Kuzul

Cliff Lee is by far the most attractive, and at the same time, most expensive option on the market this off-season. But after Lee, there’s a big drop off in the market.

There are still a couple of pitchers who have the potential to be a solid top of the rotation starter available though, who are far cheaper than Lee. Unfortunately, they haven’t shown any of that in recent seasons.

Some suffered injuries that have derailed their careers, while others have had down years. A few have just plain stunk. Here are nine Free Agent pitchers who I think will bounce back in 2011 and are worth taking a chance on if your team is in need of pitching.

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Dear Doug,

I understand that you are a creature of habit. Sometimes that can be a good thing, but in 2010 it was a fatal flaw to the success of the Brewers. Strictly relying on offense to win games at the expense of solid pitching does not work. The San Francisco Giants went with solid pitching over offense, and you saw what happened. If you continue to solely rely on your offense, striking out at a pace reminiscent of a Bugs Bunny cartoon is totally unacceptable. These habits must be broken now if you are serious about winning and not just merely competing. The status quo will lead you to the unemployment line.  

Be Aggressive

You cannot sit back and wait for trade offers to pour in. Last season you admittedly waited for teams to call about Prince Fielder. Why? You knew there were interested parties. Everyone knew that. Sitting back waiting for the elusive perfect offer is a loser’s modus operandi. According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Brewers could “probably” have had Daniel Hudson from the White Sox for Prince in a one for one deal. But you wanted more. Now it seems Arizona has an ace in the making. Recently there have been rumors linking a trade of Fielder again to the White Sox for Edwin Jackson and Gordon Beckham. This would probably make the most sense if Rickie Weeks is traded. Beckham could step into Weeks’ spot at second base. I have always believed that if there is a player you covet, go ahead and overpay a little.You have to give to get what you want. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works anyway.

Don’t Rely on Old Veterans to Make Significant Contributions

Now there is a difference between a seasoned veteran and an old one. A seasoned veteran is similar to a Vladimir Guerrero, Aubrey Huff or even Melvin Mora. They may be past their prime, but they can still bring it. One name I would have to look closely at this off-season is Brandon Webb. An injury history yes. A chip on his shoulder? Most likely. He’s going to want to prove that he’s still got his old mojo working. While I don’t know what his contract demands will be, he should have little leverage since he has not pitched in almost two years. If you recall,l he’s got that heavy sinker which results in ground balls galore. Ground balls make me smile.

Old veterans include players like Gregg Zaun, Mike Sweeney and Jason Giambi. Relying on them for anything significant is pure foolishness. Offering a contract to Eric Hinske is a start. You might want to take a look at Adam LaRoche if you move Prince or even at Brad Hawpe. LaRoche would significantly upgrade the defense at first base and is a solid hitter. In Hawpe’s case, Corey Hart could move to first base with Hawpe taking over in right or Hawpe could just stay at first. He played 9 games there in 2010. Brad Hawpe had an off year in 2010 but is primed to bounce back.

Be Willing to Trade Prospects for Established Players

You did it with C.C. Sabathia, but why not since? How have Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley panned out for the Indians? That’s what I thought. There may be a couple of prospects you prefer not to part with and that’s understandable, but keep an open mind. If certain players become available, you should be willing to consider making Brett Lawrie, Jake Odorizzi, Amaury Rivas or Jeremy Jeffress available in a deal. A young veteran with a proven track record is worth much more than a couple of top prospects. You need to not only realize that, but be willing to make it happen when the right deal comes along. Even if one of those prospects becomes a really good player for someone else, you still have the player you wanted and he’s helping the team right now.

Don’t Overvalue Mediocre Talent in the Free Agent Market

Did you overpay for Randy Wolf last year? Probably, but at least he’s been relatively durable and consistently pitched a lot of innings. He has had six seasons of 30 plus starts and five seasons throwing 200 plus innings. His career ERA is more than respectable at 4.13.

Now on the other hand take a guy like Jorge de la Rosa. He has been touted by many as being in the next tier of pitchers in this free agent class after Cliff Lee. The former Brewer has had one season of 30 plus starts and the most innings he has ever pitched in a season is 185. Don’t even entertain the idea Mr. Melvin. He’s an average pitcher at best. You’ve had enough of those. You need to do better.

Seriously Consider Trading Rickie Weeks

This may be an unpopular idea to many, but hear me out. Yes he is a unique player, but he has significant flaws in his game, his free agency is fast approaching, and his injury history is significant. Those lasers he hits all over the field have a tendency to obscure the fact that a contract extension could be quite dangerous to the franchise.

