Intl' Market News

It was really nice to hear that someone liked my posts well enough to be invited back for a guest appearance. I am really cramped for time, no it isn't that time of the month either, and haven't done this in a while so bear with me. Hmm a bear hug would be nice though. Get your minds out of the gutter, mine stays there but I was taught by the best and it has its rewards .

Reporting Live from somewhere its Linda Loo! Yup, that's me alright.

Oswaldo Solano was given a slew on money by the Reds, $19.2  in bonus to be exact. We will give him the benefit of a whimsical advent that he can play SS someday though it looks like the Reds want him to play 3B. He is fast on his feet which is very helpful as his running knowledge might be bit dreadful. Huh, reminds me of my booty call QB last semester, think he got hit in the groin once too often, E-D ya know. At the plate he can really stuff down the tacos, oops wrong plate, sorry. Well, he can hit with authority against right handed pitchers with some power, maybe that was what was wrong, I am a lefty either that or he has mommy issues.

I am giving him an A+ grade for fake baseball purposes but garners an F in the bedroom err..well the shower stall at that awful High A park, he lacks experience. Maybe Yoker needs to find him a DJ's sister (hope I remembered that right).

Jeanmar Lopez was paid $12.1 by the Maple Leafs. As a catcher he outright stinks, I'm not even sure Old Spice would help the odiferous stench in that department. At the plate is an altogether different agenda than behind it. He could be that splendid OBP guy that most clubs covet these days though his power is not that encompassing. What is it with these kids today, they have a bedroom acumen of a two year old, or is it that I am grown up too much. I now know why Cougars want the younins and us ladies want the older guys.

We had this debate the other day, why don't you horn dogs chime in. Who would you lust after in their young prime?

Draft Quagmire

Here it is, time to rank those blithering idiots that want to be potential MLB players. The Mets are crying in their beer. Okay, I'm not a big lover of beer and wine gives me a massive headache after just one glass.  I do fancy rum or gin and they do make some very flavorful ones these days and this draft board deserves a full bottle outing. I swear the creation engine for the Mets was on drugs and not roids for sure when creating my board. We have four picks in the top 50 and I don't even see a top 10 prospect let alone one that might make a decent ML player one day.

How bad is it? I have 5 players ranked in the 80's overall, not so bad ya say.  Two of those are of quantifiable SS quality that might play a decent 3B if given a chance, a 2B that could play CF also but would probably make his home on the DL, a CF that could play no better than RF and a mascot hitting pitcher. Out of those, only 1 has the chance to actually make it to 80.

Follow that with 20 players gracing their presence in the 70's, two of them has been tossed out due to malfeasance and the rest could spend their entire career in the minors without attaining a 70 rating.

Draft strategy for the Mets is gonna be simple, tank the draft and push them into next years draft. Oh bloody hell, can't do that either as I don't even have enough "probablies" to make that work even.

Power Rankings, Week 2

Another week in, and not much is sorted out.  There are a LOT of teams that are doing pretty well.  But  here's how I sees them, with last week's rank in parentheses:

1.  Chicago Cubs (8).  Josepaco working on a fifth straight season atop of the NL North.  Somewhere, Ferris Bueller is pleasuring himself off to this state of affairs.

2.  Tampa Bay (6).  Last season's champs, proving that pitching and defense can win games.

3.  Florida (12).  Ivan Johnson's win totals are down from past seasons, but his peripherals are as strong as ever.

4.  Kansas City (20).  They had a hell of a week.

5.  Colorado Springs (5).  Beat up on some bad teams, and were only mediocre against the good ones.  Despite the best record in the AL, a terrible sign for the playoffs.

6.  Cincinnati (4).  There are four teams with 24 wins.  Cincinnati is on the top of that heap thanks to pure talent.

7.  Texas (10).  Both AL wildcard teams could come out of the South this season.

8.  Atlanta (7).  I am distressed to see that former Colorado farmhand Chuck Harris is being used only sparingly in Atlanta, but you can't argue with results.

9.  LA Dodgers (1).  LA's beginner's luck runs out, as he learns that this game has a steep learning curve.

10.  Anaheim (16).  The offseason rebuild continues to show results.

11.  Arizona (11).  Harpo Cust isn't a name, it's a description of why a Marx Brothers movie got censored.

12.  Detroit (2).  Oh my, what a terrible week they had.  But a team this talented will, like the Edsel, spring back eventually.

