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Former Cy Young Award winner and National League All-Star Game regular Brandon Webb is still looking for a new home this offseason.

Despite making only one start over the past two years due to devastating shoulder injuries, the 6’3″ right-hander could prove to be quite a sleeper in the 2011 season and be one of the league’s more pleasant surprises.

Before his unfortunate run of injuries, Webb was one of the league’s most dominant starters.

He won the Cy Young Award in 2006, when he went 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA along with 178 K’s in 235 innings. The next season, in 2007, he went 18-10 with a 3.01 ERA with 194 K’s in 236.1 innings, a better all-around season than his Cy Young Award-winning year.

In his last complete season, 2008, Webb’s record finished at 22-7 to go along with a 3.30 ERA and 183 K’s in a span of 226.2 innings.

While he was only able to make a total of one start over the past two seasons, it is a bit surprising that only the Rangers, Cubs and Nationals have been reported as having interest in Webb. If Webb is able to make any sort of return to form for his new team in 2011, he could end up being one of the better bargains had this offseason.

That being said it is understandable why teams are approaching Webb with much caution. However, Webb does offer a tremendous high risk, even higher reward option for a team that needs to fill a void in its rotation.

But how great of a risk is signing Brandon Webb, really? All of the teams mentioned as having interest in him can certainly afford it.

The Rangers, under ownership of Nolan Ryan, have already shown that they won’t necessarily be stingy when it comes to the open market. The Cubs, up until recently, have been near the top of the majors in total salary, and the Nationals have also shown that they have plenty of money to spend to bring in who they want.

It seems that both Webb and his agent understand the drop in value that Webb has undergone since his rash of injuries, but they also know what Webb is capable of if healthy. Quoted recently, Webb’s agent Jonathan Maurer stated to MLBTradeRumors.com that Webb “is hungry, excited, and ready to start 30 plus times in 2011.”

The fact is that a healthy Webb has averaged over 233 innings pitched per season between 2006 and 2008, along with peripherals of 7.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 over that same span. It’s not all that out of the question that Webb could make those 30-plus starts this year that his agent mentioned. By all accounts his shoulder is healthy, and he’s been rehabbing for a while now.

If one of the three aforementioned teams is able to bring Webb in on a short-term deal that is cost-effective and incentive-laden, what’s to lose? The prospect of a healthy Brandon Webb in the rotation is certainly more enticing than some of the starters left on the market currently. Webb’s upside outweighs the prospect of another injury. 

Bringing Webb in on a one- to two-year deal makes a lot of sense for each of the Rangers, Nationals and Cubs, who do all need rotation help badly. The Rangers most recently lost out on Cliff Lee, and the Nationals lost out on Zack Greinke, while also being reported as having interest in Lee.

While there were talks of acquiring Matt Garza from Tampa, nothing new has developed on that front for Chicago. Carlos Zambrano is also likely to be moved somewhere in the near future.

Why not go out and grab Webb? The possible reward he offers could make him one of the league’s more surprising pitchers in 2011 and put him right into the race to be the Comeback Player of the Year.

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The Chicago Cubs are out of the Brandon Webb sweepstakes, leaving the Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers as the two main (and likely only) suitors remaining for the 30-year-old pitcher.

All indications are that Webb, who missed all of last season and all but one game the year before, is ready to resume normal baseball activities this spring. His doctor said he is 95 percent healthy and will be 100 percent by the time the season begins.

Two teams really want to sign him. The Texas Rangers went to the World Series last fall and are desperately trying to replace ace Cliff Lee, who spurned them for the Philadelphia Phillies. Even without Lee, the Rangers seem able to repeat their American League championship and Webb could instantly be part of a winning organization.

On the other hand, Webb, if healthy, could be the final piece that transforms a moribund losing franchise into a winner, and that might mean something to the former Cy Young Award winner. The Nationals certainly have the money to pay Webb, as their 2011 obligations are still less than last season’s 69-win team.

If Webb likes playing in front of friends and family, his hometown of Ashland, Kentucky is just a seven-hour drive from Nationals Park.

Add the fact that both Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo and Webb are Diamondback alumni, and you have two very clear options for Webb.

If Webb wants to win now, he signs with the Rangers. But if being part of the rejuvenation of a franchise is important, if being near familiar surroundings and working for people you know means anything, then Washington has to be his destination.

Webb’s agent has been very clear that he is expecting the type of money that former ace Ben Sheets got from the Oakland Athletics last season. The oft-injured Sheets, who averaged 11 wins and a 3.72 ERA over nine seasons with Milwaukee, signed a $10 million contract last year after missing all of the 2009 season due to injury.

The Athletics got hosed big time. Sheets went 4-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 20 starts.

