2010 Top 5 Free Agent Third Basemen

Can Glaus stay healthy and still be a masher? (bk1bennett/Flickr)

During this year’s Hot Stove season, one position that will be in hot commodity will be third base. There are eight teams that desperately need someone to fill their hot corner, four of which are playoff teams from a year ago. This is why I have taken time to rank the top five third basemen available along with their strengths, weaknesses and my scouting report on each of them. Funny thing is, that three of the top five aren’t even true third basemen which goes to show that this position is thin when it comes to true blooded third basemen.

Chone Figgins
Age: 31 | Bats: B | Throws: R
’09 Team: Los Angeles Angels | Status: Free Agent (Type A)
2009 Stats: .298/.395/.393, 114 R, 5 HR, 54 RBI, 42 SB
A fantastic 2009 season has set Figgins up to be paid a hearty contract this winter as he has established himself as one of the best lead off guys in the business. He’s a fantastic tone setter as he uses his speed and short, compact (slap) swing to make things happen at the top of the lineup. Does a great job hitting the ball where its pitched with some pretty good gap-to-gap pop. Good extra base guy due to his speed and ability to take extra bases. Likes pitches out over the plate and can struggle at times with hard stuff inside. While he’s a better fit as a utility player (can play all over infield including left field), he has made a home for himself as a plus defender at the hot corner with good reaction time, feet and hands.
2010 Prediction: will sign with Philadelphia Phillies

Adrian Beltre
Age: 30 | Bats: R | Throws: R
’09 Team: Seattle Mariners | Status: Free Agent (Type B)
2009 Stats: .265/.304/.379, 54 R, 8 HR, 44 RBI
It’s funny how things even themselves out. After having a monster year in 2004 before becoming a free agent only to not live up to his paycheck in Seattle, he now ventures into the free agent market once more after a truly horrible year at the plate. Beltre swings off his back foot and generates all his bat speed and power with his raw strength. His swing has gotten longer and longer as time has gone on causing more holes to develop. This has made it more difficult for him to catch up to the heat and even worsened his bad habit of chasing sliders down and away. Aside from that he is an extremely dangerous power hitter who mashes the ball to all fields. While his bat has come and gone through the years, his plus defense is what makes him so valuable. Beltre has great range, fantastic reaction time and above average arm strength. Won’t get even near the payday this time as he did back in ’04.
2010 Prediction: will sign with Los Angeles Angels

Miguel Tejada
Age: 35 | Bats: R | Throws: R
’09 Team: Houston Astros | Status: Free Agent (Type A)
2009 Stats: .313/.340/.455, 83 R, 14 HR, 86 RBI
Tejada’s days playing shortstop look to be over as he just doesn’t have the range to play the position anymore. But he still posses good hands and a strong, accurate arm once he gets set which will translate very well to third base. Good at positioning self which too is going to benefit him greatly at the hot corner. As far as how he is at the plate, he has a quick bat and is very aggressive. Prefers the ball up in the zone and is vulnerable in on his hands. Doesn’t have the power he once had but still can drive the ball very well to the gaps and proved to still be a clutch hitter for Houston last season. Will fit in well as a six or seven hitter at this stage of his career.
2010 Prediction: will sign with San Francisco Giants

Mark DeRosa
Age: 34 | Bats: R | Throws: R
’09 Team: St. Louis Cardinals | Status: Free Agent (Type B)
2009 Stats: .250/.319/.433, 78 R, 23 HR, 78 RBI
After a career year in 2008, DeRosa had a very disappointing year last season after battling a wrist injury. DeRosa’s value is definitely tied to his ability to play five different positions, the problem is he isn’t stellar at any of them. Has found a home a third base for the most part due to being a steady, surehanded fielder and having a very strong arm. Covers up his lack of range by positioning himself very well depending on hitter and situation. At the plate DeRosa has a short, compact stroke that he uses to drive fastball well to all fields. He is very balanced at the plate and has solid plate discipline with the ability to make adjustments to his approach depending on the count. Has been able to add power over the past few seasons which has made him more valuable and helps justify his playing third base.
2010 Prediction: signs with Philadelphia Phillies