Rickie has only played more than 130 games in a season one time which was in 2010. He struck out 184 times last season good for third in the National League. He did improve turning the double play and led the league in put outs. Unfortunately he was third in the N.L. in errors for second basemen and his fielding percentage of .980 was eighth. His fielding is still an adventure. I still cringe every time a ball is hit his way.I have a feeling you do as well.

Despite those shortcomings, his trade value may never be higher than it is right now, and his unique skill set is bound to interest a number of teams. At least dangle that carrot out there. There are at least 13 teams in need of a quality second baseman. Eric Farris, Brett Lawrie and Cutter Dykstra are all stacked up in the Brewer’s system just waiting for their chance. You have options.

 Build a Balanced and Competent Bench

You might want to have both right-handed and left-handed hitters on your bench this year. Maybe it’s just me, but that seems to make sense. It’s also imperative to have seasoned veterans on the bench that have been there and done that. Some players who make sense include Eric Hinske, David Eckstein, Reed Johnson, Gerald Laird and Ty Wiggington. All of them can still play and aren’t going to kill you if they have to start for period of time. I’m sure you recall just how productive Jody Gerut, Brad Nelson, Chris Duffy and Trent Durrington were. Don’t go there again. Brandon Boggs and Chris Dickerson are NOT the kind of players you should be looking for.

The Bottom Line

This Brewers team will not fix itself. That’s why you have your job. It may be helpful to keep this letter with you wherever you go. You never know when someone might give you a call. Better yet lay it down on your desk, give it a once over and dial some digits. Who knows? Something good may actually happen.

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The Minnesota Twins offseason got quite the jump-start on Black Friday.

News came across the wire that the Twins were the highest bidder, and now have 30 days of exclusive contract negotiations with Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Nishioka, 26, is the reigning batting champ in Japan, and a sleek fielding middle infielder.

The winning bid from the Twins came in at over $5 million. If a contract can’t be negotiated within 30 days, the Twins will get their bid back.

The Nishioka bid certainly puts the nail in the coffin for any chance of Orlando Hudson returning to the Twins next season. Hudson was already on the outs despite being offered arbitration last week by the Twins. Hudson is a Type B free agent and the Twins will receive a compensatory pick for him leaving.

Assuming the Twins sign Nishioka, which some believe will be in the three-year, $15 million range, the middle infield will be completely turned over from last season. J.J. Hardy would almost certainly be on the outs as well, with possibly Alexi Casilla taking over at shortstop or second base.

Nishioka has been labeled “Ichiro of the infield” after a season where he led Japan with a .346 batting average, 121 runs, 206 hits and 287 bases. All this in only 144 games. He is the first player to reach the 200-hit plateau since Ichiro over a decade ago.

It may be prudent not to expect someone as talented as Ichiro to be playing the infield at Target Field next season. Nishioka may bring impressive numbers to the USA, but Ichiro’s shoes are big ones to fill. Talent is only one part of a recipe for success in America. Adapting to America’s culture, and living up to an entire nation’s expectations have proved too great for many former Japanese stars. Case in point: Kaz Matsui.

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In addition to the Twins offering arbitration to Hudson, they also offered arbitration to pitchers Carl Pavano and Jesse Crain.

Carl Pavano was a workhorse for the Twins last season, going 17-11 and pitching the Twins to an AL Central title. He accepted arbitration last season and made $7 million last season for the Twins. Pavano is unlikely to accept arbitration this season as he is almost assured to receive a multi-year deal from a ball club. 

Jesse Crain also was offered arbitration, and is also unlikely to accept. He is a Type B free agent and will certainly entertain multi-year deals from many teams looking to bolster their bullpen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

       Will he’ll be the third best shortstop on the team in a couple years?  Sure.  Don’t his career numbers make him a rich man’s Craig Biggio?  Of course.  But the Yankees need Derek Jeter as much as the Yankee captain needs the pinstripes.  The Yankees are built on quiet professionalism and championship legacy, and no player, now or on the horizon (sorry, Robinson Cano), represents the Yankee brand like Derek Jeter.

       Don’t believe me?  Well, close your eyes and imagine Jeter in an Astros uniform.  Then open them and read the top nine reasons why the Yankees need to pony up and sign Derek Jeter before it’s too late.

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No one suspected that New York Yankee captain Derek Jeter’s contract negotiations would start to resemble a page out of the Alex Rodriguez biography.

The new Yankee regime sans “the Boss” has made it very clear that this is a business decision and not a personal one. The rumored offer made was somewhere in $45-$50 million range for a period of three years.

Whatever exactly was left on the table did not go over well in Jeter camp, as Jeter’s agent Casey Close stated he was “baffled” over it.

