Notable Free Agents Remaining as Spring Training Begins
With Michael Bourn finally signing a contract with the Cleveland Indians, most of the big name free agents have found a team. However, there are still many players who are, at the very least, interesting possibilities for Major League squads. Here are some of the more notable players still available:
Huff has spent the last three year in San Francisco. During that span, he had a career best season in 2010 when he hit .290/.385/.506 with 26 home runs on route to posting 6.2 fWAR. Huff has fallen hard the last two seasons, however, and was used almost exclusively as a pinch hitter in 2012. He could help a team in that role and as a backup 1B/OF potentially. You never know, he could also see a new resurgence with his bat as well.
The slick-fielding first baseman was the Indians starter in 2012, posting just a .271 wOBA with 12 home runs. Is he done? Or was it just an off year for an aging player? He posted virtually the same hitting line in 2010 with the Mariners before signing with the Rays and hitting .306/.378/.422. It's hard to see him coming back like that again but, like Huff, Kotchman could potentially be brought in as a pinch hitter.
Are you seeing a trend? Lee is another guy who could be a decent pinch hitter for a team and, in a pinch could back up at first base. In a real big pinch, he could also take over left field. His power numbers have been dropping, but he still has some pop for a bench bat and his OBP should remain fairly good.
There's something indescribably sad about the fact that Thome might fade into a forced retirement rather than to have a true celebratory final game. He has quietly been one of the greatest hitters of his generation as well as consistently being called one of the all-around nicest guys in the game. Thome has hit 612 home runs (seventh all-time) and posted a career .402 OBP with six teams over a 22 year career. He proved last season he still had a little gas in the tank, but he can't play the field anymore and that very well may have been all the gas he had. If Thome doesn't sign on with anyone, his career is likely over.
The four time Gold Glove Award winner had the worst hitting season of his career in 2012, posting a dreadful .252 wOBA. He hasn't had an above average hitting season since 2009. Working in his favor? He can still play second base, which is not a strong position at the current moment. However, that is all he has played in his career, which mitigates his value on the bench. A one position player who can't help in pinch hitting situations does not have much value.
Instead, teams may look at Kennedy, who has played every position except catcher over his career, though he has only played a handful of games in the outfield and just one game at shortstop. Kennedy is no great shakes with the bat either, however. He can get on base a little bit, but has no other redeemable qualities at the plate.
Sanchez missed all of 2012 after undergoing back surgery. That's a pretty big medical red flag as he became a free agent. He has had a surprisingly useful big league career with the Pirates and Giants, hitting for a high (but mostly empty) batting average. Again, second base is a thing position, but the medical issues could scare off potential suiters.
Theriot is nothing if not consistent. His batting averages the last three years have been .270, .271, .270 while his OBPs have been .321, .321, and .316. He still has the ability to steal 20 bases given consistent playing time and can play two key positions. How well he can play either position is up for debate, but he won't be a butcher at the very least. He's one of the surest bets at the plate available among position players.
Bartlett has had one excellent season in his career, back in 2009 with the Rays when he posted an .879 OPS with 30 stolen bases. Unfortunately, it has been downhill from there for Bartlett as he bottomed out with a .107 wOBA in just 29 games last season, at least partly due to a right knee strain that landed him on the DL.The one-time All Star was once a premiere defender at shortstop, but his skills have eroded. He may need to prove he can play multiple positions if he wants a chance to stick with a team.
Is Rolen a future Hall of Famer? Right now, he is likely on the cusp. That doesn't mean he hasn't had a great career, though. If he had not been plagued by injuries the past six years, he might be considered a lock. He certainly had a fantastic glove in the hot corner, and at his peak was an MVP candidate with the bat. Now his bat is nowhere near what it used to be and he can't be relied upon to stay on the field. Like Thome, it would be a shame to see Rolen retire due to nobody wanting him.
Abreu is an American League player at this point. He can't play the field, but as a platoon or backup DH, he still has use as a high OBP guy. He has lost most of the power his bat once had, but someone who can still get on base at around a .350 clip can still have value. Does anyone have a need for an aging part-time DH, though?
It's a little bit surprising that Podsednik has been unable to stay on a major league squad the last couple of seasons. After spending all of 2011 in the minors, he played 63 games for the Red Sox in the midst of their injury woes. For a quick replacement, Boston could have done much worse as Podsednik hit .302 on the season with them. He's lost a step at this point and is nowhere near the stolen base threat he once was, but he hits and defends well enough to be a pretty good fifth outfielder. He may be a top option once again if another team suffers a rash of injuries.