Troy Glaus
Age: 33 | Bats: R | Throws: R
’09 Team: St. Louis Cardinals | Status: Free Agent (Type B)
2009 Stats: .172/.250/.241, 14 G, 0 HR, 2 RBI
Glaus missed all but 14 games last season with injuries which makes him a bit of a question mark for 2010. With some injury problems in the past, teams have to be cautious with their offers to the big man. On the bright side, when Glaus is healthy he is a force in the middle of the lineup. He has a long swing and likes the ball down and out over the plate. Drives these pitches and has incredible power from right center on over to left. His kryptonite is sliders from righties away as he tends to roll over on them. Defensively he doesn’t have too much range at third base but helps make up for it with good hands and a very powerful arm. Teams always have the option to DH Glaus occasionally to keep him fresh which may be a very attractive option to American League clubs.
2010 Prediction: signs with Minnesota Twins

Honorable Mentions:
· Juan Uribe
· Melvin Mora
· Joe Crede
· Pedro Feliz
· Nomar Garciaparra

News and Notes: “Stocking Signings”

The Big Unit moves home to San Fran (SD Dirk/flickr).

After a short break to celebrate the holiday with my family, I figured we’d jump back into things covering some recent signings and other miscellaneous happenings around Major and Minor League Baseball. Look for the top 25 list to continue tomorrow.

• Future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson will attempt to gain his elusive 300th victory back near his home with the San Francisco Giants as he signs a one-year deal for $8 million the day after Christmas. This is a great signing for the Giants who I have been very critical about in the past for horrible signings. This adds a third former Cy Young winner to be added along with Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito (even though he hasn’t looked anything like one since winning it). Not only will Johnson bring the attention to his 300th victory, the Giants also get a mentor for Lincecum and growing star Matt Cain. While this will help solidify their rotation, it still doesn’t help their flimsy offense which still needs a lot of help if they hope to contend in the NL West.

• The Cincinnati Reds pulled a head scratcher today in signing Willy Taveras to a two-year deal. While Taveras did have a decent 2007 hitting .320 and stealing 68 bases in 2008, he isn’t the great lead off hitter GM Walt Jockety makes him out to be. Sure he has blazing speed and stole 68 bases, but his OBP was only .308 last season and that’s the last issue you want your lead off hitter to have. The financial info on this deal hasn’t been released yet but hopefully the Reds received some sort of discount to warrant signing him for two-years.

• Minnesota Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal III discussed the Twins signing of knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Just like La Velle, I too am a little confused as to the Twins thoughts behind this. The Twins have a slew of youngsters that they could use as a spot starter or middle reliever and need to address a set-up man before anything else in their bullpen. Also Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune mentions the DeRosa to the Twins talks saying it would take “outfielder Ben Rivere [sic] and pitchers Jose Mijares, Jeff Manship and Andy Swarzak” to get the deal done. I don’t know if Rogers over values DeRosa, has no idea how good those prospects really are or is just delusional, but there is no way that a deal would involve a combination of those players. I want DeRosa on the Twins as much as anyone, but not at that ridiculous price.

By Matthew Whipps
“The Diamond Cutter“
Major & Minor League Baseball Columnist
mlbdiamondcutter@gmail.com | Facebook

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News and Notes – “Jack the Ripper”

Wilson voiced his frustrations for thousands of Bucs fans everywhere (urbansaddle/flickr).