Close’s public statements did not go over well. Yankees GM Brian Cashman, along with Hank Steinbrenner defended the decisions with an attitude that if the offer is not generous enough than Jeter should go test open market, and hear the other 29 teams offers.

This has caused pandemonium in Yankee Universe, as neither the media nor the fans can rationalize whose side to take. Unfortunately, I am having this same dilemma.

The predicament remains is it Jeter or the Yankees that needs to take a step back and get real? Will you be wearing a “TEAM JETER” or “TEAM YANKEES” t- shirt?

Speaking for myself, I can’t imagine life in Yankee Universe without Jeter, but than maybe Jeter is not the man I thought he was….

TEAM-JETER

Many feel the Yankees are victimizing Jeter, as Cashman and the Steinbrenner brothers’ open lack of appreciation for someone who is the face of the franchise.

What seems more insulting is the lack of respect for the Captain of the team, who single handily made the Yankee brand what it is today.

Justifying the significant salary reduction for Jeter makes no sense. This is an organization notorious for over-paying players and out-spending every other team in baseball.

Now is not the time for the Yankees to become spending thrifty. Jeter is a special athlete, in a world full of cheaters and quitters and he should be treated accordingly.

The Yankees are officially under new ownership with the passing of “the Boss” but his sons’ reassured fans that there dad’s motto and passion for winning would never change.

Hal Steinbrenner once described the Yankees big spending as “I look at it as reinvestment for the fans sake, like we always due”.

If that statement bears any truth than Derek Jeter would be back in pinstripes already. Jeter is a winner through his leadership. The Yankee fans get to be arrogant and proud because of Derek Jeter.

Derek Jeter is the Captain every other fan base, franchise and fellow players want because he makes baseball better at time when the game has taken it’s biggest fall.

Up next….MLB Hot Stove: Why New York Yankees Fans Should Choose Team Yankees.

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New York Yankee SS Derek Jeter has been reportedly told he will not be offered arbitration by the club.  It has been widely reported that there is a large gap between the Jeter and Yankee camps.  Rumor has it that the Yankees are holding fast at a three-year offer in the neighborhood of $15 million per season.  Meanwhile Jeter’s camp is reportedly looking for more years and a higher annual salary. 

Most surprising though may be the public nature of some of the comments issued by each camp.  A quote attributed to Yankee GM Brian Cashman appeared on ESPNNewYork.com.  “We’ve encouraged him to test the market and see if there’s something he would prefer other than this.  If he can, fine.  That’s the way it works.”

Wow.  I can’t imagine this type of public announcement can sit well with Jeter.  So what does Jeter do next?  Look there are scenarios that may be more plausible but if Jeter really feels jilted and is not willing to take (in his opinion) a “hometown discount” I may just have the solution.

Imagine if there was one place that Jeter could go that would:

A. Be a good fit

B. Hit Cashman where it counts

Well as it turns out there is such a place: The Boston Red Sox.

OK. It sounds crazy, and it probably is, but can you imagine the reaction?  The Red Sox have two championships in the last seven years so to some extent they have exorcised all demons from their tormented past. 

However a quick check of baseball history shows a decidedly pro-Yankee slant when looking at players who have moved from one organization to the other.  Sparky Lyle for Danny Cater…really? 

Free agents like Wade Boggs and Johnny Damon left the Sox for greener ($$$) Yankee pastures.  Roger Clemens had a two-year stint in Toronto post-Boston, but ultimately ended up winning another (tainted) Cy Young award in the Big Apple.  And then there’s George Herman Ruth and the ensuing 86 years of angst.  There is an inequity here evident to even the most casual baseball fan. 

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is cool customer himself when it comes to making baseball decisions, rarely letting emotion dictate his course of action.  It is unlikely that Epstein and Co. would pursue Jeter just to stick it to the bombers.  But could there be solid baseball reasons for making the move? 

Jeter is coming off a disappointing 2010 season and will turn 37 next season.  The chance of him getting a contract offer from Boston longer than the three years offered by the Yankees is probably slim to none.  However no one has ever questioned Jeter’s conditioning and with an incentive to live up to the hype (potentially at the Yankees’ expense) Jeter could work in a Sox uniform for the next three years.  There certainly could be a need.

Think about it.  It’s been reported today that Victor Martinez has signed a four-year contract with the Tigers.  Martinez played nearly 40 games at first over the last couple seasons in Boston.  He’s gone.  Meanwhile third baseman Adrian Beltre is testing the free-agent market.  Epstein has talked about moving Kevin Youkilis to third but with no Martinez the 1B spot gets a little thin. 

