MLB Free Agency: Top 25 Players Who Are Still Without a Job

The world of Major League Baseball can be cruel at times.

Heading into the first full week of spring training, a number of players, many of them aging veterans who believe high-grade fuel is left in the tank, are still looking for full-time employment.

There have been a number of factors as to why these ageless veterans haven't drawn serious interest. Some may have overvalued themselves, some are working back from injuries and some are just victims of roster challenges.

Whatever the case may be, each player on this list still believes they are worth something to someone. If only their phone would ring.

25. Brandon Webb

Former Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb hasn't thrown a worthwhile pitch in three years, with the exception of his first and only start in 2009 that started him on a downward spiral of shoulder misery.

Webb is set to throw for a collection of MLB scouts and coaches sometime within the next week or two, however, unless he can somehow show that he can throw a ball that can outrun a Nash Rambler, he may be asking for a coaching job.

24. Scott Kazmir

Once considered one of the premier left-handed pitchers in the American League, Scott Kazmir is now rehearsing for scouts, hoping to land even a minor-league contract at this point.

Kazmir, who made $26 million in his last three years, was last seen at Kauffman Stadium last April, barely cracking 85 MPH and almost completely unable to find the strike zone. Kazmir shut it down only to be released by the Los Angeles Angels shortly thereafter.

Kazmir recently threw during a workout with representatives from approximately 10 MLB teams in attendance, and was occasionally clocked in the high-80s. It's not inconceivable that Kazmir could get that minor-league offer, and despite his performance over the past three seasons, it will definitely be a very low risk, high reward move. 

23. Jason Kendall

Catcher Jason Kendall survived one of the most gruesome injuries in all of sports and made a comeback, and he's hoping that lightning can strike twice, so to speak.

After undergoing rotator cuff surgery in September 2010 and missing the entire 2011 season, Kendall likely won't be available for any action until at least the All-Star break. In the meantime, he's working as a special assignment scout for the Kansas City Royals, biding his time and continuing to rehab until he's able to show teams he can still help out.

22. Magglio Ordonez

Right fielder Magglio Ordonez has hit 294 home runs with a lifetime .309 average during his 15-year career, yet he is still looking for work, and is unwavering about his stance to not accept a minor-league deal.

According to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, Ordonez recently told a Venezuelan radio station that he wants a guaranteed Opening Day roster spot with guaranteed big league money.

Good luck with that, Mags.

21. Jason Varitek

Jason Varitek has played his entire 15-year career with the Boston Red Sox, and now, it appears the only option he has left is to sign a minor league deal with the only team he's ever played for.

Varitek, captain of the team for the past seven seasons, is buried in the depth chart behind Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Kelly Shoppach and presumably Ryan Lavarnway. No one else has knocked on Tek's door, and recent reports suggest he will make a decision within the next day or two.

Varitek could very well go the way of his long-time rival, Jorge Posada, who retired after spending 17 seasons with the New York Yankees.

20. Sergio Mitre

For a guy who has a 13-30 record with a career 5.21 ERA over his career, there's probably not a huge market out there salivating at the thought of acquiring him. However, right-handed pitcher Sergio Mitre keeps trying nonetheless.

Mitre was re-acquired by the New York Yankees in late June after being granted his release by the Milwaukee Brewers, but Mitre has not been invited back to the Big Apple, and no teams are currently showing much interest.

19. Xavier Nady

First baseman/right fielder Xavier Nady filled a utility role for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, and right about now, he's looking to fill any role he can find.

Nady, 33, has played with seven different organizations during his 10-year career, and while the San Francisco Giants showed interest in signing Nady to a minor league deal in late January, that seemed to pass, and he's still at home waiting.

18. Ivan Rodriguez

Forty-year-old catcher Ivan Rodriguez has played 21 seasons in his remarkable baseball career. With 14 All-Star selections, 13 Gold Glove Awards, 311 HR, a .296 lifetime average and an MVP Award (1999) under his belt, he certainly has nothing left to prove to anyone.

However, Pudge isn’t ready to give up the sport he loves quite yet. He just can’t find a team to latch onto. In a recent conversation with the Associated Press, Rodriguez was baffled at the lack of offers.

"I can still play,'' Rodriguez said in a telephone interview on Monday from his home in Miami. "But it has been a tough market for veterans.

