Spring Training is officially underway, and all is right with the world again. That means it’s time for us to step up our baseball coverage, starting with the completion of our free agent report. Miss a section? Here you go:

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X.

National League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX.

Philadelphia Phillies

The defending World Champions had great balance in 2008, with a powerful lineup, a great bullpen and a fine rotation. This is a team that’s been on the rise for a couple of years now, but can they defend? Well, with a mere four free agents to deal with this offseason, they were more or less guaranteed to return virtually intact.

Pat Burrell, OF: This consistent slugger won’t help you in batting average, and his strike zone judgment slipped after a career best showing in 2007, probably explaining his slight reduction in numbers. Still, Pat the Bat draws a ton of walks, topping the century mark in each of the past two seasons. Philly opted not to bring him back, signing Raul Ibanez instead. Burrell, meanwhile, switched leagues and has gone to the team Philly took out in the Series – Tampa Bay. How ironic will it be if these two teams meet in the Series again and Burrell proves to be the difference?

Tom Gordon, RHP: Flash has been in decline for four years now, and last season ended early thanks to elbow surgery that will likely translate into a late start this year. The Phils let him walk, and Arizona swooped in, becoming the eighth team to stitch Gordon’s name on its uniform. We shouldn’t expect much – hell, the dude’s old enough that his son was drafted last year, but Arizona’s late inning situation is a land full of possibilities given the amount of question marks. So don’t be shocked if Gordon actually emerges with some value. Or not.

Jamie Moyer, LHP: If Gordon is old, what does that make Moyer? Yet, unlike Gordon, who has been sliding for a few years, Moyer is coming off his finest season as a Phillie, making me wonder just when the hell this dude will slow down. Obviously the Phillies don’t think it will be anytime soon, re-signing him for two years. The lefty with the timeless changeup really cut down on the long balls allowed last season, and that made a huge difference.

Rudy Seanez, LHP: Another aging arm, Seanez was cut from the Dodgers during the pre-season and wound up having a pretty good season with the Phils. He walked too many, struck out too few, got hurt, yet enjoyed decent bottle line results. Seanez always seems like such a long shot to make whatever team he’s battling for a job with, but it wouldn’t shock me if he lands yet another gig somewhere. However, to date, he’s not getting any bites this offseason.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Sixteen straight losing seasons and counting; an offense that was middling at best (and that’s being extremely generous) and a pitching staff that was horrendous. This team has its work cut out for itself. Again. Something positive: The Buccos had just four free agents to deal with, yet they let every single one leave, but that could be addition by subtraction as each of them were aging veterans. So if nothing else, the Pirates should be younger in 2009.

Chris Gomez, 3B: Although he enjoyed a fine start to the season, his chances – and play – deteriorated badly in the second half when he barely hit .200. His extra-base pop was almost non-existent, leaving him as a very unproductive utility player. Signed by the O’s, Gomez will try to win a job in B-More, but with Ty Wigginton there, it’s going to be tough.

Jason Michaels, OF: Another veteran bench player the Pirates let walk, Michaels started the season with the Indians, but was so bad, they had to DFA him. Dealt to the Pirates, he was better, but that’s not saying much. He simply doesn’t get on base often enough to be useful, strikes out too often, and his power is slipping. Now with Houston, he’ll add bench strength to the Astros, but won’t be of any use for fantasy purposes unless half the team eats some bad crawfish.

Doug Mientkiewicz, 1B: Yet another veteran backup Pittsburgh allowed to leave, Mientkiewicz saw plenty of action with the Pirates last year, but as we discussed last season, with no power to speak of, he’s not roster-worthy. The Dodgers have given him a shot as a non-roster player, but the best case scenario is he beats out Hector Luna and Luis Maza for a back-up corner infielder gig.

Luis Rivas, SS: What’s this? Another backup the Pirates parted ways with? Are you sensing a trend? Rivas was awful in the first half, earning the non-fantasy factor stamp from us, but shockingly, he was even worse in the second half, recording a 454 OPS after the break. Somehow, the Cubs were interested enough to sign Rivas to a minor league deal, where he’ll compete for the second utility infielder job, something I expect will stead him with zero fantasy value yet again.

Next: We’ll hop aboard the Main Line and head to St. Louis to check in on the Cardinals.

It’s a frosty Monday morning, folks. It’s a blustery -15 C here in Toronto. The only place it may be colder is on Brian Burke’s cellphone. There are numerous theories out there this morning as to what is happening and what is going to happen. In essence, they all boil down to two:

Burke is playing rope-a-dope: Set expectations low and over deliver vs. there is no real interest in the Maple Leaf players and therefore Burke’s hands are tied.

Take a look at the Boston-based Tomas Kaberle rumour this morning — Kaberle for first round pick, a third round pick and a prospect. Burke quickly “pissed” all over it. Why would he do that? Of course it could be because there is no truth to it and Burke is a straight shooter. He said that he hasn’t talked to Boston about Kaberle. Now, let’s take a look at that comment too. Why would he say that, besides the fact that it is truthful?

Isn’t it in Burke’s best interest to at least give the impression that the wheels are in motion? With the Kaberle rumour, Burke not only shot down that specific story but shot down any talks involving the Leafs and Bruins as they relate to Kaberle. If you are Burke and you are hoping to get your socks knocked off, wouldn’t it be in your best interest to have as many teams think that you are talking about Kaberle as possible? Isn’t that how the game is played?

Let me throw this out there for a second. I believe that in many a hockey markets, owners react to news they read in the press. I am convinced of it. The owner of team A reads that the Bruins have offered X Kaberle, a player whom he has heard that his team may like and therefore he reacts. He calls or goes to visit his GM. In other words, I believe that the reason that stories get scooped in the media is that teams use the media as vehicles to help them get info and get shit done.

In some markets, the press (what’s left of them) can make or break an executive’s career. I would say that the press killed JFJ here in Toronto but I think it’s safe to say he did it himself. I think there is tremendous pressure on a GM from owners and I am positive that owners react to what they read or hear in the press. I think that GMs react to that pressure, or are forced to.

Which brings us back to Burke. From the beginning of training camp we have been told several, honest, not so flattering things about our Maple Leafs. Everything from Nik Antropov being the only top forward on the team, to the team being devoid of any real talent. We have also been told to be patient, that this could take some time. We are all fine with this. We have recognized that this season is little more than a necessary evil; we are doing little but hoping that the calendar would move a little faster than it is, without any real care for current results.

There are three specific days or times of the year that are actually important to us. They are milestones in the development of our team. These are: the draft, the opening of the free agent period and the trade deadline. For Maple Leaf fans that is it. That’s all we got. So people can or should understand the pent up energy as one of these days approaches. Burke is strong enough not to really care about that. He has the spine to do whatever he thinks is in the best interest of the team that employs him. However, like Cliff before him, he does have an ego.

Matt Millen will be forever remembered as the GM which built the first and only (so far) NFL team to not win a single game in an entire season. This is now Burke’s team. It has been for a few months. This is his shot to make his first imprint on it. Trading a pick for Brad May was one move. The next couple of days sets up the beginning of Burke’s legacy here. For now, all is quiet.

I will say it again. There isn’t a single guy on the roster I wouldn’t move for the right package. For 50 per cent of the guys, give me a draft pick back — any pick — and I am good. The rest, it would be nice to get an earlier draft pick for. It says here that Burke’s inability to move players for picks, or use available cap space to his advantage will be detrimental to the franchise. Does it all have to happen now? No. Does it have to start? Yes. To hell with the rest of the season…

For more content from TSM, visit his site Torontosportsmedia.com.

Oh, baby! Spring Training games start Wednesday – meaning that in less than 24 hours, we’re going to be checking out boxscores. It doesn’t get any sweeter than that. Well, except checking out boxscores while being hand-fed Twinkies by scantily-clad 18-year-old ladies, of course.

Our previous installments:

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X.

National League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX.

New York Mets

Given a second straight September meltdown that cost them a post-season berth, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the Mets actually improved in 2008 (albeit, by a single win). Really, the bottom line here is that the Mets were a mediocre team other than July and August when they went on a 36-19 run. The team’s “disastrous” September (13-12) was no different than the club’s record in April and was in fact better than how they fared in May and June.

Still, it’s time for the Mets to wipe all that away and focus on the future, which means the christening of a brand new stadium – Citi Field – and hopefully, with it, a new era.

The team may certainly have a different look this season, as manager Jerry Manuel — about to begin his first full season in charge of the Mets — is considering some major tinkering to the lineup. Luis Castillo may shift to the top of the order, with Jose Reyes dropping to the three-hole and Carlos Beltran moving up to the second spot. Carlos Delgado would slide up to cleanup, while David Wright would drop from third to fifth.

Hmmm…taking one of the best leadoff hitters in the game and shifting him? Uh, okay.

But the Mets are looking for a big recovery from Castillo after he sucked in his first season with the team. He’s dropped 17 pounds and the expectations for a major recovery are large – enough so that I’m reconsidering my plan to dump his sorry ass this spring.

Another change in the lineup could occur in left field, where Daniel Murphy is being pegged as the new starter, a move that would certainly cut into the value of Ryan Church.

Offense was the Mets’ calling card last season, as they ranked second in runs and steals. Beltran has been sliding for a couple of seasons, but remains a force in centrefield, and may see a bump in value batting out of the two-hole. Expect more runs, but less RBI. Reyes rebounded after an off year in 2007, but had his lowest stolen base total since he’s been a full-time player.

The pitching was middling as best last season, ranking seventh in WHIP. In fairness, other than Pedro Martinez – who looked toast – the starting rotation was pretty good; the bullpen, however, was the bane of the Mets’ existence in 2008. That’s a situation that has been addressed in a big way with the signing of Francisco Rodriguez and the acquisition of J.J. Putz.

With 11 free agents this offseason, the Mets had plenty to deal with as they attempt to take the next step and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Fortunately, the offense was barely affected, with just one key bench player among the free agent class; the pitching free agents, however, included two members of the rotation.

Free Agents

Moises Alou, OF: One of the most injury-prone players of his generation, Alou was limited to 15 games thanks to calf and hamstring problems, the latter of which ultimately necessitated season-ending surgery in July, just the highlight of a season filled with injuries to Met outfielders. He remains unsigned, but it’s possible Philadelphia or Toronto (looking for a temporary replacement for Vernon Wells) may come calling.

Tony Armas, Jr., RHP: Armas never looked worse than he did last season during his brief time with the Mets, but at Triple-A, he showed great control and posted strong hit rates, hinting at the pitcher who was once a top prospect in the Expo system. But the fact is, he hasn’t been useful since early in 2006, and as usual, injuries derailed him that season. Anyways, the Mets must have liked what they saw of Armas in the minors, and re-signed him to a minor league deal. You never know when all of a sudden everything will click for a pitcher, but the fact that he is experiencing Visa problems for the second straight spring doesn’t bode well for him to enjoy any success in 2009.

Luis Ayala, RHP: Ayala started the season in Washington, but was too hittable in a set-up role. Dealt to the Mets in August, he was slightly better, and did have some value down the stretch when he took over the closer role after Billy Wagner got hurt and Aaron Heilman failed. With the Mets’ big bullpen additions, Ayala was no longer needed, and he’s landed in Minnesota.

Damion Easley, 2B: Can you believe it’s now been almost six years since the Tigers released Easley, eating over $14 million in salary in the process? He’s been a part-time player since, but at the age of 39, is still hanging around. In fact, when Castillo was so awful last season, Easley saw more action than normal down the stretch, resulting in 85 hits – his highest total since 2001. Easley no longer has any power, but drew interest from Arizona earlier this offseason. However, he remains without a job, and we know the Mets won’t be asking him back – they’ve moved on by signing Alex Cora to take over Easley’s role.

Orlando Hernandez, RHP: Hernandez’s 2008 season was a disaster as he got a late start to the season because of foot surgery – something that concerned us early in the year when we wondered if he’d be healthy at all. Well, we were bang on, as the injury never healed sufficiently for him to take the mound, and then he opted for season-ending surgery in August to remove a bunion on his big right toe. While his strikeout rate slipped and his command was weak in 2007, Hernandez has always been a consistent winner (lifetime 90-65 mark), so you’d think someone would bite. He’s willing to continue his career as a reliever, but there’s been no interest in him at all.

Pedro Martinez, RHP: Well, Martinez was healthier last year than he was in 2007. There, now that I’ve said something good about his 2008, I can take the gloves off. The dude was simply shelled and his shoulder problems resurfaced in September, keeping him winless for the remainder of the season. This former Expo great wanted to re-sign with the Mets, but that isn’t expected to happen. Instead, Martinez will use the WBC as a platform to try to generate interest as he seeks a 2009 contract.

