Tag: MLB Free Agency

Yankees: 5 Free Agents New York Needs to Avoid at All Costs

The New York Yankees are about to embark on their most important offseason in years.

They just sat back and watched their biggest rivals, the Boston Red Sox, complete a worst-to-first turnaround and win the 2013 World Series.

With several major contracts coming off the books and more than $80 million to spend on free agents, the Yankees have the opportunity to right the ship quickly.

The key will be avoiding the bad contracts that have plagued them in free agency past.

I have a strong feeling that general manager Brian Cashman has learned from his mistakes and will approach this offseason very carefully.

The Yankees have plenty of holes to fill and they need to sign players to fill them.

However in the cases that follow, no contract is the best their money can buy.

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Ranking MLB’s Top 10 ‘Buy Low’ Options on the Winter Market

The most discerning MLB general managers understand the art of buying low.

These talent evaluators don’t just throw money at any player on the scrap heap. They know exactly when to spring for a free-agent ace rebounding from major surgery. They choose just the moment to pull the trigger on a deal for a floundering star who is ready to explode.

On the trade and free-agent markets, most players are wildly overvalued. However, there are also players who aren’t. They are the players with defects—everything ranging from injury concerns to PED links to major underproduction.

Here’s the ranking of the top 10 “buy low” options on the MLB winter market this offseason. The list begins with No. 10—the safest bet, and counts down to No. 1—the player with the largest upside, but also the highest risk.

 

10. David Murphy

2013 Stats: .220/.282/374, 26 doubles, 13 home runs, 77 OPS+, 0.4 WAR

David Murphy picked a terrible time to have the worst season of his career.

As Matthew Pouliot of HardballTalk.com noted, Murphy lost 200 percentage points off his OPS in 2013. The left fielder was consistently poor throughout the season, as he managed an .800 OPS or better for just one month. However, a resurgence is highly possible.

Murphy’s power didn’t desert him, as he still hit 13 home runs. In eight big league seasons, he owns a .778 OPS. While his contract year did not go to plan for Murphy, potential suitors will have the chance to buy an accomplished hitter at a discount price.

 

9. Starlin Castro

2013 Stats: .245/.284/.347, 34 doubles, 10 home runs, 72 OPS+, -0.1 WAR

2013 Salary: $5 million (first season of seven-year, $60.57 million deal)

Starlin Castro posted career lows in just about every statistical category in 2013.

His average dropped, his OBP tumbled below .300 and the young shortstop struck out at his highest rate ever. It’s certainly troubling that Castro laid an egg in the first year of his big contract. While his numbers were down by Castro’s standards, a quick peek at the list of free-agent shortstops serves as a reminder that he’s still a solid option at the position.

The Cubs need pitching badly. As Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune explained, flipping Castro could help the team fix that problem:

“You have to think a young shortstop would bring a lot of pitching, or at least one pitcher better than what Jeff Samardzija was supposed to be.”

The team also has an heir apparent to Castro in Javier Baez, which would enable them to absorb the loss.

If not for that massive deal anchoring him down, Castro would be the ultimate “buy low” candidate. As it currently stands, he’s still an intriguing option at a very weak position around the league. If he regresses more in 2014, though, his value will plummet. 

 

8. Josh Johnson

2013 Stats: 2-8, 6.20 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 9.2 K/9

2013 Salary: $13.75 million

Josh Johnson was so bad in 2013 that it’s almost hard to remember how good he used to be.

Last season for the Toronto Blue Jays, the righty made just 16 starts as he dealt with elbow injuries. Johnson’s season was cut short in August and he eventually had to undergo surgery on his pitching arm, per Matt Snyder of CBS Sports.

A dismal season and elbow woes are not exactly how any pitcher wants to enter the free-agent market. The one positive from Johnson’s 2013 season was that he posted the highest K/9 ratio of his entire career.

Clearly, Johnson can still produce swings and misses when he’s physically right. A return to the NL with a one-year deal could be just what the tall right-hander needs to get back on track.

 

7. Michael Morse

2013 Stats: .215/.270/.381, 13 doubles, 13 home runs, 84 OPS+, -1.6 WAR

2013 Salary: $6.75 million

Michael Morse was terrible for not one, but two teams in 2013.

The slugger posted a sub-.700 OPS in a half-season for the Seattle Mariners before getting shipped off to the Baltimore Orioles. Morse’s production didn’t pick up with the change of scenery either, as he hit just .103 in limited duty for the Orioles.

