Prospect Report:
(Semi-)Secret Free Agents

David Cameron

The World Series is upon us, which means just one thing: Most baseball fans are looking for something else to do. For as much as Fox pushed the "New York healing" story, I can't find one person who is rooting for the Yankees who doesn't normally root for the Yankees. Or as one of my colleagues put it, "I'd root for the freaking Taliban against the Yankees."

The stories are starting to float out about free agency and which teams are interested in certain players. This a relatively weak year for free agents, so we're likely to see replaceable parts like David Bell get millions of dollars from someone. However, it's not like these teams don't have options. Every year some quality players are available for the major-league minimum and are better options than players who sign multi-year, multi-million-dollar contracts.

Minor-league free agents are the gem of baseball offseasons, and one of the keys to the Oakland Athletics' success. We'll do a quick rundown of which talented players could help your team next year for a song.

Catcher: Angel Pena, Los Angeles Dodgers, 26 years old

In just under 200 at-bats at AAA this year, Pena hit .313/.370/.616 (BA/OBP/SLG), which pretty much lines up with his mashing in previous years. He's a bit old and has problems with plate discipline, but power like his is rare from catchers. He's gotten a reputation as a bad egg in Los Angeles, but apparently matured a good deal this season and is ready to take a step and make himself a better player. Some astute team could make him a backup early and get an above-average starting catcher by the All-Star break.

First Base: Ron Wright, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 25 years old

A former top prospect in the Pirates' system, he ran into serious back problems that derailed his career before it ever started. He's floated around, attempting to get healthy, and has made it back to AAA. He put up a decent .262/.340/.460 this year. He'll never be a star, especially with his health questions, but he's leap years ahead of Kevin Young. Remember, the Angels went into camp with Larry Sutton and Wally Joyner this year, so Wright really deserves a chance somewhere.

Second Base: Jed Hansen, Kansas City Royals, 29 years old

A classic utility player, Hansen can play just about anywhere but has no distinguishable "tools" to make scouts notice him. What he does is hit for a decent average, walk a bit, and occasionally put the ball over the wall. He was useful for the Royals in 1997, but disappeared after a poor 1999. There were plenty of second baseman that were far worse than Hansen this year and held starting jobs.

Third Base: Kevin Orie, Philadelphia Phillies, 29 years old

Third base was a black hole for a lot of teams this year, which is sad when Kevin Orie was simply hitting AAA pitching like he always has. He's not your typical slugging third baseman, but he has a good line-drive swing and gets on base a lot. He walked more than he struck out, which is always a good sign, and slugged .444. He's not a good defender, but his bat makes up for it. A former 3B-of-the-future for the Cubs, he should be someone's 3B-of-the-present next year.

Shortstop: Jorge Velandia, New York Mets, 26 years old

Velandia had a bad year in AAA Norfolk this year, but he shouldn't have been there in the first place. He's been a better hitter than Rey Ordonez for years, and scouts actually like his glove, which is the knock on most shortstops that can hit. His plate discipline is mediocre, but he has pop and a little speed. He'll never be a star, but he's certainly better than both Alex Gonzalezes.

Left Field: Lyle Mouton, Detroit Tigers, 32 years old

The career line for two separate players:

Derek Bell: .276/.336/.421
Lyle Mouton: .280/.339/.420

Derek Bell got $9 million over two years from the Pirates last offseason, while Lyle Mouton got a minor-league free agent contract with the Tigers. Mouton slugged .600 in AAA and is every bit the player Derek Bell is. He's not great, but if given a chance and used correctly, he could probably hit .280/.350/.460 and be a productive, cheap, starting left fielder.

Center Field: Rich Becker, Detroit Tigers, 29 years old

Rich Becker actually got accused by his coach of walking too much in spring training, which led to his release by the Marlins. I wonder if anyone ever accused Rickey Henderson of this. Becker gets on base, plays solid defense, can hit a little bit, and is versatile enough to play any of the three outfield positions. In a year where only 13 players posted a .400 OBP in the American League and Roger Cedeno turned down $15 million, it's amazing that Rich Becker can't find a job.

Right Field: Butch Huskey, Colorado Rockies, 29 years old

Huskey does one thing well, and that's mash left-handed pitching. He's not ideal as an everyday player, where his plate discipline will cost you a lot of outs, but he has a skill that's valuable and could be a very productive player if used wisely. It wouldn't be hard to pick up another minor-league free agent who hits righties but not lefties (like, say, Rich Becker), platoon the pair and get a very solid outfield duo for under $500,000.

There are literally hundreds of pitchers in the minors who are available for nothing who could be useful major-league relievers. Guys like Andrew Lorraine, Rick Croushere, Rigo Beltran, Brian Rose, and Sang-Hoon Lee could all be solid, useful guys out of the pen, and that's just a tip of the iceberg.

Keep in mind when your GM is announcing the signing of Rob Ducey to a two-year contract that there are guys out there who are far better players, and would take a contract for the league minimum. Good teams find these guys. Bad teams sign Derek Bell.

about the author

David Cameron would like you to know that he's available for only a slice of delicious pie. Start the bidding at rhubarb at dac@strikethree.com.