The best, the overrated and the bargains
There are plenty of big names on the free agent market in the 2007-08 offseason. Which are the best, which are the potential land mines and which are the sleepers? A look at some of the players in this year's free agent crop:
Alex Rodriguez:The only question is how much money he'll get. Not only will he break the bank, but the Yankees will likely offer arbitration to A-Rod, meaning any team that wants to sign him will also forfeit their first-round pick in next year's draft.
But he's the best player in baseball, is rarely injured, and produces huge stats every single season.
Barry Bonds: He's not the same player as a few years ago, but there's few hitters who are feared more. Bonds' on-base percentage was still an incredible .480 last season, and his slugging percentage was still over .600. He'll make somebody a very good designated hitter.
Mariano Rivera: Only the best closer of all time. And after a slow start to his 2007 season, he was the same old Rivera down the stretch. He'll turn 38 this offseason, but there seems to be plenty of life still in his arm.
Mike Lowell: He's a lifetime .280 hitter coming off a career season in Boston, where he hit .324 with a career-best .120 RBI, then was World Series MVP to boot. He's become a fan favorite at Fenway as well.
Jorge Posada: Like Lowell, he had a career season at the plate in a free-agent year, hitting a career-high .338. And he's among the best in the league defensively. The Yankees need him back, but he'd command a pretty penny on the open market.
Livan Hernandez: A true innings-eater, which every team needs. And he was very good down the stretch for the Diamondbacks last season. He seems to have been around forever, but he's still just 32, with a career record of 134-128 and a respectable 4.25 ERA. He has thrown 2,371 innings, however. That's a lot of mileage.
Aaron Rowand: A .309 average with 27 home runs and his first career Gold Glove in 2007 speaks for itself. He turned 30 in August. Still plenty of good years left.
David Eckstein: He's a gritty competitor, a .286 lifetime hitter and solid at shortstop. He hit a career-best .309 last season, and should have a few good years left. He'll turn 33 in January.
Kenny Rogers: He's worth a one-year shot by somebody, and the Tigers might be interested in bringing him back at age 43. He's 210-143 with a 4.43 ERA in his career and a good clubhouse presence.
Scott Linebrink: He's no household name, but the 31-year-old right-hander is one of the best setup men, working in front of Trevor Hoffman for years in San Diego. He'd be a good addition for any contender.
Bartolo Colon: He's averaged a 16-10 record in his 11 big-league seasons. But a 5.11 ERA in 2006 and a 6.34 ERA in an injury-plagued 2007 left him off the Angels' playoff roster. He'll get another chance somewhere, but at age 35 next spring, Colon's best days are probably behind him.
Paul Lo Duca: For a four-time All-Star, he's certainly bounced around a lot. Is a catcher who hits around .280 with eight homers worth the $6.2 million the Mets paid him last season?
Mike Cameron: He'll miss the first 25 games of the 2007 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. And when he comes back, his team will get a .251 lifetime hitter who will probably hit between 15 and 20 home runs and plays good defense. There are others out there who can help a team more for a lot less money.
Jason Kendall: Terrible defensively, no power, but a name people recognize. He's a lifetime .297 hitter, but hasn't hit better than that since 2004.
Francisco Cordero: The Brewers want him back, as he was incredible in the first half of 2007 and finished with 44 saves. But he faded in the second half. Will a team want to sink big money into a 32-year-old who might be a decent middle reliever masquerading as a closer?
Sean Casey: Like Kendall, he's not the same hitter he was a few years ago. Not good in the field, either, and not enough power to be a designated hitter. He could be a decent backup for somebody, but is no longer an everyday player.
Mike Sweeney: Has spent his career playing for a succession of bad teams in Kansas City. From 1999-2005, he was one of the best hitters in the American League. He's a career .299 hitter with good power. He could be a reclamation project, but he'll also turn 34 next season and has a chronically bad back.
Brad Wilkerson: He hit .234 last season, and that was a 12-point improvement from 2006. He's never driven in more than 77 runs despite averaging 22 home runs per season. Like Cameron, there are plenty of players in Triple-A awaiting their chance before most teams should sink money into Wilkerson, who plays first base and outfield.
Freddy Garcia: From 1999-2001, he looked like a future Hall of Famer in Seattle. Then he went into a big slump from 2003-04, only to become a big-time pitcher again for the White Sox in their championship run in 2005. But he's fallen back down again thanks to a arm injury, and his velocity was way down last season. Can he bounce back again?
Jeff Weaver: Weaver is still a big-time tease. He'll throw a complete-game shutout one night, then won't get out of the second inning five days later. He has a recognizable name, but a 93-114 career record. He's only 30 and could be going to his sixth team this offseason.