Ramon Martinez, 2B: Thanks to injuries and ineffective at Triple-A last season, I wondered whether this vet was done altogether. He wound up in the Met system and after a September call-up, he actually saw some time as the starting second baseman in New York. And although he hit decently, this spoke more to Castillo’s ineffectiveness rather than Martinez’s prowess. At any rate, the Mets liked what they saw enough to re-sign him to a minor league deal, but I expect him to again spend plenty of his time at Triple-A.

Trot Nixon, OF: Since his career year in 2003, Nixon’s slugging percentage has dropped five straight seasons, and after last season’s debacle – hernia surgery limited him to a mere 35 less-than-impressive at bats – he looks old before his time. Nixon started the season in the Arizona system and hit well at Triple-A, but was dealt to the Mets when they were dealing with a rash of OF injuries. Of course, he soon joined that mess, getting hurt himself. The Brewers have signed Nixon and he’ll compete for the final outfield spot in Milwaukee. He probably has an edge for the job because he’s a lefty, but man, has his career ever gone downhill steadily.

Oliver Perez, LHP: Perez was unable to consolidate his great 2007 rebound season, setting a career high in walks in 2008 while also experiencing a decline in his K rate. The upshot of his inconsistency was one-third less wins (just 10 after a career-best 15 in 2007). Regardless, the Mets re-signed him for three years and $36 million, a deal that could be awful if Perez starts to revert to his 2006 form. However, it could be a steal if the work that Johan Santana is doing with him to make him a more consistent pitcher pays off. The Mets need Perez to return to the 15-win range for them to have a shot at the playoffs; with one of the best lefties in the game in Perez’s corner, there’s a good chance that may happen. I’m issuing a sleeper alert on this still-just-27-year-old southpaw.

Ricardo Rincon, LHP: Rincon missed most of the 2007 season because of Tommy John surgery, and he worked his way back by pitching in the Mexican League this season before the Mets gave him a look. He earned a September call-up and pitched well in limited action. He’s still a free agent, however, and at the age of 38, looks just about done.

Matt Wise, RHP: When the Mets signed him last offseason, we actually thought this was a wise move. Unfortunately, an arm injury delayed the start of his season, and when he returned, he was far too hittable, suggesting that he wasn’t quite 100 per cent. Sure enough, after just eight appearances, the shoulder started acting up, ultimately leading him to shut it down for the season in August. He’s still a free agent, and will likely remain as such until it’s clear he’s healthy.

Next: We’ll drive 100 miles down the Jersey Turnpike and the I-95 to Philadelphia, to check in the offseason happenings of the World Champion Phillies.

Spring Training is underway and we’ll have actual boxscores to peruse come Wednesday! How sweet is that? With that in mind, we push forward with our Free Agency report. Miss the other sections of this near-legendary tome? No problem-o, dude. We got you covered:

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X.

National League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII.

Milwaukee Brewers

After showing nice progress in 2007, the Milwaukee Brewers were one of the feel good stories of 2008, taking another significant leap forward en route to 90 wins, the NL Wild Card and the team’s first playoff appearance in 26 years.

Fueled by the NL’s second best pitching staff, which was bolstered by the mid-season acquisition of C.C. Sabathia (who was absolutely dominant in Sausage City) the Brewers spent most of the summer blazing towards the playoffs. Sure, a late season slump almost cost them that shot and it took a win on the final day of the season to wrap it up, but after an entire generation of Brewer fans had suffered through a postseason drought, no one was complaining. Yes, the Brewers were dispatched fairly easily in four games in the NLDS by the eventual World Series champion Phillies, but the message was sent that this team was no longer a doormat for the rest of the NL.

Unfortunately, the offseason took a big chunk of those good feelings away. Gone are twin aces Sabathia and Ben Sheets, replaced by Braden Looper. Uh, yeah.

Team owner Mark Attanasio believes that the team is tapped out salary wise after taking on the Sabathia contract and also adding Ray Durham in a mid-season deal and then enduring an expensive offseason that included new contracts for Prince Fielder (who has slimmed down, but has a fatter wallet thanks to a two-year, $18 million deal) and Corey Hart ($3.25 M), not to mention Looper, who could earn as much as $12.25 million over the next two years.

On the plus side financially, after wasting $10 million on Eric Gagne last season for a seriously ugly campaign, the Brew Crew was able to bring him back on a cheap, incentive-laden minor league contract for 2009. Of course, it’s going to take a hell of a lot of work before Gagne manages to earn himself another late-inning role as he’s fallen pretty low down the pecking order in the Milwaukee pen, assuming he even makes the team.

One wonders whether the Brewers (12th in hitting, but fifth in home runs last season) will have enough offense to withstand the weakening of their pitching staff this season. Third baseman Bill Hall, who has been sliding downhill for a couple of seasons now anyways, is dealing with a calf injury, and will get a late start on his spring. This does not bode well for a rebound. And while that may be addition by subtraction in some people’s minds, and perhaps serve only to expedite the dawn of the Mat Gamel era, the uber prospect is also hurting this spring with a shoulder issue. That leaves Mike Lamb as the main option at the hot corner for now. Yeah, I know…it’s hard not to wet yourself when you hear that.

Free Agents

The Brewers only had 10 free agents to deal with, but with four key hurlers included on this list, the team took a serious hit to its staff and will be very hard pressed to remain among the top pitching teams in the NL. Fortunately, the losses on offense were only to role players.

Russell Branyan, 3B: After starting the season in the minors and then getting hurt in August, Branyan didn’t see much big league action last season, but when he did play he actually put up a decent BA for once and showed enough to earn himself a contract from the Mariners. He’ll participate in what looks like a wide-open competition for the starting first base job in Seattle.

Craig Counsell, 3B: Counsell saw less action in 2008, but he knows how to get on base and has excellent strike zone judgment, two ingredients that led Milwaukee to re-sign him. It’s Counsell’s flexibility that makes him valuable, at least for a real baseball team. He actually proved useful when Rickie Weeks went down in June, and could get into the 3B mix this spring with all the injuries Milwaukee is dealing with. He’s no spring chicken, but Counsell proved he still has a bit of life left in him when used judiciously as a role player.

Ray Durham, 2B: Durham was enjoying a strong season with the Giants, doing a way better job of getting on base than he had in years. Traded to Milwaukee in July, he hit well for Milwaukee and continued to exhibit good patience. Although not a productive, full-time player any longer, Durham still has very good gap power and his recovery in OBP last season was really startling. He’s still a free agent, and KC is a possible suitor, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Durham had to settle for a minor league deal as no one is really desperate for keystone corner help right now.

Eric Gagne, RHP: Gagne was signed to take over at closer, but he was unable to stay healthy, was tremendously ineffective and ultimately proved that he wasn’t the answer, losing his job. As mentioned, Milwaukee has brought him back for much less money and he’ll have to fight for a job with plenty of bullpen candidates in town.

Gabe Kapler, OF: Kapler was a big surprise early in the season, but ultimately faded back into his traditional extra outfielder role. Still, he did enough as a part-timer to earn a contract from defending AL Champs Tampa Bay, where he will compete for the starting right field job.

Mike Lamb, 3B: It didn’t surprise us at all when Lamb flopped in Minnesota, losing playing time and then getting the boot outright. Milwaukee signed him late in the season, and he was even worse while playing in Beer City. For some reason, The Brewers re-signed him and now, thanks to the rash of injuries to their third basemen, he could factor in as an important piece in the early going. And that’s just plain scary.

Guillermo Mota, RHP: Mota bounced back nicely after his awful 2007 season in which he had to deal with a drug-related suspension. He upped his K rate, was harder to hit and offered some value in NL-only leagues thanks to his wins and holds. The Dodgers opted to sign the inconsistent reliever, hoping that returning to the site of his best seasons will help revitalize him further.

C.C. Sabathia, LHP: Sabathia got off to an awful start with the Tribe last season, but turned things around and proved to be an incredible addition for Milwaukee at the deadline, sharpening his control and giving the team an innings-eating stud it so desperately needed to help make it over the hump and into the playoffs. Unfortunately, he priced himself way out of the Brew Crew’s price range with this career season, landing in New York when the Yankees opened the vaults for the big lefty.

Ben Sheets, RHP: Sheets turned in a fabulous season, but the wear and tear on his arm (he matched his career high in complete games) once again took its toll, and a two-year offer from Texas fell through when it was discovered he had a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. He’s since undergone surgery which will likely keep him out until the All-Star break and will necessitate him signing a cheaper deal that will include incentive bonuses.

Brian Shouse, LHP: Shouse gave up more homers than usual, but thanks to his vultured wins, holds and nice ERA, he enjoyed a strong season, dominating southpaws to the tune of a .180 BAA. The Rays, looking to bolster their bullpen, signed him a week and a half ago.

Next: We’ll head east to check in on the New York Mets, who had a boatload of free agents to deal with this offseason.

Alright, the push is on to hammer the rest of these reports out as we gear up for the release of the 2009 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit. If you’ve missed any of the previous parts of this series, catch up here:

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X.

National League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers only made slight strides over 2007, but it was enough to win the NL West and come within three wins of the World Series. But let’s face it – without pulling the trigger on the Manny Ramirez deal, there’s no way this team earns its third straight winning season, never mind makes the postseason.

Of course, the fate of Manny is still very much up in the air, and if he bolts, the Dodgers will go back to the substandard offensive team they were before he arrived. This is a team that finished 13th in the NL in runs and slugging, but would have been much worse had Ramirez not looked like Ted Williams over the final couple months of the season. There were just too many passengers in this lineup. Jeff Kent looked like a shell of himself, and thankfully has opted for the rocking chair; Juan Pierre was simply awful, managing just 13 extra-base hits all season long, finally being reduced to a part-time role.

Unfortunately, the team has done very little to improve itself offensively, making the re-signing of Ramirez all the more vital.

Pitching was definitely this team’s strength in 2008 as they paced the NL in ERA, OPS against and WHIP. Hong-Chih Kuo was superb as a spot starter/long reliever; Cory Wade was spectacular out of the bullpen; Derek Lowe enjoyed a tremendous season, but has since departed, landing in Atlanta and leaving young Chad Billingsley as the de facto ace for the Dodgers.

Lowe’s departure, combined with the retirement of Greg Maddux and the dispatching of Brad Penny has left the Dodger staff potentially thin and rather fragile to an extent. This could prove to be the team’s undoing, although fortunately, they reside in a weak division where 84 wins was good enough to take home a title last season.

No. 2 starter Hiroki Kuroda dealt with shoulder problems last season, but so far this spring, the news is good. Clayton Kershaw, still not old enough to drink, will be asked to shoulder a heavy load. It would be a huge bonus if Jason Schmidt, finally pain free, can emerge with the fifth starter job, or if Jeff Weaver, added on a minor league deal, can rediscover the form that allowed him to win 27 games with the Dodgers in 2003 and 2004. And Randy Wolf is also back, another constant injury risk, but an arm that can definitely help if he can make 30 starts.

Closer Takashi Saito is gone, and while Jonathan Broxton can clearly handle the role (notwithstanding some hiccups in the playoffs that turned the NLCS in the Phillies’ favour), the trickle down effect will hurt the overall depth of the Dodger pen.

The Dodgers had to deal with a major-league high 13 free agents this offseason – a hell of a lot for a team seeking its first NL Championship since 1988.

One other piece of bad news for you Dodger fans, especially the superstitious types: LA has only made the playoffs in even numbered years since 2004. The youth movement is definitely underway in LA, but this team may have to take a step back before it can take another step forward.

Joe Beimel, LHP: Despite coming off his finest big league season, Beimel remains unsigned. He was a bit more hittable in 2008 than he’s been in a couple of years, but with the lusting after of lefty relievers by most teams this offseason, he was expected to get a multi-year deal. Now, he may have to head back to the Dodgers, where he lost in arbitration in 2007, perhaps just for one year.

Gary Bennett, C: Former juicer Bennett missed most of 2008 with an injury, not that anyone ever notices Russell Martin’s backup very often. He’s still out there, and despite his lack of action last year, I suspect Bennett will land a back-up role somewhere.

Casey Blake, 3B: Blake was having a fine year with the Tribe, but he struggled once he arrived in LA after the Dodgers gave up a couple of prospects to acquire him. Still, he cut his strikeout rate last season and gets on base at a decent clip and with such a weak market at the hot corner, the Dodgers opted to re-sign him for three years and $17 million.

Rafael Furcal, SS: Furcal was having a superb year, but his season ended extremely early, causing him to earn consideration for a 2008 RotoRob Award as the Fantasy Bust of the Year. Still, the Dodgers saw enough to bring him back, despite fierce competition from the A’s and Braves, the later of which actually thought they had signed him. Assuming the Dodgers don’t bring Manny back, Furcal will be counted on to spur the team’s little ball attack with his blazing speed.