13.  Baltimore (15).  Jrockers, thanks for turning that last minute assignment on Friday.

14.  Milwaukee (14).  The commissioner knows more about women's clothing and beauty supplies than any other man in this league.  Let's leave it at that.

15.  Seattle (18).  With zero advanced scouting since Season 16, these guys have been completely blind to developments in the market.  Sort of like Microsoft.

16.  Mexico City (21).  There is some evidence that, with the soft US economy, millions of Mexican immigrants have returned home.  Sjpratt has responded to this influx by hiking ticket prices.

17.  San Francisco (3).  It looks like the former Little Rock players carried their defeatist attitude with them to SF.

18.  Boston (17).  They've been in the playoffs every season since 14.  I bet by week 8 we see them lined up for another appearance.

19.  Minnesota (19).  Much like a gay porn producer, Minnesota has maxed out his scouting of 18 year old boys.

20.  Dover (9).  You have to get all the way to number 20 to find a team with a losing record.

21.  Washington (23-29).  Washington is the first to break from last week's 23-29 pack.  But will the Senators finally pass a damn budget?

22.  Louisville (31).  Jumping from 31 to 22, Louisville is on pace to be number 4 in 2 weeks.

23.  New York (11).  A bad week for firesign, who needs to bring back the Linda Loo posts.

24.  Philly (23-29).  Wholck is roughly on pace to repeat the identical 72-90 records of seasons 24 and 25.

25.  Pittsburgh (23-29).  Sorry, my kids are all whining that I'm monopolizing the computer, so nothing to say about Pitt.

26.  San Diego (23-29).  Brucehearse is the most earnest player in the game.  At least when he's drunk.

27-29.  Helena/Montreal/St. Louis (23-29, 30).  The French trifecta, all their best players are moving to Belgium.

30.  Toronto (22).  How about them Raptors?

31.  Little Rock (23-29).  Has Robertbaron really logged 3000 HBD games in various worlds since picking up this dirty habit just a couple short years ago?  His children have been effectively orphaned.

32.  Houston (32).  People are running for their lives in Houston.  No really, they've got more than 100 SB only 40 games into the season.  This has got to be some kind of record in the making.  

Week One Power Rankings

We're a week into the season, so it's time for some power rankings.  In an effort to actually do this every week, I'll be keeping things shorter than in the past.  With that said, here's where things stand after a week:

1.  Salem.  I mean LA.  Newbie Victor Evian is rocking the league in his rookie campaign.

2.  Detroit.  Just like in real life, Detroit is back!  Only fake Detroit didn't need $100 billion in bribes bailouts union welfare investment from Uncle Sam to do it.  And fake Detroit is actually winning.

3.  San Francisco.  As best I can tell, the SF rebuilding plan consisted of nabbing guys from Little Rock, after Little Rock gave up on its own rebuilding plan.  Sort of like the Grapes of Wrath.

4.  Cincinnati.  Eight players with an OVR in the 80s.  If I were a betting man, and I am, I would go to fake Vegas and take them for the Series.  I would also get some fake lap dances while I was there.

5.  Colorado.  The best offense in the game by a wide margin, but the fourth worst pitching staff.  Look for major reversions to the mean in both areas.

6.  Tampa Bay.  A microscopic 2.77 ERA for the AL.

7.  Atlanta.  From 60 wins in season 23, to an average of 110 the last two seasons.  No reason to believe they won't be in the playoffs again.

8.  Chicago.  Korean Pat Suzuki is doing all of our wives Gangnam style.

9.  Dover.  Rule V draftee Joakim Caballero has an ERA asymptotically approaching infinity.

10.  Texas.  Everett Hill quietly just hit his 800th home run.  Will steroid rumors keep him out of the Hall?

11.  Arizona.  Apropos of nothing, Arizona's AAA, AA, and High A teams all have 11-11 records.

12.  Florida.  The team's winning percentage has declined every season since 22.  Of course, they still had 101 wins last year.

13.  Milwaukee.  The sixth of six teams with identical 12-10 records.  Wish cancer on me, will you!

14.  New York.  Firesign's squad gets the nod among five teams with 11-11 records for his blogging awesomeness.

15.  Baltimore.  If I want jrockers to work for me over weekends, I need to toss him the occasional HBD bone.

16.  Anaheim.  Will their offseason spending spree get them above .500?  Not to date.

17.  Boston.  Has a losing record at the moment, but no one believes this will last.

18.  Seattle.  With his health rating of 47, it's only a matter of time before we can all talk about how Mike Hunt hurts.