"There are a lot of guys who have won championships and have playoff experience to offer teams with no jobs. It's hard to believe.''

The rumor mill regarding Rodriguez has been quiet as well. In late December, CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman tweeted that the Houston Astros might have interest in the veteran slugger, and earlier that month, Heyman tweeted that the Rays and Mets might have interest as well. However, since then, nothing further has been discussed at all regarding a possible 22nd season for I-Rod.

17. Damaso Marte

After a disastrous three-year, $12 million contract given to Damaso Marte by the New York Yankees ended with the pitcher contributing just 31.1 innings during the life of the deal, his 2012 option was declined, and Marte is still sitting at home.

Marte, who missed the entire 2011 season after shoulder surgery in October 2010, has not received even a sniff from teams looking for bullpen help.

16. Ramon Castro

For the past two-plus seasons, Ramon Castro served as the backup catcher to A.J. Pierzynski with the Chicago White Sox. That position will now be taken over by Tyler Flowers, and Castro finds himself in the same position as several backstops on this list—looking for work anywhere.

Castro has carved out a nice niche over 13 seasons as a backup, however, even the backup positions at this point aren't much of an option any longer.

15. Aaron Miles

Aaron Miles filled a nice role for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, spending time at both second and third base and hitting .275 for the season.

However, the Dodgers signed Mark Ellis to play second in 2012, and with a healthy Juan Uribe returning to the hot corner, Miles was kicked to the curb. No one has shown much interest at this point, but it's highly unlikely Miles will be left without a job before too long.

14. Michael Wuertz

Just three years ago, Michael Wuertz was one of the more dominant setup men in the American League, posting a stellar 2.63 ERA in 74 appearances. He signed a two-year, $5 million contract to continue in that role for the Oakland Athletics. Now, Wuertz is out of a job.

The A's declined the 2012 option on Wuertz in October after a horrible 2011 season that saw him battle hamstring and thumb injuries, posting a 6.68 ERA in 37 appearances. Wuertz is another in a long line of reliever hoping to latch on with someone before Opening Day.

13. David Aardsma

In 2009 and 2010, closer David Aardsma gathered 69 saves for the Seattle Mariners before Tommy John surgery shut him down for the entire 2011 season.

In January, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that Aardsma, who made $4.54 million last season while not throwing one pitch, will wait until he's further along in his rehab before seeking out a deal from other clubs.

Update: On February 22, the New York Yankees signed Aardsma to a 1-year, $500K contract. 

12. Edgar Renteria

Shortstop Edgar Renteria has been a key contributor for two World Series-winning teams in his 16-year career, however, even with a stellar resume, he still finds himself wondering whether or not he'll play in 2012.

Renteria, who drove in the game-winning run in the 1997 World Series for the Florida Marlins and hit .412 for the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series, has not gotten any significant offers. Renteria hit just .251 in 96 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season.

CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman tweeted earlier this month that three teams (Cubs, Brewers, Astros) could all be a possible fit for Renteria, but neither have come calling as of yet.

Update: Renteria is reportedly leaning towards retirement. 

11. Jason Isringhausen

In 2011, the New York Mets took a chance on signing former closer Jason Isringhausen, who built a reputation as one of the elite closers for much of the 2000s with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Isringhausen wasn't awful, posting a 4.05 ERA and seven saves in 53 appearances, however, he hasn't yet been asked back by the Mets.

L.A. Times reporter Mike DiGiovanni tweeted in December that the Los Angeles Angels were reportedly interested, and New York Post reporter Dan Martin said in late January that the Mets were unlikely to bring Isringhausen back.

Isringhausen will likely have to wait until relievers start developing arm issues in spring training before his phone starts ringing again.

10. Chris Young

The last two years have not been kind to starting pitcher Chris Young, who was at one time a promising prospect for both the Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres.

Young threw four starts last year for the New York Mets and posted a 1.88 ERA, however, he was forced to shut it down and undergo season-ending surgery to repair an anterior capsule tear in his throwing shoulder.

In a weekly chat with fans back in December, Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune said that the Padres would be unable to put together anything but an incentive-laden contract in order to bring in Young, and the Padres don't offer those type of deals.

In late January, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported that the Mets might have interest in bringing Young back on a minor league deal, but they have yet to pull the trigger on it.