Morse’s best season came in 2011, when he finished with 31 home runs and a .303 average for the Washington Nationals. Moving forward, Morse still provides enormous raw power, but at the cost of a low average and huge strikeout numbers.

 

6. Carlos Ruiz

2013 Stats: .268/.320/.368, 13 doubles, 5 home runs, 90 OPS+, 1.4 WAR

2013 Salary: $5 Million

Carlos Ruiz is not returning to his 2012 form.

In 2012, he hit .325/.395/.540 with 32 doubles, 16 home runs and a .935 OPS. In 2013, Ruiz only made it into 92 games due to a 25-game suspension for using amphetamines and because of a strained hamstring. Ruiz’s power all but vanished, as he totaled just five home runs and posted a .368 slugging percentage. Plus, the catcher is about to turn 35.

Still, the veteran backstop should have multiple options. Troy Renck of the Denver Post reported that the Colorado Rockies are pursuing Ruiz. The main draws are his playoff experience and his skills in handling pitching staffs.

Ruiz would represent a far more compelling “buy low” candidate if he weren’t a ghost of his former self at the plate. 

 

5. Corey Hart

2013 Stats: Did not play due to injury

2013 Salary: $10 million

Corey Hart missed all of 2013 after undergoing surgeries on both of his knees.

It was brutal timing for Hart after he had totaled 30 home runs in 2012 and clocked at least 26 homers in each of his two prior seasons. Had the right-handed hitter posted stats like that again in 2013, he would have scored a major multi-year deal.

Now, however, Hart just wants to make thinks right with the Milwaukee Brewers. He explained to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

I’d definitely take a discount to stay here because I think I owe it to them to stay here and be a cheaper player…Nobody wants to play for free but I basically sat there and watched all season. I owe it to them and the fans to come back at a cheaper price.

It’s a generous offer from Hart. With 30-home run potential, however, the Brewers won’t be the only bidder for the two-time All-Star.

 

4. Kevin Youkilis

2013 Stats: .219/.305/.343, 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 78 OPS+, -0.4 WAR

2013 Salary: $12 million

Kevin Youkilis only played in 28 games for the New York Yankees in 2013 due to back problems that kept him off the diamond.

According to Mark Feinsand of the Daily News, there are no longer “any issues” with his health. After back-to-back subpar seasons, however, Youkilis will have a bit of an issue in landing a new deal. 

The infielder will be intriguing option for teams looking for power at the corner infield spots, but at a substantially lower price tag than the $12 million he earned in 2013.

Youkilis will be 35 by Opening Day 2014. With another big season, he could play his way into one last multi-year deal. Another dud of a season, however, will see him fall off the radar altogether.

 

3. Brett Anderson

2013 Stats: 1-4, 6.04 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 9.3 K/9

2013 Salary: $5.75 million 

2013 was a lost season for Brett Anderson.

The lefty appeared in 16 games for the Oakland A’s and ended the season in the bullpen. Despite his struggles, the A’s have already picked up his $8.5 million option for 2014.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that move could be the precursor to a trade, with the Blue Jays as a potential landing spot.

Oakland has a stable of young starting pitchers, so relying on the injury-prone Anderson doesn’t make much sense. In five big league seasons, the 25-year-old had made 30 starts just once. For less pitching-rich teams, however, trading for Anderson is a risk worth taking.

There simply aren’t that many left-handed starters with his level of talent. Now, if only Anderson could just stay healthy.

 

2. Roy Halladay

2013 Stats: 4-5, 6.82 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 7.4 K/9

2013 Salary: $20 million

For the first time since 2004, Roy Halladay failed to win 10 games last season. 

After making just seven starts, the veteran had to undergo shoulder surgery in May. When the two-time Cy Young Award winner returned in August, it did not turn out well.

John Finger of CSN Philly explained that, “His velocity was gone, and the bite on his breaking pitches had no teeth.”

That’s a rough assessment regarding Halladay, and it doesn’t bode well for the 36-year-old’s future. However, Finger also noted that Halladay had hurried back from the surgery to help out the club. With a full offseason to rest, Halladay has the chance to regain that edge.

For a contender, the eight-time All-Star could be the X-factor in 2014. For that to happen, though, Halladay will have to settle for an incentive-laden deal just a year after pulling in $20 million.

 

1. Johan Santana

2013 Stats: Did not play due to injury

2013 Salary: $25 million

Johan Santana is the ultimate reclamation project.

