Kuzul

Over the last several years, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ management team of owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti have utilized the deferred contract option as a tactic to bring in numerous big name players with highly valued contracts—without paying much up front.

Looking back at several of the players who were still part of the Dodgers payroll in 2010, and who will be receiving paychecks from McCourt into the future, there’s no doubt that many of the deals have failed miserably.

There’s no way of telling exactly what position Frank McCourt is in financially, and just to be competitive, the club may be forced to continue to back-load contracts and pay players deferred cash long after they leave Los Angeles.

Nevertheless, as the 2010 campaign came to an end, some relief began to appear. Six players who were on the team payroll this season, yet never suited up in Dodger Blue, have finally received their last paycheck from Los Angeles. Now, these funds can finally be utilized to fill in a number of gaps on the player roster.

Left-handed starting pitcher Ted Lilly was recently signed to a three-year, $33 million deal, and although the contract was back-loaded, surprisingly no deferred payments exist that will need to be made once the contract expires. This could be a positive sign for the Dodgers, as Colletti and McCourt finally may be realizing how costly several of these deals actually were.

Still, the offseason is young, and the verdict is out on McCourt and Colletti. It’s already been announced that the team payroll will be increased, but it’s unknown by how much. Yet it is possible that with all the right moves, the Dodgers may find themselves in a position to improve upon a very dreadful year.

The following slides show all nine players who weren’t part of the team in 2010 yet still received paychecks signed by McCourt. Several are finally cleared from the payroll, and while a few will continue to be paid into the future, there is a bit of relief in sight in terms of overall dollars. 

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I recently looked into who will be available in this year’s free agent class. There are many big names, but these names will likely come with expensive price tags. Additionally, many of these big name players are not so young anymore.

Whoever is in charge of making the decisions in Queens (which according to Jeff Wilpon we will find out shortly!), it might be a wise strategy to avoid these big-name free agents and either improve the team via trade or letting the young players develop.

Here are only some of the big-name free agents available and how the Mets should approach them this offseason.

Cliff Lee

Of all the free agents out there, Lee is the golden goose. His numbers don’t lie. This guy is at the top of his game and has proven he can be clutch in the postseason. Lee will likely get upwards of a six-year deal worth well over the $100 million mark.

As much as I and other Met fans would like to see Lee in Flushing, let’s be honest. It’s not going to happen.

Carl Crawford

Of the players available right now, no other player would more help the Mets win immediately than Carl Crawford. Crawford can do it all: hit for average, a little power, field, throw and boy can the man run.

He would be an ideal fit for Citi Field. Imagine a healthy Jose Reyes, Angel Pagan and Crawford (in no particular order) atop the Mets lineup. They would be deadly on the bases. Jason Bay would have to shift to RF if the Mets signed Crawford (don’t know how that would work out).

However, Mets fans, this seems like another deal that’s not going to happen. Crawford is about to cash in big like Lee, and the Amazins really aren’t in any position to be adding huge chunks of payroll.

And with Carlos Beltran still in house, the only way the Mets would make a play for Crawford is if they trade Beltran (seeming more unlikely each day).

Adam Dunn

In my opinion, Adam Dunn is the most consistent player in the game today. Every year, he hits 40 HR, drives in 100 runs, walks 100 times and strikes out 150 times. He is a legitimate power threat and even Citi Field cannot contain him (remember that shot he hit to the bridge?).

Dunn however is a one dimensional player. He may be better off suited to a DH role in the AL. The only reason I mention Dunn as a possibility is if the Mets trade Ike Davis for a starting pitcher, which would leave a hole at first base. I’m not saying I think or even want the Mets to do this, but I figured I would list it as a possible option.

Manny Ramirez

Oh Manny. Manny, Manny, Manny. You’re 38 now, when did that happen? It seemed like only yesterday you were crushing balls over the Green Monster and even orchestrating a late season playoff push in LA.

And now you’re a free agent again. I wonder how many teams will come knocking. I hope one of them is absolutely NOT the Mets. If this was three years ago, I’d say go for it. The man proved he could still hit like a machine despite his age. However, now is not the time to be adding Manny.

We have enough headaches as it is. Thank you K-Rod!

Victor Martinez

Ever since he came up with Cleveland, I have envisioned V-Mart on the Mets. He has serviceable (but not fantastic) catching skills, but is a terrific contact hitter with plenty of pop. It looks like the Red Sox will try to retain him in any way possible.

I like Josh Thole. He’s not going to hit home runs like Mike Piazza used to, but he can be an offensive weapon. He sprays the ball well to all fields, and has good gap power. He will most likely hit seventh or eighth.

V-Mart would be a great addition, but it looks like another deal that won’t happen.

Carl Pavano

Something should be noted about the free-agent market for starting pitchers. A guy has ONE good year, and everyone is ready to throw big bucks at him. Some examples: Gil Meche (five years, $55 million contract with KC), another one, and of course Oliver Perez (three years, $36 million…sorry I just threw up a little).

Pavano has had two good years his whole career: 2003 with the Marlins that allowed him to cash in with the Yankees, and now 2010 with the Twins in which he won 17 games.

He is a solid back of the rotation option, but the Mets should stay away from him and his stache. Who needs his stache when we got Keith Hernandez?

Orlando Hudson

The O-dawg has openly expressed his interest in wanting to play for the Mets (that can’t exactly be said for many players). I have touched on this possible signing in the past. He may be a good option on a one-year deal, but with Ruben Tejada on the verge of becoming an everyday player (hopefully), I’m not sure if the Mets will pull the trigger on Hudson.

So there you have it, some free agents who are available this winter that will garner much attention from many teams. But the Mets might be better off sitting tight, maybe making a trade or two to improve and hope that they can field a competitive team.

I may have missed a few free agents this year who may be on the Mets radar. Please comment on who you think may be a good signing that I missed.

For the Mets, it will come down to patience and hope. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Yankees again proved to be the most playoff-efficient team of all.  They bullied Minnesota right out of their own home early on and then finished them off in the Bronx.  An all-around dominant performance from the Yankees shows that they will be tough to beat once again in these playoffs.  There may be only one team that could challenge them this season.  Can I get a…”RE-MATCH?!”

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Oh man, it’s been so many months since I’ve done an MLB Rumor Mill at BleacherReport.com. It’s been ages, literally!

So here I am, back with the MLB Rumors. And that brings me to another thing: I haven’t written an MLB article for a long time, too. Jeez.

Oh well, here is my first MLB Rumors and just any MLB article since I fell off my dinosaur (kinda corny, I know).

Some of the rumors we’ll be discussing are Prince Fielder in trade talks, and Derrek Lee to the Los Angeles Angels.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

Read on!

Let’s go!

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There are plenty of baseball players that are not given their due. To contrast, there are plenty of players that are given far too much credt, and those players will be mentioned in this article.

The criteria to make this list is simple. Fans and media alike talk about this player far too much for how much they actually produce, and while some of these players are very productive, they are still given too much praise.

A player cannot make the list if he is simply old, so despite everyone in baseball still loving Ken Griffey Jr., he won’t make the list simply because he is in the twilight of his career.

Some on this list may surprise you on impact, but once you read the article you will see that the numbers do not agree with the love these players get.

Enjoy!

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