Final Free Agency

Did you know this was labeled as the weakest FA market of all time but the most Type A and B's signed in a season?

Cy Bruske may be slowing down in his old age but still made it onto the roster in Montreal for another year with a $2M deal. A very good and cheap signing if you ask me.

After the loss of Harry Flores the Marlins finally made a move to replace him with Felix Higashioka in a $2.2M two year deal.

Gorkys Diaz was signed by Milwaukee in a $1.6M one year deal. He is actually the best 1B on the team but don't expect him to play there.

Now for something different,  who I had on my FA target list. Of course I had certain needs over anything else and I was in sort of a bind with money. For one I needed a backup SS and in all reality I wasn't looking for anything else, but then shit happens.

Harry Flores was my first choice as a SS, he would have become my starter if Toronto hadn't stepped in and gobbled him up earlier than I had hoped. I was waiting for the $4M mark and he got close to it.

Omar Ordonez was available and the Toronto signing made me grab him immediately for fear of losing him. I was actually hoping he would be there late and snag him for next to nothing after I had my SS.

If you notice, neither one was a Type A or B which was a surprise to me. Ordonez I could understand as he was listed as a 2B, a position he could never play well. Flores on the other hand was a better choice than the others and some were listed as Type B.

Felix Higashioka was a Type B and went at a price I was looking for.

Lariel Rivera made my list though was at the bottom really.

Luis Bennett would have made a fine backup whom Pittsburgh snagged cheaply.

Jody Taylor was on the short list also. My thinking on him though was that someone made an offer and either he didn't like it or whoever backed out of it because his price stagnated for the longest time.

Albert Valenzuela and Lariel Andrus were both on the list. I liked their hitting abilities and thought long and hard because the defense just wasn't there. Hard giving up 20 to 40 points of PC when the pitching staff isn't exactly robust.

I actually picked up Carl Browning to be my backup SS/CF in the Rule V draft. Surprised me to no end.

There were several pitchers I drooled over but knew I didn't have the cash to go after them. But I did find a couple that made my list and why they didn't find there way onto other teams is beyond me. I guess decent lefties is not a hot commodity. Of course I wasn't looking for #1 starters or even one that could actually make the team this year in fact. I was looking for an emergency player for AAA that could be called on due to injury.

So Cesar Perez was signed cheaply enough and a three year deal to go with it. Hey, I have some big pitching holes coming up next season and it was a chance to plug one now.

Karim Pulido was also on the list, but he is more of a long setup type pitcher to me.

Could have had either one for the same amount of money. I went with Perez because he has starter qualities and much younger.