David Ortiz can play some first but it’s no secret that he’s probably a better fit at DH.  Jeter could fit into the third-base slot leaving Youkilis to stay where he is.  Jeter is probably a better defensive fit at third base at this point in his career (regardless of the insane Gold Glove award he just received). 

Meanwhile the Sox have some uncertainty at SS and have reportedly had offers for incumbent SS Marco Scutaro.  Imagine having the luxury of using Derek Jeter as your SS “in a pinch.”

OK, back to reality.  This is probably never going to happen.  The money and years Jeter is looking for would seem to preclude any serious consideration.  And I’m not sure Jeter would offer the power that the Sox would ideally like to get out of a corner infielder either.  But wow, would this be a shot across the bow of the Evil Empire. 

The ultimate dagger to the Yankee nation heart. 

I wonder how it would be received.  Would Red Sox fans welcome him with open arms?  Jeter has been the symbol of all things Yankee for 2,300 games…can that just be switched off?  I doubt we will ever find out, but it sure is fun to think about.

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It’s funny how an athlete seems to do his job to the best of his ability when there are question marks surrounding his future payment. Although, you can’t really blame them because we are all guilty of doing it.

If you were given four years of guaranteed money, would you find yourself working harder than you did the previous year to get that money, or just enough to not get fired?

I bet during that fourth year, right before your evaluation, your work would suddenly bumped up on your priority list.

The point being, we aren’t judging athletes for suddenly “breaking out” when money is involved, but simply informing them that we notice.

We notice in the way we draft them in fantasy sports or how we judge how much our favorite team should pay them, but for some reason there is always some franchise out there who seems to ignore the trend and signs an inconsistent player to a long-term deal based only on the previous season. 

Adrian Beltre will be that player this season. No one epitomizes the contract year player like him.

Organizations need to use a player’s history as a resume rather than solely looking at just the previous season before handing them over a huge contract.

If not, you end up with a Milton Bradley scenario in Chicago, basing an entire contract on one season instead of saying to yourself, “If I give a crazy, injury-prone athlete more money, I wonder what he’ll do?”

A Javier Vazquez scenario in New York this season is another example of looking at one year rather than a player’s career.

Or the Derek Lowe scenario, where you give a player money based on a playoff performance rather than a career. See Jeff Suppan as well. 

Or you end up giving a player a contract that is impossible to live up to like Carlos Beltran or Alex Rodriguez.

And, of course, there’s always the New York Yankee/Chicago Cub genius general management move, where you simply give a guy a whole lot of money for no reason, seen in Chien-Ming Wang and Kosuke Fukudome.

These are the dangers of free agency, which ironically continue to be tested by the same “let’s win via free agency” franchises, making it so much more enjoyable to laugh at them when they fail to win by overpaying everyone.

Although it is tempting to grab a guy who was an MVP candidate the previous year and say, “Maybe he’s finally gotten his act together,” an organization should really look at the career as a whole rather than just one speck of it. Players don’t suddenly break out when they are 30 unless a paycheck is on the horizon.

But enough lecturing and back to Adrian Beltre.

All you have to do is look at the history.

1999 – .275 BA, .352 OBP, 15 HR, 67 RBI, 84 R
2000 – .290 BA, .360 OBP, 20 HR, 85 RBI, 71 R
2001 – .265 BA, .310 OBP, 13 HR, 60 RBI, 59 R
2002 – .257 BA, .303 OBP, 21 HR, 75 RBI, 70 R
2003 – .240 BA, .290 OBP, 23 HR, 80 RBI, 50 R

And here comes the contract year.

2004 – .334 BA, .388 OBP, 48 HR, 121 RBI, 104 R.

Okay, we can give Beltre the benefit of the doubt since he had just turned 25 years old and perhaps finally grasped the game. Seattle gave him a five-year, $64 million contract.

And we’re back.

2005 – .255 BA, .303 OBP, 19 HR, 87 RBI, 69 R
2006 – .268 BA, .328 OBP, 25 HR, 89 RBI, 88 R
2007 – .276 BA, .319 OBP, 26 HR, 99 RBI, 87 R
2008 – .266 BA, .327 OBP, 25 HR, 77 RBI, 74 R
2009 – .265 BA, .304 OBP, 8 HR, 44 RBI, 54 R (111 games)

With a stroke of genius, Boston signs Beltre to a one-year deal for $9 million, knowing a contract year is on the horizon.

And here comes the contract year.

2010 – .321 BA, .365 OBP, 28 HR, 102 RBI, 84 R.

So, here we are again.

Beltre is 31 and coming off an incredible season. He is a free agent.

