-hitter, as he went 11-for-34 in that role with two home runs and 11 RBI.

That may have played a part in the Reds decision to sign Ludwick to a one-year, $2.5 million deal, moving Heisey back to the fourth outfielder and pinch-hitter role, but a full season of at-bats from Heisey could very well outproduce Ludwick.

Cleveland Indians: Re-Signing Grady Sizemore

Not so long ago, Grady Sizemore was one of the most dynamic players in all of baseball and a full-blown superstar, but injuries derailed have gotten in the way as he has only played 104 games over the past four seasons.

That was reason enough for the Indians to decline their $8.5 million option on the 29-year-old outfielder, but after less than a month on the free-agent market, he re-signed with the Indians on a one-year, $5 million deal that could be worth up to $9 million based on plate appearances.

Taking a chance on Sizemore staying healthy is not the worst idea, but the Indians have him penciled in as their Opening Day leadoff hitter and don't have much in the way of an insurance policy if he does go down with an injury.

Just a risky move by the Indians to rely on Sizemore, rather than taking what they get from him as a bonus.

Colorado Rockies: Signing Casey Blake

Some would question the Rockies signing of Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $31.5 million deal, but he brings a great deal of versatility defensively and could even see a bit of a spike offensively with a move to Colorado.

Instead, I will question the team's signing of Casey Blake to be the starting third baseman, as the 38-year-old is coming off of a .252 BA, 4 HR, 26 RBI season in which injuries limited him to just 63 games.

The Rockies need a stopgap option at third base while top prospect Nolan Arenado continues to progress through the minors, but relying on Blake to be anything more than a pinch-hitter and veteran depth likely won't end well.

Detroit Tigers: Signing Prince Fielder

Signing one of the most-feared sluggers in all of baseball in Prince Fielder not only makes the Tigers the runaway favorites in the AL Central, but also puts them in the title hunt.

However, looking beyond even the nine-year, $214 million commitment they made to Fielder, there are more than a few reasons to think this may not have been the smartest move for Detroit.

The signing was triggered by a season-ending injury to DH Victor Martinez, and while the team needed to find a way to replace his offense, he'll be back next season and will have another two years and $25 million remaining on his contract, so the team did not need to go to quite such drastic measures to replace him.

Beyond that, the Fielder signing also kicks Miguel Cabrera off first base, and he will begin the season as the starting third baseman, a position he has not played regularly since 2007 when he was a much smaller man and could very well be incapable of playing now.

Any team would benefit from adding Fielder to their roster, but in the end, it simply may not have been the wisest move for the Tigers to make.

Houston Astros: None

The Astros are in full-on rebuild mode, and they were wise not to spend any significant money this offseason as they likely won't be in contention for a number of years.

The only significant signings the team has made to this point are adding catcher Chris Snyder (one-year, $1.25 million), outfielder Jack Cust (one-year, $600,000) and starting pitcher Livan Hernandez (minor league deal).

Kansas City Royals: Not Signing Any Starting Pitching

You could point to the one-year, $4 million deal the team gave Jonathan Broxton to be their setup man as a questionable one, but he is just two years removed from being an All-Star closer and is certainly a solid bounce back candidate.

Instead, the questionable move of the Royals offseason to me was the simple fact that they did not add any veteran starting pitching depth.

The team did acquire Jonathan Sanchez from the Giants for Melky Cabrera, and he will serve as the team's No. 2 starter, but following him in the rotation will likely be Bruce Chen, Aaron Crow and Felipe Paulino.

That rotation is thin to put it kindly, and the pressure will be on their young offense to outscore opponents much of the time. Bringing back Chen was a good idea, but adding another low-cost veteran arm seemed like a no-brainer.

Los Angeles Angels: Signing Albert Pujols

Don't get me wrong, signing Pujols away from the Cardinals and various other teams who were pursuing him was a coup for the Angels and immediately makes them a title contender.

Therein lies the problem though, as Pujols will be making just $28 million total over the next two seasons, but his salary will get progressively higher to the point that he will make $30 million in 2021 at the age of 41.

Essentially, the Angels have gone all-in on winning a title in the next three-to-five years, and the trouble there is that they may not even be the best team in their own division even with Pujols as the Rangers are still awfully dangerous.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Signing Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano

With the inevitable sale of the team coming this year, the Dodgers spent money a bit more freely this offseason, and aside from locking up Matt Kemp to a huge extension, the team also signed a handful of low-cost veterans to fill out the roster.

Among them, the team added the back of their rotation by signing Aaron Harang (14-7, 3.64 ERA) to a two-year, $12 million deal and Chris Capuano (11-12, 4.55 ERA) to a two-year, $10 million deal.

That was a decent amount of money to commit to two veteran starters on the down-swing of their careers, especially when the team had a young pitcher in Nathan Eovaldi who was impressive in 10 appearances (six starts) last season going 1-2, 3.63 ERA, 23 Ks in 34.2 innings at the age of 21.

