2010 Free Agents: First Basemen

Hank Blalock and Russell Branyan had big years in 2009. But will they be able to find the at-bats (or stay healthy) in 2010? Bookmark this page as it will be updated as players sign or re-sign with teams.

Key Sleepers: Russell Branyan, Chad Tracy

First Basemen
Hank Blalock TEX
Russell Branyan SEA
Carlos Delgado NYM (B)
Nomar Garciaparra OAK
Jason Giambi COL
Ross Gload * FLA
Aubrey Huff DET (B)
Nick Johnson FLA (B) - Yankees have come to terms with Nick Johnson on a one-year deal worth a reported $5.75 million plus incentives to replace Matsui as their designated hitter.
Adam LaRoche ATL (B)
Kevin Millar TOR
Robb Quinlan LAA
Matt Stairs PHI
Mike Sweeney SEA
Jim Thome LAD
Chad Tracy ARZ

2010 Free Agents: Catchers

Seattle Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima has chosen to opt out of his contract with the Mariners and become a free agent. His name is thus added to the below list of potential 2010 Free Agents. The list is short and frankly Johjima is now probably the best name on the list. I assume that Johjima would be a Class A Free Agent but I'm not sure of that yet. It may not matter because Johjima is saying he wants to return to Japan to finish his career.

"After lots of very deep thought and deliberation, I have decided to return home to resume my career in Japan," Johjima said in a statement released by the Mariners. "I have had a wonderful experience competing at the major-league level. The last four years have been extraordinary, with great teammates and great coaches. I will always be indebted to the Mariners organization for giving me the opportunity to follow my dream. This was a very difficult decision, both professionally and personally. I feel now is the time to go home, while I still can perform at a very high level. Playing close to family and friends was a major factor. I will miss the Seattle fans and their gracious support. Thank you all."

Bookmark this post as it will be updated as players begin to sign or re-sign with teams.

Key Sleepers: none

Catchers
Rod Barajas TOR (B)
Josh Bard BOS
Michael Barrett TOR
Henry Blanco SD - The Mets finalized a one-year, $1.5 million deal with catcher Henry Blanco
Ramon Castro CWS
Chris Coste - The Mets have agreed to a one-year contract with Chris Coste
Ramon Hernandez * CIN (B)
Kenji Johjima --Former Seattle Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima agreed to join the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Central League.
Jason Kendall MIL (B) - Kendall, 35, reached agreement Friday with the Royals on a two-year contract believed to be valued around $6 million
Jason LaRue STL - The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that veteran catcher Jason LaRue has agreed to a one-year contract for the 2010 season.
Chad Moeller BAL
Benji Molina SF (A)
Jose Molina NYY

Miguel Olivo * KC (B) - Olivo received $100,000 from the Royals as a buyout on his $3.3 million mutual option.

Mike Redmond MIN
Ivan Rodriguez TEX (B) - Ivan Rodriguez signed a two year $6 million deal with the Washington Nationals.
Brian Schneider NYM - Brian Schneider signed a two-year contract with the Phillies, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.
Yorvit Torrealba * COL (B)

Jason Varitek * BOS (B) - Jason Varitek, C, Red Sox - He decided pretty quickly after the Sox declined his $5 million option that he was picking up his $3 million deal. However, there were 48 hours of a “let’s see if we can get some incentives changed’’ tango. The Sox feel Varitek will be a good backup catcher and will continue to help Victor Martinez. And no, the Sox will not strip the “C’’ off his jersey. The Sox might have considered Mark Wagner as their backup if Varitek had not returned.
Gregg Zaun * TB - Catcher Gregg Zaun and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a $2.15 million, one-year contract.

The Orioles on Tuesday, November 10th, signed minor league free agent catcher Michel Hernandez, who played in 35 games for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, batting .242 with a homer and 12 RBIs. He was 9-for-46 (.196) with six RBIs in 55 games with Triple-A Durham in 2009.

2010 Free Agents: Relief Pitchers

One of the most important things that Fantasy Owners must do in the off-season is track the players who change teams. New teams mean different park factors, different roles, and new teammates and coaches. The relief pitchers on this list include very few healthy, proven closers but several very good pitchers that could fill the role for a team trying to avoid the expense of a more proven ninth inning veteran. There are also several pitchers listed here as relievers who could find themselves in the mix as starters. Bookmark this post as it will be updated as players sign or re-sign with teams.

Key Sleepers: Joaquin Benoit, J.J. Putz, Tom Gordon

Relief Pitchers
Luis Ayala FLA
Danys Baez BAL
Miguel Batista SEA
Joe Beimel COL (B)
Joaquin Benoit TEX
Rafael Betancourt * COL (A)
Chad Bradford BAL
Doug Brocail * HOU (B)
Kiko Calero FLA (B)
Elmer Dessens NYM - The Associated Press is reporting that the Mets have re-signed reliever Elmer Dessens to a one-year, minor-league contract. Under the terms of the split deal, Dessens would earn $700K if makes New York's 40-man roster, and $90K if he pitches in the minors. He can earn an extra 30K if he makes 20 major league appearances, with an extra $30K then added for every additional 10 appearances.
Brendan Donnelly FLA
Octavio Dotel CWS (A)
Alan Embree COL
Scott Eyre PHI (B) - Scott Eyre will have loose bodies removed from his left elbow on Nov 9
Josh Fogg COL
Chad Fox CHC
Ryan Franklin * STL
Gary Glover WAS
Mike Gonzalez ATL (A) - Gonzalez gets a $12 million, two-year contract from the Orioles.
Tom Gordon ARZ
John Grabow CHC (A)
Kevin Gregg CHC (A)
Eddie Guardado TEX
LaTroy Hawkins HOU (A)
Mark Hendrickson BAL
Matt Herges COL
Trevor Hoffman MIL (A) - Re-signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
Bobby Howry SF (B)
Jason Isringhausen TB
Masahide Kobayashi * CLE
Brandon Lyon DET (B)
Ron Mahay MIN
Gary Majewski WAS
Guillermo Mota LAD (B)
Will Ohman * LAD (B)
Darren Oliver LAA (A)
Chan Ho Park PHI (B)
Troy Percival TB
J.J. Putz * NYM - The Mets officially declined J.J. Putz's $9.1 million option Friday, officially making him a free agent.
Juan Rincon COL
Fernando Rodney DET (B)
Takashi Saito BOS - The Braves made another move to strengthen their pitching staff Thursday, agreeing to a $3.2 million, one-year contract with reliever Takashi Saito.
Duaner Sanchez NYM
Scott Schoeneweis ARZ
Brian Shouse * TB (B)
Rafael Soriano ATL (A)
Russ Springer TB (B)
Brett Tomko OAK
Jose Valverde HOU (A)
Claudio Vargas MIL
Ron Villone WAS
Luis Vizcaino * COL
Billy Wagner BOS (A) - ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports the Atlanta Braves agreed with RP Billy Wagner (Red Sox) on a one-year, $7 million deal that includes a $6.5 million vesting option for 2011.
Jamie Walker BAL
David Weathers MIL - The Brewers decided not to exercise a $3.7 million option on reliever David Weathers. The club will pay him a $400,000 buyout.
Jeff Weaver LAD
Kip Wells CIN
Jamey Wright KC
Yasuhiko Yabuta - The Royals spent $500,000 in voiding their option on Yasuhiko Yabuta.

The Mets are close to a two-year deal with Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

Igarashi would help shore up the Mets bullpen as a capable setup man for closer Francisco Rodriguez, replacing Billy Wagner and J.J. Putz, who both left the team as free agents this offseason.

The Rockies moved quickly to fortify their bullpen Thursday (Nov.4th), signing Matt Belisle and Randy Flores to one-year deals. Here are the details of their contracts obtained by The Denver Post. Belisle agreed to a one-year, $850,000 deal that is not fully guaranteed because it’s an arbitration contract. He can make an additional $275,000 in incentives for games, beginning at 55 games and capping at 75. He can also make $200,000 for games finished in the event he ends up closing, starting at 40 games.

