Kuzul

It makes me a little uneasy to not be penciling in Derrek Lee at first base for the Cubs next season.

Since I was 14 years old, I’ve only known him manning first. Lee was ever the defensive specialist, and I grew jaded in simply expecting him to make every play, every single difficult pick.

Lee got it all done with ease, and I would mention his Gold Gloves if I felt the award had any merit (which it doesn’t). Yet his defensive prowess is actually very deserved.

That’s not all with the big man. To top things off, he had two MVP-quality offensive seasons, with multiple above-average years interspersed.

Outside of missing the majority of 2006 due to injury, and a lackluster final season with his team, he was a symbol of of how baseball should be played. He was the headliner on this team, through and through.

With his departure, the next North Side first baseman will have some large cleats to fill. Owner Tom Ricketts has implied that this team won’t be spending much cash this off-season, but there are a multitude of cheap first basemen the team could take a flier on.

It goes worth noting that Adrian Gonzalez will be a free agent next off-season. This fact, paired with the multiple other expensive contracts coming off their books makes the Cubs the early front-runners to sign San Diego’s super-star first baseman. This all makes a one-year deal on someone much more prevalent.

So let’s see which Free Agents would fit the Chicago Cubs in this mind-set and pocketbook…

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I was floating around the Internet over the weekend, and I came across an interesting rumor. According to ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine, the Arizona Diamondbacks will pursue free agent 1B Paul Konerko this offseason.

Now, of course this is what it is—a rumor. And rumors usually don’t lead to much, but if this is correct, and there is no reason to doubt Levine’s sources, I just have one question to the Diamondbacks.

Why?

Yes, I understand that Konerko is from Scottsdale, AZ. Yes, I understand Konerko still has a home in Scottsdale, AZ. And yes, I also understand that Konerko is coming off an MVP caliber season in which he hit .312/.393/.584 with 39 HR.

However, I don’t understand how Konerko would fit into the Diamondbacks immediate future. Konerko will be 35 in March, and the Diamondbacks don’t figure to challenge for a playoff spot for at least two or three years. The Diamondbacks have lost 189 games over the last two years, and things don’t figure to turn around quickly in the Valley of the Sun.

What’s the point of signing Konerko to a three or four-year deal when by the time the Diamondbacks turn into contenders, Konerko will be on his last legs. Plus, is Konerko that much of an improvement over current first baseman Adam LaRoche?

If both play to their 2010 stats, Konerko is about a two win improvement over LaRoche. Plus, I am 100 percent confident in saying Konerko won’t come anywhere close to repeating his 2010 season in 2011. I will venture to say he resembles more of his 2008 and 2009 seasons in which he averaged .260/.349/.466 with 25 HR.

Is that two win improvement worth not picking up the $7.5 million mutual option on LaRoche, investing $20–$30 million on a guy who is at the end of his career and retarding the progress of Brandon Allen? I don’t think it is.

The reason I say between $20–$30 million is because I can’t see Konerko signing anything less than a three-year deal. Maybe he signs a two-year deal with an option for a third, but three seems to be a likely scenario.

Also, do the Diamondbacks not believe Allen is the answer at first? Allen will be 25 at the start of spring training next year, and at some point the kids are going to need to be on their own.

The Diamondbacks are a young team, and they need to find out if Allen can play sooner rather than later. Another year at Triple A doesn’t help the Diamondbacks find that out.

So take this for what it’s worth, a rumor. But in my opinion, I think the Diamondbacks have two options: Either re-sign LaRoche, or let LaRoche go and see what Allen can do.

Option three doesn’t involve Konerko. They should let him re-sign with the Chicago White Sox, which is where I think he will be playing ball in 2011.

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

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The Chicago White Sox General Manager has some tough choices in the coming months.

The White Sox, who currently have a payroll of over $105 million, have nine free agents and four arbitration eligible players on whom decisions will have to be made. Some will return to the fold in 2011, while others will be wished the best and sent off to seek different Major League employment (or start exploring that life after baseball thing).

Life is full of tough choices; let’s start making some.

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The 2010 World Series begins today between the Rangers and Giants, but this also signals the end of the 2010 MLB season and a start to the 2010-2011 offseason.