He will now spend another season in the minors unless injury strikes, and while that is not necessarily a bad thing for his development, the team certainly could have gone with him as their fifth starter and been justified.

Miami Marlins: Signing Jose Reyes

Reyes picked a great time to turn in a career-year, as he hit .337 to win the NL batting title as he tallied a 5.8 WAR.

That was enough for the Marlins to sign him to a six-year, $106 million as the team looked to make a splash this offseason prior to opening their new stadium this coming season, adding Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell as well in free agency.

Reyes has battled injury problems throughout his career and is unlikely to duplicate his career-best numbers of last season, so there is a good deal of risk that comes with this signing.

It also forces Hanley Ramirez over to third base, although that move seemed likely to happen soon regardless.

Milwaukee Brewers: Signing Alex Gonzalez

The Brewers were dealt a major blow when they lost Prince Fielder this offseason, and they made a good move in signing Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez to a three-year, $36 million contract to help replace some of that lost production.

It is nit-picking a bit to call the Gonzalez signing a bad one, as he is coming off a decent season, but the fact that the team signed him for $4.5 million to replace Yuniesky Betancourt, who went on to sign for $2 million with the Royals is a bit of a head-scratcher.

The two players offer essentially the same production and are both slightly above-average defensive shortstops, so why pay $2.5 million more for Gonzalez?

Minnesota Twins: Not Re-Signing Michael Cuddyer

Last season at the deadline, the Twins made the surprising decision not to become sellers as they held onto free-agent-to-be outfielders Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer rather than trading them.

Now the two have signed elsewhere, with Kubel joining the Diamondbacks (two-year, $15 million) and Cuddyer signing with the Rockies (three-year, $31.5 million), with the Twins adding Josh Willingham from the Athletics on a three-year, $21 million contract to play right field.

While Willingham is coming off of a nice 29 HR, 98 RBI season in Oakland, and he was a much cheaper than Cuddyer, the Twins would have been wise to do whatever it took to keep Cuddyer around. 

The team's lone All-Star representative last season, Cuddyer has a middle-of-the-order bat but adds to his value significantly with his ability to play all over the diamond, and the Twins will no doubt miss him in 2012.

New York Mets: None

The Mets had no real shot at re-signing Jose Reyes this offseason and were forced to watch their star sign on with a team in their own division in the Marlins.

However, the rest of their offseason was dedicated to improving their bullpen as they added Frank Francisco (two-year, $12 million), Ramon Ramirez (trade with Giants) and Jon Rauch (one-year, $3.5 million) to shore up their late-inning situation for a very reasonable price.

Aside from that, the team signed Ronny Cedeno to be their utility infielder, but that is the extent of their significant offseason moves, and all in all, they have been solid moves.

New York Yankees: None

One of the biggest stories early on in the offseason was the Yankees' lack of action, as many expected them to go after starting pitchers like C.J. Wilson, Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt.

However, the team addressed their starting rotation all in one day later in the offseason when they signed Hiroki Kuroda and traded Jesus Montero to the Mariners for Michael Pineda.

With the rotation successfully bolstered, the team is without any other major holes, aside from DH which will be split between Andruw Jones, Russell Branyan and whichever everyday veteran needs some rest.

Oakland Athletics: Re-Signing Coco Crisp

Some would put the signing of Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36 million deal here, but for an offensively starved team working towards rebuilding, taking a chance on him makes a lot of sense for the Athletics, and the fact that it only took four years rather than six is a bonus.

Instead, I will point to the re-signing of Coco Crisp as the questionable move of the offseason for the Athletics, as they brought him back on a two-year, $14 million deal.

Crisp has good speed, leading the AL with 49 stolen bases last season, but his .314 OBP from the leadoff spot in the lineup is well below average and certainly didn't warrant giving the 32-year-old a raise, but that is what the Athletics did.

Philadelphia Phillies: Signing Jonathan Papelbon

The Papelbon signing may be the most questionable move of the entire offseason, not because he is not a top-tier closer, but because of what the Phillies paid to get him.

While other top closers like Heath Bell (three-year, $27 million) and Ryan Madson (one-year, $8.5 million) signed reasonable deals to join new clubs, the Phillies shelled out a four-year, $50 million contract with a $13 million vesting option for a fifth year to sign Papelbon.

He has not been quite the same lights-out closer he once was over the past two seasons, and while he is still one of the best in the business, there is little question the Phillies overpaid to get him.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Signing Clint Barmes

After suffering through Ronny Cedeno as their everyday shortstop for the past two-and-a-half seasons, there was little question the Pirates would need to upgrade at that position heading into 2012.

However, the free-agent market was weak beyond Jose Reyes, and in the end, the Pirates shelled out $10.5 million over two years.