So if the Nationals really want Brandon Webb, it’s going to cost them $8-10 million, and there is no guarantee that he’ll do anything more this season than Chien-Ming Wang did for the Nationals last year.

To be clear, when healthy, Brandon Webb is in a different class than Wang or Sheets. Over seven seasons, Webb averaged 15-11, 3.27, 8.2/3.0/7.3 for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a near-perfect sinker and a plus fastball. He’s an innings-eater and gives up very few gap extra-base hits or home runs.

In 2007, Webb tossed three consecutive shutouts and amassed 42 consecutive scoreless innings, one of the all-time best streaks in major league history.

My guess is that Webb isn’t going to get anywhere near Ben Sheets money from last year. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if he gets $5 million or so in base salary and another $4-6 million in incentive money. At that price, the Nationals (or Rangers) can afford to take a chance that he will return to form.

There is a 50-50 chance that Chien-Ming Wang returns to pitch effectively in the major leagues this year. There is also a 50-50 chance that Brandon Webb will again dominate major leagues hitters this summer.

But there is a near 100 percent chance that one of them makes it all the way back. And if the Nationals end up with both of them, some variation or combination of the two will greatly strengthen the team.

Former starter Matt Chico was designated for assignment earlier today. Let’s see if that move was the ying for Brandon Webb’s yang.

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Big name free agents are flying off the market at a rapid pace.  Almost every big name free agent has agreed to terms with a team.

The free agent class of 2010 was very top heavy.  It lacked depth, especially in the pitchers market.  After Cliff Lee signed with Philadelphia, that made Carl Pavano the new top free agent pitcher.

Pavano has recently had a couple of solid seasons, but I don’t think that he is anywhere near worth the money he is asking for.  I could talk a lot about Pavano, but the team that we are focusing on has no interest in him.

The New York Mets are in desperate need of another starting pitcher.  With Johan Santana injured and Hisanori Takahashi gone, there are some holes in the Mets rotation.

As of now the Mets rotation looks like this.

1. Mike Pelfrey

2. R.A. Dickey

3. Jon Niese

4. Dillon Gee

5.

That leaves one spot for the Mets to fill.  Some of the names that have been mentioned are Jeff Francis, Chris Young, Freddy Garcia and Brandon Webb.  The team is probably looking at other pitchers too, but these are currently the main candidates for the job.

The sexiest name on this list is most likely Brandon Webb.  Two years ago, most people foresaw Webb as being one of the premier pitchers in the 2010 free agent market.  It didn’t work out like that.  Webb’s career has been in a landslide the last couple of years.

Injuries have riddled his past two seasons and that leaves him where he is now: a gamble for teams to take.  Webb is an amazing talent and there’s no denying that. 

In 2008, Webb went 22-7 with a 3.30 ERA.  He placed second in the Cy Young voting and made the NL All-Star team.  Webb was looking at getting big bucks this offseason, but things took a turn for the worst.

After that stellar season, the injury bug hit him.  Webb started one game all of 2009, and didn’t even make an appearance in 2010.

That brings us to where we are now.  Many teams are looking at Webb.  He can turn out to be a great signing for a team that can get him at a discount price, but he can also turn out to be a horrible signing for a team that has little money to spend. 

The Mets are one team that have very little money to spend.  It is estimated that they have about $5 million to spend for the rest of the offseason.  That is just enough for the Mets to sign another pitcher to round out their rotation.

The question is who will the Mets sign, and will they have enough money to sign some pitchers? The Mets will try their best to work out discount deals with the four previously mentioned players, but it will be hard to make Webb lower his asking price. 

There are many options for the Mets right now, and their front office is currently weighing those options.  One of the biggest questions is if the Mets will make a serious run at Webb, and if they will be able to sign him or not.

If Webb and the Mets work together, then they might be able to work out an incentive-laden contract with a base salary around $4.5 million or $5 million.  Many things would have to go right for that to happen, but let’s play what if. 

What if the Mets can get Webb for that kind of contract? Should they take a chance with him or pass up the opportunity? 

I think that every team in the MLB would love to have Brandon Webb on their team.  Talent like his just doesn’t fly away over night.  But there is plenty of downside to this for the Mets.  Maybe not so much for other teams, but the Mets have to be extremely cautious with Webb.

If the Mets sign him and he doesn’t perform well or gets injured, then it will be a very bad situation for the organization.  The Mets pretty much get one chance to sign a pitcher this offseason, and they have to get it right.

They have little money to spend, and they can’t afford to screw up.  Brandon Webb is a talented player, but I think that he is too big a gamble for the Mets to take.  With that said, if the Mets do sign him I certainly won’t be disappointed, because I trust Sandy Alderson’s judgement on players. 