There are many notable free agents this offseason. Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, Paul Konerko, Victor Martiniez, you name it! Here are my picks for the offseason.

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Grow the arms, buy the bats.

That’s what Andy MacPhail has preached since taking over as the Baltimore Orioles‘ President of Baseball Operations midway through the 2007 season.

The Orioles have traded away many veterans over the past few years to acquire plenty of young pitching, and drafted young arms as well.

Now it’s time to live up to your trademark quote, Andy. Now it’s time to buy the bats.

The Orioles are in dire need of thump in the middle of their lineup, having only had two players—Luke Scott and Ty Wigginton—reach the 20-homer mark during the 2010 season. Wigginton is due to become a free agent at the end of the postseason.

So, where should Andy turn to get the power the Orioles so sorely need? Paul Konerko.

I see Konerko as the most perfect fit of any of the available options for the Orioles to get a power bat this offseason.

Coming off one of the best years of his career, Konerko won’t be expected to reproduce the same numbers he put up this past season (.312 BA, 39 HR, 111 RBI), seeing as how he will turn 35 almost a full month before the 2011 season begins.

But there are still many reasons why he is a perfect fit in an Orioles uniform, starting with the fact that he is a right-handed slugging first baseman.

At this point, nothing would be more useful to the Orioles’ offense than to have a big righty to stick between the left-handed bats of Nick Markakis and Scott. With Scott being the Orioles biggest long ball threat in 2010, and Markakis in need of an established, feared hitter behind him, it only makes sense to do everything the Orioles’ management can do to make their offensive upgrade a right-handed one, not to mention how hitter-friendly left field in Camden Yards is to right-handed sluggers.

And not only would they be checking the power bat off of their to-do list, they’d also be getting the full-time first baseman they need, and a decent one at that.

In addition to providing on the field, Konerko would presumably do wonders in the Orioles’ clubhouse.

Konerko has always been viewed as a great clubhouse guy and a leader, and now that the young Orioles have become a family over the last year, Konerko would only strengthen that mold while bringing the exact attitude manager Buck Showalter presents of himself and expects of his players: a gamer.

Konerko is a selfless player who puts the needs of the team before the needs of himself, and isn’t happy with the way the day turned out unless his teams wins.

Given all that I’ve said, understand this: I’m not arguing that Konerko is the long-term answer at first base for the Baltimore Orioles. That would be absurd.

What I am arguing, though, is that of all the available options for them, he fits the mold perfectly at this time. Adam Dunn and Carlos Pena are both left-handed hitters who don’t hit for as high an average as Konerko, and Derrek Lee is coming off a down year, not to mention he’s older than Konerko.

Moreover, since Konerko is going to be a free agent this offseason, we wouldn’t be giving up prospects to get his team to trade him to us. He fits in with MacPhail’s philosophy of buying the big bats.

For those O’s fans out there who are hoping for a trade for Adrian Gonzalez, or a trade for someone of the same caliber, realize that it isn’t going to happen, and it wouldn’t be smart due to the amount the Orioles would need to give up to acquire a player of that magnitude.

Konerko was interested in coming to Baltimore prior to the 2005 season, when he decided to return to the Chicago White Sox for a larger contract. This time around, the Orioles can’t let that happen.

Sign him for two or three years, outbidding all of his other suitors, with the idea being that he holds down the fort and serves the purpose of the Orioles’ first baseman/clean-up hitter until the Orioles can either grow a younger full-time first baseman or go younger with a great option in the free agent/trade market in two to three years.

This signing wouldn’t be anything like MacPhail’s gambles in the past, those being the likes of Garrett Atkins and Rich Hill. No, Konerko is a very proven player and even though he will be 35 before next season, he is sure to produce for at least a few more seasons.

This is a signing that the Orioles need to make, to prove that the ownership has the young players’ and Showalter’s backs, as well as showing the rest of the AL East that they are for real.

Konerko would bring a winning attitude to a young Orioles team that has no idea what that mentality is about, and help balance a lineup in serious need of a big power bat, which is an addition from which every Orioles hitter is sure to benefit.

In addition, Konerko would give the young pitching staff the confidence that the team can supply them with the necessary run support to win a game in which they pitched well in, or let them know that they can make a mistake once in a while because the offense will be there to back them up.

