Kuzul

Being a baseball general manager is a thankless job. Every move that you make is second-guessed, critiqued and analyzed to death before a new player even steps out onto the field. Then there’s the separate issue of what to do with your hometown players, some of whom have evolved into local legends or fan favorites.

Every player has to become a free agent eventually, but the gut-wrenching question facing every general manager is when is the right time to let those players go? In the case of these 15 players, their GM’s let them go too soon.

For the sake of this list we’ll eliminate players who had no chance of resigning with their former teams (Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford) and players that teams made an effort to sign but were outbid (Cliff Lee).

Begin Slideshow

With so many of the big name free agents signed early on this off season, it has been a winter of trade rumors, and while most have proved to be nothing beyond just rumors, the Brewers managed to pull off two of the bigger trades of the off season.

However, the rest of the NL Central has been fairly busy as well, as the Cubs, Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers all look to be in the running for the division. Even the Astros and Pirates made a handful of moves that could make series’ against them that much tougher.

So here are the ten biggest moves of the off season for the NL Central, as we look forward to Spring Training and the start of the season.

Begin Slideshow

With most of the top free agents now signed and teams starting to take shape as we approach spring training, I thought I would share my pre-pre-season perspective on the relative strengths, (and weaknesses), of all 30 major league teams.

I have broken the article down into three installments, and will publish one of the segments each day this weekend. Part I (yesterday) covered the three teams I view as the weakest in baseball… Part II (today) covers the teams in the middle of the pack… Part III (tomorrow, MLK Day) will preview the 10 best teams in baseball.

Without further ado, here is how I see things:

Begin Slideshow

For one day, Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry was the smartest man in baseball.

In an offseason where Joaquin Benoit, Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain get three-year contracts, how the heck did Hendry manage to sign Kerry Wood to just a one-year deal? I am befuddled.

After a three-year absence, the Cubs brought back Wood on a one-year, $1.5 million deal on Thursday. This is quite a hometown discount the Cubs got because it was rumored that Wood turned down multi-year deals with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox just so he could return to the place that made him a household name.

After spending 10 years in Chicago, Wood left as a free agent and signed with the Cleveland Indians. After spending one and a half uneventful years in Cleveland, Wood was traded to the New York Yankees at the July 31 trade deadline.

With the Yankees, it was like Wood was 21-years old again. Mariano Rivera taught him the cutter and down the stretch and into the playoffs, Wood was ridiculously good for the Bronx Bombers.

Wood posted a 0.69 ERA and a 10.7 K/9 ratio in 26 innings. To be honest, I can’t believe the Yankees made such little effort to bring him back.

The signing of Wood allows the Cubs to do a couple of things. First, it gives them a nice one-two punch at the end of the game. Wood will set up Carlos Marmol and the Cubs have to feel very good about that combination at the end of the game.

Second, it allows them to move Andrew Cashner into the starting rotation. Cashner pitched exclusively out of the pen in 2010 and now will be groomed as a starting pitcher.

If Wood would have signed a three-year, $13 million contract with the Cubs, I wouldn’t have even blinked an eye. But at $1.5 million, this is quite a steal for Chicago.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s not official, but David Kaplan of Chicago Now reported late Wednesday evening that Kerry Wood may soon no longer be a former Cub.  Sources have since speculated that the deal will be for more than one year, and that Woody will be the setup man for closer Carlos Marmol.

While I am surprised that Jim Hendry didn’t acquire another player named “Carlos” (I mean, really, is four enough? I don’t think so), this move means that Wood will choose Chicago as the place where he will spend his next stint on the disabled list.

Look, I love Kerry and recall his days with the Cubs fondly—that damn TJ surgery and Bartman incident notwithstanding. And if he can stay healthy, he would fill a huge void for the Cubs; a void so bad, that even Carlos Zambrano (one of the Carlos brothers) took a turn as the eighth inning guy.

But let’s face facts here, folks. The only player who comes close to matching Wood’s injury history is Woody’s former teammate Mark Prior, who recently signed with the Yankees. Hey Rothschild, better start warming up the towel.

True to form, Wood spent six weeks on the trainers table last year with his recurring back problem. Wood also has a shoulder that he never fixed so that’s always looming on the periphery.

Perhaps the craziest thing about this signing, if it becomes official, is that Hendry continues to act as if this is a contending club. Instead of looking to go young this off-season by trading off pieces and either shedding payroll or acquiring prospects, he is working hard to convince the fans to come to the games in 2011.

Well, at least it will be fun to see Wood back in a Cubs uniform. I’ve always liked the guy and hey, the injuries really aren’t his fault. But I just wonder if he can hold up.

If any player screamed for a one year guarantee, it’s a guy like Wood. But this seems to be the off-season of the relievers, with multi-year contracts being handed out to relievers who seldom retain their value year over year.

