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

[Harthan]

A simple notion. Every team in baseball can use an upgrade somewhere, so for your team, in 2013, which free agent do you want to add? It can be realistic if you want it to be, or you can go full out dreaming, like a world where the Yankees add Zack Greinke, or something. I'll stick to realism with my choice for the Indians - Adam LaRoche. The Indians built a tradition of stable and relatively good first baseman starting with Jim Thome and continuing with Ben Broussard and Ryan Garko. Matt LaPorta became the heir apparent to the position after the CC Sabathia trade, and has been a disaster ever since. The Indians all but threw in the towel on LaPorta in 2012, signing Casey Kotchman to a one year deal, presumably part of a series of one year deals meant to tide the Indians over until the arrival of Jesus Aguilar. Aguilar impressed in 2012, but is probably still a year away. Adam LaRoche is a good fit as a guy who could hold first base down until Aguilar is ready. While it will create a roadblock for Aguilar at first, Aguilar can easily become a regular DH. He has no speed to speak of and his fielding is average on his best day, but he has plenty of right handed power. LaRoche will stabilize the position now, leaving it open for Aguilar to take over when he's ready. LaRoche is probably looking at around 3 years/30 million, and while the Nationals will be interested in retaining him, they could easily pass on him, signing Michael Bourn instead, and moving Michael Morse to first.

EDIT: Another great pick would be Nick Swisher, who could play first until Aguilar arrives, and then move back to the outfield.

 

[Megatron]

Melky Cabrera on a one or two year deal. I don't care he was roiding up, these past two years want me to have him as a LF and #2 hitter. He'd take over the platoon of Berry/Garcia and allow Garcia time to tune his craft in the minors. He could be used as a stopgap and for a team that was only 4 wins away Melky provides that instant upgrade over Berry/Garcia.

I'd also want Sanchez back, although I don't think the Tigers will be able to afford both Melky/Sanchez after arbitration with their own guys. If I had to take one of them, it'd probably be Sanchez since good pitching > good hitting in the playoffs. However, if they could get both, I'd be a happy camper.

 

[smizzy]

Offseason; such an exciting time. I have two thoughts for the Cardinals: one being a short term fix, other being long term, more conservative.

Personally, I would love for the Cardinals to make a three year commitment to Josh Hamilton. The fanbase would adore him, obviously, but I also think he'd embrace the fans as well. Hamilton and Beltran are both injury prone so having Jon Jay be able to go out there and give each of them a day off whenever necessary makes what looks to be a crowded outfield, with Holliday out there of course, a little more comfortable. Cardinals fans really pump money into the product and love having superstars on their team. After McGwire, Pujols rose to stardom, and now that Albert's gone away, I can't really call Holliday or Beltran superstars, while I can with certainty say, Hamilton is a superstar. Hamilton would look fantastic with the birds on the bat across his chest.

Now, that's probably not very realistic. Back to reality, the Cardinals don't have a whole lot that needs to be addressed, except maybe upgrades in spots. We do need another lefty in our pen to compliment Rzepczynski. Looking through the free agents I really like Sean Burnett and Jeremy Affeldt. Affeldt, I've really admired ever since that awesome address he gave to fans after the fan beatdown in LA. It certainly doesn't hurt that he shuts down the left handed bats.

The best move for the Cardinals though most likely comes via trade. And I'm totally ripping this one off of an ESPN insider column but it makes a ton of sense: Cardinals should make a move for JJ Hardy by sending the Orioles Joe Kelly and Maikel Cleto. Fair for both sides, but from the Cardinals' side, Hardy would be a great fit at short, an area of hurt recently, especially with Furcal's questionable health and increasing age.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

Well I was hoping the Redsox would make a move for Dan Haren but that's out the window considering the Angels traded him in one of the worst deals I have seen in recent memory (besides us giving up Theo for a lifetime minor leaguer...) so I'll go with another former Angels player who I would enjoy seeing in Boston....Torri Hunter

Hunter would be a great pickup for Boston and he could either take the spot Crawford had in the outfield or move Jacoby over and put Hunter there. I always thought Hunter was a good hitter and a better fielder so really hoping the Sox pick him up.

The other one is Cody Ross after 1 year in Boston I already love the guy hes a good power hitter, Granted he strikes out a lot but he's still a good hitter. Plus I think Ryan Sweeney leaving town is a sure thing so seeing Ross stay in Boston would be nice.

Don't know what's out there for pitching free agents besides Grienke but the Sox need a good starter and I think Grienke is better off in a less stressful place than Boston. Personally I would LOVE to see the Sox make a deal with the Giants sending them Jacoby and a prospect for Linceacum.

 

[smizzy]

Well I was hoping the Redsox would make a move for Dan Haren but that's out the window considering the Angels traded him in one of the worst deals I have seen in recent memory

You're still good; those reports were never confirmed, and last I've heard, Chicago has taken their offer off the table. While Haren is a commodity, I still think he's an NL guy and would be best suited for an NL team. But it wouldn't surprise me if Boston made the move, they cleared much needed salary.

