Transaction Analysis B... (11/23)
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November 23, 2009 Prospectus TodayOutfield and Catcher Free Agents Review
There are lots of free-agent catchers and outfielders, many of whom provide little or no bang for the buck. Again, these players are listed roughly in order of what I see as their chance of providing value for the contract they'll sign. Catchers Rod Barajas: Best known for his power, Barajas has thrown out at least a third of the runners trying to steal against him in every year since 2002. That's across four teams in both leagues, so it's not just a pitching staff thing. He can't play every day because he's an OBP sink, but the arm and the power make him a very good backup; that's worth a guaranteed deal. He's the player people think Jose Molina is. Miguel Olivo: It is extremely hard to stay in the league with a K/BB ratio of seven to one. Olivo catches, has very good power, and throws well, giving him enough value to survive regular sub-.300 OBPs. He fits a whole bunch of teams, especially good teams with starting catchers who bat left-handed or switch-hit and don't throw well. And have high payrolls. And play in the same division. The Red Sox should eat Jason Varitek's contract and add Olivo to that Team Pretzel-mix they have. Henry Blanco: His legitimate cannon behind the plate (40 percent career CS%) has always made him a good backup, and he's become enough of a threat against lefties to have some tactical value. He's the player people think Brad Ausmus is, and definitely one of the stealth bargains in this market.
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Team Health Reports: Washington Nationals
Projecting any free agent outfielder as being signed by the Orioles reflects an ignorance of the Orioles' roster. The O's do not need to sign outfielders. They have 4 serviceable outfielders (Markakis, Jones, Reimold, Pie), 5 if you include Scott
The inclusion in the article probably reflects knowledge of the O's front office over the actual current roster construction. Having said that, I'm sure Orioles fans are hoping for more than a "serviceable" result for 2010.
Where do you see such a projection? Matsui would be an everyday DH guy, not an outfielder, and Hinske was just a joke.
Take a deep breath. I'm sure Joe was going for the cheap joke, in which he succeeded.