Where will they land? Predicted destinations for top Free Agents (Part 1)
The Red Sox want Jason Bay back. Jason Bay wants to be back. But, given Bay rejected their initial offer worth $60 million, will they get the money right to make it happen?
This offseason, there are very few star free agents on the market. Still, there is a lot of intrigue, and a lot of players looking to make an impact on a contending team. Here now are my predictions for where the top-five free agents will land in what should be another busy offseason in baseball.
1. Matt Holliday: The New York Mets aren’t getting any younger, and need to make a statement this offseason to get back into the winning circle. Holliday, a 29-year old outfielder who hits .330 with 30-plus homers, 100-plus rbi’s annually, would give them a force in the middle of their lineup. The Mets didn’t have a player with more than 12 homers last season, so they certainly need a long-term pick-me-up of Holliday’s caliber.
2. Jason Bay: The 31-year old outfielder who hit 36 homers and drove in 119 runs for the Boston Red Sox last year rejected their initial 4-year $60 million offer. The Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels, will be after him, but I expect the Canadian to re-sign with the Boston Red Sox. The two sides are apart as far as years and money are concerned, yet, there is no reason to believe that General Manager Theo Epstein won’t open his pocketbook and work out a deal favorable for both the Red Sox and Bay.
3. John Lackey: The Los Angeles Angels can’t afford to let him go, but they can’t afford him. He’s the best pitcher on the open market, and was their ace. He’s 31 years old, has had elbow troubles in the past, and will likely want a 5-6 year deal worth more than the $82.5 million, money he will probably get, despite his age and injury history. He’s out of their price range, as they have only $12 million they can donate annually this offseason. I expect the Angels to try and woo him to come back for less, but I don’t believe he will settle. The Washington Nationals are interested. So are the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and possibly the Seattle Mariners. Where will he end up? I think the Mariners might swoop in and snag him in their effort to challenge his former team in the American League West.
4. Chone Figgins: The Angels will have to choose either Lackey or Figgins this offseason. As previously said, Lackey may be too pricey. But Figgins, their third baseman who had a career-high .395 On-Base Percentage last season and fits Mike Scioscia’s system perfectly, is too important to their success to leave. Other teams have expressed interest, but Figgins will come relatively inexpensive, and should fit in the Angels budget. Look for General Manager Arte Moreno to lock up the 31-year old for 4-5 years at $10 million annually.
5. Randy Wolf: It’s a down year free-agent-wise if Wolf is fifth. He had a career year this past season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning 11 games with a 3.23 ERA, while allowing only 178 hits in 214 1/3 innings. But, he’s 33 years old, allowed 24 home-runs, and struck out 160, meaning he’s a contact pitcher. The fact that he doesn’t strikeout many and allows a high amount of home-runs should hurt his chances of getting a 4-5 year deal, but if he stays in the National League, he should continue to be a very dependable pitcher. The New York Mets, who regrettably chose Oliver Perez over Wolf during last year’s offseason, need to add some stability behind Johan Santana in the rotation, and Wolf, at 3-years, $30 million, could give them that.
Trackbacks