Nomar Garciaparra, SS: He remains injury prone, but is a great team player, and when Furcal went down, Garciaparra shifted over to short for a while and actually emerged as a decent wire pick for a while. The Phillies have made him an offer, but his days of being able to handle a full-time job look done.

Jason Johnson, RHP: Despite his propensity to surrender too many long balls, Johnson held his own in a spot starter/long man role while he was with the Dodgers. A couple of years ago, Johnson had to go to Japan to find his way back to the majors, however, this year, the Yankees will give him a shot, penning him to a minor league deal.

Jeff Kent, 2B: Kent’s knee woes did him in and a walk rate that had been declining for the past couple of seasons really helped usher in the end for this 16-year-vet, who retired as a lifetime .290 hitter and one of the greatest power-hitting second basemen ever.

Derek Lowe, RHP: The loss of Lowe, whose control was impeccable last year, will really hurt. D-Lowe will look to propel the Braves back into contention this season.

Greg Maddux, RHP: Maddux was enjoying a fine year with the Padres, but as we predicted, he was dealt at the deadline back to the Dodgers, with whom he spent part of the 2006 season with. The Professor wasn’t quite as effective once he landed in LA, giving up more homers than normal, and then he decided to call it a day after 355 career wins. That’ll do, I guess.

Chan Ho Park, RHP: Park put himself back on the map with a fine season as a spot starter/long reliever in LA, becoming one of the Dodgers’ better reclamation projects. He looked like a serious retread back in 2006 when the Mets gave him a shot, but Park is now a legitimate candidate to battle for the fifth starter job on the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, who signed him for one year and $2.5 million.

Brad Penny, RHP: Penny dealt with some shoulder problems last season, looking good upon his return before getting rocked in his next start and landing back on the DL. He made it back for two appearances in September before shutting it down for the season. Now, Penny is part of a potent Red Sox rotation, and the former All-Star will try to prove last season was a blip.

Manny Ramirez, OF: Once Man-Ram arrived from Boston, he almost single-handedly turned the Dodgers season around. He was enjoying a solid year for the BoSox, but as a Dodger, he was absolutely sick, batting almost .400 and showing incredible power, patience and plate discipline. However, where Ramirez winds up is still anyone’s guess. The dude has already turned down a $25 million offer for one year from the Dodgers. Could division rival San Francisco swoop in and steal Manny? If the Giants do so, it could swing the balance in the NL West. The Dodgers don’t seem to be in any kind of panic to re-sign the future Hall of Famer, and that could cost them.

Mark Sweeney, 1B: As we discussed early last season, bringing Sweeney back last year didn’t work out so well. He looks like he’s done as he hasn’t even had any bites this offseason. Time for the 39-year-old to follow Kent’s model, perhaps.

Next: We’ll head northeast a ways and report on the Milwaukee Brewers’ offseason.

We’ve been remiss on keeping up to pace with our baseball off-season coverage, focusing lately on basketball, hockey, and, of course, the NFL playoffs. But don’t worry, we’re already planning the 2009 RotoRob Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, so before you know it, baseball coverage will be coming down the pike en masse.

For now, catch up on our Free Agency Report: American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X. National League Part I, II, III, IV and V.

Florida Marlins

Led by an improved pitching staff – especially the bullpen – the Florida Marlins put the brakes on a two-year losing skid, winning 84 games in 2008 to finish a mere 5.5 games back in the Wild Card race.

There are plenty of questions that need addressing here, but the Marlins have yet again put together a roster of talented youngsters that appears to be on the cusp of greatness.

While the team doesn’t have many free agents to deal with, arbitration will be an issue for the cash-strapped Marlins, who ranked dead last in payroll in 2008. I mean, Wes Freaking Helms was their top paid player at $2.4 million last season.

Jorge Cantu and Jeremy Hermida have already signed and avoided arbitration. But Alfredo Amezaga, Ricky Nolasco, Cody Ross and Dan Uggla are still eligible. And given that behind Hanley Ramirez, Uggla was the team’s top power hitter (which was a real strength in Florida last season as the club ranked fourth in the NL in slugging), he won’t come cheap.

As mentioned, the bullpen helped revitalize a pitching staff that was dead last in the NL in 2007, but it had to work hard – the rotation only managed 74 quality starts – just 12th in the NL. Missing Anibal Sanchez for most of the season definitely hurt in this regard, but the Marlins are committed to keeping him healthy in 2009, and to wit, have prohibited him from participating in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. But not to worry, with H-Ram, Matt Lindstrom, Amezaga, Cantu, Renyel Pinto and Rick VandenHurk all expected to participate for their respective nations in the WBC, Florida is sure to be well represented.

With Matt Treanor now in Detroit and Paul Lo Duca not being offered arbitration and probably out of the team’s price range anyways, the Marlins desperately could use a veteran catcher. But there’s really not much out there that fits their minuscule budget, so this could be a serious issue with John Baker and his whopping 61 career games heading the depth chart at present.

Not surprisingly, the Marlins haven’t exactly been making waves in the free agent market, although they did sign steroid boy Jay Gibbons to a minor league deal. Gibbons, who last played in the majors in 2007, was in Indy ball last year. Yikes. Oh, Florida also gambled on reliever Scott Proctor, who once upon a time had a live arm before he hurt it. Still, he could prove to be quite useful and may help solidify an improving bullpen.

In reality, this club’s improvement will virtually be completely organic as it matures. I expect Florida to make a serious run at the Wild Card and its first playoff appearance since 2003.

Of the team’s four free agents, two have already signed elsewhere.

Luis Gonzalez, OF: When Gonzo signed with the Marlins last season, we weren’t impressed, and I think we nailed that one right on the head. His batting eye continues to slide and he scored all of 30 runs in 136 games. Uh, ya. Could this be the end of the line for the 18-year-vet? Oh, come on! He’s just eight years removed from a 57-homer season. But wait….Gonzalez has hit five more dingers than that in the last four years combined. No problem!

Mark Hendrickson, LHP: Once upon a time, we recommended him, but in 2008 Hendrickson had an awful season as a swingman with an unacceptably low K rate. And now he’s an Oriole, for one year and $1.5 million. Remind me again why B-More has been crap for so long?

Paul Lo Duca, C: Lo Duca, a Mitchell Report poster boy, was rancid enough with the Nats to get released, winding up signing a minor league deal with Florida. He was brought up to the majors and actually hit well and did a fantastic job of getting on base in a very limited role. The Marlins failed to offer him arbitration, and now he’s stuck trying to find a job in a market that is loaded with veteran catchers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lo Duca doesn’t find a gig until well after Spring Training has started.

Arthur Rhodes, LHP: After a fantastic season split between Seattle and Florida, Rhodes landed in Cincy for two years and $4 million, a deal we already discussed earlier this month.

Next: We’ll take a little swim across the Gulf of Mexico and check in on Houston. Just 10 teams to go!

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X. National League Part I, II, III and IV.

Colorado Rockies

After the dream season of 2007 that saw the Colorado Rockies ride a ridiculously hot streak all the way to the National League title, this team fell flat on its face in 2008, thanks to a raft of down seasons and injuries to key personnel.

The Rockies led the NL in steals in 2008 with 141, but over 68 per cent of that is gone now that non-tendered Willy Taveras is in Cincy and Matt Holliday has been traded.

The downfall of the Rox in 2008 was pitching, which ranked second-last in the NL in ERA, BAA and WHIP. Youngster Greg Reynolds has promise, but was too hittable at Triple-A, so it was no shock when he was tattooed in the majors. At this point, more seasoning is in order before he’s brought back to The Show. After enjoying such a stellar season in 2007, reliever Matt Herges was beaten like a stepchild in 2008. Small wonder the Rox opted to buy him out. And a season removed from a big 17-win campaign, Jeff Francis took a huge step backwards and finished with a mere four wins.

Don’t expect this team to make a big splash this offseason in terms of taking on contracts. In fact, by adding almost $5 million in payroll in the Luis Vizcaino for Jason Marquis deal, Colorado has pretty well blown its load, as sad as that sounds. It’s the main reason offensive linchpin Holliday had to be traded away as well. The club somewhat made up for the loss of a few key bullpen members by signing Alan Embree, but the Rox don’t have anything major planned between now and Opening Day even though bullpen depth remains a concern.

With their hands tied financially, growth will mostly be organic, but there’s plenty of reason for optimism on that front. Ian Stewart looks ready to be an offensive force; Marquis will (in theory) help stabilize the rotation; Todd Helton should bounce back after missing almost half the season because of his back; Garrett Atkins, Troy Tulowitzki and Francis are all good bets to be better in 2009 as well. Any hopes next season that Colorado will return to its winning ways of 2007 are being pinned on that quartet rebounding and the team’s youngsters taking the next step.

Fortunately, the team only has six free agents (one of which has already signed elsewhere and one of which has been re-signed), but with Vizcaino shipped out in the Marquis deal and Holliday traded away as well, the Rox will have a different look in 2009.

Brian Fuentes, LHP: Sharpened command helped Fuentes to his finest season yet. With three 30-save seasons under his belt, he’ll take his act to Anaheim for two years and $17.5 million to close for the finest team he’s ever had the chance to do so with. Obviously, hopes are high for Fuentes; we’ve even seen him going in mock drafts before Jose Valverde.

Matt Herges, RHP: Former juicer Herges did a good job of limiting the long ball in 2008, but that’s about all that went right. As a result, he’s not exactly being wooed by suitors this offseason.

Livan Hernandez, RHP: Hernandez was bad in Minnesota, and then simply rancid in Colorado. He’s not even an innings eater anymore. It’s definitely time to set him adrift on an ice floe.

Adam Melhuse, C: Melhuse started the season as the back-up catcher on the Rangers, but he couldn’t hit a lick, got hurt and was released. He caught on with the Rockies, and hit well enough at Triple-A to get a couple of calls up to the big club. Unfortunately, he barely got a chance to distinguish himself, so will likely have to scratch and crawl for scraps this offseason.

Scott Podsednik, OF: Podsednik was somewhat productive in a part-time role, but he’s a fringe major leaguer who would probably be in Indy ball if not for his speed and ability to play centrefield. There was talk that Podsednik would be dealt at the deadline, but that never happened. In fact, now the word is that the Rox wouldn’t mind bringing him back as it would be good to have a vet pushing youngsters Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler for a job, but apparently Podsednik has only been offered a non-guaranteed deal, so if someone else ponies up something more concrete, he’ll likely grab it.

Glendon Rusch, LHP: The mere fact that Rusch made it back this spring after missing two years because of a blood clot made for a great story. No, he didn’t win a rotation spot in San Diego, but he did stick as a reliever until the Pads tried to outright him and he became a free agent instead. Rusch resurfaced in Colorado and pitched well enough in a swingman role that the Rox opted to bring him back on a minor league deal, signed last month.

Next: We take our winter vacation in the land of 4 p.m. dinner specials and check in on the Florida Marlins.

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X. National League Part I, II and III.

Cincinnati Reds

While they showed modest improvement under new manager Dusty Baker in 2008, there is plenty, and I mean plenty of room for more improvement for the Cincinnati Reds.

After all, despite a two-game improvement over 2007 fueled by an improved pitching staff, Cincy’s run of sub-.500 seasons has reached eight. To find the Reds’ last playoff appearance, you’ll have to go all the way back to 1995 (although the team did lose a one-game playoff for the Wild Card in 1999).

In looking at the numbers, there was no real strength in Cincinnati’s game, but at least the Reds were middling in stolen bases and quality starts, ranking ninth in each of those categories.

Brandon Phillips was unable to touch his breakout 2007 season (check out how pathetic his second half was), but he still topped 20 steals for the third straight season.

The real revelation for the 2008 Reds was Edison Volquez, whose breakthrough season was perfectly timed considering the man Cincy gave up to get him – Josh Hamilton – had a pretty damn fine season himself. Volquez had 20 quality starts among his 32 starts, establishing himself as a solid No. 2 starter behind “ace” Aaron Harang (who had an awful season). Just 25, Volquez looks like a future ace.

On the downside, the Reds were dead last in the NL in batting, which is about where they deserved to be after giving Corey Patterson almost 400 plate appearances. Fortunately, Patterson is no longer their problem.

Taking over for the departed Patterson in centre field will be Willy Taveras, signed to a two-year deal. This move somewhat addresses Cincy’s need for a right-handed hitting outfielder, but the club better hope Taveras bounces back from a nightmare 2008 season. Other righty outfielders who remain on the team’s radar include Jermaine Dye, Rocco Baldelli and Pat Burrell.

Cincy has also beefed up behind the plate, trading Ryan Freel and some minor leaguers for Ramon Hernandez.

