A few pitchers looking for big contracts this offseason might need the money to pay for hefty phone bills.
Despite a deep list of free agents at the position, a number of starters on the market are already gaining tons of interest on the open market. While it might take some time before decisions are made and contracts are finalized, it is good for each player to know they are in high demand.
While these are not necessarily the best pitchers available this winter, here is a breakdown of the latest rumors for some of the more coveted players in the early part of the offseason.
Jon Lester
While he was not always in the spotlight this season, Jon Lester was one of the best pitchers in baseball, finishing with a 2.46 ERA between his time with the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics.
Considering he has consistently excelled in the regular season and owns a 2.57 career ERA in the postseason with two World Series rings, he has a chance to earn some serious money this winter.
Rob Bradford of WEEI reported heavy interest in the front-line starter:
According to multiple major league sources, the Blue Jays remain as one of the six clubs to continue to show legitimate interest in free agent pitcher Jon Lester. Also known to be pursuing the lefty are the Cubs and Red Sox, both of whom are expected to meet with the pitcher this week.
The Toronto Blue Jays have already been aggressive on the market with the signing of Russell Martin, per ESPN's Buster Olney (h/t ESPN.com), while the Chicago Cubs are trying to make a push toward contention after a long stretch of losing seasons.
Of course, the Red Sox have to be the least surprising option after the pitcher spent the first nine years with the organization. Even after being traded, he expressed interest in returning in the offseason, via John Tomase of the Boston Herald (subscription required):
My time there, the memories and all that stuff don't get erased based on this whole ordeal. I'm glad with where I'm at, and I understood where [Red Sox GM] Ben [Cherington] was at. At the end of the season, it's not going to change my mind about going back there if they are aggressive and competitive and do the things they say they're going to do. Boston is definitely a place I would go.
One team that is unlikely to go after Lester is the New York Yankees. The team is usually the one pushing the market with big signings, but Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden of the New York Post reported the Yankees are not going to go after the top players on the market.
In the end, he will get plenty of offers from around the league, but he seems likely to play for an organization he knows and loves. Boston might have had a down year in 2014, but it is not too far away from competing for a title once again, and Lester will be a big part of the team's success.
Prediction: Boston Red Sox
Jason Hammel
Although Jason Hammel has had an inconsistent career, he showed in the first half of the season how good he can be with a 2.98 ERA in 17 starts with the Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately, a rough second half of the year with the Athletics (2-6 with a 4.26 ERA) hurt his stock going into free agency.
Like Lester, Hammel could be headed back to his former team after being traded midseason, as Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago reports: "One takeaway from the Arizona Biltmore this week was the mutual interest between the Cubs and Hammel. A source said the Cubs were one of at least nine teams that had shown interest in Hammel by the time the general manager meetings wrapped up in Phoenix."
Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle heard the market was even bigger, saying: "The Astros are one of about a dozen teams that have called on free agent starting pitcher Jason Hammel."
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports also notes the Yankees are one of the teams involved in the hunt for the starter, which makes sense based on the New York Post report that the organization will avoid the higher-priced players this offseason.
Hammel is not someone who will rejuvenate a fanbase, and the Yankees wouldn't likely have a huge press conference to announce this potential signing, but the move would make a lot of sense for a team that needs to fill up the rotation.
The 32-year-old veteran will give a team plenty of quality starts throughout the year and will usually give his squad a chance to win. This is exactly what New York needs, and he would be a smart signing for a reasonable cost.
Prediction: New York Yankees
Justin Masterson
For organizations looking for a low-risk, high-reward option at pitcher, there are few better options than Justin Masterson.
According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, there are a bunch of teams interested in the veteran starter:
In addition to the six listed, the Cleveland Indians have looked into bringing back their former ace, according to Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com.
Masterson was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2013, posting a 14-10 record with a 3.45 ERA to earn his first All-Star appearance. His 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings was the best of his career and indicated that his success was not a fluke based on lucky bounces in the field.
Unfortunately, injuries limited him in 2014 as his ERA ballooned to 5.88 while splitting time between the Indians and St. Louis Cardinals. He eventually lost his spot in the rotation and did little more than mop-up duty for the remainder of the season.
Still, he can be a key piece of a rotation if he is healthy with the talent to be an impact starter. This makes him a smart signing for a potential contender who might want to save some money.
The best fit in this scenario might be the Kansas City Royals, who clearly don't need him with young starters like Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy, although someone will need to replace James Shields. The upside will make a short contract worth the risk for this young club.
Prediction: Kansas City Royals
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