Monday, November 13, 2006
Free Agents: The Infielders
Hello All! We started by looking at the starting pitchers, and then the Left-Handed relievers. On Friday, we talked about the right-handed relief pitchers. Today, I will talk about the infielders. And be sure to come back the next couple of days when I will discuss the catchers and the outfielders yet. I have and will be attempting to predict where the players may go and for how much. Like any prediction or projection, it is a glorified guess, but I would like to put my guesses out there and compare my lists to the "experts" picks and see how I do. My information comes from things I've read or heard, but mainly it is just me, trying to think like a GM and trying to place players with teams that make sense. I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of them, so let's get some Comments going.
There are 46 infielders on the market as of now. Over the weekend, Aramis Ramirez agreed to a five year deal to stay with the Chicago Cubs. Kerry Wood and Wade Miller each signed one year deals to stay with the Cubs as well. In other words, the below list of players has been update through the events/signings of the weekend. As I have with the other lists, I am going to name the players, their former team, a couple of comments on them, my projection for where they will end up and for the contract they could receive.
Finally, I will tie this into the Twins, since this is a Twins blog, and discuss if that player makes any sense for the team. Do the Twins really need an infielder? That's a fair question. If the season were to start today, the Twins would be solid at 1B, and have Luis Castillo, Jason Bartlett and Nick Punto as their infield. Could they go into the season with that group? Certainly, and that would not be horrible. However, if they could get a good deal on a power hitting 3B, they could go after him. They could also trade Luis Castillo, and move Nick Punto to 2B. It's also important to remember that Alexi Casilla is nearly ready to contribute to the Twins. So again, if I say that the Twins could be interested, it doesn't mean that it would happen or they're even thinking about it. But, one of the best things about Twins GM Terry Ryan is that he always surprises us in the offseason with something. If it can make the Twins better, he must look at it. Let's get it started:
The Infielders (46)
First Basemen (13)
Jeff Bagwell
2006 Team - Houston Astros
Comments - Bagwell missed all over the 2006 season and much of 2005 as well with tendonitis in his right shoulder. He can no longer play 1B. He is a DH and PH at this stage meaning that the American League is the only place he can play. That said, I appreciate that he has stayed with one team. The Astros signed Craig Biggio for one more year over the weekend, and I would like to see Bagwell retire as an Astro as well.
2007 Projection - Retired
Contract - Retired
Twins Interest? - For the right price, and if he can hit and has bat speed, he could be the team's DH and a veteran RH hitter off the bench.
Sean Casey
2006 Team - Detroit Tigers
Comments - A career .302 hitter. He is still just 32 years old. He was traded to the Pirates from the Reds before last season, and then went from the Pirates to the Tigers at the trade deadline. He has hit just 17 home runs the last two years after hitting 24 in 2004. I think some Reds fans got tired of him because he could hit for average, but his power was very inconsistent.
2007 Projection - Cleveland Indians
Contract - 2 years, $13.5 million
Actual - Tigers, 1 year, $4 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Nomar Garciaparra
2006 Team - Los Angeles Dodgers
Comments - It's hard to believe that the eldest of the Three Shortstops (Nomar, Jeter and A-Rod) is 33 years old. Unlike the other two who have long-term deals, Garciaparra is a free agent for the third straight year. The main reason for that has been the injury history. Nomar hit .303/.367/.505 with 31 doubles, 20 homers and 93 RBI all while learning to play 1B. However, he played in just 122 games. I don't think he will be playing 1B for the Dodgers next year as I think James Loney has earned that. If he comes back to the Dodgers, it would likely be at 3B.
2007 Projection - Philadelphia Phillies
Contract - 2 years, $18.5 million, with third year team option.
Actual - Dodgers, 2 years, $18.5 million
Twins Interest? - If he is willing to play 3B and DH, and if we can insist that Gardy give him a day off every week to ten days, and if my dollar projection is accurate, why not?