The bullpen, a real strength last season, has been bolstered by the addition of veteran southpaw Arthur Rhodes, who is coming off his finest season in almost a decade.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn are gone, and as if this wasn’t already an offseason of change for the Reds, they are faced with an alarming nine free agents to deal with (one of which they have re-signed, one of which accepted arbitration, one of which has retired and two of whom have already been signed by other teams). Several of these players – especially among the bullpen – were key contributors in 2008.

It’s clear this team could use another solid stick in the batting order if it hopes to finally get back on the winning side of ledger. It’s pretty obvious neither Taveras nor Hernandez will provide the answer here, so unless the Reds have an ace up their sleeve, the offensive improvement will have to be organic. But with youngsters Joey Votto and Jay Bruce poised to take over more offensive responsibility, an improved lineup is a very realistic proposition.

Jeremy Affeldt, LHP: After enjoying a fine season as a LOOGY in 2007 with the Rox, Affeldt took the next step with the Reds, proving he was a valuable reliever capable of getting both lefties and righties out. He improved his control, chalked up the highest K rate of his career and parlayed it all into a two-year deal with the Giants.

Paul Bako, C: Bako wound up seeing more action than at any time since his rookie season way back in 1998, and actually had a pretty decent year – for him. Never known for his bat, Bako had career highs in runs, homers, RBI and walks. His reward? Another move, this time (probably) back to the Cubs with whom he spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons. He’s expected to sign a $500,000 deal to back up Geovany Soto, a job that should offer far less PT than Bako garnered in 2008.

Josh Fogg, RHP: Although he managed to up his K rate a tad, the fact that Fogg was battered harder than ever doomed him in 2008, and caused him to lose his rotation spot for a spell, before an injury finally put him out of his misery. After his strong season for the Rockies in 2007, Colorado may look to bring Fogg back on a minor league deal. Baltimore is another team that could use some help.

Jerry Hairston Jr., OF: Hairston missed a good chunk of the season with injuries, but was never better when he was in the lineup, showing a nice combination of gap power and speed. The Reds would like to re-sign him and install him in left field, especially if they can’t find a big RBI producer. If Cincy does manage to land a power hitting outfielder, Hairston will probably return to a utility role, assuming he re-signs.

Mike Lincoln, RHP: After having been out of the bigs since 2005, Lincoln made a strong return, acting as a workhorse set-up man out of a solid Cincy pen. The team rewarded him last month with a new two-year, $4 million deal.

Kent Mercker, LHP: A back injury limited Mercker to just 15 appearances, and although his peripherals were weak, his bottom line results were good. Last month, the 40-year-old lefty called it a day. He spent most of his career as a reliever, but did make a 150 starts and pitched 1,325 1/3 IP in total. Mercker won 74 games, saved 25 and compiled a lifetime 4.16 ERA.

Corey Patterson, OF: Patterson got plenty of chances in Cincy last season, and while he showed flashes of pop, his speed and average plummeted to the point where he was borderline useless for fantasy purposes. The fact that Patterson was given as much PT as he was speaks volumes about the state of the Reds’ offense in 2008. He could only garner a minor league deal from the Nats.

Javier Valentin, C: Valentin put up a decent season in a back-up role, but is not expected back in Cincy after he was non-tendered. He could be a good fit sharing catching duties in Toronto.

David Weathers, RHP: Ageless reliever Weathers turned in yet another fine season in the Red pen, although his walks were up a tad. He decided to take the Reds up on their offer of arbitration, so he’ll return for a sixth season in Cincy.

Next: We’ll travel over 1,000 miles west to check in on the Colorado Rockies’ offseason to date.

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X. National League Part I and II.

Chicago Cubs

Having returned to post-season play in 2007, the Cubs looked hungry to take the next step in 2008, riding a dominating offense to an NL-leading 97 wins. The team appeared poised to deliver on Ryan Dempster’s pre-season call that they would win it all. However, if this team hopes to end a World Series victory drought that has now topped 100 years, first it’s going to have to win a playoff game. Two consecutive sweeps in the NLDS must have this team wondering what it needs to do to take it to the next level.

No one encapsulates the Cubs’ playoff failures the past two years more than Alfonso Soriano, who has gone a combined 3-for-28 in pulling his best Alex Rodriguez imitation.

But when it comes to the regular season, there’s been nothing wrong with the Cub attack. Last season, they paced the NL in scoring, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS. Ryan Theriot took another step forward in his second season as a full-time player, scoring a career-best 85 runs and leading the team in hitting; Aramis Ramirez had another strong year at the plate, showing more patience than ever before; Jim Edmonds looked completely revitalized after arriving in a mid-season deal, slamming 19 homers in just 250 at bats with the Cubs; and despite once again missing a good chunk of the season to injury, Soriano was extremely productive when he was in the lineup.

The Cubs’ pitching staff was also pretty darned good in 2008, holding its opponents to the lowest BA in the NL. After arriving from the A’s in a mid-season deal, Rich Harden was particularly unhittable.

Team speed, however, was a weakness. Theriot paced the team with 22 swipes, but he stole 28 in 2007 despite 64 less plate appearances. This is an area the team has already address this offseason, penning free agent Joey Gathright, a speedster perhaps capable of stealing 40 bases if he could ever hold down a full-time job.

The Cubs will also be looking to beef up its bullpen this offseason. While the Kosuke Fukudome signing has yet to pay big dividends, the Cubs aren’t shying away from Japan, currently looking at a couple of veteran Japanese relief pitchers to help shore up the bullpen.

The Cubs are clearly committed to building a winner. But can they take it to the next level and break through to the NLCS? With a whopping eight free agents to deal with (although two have already re-signed, and two others have signed with other teams), there will be plenty of turnover this offseason as Chicago looks to reload to take another shot at breaking its more than century old World Series jinx.

Henry Blanco, C: Blanco erased the memories of a lost 2007 season, in which a litany of injuries limited him to 22 games during which he could barely hit his way out of a paper bag. The back-up catcher received more action last season, and responded with a career-best OBP as he bounced back nicely. Among the top back-up backstops in the game, Blanco has generated interest from the Marlins. Baltimore is also seeking a back-up catcher, but has yet to approach Blanco.

Ryan Dempster, RHP: Dempster made a surprisingly seamless and rather triumphant return to the rotation last season, enjoying a career year in which he finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting. He definitely did his part to back up his guaranteed World Series win. Accordingly, the Cubs wasted no time in re-signing the Canadian hurler to a four-year, $52-million deal last month.

Jim Edmonds, OF: It was definitely a tale of two seasons for Edmonds in 2008. Unable to get on base to save his life, he looked about as done as done can be over the first few weeks of the season in San Diego. In fact, after just 90 at bats, the Padres decided to eat his $6 million salary and release him. Signed by the Cubs, his patience returned and he looked better than he had since his career years with the Cardinals back in 2003-04. Now would be a great time for the veteran to pack it in, but considering how strong he was down the stretch, Edmonds would like to play another season. The Reds might have been a good fit until they landed Willy Taveras, so it’s unclear where Edmonds may land. He has expressed an interest in staying with the Cubs, for what it’s worth, but I don’t expect Chicago to bring him back.

Chad Fox, RHP: Fox made it back to the majors for the first time since 2005 after overcoming elbow woes. The team rewarded him by re-signing him to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Odds are, he won’t make the team, even though you can’t help but root for a guy who has worked so hard to make it back.

Bob Howry, RHP: Howry suffered through his worst full-season ever, so it was not a shock that his workload was down – especially in the second half, when he was particularly rancid. Undeterred, the suddenly willing-to-throw-cash-around Giants penned him to a one-year, $2.75 million deal, gambling that he will return to being one of the game’s better set-up options.

Jon Lieber, RHP: Even pitching almost exclusively out of the bullpen, Lieber still couldn’t stay healthy in 2008, and it was only his strong command that enabled him to put up some decent results when he did pitch. Lieber has a lot to prove, so he’s the kind of pitcher who will likely land on a low-budget team willing to give him an inexpensive, but incentive-laden contract. Toronto, perhaps?

Daryle Ward, 1B: Brought in a couple of seasons ago to help beef up the bench, last season Ward was unable to duplicate his fine 2007 debut with the Cubs, with his numbers suffering almost across the board. Granted, an early-season back injury may have affected his power, but he was even worse in the second half. At this point, it’s possible Ward will have to settle for a minor league deal.

Kerry Wood, RHP: Wood stayed moderately healthy and enjoyed a fine season as the Cub closer, striking out batters at a higher rate than at any time since his landmark rookie season way back in 1998. Cleveland quickly pegged him as the answer to its closer woes, signing Wood to a two-year deal. The loss of Wood (and to a lesser extent Howry) means a weaker bullpen in Wrigley, something the team must address. Carlos Marmol will compete with newcomer Kevin Gregg for the closer job in 2009.

Next: We continue our tour of the Senior Circuit with a stop at another Central Division destination — Cincinnati.

Need to catch up on your reading? Find the rest of the report here:

American League Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X. National League Part I.

Atlanta Braves

Have the Atlanta Braves hit rock bottom, or could they sink even lower? It’s a legitimate question after they crashed and burned in 2008 and were then dissed by Rafael Furcal, who allegedly reneged on a free agent deal to return to his original club.

The Braves showed promise in 2007, winning 84 games, and after a 26-21 start in 2008 had them just a game and a half out in the NL East in late-May, the team seemed poised to make another run at the post season after missing out the previous two seasons.

But then the wheels came off and a simply horrific 33-57 run from May 23 to the end of August doomed the Braves to a third straight season out of the playoffs. The club rebounded somewhat in September (13-12), but by then, the die had long since been cast. The final tally of 72 wins represented Atlanta’s worst season since 1990 – the season before its historic run of consecutive playoff appearances began.

The offense was pretty good, finishing third in NL in both batting average and on-base percentage. Chipper Jones again couldn’t stay healthy, but he was fantastic when he was in the lineup, winning the NL batting title. Mark Teixeira was superb, but as an impending free agent, the Braves dealt him away to the Angels when it became clear they had fallen out of the race. In return, they got younger and cheaper in Casey Kotchman, and added a promising young arm in Steve Marek, who after a solid season at Double-A appears very close to being able to help shore up the Brave bullpen.

Speaking of the Altanta pen, it was generally solid, but suffered from being unable to find a dependable arm to finish off wins. Rafael Soriano got the first crack, but was lost for the season early thanks to surgery. Mike Gonzalez returned from Tommy John surgery in June, but the rust showed. He’ll likely be back to full strength in 2009, but the team’s top starter and highest paid player – Tim Hudson – will miss the entire season after his own TJS procedure.

With a whopping eight free agents to deal with (including Greg Norton, who has already been re-signed, and two others who have moved on), this team may need to take another step back before it can begin moving forward again. Fortunately, very few of them were key contributors in 2008, but regardless of the outcomes here, this team is sure to have a very new face in 2009 – especially among its pitching staff.

Elmer Dessens, RHP: After getting released by the Pirates (clue number one that you’re near rock bottom already), Dessens was signed by the Braves late in the season, and was rocked around in his four appearances. I assume we’ve seen that last of him as a major league pitcher.

Tom Glavine, LHP: The normally durable Glavine struggled with shoulder and elbow problems until finally undergoing season-ending surgery. Given his substandard results, it was pretty clear something was wrong from the get-go. He’s coming along in his rehab, but it’s unclear if Glavine plans to continue his career. If so, Boston might be a good match for the aging lefty, but at this point, there are plenty of questions surrounding Glavine’s future as a big leaguer.

Mike Hampton, LHP: Hampton finally made it back after three injury-filled years, but the rust sure showed, as he was very prone to surrendering the long ball. He signed a one-year deal with Houston earlier this month, returning to the place of his greatest successes. Will the Astros catch lightning in a bottle here? I doubt it.

Jorge Julio, RHP: Julio started the season with Cleveland, but his declining K rate soon had him getting DFAed. He landed in Atlanta, and pitched extremely well down the stretch. It was good enough for him to earn a one-year deal with the Brewers for $950,000.

Greg Norton, OF: Norton started the season with Seattle, but was dealt to the Braves early in the season, where he assumed his usual role as a middling pinch-hitter. Atlanta matched his 2007 salary — $800,000 – to keep the former Rockie in the fold.

Will Ohman, LHP: After a tough final season with the Cubs, Ohman rebounded nicely in Atlanta, showing the finest command of his career. Despite the current man crush baseball execs have on all left-handed relievers, he’s flying under the radar to an extent this offseason. But Ohman limited southpaw hitters to a .200 BA, proving he’s effective as a situational lefty. The Mets may look at him to help bolster their bullpen. Colorado was said to be interested, but now it appears the frontrunners for Ohman (besides the Mets) are the Rays, Indians, Orioles and Braves. Detroit could be a player here, too, but then again the Tigers have been linked to virtually every reliever on the market. Don’t count on St. Louis, either.

