Olney’s theory of the Phillies thinking behind these discussions is that the Cardinals may not be able to afford Albert Pujols when he becomes a free agent after the 2011 season, where he is expected to command a contract similar to the one Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees for 10-years and $275 million. So far contract talks with Pujols and the Cardinals have not progressed and with the re-signing of Matt Holliday (OF) in St. Louis, many question whether the Cardinals will be able to afford both contracts long-term. If the Cardinals feel they can’t re-sign Pujols long-term, why not put him on the trade market like the Blue Jays did with Roy Halladay (RHP), who ironically the Phillies acquired this off season. Olney feels if that were to occur, the Phillies could present the Cardinals with a good alternative in Howard, who has more HR and RBI the past four seasons than Pujols and is a St. Louis native.

After reading this report, one has to question the credibility of Olney’s sources, who seem to be dreaming of proposing a potential fantasy baseball swap. Albert Pujols quite simply is St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball right now. He is a home-grown talent and will go down with the likes of Stan Musial in the Cardinals’ organization after he retires. The Cardinals would be doing their fans a huge disservice by putting Pujols on the market as he is arguably the best hitter of his generation. The likelihood of the Cardinals not taking into account Pujols’ contract demands when negotiating with Matt Holliday is rather slim, as I doubt the Cardinals would prefer to keep Holliday (no offense Matt, your a fine hitter) over Pujols. Another interesting note about these internal discussions is that Howard currently makes more than Pujols in the 2010 and 2011 seasons and is due to become a free agent in his own right after the 2011 season. Howard is set to make $19 million in 2010 and $20 million in 2011 as opposed to Pujols salaries of $16 million in 2010 and ’11. While Howard will not cost as much long-term as Pujols, he will still command upwards of $20 million a season and if money is an issue with Pujols going on the market, wouldn’t it make sense to go younger at the position and save money instead of tying yourself down with another long-term deal north of the $100 million mark. Buster Olney is a fairly reputable source for rumors and baseball news, but I have to question him on this one. The numbers and thought process from the Cardinals point of view just don’t add up. The mutiny from Cardinals fans after a Pujols trade could be ugly and who really wants to be known as the organization that traded away Albert Pujols?

Ultimately the goal of every team is to win the World Series. However, I am not convinced that this is a sign of a good GM. Guys like Theo Epstein of the Boston Red Sox and Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees, who get a bunch of blank checks every season seem to have an advantage over the little guys. Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics who is one of the most hyped GM’s in the game and is a poster boy for “spending money wisely” has never won a pennant in his 12 years at the helm in Oakland.  Marchman argues that Andrew Friedman of the Tampa Bay Ray’s is the best GM based on  dollars per win and his signing of Evan Longoria to a very club friendly contract. So who do you consider to be the best GM in baseball?

Tim Marchman’s GM Rankings going into the 2010 season:

1. Andrew Friedman, Tampa Bay Rays
2. Theo Epstein, Boston Red Sox
3. Brian Cashman, New York Yankees
4. Larry Beinfest, Florida Marlins
5. Jack Zduriencik, Seattle Mariners
6. Doug Melvin, Milwaukee Brewers
7. Dan O’Dowd, Colorado Rockies
8. Jon Daniels, Texas Rangers
9. Kenny Williams, Chicago White Sox
10. Billy Beane, Oakland A’s
11. Josh Byrnes, Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Andy MacPhail, Baltimore Orioles
13. Dave Dombrowski, Detroit Tigers
14. Walt Jocketty, Cincinnati Reds
15. Tony Reagins, Los Angeles Angels
16. Jim Hendry, Chicago Cubs
17. Frank Wren, Atlanta Braves
18. John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals
19. Ruben Amaro Jr., Philadelphia Phillies
20. Neal Huntington, Pittsburgh Pirates
21. Bill Smith, Minnesota Twins
22. Mark Shapiro, Cleveland Indians
23. Mike Rizzo, Washington Nationals
24. Alex Anthopolous, Toronto Blue Jays
25. Jed Hoyer, San Diego Padres
26. Omar Minaya, New York Mets
27. Ned Colletti, Los Angeles Dodgers
28. Brian Sabean, San Francisco Giants
29. Ed Wade, Houston Astros
30. Dayton Moore, Kansas City Royals

We had previously posted about Damon’s value this off season. His numbers definitely will not improve this year playing at Comerica Park.  Damon’s defense is already not much to write home about and he will be moving to a larger park. Damon’s home run totals are bound to go down as well without being able to take advantage of the short porch in right field that the new Yankee Stadium provides.

