10 MLB Free Agent Steals
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by user Joebook
Much publicity has been made over the boom in MLB free agent salaries, and rightfully so. We've already seen three contracts of $100 million or more, and many more of $50 million plus. Several other players have been terribly overpaid, and that article will soon follow this one.
Here are the top-10 best value signings, in alphabetical order.
1. Sean Casey -- 1 year, $4 million -- The Tigers rewarded their midseason 2006 pickup for hitting .432 in the playoffs, including .529 in the World Series. Casey has a good bat and plays above average defense. He'll be a solid first baseman for them in 2007.
2. Jose Cruz Jr. -- 1 year, $650,000 -- Although he's not good enough to play every day, Cruz Jr. is a great signing as a fourth outfielder for the Padres. He's only 32, and his bat has some pop left. He'll also play great defense when called upon.
3. Pedro Feliz -- 1 year, $5.1 million -- He plays every day, and he was three HR and two RBI short of being a 25-100 player. The Giants don't have much power other than their leftfielder, so retaining Feliz was a priority.
4. Marcus Giles -- 1 year, $3.2 million -- This is the steal of the offseason to date. Giles was the starting second baseman for the Braves since 2002, and has been hurt by nagging injuries for the last three seasons. He's a .285 career hitter with some power, and excellent defense. He'll make the Padres glad they took a chance.
5. Jose Guillen -- 1 year, $5.5 million -- Guillen didn't get a chance to play much in 2006, but his previous three seasons saw him average 27 HR and 89 RBI, while hitting just below .300. If he stays healthy and wins a job, this will be a great move by the Mariners.
6. Adam Kennedy -- 3 years, $10 million -- Kennedy can't seem to stay healthy, which is why the Cardinals also signed Aaron Miles, but he's a good defensive player and a .280 career hitter. He'll be a nice complement to former teammate David Eckstein and lead to more RBI opportunities for Albert Pujols.
7. Scott Podsednik -- 1 year, $2.9 million -- Podsednik was the spark plug that ignited the White Sox run to the 2005 World Series. While his numbers slipped in '06, he's still a valuable leadoff hitter, despite his below average defense.
8. Takashi Saito -- 1 year, $1 million -- He was a world beater last season in his MLB debut, posting a 2.07/0.91 ERA/WHIP, but the Japanese superstar will be 37 years old during the 2007 campaign. The last guy with the same numbers (remember Shingo time?) failed miserably, but for $1 million, the Dodgers will take a chance.
9. Scott Williamson -- 1 year, $900,000 -- He's a reliever with a horrible injury history that strikes out more than one batter per inning. If he can stay healthy, he'll provide valuable relief innings for the Orioles.
10. Kerry Wood -- 1 year, $1.75 million -- You know his history, and how dominant he can be when healthy. It is yet to be seen if he'll convert to a reliever, but either way, he'll be effective for the price. His strikeout numbers and a booming pitching market makes this a steal.
I bet at least 2-3 of these guys are on the Bad Free Agent signings list next year...
Cruz at #2? He is pure garbage/damaged (no) goods. I'd rather have a AAA guy out there than him...