John Lackey. Matt Holliday. Jose Valverde. In a weak free-agent class for 2009-2010, those men stand out as the leaders of the mediocre pack, and well deserve the publicity they have already received and will receive throughout the next month.
As all students of the game know, however, there are always unknowns, always surprises. Each season, there are players who unexpectedly make an impact in a comeback capacity or after having been dispatched into baseball abyss due to injury or ineffectiveness.
Thus, for the teams (and there are no fewer than 26 of them) who will be unable to sign Lackey, Holliday, Valverde, Jason Bay or Chone Figgins, the true test may come when the bottom of the barrel appears to have been scraped, and there remain only a handful of talents to discover and to which to offer minimum-salary or minor-league deals.
After careful study of the market for free agents, here are five of the best potential finds for teams who find themselves desperate to plug a hole in mid-February or who hope to add depth.
The qualifications to be eligible for the list were as follows: the player must have no Hall of Fame credentials (eliminating hangers-on like John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson); he must not qualify for free-agent compensation for the team losing them, either Type A or Type B; he must project to make less than $3 million in 2010, and preferably much less; and he must have appeared in the Majors during either 2008 or 2009.
- Andruw Jones—OF: Here, with the top pick for the list, I may be violating my own primary dictate. Jones is no surefire Hall-of-Famer, but he's not a lock not to make it either. Still, he won't make much money next season, though he will finally be out from under the weight of expectation that came with his monster contracts with Atlanta (after 2001) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (in December of 2007). Jones also rediscovered his power stroke in 2009, upping his isolated power (ISO, a statistic derived by subtracting a batter's batting average from his slugging percentage) to an impressive .243, and continues to be an above-average defender (though his 10 consecutive Gold Gloves remain where he left them - when he packed on about 60 pounds from 2006-09). His best fit is in the American League, but as an outfielder who mashes lefties and can still go get it in either corner of the outfield, Jones (who will be just 33 next season) has value for anyone at the right price. Best Fit: Indians
- Kelvim Escobar—SP: Escobar made precisely one appearance in 2009 after missing all of 2008, meaning he qualified for the list by the slimmest of margins. The soon-to-be 34-year-old isn't a superstar even when healthy, but from 2003 to 2007, Escobar put together five consecutive seasons with at least twice as many strikeouts as walks. In the last two of those years, Escobar allowed just 28 homers and 116 walks, while punching out 307 in 385 innings. In those two years, he won 29 games, compiled a 1.27 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) posted a 3.51 ERA. Shoulder problems have derailed his career, but if a team can ink Escobar to a minor-league deal and allow his shoulder inflammation to heal slowly through camp and the first month, he could be precisely the sort of surprise this list intends to project. Best Fit: Marlins
- Adam Everett—SS: Everett is a miserable offensive player and always has been. There is no reason to believe that Everett, who will be 33 by Opening Day, will suddenly wake up and be a Major League-caliber hitter. But quietly, despite the flashy exploits of Omar Vizquel and Jack Wilson, Everett has put together the most impressive record of defensive ability at baseball's most defense-oriented position (OK, possibly excepting catcher) in the past two decades. He hits lefties significantly better (.256/.317/.367) than he does right-handers (.241/.290/.346), so he could get spot starts, but odds are, he will be a defensive substitute and occasional pinch-runner for the rest of his career. As far as filling that role goes, teams would be hard-pressed to do better than Everett. Best Fit: Diamondbacks
- Joaquin Benoit—RP: A full-time reliever since mid-2005, Benoit lacks the two-pitch punch-out combination teams look for in a short reliever. He does best when he is able to mix his low-90s fastball with a devastating change-up and an average slider. Benoit will turn 33 next July, and fought through shoulder pain in 2008 but missed 2009 following surgery on the same shoulder. If he recovers, he has a good chance to return to the form that made him one of the best relievers in all of baseball in 2007. If he doesn't, whichever team gives him a chance will have little to regret, as he will likely merit no better than a Minor League deal. Best Fit: Padres
- Rick Ankiel—OF: In 2000, Ankiel finished second in Rookie of the Year balloting as a pitcher. Thereafter, he fell off the face of the baseball planet. After emerging again as a strong-armed outfielder and left-handed power hitter in 2007-08, he took a decided step backward in 2009, compiling a .231/.285/.387 line. He still has that power, however, and though he has proved over the last two years that he is better suited to the corner spots, he can provide roughly league-average defense at any outfield position. For all the triumphs and travails of his career, he will turn just 31 next July. As a likely candidate to earn the veteran's minimum, the 15 homers and cannon-armed glove work he offers makes Ankiel a bargain in the right role. Best Fit: Cardinals
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments