What Free Agent Do You Want For the 2013 MLB Season?

[Thriller]

Originally Posted by Harthan

Which, if you'll allow me to go off topic, is absolutely mindblowing. Unloading Marmol, who hasn't been worth much since 2010, for Haren, one of the best in the game who was only held back by injuries, would have been a complete and total steal. With the report that it wasn't Marmol's no trade clause but the Cubs organization that pulled it back, I just don't get it. Even if the Angels were sending no money to the Cubs to mitigate the salary dump, it was still a brilliant deal and I cannot believe for the life of me that the Cubs pulled back on it.

For another free agent the Indians should grab, how about Kyle Lohse? The league switch wouldn't be great, but man, do we ever need pitchers. Lohse is certainly not coming back to the Cardinals and while pitching is always a hot commodity, it seems like the top players on the market will have different targets, and Lohse could be someone the Indians could acquire.

Lohse is the kind of guy that I'm think you don't want. He had a really good season, but he's 34, the good season was in a contract year, and he's be switching to the AL. I just looked at his Fangraphs page (Here), and he is due for some serious regression, even without a league change. He might be serviceable, but I don't know if he'll be much beyond that.

[Stormtrooper]

As a Yankee fan, I'm not looking at the Superstars. The Yankees aren't making big splashes with superstar long-term deals. They have announced they will be under the Luxury Tax come 2014, and they have made moves the past few years indicative of such moves.

As such, the moves I want to see the Yankees make are short term deals, and re-signing some guys.

Here are 5 guys I would like to see on the Yankees in 2013. Some are new faces, some are re-signings. And Mariano Rivera is excluded, since he announced he is coming back, so now it's just a matter of getting a contract done.

OUTFIELD:
1. ICHIRO: The Yankees NEED to re-sign Ichiro. As he proved during his Yankee stint this year, he still has it. Coming to New York revitalized his career, and I would love to see the Yankees keep him around. I would love to get him for 2 years, and would probably be OK with a 3 year deal only with a buyout. 1 year $13M or 2 years for $20M would be preferrable.

IF ICHIRO DOESN'T SIGN...

2. TORII HUNTER: If Ichiro goes elsewhere, then I would love to see the Yankees get Torii Hunterto replace him. Similar contract as Ichiro. The Yankees have Outfielders in the lower minors that they love, and 2 years from now they should be ready for the Big Leagues.

STARTING PITCHING:
1. Andy Pettitte: It's 100% up to him, but when he wasn't on the shelf due to a freak injury, he was extremely effective, and the prevailing thought is that he'd be just as effective in 2013, so I hope they re-up at a similar rate they originally were gonna give him last year (1 yr/$10M)

2. Hiroki Kuroda. He had a good season for the Yankees, and if he wants to come back, I'd love to see him back. He's only gonna get a 1 year deal, and he'd possibly accept the qualifying offer the Yankees has of $13.3M/1 year. However, if he wants more money then that, I'd rather see him go and get the draft pick compensation.

If they can get both Pettitte and Kuroda back, they need not sign a new starting pitcher. CC/Pettitte/Kuroda/Hughes/Phelps is a good 5, and Michael Pineda is coming back in June/July. Starting pitching wasn't the Yankees problem, so bringing back the same rotation doesn't bother me.


CATCHER:
1. AJ Pierzynski. I have always admired Pierzynski. He is the type of guy that you love when he's on your team, and hate when he's not. Again, not a really long-term deal, but for a year or 2 I wouldn't mind having AJ back there.


If I had to rank the order in which I want them re-signed, here it is:
1. Ichiro
2. Pettitte
3. Kuroda
4. Pierzynski
5. Hunter (he jumps up to #2 behind Pettitte if Ichiro leaves).

[Blaze]

My Team: New York Yankees.

FREE AGENTS I'D LIKE ON MY TEAM IN 2013

Ichiro - He was very productive as a Yankee, ending the season with a BA of 282. He also played spectacular defense in LF, but he would be moving to RF to take Nick Swisher's place. An outfield of Gardner/Granderson/Ichiro would be one of the best defensive outfields in the league, because of their speed and arms. We have Mason Williams in the minor league system, and Ichiro could play OF until Mason is ready to move up to the Yanks.

Russell Martin - Again, another 2012 Yankee. Russell Martin doesn't have the hottest bat, we've seen that. Yet he manages to hit 15+ HRs, and plays AMAZING defense behind the plate. I like him better than AJ Pierzynski, because of his attitude.

Andy Pettite/Hiroki Kuroda - Both players are old, and found a way to be productive. Andy, I'd give him 1 YR/8-10Mil. He was solid last year (5-4 2.87 ERA) and in a full year, I'm positive he can contribute 12-16 wins and an ERA under 4. Hiroki Kuroda was arguably the best Yankee pitcher last year, as CC Sabathia was on the DL more than once. Kuroda was 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA, but he was more reliable than his stats show. He would always give 6-8 innings and gave up no less than 4 runs.