Kuzul

The worst-to-first turnaround that has brought the Boston Red Sox to the 2013 World Series is largely attributable to their wise free-agent spending. Following the same keys they did this coming offseason could elevate most teams to the same heights in 2014.

General managers all have the same aspirations—acquire as much talent as possible for the lowest price.

The few that succeed from that perspective properly blend advanced statistics with personal evaluations; they factor in positional scarcity and only take calculated risks.

Specific spending strategies can vary a bit from front office to front office, but these are the constant guidelines that ought to be followed universally.

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Grant Balfour has been a force at the back of the Oakland Athletics‘ bullpen for the last three years, but could be on his way out now that his contract has expired.

After the A’s second straight trip to the American League Division Series in 2013, MLB.com writer Jane Lee said the team wants to maintain its solid core.

Retaining Balfour would help the A’s return to the playoffs, but he comes with a lot of baggage. A’s general manager Billy Beane needs to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of bringing backs his closer.

Pros:

He Locks Down the Ninth Inning

Balfour served as a set-up man for the Tampa Bay Rays and worked the eighth inning in front of Andrew Bailey in his first year with the A’s.

Once Bailey was traded in the Josh Reddick steal of a deal, Balfour took over as the team’s closer and proceeded to slam the door for the next two years, averaging a 2.56 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

The veteran reeled off 44 consecutive saves, breaking Dennis Eckersley’s club record, and earned his first All-Star nod in 2013.

He’s a Great Fit in Oakland

On a team full of young stars like Josh Donaldson and Sonny Gray, Balfour and fellow free agent Bartolo Colon are two of the only vets.

Pitching talents aside, Colon’s mild-mannered demeanor is far more replaceable than Balfour’s fiery rage. If Balfour leaves, the silence and stillness from the right field bleachers will be deafening.

Balfour has flashed his competitive spirit twice in the playoffs, getting into it with Orlando Cabrera in 2008 and Victor Martinez last year before retiring both hitters. It never hurts to have an enforcer at the end of a close game.

Cons:

He’s Old

Balfour may be relatively new to closing, but he has spent plenty of time in the majors. He broke in with the Minnesota Twins back in 2001, and will turn 36 this winter.

That’s awfully old for a pitcher, especially one with a history of forearm, shoulder, knee and elbow injuries. While Balfour has moved on from his Tommy John surgery from 2005 and torn rotator cuff and labrum from 2006, the A’s have reason to be concerned as he ages.

He Broke Down Late in the Season

Balfour put together a legitimate case as the American League’s best closer in the first half of the season. Come August and September, things were a little different.

He couldn’t throw strikes, and when he did, they were hard-hit mistake pitches. Balfour had a 1.76 ERA on August 26, but closed out the year by giving up eight earned runs in 11.2 innings.

Every late-season save situation seemed to end with Balfour saying he was gassed, running on fumes or some other declaration of being burnt out. Sure, he’ll have the offseason to recover, but the A’s will have to watch his workload if he returns.

He’s Replaceable for a Lesser Price

Billy Beane pioneered the art of trading the closer, pulling in lucrative packages for Billy Taylor, Andrew Bailey and Billy Koch. While Balfour’s free agency makes him untradeable, Beane‘s track record shows how little faith he has in long-term closers.

Balfour is due for a big payday after raking in $4.5 million last year. As always, the A’s will need to be financially conservative and might not meet Balfour’s salary demands.

So who would replace Balfour? Set-up man Ryan Cook is the obvious answer, though Beane could also look for outside help like the Rays’ Jesse Crain.

Balfour has been very good for the A’s over the past three years, but it’s time to cut ties. Re-signing him would be a sizable investment, one Oakland cannot afford to make.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Here’s what’ll go down in Cleveland once the season ends. The Indians will exercise Ubaldo Jimenez‘s $8 million club option. Jimenez will then exercise his right to decline, however, as stipulated in his contract.

It states that Jimenez could void the 2014 option if he was traded during the span of the contract, which he originally signed prior to the 2009 season while with the Rockies. The clause kicked in once he was traded to Cleveland in July 2011.