John Smoltz, RHP: Smoltz looked fantastic over his first five starts and then was shifted to the bullpen to fill the closer role. One appearance later, he needed season-ending shoulder surgery. Boston may take a gamble on Smoltz, who’s been rehabbing this offseason in anticipation of continuing his career.

Julian Tavarez, RHP: Tavarez bounced around in 2008, starting the season in Boston, where he was awful. He was DFAed, and elected to become a free agent, getting signed by the Brewers, for whom he showed better command, but suffered even worse results. Three weeks later, he was DFAed again, and again declined his option, ultimately winding up in Atlanta. Tavarez actually pitched pretty well with the Braves, chalking up better than a strikeout per inning as a set-up man. This, combined with some decent results in winter league action, should garner him some interest this offseason, but so far, I haven’t heard much about the high-strung righty.

NEXT: We’ll head north and check in on the defending NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs.

Well, the American League is done, so we now turn our attention to the Senior Circuit’s free agency scene. For those of you (shame on you) who missed our exhaustive AL series, you can find it here:

Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII , IX and X.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Expectations were sky high for this young, up and coming team after its surprise 90-win campaign and playoff appearance in 2007. And after blazing out of the gates with a 19-7 start, the Snakes sure looked like they were headed for greater things in 2008. And then the wheels fell off. An offense that overachieved early on came back to earth and the bullpen imploded. The team enjoyed only one winning month after April, going 63-73 over the remainder of the season. Needless to say, they were unable to return to the playoffs for a second straight season, and it’s clear this team needs work to get back into contention in the NL West.

Certainly the rotation was not the problem. Anchored by staff ace Brandon Webb, the D-Backs led the NL in quality starts. But the lineup left something to be desired, finishing 14th in batting average and stolen bases. Chris Snyder showed improved power, but his average has been slipping for a couple of seasons. And while Justin Upton enjoyed a strong season, he doesn’t exactly have his older brother’s speed (although he did show moderate speed when he was a minor leaguer).

A healthy Eric Byrnes could make a big difference to the D-Back attack. After a lost season, he’ll need to work hard to regain his starting spot – something the team says he won’t be handed – but given that he’s the highest paid position player on the squad, I can’t seem them paying him big bucks to sit on the bench.

Orlando Hudson is all but gone, and the team has turned to Felipe Lopez as his replacement; unfortunately, this represents a downgrade offensively, so Arizona will need to address that disparity elsewhere in the lineup. The D-Backs had their sights set on Mark Loretta to act as part of a second base platoon, but they lost out on that free agent.

The bullpen situation was addressed to an extent with the acquisition of Scott Schoeneweis from the Mets. Better yet, the Mets will pick up a big portion of Schoeneweis’s salary and all is cost Zona was underwhelming minor league reliever Connor Robertson, who was unimpressive in Triple-A last season.

The rotation will likely lose the ancient Randy Johnson to free agency, but with Max Scherzer ready to take the hill every fifth day, that won’t be a huge issue.

Unfortunately, the cost-conscious Diamondbacks have seven free agents to deal with, including several key components of its lineup, bullpen and rotation. So unless this team gets quite creative with its moves this offseason, it could find itself unable to turn in a third straight winning season, never mind making any progress to get back into the postseason.

Tony Clark, 1B: After spending three years in the desert, Clark left the D-Backs last season, taking much less money from the Padres than Arizona was supposedly offering. He spent the first half of the season in an extremely limited role in San Diego, doing next to nothing, before being dealt back to Zona, a move that didn’t exactly revitalize the aging switch hitter. He must have done something right, however; the Diamondbacks are talking about bringing him back to reprise his role as the backup at first base and a key bat off the bench. The word is they are close to an agreement, but I think Clark’s most valuable asset now is as a veteran presence on a young team. Unfortunately, that’s not exactly a fantasy category.

Juan Cruz, RHP: Cruz was one of the bright spots in a beleaguered D-Back pen last season, cutting his home run rate and enjoying a career year, so he’s bound to be pursued by many teams this offseason. Detroit definitely could use some bullpen help, especially since it has swung and missed at a top-notch closer so far. The Dodgers are also looking at Cruz, and Texas may make a run at him and use him as its closer, something that would likely help lure him.

Adam Dunn, OF: While 40 homers (five straight years) and 100 RBI (four of last five) is pretty much a guarantee with Dunn, he wasn’t having a banner season in Cincy, and didn’t improve after landing in Arizona as a rent-a-player in a move that didn’t help shake the Diamondbacks out of their doldrums. He remains one of the NL’s most dangerous left-handed bats, but I don’t think he’s going to get the mega deal he seems to think is a given. I also don’t think anything will happen with Dunn until next month. Apparently, Toronto has looked at him, but I think that might be a joke given Dunn’s legendary slagging by Jay GM J.P. Ricciardi. There’s plenty of top-notch corner men on the market, so that will restrict his value to an extent, but one team that has been rumoured to be interested is Atlanta. The Yanks may also be players here and the offensively-challenged Giants may even make a run for him. Could Tampa Bay try to make a splash? It’s not inconceivable. Also, the Halos have reportedly had preliminary conversations with Dunn’s agent.

David Eckstein, SS: In a half season, Eckstein might have done more to render the Toronto offense toothless than any other player. Not only did he accumulate 260 at bats in which he failed to properly set the table – 141 of which were at the lead-off spot, where he particularly was rancid – but he was also the man who collided with Aaron Hill, knocking one of the most important hitters in the Jay lineup out for the season with a concussion. Finally, Eckstein was dealt to Arizona, where he was even worse down the stretch. Atlanta, having struck out with Rafael Furcal, may turn to Eckstein as a poor substitute. Apparently the Pirates, never strangers to signing mediocre players, are also interested.

Orlando Hudson, 2B: Although Hudson’s season ending early because of injury really helped expedite the Arizona swoon, he was excellent while he was in there. After setting a career high with 70 walks in 2007, the O-Dog did not show as much patience last season, but he still hit for a career best .305 with good pop for a middle infielder. Also a stellar defensive player, Hudson was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise moribund Diamondback offense, but he is virtually out the door – especially since the club has brought in Lopez to take his place. Might Toronto look to bring back the player it developed in its system? Ricciardi mentioned his name recently as someone who is still available.

Randy Johnson, LHP: After flaming out with the Yankees in 2006, Johnson’s career has been somewhat revitalized since heading back to the desert. But let’s face it, even though he stayed healthy last year, he’s just a six-inning starter these days whose days of domination are long gone. The Big Unit has become more hittable now, but he remains a solid starter that can help a staff despite a record last season (11-10) that didn’t make anyone swoon. The sure-fire Hall of Famer is within shouting distance of his 5,000th career strikeout, and I’m sure he’d like to reach that plateau (not to mention the five wins he needs to hit 300) before calling it a day.

Brandon Lyon, RHP: Lyon encapsulated the D-Back bullpen woes, as he was way too hittable, struggling in the closer role before finally being replaced. The Tigers are still trying to claw their way to a better bullpen, so may peg him as their 2009 closer after failing to land bigger targets.

Next: We head east to Atlanta, to check in on a Braves’ team in serious need of retooling.

This is it — the final installment of our Free Agency Report on the American League. Today, we check in on the situation in Toronto, and then we’ll launch into the National League in the coming days. You can find the previous sections of this tome here: Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays improved by three games in 2008 en route to a third straight winning season. Great news, right?

Uh, not so fast.

Despite the improvements, mostly led by the AL’s top pitching staff, this team finished a disappointing fourth in the AL East behind perennial contenders Boston and New York and the AL’s newest superpower – Tampa Bay. Toronto’s stretch of meaningless Octobers has now been in effect since its last World Series title in 1993.

How the hell is Toronto ever supposed to compete with three teams that are sure to be dominant for years to come? This challenge seems especially insurmountable now with the Canadian dollar currently suffering, meaning the Jays will be watching their loonies closely this winter. A.J. Burnett is already gone; could Roy Halladay be next? Don’t scoff – the idea that Toronto may deal its ace isn’t so far fetched. B.J. Ryan could also be out the door, perhaps headed to Detroit to help solve the Tiger bullpen woes.

Stripping the club of its pitching depth will hurt considering this is what led the team to another winning season with Toronto pacing the AL in ERA, BAA, OPS against and WHIP. Scott Downs enjoyed a career year in a set-up role, while Jesse Carlson excelled in a similar role. Halladay turned in another Cy Young type of year, while Shaun Marcum enjoyed a breakout year (but will unfortunately miss the 2009 season after Tommy John surgery).

Offense was the Achilles’ Heel of this squad, as the Jays ranked a woeful 11th in the AL in runs, slugging percentage and OPS. Matt Stairs couldn’t come close to duplicating his fine 2007 season and then was dealt to eventual World Champion Philadelphia; Marcos Scutaro wasn’t bad considering how low the expectations were, but giving over 500 at bats to a sub-700 OPS dude with no power? Uh, yeah…; and Rod Barajas proved once and for all that he is not a legitimate starting big league catcher (of course his lack of offense wouldn’t stick out nearly as much in a lineup that was capable of scoring more runs).

Toronto will have to be very creative this offseason if it hopes to improve its squad, especially given that the team can’t add any more payroll. Unfortunately, the Jays have four free agents to deal with, and while only one made a huge contribution in 2008 – this team will need to do some retooling this winter. The club seems further away from its glory years than ever, somewhat ironic given that the team it beat in the ’93 Series finally made it back this year and won it all.

A.J. Burnett, RHP: Burnett finally stayed healthy, setting career highs in games, innings, strikeouts and wins. And although his peripherals were actually somewhat stronger in 2007, Burnett picked a perfect time to win 18 games and then opt out of his contract and trigger free agency; he’s agreed to a preliminary deal with the Yanks for five years and $82.5 million. Ka-ching! The Braves were also very interested in Burnett, although many believe the Yanks spent way too much on an overrated arm. It will be very interesting to see how he does pitching for the first time in a pressure-packed situation. Sure, he’s got post-season experience from his Marlin days, but pitching in the Bronx Zoo is a whole different kettle of fish. Does Burnett have the right makeup to succeed there?

John Parrish, LHP: Parrish pitched extremely well in Triple-A, earning some time in both the rotation and the bullpen for the Jays. He surrendered too many homers, but offset that with his improved control, thereby managing to revitalize his career somewhat. The Tigers, hoping to shape up the black hole that was their bullpen in 2008, have been showing interest in the veteran southpaw.

Brad Wilkerson, OF: Hmm, let’s see….now he’s a bad hitter as well as a poor fielder. Yikes. Patience – once one of Wilkerson’s strengths – disappeared last season, taking his BA even further into the abyss. I’m sorry, I’m just not seeing a recovery any more. Wilkerson will probably have to sign a minor league deal and earn his way back to the majors.

Gregg Zaun, C: An elbow injury helped expedite a diminished role for Zaun in 2008, and with his gap power shrinking for the past couple of years, he’s just not a productive bat any longer. His decent on-base skills have also been in decline. Still, there are teams making inquiries about the vet backstop, including the Tigers, the ‘Stros and the Orioles, who would love a veteran presence to help usher in the Matt Wieters era in B-More.

Next: We’ll head over to the Senior Circuit and start making the rounds.

Texas Rangers

In 2008, the Rangers appeared to be making plenty of progress after a disappointing 2007 season saw them win just 75 games, but a second-half slump left the team with just 79 wins for a fourth straight losing campaign.

Even with that less than inspiring record, Texas managed to finish second in the AL West, for its highest placing since last winning the division in 1999.

Rarely will you see a club in which its strengths and weaknesses are so clearly defined as was the case with the 2008 Texas Rangers. This team led the American League in batting average, runs, slugging and OPS, but was dead last in ERA, batting average against, OPS against, WHIP and quality starts.

The O shined, led by the probably soon-to-be-departed Milton Bradley, and holdovers like Ian Kinsler, who took another big step forward, Chris Davis, who emerged as a serious power threat in a half season, and Josh Hamilton, who enjoyed a major breakthrough.

The pitching staff, however, was stuck together by snot and tape, and far too many innings were sucked up by mediocre and undeserving arms. Swingman Luis Mendoza took a major step backward this season after showing such promise in 2007; Dustin Nippert, also used in a swingman role, pitched well at Triple-A, but apparently still can’t get big leaguers out; closer C.J. Wilson had horribly shaky command before an injury ended his season and cost him his job for 2009; Kason Gabbard was hurt for a good chunk of the season, but was too hittable when he did pitch; and youngster Matt Harrison showed promise, but given his hit rates, might have been better served spending more time at Triple-A before getting thrown to the wolves.

Gee, I wonder where they’ll concentrate their efforts this offseason?