19.  Minnesota.  One flaw in the simulation, why are the Twinkies not playing at Target Field?

20.  Kansas City.  Player of the Week Del Alvarez is goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus.

21.  Mexico City.  Does sjpratt see international prospects from places like Cleveland and Duluth?

22.  Toronto.  You have to say this, northerngaul is loyal to his veteran players.  Closer Pascual Solano does not belong anywhere near a major league roster.

23-29.  Philly/Montreal/Little Rock/DC/Pittsburgh/St. Louis/San Diego.  Seven more teams with identical 9-13 records.  See my note above about trying to save time with this thing.

30.  Helena.  A 7.02 team ERA.  You almost wish they would purposefully load up with bad pitching to see how high it can go.

31.  Louisville.  The team isn't that bad on paper.  Unfortunately, the game is played on dirt and grass.

32.  Houston.  Winners never tank and tankers never win.  Don't tell that to boydndahood, unless you want to suffer dozens of nasty chat messages.

Intl Market

Anaheim spent $13M to sign Jhonny Francisco.  He looks to have a bright future as a starting pitcher though he might give up a few more dingers than necessary with that ugly 3rd pitch. A great cheap choice for the money in my estimation as he looks like he could have been a top 5 candidate in the draft.

Grade: A

Toronto spent $12.1M for the rights to Jeanmar Lopez. The really bad thing is his health rating being a bit troublesome. His offense is considered first rate though his defense behind the plate might land him in a backup role albeit a full time DH. Still a great choice for the money that may have landed a top 10 to 15 pick in the draft.

Grade: B+

Tony Renteria got $3M from Los Angeles.  Could turn into a good defensive SS in the future, hitting is not all that ugly but below good. All in all he would still garner a late first round pick.

Grade: B-

Olmedo Mendoza agreed to terms with Dover for $3M. A doubtful closer with probable low splits though his control and pitches could propel him forward. His somewhat low health isn't that convincing either. Still could have been drafted in the first round, most likely supplemental.

Grade: B-

Yuniesky Arias signed with Colorado Springs for $2.4M. I'm convinced that he can play 2B or CF adequately. Hitting is not his forte however but shouldn't be a strike out victim all that often and has plenty of speed. He does rank in the 1st round category and definitely came at a fire sale price.

Grade: B

John Chang - Toronto: $1.5M. Defensive stand out at SS but a hitting disaster.

Dayan Taveras -  San Diego: 1.2M. Iffy proposition to make it above AAA.

Ivan Pujols - Dover : $1.2M. Unlikely candidate to last long before retiring.

Jhonny Mateo - Tampa Bay: $1.1M.  20 points in glove and contact would have brought a meaningful fight in the cash department but could still have a limited future in the ML.

Matty Martinez - Montreal: $1.1M. Great defense at SS and speed. Odds for the ML would be limited to a backup role if at all.

Tandems

Rules for Tandems are are as follows. Any A must be followed by a B. If you want regular starters they must be before tandems. Most run into trouble setting up tandems because they try to save the roles after setting 1A and 1B with other roles still set following them which is not allowable.It is actually easier to set them in reverse order starting with Tandem4a and b ensure you remove all starters below 4 first.

Configurations:

Tandem1A 
Tandem1B
Tandem2A
Tandem2B
Tandem3A
Tandem3B
Tandem4A
Tandem4B

Starter #1
Tandem2A
Tandem2B
Tandem3A
Tandem3B
Tandem4A
Tandem4B
 
Starter #1
Starter #2
Tandem3A
Tandem3B
Tandem4A
Tandem4B


Starter #1
Starter #2
Starter #3
Tandem4A
Tandem4B

NL Preview

NL North

Chicago: And who is your daddy? I don't see them being stopped at all. Of course the players could always go out on strike. Is it true that Pat Suzuki is dating Hunni Boo Boo or Winnie the Pooh?

Cincinnati: They made the playoffs for the first time since the great Erff was in charge.  Expect another playoff appearance this season with a higher seed even.  Don't think they are strong enough to overtake the Cubs.

Pittsburgh: A perennial playoff team but I am not sure Benji Franco can keep their streak alive. Not a good sign when two Rule V players make the roster. Even worse, one is named Pokey, just makes me wonder where Gumby is hiding.

Milwaukee: Desi Guerrero is smiling as he made the roster. Don't look now, might have ROY written on his forehead, then again the nurse might be holding his hand instead.  The Brew Crew actually looks in tip top shape this season. Highly disheartening when ST started out with two shut out loses.