Shea Hillenbrand
2006 Team - San Francisco Giants
Comments - He puts up offensive numbers that, despite his lack of walks, would have made him a lot of money in 2007 and beyond. But then he wrote "this is a sinking ship" on the clubhouse bulletin board in Toronto and was released, and all that ended up sinking was his future earnings. He went to San Francisco and his numbers naturally fell based on the ballpark. I think it will be interesting to see how all this affects where he ends up, and how much money he will make.
2007 Projection - Baltimore Orioles
Contract - 3 years, $16.5 million.
Twins Interest? - None.
Brian Jordan
2006 Team - Atlanta Braves
Comments - For the first time in his career, Jordan was a role player. He played 25 games at 1B without an error. In 48 games played, he had just 98 plate appearances. In my mind, Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He has had a great baseball career. The 39 year old is considered a great team guy and a great leader, and he stands as a terrific role model for younger players. Sounds like Atlanta is the perfect place for him.
2007 Projection - Atlanta Braves
Contract - Minor League deal with $700,000 Major league contract.
Twins Interest? - None.
John Mabry
2006 Team - Chicago Cubs
Comments - A year ago, I thought that the Twins should go after Mabry for his versatility and for a veteran off the bench. Now, after he hit .205/.283/.324 in 2006 and his OPS has gone from .867 to .702 to .607 over the past three years, I think that many teams will just pass on the 36 year old for a younger model.
2007 Projection - Boston Red Sox
Contract - 1 year, $750,000
Twins Interest? - None.
Doug Mientkiewicz
2006 Team - Kansas City Royals
Comments - The former Twin is all about the defense at 1B, something I think is vastly overrated. He did have a solid season with the Royals this year hitting .283/.359/.411. However, for the second straight season, Mientkeiwicz's season ended prematurely due to injury. He went on the Disabled List on August 1st and had back surgery. Mientkiewicz is a solid defensive 1B who, despite not being a great hitter, does usually put together solid at bats.
2007 Projection - New York Yankees
Contract - 1 year, $1 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Kevin Millar
2006 Team - Baltimore Orioles
Comments - Millar is another one of those guys (like Torii Hunter, AJ Pierzynski, Chad Johnson) who just like to hear themselves talk. However, he really has had a solid big league career, maybe even underrated. Last year with the Orioles, he hit .272/.374/.437 with 15 homers. You have to be impressed with the Isolated Discipline of .102 (his career is .079 which is solid too). At 35, you have to wonder how much he has left. The past two seasons, he has averaged 133 games played.
2007 Projection - Minnesota Twins
Contract - 1 year, $2.5 million.
Actual - Orioles, 1 year, $2.5 million.
Twins Interest? - My initial thought is none, but his consistency is a positive. I just wonder how well he would react to strict DH time with the occasional OF and 1B opportunities.
Phil Nevin
2006 Team - Minnesota Twins
Comments - Although Nevin hit just .239 in 297 at bats last year, he did hit 22 home runs. He started the season in Texas, then spent a couple of months with the Cubs before the Twins acquired him at the August 31 trade deadline. And, despite the fact that he could be a power source, Nevin played less than half of the time in September. He either walked or struck out most of the time when he did play. He has been a solid contributor. He really is without a position at this point of his career.
2007 Projection - Baltimore Orioles
Contract - 1 year, $4 million.
Twins Interest? - I wouldn't mind the Twins bringing Nevin back if they will just play him (instead of Jason Tyner) at DH! But, I don't think that they should, or will.
Eduardo Perez
2006 Team - Seattle Mariners
Comments - The 37 year old son of Hall of Famer Tony Perez is a nice right-handed hitting platoon player. With Cleveland last year, he hit .303/.363/.636 with nine doubles and eight homers while platooning with Ben Broussard. He was then traded to the Mariners and really struggled at the plate. Soon after, the Mariners also acquired Broussard. Perez, when used correctly against lefties, can be a good part-time player.