9. Ben Sheets

Ah, the continuing saga of a top-tier pitching prospect gone bad.

Ben Sheets, the 10th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1999 MLB Draft, was last seen pitching for the Oakland A's in July 2010. Sheets was widely considered to be one of the top young pitchers of the early 21st century, however, a slew of injuries brought his career to a grinding halt.

Sheets, now 33, had surgery in 2010 to repair a flexor tendon. There has literally been nothing on the radar for Sheets in recent months.

8. Arthur Rhodes

After 20 seasons and nine teams, 42-year-old reliever Arthur Rhodes is still hoping to latch on with someone before the end of spring training.

Last year, Rhodes was released by one World Series team, the Texas Rangers, before latching on with another, the St. Louis Cardinals, helping the Cards beat the Rangers and earning a ring in the process.

Rhodes, now 42, reported in late January that he was close to deciding where he will play for 2012, but that decision (nor any contract offer) has yet to come. The Seattle Mariners and Cardinals were two teams interested at one time.

7. Mike Gonzalez

Left-handed relief specialist Mike Gonzalez is still without a job this week, despite the fact that teams are almost always in the market for his particular services.

Gonzalez, who split time last year between the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers, was reportedly on his way back to the Rangers if they were able to unload reliever Koji Uehara, however that hasn't happened as of yet.

The Oakland A's reportedly had interest as well, but those rumors seem to have cooled.

6. Vladimir Guerrero

With all camps now open, several aging sluggers are still out of a job, chief among them Vladimir Guerrero.

When last heard from, Guerrero offered his services the New York Yankees, who declined and signed both Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez within the last two days.

Guerrero’s dwindling power numbers, declining walk rate and other similar drops in production, such as a .416 slugging percentage in 2011 (the lowest of his career), have all been factors in why he’s currently unemployed. That, and the fact that he was requesting a $5 million deal.

There has been nothing on the recent radar for Guerrero, however, so he will continue to be on the outside looking in.

5. Derrek Lee

There are likely two big factors holding back teams from signing free-agent first baseman Derrek Lee, and he could be looking at an early retirement as a result.

Lee, who has 331 HR in his 15-year career, is the final free agent left on the market with compensation attached to his possible signing. In addition, Lee's salary demands have kept teams away.

4. Hideki Matsui

Designated hitter Hideki Matsui put together a nice second half last season for the Oakland Athletics, hitting .251 with 12 HR and 72 RBI for the year. However, Matsui is still waiting for a call, and could very well be on his way back to Japan.

The Detroit Tigers expressed interest in late January before landing Prince Fielder, and the A's briefly considered Matsui before signing Manny Ramirez earlier this week.

According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, not everyone in Oakland was pleased with the Manny signing, hoping that the A's would bring back the popular Matsui.

3. Johnny Damon

Outfielder/designated hitter Johnny Damon enters the 2012 season just 277 hits shy of the magical 3, 000 hit mark. And while he would dearly love to achieve that elusive feat, no teams are willing to help him in his quest.

The New York Yankees, for whom Damon played for four seasons, had interest at one time in possibly bringing him back, but opted for Raul Ibanez instead. No other teams have stepped up with inquiries, so Damon will continue to seek other options.

2. Javier Vazquez

Right-handed starting pitcher Javier Vazquez compiled a 13-11 record for the Florida Marlins last year, enjoying a strong second half of the season while posting a 3.69 ERA. However, the Marlins did not extend an offer to bring back Vazquez, and he indicated he would retire after 14 seasons if no reasonable offer came along.

However, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo believes that Vazquez could very well be talked out of retiring if the right team came along with an offer. As a fourth or fifth starter for a contending team, Vazquez may just decide to hold off on sipping pina coladas at the beach.

1. Roy Oswalt

With spring training now officially started, free-agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt still finds himself out of a job. However, that may soon change.

With the Texas Rangers trying to trade right-handed Koji Uehara, rumors have Oswalt going to the Rangers once the deal is made. But, not so fast. Boston Globe reporter Nick Cafardo believes that the Rangers will go after reliever Mike Gonzalez once Uehara is dealt.

Other rumors have Oswalt heading to the Red Sox, although GM Ben Cherington has said he is happy with the 64 players currently reporting to camp. Still, Cherington left open the door, saying that he’s still “working on some stuff.”

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.

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