Positional Free Agents

[TTown]

Just some initial thoughts. We have potential openings at 1B, 3B, and LF (I assume Jack Wilson will be our SS next year?). Do you go bold at these spots to help out the line-up, or save some money and fill in-house? We also need a DH, with Griff and Sweeney both FAs... and Griff's status may remain up in the air for awhile.

1B

Branyan is a FA. Obviously, I'd love to resign him. What kind of money is he going to command? If somebody offers him a contract a little to hefty for Z, what direction should we go? Some notable FAs: Nick Johnson, Hank Blalock, Adam LaRoche.

3B

Beltre's obviously a FA. The FA crop seems pretty weak here; Chone Figgins, Joe Crede, Juan Uribe headline. Would Miguel Tejada take a one-year deal and slide over from SS?

LF

We used a grab-bag assortment here in '09. Notably upgrades: Jason Bay, Marlon Byrd, Jonny Damon, Matt Holliday,

[nuke the whales]

IMO Branyan should be our DH to help his back through a full season with Carp as the 1B. I'm just guessing that a Hall/Saunders platoon (or maybe Chavez comes back) will fill LF to save money for other areas. I think 3B is the position where all options are in play.

[Ex-hippie]

The position where the team should definitely pursue a free agent is third base. I'd like the team to sign someone who has a top-notch glove, can hit a little, is respected in the clubhouse and isn't too old. Maybe someone who could be reasonably valued because he's not coming off his best season. Hmmm. (*scans list*) Hey guys, did you know Adrian Beltre is available?

[Bulltalk]

The position where the team should definitely pursue a free agent is third base. I'd like the team to sign someone who has a top-notch glove, can hit a little, is respected in the clubhouse and isn't too old. Maybe someone who could be reasonably valued because he's not coming off his best season. Hmmm. (*scans list*) Hey guys, did you know Adrian Beltre is available?

[slaterbug]

IMO Branyan should be our DH to help his back through a full season with Carp as the 1B. I'm just guessing that a Hall/Saunders platoon (or maybe Chavez comes back) will fill LF to save money for other areas. I think 3B is the position where all options are in play.

I second that.

[BlackMamba]

i wonder if the Ms after this great season could be a place where premiere FAs would want to sign. and also, do the Ms have the money to sign them?

[Bulltalk]

i wonder if the Ms after this great season could be a place where premiere FAs would want to sign. and also, do the Ms have the money to sign them?

The problem is name those "premier" FA's? I've looked at the list this year, and it's pretty damn weak.

[Ex-hippie]

i wonder if the Ms after this great season could be a place where premiere FAs would want to sign. and also, do the Ms have the money to sign them?

The problem is name those "premier" FA's? I've looked at the list this year, and it's pretty damn weak.

It definitely seems like a year to lay low in the FA market. And frankly that seems like the best thing for the M's all around; let them take another year to see what they have in their young players (Saunders, Carp, Moore, Tui), give them opportunities, and then have some money to spend in a year when you've figured out just where you have needs.

I trust GMZ to know what's best for the team in this situation -- unlike Bill Bavasi, who outbid himself in a very, very weak class of FA starting pitchers and wound up with Carlos Silva.

[Zyme]

Dont worry. We'll still have another 2 years to enjoy a 12 million a year AAA starter or Long reliever.

Joy...

Still, Chone would be a solid addition. I have concerns over our ability to keep russell branyan, given his huge year and subsiquent cost he will be in the near future, look at someone like Hank B. Do what we can with Branyan, either a S/T or get some arbitration compensation out of him and then find someone to replace him.

I still wonder, What about moving Lopy to 1st (he has played there in the past) and then signing a 2nd baseman or promoting one of our prospects.

[HeavyP]

Here's a list of all the FAs.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/12/2 ... ree-a.html

These lists project Figgins as a type B, everywhere else I've seen projects him as a Type A, that makes a big difference for me as I don't want to lose the #17 pick (or whatever it is the M's have).

Although, I think it'd be awesome to sign Chone Figgins and Carl Crawford to play left and just have the most annoying team ever for opposing pitchers. Leading off with Chone, then Ichiro then Crawford.

[bennith13]

I LOVE Carl Crawford. That would be a sick outfield with him in there.

[Ex-hippie]

Crawford isn't even a Type A, while players like Bengie Molina, Placido Polanco, Johnny Damon, Zombie Vladimir Guerrero, Randy Wolf and Octavio Dotel are? I swear, I'll never understand the Elias Bureau's formula.

[bennith13]

I know, all the more reason to go after him. It probably wouldn't be worth going after him if he was type A.

I agree with you on Beltre. He should be somewhat reasonable to resign given his year. He is only 29, its not like he is done.

The other guys I would look at if they were reasonable would be Hank Blalock and Ben Sheets.

[HeavyP]

So the guys at Detroit Tigers thoughts figured out the Elias formula for figuring out who's type A or not. There is a post on whether or not Chone Figgins or Placido Polanco would be a type A free agent (only room for one, and at the time of the post Chone was in the lead). Periodically they'll release an up-to-date list of where everyone stands. Here is the latest one as of 9/19

There they have Crawford as a B, Figgins as the last A, Polanco as the first B, Beltre as a B, Bedard as a B.

I think I"ve showered this thread with enough links.

[BlackMamba]

are the mariners serious on jason bay? he would be huuuuuge

[bennith13]

No, we dont want Jason Bay. He would be a huge mistake.

[Ex-hippie]

No, we dont want Jason Bay. He would be a huge mistake.

Agreed. Ichiro and Gutierrez aren't going anywhere, they're going to give Saunders a shot this year, they've got Ackley coming down the pike, Dennis Raben might contend for a roster spot in 2011, Ezequiel Carrera is in the mix. Even though Greg Halman sucks, they're still doing pretty well for outfielders. And the home field isn't going to do any favors to Bay's bat.

[bennith13]

Like I said earlier the only OF FA I would like to add is Carl Crawford. But even that I doubt Jack does.

We want guys that can run in the OF and hit left handed. Jason Bay is getting older and does neither.

[Ex-hippie]

Crawford would at least be intriguing, I will grant that. I've long wondered what it would be like to have Ichiro batting #2 behind a speedy leadoff hitter. It could be a pitcher's worst nightmare to have a sizable gap on the right side of the infield with Ichiro at the plate. The only alternative would be to decline to hold the runner, which could mean 100+ steals at a very high success rate for someone like Crawford.

[bennith13]

Yeah that and a crazy defensive OF. If you could get power out of 1b 3b and DH then you could get away with having very little power in the OF.