I see this as a fan friendly move and as nothing beyond one season.  The Tigers are in a transitional phase at the moment. They don’t have a very well rounded team and they potentially have many bloated contracts that they will be shedding next year with the likes of Nate Robertson, Magglio Ordonez and Jeremy Bonderman to name a couple.  I think Damon is just looking to make the most money and then try to catch on with another team next year.

Philadelphia Phillies: Historically the Phillies are one of the least successful organizations in baseball with dubious honor of being the first to reach 10000 losses. Yet in recent years they have been a force to be reckoned with. They seem to have taken on an American League style offensive attack matched with solid starting pitching. They have reached the World Series in back to back years and successfully won in 2008. They currently are spending $36.35 million on their starting rotation.

• Roy Halladay: He is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. He has been a consistent performer on teams that have not performed well. In 2009 Halladay had 2.79 ERA, 208 K’s, 239 IP and 35 walks. He is earning $15.75 million in 2010
• Cole Hamels: Hamels is a solid young pitcher with A+ stuff. He has had some injury issues that inflated his numbers slightly but their isn’t too much to worry about here. He won’t have the pressure of being the ace on the staff so he should blossom. He posted a 4.32 ERA, 168 K’s, 193.2 IP and 43 BB’s. He will earn $6.65 million in 2010.
• J.A. Happ: Happ exploded onto the scene in Philadelphia this past season. He threw for a 2.93 ERA, 119 K’s, 166 IP and 56 walks. He will make near the minimum for 2010.
• Joe Blanton: Blanton has continued to serve as a solid middle of the rotation pitcher. He threw for a 4.05 ERA, 163 K’s, 195.1 IP and 59 BB. He will earn $7 million in ’10.
• Jamie Moyer: At age 47 Moyer is getting to the point where he is old enough of to be some of his teammates father. Yet, he has been been a serviceable pitcher who will eat up quite a few innings and give you team a chance to win even if he is only topping out at 86 mph on his fastball. He threw for 4.94 ERA, 94 K’s, 162 IP and 43 walks. He will make $6.5 million in 2010.

Florida Marlins: The Marlins are an anomaly is the world of Major League Baseball. They consistently have one of the lowest payrolls year in and year out. Yet, they always find a way to stay competitive and have even won a couple of World Series championships. With the knack of developing good young pitchers that have success at the major league level other small market teams should look at their player development and take notes. The Marlins rotation is costing them $9.7 million.

• Josh Johnson: This young hurler is the aces of the Marlins staff. 2009 was the first season he was injury free and the dividends paid off. He threw for a 3.23 ERA, 191 K’s, 209 IP and 58 walks. Johnson earns $3.75 million in 2010
• Ricky Nolasco: Nolasco had a lot of buzz surrounding him entering the 2009 season but got off to a horrendous start and was options down to the minors. He regain his composure, was called back up and found success. He numbers for 2009 were 5.06 ERA, 195 K’s, 185 IP and 44 BB. He earns $3.8 million in 2010
• Anibal Sanchez: Sanchez has had injuries that has limited him to 49 starts and one relief appearance over the past four seasons but when healthy he has definitely has the stuff to be a success starter. He pitched for a 3.87 ERA, 71 K’s, 86 IP and 46 walks. He makes $1.25 million this season.
• Sean West: West showed a lot of promise in his rookie season. He is sure to have some growing pains having only thrown 167 inning above the Class A level. He posted a 4.79 ERA, 70 K’s, 103.1 IP and 44 walks. West will earn near the minimum in 2010.
• Chris Volstad: Volstad will be looking to rebound after going through a bad sophomore slump. He threw for a 5.21 ERA, 107 K’s, 159 IP and 59 BB. He will earn the minimum this season.