While the Indians are still undecided on whether they’ll offer the 29-year-old a $14 million qualifying offer, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer—doing so would secure the team a draft choice if Jimenez departs, but they’d pay him $14 million on a one-year deal if he accepts—it’s a foregone conclusion that Jimenez will become a free agent and seek a long-term deal for big money.

Despite a mostly unimpressive showing with the Tribe—he had a 5.43 ERA over his first 51 starts with the team—Jimenez’ value has skyrocketed after an amazing career resurgence that began in late May.

Over the span of 23 starts, the right-hander posted a 2.41 ERA with 123 hits and 58 walks allowed to go along with 147 strikeouts in 138 innings pitched. He had trouble getting through six innings early in the run but appeared to be getting stronger as the season went along. 

While averaging close to seven innings per start, Jimenez pitched like an “ace” with a 1.72 ERA, 23 walks and 94 strikeouts in 78.1 innings pitched over his last 12 starts. With that kind of last impression, there’s no way he’s settling for a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tribe. 

He could easily match San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum’s new two-year contract worth a reported $35 million. But it’s also likely he can get that same amount per season ($17.5 million) over four or five years.

Here are three teams that would be great fits for Jimenez. 

Colorado Rockies

The free-agent market is not a place the Rockies expect to find front-line starting pitchers. And the Rockies are exactly the team that free-agent pitchers try to avoid. Coors Field and pitchers usually aren’t a good match.

It’s not that pitchers don’t occasionally have success there. But it’s too risky for either side to want to find out if it will work out or not. 

Jimenez might be the rare exception, though, because the Rockies know him so well and because he’s had success pitching at their hitter’s haven of a ballpark. 

Originally signed by the team as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic in 2001, Jimenez debuted late in 2006 and finally made it to the majors for good in the second half of 2007. Slowly but surely, he was developing into one of the better pitchers in the league.

From 2009-10, he posted a 34-20 record with a 3.17 ERA in 66 starts. Overall, he’s posted a 3.67 ERA in 419.2 career innings at Coors Field. He clearly wasn’t effected by it’s hitter-friendly conditions. 

So would he return so soon after just resurrecting his career?

My guess is that his confidence level is sky-high, and he feels every bit as good as he did when he was at his peak with the Rockies. They might have to go five years to convince him, but I think he’d be excited about a return to an organization where he had so much success.

A Rockies’ rotation with Jimenez has a chance to be very good…

1 Ubaldo Jimenez, RHP
2 Jorge De La Rosa, LHP
3 Jhoulys Chacin, RHP
4 Tyler Chatwood, RHP
5 Drew Pomeranz, LHP

New York Yankees

If the Yankees are going to have a chance to compete next season, they must open up the pocketbook and spend big in free agency. For a team that brings in so much revenue and consistently has one of the top, if not the top, payrolls in the game, that shouldn’t be a problem.

But as of last winter, the Yankees were reportedly leaning toward trimming their payroll beneath $189 million, which is the threshold for a team to pay the luxury tax.

But the state of the current roster, which might have more obvious holes than any team in baseball, is the reason they’ll revert to the Yankees way of thinking. They’ll worry less about how much they’re spending and more about how they’re going to build a champion next season.

And while a big part of that plan would be to re-sign second baseman Robinson Cano, it’s the starting rotation that needs the most work. CC Sabathia no longer resembles a front-line starter, and there’s no guarantee he can bounce back.

The Yankees have a few options on the free-agent market, including Matt Garza and Ervin Santana, but it’s Jimenez who might be the best fit to a lead a rotation that would likely include fellow countrymen Ivan Nova (pictured) and Michael Pineda.

Known for his strong work ethic, Jimenez could be the perfect mentor for the young Dominican duo, as well as two of their best prospects, catcher Gary Sanchez and pitcher Rafael De Paula. Both are also from the Dominican Republic and could reach New York by year two of Jimenez’s contract.

Even the good version of Jimenez isn’t enough to turn this rotation around—they’ll need at least one more starter. Here’s what they’d look like with just Jimenez added to the mix… 

1 Ubaldo Jimenez, RHP
2 CC Sabathia, LHP
3 Ivan Nova, RHP
4 David Phelps, RHP
5 Michael Pineda, RHP

Pittsburgh Pirates

Whatever the Pirates and pitching coach Ray Searage did to help Francisco Liriano and A.J. Burnett resurrect their careers once they arrived in Pittsburgh, it’s probably a pretty good selling point for any free-agent pitcher. Especially one like Jimenez who went from great to really bad almost overnight and couldn’t return to form for nearly two years. 

