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Olneys early FA comments from INSIDER
WASHINGTON -- A lot of players will wait a decade for their shot at free agency, after being drafted and signing as an amateur, and then playing some years in the minors before accruing the six years of service time that makes them eligible to test the open market. Along the way, some have worked through injuries, had failures along with the successes and have seen their service time manipulated by teams looking to maximize their investment.
Reaching free agency, then, is a big deal, a right that the players like Curt Flood fought for. Some players never get to free agency because they’re not good enough or because they choose to sign as a very young player, and some, like Albert Pujols, get there only once.
For a lot of those players set to become free agents in another two months, the hope of spring training has been washed away. For others, the hope has been realized.
Here are 10 would-be free agents who have helped themselves so far in 2013:
1. Ervin Santana, P, Royals
At the time that Kansas City traded for him last fall, there was a lot of surprise within the industry that the Royals had been so aggressive, given Santana’s diminished velocity and brutal 2012 performance for the Angels. But Santana bounced back in a big way, lowering his ERA by almost two full runs. Now he’s 30 years old and is in position to get paid.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox
He started slowly this year, but has played well in recent months, and more importantly, he played. The biggest question surrounding Ellsbury has been about whether he can stay healthy, and it appears he will finish the year with more than 150 games played for the third time in his career.
Ellsbury is hitting .299 with a .356 on-base percentage, a .777 OPS and a staggering 50 steals in 54 attempts. Already there is speculation that Texas, Philadelphia and others could bid against Boston for his services.
Ellsbury -- a Scott Boras client, just like Stephen Drew -- is in a position to cash in.
3. Brian McCann, C, Braves
He had surgery last fall and needed to demonstrate that he could be an effective offensive player. He’s done that in 2013, posting an .839 OPS for the Braves. He could have the highest volume of teams of any major free agent, because American League teams like the Yankees, Boston, Texas and Anaheim could look at him as a catcher who could get a lot of at-bats at DH -- increasingly, from year to year -- and NL teams like the Phillies may take a shot at him as a full-time catcher.
4. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Red Sox
There aren’t a lot of good catchers available, and coming into the season, Saltalamacchia was stuck right in the midst of the undistinguishable mass of players at the position. But he has had a good season, at exactly the right time. He’s 28 years old, a switch-hitter and has a .785 OPS. Year by year, he seems to be growing into the position.
5. Matt Garza, P, Rangers
He needed to pitch effectively for Texas in his late-season audition for the free-agent market, and he’s done that, generally, issuing only 13 walks in 55 2/3 innings. He may not get a deal in the neighborhood of C.J. Wilson’s contract, but he has helped himself a lot. Garza turns 30 in November.
6. Edward Mujica, closer, Cardinals
As the year began, he was a good middle reliever, but his effectiveness at closer for St. Louis broadens his possible appeal to a wider range of teams. In 55 games this season, he has a 1.73 ERA, with 35 saves.
7. Fernando Rodney, closer, Rays
After his Cy Young-caliber season of 2012, Rodney struggled at the outset of 2013 before recovering somewhat. He’s 36 years old, so he’ll probably have limited offers, but he should get some good one- and two-year offers, at the very least.
8. Raul Ibanez, OF, Mariners
For three years, he’s been consistent as a source of power, which might make some team more comfortable in paying him more than the very conservative deals he’s gotten in 2012 and 2013.
9. Stephen Drew, SS, Red Sox
In 2012, the perception was that his range had taken a big hit and that his days as a good regular player were almost behind him, so Drew signed a one-year deal with Boston. But he’s having a good season and could get a two-year deal.
10. Hunter Pence, OF, Giants
Some teams kept waiting for San Francisco to make him available this season, but the Giants never really did, perhaps because they saw, again, that he can be productive. Pence, 30, is hitting .281 for the Giants and has made it known he’d like to stay with San Francisco.