As a new feature here on “The Diamond Cutter” we will be reviewing some of the things that are happening in baseball and around the blogosphere. You’ll see this pop up from time to time as I come across items in the news. It’s also a quick way to voice my opinions and ideas on topics without writing an entire column. So without further ado…

· As eager as I am to see where Mark Teixeira ends up, I’m getting a little tired of the whole hoopla around it. Now I know this is a big decision for him as its planning out where he will play for the next 7 or 8 years, but I really wish he’d hurry up and decide. I talked about his options earlier this week along with reasons why he should or shouldn’t sign with these teams. And of course ESPN chimed in yesterday saying Boston is out and today saying Boston may still be in. Please pick soon, Mark.

Furcal better watch himself in Hot-lanta (dizzy-eyed/flickr).

· The Atlanta Braves are furious with Rafael Furcal’s agents calling them “despicable” for the way they handled things. Brave’s Blog also chimes in on the status of the Braves and their need to reassess their team. Personally I have to agree with the Braves. It does sound as if Furcal’s agent pulled a screw job on Atlanta and threw a HUGE wrench in their off season plans. It was lining up to look as if the Braves had the ability to trade Yunel Escobar to the Padres now for Jake Peavy. This was especially important after losing AJ Burnett to the Yankees. Even if they didn’t trade the shortstop they still would have had another good bat in their lineup and burner on the base paths. I feel for Braves fans, I really do as they have had a giant disappointment this winter after having such high expectations.

· Jack Wilson let his frustrations be heard regarding the Pirates’ lack of competition for the past 17 seasons. His actions voiced frustrations of Pirates fans everywhere as well as indirectly asked the question of “why the hell haven’t you people traded me yet?!?!” The Bucs Dugout chimes in on Wilson’s rambling with a funny twist.

As a life long Twins fan, I'd love to see DeRosa in Minnesota (chicagoenergy/flickr).

· In the yearly quest to fill in a huge hole at third base, the Twins appear to be still showing interest in bringing in free agent Ty Wigginton to plug it until some prospects are ready. Both La Velle E. Neal III and Nick Nelson discuss this option and Nick brings up Mark DeRosa’s name as a potential trade target (which I would love). All I know is the Twins need to figure something out as this has been a problem for years ever since Corey Koskie left after the 2004 season.

That was a quick recap of some of the happenings around baseball and the internet. Let me know your thoughts on these stories and this new feature too. Also make sure to chime in on our poll below on the Braves/Furcal situation.

By Matthew Whipps
“The Diamond Cutter“
Major & Minor League Baseball Columnist
mlbdiamondcutter@gmail.com | thefranch15e

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2007 Free Agent Review

Back on January 16, 2007 I wrote a column here entitled “2007 Free Agent Signings: The Good, The Iffy, & The Ugly.” In it I took a look at the most noteworthy free agent signings of last winter, how it would impact each team, and whether I thought it was a good signing, an iffy signing, or an ugly signing. It was a fabulous article.

So now with the 2007 regular season over, I thought it would be fun to look back at some of my comments on each of these players as well as what category I put them into and what category they ended up in after it was all said and done. Since some are now in new categories, I have reordered the players in alphabetical order. Without further ado, lets take a look:

Moises Alou, New York Mets (1 year – $8.5 million)
· Original Ranking: The Good
· Memorable Quote: “They should be very happy with their investment, especially if he can play at least 120 games.”
· Outcome: While Alou did have a nice year at the plate this season hitting .341/.392/.524, it was unfortunately only for 87 games. Those are very impressive numbers, especially for a guy who turned 41 this season. But the problem is the Mets paid that money for a full time player and instead they got a guy who played only half the season. This is a difficult ranking because he didn’t play much, but when he played he was very good.
· New Ranking: The Iffy

Rich Aurilia, San Francisco Giants (2 years – $8 million)
· Original Ranking: The Good
· Memorable Quote: “…they got a player relatively cheap who put up very productive numbers in 2006…”
· Outcome: Well I guess the old saying “you get what you pay for” is true in this case. Aurilia was dreadful in his first year back with the Giants hitting .252/.304/.368 with 5 homers and 33 RBI in 99 games. This was a dramatic drop-off from his .300/.349/.518 with 23 homers and 70 RBI stat line the previous year with Cincinnati. Sure the Great American Ballpark is a hitters park, but that’s still too big of a drop.
· New Ranking: The Bad

