Possible 3rd Baseman Free Agent Targets?

[Wally West]

Who are guys do you think the Jays will target to play 3rd base next season?

Possible Target via free agency:
Ty Wigginton
Bill Hall

Possible Targets via trade:
Alex Gordon
Mark Reynolds
Casey McGehee
Kevin Kouzmanoff
Chone Figgins
David Wright

[mini]

Figgins via trade? Carson mentioned him a lot during his last chat on sportsnet I think he's getting $10 million a year though.

[WpgPage]

figgins is over paid and has lost a step and a lot of his bat speed, I expect Jabau to be playing full time 3rd next season and the team signing a temporary filler to play RF

[Nolan]

I'm guessing that either Hill or Bautista will be at 3rd next year.

But if we could get Gordon or Kouzmanoff for cheap I wouldn't mind having either one of them at 3rd.

[Hoopstarr]

Trade for Gordon Beckham. He could attract the British and Anglophile crowd in Toronto.

[Avenger]

I'm pretty sure Pablo Sandoval is also very gettable, he still has 4 years to go before he hits FA, he's the kind of high upside player AA should be targetting.

[WpgPage]

you thought E5's defense was bad...... the panda makes EE look like a gold glove caliber 3B

[Avenger]

you thought E5's defense was bad...... the panda makes EE look like a gold glove caliber 3B

I don't think it is, i've watched a fair bit of the Panda and i think he can be(and has been according to the stas) defensively neutral 3rd basemen.

[DonYon]

I miss Scott Rolen... too bad he's not 25 or even 30 anymore, although he's still better than anyone on the OP's list.

[Wo1verine]

I think Jose Bautista will just move to 3rd. He's more valuable there anyways..

[CapeCrusader]

I think Jose Bautista will just move to 3rd. He's more valuable there anyways..

I dunno he has proved that he has a good arm in the field as well. Either way we can't go wrong. As for the players listed...I like Figgin, McGehee, Reynolds and Hill.

[flatjacket1]

IMO 3rd base is a error high position, it is a much greater distance to throw and line shots seem to be more common down 3rd base line than 1st (Again, all IMO)...

Beltre and many other 3rd baseman have more errors, I think you just have to accept more errors at that position. The only condition being that the 3rd baseman makes up for defense with offense, if you hit .280 with OB% .340 with 25 HR and have 45 errors, I'll take that over .260 with OB% .295 with 20 HR with only 20 errors.

A lot of errors end up causing no runs earned anyways...

I think this thread should be re-named to "Possible 3B/OF/2B Free Agent Targets" because if significant talent was signed at any of those positions, thing could be easily moved.

My lineup for 2011:
C- Cebia
1B- Lind*
2B- Hill*
3B- Bautista*
SS- Escobar
RF- Fred Lewis*
CF- Wells*
LF- Snider*

* Could be moved via major signing.

I Always liked Fred Lewis for some reason... BTW, does anybody know why he was benched hard during the end of the season? Never a pinch runner or anything?
Sorry if this was common sense to everybody, I just became a (hardcore) baseball fan mid-july.

[satyr9]

I haven't seen anyone here say anything about Emaus, but isn't he the most likely replacement at 3B? Or Hill to 3B and Emaus to 2B? I know this thread is about FA targets, so maybe this isn't the best place, but I'm far from convinced the Jays think they need to go outside the organization to fill 3B. Between JBau, Emaus, or Hill, one of those guys seems far more likely to be the 2011 Blue Jays opening day 3B than a FA or trade.

And personally, unless you get one of those intriguing young names on the cheap, which is certainly possible but IMO not likely, that's my personal preference anyway. Let Emaus, or maybe even Thames if JBau goes to 3B, fill the empty spot. It's cheaper and it potentially develops another valuable asset.

That being said, one name in the OP that no one's talked about made me think. Could you imagine if the '09 version of Mark Reynolds had played for last year's Jays? .260BA with a .900OPS and 44HR sounds like he would've fit in perfectly.

[mini]

This was in the Off-season thread but it fits here as well...

According to Rosenthal, the Jays are looking at Uggla as a possible 3rd baseman

Blue Jays. The Jays are in contact with the Marlins. Uggla could fill a void at third base, and the Jays are again willing to spend for the right players. They also have shown a willingness to carry potential free agents with the idea of collecting draft picks if those players sign with other clubs.

He wants a big extension (5yrs $60ish million). Worth it?

Also, Hill could potentially play 3rd. How's Uggla's D?

[Hoopstarr]

Uggla's a terrible fielder at 2B so getting him would be on the assumption that he wouldn't be as bad at third. Hill is still a very good fielder so I'd leave him where he is unless they can get a better fielder there.

[Wo1verine]

Dan Uggla is interesting, but i don't think i'd want him for 5 years

[hyper316]

he's only 25, one of the best hitting 2B in the game. if the jays are willing to spend, i'd be more than happy to get dan uggla

edit: oops, my mistake, he's 30

[Avenger]

Uggla is 30 years old, i'd still like to get him because he could be a decent defender at 3rd but he needs to come with an extension.

[WpgPage]

id like to get him without the extension as the cost would be significantly less. One of our top 4 plus a mid level prospect Jimenez maybe would probably get it done, then just work out a contract over the off season he seams ready to sign just wants that 5th year witch I wouldn't want to give him gaunted but a vesting or mutual option would be fine. If you could swing a deal to get Nunez and Uggla for Marcum/ Accardo/ Jimenez type deal. Worst case scenario he walks you get 2 picks and a young very good reliever.


Esco-SS
Uggla-3B
Bautista-RF
Wells-CF
?????-1B/DH
Lind-1B/DH
Snider-LF
Hill-2B
JPA-C

[hyper316]

Uggla is 30 years old, i'd still like to get him because he could be a decent defender at 3rd but he needs to come with an extension.

oops my bad, i thought he was much younger.