With Burnett’s salary off the books, the Bucs could either try to re-sign him, look for a short-term stopgap, replace him internally or make the bold move to acquire a front-line starter this winter.

Since they haven’t shown much interest in trading their best prospects, expect a free-agent signing rather than a trade if they go that route. And since Matt Garza and Ervin Santana would likely be out of their price range, Jimenez could certainly be a target for Pittsburgh as long as his price tag is reasonable. 

Investing long-term in a pitcher who might need to be “fixed” again is risky. But that’s also the reason he’ll probably come at a cheaper price than Garza or Santana. And if Liriano (pictured) continues his dominance and Jimenez shows up as the same pitcher he was over the last four months of 2013, the Bucs will be in a strong position to return to the postseason as legitimate World Series contenders.

Here’s a look at what that rotation might look like…

1 Francisco Liriano, LHP
2 Ubaldo Jimenez, RHP
3 Gerrit Cole, RHP
4 Wandy Rodriguez, LHP
5 Charlie Morton, RHP/Jeff Locke, LHP/Jameson Taillon, RHP 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Free Agent Market could be open for business as early as next Monday, and while it had appeared to be shaping up late in the regular season, it turns out that it was far from settled. 

Pricey contract extensions for Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum, as well as rumored $100 million asking prices for Shin-Shoo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, indicate that teams may have to ante up big dollars for the best players on the market.  

In addition, several free agents-to-be boosted their stock with strong playoff performances. Others hurt their value by showing that they might not be very good when the games are most important. 

Here’s a look at how the 2013 postseason has changed the playoff picture.

Jacoby Ellsbury: $100 million man

Despite missing nearly three weeks in September with a foot injury, Ellsbury had already done enough to ensure he’d enter the offseason as the top center fielder on the free agent market.

But a $100 million deal, as was suggested by his agent Scott Boras in an interview with CBS Sports last month, seemed steep considering he hadn’t shown the power that made him a finalist for the AL MVP award in 2011. Considering that a similar player, Michael Bourn, got four years and $48 million the previous offseason, a reasonable projection for the 30-year-old Ellsbury would be somewhere around five years and $70 million. 

This is no longer the case, though. Ellsbury, who has been the catalyst for the Sox during their World Series run with a .902 OPS, 17 hits, 11 runs and six stolen bases in 12 games, is doing everything in his power to increase his value.

Pence’s $90 million deal helps, but it’s Ellsbury’s playoff performance that might actually push him into the $100 million territory. 

Carlos Beltran putting injury concerns to rest

Including the playoffs, Beltran has averaged 154 games per season since 2011, his ages 34-36 seasons. After leaving Game 1 of the World Series after robbing a homer with a rib injury, he was back in the lineup for Game 2. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI single to add on to one of the most impressive postseason resume’s of all-time. 

The knee troubles that caused him to miss most of the 2009-2010 seasons appear to be a thing of the past, and he’ll be paid accordingly. It’s his talent on the field that could net him as much as $20 million per season this offseason. It’s his ability to stay on the field—even this late in the season—that will give at least one team enough confidence to give him a three-year deal.

Clutch hitting will overshadow Mike Napoli’s hip condition

There’s no doubt that the degenerative hip condition that caused the Red Sox to pull a three-year, $39 million deal off the table last winter is going to be an issue for Napoli again. But the fact that he started 131 games at first base—his first year as a regular first baseman—and put up impressive numbers during the regular season (.842 OPS, 23 HR, 92 RBI) will make it much less of an issue. 

And if there was still any doubt, consider that the 31-year-old has had several big hits in the postseason, including a game-winning homer against Justin Verlander in the ALCS and a three-run double to open the scoring in the World Series, and he has not been hindered one bit by his hip condition.

The question is no longer whether he’ll get a multi-year deal or not. It’s whether he’ll get two or three years.