Proctor will sign a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves that includes both a minor league salary and a major league salary. Terms of the contract were not released by Rodgers, however, he did say the deal is similar to what Proctor had with Florida this season — that was a one-year contract worth $750,000 that included $250,000 in incentives.

The Pittsburgh Pirates today agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Wilfredo Ledezma on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.

2010 Free Agent: Aroldis Chapman

Larry Stone of the Seattle Times wrote of Cuban Defector Aroldis Chapman last week:

Envision a 21-year-old pitcher — left-handed, no less — that has lit up radar guns to the tune of 102 mph, drawing raves from scouts as the southpaw Stephen Strasburg. Now consider that this pitcher is not just a myth, but a living, breathing entity, who can be found these days in, of all places, Madrid. And just one other thing: He's a free agent, poised to sign in the upcoming weeks with a major-league team.

Chapman is going to be one of the hottest free agents in the market this fall/winter. Teams are already lining up to make chair-breaking bids. The problem is Chapman unlike the last Cuban pitcher to draw this much interest, Jose Contreras, is not a finished product. He is a prospect. He is extremely raw with little beyond his extreme fastball to his arsenal. His control is just not good at this by most reports.

Fantasy owners with deep minor league systems may well want to take a chance with Chapman. Heck, I recommend that they do. But if you're thinking of Chapman as a player ready to make an impact in 2010 you need to re-think things. He's more Kendry Morales than Contreras.

Strasburg Wins in AFL Debut

Despite all the cautions you'll hear about the dangers of drafting rookie pitchers, Stephen Strasburg is likely to be a much discussed talent from now until April. Strasburg made his AFL debut on Friday to much fanfare. Here is a round-up of writing on the results:

Strasburg wins his professional debut(Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com)
Strasburg, taken first in June's First-Year Player Draft by the Nationals, threw 50 pitches -- 32 of them strikes -- for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. He faced 11 Scottsdale Scorpions hitters, walked one, struck out two, allowed a pair of singles and earned the win in his club's 7-4 victory. The two strikeouts came with one out in the first inning and were of the swinging variety.

Strasburg sparkles in AFL debut (Jason Grey /ESPN)
The first pitch was 99 miles per hour. That was how Washington Nationals prospect Stephen Strasburg announced his presence at the Arizona Fall League...As expected, Strasburg busted out the 88-91 mph changeup he rarely used as an amateur. Not only was it impressive, he used it as an out pitch in the first inning, getting both his strikeouts on changes with good tumble. He showed off a heavy two-seam fastball at 90-94 mph to go with the four-seamer, and his 82-84 mph slider was a solid 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale on this night, though I've seen it even better...It would shock me if he were not in the Nationals' opening day rotation.

Strasburg’s AFL Debut (Conor Glassey/Baseball America's Prospects Blog)
From a mechanical standpoint, the scout stated that Strasburg “gets a little forward with his arm and hand in his delivery. Also, his elbow gets closed up on top. I’m a little worried about his ability to drive downward all the time. He throws so hard and gets such ride and carry on his fastball, he can throw it up in the zone and get away with it. There are a few little red flags and he needs to clean up his delivery a bit. But the positives outweigh the negatives.”

I think the consensus says that Stephen Strasburg is going to be a force for the Washington Nationals and soon. I would not go out of my way to add a rookie pitcher to my roster but if he came easily and naturally enough (and at a rookie pitcher price) I would gladly accept his presence on my fantasy rosters in 2010.

Baseball Headlines and Observations

Rangers hitting Coach Rudy Jaramillo Will Not Return
Longtime hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo rejected a contract and will not return to the Texas Rangers next season, a team official said Wednesday... The Rangers' offense struggled in 2009, scoring 784 runs, the fewest since Jaramillo was hired before the 1995 season. The team batted .260, its lowest average since moving into Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in 1994. The disappointing season came after the Rangers hit .283 and scored a league-high 901 runs in 2008.

I believed the Rangers would make a great effort to bring effort to bring Jaramillo back in 2010. For all I know, they did just that. Perhaps Jaramillo had a problem with the way manager Ron Washington used the offense. I have no idea. I do know that Jaramillo is roundly considered one of if not the best hitting coach in the game. The Rangers will miss him. As for Ron Washington, I can't help but like him. He's an old-time baseball guy. A throwback to the days of the chewing, spitting, tough love, pitching and defense managers that our fathers remember and sometimes miss. But I have no idea if he is actually a good manager.