2007 Projection - Atlanta Braves
Contract - 1 year, $1.1 million.
Twins Interest? - None.
Matt Stairs
2006 Team - Detroit Tigers
Comments - Stairs is another guy who has really had a quietly solid big league career. Despite his lack of stature, he has an isolated discipline of .095 for his career. The Canadian has an incredible power stroke and would be a solid DH or possible DH. Defense is far from his specialty although he can play 1B or RF.
2007 Projection - Kansas City Royals
Contract - 1 year, $1.25 million.
Twins Interest? - None.
Frank Thomas
2006 Team - Oakland A's
Comments - To have Thomas as a 1B isn't really accurate. He is strictly a DH. He has no speed and can barely move, but he takes great at bats and when he does chose to swing, he hits that ball hard and a long way. The A's took the risk of signing him last spring, and it paid off for them with a MVP-caliber season. The 38 year old had just 11 doubles to go with his 39 homers and 114 RBI. This year, he will need to be paid.
2007 Projection - Oakland A's
Contract - 2 years, $19 million
Actual - 2 years, $18 million, third year option
Twins Interest? - None.
Craig Wilson
2006 Team - NY Yankees
Comments - It surprised me to know that Wilson is just 29 years old and has only been in the league for 5+ seasons. He spent the first five seasons with the Pirates before being traded to the New York Yankees in July. I like his power numbers, but for my liking, he just strikes out too much. His youth in free agency is definitely to his benefit though!
2007 Projection - Cleveland Indians
Contract - 2 years, $7 million
Twins Interest? - If the price is right, I would have no problem with the signing of Wilson as a DH, backup 1B, backup RF, RH pinch hitter.
Second Baseman (10)
Ron Belliard
2006 Team - St. Louis Cardinals
Comments - Belliard is a solid 2B. With the bat, he is a better than average 2B. There was talk that he would return to the Indians this offseason (he went to the Cardinals at the trade deadline and won a World Series championship), but they acquired young Josh Barfield last week. The Indians could still sign him and play him at 3B if they don't think Andy Marte can handle it as Belliard plays 3B throughout the Winter season in the Dominican. If he were to play 3B, he would likely be a slightly below average offensive threat there.
2007 Projection - Atlanta Braves
Contract - 3 years, $13 million.
Twins Interest? - None.
Miguel Cairo
2006 Team - New York Yankees
Comments - Being a utility infielder for the Yankees is like being a backup catcher for any other team. I mean, Jeter and A-Rod play every day, and when Cano is healthy, he plays every day. Cairo hit just .239 in 2006, but he has shown in the past that when he does need to play more, he can hit a little bit.
2007 Projection - New York Yankees
Contract - 1 year, $1.2 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Ray Durham
2006 Team - San Francisco Giants
Comments - When healthy, Durham has always been a very good contributor. 2006 may have been the best year of his career. The 34 year old hit .293/.360/.538 with 30 doubles, seven homers and 26 RBI. In his four full seasons in San Francisco, he has averaged missing 35 games a year, but just 23 the last two years.
2007 Projection - San Francisco Giants
Contract - 2 years, $12 million.
Actual - Giants, 2 years, $15 million.
Twins Interest? - None.
Chris Gomez
2006 Team - Baltimore Orioles
Comments - Gomez has been a great utility guy since signing with the O's before the 2005 season. With the O's, Melvin Mora, Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts all play almost every day. So his playing time has been limited, but in 2006, he hit .341.
2007 Projection - Baltimore Orioles
Contract - 1 year, $900,000
Twins Interest? - None.
Adam Kennedy
2006 Team - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Comments - Howie Kendrick is the reason. Kennedy has been a solid, decent average hitter for the Angels. He has been a mainstay in their recent playoff teams. But, the upside (and price) of Howie Kendrick is why Kennedy is expendable. Kennedy is definitely one of those types of players who contribute to winnings teams without the glory. He could help another team as early as next year. The only problem is that he generally finds a way to miss about 20 games a year.