According to Andy Martino of the Daily News, the New York Mets have already dropped $5.5 million to buy out the lefty’s $25 million option for 2014.

Santana missed all of 2013 as he rehabbed from surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. That was the second time that Santana had undergone the same procedure.

As Adam Rubin of ESPN New York pointed out, it took Santana 19 months to recover from his first surgery. That means there’s no guarantee he’ll pitch in 2014 even though he has already begun to throw.

For a team with a deep starting staff, Santana represents the perfect flier. When he’s physically right, Santana is one one of the most devastatingly effective pitchers in recent memory. The only catch, however, is that he may never be healthy enough to pitch again.

  

All stats are from MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com. All salary information is provided by Baseball-Reference.com. Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


MLB Free Agent Predictions 2014: Finding the Perfect Match for Biggest Names

When it comes to the top MLB free agents on the market, the high asking prices will limit the number of teams with a realistic chance of signing them. But it doesn’t mean that they won’t have a good number of options to choose from.

The ultimate choice will often come down to the team offering the most money, although it’s not out of the question for a player to leave a few million dollars on the table to sign with a team that they feel more comfortable with for other reasons.

How much money a player is offered, however, certainly factors in heavily when finding the perfect match. So if team A meets the criteria in four of five categories that a particular player is looking for in a team and that fifth category is money, then we can conclude that the team is probably not a good match for the player.

In fact, even if no other team in the league can meet all five, or maybe not even three or four of the categories, that team that cannot come close to the asking price is still not going to be in the running. It weighs much heavier than the other factors involved.

With that said, here are the five categories, in order of importance, that will likely factor into a top free agent’s search for a team this offseason.

  1. Money
  2. Chance to win (players who have already won a World Series title or players 30 of age or younger could be more willing to sign with a rebuilding team with a bright future, such as Houston, as opposed to a team built to win now)
  3. Familiarity with players, coaching staff, front office execs
  4. Location (some players prefer to sign long-term deals with teams who play in or near their hometown)
  5. Role on team (not as much of an issue with the top free agents but some may prefer to be the staff “ace” or the No. 3 hitter while that role might already be occupied on an interested team)

Using these five categories and my free-agent rankings at MLBDepthCharts, let’s examine which teams could be the perfect match for the top 10 free agents on the board.

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Ranking the 10 Biggest Starting Pitching Comeback Candidates in MLB FA Market

Every year there are players on the MLB free agency market that qualify as comeback players, and many of them are starting pitchers.

This year is no different, as the offseason brings with it 10 pitchers who need big bounce-back seasons.

Whether their comeback is needed because of injuries, poor performance or a leave from the game, these guys need a good 2014 season to get their careers back on track.

Let’s take a look at the 10 biggest comeback players among starting pitchers this offseason.

*Note: Players are ordered with the biggest risk at No. 10 and the smallest risk being No. 1.

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MLB Free Agents 2014: 10 Players About to Be Overpaid

Free agency is the best chance a team has of building its roster for the upcoming season, but it is by no means an exact science, and there is a good deal of risk/reward that goes into each signing.

Every offseason, there are a handful of players who exceed expectations and wind up being absolute steals. And on the other end of spectrum, there are a few guys who wind up being vastly overpaid.

It’s certainly guesswork at this point, as we don’t know where these guys will sign or how much they’ll be signing for, but here is my best guess at 10 guys who could be overpaid this offseason.

 

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5 Under-the-Radar MLB Teams Who Could Be Surprise Offseason Buyers

MLB free agency is usually frustrating to follow for fans of low-spending teams.

Thankfully, the class of 2014 is unique. This offseason, many of the top available players could wind up committing to under-the-radar organizations.

You’ll see the New York Yankees attempt to use a ladder of cash to climb back to the playoffs, and the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers plan to overpay to fill their roster holes (again). The rich keep getting richer.

With that said, keep a close watch on these five struggling teams who might dig uncharacteristically deep into their pockets to improve.

 

*Stats provided by Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise specified.

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Predicting How All of MLB’s Biggest Offseason Dominoes Will Fall

We can make all the predictions we want about the upcoming offseason. But the reality of the prediction business is that each time a move is made that comes out of left field, a lot of the thinking that went into the remaining predictions can go right out the window.

And trust me on this one. There will be signings and trades that no one predicted. Mystery teams are very real. Teams that no one have discussed as being a suitor for a particular free agent will sign that free agent. Players that haven’t been reported as being on the trade block will be traded. 