Atlanta Braves: The Braves have always been a team that has been known for pitching. With guys like Warren Spahn, Phil Neikro, Greg Maddux and company the Braves have come to expect a solid rotation year in and year out. This year will be no exception. They are paying $31.467 million in 2010 for these arms.

• Jair Jurrjens: Jurrjens is a work horse that has improved with each year he has been in the majors. He had a little scare with some shoulder soreness but there is nothing serious and he looks to be a leading candidate for the ace position. In 2009 he threw for a 2.60 ERA, 152 K’s, 215 IP and 75 BB’s. He is a steal at near the league minimum for 2010.
• Derek Lowe: Lowe signed a 4 year $60 million deal in 2009 to be the ace of the Braves staff. He did not perform up to their expectation and they subsequently were looking to trade him this off season. He posted a 4.67 ERA, 111 K’s, 194.2 IP and 63 walks. He will earn $15 million this year.
• Tommy Hanson: Hanson wasted no time in dominating the opposition in his rookie season. Look for Hanson to be not only the ace of the Braves staff for years to come but one of the top pitchers in all of baseball. He threw for a 2.89 ERA, 116 K’s, 127.2 IP and 46 walks. He will make near the minimum.
• Tim Hudson: Returning from Tommy John surgery last season Hudson proved that he is still capable of putting up great numbers. He will be a consistent veteran presence on the mound. He pitche for a 3.61 ERA, 30 K’s, 42.1 IP and 13 walks. He earns $9 million in 2010.
• Kenshin Kawakami: Kawakami rounds out the rotation for the Braves in 2010. He put up good numbers in his rookie season and makes for an excellent 5th starter. He threw for a 3.86 ERA, 105 K’s, 156.1 IP and 57 walks. He makes $6.667 million this season.

New York Mets: To say the Mets had a bad season last year is putting it mildly. The wheels feel off due to injuries and a new ball park seemed to effect the power numbers for the hitters. The Mets are biggest spenders in the NL East so are they getting their money’s worth at approximately $38 million for their starting rotation?

• Johan Santana: A perennial Cy Young contender Johan Santana is great arm to have at the top of your rotation. He was one of the many injuries the Mets sustained last year. He is expected to be back at full strength for 2010. He threw for a 3.13 ERA, 146 K’s, 166.2 IP and 46 walks. He earn a whopping $21 million in 2010.
• Mike Pelfrey: Pelfrey was a highly touted prospect in the Mets system. He showed promise in his first full season in ’08 but regressed in his sophomore campaign with a 5.03 ERA, 107 K’s 184.1 IP and 66 BB. He will earn $500 thousand in 2010.
• John Maine: Maine has struggles with the injury bug the past two season. When healthy he is tough to hit even though he can be wild. He threw for a 4.43 ERA 55 K’s, 81.1 IP and 38 BB. He will earn $3.3 million in 2010.
• Oliver Perez: Perez has been a thorn in the side of Omar Minaya and the Mets for quite some time. Notoriously wild with flashes of brilliance just doesn’t seem to be able to put it all together. Last season he threw for a 6.82 ERA, 62 K’s, 66 IP and 58 BB’s. He will make a painful $12 million in 2010.
• Fernando Nieve: Nieve was an effective pitcher for about a month until he went down with a torn right quad. He will be giving a chance at earning a rotation spot in 2010 and Jerry Manuel has indicated he is the favorite. He threw for 2.95 ERA, 23 K’s, 36.2 IP and 19 walks. He earns the minimum for 2010.
• Jon Niese: Niese tore a hamstring in 2009 but performed admirably when he was healthy. He will also compete for a rotation spot. He threw for 4.21 ERA, 18 K’s, 25.2 IP and 17 BB. He will earn the minimum in 2010.
• Hisanori Takahashi: A late comer to the competition Takahashi was signed from Japan where he threw for a 2.94 ERA. He will earn $1 million if he makes the Major League club.

