Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros
LA Angels
Oakland Athleticss
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
This will be the fourth in a series that I will bring to you all that will encompass each position on the diamond, and the best free agents available. I will give a brief about the player's past season, as well as some pros and cons that come with each player. I will finish up with a list of teams that might have interest in the player.
Today, we look at some outfielders. I would have liked to include more, but there are so many average ones available that will receive insane offers, and many will be risky players because of injury, or just similar players that I have listed. I tried to pick one of each type of player in "Best of the Rest."
1.) Carlos Lee
Skinny: Lee split the season between the Brewers and Rangers, yet had success in both leagues. Combined, Lee hit .300, with 37 home runs, 116 RBIs, 102 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases. Lee had the second highest number of steals among hitters with 30 or more home runs (Alfonso Soriano was the highest.)
Pros: Lee is a career .286 hitter, who is a consistant 30 homer threat, and will both score and drive in about 100 runs per year. Can steal a base if necessary. Lee has cut down on his strikeouts in recent seasons, and has become adept at working counts to his advantage.
Cons: There isn't much not to like. He won't be mistaken for a gold glover in left field, and he won't be playing anywhere else around the outfield.
Interested Teams: The Rangers gave up plenty for Lee, so you can bet they will lead the push to sign Lee. The Orioles have an interest as well, with a hole in left field. They would love to place Lee's bat right behind Miguel Tejada. The Astros have plenty of money coming off the books, and Minute Maid would be very effective for a strong right-handed hitter.
2.) Alfonso Soriano
Skinny: Many thought Soriano was going to fade off the map, due to the spacious RFK Stadium, and the move to the NL East. However, Soriano had the best year of his career, putting up a 40/40 season (46 home runs, 41 steals) while hitting .277 with 95 RBIs, and 119 runs scored.
Pros: Great mix of speed and power. He might not be stealing many bases with a huge contract, but the threat is always there on the basepaths. Hitting 46 home runs at RFK, and in the other spacious parks in the NL East (save Philadelphia) translates to around 55-60 anywhere else. Led all outfielders in putouts last year with his rocket arm
Cons: Probably looking at a Carlos Beltran type deal, and as mentioned above, won't be risking injury by stealing. While Soriano does have a rocket arm, he is still learning the outfield, like the correct angles, when to cutoff and when not to, etc. Soriano also posted his highest strikeout total in his career (160) and in his entire six year career, has posted at least 100 strikeouts.
Interested Teams: The Nationals didn't trade Soriano at the trade deadline because they thought they could keep him. They will attempt to keep him, but only to keep the fans from an uproar. The Phillies have money to spend now, and Pat Gillick prepared for this. They have the money to make Soriano happy. The Dodgers could use a sparkplug like Soriano, especially after a bitter breakup between the team and JD Drew.
3.) JD Drew
Skinny: Drew opted out of his final three seasons of his contract to join a free agent market relatively lacking in hitters. In 2006, Drew's second season where he stayed relatively healthy, he averaged .283, an OBP of .393 with 20 homers and 100 RBIs (which led the Dodgers) with 84 runs scored, and a very good defensive outfielder who can play all three spots.
Pros: When healthy, Drew is one of the best outfielders around. Close to gold glove caliber defense, and a career .286 hitter with a .393 OBP and .512 slugging percentage. Add the fact that Drew is a left-handed batter, and a team has a perfect middle-of-the-order hitter.
Cons: Key word is health. There are only two seasons where Drew has missed fewer than 27 games. The injuries are usually the nagging variety, which cause him to leave some early, and suffer through the pain while playing. While he has a very good OBP, Drew will strike out 100 times a year.
Interested Teams: The Red Sox could use an outfielder with flexibility, and Drew would enjoy a short right field fence, plus a small area in the corner spots (where he would presumably play.) The Mets are looking for Cliff Floyd's replacement, and if they elect for experience, Drew won't cost them as much as Lee or Soriano will. The Giants could use his left-handed bat to replace Barry Bonds.
4.) Gary Matthews Jr.
Skinny: The 32 year old came through with a career year in 2006, making the All-Star team and showing up on countless SportsCenter Top Plays and Web Gems. Matthews managed careers highs for average (.313), home runs (19), RBI (79), runs scored (102), OBP (.371), and provided gold glove defense in centerfield.