Assuming good health, which is a lot like assuming peace in the Mideast, the Cubs bullpen should be better in 2011, especially if Andrew Cashner continues to develop. Also watch out for Chris Carpenter (no, not THAT Carpenter, relax Cardinals fans).   

No matter what, there is another benefit if this deal gets finalized:

Cubs fans can once again proudly proclaim WE GOT WOOD.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Somewhere, Ron Santo is beaming. Kerry Wood, a longtime Chicago Cub who never looked right in anyone else’s uniform, will reportedly come home to the North Side of Chicago.

Multiple sources, including Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of the Chicago Tribune, report that Wood and the Cubs are finalizing a deal.

If true, this news has to warm the hearts of Cubs fans everywhere. Wood became a fan favorite nonpareil in the post-Ryne Sandberg era, and the team has done its public relations a world of good by reeling in Wood just weeks after cutting ties with Sandberg.

Wood’s rumored demands make the terms of this deal interesting: He had been seeking a two-year, $12 million deal. He probably gave the Cubs a hometown discount, but even so, he may well be the highest-paid reliever in a 2011 bullpen in which he would fall third on the depth chart.

Still, his arrival solidifies the relief corps and makes life easier for the Cubs as they try to shore up countless other shortcomings.

Read on for five reasons to love this deal from the Cubs’ perspective.

Begin Slideshow

As Christmas approaches, fans of the New York Yankees have been left with nothing but coal in their stockings.  This isn’t by any means meant to be a slight on recently acquired catcher Russell Martin whose signing makes for a decent “stocking stuffer.”  It is the big prize though that has so far eluded the Yankees.

Fans of the Bronx Bombers expected their annual free-agent gift to be delivered in the form of Cliff Lee but were left with Ebenezer Scrooge-like feelings when he opted to return to the Philadelphia Phillies.  Now another Yankee target in Kerry Wood follows suit by making his own homecoming.

Around midnight central time, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal broke the news that Wood was returning to the Chicago Cubs.  Wood, 33, has agreed to a two-year pact with the “North Siders” worth $12 million to once again become their closer.  By returning to Wrigley Field, his career has now come full circle, back to a setting in which he made his debut as a 20 year-old rookie phenom.

Winter hopes haven’t come to fruition for Yankees general manager Cashman who has been left out in the cold all offseason.  The rival Boston Red Sox have already delivered two major presents to their fans in Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, something that Yankee fans are usually accustomed to.  Acquiring Martin and oft-injured starter Mark Prior wasn’t what most imagined would be the Yanks’ biggest captures thus far.

A growing number of Yankee fans have begun to question Cashman who will need to dip into his farm system to acquire not only one but two talented starting pitchers if Andy Pettitte decides to hang up his spikes.  Speculation that the enigmatic Carlos Zambrano is on his radar isn’t encouraging and anything short of landing Felix Hernandez or Zach Greinke will only make disgruntled fans’ voices louder.

The public handling of Derek Jeter’s new deal hasn’t helped Cashman’s standing as even outside the greater New York area, fans nationwide felt he insulted the revered Yankees captain.  His comment during negotiations infuriated many non-biased hardball addicts: “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.”

Treating Jeter like an over-the-hill utility man in contract talks infuriated baseball fans nationwide and even the classy shortstop admitted his distaste for Cashman’s methods.

“I was pretty angry about it, but I let that be known,” Jeter said.  “I was angry about it because I was the one that said I didn’t want to do it, that I wasn’t going to (test the market).  To hear the organization tell me to go shop it when I just told you I wasn’t going to, if I’m going to be honest, I was angry about it.  I never wanted to be a free agent.”

The pressure will surely increase on Cashman if he is unable to acquire a dominant starter, make due with an unpopular trade or force unproven young arms into the Yankees rotation.  Cashman whose job is “to play Santa for the Yankees” has a long list in front of him if he is to assemble a team capable of challenging the Red Sox for the AL East, let alone a squad capable of making the World Series. 

Besides a top-tier starter or two, New York is in need of a new setup man in Wood’s absence.  David Robertson had an awful postseason, as he gave up vital runs that led to their 2010 playoff elimination at the hands of the Texas Rangers.  Joba Chamberlain can’t be trusted either as the formerly standout reliever is now seen as an unpredictable question mark.

Some baseball analysts feel that Nick Swisher should be moved after the free-spirited outfielder had yet another poor postseason.  In his two seasons as a Yankee, Swisher complied pitiful playoff averages of .128 and .176 in 2009 and 2010 respectively.  His erratic defense and lack of range also add credence to the thought that New York would be better off without the right fielder.

Instead of focusing on speedy outfielder Carl Crawford, Cashman turned his full attention to the pursuit of Lee, who behind the scenes made little indication that he wanted to come to the Bronx.  With Brett Gardner as the Yankees’ only consistent base-stealer in their lineup, Crawford would have been a welcome addition.  He would have given the Bombers two speedsters capable of swiping 50 bases apiece.

