MLB Free Agency: Power Ranking the 25 Biggest Losers of the Offseason
Baseball has without a doubt the most zestful and dramatic offseasons of any sport.
Each offseason there are always the winners. Those winners are the teams who sign the big name free agents or acquire the big name players, as well as the teams who find players in the bargain basement who pay dividends during the season.
Those winners may also include players who got massive contracts for a lot of years or a lot of money—and players who got jobs who didn't think they would.
Each offseason, though, there are also the losers. Those losers are the teams who aim to sign the big name free agent but fail—the teams who cannot lure anyone to play for them or cannot find any affordable free agents.
Those losers may also include the players who did not get the money they were looking for or the years they desired, as well as players who still do not have jobs or have not signed because of minimal interest in said player.
These losers are the focus of this slideshow. Let us begin.
25. Kevin Gregg
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Kevin Gregg was picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays last offseason as a late inning reliever with potential closing abilities. After Jason Frasor struggled in the closer's role early on in the season, the Jays inserted Kevin into that role, and he thrived.
Gregg had some rough patches during the season but wasn't too shabby. He posted a decent 2-6 record, a 3.51 ERA and 37 saves as the Jays closer.
Gregg did, however, walk too many guys and was a little shaky at times. The Jays had a fairly lucrative option for Kevin but chose to decline it.
Surprisingly, Gregg drew relatively little interest from really anybody, which shocked me and probably him.
His only true suitor appears to be the Orioles, who are rumored to have offered him a two-year deal worth approximately $12 million If I were, Kevin I would take that.
Even though he will get his money, the lack of interest in him and the terrible team he is about to sign with makes his offseason a bad one—especially considering that Gregg isn't guaranteed the closing job in Baltimore.
24. Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have been on the decline for the last few seasons. They have been troubled by clubhouse cancers like Manny Ramirez and have had several All-Star players have down years.
Some of their more reliable pitchers have had down years, and things have not been warm and fuzzy in Los Angeles.
The bad news has continued as Joe Torre resigned as Dodgers manager and was replaced by Don Mattingly. The Dodgers have been fairly quiet, as their only significant addition has been Dioner Navarro, and that is saying a lot.
The Dodgers need some better players in order to compete once again, and they haven't appeared to even have been "in" on any of the top free agents this offseason. They have lost a Hall of Fame-type manager in Torre and have truly gained nothing—making them losers.
23. Brandon Webb
3 of 25
Even though Brandon Webb has signed a $3 million contract with the Texas Rangers, I cannot imagine he is happy. Although his contract has $8-10 million in potential incentives, it is not ideal for Webb.
Brandon was an elite pitcher in the National League and was poised to have a lot of suitors when free agency arrived. Unfortunately, Webb got injured last year and missed the entire year.
Because of the missed year, Webb has not been able to demand a big contract like the one he should deserve. He will once again have to prove his worth with Texas for less money this year.
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22. Bengie Molina
4 of 25
Bengie Molina has drawn what seems to be little to no interest so far this offseason. Granted, Molina isn't the most talented or young player on the market, but you would expect him to draw some interest.
The Cardinals have been rumored to have offers on the table, but that was a while ago. Bengie is one of just a few major league catchers that remain on the market.
I consider Bengie a loser because he played last season for the two teams that made the World Series and had a very nice season. Regardless of his age, it is odd to think someone wouldn't put in a nice offer. It is also unfortunate that Molina wasn't offered arbitration, which makes things even worse. His Type A status doesn't help his case either.
21. Cristian Guzman
5 of 25
This particular case makes absolutely no sense to me. I love Cristian Guzman, and I believe he is a very skilled player. Oddly enough, though, there hasn't been a peep from the rumor mill yet concerning Guzman.
Cristian has had several great seasons in the National League with the Washington Nationals and played both second base and shortstop.
He was traded last year to Texas around the deadline and struggled badly. He hit well under the Mendoza line at a terrible .152 in only 15 games.
Regardless of those stats, Guzman is still a good player, and it sucks to be him. He is not a client of Scott Boras and has no status to his free agency.
Mind you, Guzman is 33, and his health hasn't been spectacular. Perhaps it is the case that most teams view Cristian as more of a bench player and that is not what Guzman wants.
20. Minnesota Twins
6 of 25
The Minnesota Twins always seem to have terrible luck. They have a phenomenal season, and of course for the second consecutive year they make the playoffs. Great, right?
No, because for the second consecutive year the Minnesota Twins met the Yankees in the first round and like last year were promptly swept out of the playoffs. Poor Minnesota!
The Twins were fortunate last year to have Carl Pavano emerge as one of their best pitchers and several players like Delmon Young and Denard Span step up.
