"Spend Some Money"(tm)

[JMW IV]

take your pick. I've listed what *I* think are our biggest needs.

the full list is here: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/12/2010-mlb-free-a.html

where do you Spend Some Money(tm), and how much, for how long?

Starting pitchers
Brandon Backe (32)
Miguel Batista (39)
Josh Beckett (30) - $12MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Erik Bedard (31)
Kris Benson (34)
Daniel Cabrera (29)
Chris Capuano (31)
Bartolo Colon (37)
Jose Contreras (38)
Doug Davis (34)
Justin Duchscherer (32)
Adam Eaton (32)
Shawn Estes (37)
Josh Fogg (33)
Freddy Garcia (34)
Jon Garland (30) - $10MM mutual option with $2.5MM or $1MM buyout
Tom Glavine (44)
Mike Hampton (37)
Rich Harden (28)
Mark Hendrickson (36)
Livan Hernandez (35)
Tim Hudson (34) - $12MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout
Jason Jennings (31)
Jason Johnson (36)
Randy Johnson (46)
John Lackey (31)
Cliff Lee (31) - $8MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Braden Looper (35) - option
Rodrigo Lopez (34)
Jason Marquis (31)
Kevin Millwood (35) - Rangers can decline $12MM salary for '10 unless he reaches 180 innings in '09
Brian Moehler (38) - mutual option
Brett Myers (29)
Vicente Padilla (32) - $12MM club option with a $1.75MM buyout
Chan Ho Park (37)
John Parrish (32)
Carl Pavano (34)
Brad Penny (32)
Odalis Perez (33)
Andy Pettitte (38)
Joel Pineiro (31)
Sidney Ponson (33)
Mark Prior (28)
Horacio Ramirez (30)
Jason Schmidt (37)
John Smoltz (43)
Tim Wakefield (43) - perpetual $4MM club option
Jarrod Washburn (35)
Brandon Webb (31) - $8.5MM club option with a $500K+ buyout
Todd Wellemeyer (31)
Kip Wells (33)
Randy Wolf (33)

Closers
Ryan Franklin (37) - $2.75MM club option with a $250K buyout
Mike Gonzalez (32)
Kevin Gregg (32)
Trevor Hoffman (42)
Fernando Rodney (33)
Rafael Soriano (30)
Jose Valverde (30)
Billy Wagner (38) - $8MM club option with a $1MM buyout

Right-handed relievers
Luis Ayala (32)
Danys Baez (32)
Joaquin Benoit (32)
Rafael Betancourt (35) - $5.4MM club option
Chad Bradford (35)
Doug Brocail (43) - $2.85MM club option with a $250K buyout
Chad Cordero (28)
Elmer Dessens (38)
Brendan Donnelly (38)
Octavio Dotel (36)
Kelvim Escobar (33)
Eric Gagne (34)
Tom Gordon (42)
LaTroy Hawkins (37)
Matt Herges (40)
Bob Howry (36)
Jason Isringhausen (37)
Jorge Julio (31)
Masahide Kobayashi (36) - $3.25MM club option with a $250K buyout
Brandon Lyon (30)
Gary Majewski (30)
Guillermo Mota (36)
Troy Percival (40)
J.J. Putz (33) - $9.15MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Juan Rincon (31)
Duaner Sanchez (30)
Rudy Seanez (41)
Russ Springer (41)
Julian Tavarez (37)
Luis Vizcaino (35) - $4MM club option with a $500K buyout
David Weathers (40)
Jamey Wright (35)
Yasuhiko Yabuta (37) - $4MM club option with a $500K buyout

Left-handed relievers
Joe Beimel (32)
Alan Embree (40) - $3MM club option with a $250K buyout
Scott Eyre (38)
Casey Fossum (32)
John Grabow (31)
Eddie Guardado (39)
Ron Mahay (39)
Trever Miller (37)
Will Ohman (31) - $2.2MM club option with a $200K buyout
Darren Oliver (39)
Glendon Rusch (35)
Scott Schoeneweis (36)
Brian Shouse (41) - club option
Ron Villone (40)
Jamie Walker (38)

Second basemen
Ronnie Belliard (35)
Jamey Carroll (36)
Alex Cora (34)
Craig Counsell (39)
Mark DeRosa (35)
David Eckstein (35)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (34)
Orlando Hudson (32)
Akinori Iwamura (31) - $4.25MM club option with a $250K buyout
Adam Kennedy (34)
Felipe Lopez (30)
Mark Loretta (38)
Pablo Ozuna (35)
Placido Polanco (34)
Freddy Sanchez (32) - $8MM club option with a $600K buyout; vests with 600 PAs
Juan Uribe (31)

Right fielders
Bobby Abreu (36)
Jermaine Dye (36) - $12MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout
Brian Giles (39)
Vladimir Guerrero (34)
Eric Hinske (32)
Geoff Jenkins (35) - $7.5MM mutual option with a $1.25MM buyout
Gabe Kapler (34)
Austin Kearns (30) - $10MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Jason Michaels (34)
Xavier Nady (31)
Magglio Ordonez (36) - $15MM club/vesting option with a $3MM buyout
Randy Winn (36)