Don’t let this one get away, Andy.

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First base is as deep of a position as any in baseball, though there are injury concerns hanging over a few of the best options in the game.  Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, Kendry Morales and Justin Morneau all have questions due to various injuries.  

How does that affect the rankings?  Let’s take a look at how we currently stand:

1. Albert Pujols – St. Louis Cardinals
2. Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers
3. Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds
4. Mark Teixeira – New York Yankees
5. Prince Fielder – Milwaukee Brewers
6. Ryan Howard – Philadelphia Phillies
7. Adrian Gonzalez – San Diego Padres
8. Kevin Youkilis – Boston Red Sox
9. Kendry Morales – Los Angeles Angels
10. Justin Morneau – Minnesota Twins
11. Adam Dunn – Washington Nationals
12. Billy Butler – Kansas City Royals
13. Victor Martinez – Boston Red Sox
14. Paul Konerko – Chicago White Sox
15. Ike Davis – New York Mets

Thoughts:

• Kevin Youkilis vs. Adrian Gonzalez could be one of the most hotly debated ranking on this list.  I’m going to go more in-depth on this debate later in the offseason, but it’s important to note that Gonzalez’ 2009 season is now looking like the outlier.  He posted a .551 slugging percentage in ‘09.  The other four seasons since 2006 has seen him post marks of .500, .502, .510 and .511.  The prior three seasons for Youkilis have been .569, .548 and .564, while he also is in a better position to score runs.  Of course, Youkilis appears to be prone to injury, having not had more then 538 AB (145 games) since 2006.  Over the past two years, he hasn’t played more then 136 games.  That is the deciding factor, for now.
• Justin Morneau is a real wild card at this point, coming off his 2010 concussion problems.  He should still be a worthwhile option, but don’t reach too far for him.
• For as good of a bargain Paul Konerko was in 2010, I fear that owners are going to reach too high for him in 2011 and get burned.  He is a free agent, so where he ultimately lands will have an impact on his value, but he’s unlikely to match his 2010 line.
• Billy Butler at No. 12?  I know, maybe I’m stubborn, but I still have hope that he can turn things around and produce like we all believe he’s capable.  I’m sure that’s one spot on these rankings that I may have to readjust later on, however.
• I can’t downgrade Mark Teixeira based on his .268 BABIP.  Look for him to come back strong in 2011.
• The final spot in the rankings is wide open at this point.  Veteran like Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche are also in the mix.  We’ll have it nailed down by the time drafts roll around.

What are your thoughts on these rankings?  Whose too high?  Whose too low?

Make sure to check out our early 2011 rankings:

• Top 15 Catchers
• 2011 Fantasy Draft First Round Breakdown

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM.

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The Orioles will go into this offseason happier than any 90-plus loss team has in the history of baseball.

They might have ended the season with 96 losses, but they were 34-24 in August, September and October and under new skipper Buck Showalter, the young players that the organization was beginning to worry about, stopped the regression that was frustrating every fan in Baltimore.

Because of this recent play, general manager Andy MacPhail will almost certainly make a bigger splash in the free agent market this year.

Of the holes to fill, the Orioles would like a solid corner infielder–Josh Bell is not panning out like the organization thought he would–a power hitter and a inning-eating pitcher that can replace Kevin Millwood.

The Orioles would also like a shortstop to replace Cesar Izturiz, who is a liability at the plate, but the pickings are very slim.

Not on this list are the big names of Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Jason Werth because the Orioles would have to drastically over pay for these players and I don’t see any of those guys going from Playoff stud, to leader of a rebuilding club.

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358 home runs and 1,127 RBIs over 12 seasons in a White Sox uniform ought to be enough for any player to be beloved by the entire White Sox Nation.

However, for reasons I can’t pin down, Paul Konerko is not revered universally by White Sox fans the way someone like Frank Thomas is.

With Konerko’s free agency on the horizon there has been a lot of talk about resigning the 34-year-old first baseman not because of his stellar 2010 season, rather because he is the “face of the White Sox.”