NL East

Atlanta: No one is brave enough to stop them. This season they look even better than the Cubbies.

New York: After back to back 85 win seasons, the best they can hope for is a third and that  is seriously doubtful.  Pitching is a sore subject and moving back to Shea probably won't help.

Louisville: Improving but have some holes but should have a better season than last. Could easily find their way into second place but a playoff spot is iffy.

Philadelphia: Still in rebuild mode but have a few talented youngsters making their way. Pat Hill's nickname is Hank and does a great Boomhauer impression well actually imitation
is more like it.

NL South

Mexico City: They look strong enough, yup me thinks so, to end the Florida rain.  Though I am not 100 percent sure of that as the pitching could cause some issues.

Florida: Still as strong as ever, well almost. Ivan the Terrible is back and will get closer to the 400 win plateau. Lets face it, the youngsters are not as good and the vets, well they are aging. They won the crown without Ivan so we still give them a fighting chance.

St. Louis: Too many youngsters to be an imposable threat but the rebuild moves forward. Another season or so then look out.

Houston: Lets face it, they will be better than last year. The minors are marshaling so maybe next season they become a team to upset the old apple cart.

NL West

Arizona: They became the first division winner other than Salem in 9 seasons last year. Can they do it again? I wouldn't count them out. My thinking is that they are actually a stronger team than last seasons squad. First they have to prove they can beat Salem (pseudo Los Angeles) again. Plus they have to face some up and cumming division foes.

Salem...err.. Los Angeles: Am not ruling them out in a title run. The pitching staff and offense are still good enough to see the job through. I thought Rick over the Hill might be a stretch to play 1B, but money ball says he will do just fine.


San Francisco: Never know what to expect in the land of Giants. This season is no exception in that rule. Last year it looked like a tank, yet this season looks to be going for the gold. Now, will the play like gold or turn their hands green with envy.

San Diego: It actually takes a well thought out and put together team to play here. The owner has the right idea, just not sure the mix has the right consistency yet.

Best Guess:

1. Atlanta
2. Chicago
3. Mexico City
4. Arizona
5. Los Angeles
6. Florida

Teams that will make a lot of noise: Cincinnati, San Francisco

The AL Preview

AL North

Detroit: Here is a team that looks really great on paper and should easily be a 90+ win team. Dom Tabaka may or not be in the closer role though he looks well suited to make another 40 save run which would be his 6th in a row, btw that is a record for top closers. He is also only 2 saves away from vaulting into 2nd place all time in the saves department.

Minnesota: This team is poised to give the Tigs and others fits all season long just like Toronto last year. The biggest downfall I see is the catcher position, Denny Yamaguch, as I don't think he has what it takes to control the pitching staff. The roster isn't entirely filled out and may stay that way until the 23rd game of the season which makes it hard to give thorough justification.

Toronto: The team seemed to have peaked at the right moment to steal the crown last season, this season could be a different story. The pitching staff doesn't look all that bad even with the all-time saves leader, Pascual Solano, almost needing a walker to find the mound. The offense doesn't look to offend anyone other than themselves.
 
Montreal:  The good news is they are getting better. They still have some holes to develop and the pitching staff doesn't look over powering. The minors are a beehive of activity in the development process but it might be another two seasons before dividends mature.

AL East

Boston: By virtue of their pitching staff should once again be playoff bound. The competition is going to be stiffer this year than in the past however. Not really thrilled by the what looks to be inconsistent offense however. They will put some dents in the Green Monster.

Baltimore: Has had two identical 82-80 seasons and a third above .500 is eminent I do think. The relatively young pitching staff and inconsistent lineup doesn't look conducive to post season play however. Defense will look shaky at times.

Dover:  A dark horse contestant lives here with a good mix of vets and youngsters. They will make some noise before it is over to Boston's chagrin. If Jeff O'Toole complements Patrick Towers and the pitching staff holds together then we are in for an exciting division race.

Washington: Has pieces to the puzzle but have too many weaknesses to be a contender. The loss of Harpo Cust to FA didn't help matters at all.

AL South

Texas: Their first order of business this season was to find some pitching. I am not sure
Clinton Cedeno and Joseph Wang were highly touted in the money ball routine. Both were Met castoffs though Wang was pretty good in most situations and has a good season left in him.  Everett Hill is going to look old playing 1B, okay so he is...old I mean. Picking up Ariel Serra might have been a master stroke. Can they win the crown is another matter.