Shortstops
Orlando Cabrera (35)
Alex Cora (34)
Craig Counsell (39)
Bobby Crosby (30)
Adam Everett (33)
Chris Gomez (39)
Alex Gonzalez (32) - $6MM mutual option with a $500K buyout
Khalil Greene (30)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (34)
John McDonald (35)
Marco Scutaro (34)
Miguel Tejada (36)
Omar Vizquel (43)
Jack Wilson (32) - $8.4MM club option with a $600K buyout

[cmdterps44]

One of these
John Lackey (31) - 3-4 Years maybe 8M a year? I dont really know what numbers we should throw at him.
Brandon Webb (31) - 2-3 Years (if doesn't resign)

Jarrod Washburn (35) - 1-2 years (if we improve defense, supposedly he relies on defense)
Joel Pineiro (31) - 1-2 years. I wouldn't mind him, especially if we added a Lackey or Webb. He could be that extra pitcher we need to keep our younger guys producing and getting better in the minors.. Depends though since our pitchers pitch well in the minors than suck ass up here.

reliever help
Mike Gonzalez (32) - 1-2 years
Cant really say here.


For second baseman Id go Iwamura or Hudson. I still back Ronnys idea of moving Chone Figgins to second.

[NatsDad14]

I'd go after Joel Piniero or Brad Penny as starters. For relievers, just get 1 or 2 cheap ones. For 2B, go after Hudson or DeRosa.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'd be all for picking up Penny.  It'd give me a chance to throw stuff at him and say "you stink you bum you cost us a freaking shot at the playoffs you overweight hunk of poo." 

Lackey?  Derek Lowe + contract.  Easy. 

Washburn:  purely a creature of Safeco.  don't do it.

[Vega]

I'd consider Duchsherer, Webb, Lackey, and Nady.

[Lintyfresh85]

Duchsherer is out with major depression issues.

I don't know where his head is at right now. He might never be the same.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

What Duchscherer's agent says is it is a "very treatable form" of depression.

Because Duchscherer is a free agent at the end of the season, it's conceivable he has thrown his last pitch for the A's. "I think everyone is extremely optimistic with the progress that he has made in the past few weeks or months," Lapa said. "I think we're all optimistic that he'll return to the mound in 2010."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/21/SPJK19BURN.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0OwN9x2Op

[welch]

Pitching: two big re-unions:

- Glavine and Smoltz
- Bartolo Colon and Livan Hernandez

Otherwise, this look like like something from Dr Strangelove.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

One thing to keep in mind is which players will cost us a 2 round draft choice as a Type A free agent.  Here is a link to the new MLBTR/Ed Bajek pseudo Elias rankings:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19002885/Rankings-082209

You'll note that Hudson is a type A, as is Mark DeRosa.  Polanco, OTOH, is a type B and now probably a better fielder.  Not as good of a hitter and two years older. 

Wolf, Harden and Lackey are type As, as are Beckett and Lee (who will have options picked up).  Pineiro, Marquis, Duchscherer, and Bedard will all be Type Bs (I refuse to consider Washburn).

[shoeshineboy]

The shame of it is that some of these guys could (and should) have been picked up by the Nats in previous seasons. They don't have to pursue certain names. They just have to pursue the talent available for the best deals. It is time for them to stop worrying about yielding a 2nd round draft choice. The players of the future that are actually drafted by them could come from any round. (Lannan and Stammen are examples).

[DPMOmaha]

Billy Wagner

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Stan Kasten informed the Bloggers today that the team will not be looking for an all-star #1 pitcher in the FA Market, but a strong veteran pitcher who can lead these young guys. Mike Rizzo is on that same page.

[sportsfan882]

Stan Kasten informed the Bloggers today that the team will not be looking for an all-star #1 pitcher in the FA Market, but a strong veteran pitcher who can lead these young guys. Mike Rizzo is on that same page.

i.e. a Doug Davis, Carl Pavano type

I was hoping for a Washburn, Wolf, Pineiro.

[NatsDad14]

i.e. a Doug Davis, Carl Pavano type

I was hoping for a Washburn, Wolf, Pineiro.

I do not want Washburn. He was a creation of Safeco field and an amazing OF defense.

I'm hoping we go after Pineiro or even take a 1 year flier on Brad Penny with incentives and a club option if he succeeds.

[spidernat]

Stan Kasten informed the Bloggers today that the team will not be looking for an all-star #1 pitcher in the FA Market, but a strong veteran pitcher who can lead these young guys. Mike Rizzo is on that same page.

Now we see why they give you guys access. They're using you to prepare the fanbase for the continued cheapness. You guys are the lubricant for the eventual reeming. Ease it in Lerners.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Pineiro isn't usually thought of as a #1, and even a Glavine or Smoltz at this point is more like what Kasten is talking about.  The only true ace that is likely to be an FA is Lackey, and he will get a contract north of what Lowe got in terms of year and dollars.  Webb, Lee, and Beckett will have their options picked up.  Other than Lackey, there really is not an ace available, but there might be a few lesser pitchers (Pineiro, Wolf, Duchscherer, Myers) who are worth checking out.  Also, if Pedro finishes the year well, he'd be the type of veteran I'd like here for a year or two while our pitchers mature.

[cmdterps44]

Stan Kasten informed the Bloggers today that the team will not be looking for an all-star #1 pitcher in the FA Market, but a strong veteran pitcher who can lead these young guys. Mike Rizzo is on that same page.

Ah A number 1 stud would help out our rotation dammit.

Well they better grab Wolf or Pineiro atleast.