Washington Nationals: While the Nationals are the cellar dwellers in the NL East they have take significant steps in improving their ball club. They have drafted top tier talent and have improved their offense as well. They still have a ways to go but they are by no means complete push over anymore. Their rotation will earn as much as $16 million in 2010.

• Jason Marquis: The Nationals made a splash (albeit small) in the free agent marketing this year by signing Marquis as the ace of their staff. Most places he would be a bottom of the rotation starter but he does provide some stability in a volatile rotation. He threw for 4.04 ERA, 115 K’s, 216 IP and 80 BB last year. He will earn $7.5 million this season.
• Chien-Ming Wang: Wang is just what the Nationals need. He is a consistent pitcher who will keep the ball in the ball park. He has struggled with an injury last season but he as an anchor in the Yankees rotation for years. He threw for 9.64 ERA, 29 K’s, 42 IP and 19 walks. He can earn up to $5 million in performance bonuses in 2010.
• John Lannan: As the aces for the staff last season Lannan performed quite well. He is young and has improved over the last two season. He eats innings and gets outs even if his strike out numbers aren’t stellar. He threw for a 3.88 ERA, 89 K’s, 206.1 IP and 68 BB. He makes near the minimum for this season.
• Scott Olsen: Olsen was once one of the most promising young starters in baseball but his career has been derailed by injury and ineffectiveness. He should be completely recovered from shoulder surgery. He threw for a 6.03 ERA, 42 K’s, 62.2 IP and 25 BB. He will earn $1 million in 2010.
• J.D. Martin: Martin was a serviceable starter for the Nationals last season. He will compete for a rotation spot again this season. He threw for a 4.44 ERA, 37 K’s, 77 IP and 24 walks. Martin makes the minimum.
• Garrett Mock: Mock is a servicable back of the rotation guy for the Nationals. His numbers are expected to improve this season but don’t hold your breath. He threw for a 5.62 ERA, 72 K’s, 91.1 IP and 44 walks. He earns near the minimum.
• Jordan Zimmermann: Zimmermann is one of the brightest prospects the Nationals have. He had to under go Tommy John Surgery in 2009 and doesn’t seem to factor into the rotation until mid season at the absolute earliest. He threw for a 4.63 ERA, 92 K’s, 91.1 IP and 29 BB. He earns near the minimum as well.
• Steven Strasburg: The crown jewel in the Nationals system at the moment Strasburg is a huge question mark. He performed well in the Arizona fall league but who knows how he will stack up against major league talent. He has 100 mph fastball but those can have a tendency to go a long ways if you aren’t fooling anyone. He will earn $2 million in 2010.

There is a lot of talented pitching in the NL East. It is a tough call for me on who is the best. Obviously the Marlins have a lot of talent for cheap but that talent is raw and injury prone. The Phillies and the Braves seem to be in the same ballpark talent wise and payroll wise. I would have to give the edge to the Braves. The have the potential to have 4 aces on their staff with Jurrjens, Hanson, Hudson and Lowe. Plus Kawakami has put up great numbers compared to the 5th starter on any of the other teams. At $31.467 million the Brave get my vote for best rotation in the NL East for 2010.

I found this post the other day as I was browsing through the 2009 World Series stories at MLB.com.  It instantly got me thinking, do MLB general managers really buy teams or is this some ticked off Pirates fan?  Could this possibly be a disgruntled New York Mets fan that isn’t happy because his team didn’t buy the “right” players?  Can teams and championships simply be bought by just shelling out enough money, with a nice trophy as a reward?

I decided I’d get to the bottom of the payroll vs. playoff matter. I pieced together some data from the USA Today regarding the correlation between payroll and playoff teams.  I compiled a list of playoff teams from the past decade and then proceeded to find each playoff team’s total payroll and payroll rank in that given year.