Ricketts Family Acquires 95 percent of the Chicago Cubs
The Ricketts family has signed a definitive agreement with Tribune Company to acquire a 95 percent interest in the Chicago Cubs National League Baseball Club, Wrigley Field and Tribune’s approximately 25 percent interest in Comcast SportsNet (CSN) in a transaction valued at $845 million.

The Tribune Company had a reputation as an owner who was more interested in profits than winning. They would make moves with marketing and filling the seats as a higher priority than actually winning a World Series. The former Red Sox ownership had the same type of reputation. I believe that it is now possible for the Cubs to now take a giant step forward as an organization. I'm looking forward to watching how this transaction changes the way the Cubs do business.

TBS Wins Big By Backing Baseball Playoffs
According to Media Week, the network enjoyed the best ratings of its 33-year history with its coverage of the first-round playoff series, averaging 5.41 million total viewers, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day ratings data. The network also set highs by averaging 2.54 million adults age 25 to 54, 2.46 million viewers 18 to 49 and 1.12 million viewers 18 to 34. According to the report, TBS owned seven of the week's 10 most-watched cable telecasts, including Game 3 of the Yankees-Twins American League DS on Oct. 11, which drew 6.79 million viewers. That series was the most watched among the four DS matchups, averaging 6.63 million total viewers. Baseball boosted TBS' ratings 232 percent over the previous week.

I still miss the days of TBS airing the Atlanta Braves games. As a Yankees fan trapped in Boston, I appreciated the ability to tune in on a team that I actually enjoyed watching. the Red Sox are a little more fun to watch these days but I still miss the old TBS. Heck, for that matter I also miss Ted Turner as the owner of the Braves. Here's a perfect example of how much ownership can change the direction of a baseball team.

Billy Wagner's Agent Disputes Retirement Claims
Billy Wagner's agent refuted Tuesday's reports that the closer, who just completed his 15th season and is 15 saves short of 400, is planning to retire. The New York Post reported Tuesday that when asked where he might play next season, Wagner responded: "I don't plan on talking to nobody." When asked if that meant he would retire, according to the newspaper, Wagner said: "Why wouldn't I? I've got nothing else to [accomplish]" On Wednesday, Wagner's agent, Bean Stringfellow, told media outlets that the left-hander had no intention of retiring. "He wants a ring and he did not do all that rehab just to quit now," Stringfellow said, according to FoxSports.com. "His family supports him fully."

In Boston the rumors are flying wild about a possible trade of closer Jonathan Papelbon. If this actually happened Wagner would be a solid option to bridge the gap between Papelbon and Daniel Bard who seems destined to become Boston's closer in the very near future. Boston has promised not to utilize the option they hold on Wagner for the 2010 season but they could still very easily work out a deal if the closer role were open.

The San Francisco Giants retain Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy
...Bochy and Sabean each received two-year contract extensions with a club option Tuesday after meeting with managing general partner Bill Neukom... Sabean is gearing up for a busy winter. One of his top priorities will be to upgrade the offense by adding a big bat in the middle of the order, though he's said that will be a challenge in this free-agent market.

I love the Giants but I have had my fair share of doubts over Brian Sabean's ability as General Manager. There is no doubt that the organization is loaded with quality young arms. However, Sabean has consistently chosen to go with older veterans rather than younger players with more upside. Part of that has been due to a severe lack in the farm system but that is also on him. I would love to see a great hitter in the middle of the Giants lineup surrounded by their young players at catcher and third base. But Sabean seems to struggle to make meaningful trades as demonstrated in the deadline deals this season. I have high hopes but little faith.