While he is coming off a decent .244 BA, 12 HR, 39 RBI season in which he posted a 2.9 WAR, I think most would agree that the Pirates overpaid to get a 33-year-old shortstop who has been inconsistent at best throughout his career.

San Diego Padres: None

The Padres have had a busy offseason on the trade market, first shipping Mat Latos to the Reds for Yonder Alonso, Edinson Volquez, Yasmani Grandal and Brad Boxberger.

They then acquired Carlos Quentin from the White Sox for two pitching prospects and sent first base prospect Anthony Rizzo to the Cubs for pitcher Andrew Cashner.

However, they have been extremely quiet on the free-agent market, signing fourth outfielder Mark Kotsay and doing little else.

San Francisco Giants: Not Signing a Starting Shortstop

The Giants' offense will get a boost this season from the returns of Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez from injury, but there remains a gaping hole at the shortstop position.

The free-agent market was weak, but the team made no serious run at Jose Reyes or Jimmy Rollins and missed out on second-tier guys like Clint Barmes, Alex Gonzalez and Yuniesky Betancourt.

Instead, they will choose between underperforming incumbents Brandon Crawford and Mike Fontenot and free-agent addition Ryan Theriot—a group that has no clear-cut favorite and is made up of players better off in utility roles.

Seattle Mariners: None

The Mariners were involved in one of the biggest trades of the offseason, as they shipped right-hander Michael Pineda to the Yankees for catcher/DH Jesus Montero.

Montero should provide a spark to a young Mariners lineup that will rely on the continued progression of guys like Mike Carp, Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley.

As far as free-agent signing goes, the team added reliever Shawn Camp who will likely fill a setup role and signed Kevin Millwood and Hisashi Iwakuma to low-cost contracts to fill out the rotation.

The talks of Prince Fielder to the Mariners were fun, but in the end, the team was wise to continue rebuilding and refrain from spending much on veterans as they continue to move young players into impact roles.

St. Louis Cardinals: Signing Carlos Beltran

The loss of Albert Pujols is a tough one to move past, but if any team is capable of doing it, the Cardinals may very well be that team.

Sliding Lance Berkman in to play first base made sense, but the team decided to fill his spot in right field by signing Carlos Beltran to a two-year, $26 million contract.

While he is coming off of a solid bounce-back season, Beltran is a big injury risk, and at 35 years old, it is reasonable to assume that he may not be able to match last year's numbers.

Making the signing more questionable is the fact that the team has Allen Craig capable of stepping into an everyday role once he returns from knee surgery a few months into the season.

He could put up big numbers as an everyday player but will instead return to a bench role now that Beltran is with the team.

Tampa Bay Rays: Signing Jose Molina as a Starter

A backup catcher his entire career, Jose Molina has never registered more than 268 at-bats in a season during his 12-year big league career, yet the Rays signed the 37-year-old this offseason to be their starting catcher.

With a career slash line of .241/.286/.344, it is clear that he doesn't bring much to the table offensively, and while he is a solid defensive catcher, he would undoubtedly be better suited to a backup role.

Texas Rangers: Signing Joe Nathan to Close

Once among the most dominant closers in all of baseball, Nathan missed the entire 2010 season with Tommy John surgery and returned last season far from the pitcher he once was.

In 44.2 innings of work last season, he posted a 4.84 ERA and 8.7 K/9 mark and went 14-of-17 on save opportunities.

Despite those relative struggles, the Rangers signed him to a two-year, $14.5 million contract, and with Neftali Feliz moving to the rotation, he is slated to be the team's closer.

A risky proposition for a team expected to contend for a title, although having someone like Mike Adams in the setup role does give the team other options if Nathan fails.

Toronto Blue Jays: Trading for the Offering Arbitration to Jeff Mathis

The Blue Jays failed to make the splash many thought they would, instead adding a few small pieces, but they have a good core of young players and the best slugger in the game right now in Jose Bautista.

However, one move they made was at least a bit questionable, as they acquired catcher Jeff Mathis from the Angels and signed him to a one-year, $1.5 million contract to be the backup.

That may not seem like much, but Mathis is quite possibly the worst hitter in the MLB right now, as he has a .194 career average over 1,201 at-bats and hit a career-low .174 last season, and with a career dWAR of -0.6, it is not as though he is a Gold Glove backstop either.

Washington Nationals: Signing Edwin Jackson

The Nationals are quietly building a solid core of talented young players, and with a healthy Stephen Strasburg and newly acquired Gio Gonzalez, their starting rotation should be much-improved in 2012.

The team also added right-hander Edwin Jackson on a one-year, $11 million contract after he was unable to find any teams willing to give him the big-money, multi-year deal he was looking for.

However, for a team like the Nationals who are heading in the right direction but still working on building for the future, signing someone like Jackson to a one-year deal does not make all that much sense.