But with the knowledge that I currently have on this situation, I would say to stay away from Webb.  He is a talented player, but the Mets are in no position to be taking gambles.  The team has to play it safe for now. Too bad the Mets have to be in this position.

I would’ve loved it if the Mets had the money to take a chance on Webb, but we all know that this is just the way things are going for the Mets.  Have confidence in Sandy Alderson though. He will make the right move after this is all said and done.

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Coming into the 2011 season, the Twins have a lot of questions marks:

Relief Pitching has been the main concern. After losing Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain out of free agency, only a few bullpen locks remain. Matt Capps was the steady closer for 2010, and Jose Mijares will most likely return with a bigger roll in 2011. Returning All-Star closer Joe Nathan should be ready for spring training, but it doesn’t make sense to expect too much from him after so recently undergoing elbow surgery.

Another area that could use help is starting pitching. It looks like Carl Pavano may return to the Twins with something like a 2 year/$20 million deal. But if they can’t retain him, The rotation would seem to look as follows: Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Brian Duensing, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey. The Twins have recently announced that Slowey may be traded, so the retention of Pavano will be key this offseason. 

As far as the lineup pans out, the Twins are looking good. Since negotiations are complete with Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, the starting 9 may look something like this:

1. Denard Span (CF)

2. Tsuyoshi Nishioka (2B or SS)

3. Joe Mauer (C)

4. Justin Morneau (1B)

5. Delmon Young (LF)

6. Jason Kubel (DH)

7. Michael Cuddyer (RF)

8. Danny Valencia (3B)

9. Alexi Casilla (2B or SS)

Depending on Nishioka’s effectiveness, the Twins could even move Span down in the order, and bat Nishioka and Casilla in the number 1 and 2 spots. Either way, having Span or Casilla at the bottom of the order bodes well speed-wise when they bat back into the top of the order. 

If veteran Jim Thome returns to Minnesota, he would give the Twins a great DH option and pinch hitter. But regardless if he comes back, the Twins may look for another bat or two to grace the bench. 

Trades and free agents could be the answer for the Twins, beyond their minor league depth. Let’s look at a few remaining free agents that could help the Twins in 2011.

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After being spurned by Cliff Lee, who will now sign with the Phillies this week, the Yankees need a Plan B.

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman needs a Plan B right now.

They made a couple of small signings today, which included signing catcher Russell Martin to a one-year deal to potentially be the starting catcher for 2011.

The Yankees also signed oft-injured pitcher Mark Prior to a minor league deal worth about $750,000 plus possible incentives.

Signing Prior is a low-risk move, but I’m not really expecting much out of Prior getting to the major leagues. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2006 with the Cubs and probably doesn’t have the same dominance he once had.

Prior might be a small part of the Plan B. I am going to make a suggestion as to another part of it.

It might sound crazy because again, it’s a major risk. But right now, the Yankees need to act.

I feel the Yankees should look into Brandon Webb for 2011.

OK, yes Webb has been often injured since the end of the 2008 season and has virtually missed most of 2009 and 2010 with arm and elbow problems.

Before the injuries, Webb was guaranteed to make anywhere from $15-22 million per season. In 2006, he was the National League Cy Young winner and was the runner up for the award in 2007 and 2008.

That was before the injuries hampered Webb for the next two seasons. Now, Webb is just looking for a job.

Webb finds himself in the same situation Ben Sheets was in last season, who got signed to a one year deal by the Oakland A’s, but had his season end to another injury.

With almost two years on the shelf, Webb is looking to get back in the majors and teams are skeptical to sign him.

Teams like the Nationals, Cubs, Rockies and Dodgers have all checked in and shown interest in Webb, and up until now, the Yankees haven’t publicly shown interest in Webb.

But, that was mostly because the Yankees were all in for Lee and struck out. Now it makes the Yankees looking for other options. Now Webb could be an option for them.

The Yankees in 2003 took a chance on Jon Lieber, who was recovering from major arm injuries by giving him a two-year deal, most of which he collected on in 2004 when he pitched well for the Yankees. That deal worked out for the most part for the Yankees.

The Yankees took a chance on Lieber seven years ago.

The Yankees should at least look into exploring for Webb now.

If they are not going to pursue a deal for Zack Greinke, can’t get a deal for Josh Johnson, Felix Hernandez or Matt Garza and most certainly won’t ever go after Carl Pavano, Webb should be looked at.

If the Yankees gave him an incentive-laden deal based on games pitched, innings pitched and bonuses for other categories, the Yankees could make it happen.

After all, they do have about $25 million free that they were preparing to give Lee.

I’m sure Webb would only cost anywhere from $1-5 million right now, if that.