Can you believe Sizemore is just 30 years old? Sizemore was once supposed to be the next big thing early in his career. He had it all: He could get on base, hit for average, hit for power, defend, and steal bases. He was a Gold Glove center fielder while hitting .281/.372/.496 and averaging 27 home runs and 29 stolen bases a year through his first four full seasons. He was going into his prime and many wondered just where the former Baseball-America #9 overall prospect would peak. Sadly for the baseball world, injuries came into play during the 2008 season and he has missed a ton of games since, including the entire 2012 season. When he did play, he was obviously not the same old Grady. If he's at all healthy, a team could get him on a very low risk, high reward deal. Just imagine of he finds that spark again. Any deal he does sign is unlikely to come before midseason.
He's not a good hitter, and he hasn't received a ton of praise for his defense. But he is probably the best catcher left, which means something. Also, he's married to Misty May, and that is notable enough in my book.
Lohse is the big free agent left. Once rumored to be seeking a salary just below Anibal Sanchez's new contract, Lohse remains unsigned at the start of Spring Training. He has posted a 3.39 ERA and a 2.86 ERA the past two seasons, but had just one other year with an ERA under 4.00 before that in a career that began in 2001. For most of his career, he was really bad. That may be scaring teams away. Also keeping teams away: The fact that they would have to lose their top draft choice if they were out of the top ten in standings last year. Eventually, Lohse's demands will drop to the point where a team will sign him. That will come sooner than later, in all likelihood.
He's probably done at this point after two consecutive 5.00+ ERA seasons on a way overpriced contract. He had a small resurgence pitching out of the bullpen for the Yankees, but there probably isn't a team that will bother with a 40 year old who looks like he doesn't have anything left to give anymore.
He's not quite as old as Lowe, which may end up allowing him to receive one more shot if a team is desperate enough to give him one. He hasn't been able to strike anyone out in a while now. He may still be excellent at not limiting walks, but he was dreadful in 2012 in every other respect. Again, it will take either an act of desperation or a GM that is way to in love with veteran leadership for Pavano to latch on anywhere.
Vazquez is another old veteran, but unlike the other two he was rumored to be getting his fastball up into the mid-90s while playing in Winter League Ball. He didn't play in 2012 after saying he would retire following a nice 2011 season with the Marlins, but is reportedly interested in a comeback with a contender. It won't take a big contract to get him, and he may be worth looking into. There isn't much middle ground with Vazquez, though. He will either be a boom (2009, 2011) or a bust (2010).
Two consecutive bad seasons have hurt Zambrano's stock, which already wasn't as high as it perhaps could have been due to a few too many burning bridges. Zambrano is certainly talented and is still just 31 years old. He could find a return to form in 2013 if he finds the right situation. What kind of situation that entails is very uncertain. But he may be a good flier for a team that thinks they can reel him back when he needs to be.
Has one bad year and another case of alleged domestic assault damaged K-Rod's reputation so badly that he won't pitch in 2013? Despite a 4.38 ERA last season, Rodriguez has a career 2.70 ERA and set a record for most saves in a season back in 2008 with the Angels. Nobody's bullpen is so good that they couldn't use a pitcher of Rodriguez's caliber. It's just a matter of who wants to take a risk on his personality and potential legal troubles. He won't be a P.R. boon.
He has been a closer for just about all of his career and has had just one really bad year over that time, back in 2006. Last year he had a 3.78 ERA though his K/9--once solidly in double digits--fell all the way to 6.26. Valverde also lost his closer job for the playoffs. He can also have an abrasive personality as he gets just a little too competitive at times. Has that turned teams away? Is he asking for too much money at this point? Whatever it is, him being available yet is one of the bigger surprises of free agency. It also helps prove that the market for closers has really shrunk the past couple of years.
The eccentric right hander definitely has a polarizing personality. His talent speaks for itself, however, and if he hadn't undergone the second Tommy John surgery of his career about ten months ago he would still have a job. It's hard for teams not to be concerned about multiple reconstructive elbow surgeries and, if the timetable on Tommy John holds true, he is still a ways from returning. Normal recovery time is at least a year--Wilson is still a couple months away from that. He'll get signed at some point, but he might be the best candidate for an in-season signing.
