Sure, the 6 months of playing, fighting, winning and losing is fun, but if it weren't for the multitude of trading, signing and dealing during the deceptively-named "offseason", we'd probably have nothing to talk about. Thankfully, free agency is a gift that just keeps on giving, all year round. And we here at The Baseball Freak will gladly receive this joyous present all the way through the end of spring training, at which point, we suppose we'll begin to talk about games and all that again.
I'm going to talk about the Yankees trying to sign Cliff Lee, only because no one else is talking about it and I think it deserves at least a little exposure (note: if you're not a hardcore fan or don't follow the offseason closely, I'll let you in on the secret that this sentence might be the most sarcastic thing I've ever written). Apparently, the Yankees brass contacted Lee's agent today, simply to tell him that they will be contacting him again soon. Boy, they're already playing hard to get, huh? What's the point of that? There isn't a baseball fan on earth that DOESN'T know he's their biggest priority in the upcoming months, and that they'll spend an amount of money roughly equal to the GDP of several third-world countries to lock him up for the rest of his supposed "good years". Of course, Texas is going to try their best to keep him where he is, considering that he was a big part of them making their first World Series in franchise history, and despite a spectacularly poor showing in 2 games agains the Giants, they still understand in Arlington that he's far and away one of the best hurlers in the game today. And there's the paltry matter of any of the other 28 teams in the sport possibly making a bid for him, though little has been said about any of the rest showing more than an interest once they realize New York is after him. Assuming he does end up in pinstripes in 2011 (purely hypothetical, of course), he'll bring his 102-61 record, along with a 3.85 career ERA (remember, he DID play with the Cleveland Indians for 7 years, and the Seattle Mariners the first part of this past season) and 1,085 strikeouts to his name. The most important thing, though, is that he'll be playing for the team that he consistently beats: I believe he's 6-1 against them in the past 3 years with an ERA that would make Steinbrenner roll over in his grave. And with Sabathia and Lee atop the rotation, together again in a town where they can actually win, the Bronx boys become that much more threatening to anyone's postseason hopes.
Believe it or not, there ARE other free agents out there this year. For instance, Carl Crawford, the number 2 focus of any team based in the Northeast or Southwest. He's still somewhat young, fast on the basepath, a pretty heavy hitter, and available: what more do I really need to say? Speculation is that whoever misses out on the Yanks/Lee extravaganza will be awarded Crawford as a consolation prize; there is more legitimate talk that he'll be in a Red Sox uniform, though. Think about it...who's the most recognizable name in the Boston outfield? J.D. Drew? Ryan Kalish? Give me a break, the only reason we pay attention to the Green Monster is to see poeple hit balls over it. Jacoby Ellsbury is the only saving grace there, and he's injured more often than not. Throw Crawford in there, especially in a lineup that possesses a David Ortiz that just won't quit (who wins the Home Run Derby in their 13th season? Shouldn't he be close to retirement instead?) and Pedroia and Youkilis (again, when healthy) as backup, and the BoSox finally become a threat again. There's also whispers that he'll be traded to the Los Angeles Angels; should that come to pass instead, Crawford would either see a lot of time on the bench, or designated/pinch hitting, or knocking Bobby Abreu out of a starting job. This only lends more credence to the theory that he'll be a Red Sox by spring training, but only time (and money) will tell.
Another player in the same vein as Crawdaddy is Jayson Werth, who apparently just got the memo about the "Caveman" look Johnny Damon so famously wore during Boston's historic World Series run in '04. Although he's 31 and a 8-year veteran (mainly riding the bench with the Blue Jays and Dodgers before bursting onto the scene with the Phils in '07), he's highly valued for his inexplicable ability to somehow make the right hit or play in most any situation for Philadelphia. I'm sure they'd love to resign him, but there is a lot of talk that he'll be looking elsewhere. Of course, New York and Boston have been mentioned...surprisingly, so have places like Atlanta and Detroit. To be honest, he's not a terribly showy player, which is what makes him enticing to many teams: he quietly gives the run support and defensive capabilities any team would desire. However, his career stats are somewhat less than impressive, and they say numbers don't lie, so he may not be as much of a hot topic as the aforementioned two.
I suppose that's all for now. I'll write again when there's been more action. Keep it here, all.
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