Pros: Excellent defensively, and can play all around the outfield, even though center is home. Has patience to draw occasional walk.
Cons: "Career year" has to be flashing around in everyone's mind. This was the first year Matthews had consistant playing time, but there was a reason he never build on previous success. Will a new contract set Matthews back?
Interested Teams: The Rangers don't want to lose Matthews as well as Lee, so expect them to get a deal hammered out fast. The Cubs could use the toughness and spark that Matthews brings to the game every day in center as Juan Pierre's replacement. The Giants are very interested in plugging Matthews into center.
5.) Barry Bonds
***Writer's Note: I personally think that Bonds will not be playing much, if any, outfield next season, meaning he'll be a DH in the American League. However, Bonds has never played as a DH full-time, so he will be an outfielder for now.
Skinny: After a knee injury shelved Bonds for the first month or so of 2006, he came back to hit .270, with a .454 OBP, 26 homers, 74 RBIs, and slugged .545. After spending many years in the field, Bonds will likely end up in the AL, where he can DH and not be a liability in the field.
Pros: Power left-handed bat, who is also a .299 career hitter, with a .443 career OBP. Can be a cleanup hitter for any AL team as a DH, and the left-handed bat many teams need. Added bonus is the publicity and marketing that will come when Bonds eventually ties and passes Hank Aaron as the all-time home run leader.
Cons: Will not be playing the field in all likelihood, limiting him to the 14 AL teams. Is not a positive influence in the clubhouse, and is a risk, even at DH, with his knee and advancing age.
Interested Teams: Fits Peter Angelos' type of player for the Orioles and a short left-field fence will be great for Bonds. The Athletics could sign Bonds if Frank Thomas finds a better offer. Very small chance, maybe not even remote, that Bonds will return to the Giants but stranger things happen.
6.) Juan Pierre
Skinny: Pierre started out the season terribly, hovering around the Mendoza line, but somehow turned it on to finish with a .292 average, and 204 hits. Pierre scored 87 runs, and stole 58 bases on the season.
Pros: Despite a slump, and the rigors of leading off and playing center, Pierre managed to play in all 162 games for the fourth straight season. Pierre will have around 200 hits a year, with the speed for 50 plus steals, as well as the ability to bunt and stretch hits. Defensively, Pierre has a good glove, and superior range.
Cons: For a leadoff hitter, he can't seem to draw many walks. Pierre has little power, with just 12 career homers. While he has superior range in the outfield, his arm is terrible. Still, teams are drawn to him because of that speed.
Interested Teams: The Phillies need a leadoff hitter, so they can move Rollins down the lineup, where he fits better, and to get on base for Utley and Howard. The Rangers could come calling if they lose Matthews, and owner Tom Hicks is known to overpay.
Best of the Rest:
Moises Alou proved that he's still got it in 2006, hitting .301 with 22 homers, 74 RBI, and a .571 slugging percentage in just over half a season. Even though a move to the AL to DH might serve Alou best, he has never ventured away from the NL. Expect him to sign with a contender that is looking for that last missing piece.
Luis Gonzalez struck it big once he moved to the NL and the Diamondbacks. He struggled with age through 2006, but put in a respectable season, hitting .271 with 15 homers and 73 RBIs. He has at least a season left, so expect Gonzo to stay in the NL, probably the NL West so he can play against his former team 19 times.
Dave Roberts will be the alternative to those who lose out on Juan Pierre, or a team looking for a cheaper version. in 06, Roberts hit .293, with a .360 OBP, and 49 steals in 499 ABs.
Jose Guillen set himself up for a big payday, thanks to performances in 2004 and 2005, plus keeping himself out of trouble. However, Guillen struggled with injury, playing in only 69 games in 2006. He averaged a meager .216, with nine homers and 40 RBI. If a team is looking for a cheap, one year spark and is willing to risk a possibly outburst (not likely) Guillen is the option for them.
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Feel free to comment about any player on the list, or a player you think should be on the list. Throw out another team for some of these players. This was meant to serve as a free agency primer for you guys, so lets get some discussion going.
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