Tampa Bay: As strong as ever the last few seasons and the Champs no less. Snuck Nicky Paige right out from under me. It is gonna be a close hard fought race with them Rangers, who will end up on top is too close to tell.

Kansas City: If you think the division is a lock between Texas and Tampa Bay, you have another thunk a comin. KC might even be stronger than the other two if I see things right. This is all going to depend on how the ball bounces.

Little Rock: They said they were going to start over..errr...something like that anyway. Well, after looking things over, it seems that is not exactly true, more like regrouping. They will be competitive but don't expect nothing better than a 4th place finish.

AL West

Seattle: They don't look impressive until you look things over independently. A short roster at the moment, hmmm, AAA has three talented players that will probably make the trip but a fourth comes from left field...ummm. So they didn't look impressive last year and won the crown. 

Colorado Springs: At first glance my thoughts were simple...OH MY! After doing a deep search however some things came to light. Defense is really pretty good, pitch calling is trite and is sacrificed for offensive output. Offense is really power minded but can be up and down. Pitching looks great on the surface and can hold good leads, tight ones could be problematic.

Anaheim: They went shopping in the off-season and played money ball to the max. If ST is any indication, the team could gel and cause some serious problems in the division. Will it work is the question. Black Bart is gonna be the catcher, oooh the gloom starts already but it could work out for a change.

Helena: They have had identical records the last two seasons. The youngsters need to work together to be successful. They are the youngest team in the AL I think with the oldest player checking in at a mere thirty. They can be a factor if they get off on the right foot. If ST is any indication however, it could be another long season.


Best Guess:

1. Detroit - I really like the ergonomics
2. Boston - Every time I go against them, they win
3. Colorado Springs - Too much is too much sometimes
4. Tampa Bay - Have to choose one of them
5. Dover - I just like the team and think they are gonna play leap frog
6. Anaheim - Yeah, that's right, I'm choosing them over Seattle, KC and Texas.

Actually those two Wild Card spots could be filled by up to 6 or 7 different teams.

Rule V Draft

I didn't have my hopes set very high until I saw the roster and licked my chops as there must be something worth having after seeing all those high overalls. OOh, was I sorely mistaken. An hour of searching high and low yielded 1 player and he will go in the top 3 I would assume.

My board looks like this:

1. Cookie Mijares: Originally I thought he should have been protected but after some pondering I decided he will never be ML material. His control will probably get better, splits are rather dismal and maybe a little growth but not much and really only has one pith, highly over-rated.

2. Jim Conner: Might be the best player in the draft and should have been protected. Could make someone a good 3B/RF and so-so at other positions. Hitting isn't great but good enough that he could stick at the ML level.

3. Boots Rivera: AHHH HAH I thought until I saw that dismal glove that only a 1B could make. Hitting could be interesting.

4. Neil Diaz: Fingers crossed that he could grow some in the split department until I saw the health. He isn't ready and probably never will be.

5. Tony Takada: Plays a dismal 1B and hitting could be an adventure even with the upper mid range power.

6. Juan Chavez: Looks good until you get to the pitch department where he will serve up a lot of gopher balls.

7. Alberto Estrada: I liked this kid, has room for growth and has the ability. Then I looked at the health, but for $400K he could be worth a shot and not go on the DL for sun stroke.

8. Sammy Brown: Speaking of over-rated....a mascot killer in disguise. Think I need to have a talk with my scouts.

9. Carlos Franco: Don't expect anything in improvement, maybe a trickle. A lifetime AAA player if you ask me.

10. Bubba Winn: Maxed out in too many places to see any improvement and the health isn't very exciting either.

Final Free Agent Signings

Better get caught up as some biggies are going to wait til the final minute it seems.

J.C. Welch signed a 1 year deal with Seattle. This is the second player I have seen decline the option and bolt to the market and gain nothing, in this case lose money.  I actually had my eye on JC and would have looked nifty in RF or 3B for us but that durability...

Jimmie Torres signed a 1 year $8M deal with the Twinkies. This concludes the fact that upper quality pitching is in very short supply with a big demand and it is only going to get worse.

Neifi Montana signed a 2 year deal with Detroit. Another quality lefty that has seen better days.

Luis Sanchez signed a 3 year deal with Toronto. I would have given him a 5 year deal myself but I chose Boone instead because of  the FB ability.