Add Brian Wilson to the list of top free agent closers

The former Giants closer didn’t even get a save opportunity during his two-month stint with the Dodgers. But by the playoffs, it was clear that Wilson had returned to form after missing all of 2012 and most of 2013 recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

After allowing just one earned run in 13.2 innings over 18 regular season appearances, the 31-year-old was even better in the postseason. As the primary setup man to closer Kenley Jansen, Wilson pitched six shutout innings with two walks, eight strikeouts, a win and two holds. 

Those might be the last “holds” he records for a couple of seasons. He should land a closer’s gig this winter.

“Left Fielder” Jhonny Peralta near the top of the shortstop and third base markets

Peralta returned from a 50-game P.E.D. suspension late in the season to find he had lost his starting shortstop job to defensive whiz Jose Iglesias. The Tigers needed his bat in the lineup, however, so they got creative. 

For the first time in his professional career, the 31-year-old played in the outfield. He also went 11-for-33 in the playoffs with three doubles and a homer. Does it mean he’ll be recruited as a starting outfielder this offseason? Probably not. But that’s only because several teams will be trying to sign him to be their shortstop or third baseman. 

It’s not exactly the deepest market for those positions, which is why Peralta’s suspension will have limited impact on his value. 

Juan Uribe will be a starting third baseman in 2014

The Dodgers gave Uribe a three-year, $21 million deal after a 2010 season in which he posted a .749 OPS with 24 homers for the Giants. But it’s extremely likely that he may have earned himself that third year or a few more million dollars after some clutch hitting in the playoffs. 

Uribe hit a game-winning homer in the deciding NLCS Game 6 win over the Phillies. He also hit a big three-run homer in Game 1 of the World Series. He didn’t do much else, but his impact was clear in front of a national audience. 

Fast-forward to 2013, and Uribe is coming off of a season in which he posted a .769 OPS with 12 homers and has been named a finalist for the Gold Glove award for third basemen. He came up big again in the playoffs, including another game-winning homer in the deciding game of a series. 

Regardless of how bad he was in 2011-2012 (.552 OPS), Uribe shouldn’t have a hard time finding a starting job in what is a very weak market for third basemen. 

Where have you gone, Edward Mujica? 

A 29-year-old All-Star closer who is coming off of a season in which he saved 37 games, posted a 2.78 ERA and walked only five batters in 64.2 innings should be extremely popular this winter, right? Not so much with Mujica. 

If his own team doesn’t have enough faith to use him in anything more than mop-up duty during the playoffs, why would teams interested in a closer look to Mujica ahead of Wilson, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Joe Nathan or Fernando Rodney? 

It’s his own doing after a terrible September (7.1 IP, 9 ER, 18 H), but Mujica’s value has took a tremendous hit in a short amount of time, and the Cardinals aren’t helping by not letting him pitch this postseason.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Contrary to what it may seem, the Seattle Mariners are a mess at first base. 

Justin Smoak was supposed to be Seattle’s first baseman of the future, but has been wildly inconsistent, even getting demoted to Triple-A for stints in each of the past two seasons. The relegations have helped, but he hasn’t made great strides in his offensive game. 

Dustin Ackley can play first, but may need to share time at second base or in the outfield next season, depending on who Seattle can sign in free agency. He’s also been disappointing and may be better suited for a utility role until further notice. 

First round pick D.J. Peterson will probably eventually be making the transition from third to first, but is in Single-A and won’t be seen in Seattle for at least another season or two.

Kendrys Morales is the ideal first baseman for the Mariners, although he was mostly a DH. He’s already said he won’t accept Seattle’s qualifying offer, but that doesn’t mean Morales won’t play for the Mariners next season. He’ll be tough to bring back, considering the limited power on the market, but his familiarity with the club and the organization could help Jack Zduriencik’s chances of bringing him back, or hurt them depending on their relationship.

Based on their career-long body of work and estimated salaries, here are free agent first basemen the Mariners should target this winter.

All stats via ESPN.com and baseball-reference.com.

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The MLB playoffs are heating up with some incredible games going down in both the ALCS and the NLCS, and as things move closer and closer to the 2013 MLB World Series, one thing will be on the mind of baseball fans everywhere, especially fans whose teams have been eliminated: free agency. 

