Free Agent Primer

Jason Michael Barker

Eligible players have until November 11 to file for free agency, but for the most part players who are going to file already have. Currently there are 105 free agents in baseball, each of whom will be shopping his tawdry wares to various general managers in hopes of landing a job for the 2000 season.

Likewise, GMs around the country are mapping out which players they intend to pursue in order to fill their team's needs. That in mind, here's a look at the players who will be highly sought-after in the coming weeks (as opposed to, say, Ozzie Guillen):

Catchers
Sorry, no Mike Piazza this year. It's slim pickings behind the plate, with only veteran stopgaps such as Chad Kreuter, Terry Steinbach, Joe Girardi, Benito Santiago, Kirt Manwaring and Joe Oliver available. One intriguing possibility is Dave Nilsson, who is clearly the best hitter of the bunch, but he might not be available. Nilsson has said that he might take a year off to compete for his native Australia in the 2000 Olympic Games, but nothing is certain at this point.

First Basemen
The list begins and ends with John Olerud, an underappreciated hitter with a fabulous eye at the plate. The Mets would love to retain his services, but are expected to have considerable competition from the Mariners, who hope Olerud will return to the Northwest, where he grew up. New Seattle GM Pat Gillick also has a good relationship with Olerud and his family, having drafted and signed John out of Washington State University a number of years ago.

Other lesser options include David Segui, Paul Sorrento, Mike Blowers and Jeff Conine. Segui is a stellar defensive player and decent hitter, so he'll likely draw the most interest from clubs looking for an upgrade, although in the end he'll probably be overpriced. The other three could be had for much less, but like my grandpa always says, you get what you pay for.

Second Basemen
Again, no Roberto Alomar this season. For that matter, no Jose Offerman or Delino DeShields, either. The list includes Mark McLemore, Mickey Morandini, and Carlos Baerga, none of whom is going to turn a club into a championship contender. Tony Phillips can probably be had on the cheap, but it remains to be seen if a team out there is willing to take his baggage as well as his on-base percentage.

Teams seriously looking to upgrade at second might be better off trying to pry Craig Biggio away from the Astros. Biggio is a fixture in Houston, but he's also up for free agency following the 2000 season, meaning they might be willing to part with him for the right price.

Third Basemen
Another fairly weak crop, with Todd Zeile the only player likely to command big money on the open market. Zeile isn't a good defensive player by any stretch (27 errors in 1999), but his bat would be a welcome addition for many clubs. The question will be which team is willing to give him a long-term deal. At 31 years of age, I'd be willing to give him a two-year deal with a club option for year three, but nothing more. Zeile himself is no doubt looking for a longer contract.

Other veteran options include Ed Sprague and Tony Fernadez. Sprague had a surprisingly good year with the Pirates last season, but shouldn't be expected to repeat. Fernandez also had a good year at the plate, but isn't really capable of playing the field much anymore, and Toronto has talked of re-signing him to be their designated hitter next season.

Shortstops
If you're looking for defense, go with Rey Sanchez, a stellar defender with a weak bat. Sure, he'll hit around .290, but he doesn't draw walks or hit for power. If you're looking for more offense, go with Jose Hernandez, who has some pop in his bat (19 homers last season) and gets on base at a decent clip. Beyond those two it's Ricky Gutierrez and Jeff Blauser. 'Nuff said.

As with second base, the best bet for upgrading at short is to skip free agency and go after Alex Rodriguez in trade.

Outfielders
Among the fly chasers on the free agent market, Greg Vaughn is the best of a mediocre lot. Vaughn is coming off two decent seasons, but is getting on in years (he'll be 35 next July) and reportedly wants a four-year deal worth between eight and ten million dollars per season, neither of which make him a very good signing.

Three other possibilities include Roberto Kelly, Gerald Williams and Brian McRae. McRae is coming off a horrible year, which might mean he'll come cheap, but he isn't nearly as bad as he showed in 1999. None of the three should be counted on as regular starters, but each would make a good fourth outfielder.

Starting Pitchers
No Randy Johnson or Kevin Brown, but there's some depth to the field this year. Veterans David Cone, Chuck Finley, Andy Benes, Juan Guzman, Omar Olivares and Orel Hershiser would all be good additions to a club looking to shore up its starting rotation with 200 solid innings. Cone is a good bet to stay with the Yankees, while Cleveland will no doubt be interested in Finley, Benes and Guzman.

Aaron Sele (a bit younger than the others) is also on the market, and the Rangers may view him as expendable with the addition of Justin Thompson. Seattle would like to sign him to bolster their rotation, and Sele, like John Olerud, is a Northwest native.

Further down the list are Pat Rapp, Dwight Gooden, Butch Henry, Bobby Witt, John Burkett, Jeff Fassero, Steve Traschel, Steve Avery, Jason Bere, Darren Oliver and Donovan Osborne. With starting pitching at a premium these days, you can bet that each of these guys will have a job somewhere next season, and will make quite a bit of money doing it.

Relief Pitchers
When was the last time a top closer was on the free agent market? Perhaps John Wetteland after the 1996 season. This year is no different -- tons of relievers are available, but very few of the elite class. This makes sense, since most teams look to lock up anybody who can pitch to a contract.

The top reliever available this offseason is Mike Jackson, coming off a subpar year by his standards. Other notables include former closers Mike Fetters, Greg McMichael, Mike Trombley, Mike Stanton, Mark Leiter, Norm Charlton, Gregg Olson, Bobby Ayala, Mark Wohlers and Jeff Brantley. Perhaps that says more about the "former closer" label than it does about this crop of pitchers.

Ageless situational lefties Paul Assenmacher and Graeme Lloyd are also on the market, in addition to southpaws Arthur Rhodes, Mark Langston, Allen Watson and Rich Rodriguez. Have left arm, will travel, as the saying goes.

So there you have it. All in all, a pretty weak class of free agents, particularly compared to what was on the market last season. The one place I think a team could help themselves is with all those starting pitchers on the market. No dominating pitcher leads the group, but there's a good group of veterans who would fit nicely in the middle of a rotation somewhere.

about the author

Jason Michael Barker is also known as "Master of the Nose Flute." Explain why, during his concerts, no one sits in the first five rows at jmb@strikethree.com.