On the other side of the coin, here are 10 free agents who have lost ground in the market this year:
1. Josh Johnson, P, Blue Jays
He threw only 81 1/3 innings this year, and posted a 6.20 ERA before his season ended.
2. Michael Morse, OF, Mariners/Orioles
Now 31, he has an OPS under .700 for the season, which is a problem for a player whose most marketable skill is his offense.
3. Corey Hart, OF, Brewers
He’s been wrecked by injuries, and didn’t play this year.
4. Roy Halladay, P, Phillies
You know his story. His work ethic and his history gives him credibility, but it’s hard to imagine anybody betting big on him in the offseason. He’ll have to reprove himself in 2014.
Letting Halladay go would be the right call, writes Bob Brookover. I think the Phillies will re-sign him, if the price is right.
5. Ryan Madson, reliever, Angels
Incredibly, it’s been two years since he last pitched.
6. Curtis Granderson, OF, Yankees
Through no fault of his own -- he’s been hurt twice this year after being hit by pitches -- he just hasn’t had a chance to put up big numbers. But he is performing well for the Yankees this year, and if New York somehow plays its way into the postseason, that’ll give him one last opportunity to show something for potential bidders. Granderson will be 33 years old at the start of the 2014 season.
7. Phil Hughes, P, Yankees
Two months ago, he looked like he was in position to command offers in the range of Edwin Jackson: $50 million to $60 million. But he has been terrible in the second half, with opponents posting a .933 OPS against him. Some teams might give him an extra look knowing that he has never been a good fit in Yankee Stadium as a right-handed fly-ball pitcher, but 2013 has been a lost opportunity for him.
8. Joba Chamberlain, P, Yankees
The Yankees made him available in trade before the deadline and nobody bit because of his performance. His WHIP in 2012 was 1.55, and it’s 1.60 this year, so it’s been awhile since he’s been a good pitcher.
9. Dan Haren, P, Nationals
He’s had a bit of a resurgence since coming off the disabled list, but overall, he is 8-12 with a 5.02 ERA, which means he’ll probably have to take a pay cut from his $13 million salary of 2013.
10. Nelson Cruz, OF, Rangers
He’ll still get offers, as Melky Cabrera knows, following his PED suspension. But the question that hovers over him now -- a question that no team can answer satisfactorily -- is this: How good of a player can he be without PEDs?
Cruz was batting .269 with 27 homers at the time of his suspension.
Trade reactions
1. The Pirates really have no idea how Starling Marte will recover from his wrist injury, so it made sense for them to be aggressive and fill in the holes in their lineup with the assumption that he won’t be back.
Justin Morneau’s best production came in August, when he hit nine of his 17 homers, and he is a good defender. So even if Morneau is not the hitter he once was -- with an on-base percentage of .315 this year -- the addition of the former All-Star gives Clint Hurdle a lot of flexibility. Pittsburgh could have dangerous lineups against left-handers, as well as right-handers, even if Marte doesn’t fully recover:
C Russell Martin R
1B Morneau L, Gaby Sanchez R
2B Neil Walker S
3B Pedro Alvarez L
SS Clint Barmes R
CF Andrew McCutchen R
LF/RF Marlon Byrd R, Garrett Jones L, Jose Tabata R
Keep in mind that the rotations of the Cardinals and Reds -- two teams that the Pirates will play another nine games against, as of this morning -- are comprised almost entirely of right-handed pitchers.
The Pirates routed the Cardinals to take over first place in the NL Central, and along the way, we saw one of the coolest scenes of the year, when Morneau arrived -- you can see it through this link.
Garrett Jones had mixed emotions about the trade.
2. The Twins’ trade of Morneau was smart, because it allows them to gracefully turn the page on his time with the team. Otherwise, there would have been a constant drumbeat in the first part of the offseason about whether he would be retained.
The situation was emotional for everybody involved, says Terry Ryan.
_____________________________
Work like a Captain.
Play like a Pirate.
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