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| Photo by Richard Wilkins Jr. |
This may, or may not, shock you, but I don't like what I'm hearing so far from Ruben Amaro. He seems lost on the catching front, and by not getting a deal done with Chooch (presumably because Chooch wants too much money or years), now they are likely to have to pay a premium if they want a top tier catcher. This comes as we hear that Ruben is also considering "breaking the bank" again, this time to trade for either David Price or Giancarlo Stanton.
Either of these could sound fine to you, and maybe could even end up fine on the field, but for the fact that the 73-89 Phillies are not one player away from contending, nor is not contending an option for a team with $120.5 million committed to eight players. By letting catcher get expensive, the Phillies lose valuable resources to go for upgrades to the pitching staff and outfield. By trading everything to get one player, the Phillies further weaken their system, and limit their ability to make other moves. In short, it seems short sighted to me.
But with that said, here is my 2014 free agent big board of the moment.
- Masahiro Tanaka– The hard-throwing, 25 year old righty will require a $100 million plus investment, beginning with the $60 million or more on the posting fee. With that said, click the link and look at the numbers he's put up in Japan, and look at his age, and look that he's righty. Imagine the Phillies starting spring training with a rotation of Hamels, Lee, Tanaka, and Miguel Gonzalez in any order. Suddenly, they can pitch again.
- Carlos Beltran- Probable? No. Possible? Yes. If the Phillies can both pay a steep price for him, and convince him they can win.
- Carlos Ruiz- Keeping Chooch is probably the best option at catcher, even though it's not the only option at catcher. They could get offensive upgrades, but what about a defensive one? Seems unlikely.
- Nelson Cruz- This one probably makes the most sense for a team in need of multiple upgrades. Yes, Cruz was tied up in the PED scandal and was suspended, but that will save you a few bucks here. He hasn't hit less than 22 homers in five years. With that said, he's 33, so that should give you some pause.
- Bartolo Colon- Taking a one, maximum two year flier on Colon probably won't hurt. Yes, he put up those last two seasons in Oakland, and yes, there was a 2012 PED suspension, but he seems healthy, and had a great year.
- A.J. Pierzynski- Let's say Chooch leaves. Let's say the verdict isn't in yet on Tommy Joseph's future as a catcher. Let's say you want a year to figure it out. Here's a guy who gives you experience behind the dish, and a power bat.
- Ricky Nolasco- Nolasco to me is a safer bet than Garza and others. He's been in the division, had a good year, and has had good health. He would fit nicely in the middle of the rotation.
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia- His defense has it's holes, but pitchers seem to like him, and his bat is very plus. His age is very plus too. He'll cost a bit, but he makes sense.
- Edward Mujica- Yes, the Cardinals righty wasn't used at all in the World Series after a rough finish, but there aren't many 30 and under relievers with closing experience, throwing hard, and possibly willing to be a set-up guy.
- Jacoby Ellsbury- I'm not crazy about the price, or his injury history, otherwise he'd be much higher. I do like his season though, and his ability. I also like the upgrade in center field.
- Brian McCann- He's the best catcher on the market, offensively. He's 30, has a lot of mileage on him, hits lefty, and will demand high dollar. I'd watch out on this one.
- Shin-Soo Choo- I'd be all in on him, if he wasn't bad against lefty pitchers, like everyone we have.
- Jesse Crain- Having missed some time this year with injuries, he may come cheap, and on a short deal.
- Ervin Santana- I'm a fan of him overall, but a little worried that he can alternate good and bad years, and just had a good one.
- Matt Garza- Garza's finish, and probable price-tag give me pause. He could be much higher on this list, if not for those two factors.
- LaTroy Hawkins- He had a nice year for the Mets, and could be had for a decent price at his age.
- Ubaldo Jimenez- I'm not as afraid of him as I was a year ago. I could deal with this signing for sure. The righty would fit nicely with our lefty aces, if this past season was real.
- Scott Kazmir- He recouped a lot of value with a solid 2013. He's no ace, but he's capable of pitching at this level again, and being a plus.
- Curtis Granderson- The Phillies are apparently interested, though I'd be a little bit weary. He hit 40 homers in both 2011 and 2012, though he did so in Yankees Stadium. He missed a lot of time in 2013, and isn't young. Still, he's worth a good look.
- Joaquin Benoit- If he'll set-up, he'd be a great fit. Something tells me he'd want closer money though.
- Josh Johnson- Highly risky that he won't make it through the year, but the reward is possible too.
- Joe Smith- The side-armer would fit nicely in this bullpen, though I think he'll be popular on the market.
- Chris Young- As a fourth outfielder type or platoon man, Young could work here. Consider him an upgrade on Mayberry.
- Scott Feldman- He was solid for the Cubbies and Orioles this past season, and could fit nicely as a fourth or fifth starter.
- Joel Hanrahan- The former Pirates closer could be available coming off an injury for a cheap rate. He could possibly be brought in on a minor league deal to start out with. If he's healthy, why not look?