Mark DeRosa, Chicago Cubs (3 years – $13.3 million)
· Original Ranking: The Good
· Memorable Quote: “This is a rare situation in which a team seems to have actually gotten a good deal for a player rather than the other way around.”
· Outcome: The Cubs got just what they wanted from Mark DeRosa in 2007. He had a very nice line of .293/.371/.420 with 147 hits, 28 doubles, and 72 RBI in 149 games. That was virtually a mirror image of what he did the previous year in Texas. I’m glad I finally got one right on with Mr. DeRosa.
· New Ranking: The Good

JD Drew, Boston Red Sox (5 years – $70 million)
· Original Ranking: The Ugly
· Memorable Quote: “I just have a feeling Sox fans will be hating him before too long.”
· Outcome: Well I was kinda right on this one. Drew started off miserably for the Sox and the fans let him know it real quick. But to Drew’s credit, the typically made of glass outfielder did turn it around at the plate a little hitting .270/.373/.423 with 11 homers and 64 RBI in 140 games. Drew did end up having some very low numbers considering how much he is paid and the fact that he’s surrounded by great hitters. So considering those to factors along with his paycheck, I’m going to stick with my original ranking.
· New Ranking: The Ugly

Eric Gagne, Texas Rangers (1 year – $6 million)
· Original Ranking: The Iffy
· Memorable Quote: “…they did the smart thing and only signed him for one season in case the injury problems continue.”
· Outcome: This will be a tough one to grade considering he didn’t even spend the entire season with Texas. While he did again struggle with injuries (becoming the JD Drew of the pitching world – its great that they are on the same team now) he didn’t pitch too badly when he was healthy with Texas posting a 2-0 record, 2.16 ERA, 16/17 in saves in 34 appearances. After all it wasn’t his fault Texas never gave him save chances. So since Texas traded him to Boston (where he had a rough go posting a 2-2 record, 6.75 ERA, and 0/3 in saves) that pretty much makes this a bad deal overall for them since they didn’t really get their money’s worth.
· New Ranking: The Ugly

Marcus Giles, San Diego Padres (1 year – $3.2 million)
· Original Ranking: The Good
· Memorable Quote: “…Giles will be a great fit to the top of their order and for not a lot of money.”
· Outcome: Ugh. I guess a reunion with his brother Brian wasn’t a good thing for the Padres. Giles had a horrible year. He hit only .229/.304/.317 with 10 stolen bases and 39 RBI in a whopping 116 games. The guy didn’t even get 100 hits on the season. Even though he only ripped the Padres off for $3.2 million (they were smart enough to only sign him to a one year contract), I still have to take this one as a big loss.
· New Ranking: The Ugly

Carlos Lee, Houston Astros (6 years – $100 million)
· Original Ranking: The Good
· Memorable Quote: “…over the past three seasons…Lee has averaged a .290 batting average, 33 homers, and 109 RBI. Now you are going to put him in Houston with the most right handed hitter friendly park in baseball?”
· Outcome: Another big win for me (and the Astros) on this one. Lee had a huge year for Houston hitting .303/.354/.528 with 43 doubles, 32 homers, and 119 RBI. The addition of Lee finally gave Lance Berkman some protection in the lineup that he had been missing for so long. Even though the Astros were poor, Lee was a star.
· New Ranking: The Good