One bad thing about last year's season was that they lost star first baseman Justin Morneau to a concussion during the summer, and he never returned.
The Twins also added relievers/closers Matt Capps and Brian Fuentes.
This offseason, Pavano, Fuentes, Matt Guerrier, Jon Rauch and Jim Thome among others became free agents. Guerrier was picked up by the Dodgers, Fuentes will definitely not re-sign and Pavano and the Twins don't seem to be on the same page. The only near guarantee is Jim Thome, but even he is looking for a larger contract than most are willing to offer.
Things are looking gloomy in Minnesota, at least as far as the offseason is concerned.
19. Jorge Cantu
7 of 25
Jorge Cantu has been known for getting off to blazing hot starts at the beginning of each season. Each of these awesome beginnings have come when he was a member of the Florida Marlins.
At the trade deadline of last year Cantu was traded to the contending Texas Rangers as first base help. Things went downhill from there, as Jorge sucked like never before and began to see more bench time than playing time. It is safe to say his value has gone down ever since and unfortunately during a contract year.
You know you're a popular free agent when you're being considered by the Arizona Diamondbacks as an option at first and by the Padres at the same time. Wow! Not actually...the only rumblings of any interest so far this offseason are the teams mentioned above.
If Cantu had remained in Florida, he probably would have finished the year off nicely and would have landed a nice contract. Alas, here he is now.
18. Johnny Damon
8 of 25
Johnny Damon has had a very nice career in baseball. Damon has played for many championship teams, including the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The fans love him, and so do most people who are around him on a daily basis.
Last year at the deadline, Damon was placed on waivers by the Detroit Tigers and was claimed by the Red Sox.
Damon had said that he was willing to go to either Tampa Bay or the Yankees, but not the Red Sox, so he stayed with the Tigers and finished what was a pedestrian season and probably his last as a Tiger.
Damon has said he would like to play for the Yankees. Damon has said he would like to play for the Rays. Nobody has come out and said that they want Damon to play for them. Johnny may be asking for too much and not getting what he wants, or maybe no one wants him. Either way, he is a loser thus far.
17. Jon Rauch
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When Joe Nathan went down with a season-ending injury, the Twins scrambled to find a closer. Instead of finding one, they found several.
They at first tried a closer by committee, which worked for a while, but one pitcher eventually emerged as the clear-cut closer: Jon Rauch. Rauch has spent the last few years with the Diamondbacks and the Twins.
Rauch was great to begin the season and was steady throughout. When the Twins acquired Matt Capps, Rauch's closer role was given to Capps, who took over nicely.
Jon finished the season with a very nice 3.12 ERA and 21 saves. Most relievers who put those kinds of numbers up, especially when they relate to closing, are usually heavily pursued, but oddly enough it has been quiet. The rumor mill has barely moved, and Rauch is still waiting to be signed.
16. San Francisco Giants
10 of 25
Last season, San Francisco emerged as one of the elite teams in baseball and probably had the best rotation in baseball.
The Giants were truly pushed aside when the postseason rolled around, and most expected them to be crushed. It was not the case, as the Giants made it all the way to the World Series and ending up beating the Texas Rangers to win it all.
Usually after a World Series victory, one attempts to keep the roster intact and add some nice pieces. San Francisco has lost its power utility man who really boosted them last year in Juan Uribe, who is now a Los Angeles Dodger.
They have also basically given up on Edgar Renteria, and things aren't looking good for the remaining champs. They have made no significant additions (yet) and have lost major pieces of their success last year.
15. Derek Jeter
11 of 25
Derek Jeter is one of the most respected men around baseball. He is also a lock for the Hall of Fame.
Derek began the offseason as a free agent and of course was prepared to return to the Yankees and complete his career in a Yankee uniform. It was expected that a contract would be reached quickly and that everyone would leave smiling, happy and holding hands.
'Twas not the case, as things turned sour when Jeter felt insulted by the New York Yankees' offer.
A big media circus ensued, and reputations were cracked a little but mostly repaired. When people began to doubt that an agreement would be reached, wouldn't ya know it, one was agreed upon.
Jeter loses in this case because it took a lot of time and effort to get what he felt he deserved, and the public may now view him as a bit greedy. I don't, but some might.
14. Brian Cashman
12 of 25
Let me begin by asking if anyone finds it odd/ironic/funny that the Yankees GM's last name is "CASH"man? Seriously though.
Please note that this slide is a focus on Cashman himself, not necessarily the Yankees as a whole. Brian's reputation has been tarnished a bit this offseason during the supposedly heated contract negotiations with Derek Jeter.