An unexpected trade will, in turn, force a team to go in a different direction to fill a void and target players not originally thought to be fits. A starting pitcher will sign with a team that already had five good starters, opening up another trade possibility for a team that might be seeking help on the free-agent market.

A team filling a need via trade could mean that there is one less bidder for a free agent, which could even limit the player’s asking price. As a result, a team that didn’t think they could afford that player could swoop in at the last minute and strike a deal. 

With that said, here are a few different timelines of predictions which take into account the changes in the market that will occur with each major free-agent signing or trade at a particular position. 


Right-Handed Power

The first two weeks of the free-agent signing period normally don’t include many big names changing teams, and this year will be no exception. There will be several free agents coming off the board, though, after re-signing with their current teams. 

The most notable moves having the biggest effect on the the market early on will be the Red Sox inking first baseman Mike Napoli to a two-year, $30 million deal and the Pirates bringing back outfielder Marlon Byrd on a two-year, $16 million deal. 

With Byrd and Napoli off the board early in free agency, teams desperate for a right-handed middle-of-the-order bat will zone in on Nelson Cruz. With the Diamondbacks, Phillies and Rangers very likely the top three suitors for the 33-year-old, and the Royals, Mets and Giants also possibilities, the ensuing bidding war will push the price tag to four years and $60 million.

The winner (or loser, depending on how you view Cruz (pictured) at $15 million per season for his ages 33-36 seasons a year after he was suspended 50 games for PED use) will be the Phillies, who are seeking a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder to balance out a lefty-heavy lineup. It’s a risky signing ,but the lineup is actually very good on paper. 

1 Ben Revere, CF
2 Jimmy Rollins, SS
3 Chase Utley, 2B
4 Ryan Howard, 1B
5 Nelson Cruz, RF
6 Domonic Brown, LF
7 Cody Asche, 3B
8 TBD, C

With Cruz’s big deal, Corey Hart will likely scrap any plans to re-sign with the Brewers at a discounted rate, as he’s expressed interest in doing. The Rangers, who could utilize him at first base and the designated hitter spot as he returns from multiple knee surgeries that forced him to miss all of 2013, could be an excellent fit. 

The Masahiro Tanaka Effect

As pointed out by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the uncertainty surrounding Tanaka (pictured), specifically the potential changes that are being discussed to the posting system, could push back the process that will determine which team wins negotiating rights with the 25-year-old star out of Japan.

Hyun-Jun Ryu and Yu Darvish were each posted in December of the past two offseasons, respectively, and were signed to deals in January. With several teams expected to be in the mix for Tanaka, who several front office executives and agents told Passan they believe will cost more than Darvish—his combined posting fee and contract cost the Rangers over $110 million over six years—the market for the top starting pitchers could also move at a snail’s pace. 

If Ervin Santana and his agent, for example, aren’t getting the free-agent bids they are hoping for, they’ll simply wait until the Tanaka posting is complete in the hopes that the teams that lose out will re-focus their attention back to him.

Of course, teams that either aren’t interested in Tanaka or have the financial resources to acquire both of the top two starting pitchers could try to lock up Santana, Matt Garza or Ubaldo Jimenez early in the offseason.

Since it’s unlikely that any team will dish out the $200 million it would take to land both Tanaka and one of the top starters, expect that trio to sign in late December and possibly even January as they wait out Tanaka‘s posting process.

The Yankees, who need to bring in at least two starters, will look to sign a second-tier starter early on before making a strong push for Tanaka. If they convince Hiroki Kuroda that they’re going to spend freely and build a winner for 2014, I think he’ll stick around for one more season. Then they’ll spend freely to win the Tanaka bidding and head into 2014 with a rotation that has a chance to be pretty good.

1 CC Sabathia, LHP
2 Hiroki Kuroda, RHP
3 Masahiro Tanaka, RHP
4 Ivan Nova, RHP
5 Michael Pineda, RHP 

The Closer Carousel

For the most part, teams are not willing to invest big money into their closer. And after watching Koji Uehara, who made $4.25 million in 2013, and rookie Trevor Rosenthal, who made the minimum $490,000 salary, dominate throughout the playoffs, who could blame them? 

Even Edward Mujica, a journeyman middle reliever, was one of the best closers in baseball once finally given the chance when the Cardinals had limited options early in the season. How Mujica‘s season ended, however, is why giving almost any pitcher “closer money” is a big risk. 