It’s actually already started, as Texas helped alleviate its crowded catching situation by dispatching Gerald Laird to the Tigers for a couple of young pitching prospects. This adds to an already impressive arsenal of young arms in the system who will soon arrive in Arlington to turn the Rangers’ fortunes around.

And it can’t happen soon enough.

In the short-term, however, the pitching staff isn’t likely to be vastly better in 2009; also of concern is the fact that the Rangers have four free agents to deal with – three of which were important parts of the 2008 club.

That’s the bad news; the good news is that with even a slight improvement in pitching, this team should erase its streak of losing seasons in 2009.

Milton Bradley, DH: Bradley stayed healthier than usual (which isn’t saying much), but he enjoyed a career year, setting a personal best in walks along the way. He was offered arbitration by the Rangers, who would like to keep him, but Bradley rejected it, opting to test the market instead. Plenty of teams are biting. KC is showing interest, Tampa Bay is looking at him, the Cubs could use a corner outfielder and may kick his tires, and the Jays are hell bent on adding Bradley because things are apparently too boring in Canada and they’re hoping he’ll spice things up, which he is wont to do from time to time.

Jason Jennings, RHP: Jennings just keeps getting shelled harder and harder and the fact that he can’t stay healthy either doesn’t exactly make him attractive from any perspective. Regardless, Texas is talking about bringing him back, but at least just on a minor league deal this time around. Boy, how happy do you think the Rockies were to deal him to Houston a couple of years ago? Jennings has been simply rancid since leaving the mountains.

Ramon Vazquez, 3B: Vazquez has played a key role off the Ranger bench the past two seasons, and after a very productive campaign in which he put up a career-best line of .290/.362/.430, could he vie for a full-time gig? Uh, maybe not. He hit .310 against righties, but just .188 against lefties. Arizona needs to replace Orlando Hudson at second base and would love to have Vazquez as the strong part of a platoon. The D-Backs have already offered him a one-year deal with a club option for a second season, but that was a while ago, and Vazquez is holding out for a two-year offer. Arizona has made an offer to Mark Loretta to be the right-handed hitting side of that platoon, and is also considering Damion Easley or perhaps Adam Kennedy, who would need to be pried out of St. Louis via trade.

Jamey Wright, RHP: Pitching out of the bullpen exclusively for the first time in his career, Wright was actually rather effective – far more so than his bloated ERA would indicate. He did a good job of limiting the long ball, improved his control and upped his strikeout rate. He won eight games and earned 17 holds, to boot. Considering his peripherals were much better than in 2007, when his ERA was a run and a half lower, I think we’re talking about some bad luck here. Texas, however, doesn’t want him back, failing to offer Wright arbitration, so it looks like we’ll find out if this workhorse reliever can bounce back elsewhere.

Next: We head north of the border (home of the good bacon…speaking of bacon, check this recipe out! Disgusting, eh? Tell me you don’t want one immediately, though) and wrap up the American League free agency outlook with a visit to Toronto.

We continue our tour around the bigs, examining the free agents for each club, with another segment today. Previous parts can be found here: Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII.

Seattle Mariners

After winning 88 games in 2007, expectations were high that the Mariners could compete for the AL West title and get back to the postseason for the first time since 2000. Instead, the offense completely tanked, and this team hit rock bottom, winning a mere 61 games — its worst showing since 1983.

If you’re looking for a bright spot in Seattle’s 2008 season, the club did finish sixth in the AL in stolen bases thanks to a nice comeback year (running wise, at least) from Ichiro Suzuki.

However, with just one AL team scoring less runs and having a worse on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS, it was pretty clear where the Mariners’ problems lay. There were culprits aplenty, but to pick on a few, I’d target Jose Vidro, who was so unproductive that the team finally DFAed him in August; Kenji Johjima, who’s extra base power last showed up on a milk carton; Yuniesky Betancourt, who simply doesn’t get on base enough to be a legitimate fantasy option; hell, even Ichiro struggled, relatively speaking, especially as far as his extra-base pop went.

With four last place finishes in the past five seasons, the Mariners really need to do some serious retooling. On the plus side, they have just three free agents to deal with, and just one of those was an integral part of the team.

Willie Bloomquist, OF: Bloomquist’s role has been on decline for the past couple of seasons, and the fact the he managed just one extra-base hit all year long negated his improved patience and decent SB numbers. The Mariners have plenty of prospects on the way, so there’s no need for them to re-sign this veteran utility man, hence they did not offer him arbitration.

Miguel Cairo, IF: Believe it not, Cairo is 34, not 44. He actually enjoyed a decent year off the Mariner bench, recording his highest hit total since 2005. However, Cairo’s speed has deteriorated and he never had much pop to lose. The Mariners have not offered him salary arbitration, and like Bloomquist, he’ll be replaceable. The fact that Seattle signed Russell Branyan probably is the final nail in the coffin on Cairo’s chances of returning to Em City.

Raul Ibanez, OF: Ibanez enjoyed another strong season, setting a new personal high in at bats, scoring a surprising amount of runs considering how crappy this offense was and pacing the team in OPS for a third straight year. The fact that he was as productive as he was on this team, despite a slight uptick in his strikeout rate, is a testament to Ibanez turning into a legitimate fantasy stud in recent years. Put this bat in a better lineup, and how many runs would he drive in? We may find out, as Ibanez is expected to decline the Mariners’ arbitration offer. Tampa Bay is seeking a left-handed DH, and Ibanez could fit the bill. Or Philly might target him as a replacement for Pat Burrell in left field. The Mariners will also be players here, hoping to re-sign the veteran. Apparently, the Jays are also looking at Ibanez, and the Cubs and Mets are possibilities, too.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays were the story of the year in 2008, finally breaking through in Season 11 of their existence and not only busting their playoff cherry, but coming within three wins of a World Series title.

While they had showed some modest improvements in 2007, the team absolutely exploded last season, winning 97 games (they had never topped 70 victories before) to take home the AL East crown.

Speed was the calling card of this club, as it paced the AL in thefts in no small part thanks to B.J. Upton doubling his career high with 44 swipes. Where this team could use a boost is in hitting, however. Only one AL team had a worst batting average than the club’s .260 mark. A good place to start working on that would be finding an upgrade over Gabe Gross in right field; at the very least, he can’t be allowed to have a single at bat against a lefty.

The Rays will probably also be seeking some bullpen insurance, especially with closer Troy Percival undergoing back surgery this offseason and one of their relievers having already bolted from town.

Any way you look at it, though, the Rays have arrived and aren’t going anywhere except up for the foreseeable future. With four free agents to deal with (a couple of which were key cogs of the team) and some tweaking necessary in others areas, they do have some work to do this offseason as they take aim at the ultimate prize in 2009.

Rocco Baldelli, OF: Injuries continues to decimate Baldelli’s career, limiting him to 80 at bats in 2008. However, once he returned, he showed some nice gap power. I don’t like the fact that he’s striking out more and that his speed seems to have gone AWOL. He probably fits in nicely as a platoon partner for Gross in RF, considering Baldelli hits lefties very well, while he struggles (just .219) against righties. However, that would leave him on the weak side of a platoon, rendering him useless from a fantasy perspective. So if someone offers him a larger role (Philly, seeking a cheaper option to replace Burrell, or Boston, hoping to bring in a local boy?), I’d guess Baldelli would jump at the chance. However, given his condition (mitochondrial disorder), I’m not sure anyone is going to hand him a full-time gig – at least not without have a serious insurance policy on the bench. At this stage, Baldelli is most likely a role player until he proves he can handle more.

Cliff Floyd, DH: Injuries – the story of his career – reared their ugly head once again, relagating Floyd to strictly DH duty in 2008. His speed has long since been decimated, but he remains an impressive power bat off the bench. There’s a real possibility that Floyd racks ‘em up this offseason, and if Tampa Bay decides he no longer fits on the team as it’s constructed, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the end of the line for him.

Eric Hinske, OF: Despite his second-half woes, Hinske was a very pleasant surprise for the Rays in 2008, rediscovering his power and reaching 20 homers for the first time since he was a rookie. He was quite productive in his role, and even flashed some speed for the first time in many years. The Rays may bring him back if it makes sense based on their other moves, or he could wind up a DH somewhere, such as with the Yankees.

Trever Miller, LHP: Miller improved his control somewhat, and that helped him bounce back after an off year in 2007. He’s a situational lefty who will need to be replaced in Tampa Bay, as he’s already gone, having signed with the Cardinals for one year.

Next: we’ll head west again, checking in on the Texas Rangers.

Oakland A’s

The A’s suffered their second straight losing season, but the fact that they only slipped one game from 2007 was quite a surprise; in fact, if not for a mid-season swoon (12-35 between July 11 and September 5 before righting the ship with a 10-9 finish), this team would have been one of the bigger stories in baseball. Of course, you can’t exactly ignore a near two-month stretch of .255 ball, can you?

The pitching staff, helped along by the emergence of relievers Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler (the latter of which was a true revelation) and the excellent conversion to starting by Justin Duscherer (until he got hurt, that is), more than held its own, ranking fourth in the AL in both batting average and OPS against.

Where this team fell flat on its face was its wet noodle attack. The A’s ranked dead last in the AL in batting average, runs, on-base percentage (Gasp! Billy Beane must have been sticking his head in the oven) and slugging percentage.

With Eric Chavez again out most of the season (another disturbing trend altogether), the team was forced to employ Jack Hannahan for most of the year at third, and he’s clearly a borderline major leaguer at best. Daric Barton did not deliver on his ROY potential, but I do expect him to be better now that he’s had his hip fixed. Emil Brown was given way too many at bats; Bobby Crosby finally stayed healthy, but still hasn’t come close to duplicating his first two seasons; and Carlos Gonzalez, brimming with potential, was unable to provide a boost when brought up.

Of course, Gonzalez may not have been part of the solution last season, but he’ll definitely help in 2009 – indirectly, at any rate. He was packaged up with starter Greg Smith and former closer Huston Street (made expendable with Devine and Ziegler developing so rapidly) to the Rockies for a man who will in essence provide the Cialis the A’s lineup so desperately needs – Matt Holliday.

If the A’s land free agent Rafael Furcal, that will deliver another huge boost to the offense.

And with a mere four free agents of their own to deal with – none of whom are major losses, and one at least that’s likely a case of addition by subtraction – the A’s are in an excellent position to retool this offseason and end this mini streak of losing seasons in 2009.

Emil Brown, OF: The fact that Brown was given over 400 at bats last season underscores how anemic the A’s offense was. Scarier still, Brown cut his strikeout rates and put up better numbers overall than he had in 2007, yet he was still a steaming pile of crap, barely useful in an AL-only league, and a deep one at that. Of the 53 corner outfielders who had at least 400 plate appearances last season, just three had an OPS worse than Brown. ‘Nuff said. Baltimore is looking for a right-handed outfielder to platoon with Luke Scott, and given that Brown hit .295 against lefties (.211 vs. righties), this may be his future – as the weak side of a platoon. If Pat Burrell leaves Philadelphia, the Phils may opt to let Geoff Jenkins take over and bring in someone like Brown to play against lefties. At this point, no major league team is going to give Brown anywhere near the number of at bats Oakland gave him in 2008, and that’s a wise decision. For the A’s, this is clearly addition by subtraction.

Alan Embree, LHP: As he gets on his years, Embree is morphing more and more in a left-handed specialist, even though his platoon splits actually got a bit closer together last season. Even so, with left-handed relief pitching being the sacred golden cow of free agency this offseason, someone will throw more money at this vet than he’s worth. With Embree’s control faltering – he issued a career-high 30 walks last season – I’m not bullish on his chances of experiencing yet another comeback season as he last did in 2006 with the Padres.

Keith Foulke, RHP: He had a tough time staying healthy, but for the most part, Foulke’s decision to unretire worked out well as he enjoyed a solid season out of the A’s pen. He wasn’t offered arbitration, so is most likely headed elsewhere, as the A’s commit to developing their youngsters. A team like the Rays may want to add a veteran arm in the pen should fragile closer Troy Percival not be ready for Opening Day.

Frank Thomas, DH: The Jays finally realized they had shelled out too much money for an aging, one-dimensional player and cut bait early in the season after Thomas struggled badly out of the gate. He headed back to Oakland, a team desperate for another bat despite its glut of DH types, and he was certainly better than he had been in Toronto, but that’s not saying much. The Big Hurt wasn’t so much laying a beating on AL pitchers as opposed to himself, as a quad injury cost him most of the season. Not surprisingly, the A’s also did not offer arbitration to Thomas; he’s a Type B free agent, but the A’s obviously didn’t want to take the chance he’d accept the offer, and instead are willing to forgo the compensation they would have received had another team signed him. It makes sense – the acquisition of Holliday will push Jack Cust to where he should be – a full-time DH, leaving nowhere for Thomas to play. Could this be the end of the line for Thomas?