Unfortunately for Brian, he picked the one player that everyone loves to support to have contract battles with. Not a smart move for the PR there, Brian.
I am not trying to say that they should have complied with Jeter's every demand, but seriously, the dude has been with the organization from the start of his career and has put everything he has into the franchise. The Yankees, of all teams, should have been able to cough up the money from the start.
I know money isn't something you just throw away, but legit, it doesn't look too good when the Yankees of all people take a stand against overpaying someone—especially when it is your captain.
13. Jermaine Dye
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Jermaine Dye is a name you probably haven't heard for quite some time. That is because no one has seen him associated with baseball in any way for quite some time.
Dye had 27 home runs and drove in 81 runs for the Chicago White Sox in 2009. The White Sox then bought out their option for Dye for the 2010 season, and he became a free agent. Much to Dye's dismay, he could not find any good offers he was interested in. So he took the year off and is now once again looking for a contract.
The market probably isn't good for a poor defensive, aged and power-hitting right fielder like Dye, especially when you consider that he is probably a designated hitter at this point in his career. If he thought the market was bad back then, well, it is worse now. It is hard to miss a year like that and try to come back when you're that age.
Sorry, Jermaine—retirement bells I hear?
12. Rafael Soriano
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Rafael Soriano in my mind was the most dominant closer in baseball last year and was certainly a wonderful surprise for the uncertain Rays. Soriano converted 45 of 48 save opportunities and posted an awesome 1.73 ERA with 51 strikeouts.
However, now Soriano is a free agent and is looking for big money, something the Rays cannot provide.
I think it has been a surprise for Soriano as to how many teams have inquired about him but have refused to give him the money he feels he deserves. With Soriano being one of the few good closers on the market this year, I expected him to go really quickly, but alas, that wasn't the case.
Rafael will probably continue to hold out until he gets what he wants. But I consider him a loser because he certainly didn't get the positive responses from teams he was looking to sign with.
11. Washington Nationals
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Let me begin by saying that I feel the Washington Nationals have made a fatal flaw in their "rebuilding plan."
After the Nationals drafted Stephen Strasburg two seasons ago and Bryce Harper last year, things began looking up. Young players like Ryan Zimmerman were coming into their own, and players like Ian Desmond began to flourish.
Regardless of this, the Nationals are not the kind of team you can say is "two big name free agents away from competing." Because then you would be lying.
The Nationals spent ridiculous amounts of money on Jayson Werth and committed several years to a guy who has been consistent for two years of his career. Adding Werth for a ton of money might not have been the best idea. The Nationals also are rumored to be drawing near to a deal with Adam LaRoche, which would take another big chunk of money.
As much as I like the Nationals getting good players, they have not been getting good deals and are not yet ready to compete. Losers.
10. Cincinnati Reds
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The Cincinnati Reds were a surprise team last year as they came out of nowhere to win the NL Central. Pushed by the MVP season of good Canadian boy Joey Votto and a strong pitching staff, the Reds showed just how good they could be.
Even though the Reds lost in the first round of the playoffs, it was evident that progress had been made.
Normally, a team that had success in the previous season would try to build on it by acquiring players and signing good players. I should note that they have signed Jeremy Hermida today, but still, not good enough. They also extended Bronson Arroyo and Jay Bruce for more than a few years.
Even so, the Red have lost key players like Aaron Harang, Arthur Rhodes and Orlando Cabrera and have made no significant moves to fix the holes left behind.
9. Kansas City Royals
17 of 25
Every day I take a moment of my time to shed a tear for the unfortunate Kansas City Royals. Every time they have a star player, he either wants to leave or is leaving the next year and costs too much.
The Royals, being a low-budget team, are put in an awkward position when this happens and are forced to tear down what progress has been made and start all over again. That is what has happened with Zack Greinke, as they traded him away to Milwaukee for top prospects.
This means any hope of respectability for the Royals is now even further away than before.
This will almost certainly spell the end of All-Star closer Joakim Soria's tenure with Kansas City. There is little to zero hope now in KC, as all reasons for happiness have disappeared and been replaced by doom and gloom.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks
18 of 25
The Arizona Diamondbacks have had a very turbulent offseason thus far. After firing their coach and relieving their general manager, the D-Backs felt even more change was needed.
Newly appointed GM Kevin Towers has certainly cleaned house. So far this offseason the D-Backs have traded away Mark Reynolds to the Baltimore Orioles and are probably about to lose Adam LaRoche to free agency as well.
Earlier in the offseason Towers tried shopping Justin Upton around and did so very openly, which was none too kind. The only notable moves Towers has made have been signing washed-up third baseman Melvin Mora, the forever inconsistent Xavier Nady and the powerful J.J. Putz. Granted, the Putz pickup was a good one, but everything else has been a disaster.