The 29-year-old was hit hard in September and was relegated to mop-up duty in the playoffs. It’s not a surprise, given the history of relief pitchers. It’s hard to know what you’re going to get from year to year. The Cards just happened to catch lightning in a bottle with Mujica and ended up riding him all the way to the playoffs before turning to Rosenthal.

Mujica‘s value has dipped, but in reality, there could be more teams interested in bringing him on now at a much lower rate than had he finished the year strong. 

That’s because the closer’s market is full of pitchers who are deserving of closing jobs and the big contracts that come with that role. Here’s a list of those in that group, in order of how I ranked them at MLBDepthCharts:

Joe Nathan, RHP (pictured)
Grant Balfour, RHP
Joaquin Benoit, RHP
Jesse Crain, RHP
Brian Wilson, RHP
Edward Mujica, RHP
Fernando Rodney, RHP

Several others with closing experience, including Kevin Gregg, Ryan Madson, Chris Perez and Jose Veras, could be had at a discounted rate. 

Now let’s take a look at some teams who could be in need of a closer. The current projected closer is listed in parentheses:

Chicago Cubs (Pedro Strop)
Cleveland Indians (Cody Allen)
Detroit Tigers (Bruce Rondon)
Houston Astros (Josh Fields)
New York Mets (Bobby Parnell)
New York Yankees (David Robertson)
Oakland Athletics (Ryan Cook)
Tampa Bay Rays (Joel Peralta)

Nathan could start things off by signing a two-year, $26 million deal with the Tigers. Here’s how the rest of the dominoes will fall:

Fernando Rodney to the Yankees (1 yr, $10M), Closer
Jesse Crain to the Red Sox (3 yrs, $18M), Setup man
Grant Balfour to the A’s (2 yrs, $18M)
Joaquin Benoit to the Dodgers (3 yrs, $18M), Setup man
Edward Mujica to the Mets (2 yrs, $8M), Closer until Parnell returns from neck surgery
Brian Wilson to the Cubs (2 yrs, $20M)

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


4 Top Prospects Ready to Replace MLB Teams’ Free-Agent Departures

From an outside perspective, Major League Baseball’s offseason can be difficult to understand. Unlike the NBA, NFL and NHL, a salary cap isn’t present to handcuff the ability of an organization to retain stars with expiring pacts.

Yet, despite the lack of a unified budget for each team, owners and front office executives have limits for each player during the hot-stove season.

Just two years ago, the St. Louis Cardinals allowed Albert Pujols to walk in free agency when the Los Angeles Angels offered him a contract well in excess of $200 million. Instead of folding the tent, St. Louis handed the first base job to a young player developed through its system named Allen Craig.

Due to Craig’s limited service time, his salary was just $495,000 in 2012. With the money allocated to a potential Pujols deal, the Cardinals gave Adam Wainwright a contract extension and signed Carlos Beltran to help fill the power void in the middle of their lineup.

This winter, expect similar decisions to be made all around baseball. When a star leaves in free agency, the door is opened for a young player within the system to become a starter and dollars to be allocated differently throughout the roster.

Here are four top prospects ready to fill the shoes of free agents on the path to departing their 2013 teams.

1. St. Louis Cardinals: Oscar Taveras in, Carlos Beltran out.

If you think St. Louis is going to eschew logic and overpay for Beltran’s age-37 season, you haven’t been paying attention to the way the Cardinals do business lately.

Despite raking on the national stage in October, Beltran’s on-base percentage, slugging, home runs and WAR all slipped considerably from 2012 to 2013. It’s hard to imagine St. Louis showing him the door if he was willing to come back at a below-market-value rate, but if the star outfielder is looking for one last lucrative deal, it won’t come from the team that has his replacement ready in the minors.

If not for injury, baseball fans would have seen Oscar Taveras in the majors in 2013. As Bleacher Report’s MLB Prospects Lead Writer Mike Rosenbaum wrote about the 21-year-old outfielder in September, Taveras will be able to replace Beltran’s bat quickly.

Per Rosenbaum: “Taveras has 25-plus-home run potential; lift to swing; ball has carry; extra-base machine. Hits same-side pitching; makes loud contact to all fields; comfortable hitting any pitch in any count.

2. Boston Red Sox: Jackie Bradley Jr. in, Jacoby Ellsbury out.

While Tavares, rated as the No. 3 prospect in baseball by Rosenbaum, is simply too talented to block by re-signing Beltran to another deal, Boston’s outfield shuffle will have more to do with philosophy than making the team better in 2014. 