Clearly the top spenders will be the teams in the playoffs, right? It only makes sense because they have a larger talent pool to pull from. There isn’t anyone or anything that is off limits. If you need a big starting pitcher or a guy that can mash in the middle of your lineup, you can just go pick up an over-priced free agent. Isn’t that why we have a class system in high school sports, so the playing field can be level? Everyone knows that if they didn’t have a class system, a small under-populated team and school without a talent pool would never have a chance against the mega-schools. Sure there are once-in-a-century stories like Hoosiers and the Bad News Bears, but that only happens in the movies. This is not Hollywood. Gene Hackman isn’t going to barge through the door and give a motivational speech to elevate the team and pull off the impossible. It just doesn’t happen. We live in a Jerry Maguire world, “Show me the money!”

Major League Baseball is different than every other professional sport.  The way the game is played and the model of consistency that must be established for success is different than any other sport.  Baseball has a grueling schedule and the game takes a toll on one’s body, but in a different way than football or basketball.  The roster has different lengths and different requirements in different months.  The playoff format has eight teams, not 12 or 16.  In baseball numerous players have been traded after the no-trade deadline, which is something you don’t see in football.  Baseball has an intricate network of minor league teams.  The player draft has over 40 rounds and once a year they even draft players that are currently on other teams (Rule 5 Draft). However, arguably the biggest difference is that there is no salary cap.  Even though they impose a luxury tax, teams such as the Yankees are not afraid to pay it because they have all the resources they need to succeed and no salary cap to stop them.

In 2000, the New York Yankees played the New York Mets in the first “Subway Series” since 1956.  The New York Yankees won the series in five games, handedly beating their cross-town rivals. That year the Yankees had the largest payroll in the game at $92.9 million, with the Mets owning the 6th largest payroll at $79.8 million. The average payroll for a playoff team that year was a mere $61.8 million.  Ten years later, the Yankees once again took home the crown with the highest payroll at $201.4 million.  The average payroll for a playoff team that year (2009) was $109.9 million.  In simply ten years the average payroll of a playoff team nearly doubled.

Over the course of the past ten years, the average payroll rank for playoff teams has been 11, with an annual total bill of $91.6 million.  If you want to hoist the trophy, however, your average rank is 9.1 and a payroll of $102.2 million. I heard Bud Selig rave that parity was as great as it has ever been! Twenty-three different teams made the playoffs in the past decade, that’s 76.7% of teams in the league.  Does it really matter that four of those teams only made it once? At least they were there, right?  The truth is that teams have to spend money to win championships anymore, the numbers prove it.  Maybe small market teams should form a different view of success.  Maybe just getting there should be enough. Should the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins adopt that philosophy?

Well at least we have the Florida Marlins who beat the “Evil Empire” in 2003 with the 25^th ranked payroll, more than $100 million less than the Yankees. I wonder if Gene Hackman gave them a speech before Game Six?

The American League East has always been a case of the haves and the have nots. At the top you have the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox who seem to have an endless amount of cash at their disposal to sign whom ever the top free agents are on the market. At the bottom you have the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays who have a hard time “keeping up with the Jones”. Who has the best Pitching Staff of the 5 teams on the eastern sea board for the junior circuit? Which GM is getting the most bang for their buck?

New York Yankees: The Bronx Bombers are the perennial favorites to win the division year in and year out. They have a long history of success with their hurlers going back to Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry and the like. This season’s rotation is well rounded but it comes at a premium price of around $63.25 million.