2007 Projection - St. Louis Cardinals
Contract - 3 years, $11.25 million
Actual - Cardinals, 3 years, $11 million.
Twins Interest? - None.
Mark Loretta
2006 Team - Boston Red Sox
Comments - After two straight .800+ OPS seasons, Loretta's OPS the past two years have been .707 and .706. Loretta is a decent hitter. Last year, he hit .285/.345/.361 with 33 doubles, five homers, 75 Runs and 59 RBI. He also played in 155 games.
2007 Projection - Cincinnati Reds
Contract - 2 years, $6.75 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Kazuo Matsui
2006 Team - Colorado Rockies
Comments - He definitely came into the league with some expectations, but in the limelight of New York, Kaz Matsui was an unquestionable failure. His defense was horrible at 2B, but way better than it had been at SS! Finally last year he was dealt to the Rockies at the deadline. In 32 games with the Rockies, he hit .345/.392/.504 with 11 extra base his and 19 RBI to go with eight stolen bases. To be fair, he has missed a lot of time in New York due to injury each season.
2007 Projection - Colorado Rockies
Contract - 2 years, $6.5 million with an option year.
Actual - Rockies, 1 year, $1.5 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Jose Valentin
2006 Team - New York Mets
Comments - In spring training, the Mets 2B job was between Kaz Matsui and Anderson Hernandez. Valentin was brought in to be a bat off the bench and a reserve. By midseason, he was the every day 2B and he played very well. In 137 games, he hit. 271/.330/.490 with 24 doubles, 18 homers and 62 RBI. With that kind of productivity, I would think that several teams would be interested in him as a 2B as those numbers are great for a 2B.
2007 Projection - NY Mets
Contract - 2 years, $7.5 million
Actual - NY Mets, 1 year, about $3 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Todd Walker
2006 Team - San Diego Padres
Comments - Just think, if the 32 year old, former Twins top pick could play anything resembling decent defense, he could have really made a lot of money by now. But instead, each of the teams he has played with has been happy to get rid of him. All that said, he can hit and that is why he is still in the league. He can also play some 1B, 2B and 3B in a pinch.
2007 Projection - Seattle Mariners
Contract - 1 year, $2.25 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Chris Woodward
2006 Team - New York Mets
Comments - Woodward has played in 81 and 83 games during the past two seasons for the Mets. Last year, he played all four infield positions plus both corner outfield positions at different times. He isn't a great hitter, but he allows regulars time off.
2007 Projection - NY Mets
Contract - 2 years, $1.75 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Third Basemen (13)
Rich Aurilia
2006 Team - Cincinnati Reds
Comments - Aurilia became essentially an every day utility player for the Reds last year. In 122 games, he hit .300/.349/.518 with 25 doubles, 23 homers and 70 RBI. It was by far his best season since his monster 2001 season (by the Bay). If he will continue to play that much, he is due for a bit of a raise, but at 35, how many teams will give him that?
2007 Projection - Cincinnati Reds
Contract - 2 years, $4.5 million
Actual - Giants, 2 years, $8 million
Twins Interest? - None.
David Bell
2006 Team - Milwaukee Brewers
Comments - When it comes to non-productive corner infielders the last couple of seasons, David Bell would have to be high on the list. He signed a big contract with the Phillies after a good season in San Francisco in 2002. He was then bad and hurt in 2003. He had the best season of his career in 2004. He was horrible again in 2005 and then somehow, the Phillies were able to ship him off to the Brewers at the end of the season.
2007 Projection - Texas Rangers
Contract - 1 year, $2.5 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Geoff Blum
2006 Team - San Diego Padres
Comments - Blum is a guy who is more of a utility player than an every day guy. However, with Khalil Greene missing several games, Blum proved that he would not hurt the team as the everyday SS. He had a big home run in the 2005 World Series for the White Sox. He is just a solid player who should stick around for several more years.