For all we know, the Yankees won’t even pursue Webb and could have a plan that we might not even know about.

But if the Yankees are looking for suggestions, I am making a bold and risky suggestion right now.

Look into Webb, it can’t hurt to check in on him.

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Early Tuesday morning, Cliff Lee made a surprising announcement that he would be returning to Philadelphia with the signing of a five year, $120 million contract proposed by the team Monday night. This announcement left the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers still looking to add a starting pitcher to their rotation.

Lets start with the Yankees.  Throughout the Winter Meetings and the offseason as a whole, the Yankees have shown little to no interest in acquiring right-hander Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals, as they already have three right-handed starting pitchers in the rotation.  It is also highly unlikely that Tampa Bay will be willing to deal Matt Garza to New York because of being in the same division.  So what is left for them?  Carl Pavano is a right-hander who also would not be a strong fit in the rotation, same thing with Brandon Webb.  Jeff Francis could likely end up as the next target on the Yankees radar if no other intriguing deals arise in the near future. 

Jeff Francis however, is definitely not who the Yankees were targeting as the season came to an end.  Francis has a career record of 55-50 in six seasons in the big leagues.  In that time, he has only recorded 603 strikeouts, with a 4.22 earned run average, and only two complete games in that span.  Should the team look to invest in younger talent, they could also look towards Andrew Miller. 

Miller was a pitching phenom while at the University of North Carolina and was a highly-touted prospect coming into the majors. He has had a few disappointing seasons, with a career record of 15-26 with an ERA of 5.84.  This would be a risk, but still a small possibility for New York.

Now for Texas.  The Rangers have C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Scott Feldman, and Tommy Hunter returning in 2011.  They are in the same situation as the Yankees as well.  With three right handers in the rotation already, the team is looking for a left hander to replace Lee.  Sources have said that the team does not have much chance to land Greinke, but there is a possibility of them working out a deal to acquire Matt Garza from the Rays.  Should this not work out they could possibly look into Pavano and Webb and go with a rotation featuring four right handed pitchers.  Another possibility is prospect Derek Holland.  Holland started ten games for the Rangers this season posting a 3-4 record with a 4.08 ERA. 

New York will be hurt the most with this announcement as C.C. Sabathia is their only proven pitcher and lone left hander in the rotation at this point.  However he is coming off of knee surgery and will be tested in the beginning of the year to see if this surgery has altered any mechanics in his delivery.  A.J. Burnett posted a 5.26 ERA in 2010 and Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova are both only 24 years of age heading into the season.  The Yankees could be scrambling to find another left handed pitcher to fill the void left with Lee’s announcement. 

Both teams are now left with three right handed pitchers in the rotation and now must look to plan B to complete their starting rotation.  Watch for some deals to be made in the next few weeks as both teams will be trying to complete a deal sooner rather than later. 

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The reports are starting to come in that star-pitcher, Cliff Lee, has decided to take fewer years and less money, to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies. In doing so, Lee has turned down the opportunity to rejoin the Texas Rangers, where he won the American League Pennant, as well as turning down the chance to join the New York Yankees. 

For both the Rangers and the Yankees, Cliff Lee was the number one priority of the offseason; so now what do these two teams do? 

Here’s a look at 10 moves, both before and during the season, these teams could make to strengthen their pitching. 

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As all baseball fans know, Cliff Lee is currently the best pitcher on the free-agent market for the 2011 season. These previous days, the baseball community has been made aware of the offers for Lee.

The Yankees and the Rangers both have made strong bids. Although the exact offer has not been released, recent reports from ESPN have shown both six and seven year deals from both the Rangers and the Yankees. Heck, even the Angels have an excellent shot of getting Lee!

The 31-year-old left-hander is projected to sign within a few days, according to Buster Olney. We’ll only know for sure when the time comes.

As of now, it looks that the Yankees have no backup plans. Yes, I know they are focused on the Lee wars, but is it really going to be worth the money to pay a man until he is 38. He may be terrible! But, that’s the risk of signing free-agent pitchers.

Here are some suggestions that the Yankees should at least consider if Lee fails to sign in the Bronx (which wouldn’t be surprising to me).

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The MLB Hot Stove is in full swing, and a number of significant moves have already been made at the Winter Meetings. That said, there will still be plenty more action before the winter is over, as a number of teams still have glaring needs on their roster.

Looking to the National League, the Nationals already made a splash signing Jayson Werth, but who will be the next NL team to pull the trigger on a big signing?

Here is a look at the biggest needs of all 16 NL teams, and who they could sign to fill the needs among the remaining players on the free agent market.  

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The winter meetings are here, a time when the hot stove starts heating up. The Rockies offseason, however, is already boiling over.

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