On Page 2, the 10 biggest potential bargains.
10 Best Available
Alex Rodriguez:The only question is how much money he'll get. Not only will he break the bank, but the Yankees will likely offer arbitration to A-Rod, meaning any team that wants to sign him will also forfeit their first-round pick in next year's draft.
But he's the best player in baseball, is rarely injured, and produces huge stats every single season.
Barry Bonds: He's not the same player as a few years ago, but there's few hitters who are feared more. Bonds' on-base percentage was still an incredible .480 last season, and his slugging percentage was still over .600. He'll make somebody a very good designated hitter.
Mariano Rivera: Only the best closer of all time. And after a slow start to his 2007 season, he was the same old Rivera down the stretch. He'll turn 38 this offseason, but there seems to be plenty of life still in his arm.
Mike Lowell: He's a lifetime .280 hitter coming off a career season in Boston, where he hit .324 with a career-best .120 RBI, then was World Series MVP to boot. He's become a fan favorite at Fenway as well.
Jorge Posada: Like Lowell, he had a career season at the plate in a free-agent year, hitting a career-high .338. And he's among the best in the league defensively. The Yankees need him back, but he'd command a pretty penny on the open market.
Livan Hernandez: A true innings-eater, which every team needs. And he was very good down the stretch for the Diamondbacks last season. He seems to have been around forever, but he's still just 32, with a career record of 134-128 and a respectable 4.25 ERA. He has thrown 2,371 innings, however. That's a lot of mileage.
Aaron Rowand: A .309 average with 27 home runs and his first career Gold Glove in 2007 speaks for itself. He turned 30 in August. Still plenty of good years left.
David Eckstein: He's a gritty competitor, a .286 lifetime hitter and solid at shortstop. He hit a career-best .309 last season, and should have a few good years left. He'll turn 33 in January.
Kenny Rogers: He's worth a one-year shot by somebody, and the Tigers might be interested in bringing him back at age 43. He's 210-143 with a 4.43 ERA in his career and a good clubhouse presence.
Scott Linebrink: He's no household name, but the 31-year-old right-hander is one of the best setup men, working in front of Trevor Hoffman for years in San Diego. He'd be a good addition for any contender.
10 Most Overrated
Bartolo Colon: He's averaged a 16-10 record in his 11 big-league seasons. But a 5.11 ERA in 2006 and a 6.34 ERA in an injury-plagued 2007 left him off the Angels' playoff roster. He'll get another chance somewhere, but at age 35 next spring, Colon's best days are probably behind him.
Paul Lo Duca: For a four-time All-Star, he's certainly bounced around a lot. Is a catcher who hits around .280 with eight homers worth the $6.2 million the Mets paid him last season?
Mike Cameron: He'll miss the first 25 games of the 2007 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. And when he comes back, his team will get a .251 lifetime hitter who will probably hit between 15 and 20 home runs and plays good defense. There are others out there who can help a team more for a lot less money.
Jason Kendall: Terrible defensively, no power, but a name people recognize. He's a lifetime .297 hitter, but hasn't hit better than that since 2004.
Francisco Cordero: The Brewers want him back, as he was incredible in the first half of 2007 and finished with 44 saves. But he faded in the second half. Will a team want to sink big money into a 32-year-old who might be a decent middle reliever masquerading as a closer?
Sean Casey: Like Kendall, he's not the same hitter he was a few years ago. Not good in the field, either, and not enough power to be a designated hitter. He could be a decent backup for somebody, but is no longer an everyday player.
Mike Sweeney: Has spent his career playing for a succession of bad teams in Kansas City. From 1999-2005, he was one of the best hitters in the American League. He's a career .299 hitter with good power. He could be a reclamation project, but he'll also turn 34 next season and has a chronically bad back.
Brad Wilkerson: He hit .234 last season, and that was a 12-point improvement from 2006. He's never driven in more than 77 runs despite averaging 22 home runs per season. Like Cameron, there are plenty of players in Triple-A awaiting their chance before most teams should sink money into Wilkerson, who plays first base and outfield.
Freddy Garcia: From 1999-2001, he looked like a future Hall of Famer in Seattle. Then he went into a big slump from 2003-04, only to become a big-time pitcher again for the White Sox in their championship run in 2005. But he's fallen back down again thanks to a arm injury, and his velocity was way down last season. Can he bounce back again?
Jeff Weaver: Weaver is still a big-time tease. He'll throw a complete-game shutout one night, then won't get out of the second inning five days later. He has a recognizable name, but a 93-114 career record. He's only 30 and could be going to his sixth team this offseason.
On Page 2, the 10 biggest potential bargains.
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