2007 Projection - San Diego Padres
Contract - 1 year, $950,000
Twins Interest? - None.
Aaron Boone
2006 Team - Cleveland Indians
Comments - Back in his early, Cincinnati Reds days, Boone was a very solid young player with an excellent future. Then he was traded to the Yankees in a very controversial deal at the time for Brandon Claussen and a lot of money. His half-season with the Yankees was full of ups (Ask Tim Wakefield, I'm sure he remembers) and downs (much leading up to the Wakefield moment, and then that pickup basketball game that cost him the 2004 season. When he came back in 2005, he just wasn't the same. Then the deal for Andy Marte really signaled the end of Boone's line in Cleveland. At this point, I think that Boone would be best as a small city team's 3B/2B type.
2007 Projection - St. Louis Cardinals
Contract - 1 year, $1.75 million.
Twins Interest? - Wow, with that 'small city team's 3B/2B type', I almost thought that he might be a good fit in Minnesota to split time with both Nick Punto and Luis Castillo. Just doesn't make sense at this price even.
Vinny Castilla
2006 Team - Colorado Rockies
Comments - I thought it was classy of the Rockies to sign Castilla and call him up for September. Sure, he's been done for a couple of years, but Castilla's glory years all came in the altitude of Coors, and it would be nice for him to go out there.
2007 Projection - Retired
Contract - Retired
Twins Interest? - None. Would be right up there with the Tony Batista signing from a year ago!
Jeff Cirillo
2006 Team - Milwaukee Brewers
Comments - Cirillo started his career with several solid seasons in Milwaukee followed by two very good years in Colorado in 2000 and 2001. After that, he had two horrible seasons in Seattle and one in San Diego. Many believed that he was done, and just forgot how to hit. But, before the 2005 season, he returned to the Brewers and has done a very nice job as a part-time player. In 112 games this year, he hit .319. He is able to play 2B, 3B and 1B and pinch hit. He played a lot of 2B because of the injury to Rickie Weeks.
2007 Projection - Milwaukee Brewers
Contract - 2 years, $1.85 million.
Twins Interest? - None.
Pedro Feliz
2006 Team - San Francisco Giants
Comments - In the past three years, Feliz has averaged 33 doubles, 21 homers and 88 RBI. Those are good numbers. Now, let's look at the not-so-pretty side. In his career, Feliz has hit .252/.288/.436. He doesn't walk much and he strikes out too much. And, although he's only been a regular for about three-and-a-half years, he is already 31 years old, so I think he is the player he is. That's not a bad player. He will continue to put up numbers, but he can not be an elite type.
2007 Projection - Pittsburgh Pirates
Contract - 3 years, $17.5 million
Actual - Giants, 1 year, $6 million.
Twins Interest? - His raw numbers might not be bad at 3B. I wouldn't like them, but you never know. Certainly more productivity than Punto.
Tony Graffanino
2006 Team - Milwaukee Brewers
Comments - Graffanino has always been an excellent utility player. He has put up very solid numbers each year (OPS over .700). But he has also shown that he can play on a regular basis. He can hit a little. He can get on-base. And, he does have a little pop in his bat. At 34, it is likely that he will remain nothing more than a utility player, and a very good one.
2007 Projection - Toronto Blue Jays
Contract - 2 year, $3.5 million.
Twins Interest? - None.
Wes Helms
2006 Team - Florida Marlins
Comments - Although he ended the season with just 240 at bats, Helms played in 140 games for the young Marlins team. He hit .329/.390/.575 with 19 doubles, five triples, ten home runs and 47 RBI. Although he played 88 games at 1B, he also played 24 at 3B. He is worthy of a chance at a full-time gig.