Here is a quick look at some of the best bats coming onto the free agency market this offseason.

Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals

Carlos Beltran has had a huge season. He batted an impressive .296 with 24 homeruns and 84 RBI and has been a major part of the Cardinals’ playoff run. He’s now reaching the end of his two-year, $26 million deal which means that the 36-year-old beast has a choice to make: stay in St. Louis or test the waters and find another contender to lead to the promised land. 

Beltran is one of the best offensive weapons in the major leagues, bringing over 80 runners home in each of his last three seasons, and given his age, he would be a great addition to any American League team in need of a big bat to bolster their lineup at the designated hitter position. 

According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, there have been rumors floating around the city of the former Met heading to the Bronx and donning Yankee pinstripes. 

Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers

Nelson Cruz, like Beltran, is one of the best batters in the MLB, and also like Beltran, he’ll be able to test free agency during the offseason. But Cruz has something against him that Beltran doesn’t have to worry about: a PED suspension.

Cruz was suspended for 50 games this season, but even with the suspension, he batted .266, hit 27 homeruns and brought 76 runners across the plate for the Rangers. Cruz has had over 70 RBI every season since 2009 and is one of the most consistent run-producers in the major leagues. 

Any team that needs to add a little pop in their lineup would be smart to pursue Cruz for his on-field production, but it’ll be interesting to see how teams approach him after his PED suspension in 2013. 

Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

Robinson Cano has been one of the most consistent Yankees over the last few years, putting up 27 homeruns and 107 RBI while batting .314 this season alone. Cano has been a Yankee since 2005, but now, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com, Cano is demanding big money for his elite skills at second base and ridiculous production at the plate.

Because Cano will be demanding beau-coups bucks, the Yanks have a very tough decision during the offseason. Do they re-sign this life-long Yankee and lose a bunch of extra money in the process, or do they look for a way to fill his shoes, either at second base or at home plate?

We’ll get the answer in a few months, as Cano and the Yankees both have the opportunity to explore all of the various options out there in free agency. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Oakland A’s won’t have to worry about losing a large quantity of players this offseason in free agency as they only have two players who can test the open market.  Those players are the A’s two All-Stars in Bartolo Colon and Grant Balfour.

Most of the players who were instrumental in bringing a second straight A.L. West title to Oakland are under team control.  Then there are the several players with contract options such as Coco Crisp, Kurt Suzuki, Chris Young and Brett Anderson.

Anderson can be bought out for $1.5 million or can have his option exercised and be on the 2014 roster for $8 million.  

When you combine a low-payroll team like the Oakland A’s and an injury-prone player who has appeared in 22 games between the last two seasons, the outcome is not good.  Oakland will be paying him $8 million when he has not played more than 20 games in a season since 2009.

When you do the math, the A’s would save $6.5 million to buy out Anderson and let him walk.  For the small-market A’s, that amount of money could be put to a much better purpose.

Oakland will need to compete financially with the open market to re-sign Balfour and Colon. If the A’s could offer that $6.5 million to Balfour instead of Anderson, they will have a much better shot at keeping their All-Star closer.

There was a time when Anderson looked like the future ace of the A’s rotation, but the times have changed in Oakland.  The A’s have Sonny Gray, Dan Straily, Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone and more prospects who are far cheaper than Anderson and can play all—or at least most—of the season.  I didn’t include Colon on that list because of his free-agent status.

I’m not against Anderson staying in Oakland.  If the A’s were to buy him out and then re-sign him with a cheaper, incentives-based contract, they would save some money and keep a pitcher with potential.  The A’s could continue to use him as a relief pitcher to see if that helps his durability issues.  

I am against paying him $8 million when he has not proven himself capable of playing a full season.  That’s $500,000 more for Anderson than Coco Crisp’s club-option is worth.  There is no way that Anderson means more to Oakland than Crisp.  The A’s can’t afford the mistake of exercising Anderson’s club-option for 2014. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

One of the biggest questions facing the Oakland A’s front office in the offseason is what to do about Bartolo Colon. 

As the veteran explained to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the right-hander doesn’t plan to stop pitching anytime soon:

Three more years? 