As I wrote when pointing out why Ellsbury wouldn’t be a smart target for the New York Yankees, Boston’s offense with him atop the order was a much more prolific group than it was when he was injured. Although Bradley Jr. projects to be a regular player on a first-division team, he’s not going to come close to replacing the 2011 AL MVP runner-up in Ellsbury.

Boston’s front office knows this, but don’t expect it to suddenly jump back into the business of handing out contracts in excess of seven years or $100 million.

Don’t believe me? Listen to what team president Larry Lucchino had to say when appearing as a guest on WEEI in Boston.

“I don’t want to rule out anything, except that there will be a presumption against doing any very long-term deals,” Lucchino said. “I think we’ve crossed that bridge and we realized that there’s a better way to spend money, that free agency and long-term deals are not the best way to build a franchise or to succeed over time. So there is a very strong presumption against that.”

3. Atlanta Braves: Christian Bethancourt in, Brian McCann out.

Free agent Brian McCann’s impending departure from Atlanta, after nine highly successful seasons, is often tied to the Braves’ belief in power-hitting catcher Evan Gattis. While Gattis‘ breakout 2013 (21 HR, .480 SLG) is reason to shy away from overpaying McCann, it’s the presence of another promising young catcher in Atlanta that should keep fans from worrying about their future behind the plate.

When Christian Bethancourt was called up in September, after posting a .741 OPS with Double-A Mississippi, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez raved about his talent to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.

“We think the world of [Bethancourt] defensively,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He’s had a nice season offensively at Double-A. We’ll bring him up here and just let him get some experience.

Between Bethancourt‘s defense and emerging offense and Gattis‘ power stick, the Braves are covered when McCann departs.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jameson Taillon in, A.J. Burnett out.

To be fair, the 2014 Pittsburgh Pirates’ best shot at the franchise’s first World Series title since 1979 would be with both Burnett and the 21-year-old Taillon in the rotation. If Pittsburgh could sport a quartet of Francisco Liriano, Burnett, Gerrit Cole and Taillon atop its staff, the NL Central could belong to the Bucs.

Of course, Pittsburgh can if Burnett chooses to stick around for one more season. Unlike St. Louis with Beltran, Boston with Ellsbury or Atlanta with McCann, this isn’t a case of dollars and value. After what Burnett became on the mound and in the clubhouse for the Pittsburgh organization, he would be brought back at a fair rate by Pirates management.

Yet, after 15 big league seasons, Burnett is contemplating retirement this offseason. The subject, first brought into the mainstream by Hardball Talk in March, didn’t die down as the season progressed for the 94-win Pirates.

After the conclusion of Pittsburgh’s division series loss to St. Louis, team president Frank Coonelly made it clear that the team would welcome him back during a conversation with Bill Brink of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“He’s got a decision to make, first and foremost, whether it’s time for him to spend more time with his family or whether he thinks he can go another year,” Coonelly said. “If he decides that he wants to come back, we definitely want A.J. back.”

If Burnett does depart, Taillon, a former first-round pick, will be asked to fill major shoes in the 2014 Pirates rotation. Bleacher Report’s Mike Rosenbaum projects him to be a No. 3 starter during his big league career but would likely have to reach that potential almost immediately to fill the void of Burnett.

However, if Burnett does decide to stick around for one more run at a ring in Pittsburgh, Taillon can be eased into a fourth starter role and given the chance to progress at his own pace.

Agree? Disagree? Can these prospects replace the veterans?

Comment below, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


MLB’s End-of-Postseason Stock Watch for Upcoming Free Agents

Of the free agents who will be able to negotiate and sign with new teams beginning on Tuesday, November 5, several of them had an extended opportunity to increase (or decrease) their value in the postseason. 

While only a handful of innings pitched or a small sample size of at-bats normally wouldn’t move the needle very much on a veteran player’s perceived value, a player’s ability to produce in the playoffs certainly can. 

Here are 10 players whose asking price has likely risen or fallen since the end of the regular season.

 

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MLB Free Agents 2014: Ranking the Top 100 Players Available

There are no more than two games left in the 2013 MLB season, as the Red Sox took a 3-2 series lead over the Cardinals in the World Series with a 3-1 victory Monday night.

It’s been a great series to this point, and will no doubt finish with a bang, but it’s still never too early to turn our attention to the upcoming crop of free-agent talent.

Last offseason, it was Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton who highlighted the crop of available talent, and this winter should have its fair share of impact talents changing teams.

So looking ahead to the upcoming offseason, here is my take on the top 100 free agents set to become available.

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