Roger Metzger signed a 2 year deal with Anaheim.  When you sign a Type A, it should be for a lot of money and giving up a draft pick, this is an exception on both accounts.  Rather cheap for his playing abilities and other than a supp and huh? Looks like something shady happened if you ask me, 2nd round pick, did Pittsburgh get the shaft or what?  Still his health is a very sore subject.

Bill Lloyd makes his way to Anaheim with a cheap two year deal. Looks like a good fit but his health and durability could be very debilitating as the season grinds away. Shaky CF play may also cause some problems.

 Harpo Cust steams into Arizona with a very large settlement as expected. Will ST determine who is gonna play where in the Arizona defense that isn't exactly pristine anywhere.

Tony Lansing landed a very nice 3 year deal in Detroit. It is very possible that he wanted to find his family roots in Michigan instead of the money.

Alex Matos accepted the 3 year deal from Boston. Egads, hope it is full of incentives and options otherwise it could become rather Tuck Buckian.

Louie James with his drug induced mug was signed by Anaheim for 2 years.  Still a pretty good 3B.

Jesse Brennaman packed his bags for Chicago this year. Still the hitting genius.

Yeico Calles signed a 1 year deal with Detroit. Wasn't used much last season at the ML level but me thinks that will change.

Jorge Marmol agreed to terms with Atlanta for the season. Backup player?

Rob Key signs a 2 year deal with KC.  This should improve the line up a little.

Dusty Ingram signed a 2 year deal with Little Rock. The unfortunate part is that he might be the best pitcher on the staff.

Another Round of Signings

Emil Sosa signed a 2 year deal with Anaheim. Giving up a supp and a second round pick is an easy thing to do when quality pen pitching is needed. With the addition of Don Zhou the Angels pitching staff is shaping up nicely.

Paul Pecina signed a 2 year deal with Anaheim. Adding a little more help to the starting staff rather cheaply.

Jack Castillo signed a 3 year deal with Florida for $9M per. Little did they know they were fighting with the Mets who finally walked away from the table after not agreeing to a 5 year deal for 7 cycles.

 Bernard Shelley signed a 2 year deal with Anaheim who has been busy in the market and still has more to go. Not a bad deal for both parties IMO.

Dean Boone agreed to a 3 year deal with New York. New York seems to like quality lefties but still not sure it is a good fit.


Nicky Paige signed an odd ball 3 year deal with Tampa Bay. This once again was probably brought on by the Mets as we walked away from the table not willing to add another year to the deal.

Michael Barry signed a large contract with Arizona for 5 years. The Mets had their radar on him but we had nothing to do with this one as we thought his price would drop.

Carmen Moorhouse signed a 4 year deal with San Francisco. Harp Cust must getting one hell of a contract IMO.

Dom Tabaka signed a 1 year deal with Detroit for $6M. Makes me wonder why he opted out of his contract.

Emil Flores  signed a 3 year deal with Pittsburgh. All that talent and amusingly so-so in Salem and New York, probably turn into a superstar as a Pirate.

Shaggy Stratton signed a 2 year deal with Anaheim. Sources say he also got a new Mystery Machine in the deal.

Major Free Agent Singings At A Glance

Cesar Martin was signed by Baltimore in a 3 year deal for a decent amount of money. He declined a little which has been common of late with most position players, not sure why. Had some great seasons in Pittsburgh that could be better than expected. Can play a decent 3B but not even close to GG stature. Hits with some heavy power but strikes out a lot.

Clark Key was signed by Montreal in a 3 year deal that has me reeling a bit. What I would consider being in heavy decline already but still has the ability to be a top bull pen guy but for how long.

Jesus Martinez signed a 2 year deal with Atlanta. They like power and he has an abundance but his skills at catching isn't going to win any awards. Can start about 100 games and very handy as a DH. A somewhat of an improvement over Sticky Russell however.

Tony Baez signed a three year deal with Detroit.  Not the greatest glove for RF but does have a nice arm. A good fit for the club but which average will show up for them.

Ross Banks signed a 3 year deal with Boston. Carlos Hernandez must be really in the dog house.

Quentin Henry signed a 2 year deal with Chicago. My first thought was that Chicago let better pitchers hit the FA market, but after close inspection they were the short reliever types for the most part. So is he insurance against a broken "Willie"?

 Bart Ross signed a 2 year deal with Anaheim. This move caused quite a stir in the AL and Anaheim fans. Looks like a shake up as probably John Simms might be in the dog house. Who will be the DH and who will be catching is the pondering question. Especially on a team that has many other needs.