Cyber Monday Thoughts On Big Name Free Agents E-mail
Written by MC3 Sports Media   
Monday, 30 November 2009 09:20

freeagentsBlack Friday has come and gone and today is Cyber Monday. You aren't the only one doing some holiday shopping, MLB GM's are out shopping as well. Here's where we stand with some of the more familiar names.

  • Rich Harden - While a contract extension for Joe Mauer is priority No. 1, the Twins have money to spend with the move to Target Field. Harden and Justin Morneau played together on select teams in British Columbia.
  • Matt Holliday - Boston had the inside track on Teixeira before backing away. The Red Sox aren't likely to let that happen again. The Cardinals will make at least a face-saving attempt to keep him, but Holliday is a Boras client, so money is going to talk. The Mets are also in the picture.
  • Jason Bay - A good fit in Boston, Bay may regret walking away from a four-year, $60 million offer. But the Angels are in need of another bat with Vladimir Guerrero on his way out.
  • John Lackey - The best pitcher on the free-agent market almost never stays put. But 2009 was a down season for Lackey, causing teams to worry about his health. He would be a hugely attractive player for his preferred team in most years, but the Rangers are handcuffed by their ownership situation. Don't be stunned if he takes arbitration and returns to the Angels for one more season.
  • Chone Figgins - Before a horrible October (3-for-35, nine strikeouts, no stolen bases), he was positioning himself as an elite free agent. He will attract a lot of interest, but will anyone go beyond three years, $30 million?
  • Jermaine Dye - He doesn't want to DH but hasn't ruled out a move to first base. The Braves can sign him and trade their pitching surplus for prospects, not a veteran.
  • Johnny Damon - He sure didn't look like a guy at the end of his rope in the playoffs. He wants to stay, and the Yankees want him back. He's 36, so it's tough for Boras to find a better mix.
  • Aroldis Chapman - The Cuban flamethrower is in demand, but his firing of agent Edwin Mejia in favor of Randy and Alan Hendricks may delay his signing. The Mets love Chapman and need to make a splash. This kid could duel Stephen Strasburg for Rookie of the Year honors.
  • Miguel Tejada - If Holliday and Mark DeRosa leave, general manager John Mozeliak will be under pressure to keep Albert Pujols happy. Somebody's going to get overpaid, and it might as well be one of the game's most productive shortstops.
  • Randy Johnson - The Big Unit turned in a solid first half last season, but the shoulder injury that didn't let him start a game after July makes him riskier than ever. He's looking at an incentive-laden offer from teams (possibly including the Cubs), and his motivation is down after getting to 303 victories.
  • Mark DeRosa - The former Penn quarterback is a good fit to replace Pedro Feliz.
  • Hideki Matsui - The World Series MVP will get a two-year deal somewhere to DH. The Yankees are keeping that role open as a once- or twice-a-week slot for Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez and Damon.
  • Vladimir Guerrero - Washington has enough money to bring back the eight-time All-Star to his original franchise, making it more acceptable to trade Adam Dunn for some badly needed pitching.
  • Jim Thome - GM Jon Daniels has had mixed results with Sammy Sosa and Andruw Jones in recent years, but Thome could be a January bargain for a team needing hitters. - David Ross

David, a paraplegic since a 1986 car accident, has been providing volunteer sports coverage for his local community paper in Mission, KS for over 20 years.

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