2007 Projection - Minnesota Twins
Contract - 2 years, $2.1 million with a 3rd year option
Actual - Phillies, 2 years, $5.5 million with a 3rd year option
Twins Interest? - I think he is definitely worth consideration. He could platoon with Nick Punto at 3B, playing the field against left-handers. He could DH in other games as well as his OPS was over .900 against both righties and lefties. An under-the-radar kind of guy would be great for the Twins.
Aubrey Huff
2006 Team - Houston Astros
Comments - Huff was one of the hitters that the Devil Rays were hoping to build around. They signed him to a big three year deal to get past arbitration, and he did well with the bat. He was really without a position and played some RF, some 1B, some 3B and was probably best suited for the DH role. 2003 was his best year when he had 47 doubles, 34 home runs and 107 RBI. 2005 was not a good year for him. Last year, he was dealt to the Astros in July. In both leagues, he had an OPS of over .800. So, he is a solid, left-handed bat that, in the right place, could still be a strong contributor. The fact that he is still just 29 years old helps his cause.
2007 Projection - Houston Astros
Contract - 3 years, $19.5 million
Twins Interest? - Not at that money, considering he would likely hit 7th in the lineup.
Joe Randa
2006 Team - San Diego Padres
Comments - A year ago at this time, Randa was one of several names that Twins fans felt the team should go after to play 3B. He went to San Diego for $4 million. He then played in just 89 games and hit 367/.316/.388 with four homers and 28 RBI. he is again a free agent and if healthy could be a solid option for a team.
2007 Projection - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Contract - 1 year, $2.5 million.
Actual - Retired
Twins Interest? - I don't think so anymore. He will play the 2007 season at 37 years of age.
Scott Speizio
2006 Team - St. Louis Cardinals
Comments - Speizio made a name for himself in the NLCS with several very clutch hits. Odds are that some people/GMs will think he is worth more than he is because of it (see Suppan, Jeff and Weaver, Jeff). Speizio's .862 OPS in 119 games and 276 at bats was a career high. That said, he still has a career OPS os .748 which is OK. The problem is that he is a corner infielder primarily, and that is not too good.
2007 Projection - Oakland A's
Contract - 1 year, $1.5 million
Actual - Cardinals, 2 years, $4.5 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Fernando Tatis
2006 Team - Baltimore Orioles
Comments - I like reading minor league box scores throughout the season, and seeing Fernando Tatis being successful down there was very cool to me. Tatis had been in the big leagues from 1997-2003 including a 34 homer, 107 RBI season in 2001 with the Cardinals. However, he was out of major league baseball in 2004 and 2005, but he put together a solid AAA season in 2006 and earned his call up.
2007 Projection - Baltimore Orioles
Contract - Minor league.
Twins Interest? - None.
Shortstops (9)
Royce Clayton
2006 Team - Cincinnati Reds
Comments - Clayton has now played in 15 big league seasons, and in almost all of them, he was one of the worst hitters in baseball. In 2,031 games and over 7,000 at bats, he is a career .258/.313/.368 hitter. That said, he is excellent with the glove and will likely find himself another home in 2007.
2007 Projection - Chicago White Sox
Contract - 1 year, $1 million
Actual - Blue Jays, 1 year, $1.5 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Alex Cora
2006 Team - Boston Red Sox
Comments - Cora is another guy who really can not hit too much. He had one solid season offensively in 2003 with the Dodgers. He hit .291/.371/.434. His career numbers in almost 2,500 at bats are .244/.310/.344. However, he is an excellent defensive middle infielder.
2007 Projection - Boston Red Sox
Contract - 2 years, $2.5 million.
Actual - Red Sox, 2 years, $4 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Craig Counsell
2006 Team - Arizona Diamondbacks
Comments - Counsell is a guy who came up big in postseason play so many mistake that for thinking that he is good. He does have a cool batting stance though. He is a career .260/.344/350 hitter. He has no power and little speed. He makes most of the plays that are hit to him. He played a great 3B a bunch of years ago. At 36 years old, he may be in need of a utility job especially if he stays in Arizona where Stephen Drew will be the SS for the foreseeable future.