Top New York-Penn League Players of 2009

Top New York-Penn League Batters

Name	Team	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	Spd	BABIP	wOBA
Ryan Westmoreland	Red Sox	14.60%	22.00%	0.296	0.401	0.484	0.188	7.4	0.353	0.427
Julio Martinez	Astros	7.40%	16.00%	0.326	0.38	0.54	0.214	3.8	0.36	0.417
Sean Ochinko	Blue Jays	7.80%	13.80%	0.324	0.382	0.527	0.202	3.4	0.353	0.415
Neil Medchill	Yankees	10.00%	30.60%	0.278	0.35	0.551	0.273	6.2	0.338	0.412
Tyler Bortnick	Rays	11.10%	17.50%	0.3	0.386	0.47	0.171	8.1	0.349	0.406
Deangelo Mack	Yankees	8.30%	19.00%	0.306	0.372	0.513	0.207	4.2	0.354	0.399
Luke Murton	Yankees	8.80%	25.70%	0.295	0.374	0.477	0.181	5.2	0.369	0.399
Luis Rivera	Mets	14.30%	23.90%	0.297	0.402	0.441	0.144	6.6	0.376	0.395
Leandro Castro	Phillies	4.80%	19.10%	0.316	0.351	0.512	0.195	8.2	0.37	0.393
Sebastian Valle	Phillies	5.00%	21.40%	0.307	0.335	0.531	0.224	3.9	0.366	0.39
Derrik Gibson	Red Sox	13.30%	16.50%	0.29	0.395	0.38	0.09	8.4	0.347	0.386
Welinton Ramirez	Blue Jays	4.80%	25.00%	0.318	0.353	0.477	0.159	6.4	0.414	0.385
Brock Holt	Pirates	9.30%	12.20%	0.299	0.361	0.449	0.15	6.6	0.323	0.383
John Murrian	Tigers	7.90%	17.70%	0.296	0.356	0.468	0.172	3.6	0.342	0.381
Jordan Henry	Indians	16.50%	14.90%	0.286	0.408	0.335	0.048	5.7	0.336	0.379
Alan Ahmady	Cardinals	16.20%	21.40%	0.292	0.407	0.391	0.099	3.3	0.362	0.377
Rawley Bishop	Tigers	10.50%	20.00%	0.282	0.378	0.439	0.157	5	0.337	0.376
Evan Chambers	Pirates	20.00%	39.00%	0.245	0.393	0.38	0.135	4.5	0.381	0.375
Kyle Jensen	Marlins	9.00%	25.30%	0.28	0.354	0.456	0.176	5.7	0.356	0.375
Christopher McGuiness	Red Sox	15.50%	20.40%	0.255	0.374	0.434	0.179	1.4	0.293	0.375
Jeremy Barnes	Phillies	8.70%	24.90%	0.287	0.359	0.464	0.177	5.5	0.366	0.372
Justin Byler	Pirates	10.00%	23.70%	0.256	0.352	0.447	0.191	4.3	0.31	0.371
Zoilo Almonte	Yankees	10.70%	22.40%	0.274	0.355	0.44	0.166	5.5	0.33	0.371
Francisco Soriano	Nationals	15.30%	20.10%	0.291	0.398	0.387	0.095	7.1	0.361	0.371
Erik Castro	Astros	11.90%	19.80%	0.266	0.351	0.453	0.188	2.8	0.299	0.37
Yan Gomes	Blue Jays	9.00%	16.60%	0.296	0.363	0.444	0.148	3	0.348	0.369
Gregory Folgia	Indians	12.50%	21.10%	0.272	0.383	0.409	0.138	4.6	0.333	0.366
Wilfred Pichardo	Red Sox	6.80%	31.00%	0.302	0.351	0.392	0.09	7.1	0.431	0.363
Christopher Murrill	Rays	6.30%	23.80%	0.306	0.36	0.363	0.057	8	0.401	0.362
Dustin Biell	Rays	8.60%	21.50%	0.277	0.362	0.366	0.089	7.7	0.345	0.356
Jimmy Paredes	Yankees	4.70%	14.60%	0.302	0.336	0.41	0.107	8.7	0.347	0.35
Aaron Baker	Pirates	12.40%	23.80%	0.247	0.341	0.414	0.167	5.9	0.312	0.348
Patrick Irvine	Pirates	11.50%	22.70%	0.245	0.346	0.389	0.144	5.5	0.305	0.348
Sean Nicol	Nationals	13.60%	12.60%	0.269	0.375	0.323	0.054	4.5	0.304	0.345
Mark Thomas	Rays	10.50%	21.50%	0.268	0.355	0.385	0.117	2.9	0.325	0.344