That’s a bit bold considering he will be 41 years old in May. It’s hard to see any team giving Colon a three-year deal, but a two-year contract isn’t off the table. Plenty of teams are desperate for starters. Colon is certainly getting up there in age, but it’s impossible to ignore the results.

In 2013, Colon was one of the best pitchers in the AL. The righty ripped off 18 wins and posted a 2.65 ERA, while earning an All-Star berth along the way.

As GM Billy Beane put it to John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group:

Ultimately, the deal will come down to dollars.

How much money will the team have to pay to keep Colon around? There are no obvious comparisons from last year’s class of free agents because there simply aren’t that many starters still pitching at his age. There are even fewer who are posting numbers similar to those of Colon. 

The best comparison came nearly 10 years ago.

In 2003, Jamie Moyer won 21 games as a 40-year-old for the Seattle Mariners and then earned $7 million in 2004. That was almost a decade ago, but it provides a framework for a potential deal for the A’s ace. 

The front office will also have to evaluate just how vital Colon will be to the starting staff in 2014. Here are the six starters that the team has under club control for next season:

• Sonny Gray
• Jarrod Parker
• A.J. Griffin
• Dan Straily
• Brett Anderson
• Tommy Milone

In the case of Anderson, the team still needs to pick up the $8 million option on the lefty. According to Slusser, the team is leaning that way:

Anderson’s durability is a huge question mark, but that’s still a solid group of starters. However, depth is crucial. In the wake of the team’s ALDS exit, Jane Lee of MLB.com reported that both Sonny Gray (thumb) and Jarrod Parker (elbow) had to undergo MRIs. 

It’s still too early to know how serious those injuries will be, but they serve to remind just how quickly health problems can deplete a team’s depth. 

There’s also the PED angle to consider. 

MLB hit Colon with a 50-game ban back in August 2012 for PED usage. Ever since then, there have been questions every time the veteran rears back and fires off a 96 mph heater.

It’s worth noting, though, that it wasn’t power than made Colon so dominant in 2013. It was his remarkable control. According to FanGraphs, the righty finished the season with a 1.37 BB/9. That was second only to David Price in the AL. 

Nobody will expect him to win 18 games again in 2014. If he can maintain his pinpoint control, though, there’s no reason why Colon can’t be a highly effective starter for Oakland next season. 

Beane and manager Bob Melvin both told Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area that the team would love to keep Colon.

In particular, if the team can secure a deal on similar terms to the $3 million that Colon earned in 2013. That would be ideal, but there figures to be far more interest in the 18-game winner this offseason.

A more realistic target would be around $5 million with incentives that would allow Colon to earn as much as $8 million. If the A’s wants to be really aggressive, the club can even offer him an option for 2015 based on Colon making a certain number of starts next year.

Admittedly, that’s a lot of money for a pitcher at Colon’s age.

Then again, $5-8 million just doesn’t go that far on the market for free-agent starters. Look no further than Anderson. With all the inexpensive, young starters the team has under control, it’s a gamble that the club can afford to make.

In the end, though, the decision could be out of Beane’s control. If another team offers the starter  multiple years, then Colon’s time in Oakland is up. 

All salary figures courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Cleveland Indians, like every other team in the league, will have to make some important player personnel decisions in the upcoming offseason. The Indians have low salary commitments in 2014, totaling just $49.28 million, so the potential is there for them to retain their key players while also being a big player in the free-agent market.

Considering there aren’t many high-profile names on the market this season—Robinson Cano is far-and-away the biggest name on the list—the Indians will likely focus on bringing back their own players and building through their farm system. 

There are other teams that could be interested in several players on the Indians’ roster, though, including Scott Kazmir, Ubaldo Jimenez, Drew Stubbs and Joe Smith. Jimenez is the most attractive target and will likely be the most difficult to retain.

With their situation explained, let’s examine the 10 most important arbitration-eligible, free-agent players on the Indians’ roster heading into the 2013-14 offseason.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Sometimes you just need to change things up in life.

Most people can relate to running through the motions in a dead-end job, looking for an escape to a livelier world where food tastes better and the sun shines brighter.