Kenny Lofton, Texas Rangers (1 year – $6 million)
· Original Ranking: The Good
· Memorable Quote: “The Rangers were able sign a bona fide and more importantly, proven, leadoff hitter for cheaper than most teams.”
· Outcome: Apparently the Rangers didn’t want to hang on to any of their free agent signings in 2007. During their fire sale they gave up this ageless speedster to Cleveland where he helped ignite their offense. In 136 games (between the two teams) Lofton hit .296/.367/.414 with 86 runs, 38 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Normally I’d say that was well worth $6 million but not if you don’t hang on to him!
· New Ranking: The Good

Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox (6 years – $52 million)
· Original Ranking: The Iffy
· Memorable Quote: “I’m just leery about this signing. I know he had a great career in Japan but I think over $8 million per year for six years for someone who has never pitched in the Major Leagues is a lot.”
· Outcome: Well when you’re wrong, you’re wrong. For a hair over $8 million the Sox got a pitcher to pick up 15 wins and strikeout 201 hitters. Sure his ERA was a little up there at 4.40, but most of that was tacked on in the second half where he wasn’t quite as sharp as the first half. Regardless I am saying that this one worked out for the best.
· New Ranking: The Good

Gary Matthews Jr., Los Angeles Angels (5 years – $50 million)
· Original Ranking: The Iffy
· Memorable Quote: “But to think a 32 year old can match that (career highs) over the next 5 years might be a stretch.”
· Outcome: While Matthews did essentially put up the same homer (18) and RBI (72) totals as the previous year, his hitting line took a major hit. In 140 games Matthews hit .252/.323/.419 which is not what the Angels were looking from their $10 million a year investment. And the bad thing for the Angels? The 33 year old isn’t getting any younger and his contract isn’t getting any smaller.
· New Ranking: The Ugly

Gil Meche, Kansas City Royals (5 years – $55 million)
· Original Ranking: The Ugly
· Memorable Quote: “…I sincerely hope they didn’t sit down with $55 million burning in their pockets and say with a straight face that Gil Meche is their man.”
· Outcome: I read back over some of the articles I wrote about this Gil Meche signing and, wow, was I harsh. But in my defense at the time it looked to be an asinine signing. I will now admit that I was very wrong and that considering how Meche performed (3.67 ERA and 9 wins for a poor Royals team) compared to the market prices, the Royals made a nice signing. I will now light myself on fire.
· New Ranking: The Good

Mike Piazza, Oakland A’s (1 year – $8.5 million)
· Original Ranking: The Good
· Memorable Quote: “A move to the American League is exactly what Piazza needed to extend his great career.”
· Outcome: While I do agree with my quote above, Piazza’s move to the AL wasn’t as joyous as I was expecting. Without his normal daily wears and tears of catching, Piazza still only managed to play in 83 games and post a mediocre .275/.313/.414 line with only 8 homers and 44 RBI. I’m not sure where Piazza will end up in 2008, but I’m going to guess its not Oakland.
· New Ranking: The Iffy

Jason Schmidt, Los Angeles Dodgers (3 years – $47 million)
· Original Ranking: The Good
· Memorable Quote: “…bringing in an ace…really solidified them in a division that as a whole beefed up on pitching this winter.”
· Outcome: I thought this was a good, but expensive, signing by the Dodgers before the season started. I guess we will never know how it could have turned out as Schmidt only started six games going 1-4 with a 6.31 ERA due to a horrible shoulder injury. I really don’t have anything else to say as there is no defending my original ranking.
· New Ranking: The Ugly

Jeff Suppan, Milwaukee Brewers (4 years – $42 million)
· Original Ranking: The Ugly
· Memorable Quote: “To me it just seems like a lot of money and a lot of years to spend on a veteran with so many young pitchers they could give a shot to.”
· Outcome: I still stand by that statement. Granted the market has sky rocketed for mediocre pitchers, but I just think four years and $10 million per is a lot to spend for a club trying to stay young. Suppan had a year going 12-12 with a 4.62 ERA in 34 starts predominantly against a weak NL Central. These numbers are below his average over the past few years so coupling that with his salary I am going to stick to my initial answer.
· New Ranking: The Ugly

Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants (7 years – $126 million)
· Original Ranking: The Ugly
· Memorable Quote: “…the fact that he will now be the highest paid pitcher ever is a little ridiculous…I think this one will come back to bite the Giants in the end.”
· Outcome: Boy was I right on with this one and I couldn’t be happier about it. I really have nothing against Zito as a person, but as I’ve said many times, I do have something against his contract. Giving that much money to an above-average pitcher just doesn’t sit well with me. Does an 11-13 record and 4.53 ERA in a pitcher’s park sound like it’s worth $18 million per year? I didn’t think so. So I stand by my original ranking and raise my glass to Zito in hopes of an even worse 2008. Because at this rate, his extreme failure may be the only thing keeping teams from handing out ridiculous contracts like this.
· New Ranking: The Ugliest

If you count all of that up I had six right and nine wrong. So my final ranking of my performance:

The Iffy.

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2007 Free Agent Signings: The Good, The Iffy, & The Ugly

In an off season that has transpired into an (over)spending spree, players are continuing to see their paychecks increase while owners continue to see their wallets diminish. I decided to sit back and try to make some sense of it all and hopefully this post will help make some sense to you as I try to sort out all the notable off season free agent signings to see if the newest members of these teams will end up helping or hurting them in the long run. I plan on breaking it into three categories showing the good, the iffy, and the ugly.

The Good

· Jason Schmidt, Los Angeles Dodgers (3 years – $47 million): While this deal does seem to be a lot of money per season (over $15 million per), the Dodgers did a smart thing and only made it a 3 year deal and didn’t get locked in long term like Schmidt’s old team, the San Francisco Giants, did with Barry Zito. Plus bringing in an ace to go along with Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, and Randy Wolf really solidified them in a division that as a whole beefed up on pitching this winter. If everyone stays healthy, the Dodgers have a very scary staff that will help in their quest to win the NL West.

· Mark DeRosa, Chicago Cubs (3 years – $13.3 million): This is a rare situation in which a team seems to have actually gotten a good deal for a player rather than the other way around. The Cubs signed this very versatile player at the very beginning of the free agent signing period before all the inflated dollar amounts were thrown around. Last season with the Texas Rangers DeRosa hit .296, 78 runs scored, 13 homers, and 74 RBI. DeRosa will make a very nice addition to the rebuilt Cubbies this year.

· Rich Aurilia, San Francisco Giants (2 years – $8 million): A very nice deal for the Giants as they got a player relatively cheap who put up very productive numbers in 2006 with the Cincinnati Reds posting a .300 average, 23 homers, and 70 RBI.

· Mike Piazza, Oakland A’s (1 year – $8.5 million): A move to the American League is exactly what Piazza needed to extend his great career. Now he can slide into that DH spot that was filled by Frank Thomas last season and give his old catcher’s body a rest. He’s still got it at the plate and proved it last season when he batted .283 with 22 homers with the Padres.

· Moises Alou, New York Mets (1 year – $8.5 million): While Alou has battled injuries the past couple of seasons, he is still a very solid presence in the lineup. In only 98 games last season, he still hit .301 with 74 RBI with the San Francisco Giants and looks to put up similar numbers in the already potent Mets lineup. Alou even passed up other 2 year deals with other clubs so he could play for the Mets. They should be very happy with their investment, especially if he can play at least 120 games.

· Kenny Lofton, Texas Rangers (1 year – $6 million): Too old? Past his prime? Says who? I don’t understand why anyone would say that he wasn’t effective anymore. The Rangers were able sign a bona fide and more importantly, proven, leadoff hitter for cheaper than most teams. Last season in 129 games with the Dodgers he hit .301, scored 79 runs, and stole 32 bases. That hardly sounds “past his prime” to me.