 

[Harthan]

You're still good; those reports were never confirmed, and last I've heard, Chicago has taken their offer off the table. While Haren is a commodity, I still think he's an NL guy and would be best suited for an NL team. But it wouldn't surprise me if Boston made the move, they cleared much needed salary.

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.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

You're still good; those reports were never confirmed, and last I've heard, Chicago has taken their offer off the table. While Haren is a commodity, I still think he's an NL guy and would be best suited for an NL team. But it wouldn't surprise me if Boston made the move, they cleared much needed salary.

This just made my day. Boston needs a solid 3 or 4 starter who can get us 15 or 16 wins a year and Haren could be that guy. Wouldn't mind Lohse in Boston either but I'd be a little surprised to see him leave the NL.

Stephen Drew and Nick Swisher are 2 people I heard Boston might be interested in, Not sold on Drew at all and Swisher is a overrated, overpaid piece of crap. Hope like hell Boston doesn't sign either one.

By the way Harthan, How do you like Mike Aviles going to Cleveland?

 

[Harthan]

This just made my day. Boston needs a solid 3 or 4 starter who can get us 15 or 16 wins a year and Haren could be that guy. Wouldn't mind Lohse in Boston either but I'd be a little surprised to see him leave the NL.

Stephen Drew and Nick Swisher are 2 people I heard Boston might be interested in, Not sold on Drew at all and Swisher is a overrated, overpaid piece of crap. Hope like hell Boston doesn't sign either one.

By the way Harthan, How do you like Mike Aviles going to Cleveland?

It stings to lose Rogers, who was a very nice 7th inning guy who is going to flourish outside of Coors Field. Nobody paid much attention to him because Coors ruined him, then his numbers with us last year were always inflated because of spending a decent amount of time there, plus, he was just a seventh inning guy on the Indians. But, believe me - given the opportunity, this guy can be a closer just about anywhere, and Toronto is going to find that out soon. But, we've got bullpen depth to take the hit, with Smith, Pestano, and Perez, along with a few guys in AAA coming along. Mike Aviles fills a huge need for the Indians. We had no one to play short to backup Cabrera, until we got Brent Lillibridge, who just sucked big time. Lillibridge backed up the infield for about 120 PA's and hit .216/.276/.342 in that time. Aviles isn't exactly Miguel Cabrera, but if he can hit even his career line he constitutes a major upgrade. I value his defense a lot more than Lillibridge's as well. Aviles will backup every infield position except first, which isn't a concern. Furthermore, as much as I hate to say it, there's a real chance the Indians decide now is the time to rebuild and move Cabrera for a huge haul of prospects - they could get Bauer (or even Miley?) from Arizona in exchange, IMO. In that contingency, someone has to play short every day. I hope it doesn't come to that, but nonetheless.

Gomes is an interesting prospect too, with nothing really riding on him. If he turns out to live up to his potential, we just netted a legitimate first/third baseman who could catch occasionally. If he doesn't, we can already fill all those position between guys already in the majors and guys coming along in the minors (Jesus Aguilar at first, primarily).

 

[Jerichoholic Ninja]

As an Orioles fan, I would love to have a middle-of-the-rotation guy to help our rotation. Edwin Jackson would be great if he was signed at a reasonable price or Anibal Sanchez from the Tigers. We don't need an ace, just someone to pitch consistently and eat some innings. Perhaps resign Jeremy Guthrie? He was always solid during his time with the O's, he just never got any run support. Also, he ended last season with KC very well so maybe we'd give him another shot. First base and left field also pose many scenarios. In my opinion, Mark Reynolds is worth keeping at 1B; his defense has increased exponentially and I think his power will return. At LF, it would be good to see Nate McLouth return after playing so well for us during the stretch run into the playoffs but I'm also big on Nolan Reimold, who hopefully can stay healthy and live up to his potential. I also believe signing Nick Swisher could solve both issues. He's versatile enough to play both positions, has a good bat, and he's always hit well in OPACY. I don't even care if he played for the Yankees, it'd be awesome to have him.

 

[smizzy]

Furthermore, as much as I hate to say it, there's a real chance the Indians decide now is the time to rebuild and move Cabrera for a huge haul of prospects

Funny you mention this - I was reading a Q&A chat on the STL Post-Dispatch by one of their beats guys, Joe Strauss. A fan asked about the possibility of the Cardinals making a move for Cabrera and Strauss replied saying that John Mozeliak will definitely be kick his tires at the GM meetings. Strauss believes that a good starting point for the deal would be Lance Lynn and Matt Adams.

You obviously know of Lance Lynn. Though you may know of him already, Adams has been known to have the most raw power in our system, won his league's MVP in '11 with a .300/32/101 line. Cardinals also have a slur of other prospects and position depth to choose from.

As an Indians fan, could you find the Cardinals to be a reasonable match for Asdrubal?

EDIT: Forgot to mention that as a Cardinals fan, I'd be fucking thirsty for an Asdrubal Cabrera deal.

 

[Thriller Ant]

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.