2007 Projection - Cincinnati Reds
Contract - 1 year, $1 million
Actual - Brewers, 2 years, $6 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Damion Easley
2006 Team - Florida Marlins
Comments - Easley had a couple of really good seasons in 1997 and 1998 and got a huge contract. He was so bad by the end of it that the Tigers paid him a lot of money to not play for them. He had a couple of bad season, but the last couple of seasons he has been a solid utility type.
2007 Projection - Florida Marlins
Contract - Minor League Contract
Actual - Mets, 1 year, $850,000
Twins Interest? - None.
Alex Gonzalez
2006 Team - Boston Red Sox
Comments - Gonzalez made just six errors in 111 games for the Sox last year. No, he can't hit much, but he is a great defensive player who makes routine plays and has range. In 2003 and 2004, he combined to hit 41 homers. He had nine last year. Defense may be one of the undervalued parts of the game, and Gonzalez is as good as anyone.
2007 Projection - Boston Red Sox
Contract - 3 years, $9 million
Actual - Reds, 3 years, $14 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Jose Hernandez
2006 Team - Philadelphia Phillies
Comments - Hernandez has played for seven teams... in the last three seasons. Since 2002, he has had one season with an OPS over .680, and yet teams continue to sign him. He does have a lot of power when he does make contact.
2007 Projection - Philadelphia Phillies
Contract - 1 year, $750,000
Twins Interest? - None.
Julio Lugo
2006 Team - Boston Red Sox
Comments - Lugo has been a very unheralded player in Tampa Bay the last few years. He is a solid defensive SS, and he usually has an OPS in the upper .700s. He can steal bases as well. He was traded to the Dodgers for Joel Guzman and more. For giving up that much, I would think that the Dodgers will put up a fight to keep him this offseason. But they have a full infield.
2007 Projection - Toronto Blue Jays
Contract - 4 years, $29.5 million
Twins Interest? - No need to spend the money.
Tomas Perez
2006 Team - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Comments - Perez was one of the bottom five hitters in baseball in terms of VORP. He hit just .212/.224/.286 on the season for the Rays. If not for a 5-5 game against the Rays, he would have hit .194. He had spent the previous six seasons with the Phillies and the first four years of his career with the Blue Jays.
2007 Projection - Kansas City Royals
Contract - Minor League deal.
Twins Interest? - None.
Jose Vizcaino
2006 Team - St. Louis Cardinals
Comments - Vizcaino has been around forever! He came up in 1989 with the Dodgers and has since played for eight teams. He was with the Cardinals for the stretch drive and in just 16 games with them, he hit .348/.375/.609 with three doubles and a homer in just 23 at bats. At 38, he could still stick around as a utility infielder and pinch hitter for a few more years.
2007 Projection - Florida Marlins
Contract - 1 year, $1.3 million
Twins Interest? - None.
Here are just a couple of other thoughts from over the weekend.
I wrote another article for the Twins Cities Dugout. It is about the AL MVP award and more of my reasoning behind my choice.
For those of you that are American Idol fans, several past finalists are releasing albums in the next couple of months.
I watched the Vikings/Packers game yesterday, or at least most of it... seriously, that's another three hours I can't get back!
And the Wolves, after starting out 2-0, they have played up (or down?) to expectations.
Did you see that the University of Minnesota's men's basketball team lost an exhibition to D2 champion Winona State? Tonight, their first regular season game comes against North Dakota State University. We know what they did to the Gophers football team last month!
I haven't wanted to see a movie in the theatre for awhile, but as a huge fan of Da Ali G Show, I definitely want to see Borat!
Pat Neshek reports that he will be doing an autograph signing next weekend at Moundsview Square Shopping Center. Money will go to charity.
The Twins did re-sign LHP Jason Miller last week, but Beau Kemp signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tomorrow, I will continue my look at free agents with more of the hitters. Please leave any comments below. Thanks!