Next: We’ll head up the coast and check in on the free agent situation in Seattle.

New York Yankees

Most teams would be ecstatic over an 89-win season, but the Yankees are not most teams. In fact, that represents the Pinstripers’ lowest win total since 2000, but more disturbingly spelled the end of a streak of playoff appearances that began way back in 1995.

On that note, a season of change is upon New York. There are plenty of strengths to build on – led by stalwarts Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon, this lineup remains among the most patient in the game.

But the Yanks are in serious need of a retooling of their pitching staff after a season in which they ranked eighth in the AL in ERA, BAA, WHIP and quality starts. Ian Kennedy was a disaster, Kei Igawa obviously is not a major league pitcher and Carl Pavano was a joke. The fact that steady Mike Mussina is calling it a career hurts even more, making the targeted acquisition of C.C. Sabathia all the more important for the Bronx Bombers.

One thing is certain – with eight free agents (the Yanks have already re-signed reliever Damaso Marte), including several key players, this team will have a very different feel come 2009.

Bobby Abreu, OF: Abreu enjoyed a solid bounce back season after his numbers slipped in his first full season in New York in 2007. His pop returned somewhat, and he remains an extremely productive player who should generate plenty of interest, especially given that beyond Manny Ramirez, there are no elite outfielders on the market. Abreu is definitely among the top 10 free agents of this year’s class, but one possible destination we can cross off his list is Philly – can you see him wanting to go back or the Phils wanting to bring him back, assuming they don’t re-sign Pat Burrell? Abreu would like to stay in the Big Apple, but unless he accepts arbitration, he’ll probably be headed elsewhere. The Mets and Cubs would among the top suitors if Abreu cuts his ties with the Yanks.

Jason Giambi, 1B: Not only did Giambi stay relatively healthy for the first time in a half decade, he bounced back very nicely after a disastrous 2007 season. Unfortunately, he’s a bit of a defensive liability, and now that the Yanks have added Nick Swisher and declined their 2009 option on Giambi, he will likely have to find a new home. He remains an extremely patient hitter, and could draw interest from a team like Toronto that needs to add some pop to its lineup.

Chad Moeller, C: Moeller enjoyed his finest season since 2003, but with less than 100 at bats to his credit, who cares? No doubt he’ll wind up yet again as someone’s number two or three catcher. Yawn.

Mike Mussina, RHP: Assuming the Moose is done, and all indications are that he won’t pull a Roger Clemens or Andy Pettitte here, then what a great way to go out, on the heels of his first ever 20-win season. The final tally for Mussina is 270 wins, 2,813 strikeouts and a 3.68 ERA. He currently ranks 19th all-time in strikeouts, 22nd in K/9, 33rd in starts and is tied for 33rd in wins. Hall of Fame-worthy? Let the debate begin.

Carl Pavano, RHP: Pavano again showed no hint that he’s past the litany of injuries that have turned his Yankee tenure into a ridiculously overpriced farce. Nine wins for over $40 million? Yikes! Still, you know some team will throw an incentive-rich deal at him in the hopes he can rediscover the form that made him an 18-game winner in 2004. Toronto could make a bid; so could Milwaukee. Cleveland will also be looking to add an inexpensive veteran starter and there’s talk that Pavano would like to return to Florida, where he enjoyed more success than anywhere.

Andy Pettitte, LHP: Despite improving his control and upping his Ks, Pettitte is coming off one of his worst seasons. The reason? The veteran southpaw allowed opposing batters to hit a career-worst .290. The result was a career-high 14 losses. Pettitte, a Type A free agent, will assumedly re-sign with the Yanks, but it’s not carved in stone. Certainly, the retirement of Mussina would force the Yankees’ hands, but New York still wants Pettitte to take a cut in pay. Will he be amenable to that? Of course, with the Moose gone, GM Brian Cashman may be forced to back down from that stance. I suspect there will be some drama here before it’s all said and done.

Sidney Ponson, RHP: Ponson actually pitched well with the Rangers to start the season, but he wore out his welcome and was waived. The Yanks, desperate for starting pitching, inked him, and he was awful in 15 starts in Pinstripes. Scary concept: Ponson allowed opponents to hit .311 against him last season, which actually represented an improvement of 24 points from 2007. Don’t look for the Yankees to re-sign him; maybe Texas will? Ya….riiiiiiiiiiight.

Ivan Rodriguez, C: I-Rod is another veteran that looked like he was enjoying a renaissance – until the Yankees acquired him that is. When Jorge Posada underwent season-ending surgery, New York brought in Pudge, who had been hitting very with the Tigers, even if his power had continued to wane. Once in the Big Apple, Rodriguez never looked worse offensively. A Type B free agent, I-Rod could draw interest from New York’s other team, and if Boston and Jason Varitek part ways, the BoSox could look to bring in another Pudge.

Next: We’ll head out West and check out the free agent situation in Oakland and Seattle.

We had to take a few more days off from the report, inundated by the work week. Stupid work week! Anyways, we’re back with our look at the free agency scene. Seeking previous parts of the report? Of course you are! And you may find them here: Parts I, II, III and IV.

Minnesota Twins

After 2007 saw a streak of winning seasons that dated back to 2000 snapped, the Twins rebounded much quicker than anyone expected, winning 88 games last season and taking the White Sox to a one-game playoff before finally conceding the AL Central title.

Minny was driven by its offense, a lineup led by its JMs — no, not Schneider (although he does make tasty and versatile bacon), but rather Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau — that finished third in the American League in both batting average and runs. The pitching staff, however, was a bit too hittable, ranking 11th in BAA.

Whether that’s something the team will address through free agency or trade or simply organic growth remains to be seen at this point. The rotation certainly has plenty of room for growth – Francisco Liriano should be that much better in 2009 another year removed from Tommy John surgery and Nick Blackburn should improve his hit rates in his second season. However, despite his 12 wins last season, I’m not sold on Glen Perkins as the fifth starter, although I suppose you could do worse. The Twins will also need to address the loss of reliever Pat Neshek, who will probably miss the entire 2009 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this week, and with two of their free agents being southpaw relievers, that’s another area they’ll need to improve this offseason (although lefties Craig Breslow and Jose Mijares both impressed last season and Mijares in particular could be ready for a larger role).

It’s possible the Twinkies could parlay one of their glut of outfielders into some bullpen help or another starting pitcher.

Either way, this team made an impressive recovery from 2007, and with a mere four free agents this offseason – only a couple of which played key roles in 2008 – the Twins are in good shape heading into the final season of the Metrodome. That’s right, come Opening Day 2010, the Twins will finally be able to throw those Glad Bag walls into the trash where they belong as they open a new facility.

Adam Everett, SS: It was a lost season for Everett, as he endured two stints on the DL, the second of which was very lengthy. However, he was fairly productive while healthy and managed to cut his strikeout rate. But what happened to his speed, one of the few things that made him fantasy worthy? The Tigers are looking for a cheap option to replace Edgar Renteria, so Everett could be a good short-term fit there. The fact is, however, that I’m not sure Everett can hit enough to warrant a full-time job. Yes, he’s among the top defensive shortstops in the game, but his limited offense has been in decline since 2004. He sure as hell didn’t work out in Minny, but a team like Baltimore – which struggled all season long to find a shortstop who could stick – could be enticed to take a chance that Everett can bounce back – not that his offensive upside offers much room to bounce back to, mind you.

Eddie Guardado, LHP: Guardado looked reborn in Texas, but after a late-season deal, his homecoming in Minnesota was downright nightmarish. Still, he enjoyed a great season overall, really reducing his hit rates and settling in nicely as a solid set-up man. There are plenty of relievers with closing experience on the market, so Guardado will have competition to land a closing job and I really don’t see him getting another chance to save games at this stage of his career. But in the right situation, anything is possible. After he pitched so well for the Rangers last season, there’s a chance they’ll want him back. Tampa Bay may also be seeking an inexpensive late-inning man, especially if Troy Percival undergoes surgery and is not ready for the start of 2009. Colorado will be targeting a late-inning southpaw reliever to pitch in a set-up role, so you can be sure Everyday Eddie will be on its list.

Nick Punto, SS: Punto had a rough season, with two separate stints on the DL, but he when he played, he never played better, and because of his speed, he was a solid asset in AL-only leagues and deeper mixed leagues. With Chase Utley likely out to start 2009, the Phillies could look to plug the hole with an inexpensive, short-term option like Punto, who toiled in Philly from 2001 to 2003. However, note that Punto would revert to a utility role once Utley was declared fit enough to return from his hip surgery.

Dennys Reyes, LHP: Reyes turned things around after a rather pedestrian showing in 2007, becoming a very steady LOOGY last season. He set a new career high in appearances, showed strong hit rates, improved control and sharper command. In fact, despite his limited innings, Reyes pitched well enough to offer some value in AL-only leagues, a rarity for someone with his role. With so many teams seeking left-handed bullpen help, Reyes won’t have any problem finding a job. After losing Jeremy Affeldt to free agency, Cincy will be seeking a replacement, but you can expect the Reds to have plenty of competition in the bidding for Reyes’ services.

Next: Well, we had planned to tackle the Yankees in this part as well, but we wrote a bit long (how novel for us!), so next up, we’ll check out the Yankees’ free agent situation.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels were the best team in baseball in 2008, reaching 100 wins for the first time in franchise history, but when the games really counted, once again they could not defeat their nemesis, getting eliminated in the postseason by the Boston Red Sox for the third time in the past five years.

I really thought this would be the year the Halos could get past their Boston hump, considering how soundly they dominated the Sox in the regular season, taking eight of nine. However, the defense – traditionally a strength of this club – let it down come playoff time, and it was another fall failure for LA.

The bullpen – led by record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez – continued to be the backbone of this team, but it’s a relief corps that could have a very different look next season. Where the Angels need to step things up is in their on-base skills. A collective OBP of just .330 ranked 11th of 14 teams in American League. That’s not going to cut it for a contender.

So while the Angels are coming off their finest season, with six free agents – many of whom are vital components of the team – the squad will likely have a very different vibe come 2009.

Garret Anderson, OF: Well, Anderson stayed moderately healthy last season, but his power is on the wane, and he’s never been much of an OBP machine. Clearly, his best days are behind him, and he’s no longer a must-own fantasy outfielder. A Type B free agent (meaning if a team signs him, the Angels get a sandwich pick), Anderson had his option declined by the Halos, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to bring him back at a lower salary. Another possibility is the Cubs (who could use a new right fielder, although Anderson hasn’t manned that position since 2000). I can’t see anyone giving him a long-term deal, but someone will buy his “name” and likely give him more than he’s worth.

Jon Garland, RHP: With free agency looming, Garland picked a lousy time to suffer through his worst season since he was a rookie. His K rate – already awful – has dropped further the past two seasons, making him a joke in 5×5 leagues. Interestingly, he trended far more towards being a groundball pitcher than ever before, but clearly it didn’t help. I’ll give him this – the dude is durable. A Type B free agent, this sinkerballer makes too many mistakes to be considered a difference maker, so I can’t see him going in the first wave of signings. More likely, after the better starting pitchers are off the market, some team will get desperate and reach for Garland. There’s a reason the Angels didn’t include him in their post-season rotation, after all.

Darren Oliver, LHP: Oliver did a good job keeping the ball in the park, and was able to overcome a sharp decline in his K rate by vastly improving his control. He was solid enough to offer value in a deeper AL-only league. Oliver is a Type A free agent, meaning that whoever signs him will surrender their first round pick (depending on how they finished in the standings last season) plus the team losing him will also get a supplemental first rounder. Detroit, a bullpen disaster last season, has already contacted him, as it will be seeking inexpensive solutions to help shore up its relief corps. However, don’t bet against Oliver re-signing with the Angels; I doubt LA wants to lose both its top righty (K-Rod) and lefty relievers.

Juan Rivera, OF: Rivera has never really been the same since busting his leg a couple of offseasons ago, although his power started to re-emerge in the second half (nine homers in 170 at bats). He could still be a productive player given the right situation, but I’m not sold on Rivera as a legitimate full timer any more. However, there’s talk that if defending World Champion Philadelphia can’t re-sign Pat Burrell, it will peg Rivera as his replacement. I just can’t imagine Rivera coming anywhere near Burrell’s offensive numbers. Another option is the Mets, who would like to add some corner OF depth.