· Marcus Giles, San Diego Padres (1 year – $3.2 million): Marcus wanted an opportunity to play with his older brother Brian Giles so the Padres were more than willing to help him out with that. With the trade of Josh Barfield this past winter the Padres needed a second baseman and Giles will be a great fit to the top of their order and for not a lot of money.

· Carlos Lee, Houston Astros (6 years – $100 million): Now I know this is a lot of money over 6 years for a guy in his 30’s, but think about this: over the past three seasons in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Texas, Lee has averaged a .290 batting average, 33 homers, and 109 RBI. Now you are going to put him in Houston with the most right handed hitter friendly park in baseball? I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lee hit 45 homers and drive in 130 RBI the next few seasons. Just you watch.

The Iffy

· Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox (6 years – $52 million): I’m just leery about this signing. I know he had a great career in Japan but I think over $8 million per year for six years for someone who has never pitched in the Major Leagues is a lot. Especially considering he will be wandering into possibly the most offensively potent division in baseball (for sure the better hitting league). Not to mention the incredible distraction and havoc the Japanese and American media will unleash on the unprepared Fenway every time Matsuzaka takes the mound.

· Gary Matthews Jr., Los Angeles Angels (5 years – $50 million): If Matthews can match his career highs from last season, great, he’s worth the money. But to think a 32 year old can match that over the next 5 years might be a stretch. That’s why I’m just not ready to say a “yes” or “no” to this one.

· Eric Gagne, Texas Rangers (1 year – $6 million): After an injury plagued season, Gagne hopes to revive his once thriving career as a closer. I am leaning towards this being a good signing simply because he has the skills and they did the smart thing and only signed him for one season in case the injury problems continue.

The Ugly

· Gil Meche, Kansas City Royals (5 years – $55 million): This one I just plain don’t understand. Why would a small market team pay over $10 million per year for 5 years to an average pitcher. In fact, I’m using the word “average” very generously. Meche has spent his entire 6 year career in the very pitcher friendly Safeco Field and has a 4.65 ERA to show for it. That’s not very good and doesn’t seem to be worth more that $10 million per. It seems to me the Royals closed their eyes and threw a dart at a wall with different pitchers faces on it. Because for their sake, I sincerely hope they didn’t sit down with $55 million burning in their pockets and say with a straight face that Gil Meche is their man.

· JD Drew, Boston Red Sox (5 years – $70 million): $14 million per year for 5 years is a lot for a guy who historically hasn’t been able to stay healthy. He put up pretty good numbers last season (.283, 20 HR, 100 RBI) after playing most of the season, but considering he turns 32 this season, my guess is that any plaguing injuries will just get worse as he gets older. As of this posting both sides have yet to sign on the dotted lines, but assuming the deal does go down this way, the Red Sox may be financially hurting if Drew is unable to stay in the lineup for an extended period of time. This deal is also a bit perplexing considering there were better free agents available and they already have a guy who can play in right field with Wily Mo Pena. I just have a feeling Sox fans will be hating him before too long.

· Jeff Suppan, Milwaukee Brewers (4 years – $42 million): Despite the stellar post season that Suppan had with the Cardinals last year, this is a lot of money to spend on a guy in his 30’s. To me it just seems like a lot of money and a lot of years to spend on a veteran with so many young pitchers they could give a shot to. This was just another example of all the pitchers who were overpaid this winter. Which brings us to the biggest of all…

· Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants (7 years – $126 million): I just want to start off by saying that Zito is a very good pitcher. But the fact that he will now be the highest paid pitcher ever is a little ridiculous. Zito is set to make $18 million per year which if you break down how he has done the past few years is way, way too much. Now granted Zito’s ERA over the past four seasons has been below four, but his record (55-46) hasn’t been stellar. The lefty also hasn’t recorded a complete game or shutout over the past three seasons. Once again I want to make sure that I state for the record that I think Zito is a very good pitcher. But I do not think he is worth that much money, especially over 7 years. I think this one will come back to bite the Giants in the end.