For these MLB players, it’s more about simply getting a fresh start with new bosses and colleagues. These guys need to escape home environments unfitting of their skill set or find a new locale that will offer a starting job, perhaps at a higher salary.

These three guys have fallen out of favor in their current locations. With another squad, they could receive a cushy payday and a more prominent role.

SP Phil Hughes

No player needs to high-tail a situation as badly as Phil Hughes needs to run from the New York Yankees.

Forcing an extreme fly-ball pitcher to pitch half his games in Yankee Stadium is a cruel joke that produced disastrous results for Hughes, a once-bright prospect now relegated to getting booed out of New York.

The righty posted solid strikeout and walk rates over his tenure in the starting rotation, notching 7.48 strikeouts and 2.59 walks per nine innings this season. Those rates usually yield solid results, but Hughes instead recorded a dastardly 5.19 ERA and 1.46 WHIP during 2013.

Hughes surrendered 24 long balls, which is actually way down from the 35 he tossed up in 2012. At home, he allowed 17 homers and a 6.32 ERA. On the road, he produced a passable 3.88 ERA.

Throughout his career, fly balls have made up 46 percent of his batted balls. To combat that lofty number, Hughes must find a larger venue, preferably for a National League club that can help erase this horrid season and shield those fly balls from clearing the fence. 

Leaving New York allowed Ian Kennedy to thrive before he unraveled this season. Perhaps Hughes can find some success in a new home.  

SS Jhonny Peralta

Playing for the Detroit Tigers did wonders for Jhonny Peralta. After a down 2012, he found a second wind, hitting .303/.358/.457 and earning an All-Star bid in July.

But anticipating his 50-game suspension for his involvement in Biogenesis, the Tigers acquired Jose Iglesias in July, which leaves Peralta without a role for next season. 

Not known for his offense, Iglesias hit a surprising .303, which should drop as his .356 normalizes. While the rookie shortstop hardly boasts a bat akin to Peralta’s, Iglesias provides some much-needed defense for Detroit. 

Obtained from the Boston Red Sox before the July 31 trade deadline, Iglesias projects as more of a Rey Ordonez type going forward. With Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder occupying the infield, Detroit can afford to sacrifice some offense by adding a Gold Glove fielder up the middle.

This means Peralta must look elsewhere this offseason to find a starting job. If teams can overlook the suspension, that shouldn’t be a problem. Anybody would be remiss to give a 31-year-old a multi-year deal after one of his best seasons, but front offices have done stupider things. (Just ask Barry Zito and Vernon Wells.)

Peralta’s strong first half will at least earn him a nice one-year deal. Hey, the Yankees can use an upgrade at shortstop. Just kidding, but not really.

RHP Edward Mujica

Edward Mujica presents an intriguing litmus test to determine whether general managers are paying attention.

On one hand, Mujica registered a 2.78 ERA and 37 saves last season. Somebody deserves a mega contract as someone’s new closer.

Nope, not at all. The peripherals display why his season came crashing down during September and forecast similar regression to come.

While most top relievers rack up the strikeouts, Mujica notched just 46 punchouts in 64.2 innings. He also did an exceptional job by walking just five men, but there are too many other trends to ignore.

His 86.1 percent strand rate is unsustainable for someone with such few strikeouts while his 3.71 fielding independent pitching mark (FIP) led him to a 0.0 fWAR, meaning he’s the definition of replaceable by FanGraphs‘ estimate.

Some poor team is going to bite and pay Mujica way more than he’s worth. That organization, however, will not be the St. Louis Cardinals. They’re too smart for that, and they have their late-inning ace in Trevor Rosenthal.

Serving as a set-up man until the final week of the season, Rosenthal recorded a 2.63 ERA in 75.1 innings. That’s only slightly better than Mujica, but it doesn’t begin to tell the full story. He also struck out 108 batters while walking just 20. His 1.91 FIP indicates that he could have posted way better numbers if not for an unfortunate .341 BABIP.

Unless they move him to the rotation, which seems unlikely with Shelby Miller, Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez emerging, Rosenthal will become a stud closer in 2014.

If Jonathan Broxton could get $21 million over three years last winter, some sap will pay Mujica. Unless the entire league is finally wising up.

Note: All advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs.com

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