This got me to thinking about whether or not I’d miss Paulie if he signed elsewhere this winter. Sure I’d miss his reliability at first base and consistency at the plate. But can’t 29 HR and 96 RBI (his averages while on the South Side) be replaced? After all, that isn’t terribly far from the numbers that Carlos Quentin has produced at the plate. I’m not saying that Quentin is as good as Konerko – but he’s also not far off.

Aside from Konerko’s offensive ability there is also the fact that he’s been the White Sox captain for the past few seasons. How would his departure affect the clubhouse? 

First consider what lead him to become captain. When Paulie was asked by Ozzie to take over as team captain (there was no captain at the time) he initially declined. Konerko didn’t actually take on the captaincy until after Ozzie forced the title on him. The same way my mom forced me to wear glasses in my eighth grade yearbook photo. Thanks mom.

Now I don’t claim to know what kind of impact Paulie has in the clubhouse. But I wonder how effective he is as a captain when he never wanted that role. Sure he’d be valued in the clubhouse for his ability on the field. But as a leader?

Imagine going to work and all of a sudden your boss puts you in a position to pump up your coworkers daily, even though that’s not your strong suit. How well would you do?

As consistently solid as Konerko has been that doesn’t mean he’s irreplaceable. If the Sox were to acquire a young first baseman like Prince Fielder this offseason, that would more than take the place of Konerko.

It wouldn’t erase Konerko’s World Series grand slam or any of the other fond memories he’s formed in the mind’s of Sox fans. But it would be one of the preferable alternatives to bringing him back.

So, thanks for the memories Paulie. See you in Anaheim, Atlanta, or wherever else you end up.

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While the playoffs are now on the front burner, in the back of every baseball fan’s mind, or the front if your team has been eliminated from contention, is what moves the team will make this offseason.

Free agency is always a hot bed for debate, and every year there will be a fair share of diamonds in the rough as well as big time busts. Often times, contracts are a sign of the free agent class as a whole and not necessarily what the player is worth. Once the top tier guys start to get signed, teams that missed out often overpay for second tier guys, and so on.

So here are 10 players that I think have set themselves up to earn a big payday this off seasons, thanks to big seasons in 2010, or simply for lack of better options at their position, but will fall short of expectations not live up to their contract.

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Probably not, but I figured someone owed Paul Konerko some publicity since ESPN often either forgets to do actual reporting and research or simply forgets to be logical.

As of Wednesday, Miguel Cabrera is out for the season due to a sprained ankle, so his numbers are concrete at .328 BA, .420 OBP, .622 SLG, and a 1.042 OPS to go along with 38 home runs, 126 RBI, 111 runs, and three stolen bases in 150 games played.

On the other side, Josh Hamilton is set to return Friday, meaning he will finish with, at most, 133 games played. He is currently hitting .361 with a .414 OBP, a .635 SLG, and a 1.049 OPS to go along with 31 home runs, 97 RBI, 94 runs, and eight stolen bases.

Let us not forget we ran Carlos Quentin out of the MVP race two seasons ago because he missed the final month of the season after punching his bat when the Chicago White Sox were in the heat of a pennant race, thus handing the award to Dustin Pedroia, although Kevin Youkilis deserved it. Quentin finished with 130 games played.

Are we going to judge the MVP by an injury or when it occurs? If Quentin was hurt in the first month of the season rather than the last month, would he have been MVP?

Konerko being a top MVP candidate is no laughing matter.

Konerko currently is hitting .310 with a .390 OBP, a .581 SLG, and a .971 OPS to go along with 38 home runs, 107 RBI, and 88 runs.

Konerko has Hamilton in all the eye-appealing stats and one could point to the 16 more games played and 32 more at-bats as reason for the massive difference in the percentage numbers. 

But then again, one could point to the more at-bats as being the reason for the difference in home runs and RBI.

Robinson Cano is a dark horse in this whole thing, only because the above players have played on a different planet.

Cano is hitting .316, with a .376 OBP, a 528 SLG, and a .904 OPS to go along with 28 home runs, 106 RBI, 100 runs, and two stolen bases.

It looks as though, unless something drastic changes, Cabrera’s numbers hold up for the MVP. But with Cabrera being done for the year and Hamilton having three games tops to add to his resume, a hot streak for Konerko or Cano could completely change the race.

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