Francisco Rodriguez, RHP: How can you argue with the bottom line results, including a record 62 saves and a sterling 2.24 ERA? However, K-Rod’s K/9 has dropped four straight years, his command has slipped the past two, and his BAA has steadily risen since his rookie year, all of which concerns me. Still, there’s a reason why he’s an AL MVP candidate and will get a serious boatload of cash this winter. Rodriguez’s agent has said that he’s had calls from four teams so far, but we know that he won’t be going back to the Angels after owner Arte Moreno virtually slammed that door shut. Assumedly, the Mets are one of those teams, as they need to replace Billy Wagner, who will miss the entire season after Tommy John surgery. There’s a report that K-Rod, a Type A free agent, has already traveled to New York to meet with Met GM Omar Minaya, but both parties have denied this rumour.

Mark Teixeira, 1B: After a mid-season trade sent him to the Angels, Teixeira played the best ball of his career, putting up a .358/.449/.632 line in 54 games with 39 runs and 43 RBI – perfect timing for him to cash in with a huge deal. Many have assumed that the BoSox plan to go hot and heavy after Tex, but so far, they are remaining tight lipped about it. Of course, Boston would then probably have to deal Mike Lowell to make room so it could shift Kevin Youkilis over to third, where he played so well in the playoffs. The Yanks are another team that has considered Teixeira, but are now said to be more interested in improving their rotation, so they won’t be in there to help push the bidding up. The Mets are also not in the running here, and Toronto – while it needs a monster bat – can’t pony up that kind of cash, especially considering Teixeria is represented by Scott Boras, the notorious cash gouger. The Angels will probably make a play to keep him, and if they can, that may help them entice C.C. Sabathia to Anaheim as well. One surprise suitor might be the Washington Nationals, who are talking about spending some real cash this winter. They’d have to be considered a real darkhorse here, however.

Okay, so we’re now halfway through the American League. Woo hoo! Next up, we’ll take a look at the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers were all but guaranteed to score 1,000 runs and cruise to the World Series last season, but a funny thing happened along the way – they sucked. The Tigers recovered somewhat after an awful start and did wind up scoring plenty of runs, yet even with 821 tallies, they fell 179 shy of their assumed count and 66 behind 2007’s total. Still, with good on-base and slugging percentages, the offense was solid. However, Detroit finished dead last in steals, and its pitching staff was simply awful.

In retrospect, the Tigers have been slipping since losing the 2006 World Series.

There’s still a boatload of talent here, but with seven free agents on the market, Detroit will have to scramble somewhat to right the ship and at least return to its winning ways of 2006 and 2007. Only Edgar Renteria will be a major loss, but beyond addressing that situation, the Tigers need to do serious work on the pitching staff.

Kyle Farnsworth, RHP: Farnsworth was actually enjoying a strong season as one of the Yanks’ top set-up men before a deadline deal sent him back to Detroit for Ivan Rodriguez. That’s when everything went to hell for Farnsworth as, despite fine control and strong strikeout rates, he suddenly became very hittable, getting rocked to the tune of a .380 BAA during his time in Motown. I guess drinking from the same water cooler the other Tiger relievers imbibe on will do that to you. Given that he pitched well for the Yanks, there’s a real possibility they could bring Farnsworth back to the Big Apple and Colorado is said to be another potential destination.

Casey Fossum, LHP: Now strictly a reliever, Fossum was better last year, but that’s not saying much in the wake of his disastrous 2007 season. In fact, were he not left-handed, he’d probably be in Indy ball by now after recording a 7.70 ERA in 2007. However, the fact that his strikeout rate actually dropped with a move to the bullpen does not bode well for any future success for Fossum. I sense a minor league deal and continued fantasy irrelevance in his future.

Freddy Garcia, RHP: Yes, it was only three starts, but Garcia looked surprisingly rust-free in his late-season return from 2007 shoulder surgery, buoying hopes that he could be a legitimate factor in 2009. He’s probably going to be reasonably priced, which means a team like the Marlins may look to add him to the back of their rotation. Cleveland is another possible destination for Garcia, and I’ve also heard the Yankees (who may want him as a spot starter) and Texas (always desperate for starting pitcher) could be players here as well.

Todd Jones, RHP: Jones was far too hittable, served up too many long balls and then got hurt, ultimately losing his closer job. He then announced his retirement, sailing off into the sunset. Hopefully for this trip, he’ll bring more than one pair of underwear.

Edgar Renteria, SS: Renteria picked a lousy time to be a free agent after suffering through his worst season since 2001. His power and productivity has been waning for several years, and his BA plummeted after a fantastic season for the Braves in 2007. He’s also slipping defensively, so Detroit is not expected to offer him salary arbitration, meaning that it will need to find a new shortstop in 2009 (clearly, Ramon Santiago is not the answer). Renteria is starting to look like a mercenary, bouncing from team to team as it appears he’ll play for his fifth team in six years next season.

Kenny Rogers, LHP: Well, the Gambler stayed healthy last season, but that’s about the only good news. He endured his worst season since 2001, and his strikeout rate – always weak to begin with – has sunk to unacceptably low levels now. Does this 20-year veteran have anything left to offer? I wouldn’t even bet a roast chicken on it. Hey, you know what they say: you got know when to fold ‘em. Are you listening, Kenny?

Vance Wilson, C: Wilson hasn’t appeared in the majors for the last two seasons, but he’d like to stay in the Detroit organization. And I want a night of endless bliss with Jennifer Connelly. I think we’re both shit out of luck, but I’ll keep you posted on that one.

Kansas City Royals

It may not seem like much, but the Royals have been steadily climbing in recent years and are now poised for their first .500 season since 2003. They’ve gone from 56 wins in 2005 to 62 to 69 to 75 last season. I’m still trying to figure out how KC experienced a six-game improvement last season considering it scored 15 less runs and gave up three more than it did in 2007.

At any rate, while the bullpen didn’t perform as well as it did in 2007, the Royals have solved one long-term issue with the emergence of Joakim Soria as a top-notch closer, and that was probably the biggest story of the year in KC.

The real problem here, however, is the offense – simply moribund all year — ranking near the bottom of every key category. KC needs to find a way to score more runs in 2009.

The good news is this young team has only free agent, and considering he missed almost half the season, clearly the Royals can live without him.

Mark Grudzielanek, 2B: He’s put up some decent on-base percentages the last couple of years, but his inability to stay in the lineup has rendered him a fantasy afterthought. And at the age of 38, he ain’t exactly getting any more spry. Grudzielanek was the Royals’ player of the year in 2006, but he’s missed significant time in each of the two seasons since. The Brewers may look to add the Milwaukee native for a utility role. St. Louis is another possibility, as is Arizona. Grudzielanek can still hit when he’s healthy, so who knows, maybe someone will give him a starting job. KC may still offer him arbitration, or he could stay in the division if Cleveland offers him a deal.

Next, we’ll look at the Angels and the Twins.

We continue our look at major league free agents, discussing rumours and possible outcomes. Part I can be found here.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox completely erased the memories of an awful 2007 season by turning around all facets of their game and winning 89 times en route to the AL Central title. Although they lost to eventual AL Champion Tampa Bay in four games in the ALDS, it was a great season for the South Siders. And, for the most part, they will return in 2009 intact, with just six free agents on the books. However, there are some key players among them, so the ChiSox may definitely have some work to do this offseason as they look to build a team capable of contending for the American League Championship.

Orlando Cabrera, SS: Although Cabrera slipped somewhat both offensively and defensively, he remains a durable, steady shortstop. As we discussed in Part I, there are plenty of shortstops hitting the market this winter, but few are great options, with Rafael Furcal, Cabrera and Edgar Renteria heading the list. There are several teams that could be seeking someone like Cabrera, but the White Sox aren’t expected to make an effort to retain him. The Angels feel like they were let down by their shortstop play against Boston, and plenty of people would love to see Cabrera back in Anaheim, but the team has so many middle infield options, that that scenario seems unlikely barring a major trade. Detroit is another team that will be seeking a shortstop, assuming Renteria bolts, but with Cabrera probably seeking at least a three-year deal, Motown is not a likely destination. Cleveland is a possibility, as the team could sign Cabrera and shift Jhonny Peralta to third, and St. Louis is another potential destination.

Joe Crede, 3B: After combining for just over 500 at bats the last two years, Crede needs to prove his back is sound. But when he was in the lineup last year, there was a lot of things to get excited about: he certainly hit much better than he did in 2007, showing a more productive bat, drawing walks at his highest rate ever and striking out less often. The power bounced back too, although not quite to the levels from his breakout 2006 season. Although the third base market is weak (with Casey Blake being the only other decent option), Crede is surely all but gone from the White Sox with Josh Fields expected to take over. However, Crede could stay in the division if Cleveland opts to plug its third base hole with him. Milwaukee could use a solution at the hot corner and there’s talk that even Texas could make a play for him, moving Chris Davis over to first base and shifting Hank Blalock to DH. Then again, what if Fields isn’t ready for the full-time job in Chicago? It’s not as if he hit the cover off the ball in his limited big league action this season (in fact, he sucked). Well, there’s talk that the White Sox are eyeing another Cuban defector and hoping lightning strikes twice after the wonderful success enjoyed by Alexei Ramirez last season. The White Sox apparently have the inside track on 19-year-old third baseman Dayan Viciedo, cleared for free agency by MLB on Friday. He would offer a great long-term solution at the hot corner in Chicago, but given his tender age, might not be ready for the job right away.

Ken Griffey, Jr., OF: After rebounding in 2007, The Kid suffered through his worst offensive season since…well, since he was a kid. He still has gap power, but no speed to speak of any more and he’s no longer capable of making more than the occasional token appearance in centrefield, once his full-time domain. Could Griffey be headed back to Seattle for his last hurrah? It’s a possibility. We do know that after the Sox declined his option, the future Hall of Famer is not likely to return to Chicago, but where he will emerge – and if he’ll have a full-time role there – is still very much up in the air.

Toby Hall, C: Hall hit better than he did in his first year in Chicago, but that’s not saying much. Considering he hasn’t even had 130 at bats in either of his seasons for the White Sox, he’s probably itching to get out, and after they declined his option, Hall is likely headed elsewhere, even if some suggest he may return.

Horacio Ramirez, LHP: Ramirez looked like he was back on track last season until, that is, a mid-season deal landed him in Chicago. After that, he was beaten worse than a stepchild, thereby sealing his fate in the Windy City. It’s possible the Tribe will take a look at him, but at this point Ramirez is a fringe major league reliever, and it wouldn’t shock me to see him wind up in Independent ball or something like that.

Juan Uribe, 3B: Uribe might have had one of the most profound effects on Chicago’s title hopes when his hamstring injury in May allowed Alexei Ramirez to take over the second baseman job, a turning point for the Sox. Reduced to a part-time player, Uribe hit a bit better than he did in 2007, and he proved he can be somewhat productive given enough PT, but that’s not going to happen with the White Sox. There’s a chance Pittsburgh might look at Uribe at shortstop if Jack Wilson is dealt, otherwise he may have to settle for another utility gig.

Cleveland Indians

For a team built to compete for the World Series, the Indians were an awful disappointment in 2008. In fact, it took a strong finish (35-21 after July 30) just to scramble to the .500 mark by season’s end. The offense has been sliding since 2006, but the recoveries made by the pitching staff in 2007 all when for naught, as the staff backlid again last year.

The starting rotation showed some promise (and Cliff Lee was a wonderful surprise), but was obviously weakened after C.C. Sabathia was dealt away. Meanwhile, the bullpen – especially the revolving door that was the closer spot – was a mess, finishing with the second worst ERA in the majors. That will need to be addressed in a big way this offseason if this team has designs on competing for the AL Central crown in 2009.

Fortunately, the Indians have very few free agents, and really none that matter in the grand scheme of things.

Brendan Donnelly, RHP: The Indians hoped to catch lightning in a bottle with Donnelly, signed for a song as he was coming off an injury that cost him most of 2007. However, it didn’t work out. After spending most of 2008 rehabbing in the minors, he got shelled shocked in Cleveland, and his control was simply abysmal. There’s a chance the Tribe may have another look at him, but if so, any deal would probably be done much closer to Spring Training after the team has exhausted other options to improve the pen.

Scott Elarton, RHP: Elarton pitched well in the minors as a middle reliever, and surprisingly kept up the strong work when Cleveland promoted him. However, he wound up on the restricted list for non-baseball medical reasons and never pitched again after June. He’s in all likelihood done as an Indian, but it would nice for him to get another chance somewhere considering he actually looked decent last season.

Sal Fasano, C: While he hit well, the dude got into 15 games last season, so does it really matter where he winds up? Frankly, I still think he’s best suited to work in a biker bar.

Juan Rincon, RHP: He sucked with the Twins and was only slightly better with the Indians, so although he’d like to return to Cleveland, I’m not sure the Tribe wants him back. Rincon’s already declining K rate slipped even further in Cleveland, so I’m finding it hard to envision that he’ll regain the (pre-juicing) form that made him one of the AL’s top set-up men.

Next up, we’ll continue our tour around the AL free agency scene with stops in Detroit and Kansas City.