Top 25 New York-Penn League Pitchers

Name	Team	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	ERA	FIP
Alexander Colome	Rays	11.13	3.79	0	1.03	0.277	73.50%	1.66	2.19
Collin McHugh	Mets	9.48	2.52	0.12	1.09	0.312	72.40%	2.76	2.31
Joshua Zeid	Phillies	8.13	2.26	0.11	1.05	0.292	70.40%	2.94	2.46
Marty Popham	Indians	9.96	1.2	0.84	1.13	0.346	74.50%	2.76	2.6
Nicholas Hernandez	Phillies	7.54	2.25	0.23	1.15	0.306	73.50%	2.7	2.68
Erick Carillo	Marlins	7.34	2.64	0.15	1.09	0.281	76.60%	2.05	2.71
James Fuller	Mets	9.57	2.14	0.57	1.16	0.328	73.90%	2.86	2.76
Brett Brach	Indians	7.04	2.31	0.12	1.05	0.277	72.80%	2.19	2.8
Brandon Moore	Mets	7.79	1.87	0.44	0.95	0.262	76.90%	2.09	2.83
Dave Sever	Blue Jays	7.62	2	0.4	1.02	0.277	66.90%	3.34	2.93
Tyler Cox	Pirates	7	1.84	0.37	1.31	0.342	60.50%	3.93	2.95
Kyle Lobstein	Rays	9.08	2.82	0.49	1.06	0.277	76.90%	2.58	2.95
Jose Alvarez	Red Sox	6.83	1.08	0.43	0.84	0.247	84.30%	1.52	2.96
Siulman Lebron	Phillies	6.83	1.83	0.41	1.31	0.34	60.00%	4.48	2.98
Clayton Cook	Indians	8.51	3.46	0.27	1.2	0.295	74.20%	2.79	3.02
Mark Cohoon	Mets	6.85	1.96	0.39	0.97	0.255	76.70%	2.15	3.03
Cesar Cabral	Red Sox	7.01	2.54	0.3	1.38	0.342	61.30%	4.03	3.07
Patrick Kantakevich	Orioles	7.06	3.22	0.25	1.18	0.282	67.70%	3.34	3.1
Kyle McPherson	Pirates	6.81	1.31	0.6	1.08	0.295	74.00%	2.99	3.11
Nicholas Haughian	Orioles	6.51	2.41	0.24	1.08	0.274	73.90%	2.05	3.19
Michael Blazek	Cardinals	8.72	3.38	0.42	1.52	0.371	58.30%	4.5	3.23
Yeiper Castillo	Red Sox	7.48	3.04	0.35	1.18	0.288	70.80%	2.92	3.25
Clemente Mendoza	Tigers	6.14	2.33	0.37	1.2	0.296	74.00%	3.19	3.31
Luis Sanz	Tigers	6.64	3.81	0.22	1.29	0.289	73.10%	3.27	3.6
Preston Guilmet	Indians	7.93	2.05	1.02	1.22	0.313	61.20%	4.09	3.68
Colin Allen	Orioles	7.27	3.25	0.65	1.64	0.376	60.00%	5.45	3.73
Deryk Hooker	Cardinals	7.82	3.39	0.59	1.3	0.304	69.30%	3.98	3.74
Tyler Sexton	Orioles	7	3.62	0.45	1.29	0.292	69.00%	3.39	3.76
Curtis Petersen	Marlins	7.14	4.43	0.43	1.46	0.312	59.90%	4.29	3.9
Scott Gracey	Blue Jays	7.15	2.71	0.99	1.47	0.342	56.80%	5.3	3.98
Colton Pitkin	Astros	6.45	4.21	0.66	1.58	0.331	69.90%	4.21	4.21
Darin Gorski	Mets	7.22	3.75	0.87	1.24	0.263	50.30%	4.91	4.24
Wander Alvino	Astros	6.18	3.66	1.01	1.42	0.296	67.50%	5.17	4.59