Along with Gardner and Curtis Granderson, Crawford would have made the Yankees outfield one of the most athletic in all of baseball and a long-term heir to Jeter’s spot in the top of the order.  With Crawford snapped up by the Red Sox, Cashman should still consider dealing Swisher and finding a younger, more athletic outfielder to improve New York’s flexibility in not relying on the long ball.

All of this being said, Cashman is still a very shrewd businessman.  He has stockpiled coveted minor league talents to deal away to reshape the Yankees roster into one that is worthy of returning to the Fall Classic.  It will be interesting to see how he goes about addressing his club’s needs as he definitely has his work cut out for him.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Yankees have an abundant amount of money to spend after losing out on signing Cliff Lee, who went to the Philadelphia Phillies.

All possible options will be tried, as cash is never short in New York and especially when the team is in need. Nobody puts Baby in the corner; not the Phillies, not Lee and certainly not a lack of free agents.

So, when the news came that the Yankees signed pitcher Mark Prior to a one-year minor league contract, the possibility of what Prior was and could be started to cause butterflies in my stomach.

Back in 2002, when Prior debuted with the Chicago Cubs, the level of excitement could only be compared to that of Washington Nationals phenom Steven Strasburg.

Yes, Prior was that good. At just 22 years old, he was joining team ace Kerry Wood, and in 2003 they made a tandem of the best one-two punch in the majors.

That season Sports Illustrated dubbed them the “Chicago Heat” and it was well deserved. Combined, Wood and Prior posted 522 strikeouts, seven complete games and three shutouts over a total of 422 innings in 2003.

Prior finished with a 2.43 ERA, was named to the All-Star team, finished third in the NL CY Young voting and ninth in the NL MVP. Wood posted a 3.20 ERA, leading the Cubs to 88 wins and a division title.

Cubs manager Dusty Baker was frivolous with his two stars, as fans voiced concerns about the constant high pitch counts. Prior was averaging 113+ pitches during that 2003 regular season, and the number jumped to 126 in September through the postseason.

Baker’s irresponsibility clearly was at fault and he is the reason for all the anal pitch counts across baseball with young prospects. After that 2003 season, neither half of the “Chicago Heat” did anything except be on the DL and Chicago fans were devastated but blamed it on the curse of the Cubs franchise.

Wood was about four years older then Prior, so he managed to hang out in the bullpen but Prior imploded by 2006 and hasn’t pitched in the majors since.

Yankee fans are familiar with Wood, after he joined the pinstripes post All-Star break last season and dominated as the team’s eighth inning pitcher.

For Cubs fans, it was déjà vu because Wood not only dominated, but also stayed healthy through the end of the 2010 season.

Yankee fans’ relationship with Wood was an immediate love affair and I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t want Wood back in 2011.

Presumably I expect to hear that Wood is back within days, confirmed the minute GM Brian Cashman announced the signing of Prior.

Cashman well knows that these two are not going be the “Chicago Heat” ever, but Cashman’s genesis behind it could be brilliant.

If Prior can be as good as Wood in the Yankees bullpen, the “New York Heat” could have a major impact in a huge way.

The humbled “Middle-Men,” also known as the bullpen or the set-up guys, hold such a critical role for every team across baseball. Being dominant in the seventh and eighth innings is without question a game-changer in any situation.

If this little experiment works out, Cashman would be deemed a literal genius. Even if it fails, Wood is still solid and Prior cost the Yankees under $1 million, which is literal pocket change.

This should give Yankee fans some comfort because Cashman is going to try any and every formula possible to make sure the 2011 team can win again.

It’s nice to know that hasn’t changed.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There has been a lot of talk surrounding the New York Yankees this off-season like usual. Does Derek Jeter return? Does Andy Pettitte give it one more? Do they acquire Cliff Lee?

It boils down to a bunch of different scenarios this off-season. The Yankees can do any number of moves this year and have already started changing up their team for next season. I decided to jump in and take a look at who will possibly be in pinstripes next season.

Begin Slideshow

MLB rumors continue to heat up the hot stove—or at least New York City—as we inch closer and closer to February.

And that magical date when pitchers and catchers report.

Around baseball, it’s actually been a somewhat quiet offseason for player movement. No free agents of note have signed, with the exception of the reports that former Yankee Javier Vasquez will sign with Florida.

But not even the much-coveted Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford have been in the news as much as Derek Jeter’s very public contract talks with the Yankees have been.

There have been conflicting reports about the terms that Jeter is demanding. The Yankees have taken a very hard line in negotiating, and as of this posting, there is still no deal.

Much less publicized, but just as—and maybe more—alarming, is that the great closer Mariano Rivera is also without a deal and on the free-agent market.

Eventually, when it’s all said and done, both are expected to remain Yankees.

But, for the sake or argument, here are some options to replace two of the more celebrated players to ever wear the pinstripes.

Begin Slideshow