Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros
LA Angels
Oakland Athleticss
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
This is the third in a series of that I will bring to you all that will encompass each position on the diamond, and the best free agents available. I will give a brief about the player's past season, as well as some pros and cons that come with each player. I will finish up with a list of teams that might have interest in the player.
Today, we are looking at the top three at both secondbase and shortstop. Those positions are not very deep, and to look at the players that would be fourth or fifth is pretty redundant, as most are backups.
Secondbasemen
1.) Ray Durham
Skinny: The 34 year old Durham turned in a banner year in 2006. He batted .293 on the year, and more than doubled his home run output from last season, with 26 dingers (his career high.) Durham also drove in 93 runs, a career high as well. Durham also turned in a fine season in the field, solidifying the middle of the infield for the Giants.
Pros: One of the better defensive secondbasemen in the league. Is a career .281 hitter, and is a patient batter, willing to work counts. Since he usually bats at the top of the order, those traits are invaluable to have.
Cons: Will be 35 at the end of November. Durham has dealt with injury problems the past few seasons, and has developed a reputation as a brittle player over that time period. There is also the flashing lights around his career highs for home runs and RBIs, as 2006 could have been the dreaded "career year" for Durham.
Interested Teams: The Giants could look to bring Durham back on a short-term contract. The Indians are another possibility, if they do not think Hector Luna is ready to start full-time, or would rather take advantage of his super-utility skills. The Red Sox will be heavily involved in the bidding for Julio Lugo, who they have coveted for quite awhile, at shortstop. If they lose out there, they could turn their attention to Durham.
2.) Ronnie Belliard
Skinny: Belliard is coming off a World Series victory with the Cardinals, who aquired him in a mid-season trade with the Indians. Belliard hit a combined .272, with 13 home runs and 67 RBI. Belliard also made countless highlight reels for his defense at second, and continues to be one of the standards for second base defense.
Pros: Human highlight reel comes to mind when discussing Belliard. Tremendous range, great arm, great glove. He is the total package defensively. He can hold down the middle infield for any team. Can also chip in double-digit home run totals.
Cons: The risk is always there for an injury with the wreckless style of defense that Belliard plays, and that has happened occasionally. Is only average with the bat, and doesn't do much to put himself on base.
Interested Teams: It is very possible the Indians could re-sign Belliard. The Nationals can't trust Jose Vidro to stay healthy playing second full-time, and they could use Belliard as a part-time starter, and defensive replacement. The Braves have been rumored to be shopping Marcus Giles, and to help support their pitching, could use the defense of Belliard if Giles is indeed traded.
3.) Mark Loretta
Skinny: The 35 year old Loretta made the All-Star team this year, but put up very pedestrian numbers in his return to the AL. With the Red Sox, Loretta batted .285, with five home runs, and 59 RBIs. Loretta also brought above average defense to second for the Red Sox, and formed a solid double-play duo with Alex Gonzalez.
Pros: A steady veteran that does everything well. 2003 and 2004 is as good as Loretta will get, but he'll hit around .280, pitch in some homers, and bring runners in from the bottom of the order. He isn't a slouch defensively, and can bring veteran leadership to a team.
Cons: Is getting up there in age, and may not be an everyday player anymore. Nothing really stands out about Loretta, so he doesn't have a true strength to bring to the table.
Interested Teams: Could return to the Red Sox if they miss out on other players. The Giants could look to bring him back to the NL West to be their starter.
Best of the rest: Adam Kennedy is a solid secondbaseman, with some pop. As a left-hander, he could draw interest from teams looking to create a left/right platoon. Chris Gomez received starts at second, and was very solid in relieving Brian Roberts when he needed a rest. Gomez had a .341 average in 2006, and would provide great infield depth for a team.
Short Stops
1.) Julio Lugo
Skinny: One of the most sought-after players in trades the past few years, Lugo hits the market after a down year. He finally broke through in 2005, hitting .308 (.373 OBP) with six home runs, and 57 RBIs, perfect for the top of the order player that he is. Overall in 2006, Lugo hit .278 with 12 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 24 steals. Before heading over to the Dodgers, Lugo was hitting .308 with the same 12 home runs, and 27 RBI with the Devil Rays.
Pros: A prototypical #2 hitter, Lugo is a disciplined hitter, who has cut down his strikeouts in recent seasons. He'll add double-digit home runs to a team, and bring above-average defense for either shortstop or secondbase.
Cons: After a poor showing with the Doders in the NL (.219, zero home runs, 10 RBI) he may not be a fit for an NL team now. There is also the concern that Lugo can perform very well in a low pressure environment, but when playing for a contender (like the Dodgers) he freezes up.
Interested Teams: The Red Sox have been interested in Lugo for a long time, and look to put him at second base, near the top of the order. The Blue Jays have also coveted Lugo, and with Russ Adams struggling, will look to add them as their starting shortstop.
2.) Alex Gonzalez
Skinny: Possibly the best defensive short stop out there today, Gonzalez is a wizard in the field. He left the Marlins after 2005, and joined up with the Boston Red Sox. He played in 111 games, hit .255, with nine home runs and 50 RBI.
Pros: A team will sign him just for his defense, like Boston did. He'll hold down the 8th or 9th spot in the order, and provide some pop down there (given the job full-time, the potential is there for double-digit homers.
Cons: Isn't anything special with the bat (career .246 hitter) with a career .292 OBP as well. Considering there has been an influx of young shortstops in the league, Gonzalez may not be receiving a full-time job this coming year.
Interested Teams: Miguel Tejada has battled the dropsies over the past few seasons, and with his desire to play everyday, could lead the Orioles into signing the sure-handed Gonzalez to play once or twice a week, and give Tejada a day off at DH. Gonzalez could also be a consolation prize for the Blue Jays should they miss out on Lugo, and would give them a superior defensive presence up the middle, something they lacked after trading Orlando Hudson.
3.) Craig Counsell
Skinny: Counsell started the season as the starting short stop for the Diamondbacks until Steven Drew was ready. Counsell provided above average defense for Arizona, and chipped in offensively. He batted .255, with four dingers, 30 RBIs, and 15 SBs.
Pros: Can play anywhere in the infield, and play the position well. Even at 36, Counsell still retains some speed, and invaluable as a pinch runner and late inning defensive replacement.
Cons: Slightly below average hitting, and doesn't draw many walks to get on base, where his speed makes him a danger. Also is 36 years old, and that speed could slip at any time.
Interested Teams: The Diamondbacks could re-sign Counsell for his leadership, and to serve as a super-utility player in the infield. The Phillies are currently without a backup infielder, and could be interested in Counsell's experience and pinch-running ability.
Best of the Rest: Jose Hernandez can play the infield positions as well, and if given consistant playing time, can provide a decent amount of home runs. Royce Clayton is a solid shortstop, who can run and field the position well. He might find himself in a platoon role again this year.
Overall Thoughts: This is, again, another weak position for hitters. It is extremely difficult to judge where some of these people may go, because many teams are looking to nab that one player, and then the players below will fall as consolation prizes. Plus, there has been in influx of young talent at both second and short, meaning less jobs are available for many of these veterans that, two or three years ago, would be signed as platoon players, and some as starters.
-----------------------------------------------------
Feel free to comment about any player on the list, or a player you think should be on the list. Throw out another team for some of these players. This was meant to serve as a free agency primer for you guys, so lets get some discussion going.
Register To Reply
Originally Posted by DravenX