The smart thing to do would be for teams to continue swapping Beltre around with one-year contracts, using and abusing his contract year explosions in search for a long-term contract.

But we all know, one of those “let’s win via free agency” genius teams out there will give him a long-term contract this season that he won’t live up to.

Here’s hoping it isn’t one of your teams.

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Okay, so the New York Yankees contract negotiations regarding the big three of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Cliff Lee are not going quite as fans had hoped.

All the media hearsay and quotes coming from Yankee Camp has the Universe on edge. Some people, like myself, have turned to inventing conspiracy theories to try and justify what could be going on. The truth is turning into the predicted “messy” situation no one wanted.

The latest is GM Brian Cashman throwing Lee a check worth $115-$120 million for five years of his talents.

Over at Rivera’s camp, rumor has it that the asking price will cost the Yankees $36 million for two years of Mo’s services. Is Mo out of his mind to ask for a raise?

Yes because he is not better.  He’s still great, but showed a little wear and tear the last two seasons. To be asking for $six million more than his 2009 salary of $15 million per season is a little ridiculous.

Then you have to consider the tough position being taken with the ex-Captain. If the latest rumor that the Yankees front office has resorted to “arbitration-ambush” is true, then it’s so degrading considering that they are dealing with a living icon, not only to the Yankees, but what he represents to the city of New York as a hometown hero.

Here is what is so bothersome about this whole process, it seems the Yankees are way undervaluing the Captain’s presence. If Jeter goes elsewhere, the jeopardy it could potentially cause the organization, as a whole, will be worse than people are predicting.

New Yorkers will be pissed off and being well aware that not going to games means less money made, don’t think there won’t be some protesters urging fans to not go.

Also, Jeter and Rivera’s leadership is irreplaceable for the players. My bet is that without both of them, the Yankees will not make the playoffs in 2011. Jeter would be worse considering A-Rod might fall apart now that Jeter and him are friends.

Not to mention how it would affect Robbie Cano, who’s looked up to the Captain since day one. Jorge Posada is a best buddy of Jeter and very close with Mo and he could just not care anymore to win without them.

Everyone is saying it will happen, but with each passing day the media sticks the dagger in further which it is not comforting at all. It’s better for the Yankees to give a little more, as the saying goes it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Lee is getting shown the money to play in the Bronx, but more teams than just the Texas Rangers are rumored to be going after Lee. Hopefully Cashman has made a call to CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett to go do some pinstripe-PR with their friend.

Are the players being too greedy? Or is the organization at fault for showing how loyalty is still meaningless?

As Hal Steinbrenner has made clear that the negotiations are “business decisions”, which I found cold because what’s wrong with treating a loyal employee like family. “The Boss” will roll over in his grave if this gets as “messy” as his son said before it even started.

People are not robots and there’s nothing wrong with communicating to the two veterans more civilly in my opinion.

Why not ask Jeter and Mo what they think they are worth?

That could be a starting point, and Cashman, along with President Randy Levine, already pissed of Jeter’s agent Casey Close into making this statement:

“There’s a reason the Yankees themselves have stated Derek Jeter is their modern-day Babe Ruth. Derek’s significance to the team is much more than just stats. And yet, the Yankees’ negotiating strategy remains baffling. They continue to argue their points in the press and refuse to acknowledge Derek’s total contribution to their franchise.”

Well, Close jammed his foot in his mouth comparing Jeter and the Babe. Ruth went to the Boston Braves instead of resigning with the Bombers at the end of his career.

All I can say as a Jeter and Mo lifelong fan is that I am about to write a letter to Santa asking for the pair for Christmas. I am just not ready to let go yet and will not be a happy fan if this goes sour.

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MLB Rumors: The Latest on Derek Jeter, Prince Fielder, Cliff Lee and More

With the hot stove heating up there are a lot of trade rumors and free agency rumors flying around.

In this countdown we take a look at five free agents and five possible trade pieces.

What is the latest on these players? And more importantly, where are they headed?

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The New York Yankees are going to re-sign Derek Jeter, right? Right? Surely, they’ll find some money in their infinite budget to bring back their captain, a guy who has led the team to five World Series Championships.

Though the Yankees will ultimately reach some sort of middle ground with Jeter, keeping him in pinstripes for the rest of his career, they aren’t making things easy.

The Yankees’ brass has called out Jeter on a couple occasions this offseason, saying his ego is getting in the way and that they won’t overpay for a guy who isn’t worth as much as he thinks he is.

So, if the Yankees do end up making Jeter so mad he won’t play for them, where will he go?

Here’s a look at the top five teams that would be ready to pounce if Jeter doesn’t sign an extension with New York.

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