As free agents make their filings, General Managers across the game are starting the process of figuring out how they will put together their teams. An important part of that process is figuring out which free agents they should pursue. Part of the equation is expectations of health. Signing a Jeffrey Hammonds and expecting 160 games a year is pure folly and likely to cause a team to drastically overpay. On the flip side, the team that correctly assesses the risks, and prices accordingly, is much more likely to find the next Esteban Loaiza. While the factors that must be considered go far beyond health, it is one major component–one we’ll look at here with the Free Agent Health Report. Remember, this is not an exhaustive list–players not on this list are neither completely healthy nor completely screwed. They just didn’t make my cut.
Powered by a renewed sense of fiscal responsibility and Pom 100% Pomegranate Juice, here’s your 2003-2004 NL Free Agents…