7. Texas Rangers
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The Texas Rangers surprised most last year by dominating the AL West and winning the AL pennant. Everything came together for them last year as their great hitting continued, their bullpen was spectacular under the rule of new young closer Neftali Feliz and they had a solid rotation.
At last year's deadline, the Rangers acquired Cliff Lee, who really increased their chances of competing.
This offseason, their main priority by far was signing Lee, and, well, they failed miserably. Lee chose to go back to Philadelphia to become part of the most awesome rotation in baseball.
Either way, the loss of Lee puts a big damper on their chances. Even though they have signed aged relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes and injured Brandon Webb, they still need one more good starter. Poor Texas.
6. Los Angeles Angels
20 of 25
The Los Angeles Angels shocked most when they fell flat on their faces last season. They couldn't stay consistent and were hampered by injuries all year.
They couldn't beat Texas, and there were a lot of question marks surrounding their team. Could they stay healthy? Is their bullpen good enough? Is their rotation good? Is the hitting nice enough? Of course, all the answers were no.
The Angels planned on making a big splash this offseason. Their first target was Carl Crawford, who ended up signing a massive deal with the Red Sox. Then they set their eyes on Adrian Beltre but have appeared to have stopped bidding on him.
The only man left is Soriano, who is a great addition but in order for you to spend a ton of money on a closer, you actually have to be confident you can win games so that he can actually close them out.
5. Manny Ramirez
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Manny Ramirez was one of the most amazing power hitters baseball has ever seen. I emphasize the WAS. Ramirez has been on a steep decline for some time now and was recently shaken because of the steroid allegations and the injuries that have plagued him the past few seasons.
After supposedly quitting the juice, Manny has had little power but has still hit for a good average when he has played.
Manny is not going to get the type of contract he is looking for, nor will he get it with the team he wants to play for. Manny is going to have to accept a lesser role on perhaps a lesser team for a lot less money and tine than he hopes for. Not what Manny had hoped for.
4. Vladimir Guerrero
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Vladimir Guerrero is one of my favorite baseball players of all time. He is one of the most entertaining players to watch, and he has a funny swing that can hit any pitch anywhere. He is a nice guy with a passion for the game and a desire to produce.
Plagued by injuries for a few years, Vlad signed with the Texas Rangers last year in hopes of rejuvenating his career.
Mission accomplished, as Vlad put up outstanding numbers in almost every category and stayed relatively healthy during the season.
This offseason, Vlad has drawn little to no interest from anyone but the Texas Rangers. It is quite obvious that he will re-sign, but it is sad to see that he hasn't even had weigh offers from other teams.
3. San Diego Padres
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The San Diego Padres were by far the most surprising team of last year's regular season. They had a phenomenal year and arguably had one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. They were in the race until the end but fell out of contention late.
Either way, it was a very good year in San Diego that gave a lot of fans hope for the future.
But of course, all the fans' hopes and dreams were thrown away when the Padres traded All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox. The Padres have also lost one of their best pitchers in Jon Garland and lost several other important pieces.
Not a good offseason for the Padres organization and their fans. With the exception of acquiring Jason Bartlett, there have been zero useful additions.
2. New York Yankees
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Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees have not had a good offseason thus far. For once, it seems that they have not grabbed a star player off the market.
The Yankees attempted to persuade Cliff Lee to come to town but were snubbed as he signed with Philly. NYY made a pitiful pitch to Carl Crawford and really didn't pursue anybody else on the free agent market.
They also dealt with chaos when it was seen that re-signing All-Stars Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter was going to be complicated and reputation-tarnishing.
The Yankees tried exploring the trade market and showed great interest in acquiring players like Zack Greinke. They also fell short in that department and walked away with their heads hung low.
The Yankees have been unable to address their problems in terms of pitching, making it a very sad offseason thus far for the almighty New York Yankees, who I predict will not make the postseason this year.
1. Tampa Bay Rays
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The Tampa Bay Rays are not going to return to being as bad as the Devil Rays used to be, but they won't be as good as they have been in the last two years.
This offseason has seen power-hitting first baseman Carlos Pena leave to sign with the Chicago Cubs. They Rays lost their best all-around player in Carl Crawford, who left for a massive contract in Boston.
The Rays are poised to lose Rafael Soriano to some team who can afford him and have traded away All-Star shortstop Jason Bartlett.
The Rays are not going to have a good year, especially when players start demanding to be traded. The Rays are not going to be able to improve very much this offseason because of limited payroll, so it will take some time for the young players to come up and take over the spots that now have a big void.
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