• C.C. Sabathia: He is one of the most dominate lefties in baseball at the moment. He posted a 3.37 ERA, 197 K’s, 230.0 IP and 67 BB at price tag of $23 million.
• A.J. Burnett: Burnett has a wicked curveball and some of the most explosive stuff in baseball. However he has does have fits of wildness on the mound that leads to some high numbers. He posted 4.04 ERA, 195 K’s, 207.0 IP and 97 BB while collecting $16.5 million.
• Andy Pettitte: Pettitte has been a stalwart in the Yankees’ rotation for years now. He has always been a dependable big game pitcher. He posted 4.16 ERA, 148 K’s, 194.2 IP and 76 BB for $11.75 this coming season.
• Javier Vazquez: This is Vazquez’s second time around with the Yankees. He has great stuff but has a reputation for not being able to rise to the occasion in a pressure situation and that could lead to disaster in New York. Vazquez posted a 2.87 ERA, 238 K’s, 219.1 IP and 44 BB for $11.5 million.
• 5th Starter: There are several options for the Yankees in this spot this year. Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes are most likely the top two candidates for the position.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox have really come into their own over the past decade and have finally rid themselves of the dreaded “Curse of the Bambino”. Pitching has played a major role in this turn around with the likes of Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling. The Red Sox rotation has a price tag of approximately $45.75 million for 2010 with the option to choose from 6 pitchers depending on how healthy they are.

• Jon Lester: After battling back from cancer treatments a couple of years ago Jon Lester and blossomed into a fine young pitcher. He posted a 3.41 ERA, 225 K’s, 203.1 IP and 64 BB for only $3.75 million in 2010.
• Josh Beckett: As the ace of the staff in 2009 Beckett led the charge with a 3.86 ERA, 199 K’s, 212.1 IP and 55 BB for $12 million.
• John Lackey: Lackey joins the BoSox this season after coming off injuries that have plagued him the past two seasons. He posted 3.83 ERA, 139 K’s, 176.1 IP and 47 BB for $18 millions. (A side note Lackey’s annual salary actually decreases to 15.25 million a season after 2010)
• Daisuke Matsuzaka: Dice-K has been a thorn in the Red Sox side as of late. They have not been happy with his conditioning and Matsuzaka has not been very cooperative in return. He posted a 5.76 ERA, 54 K’s, 59.1 IP and 30 BB for $8 million.
• Clay Buchholtz: At the age of 25 Buchholtz is another rising star in the Red Sox rotation. He threw for a 4.21 ERA, 68 K’s, 92.0 IP and 36 BB for near the major league minimum.
• Tim Wakefield: The crafty knuckleballer has been a constant in the ever changing rotation for the Red Sox and he expects to compete for a starting position. He hurled a 4.58 ERA, 72 K’s, 129.2 IP and $50 walks for $3.5 million.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Ray’s have come into their own the last few season’s by molding their raw young talent in to a success baseball team. While they don’t have the money the Red Sox and the Yankees’ possess they have still fielded a competitive team and even made a World Series appearance. The Rays have $7.5 million wrapped up in their starting rotation for 2010.

• James Shields: Shields is the defacto ace of the staff now that the Rays traded Scott Kazmir to the Angels. He has posted good number and has seen quite a bit of success. He numbers are as follows 4.14 ERA, 167 K’s, 219.2 IP and 52 BB for $2.5 million. 
• Matt Garza: Garza has the numbers to challenge Shields for the aces designation for the Rays. Tampa did a great job in acquiring him from the Twins a few years ago and have not been disappointed by his numbers. In 2009 he threw for a 3.95 ERA, 189 K’s, 203.0 IP and 79 BB for $3.35 million in 2010.
• Jeff Niemann: Niemann was a pleasant surprise this past season for the Rays. He really stepped up and met the challenge in his first full season in the majors. He posted a 3.94 ERA, 125 K’s, 180.2 IP and 59 BB for near the minimum. 
• David Price: Price has been talked about a lot since the Rays drafted him. He came up and was lights out in the playoff for the Rays but last season didn’t fair as well. He posted a 4.42 ERA, 102 K’s, 128.1 IP and 54 BB for near the minimum. 
• Wade Davis: Davis has the inside track for the 5th spot in the rotation. He is definitely raw but he showed quite a bit of potential last season with a 3.72 ERA, 36 K’s, 36.1 IP and 13 BB at the minimum.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays rotation his a huge question mark this upcoming season. They have traded their ace Roy Halladay in an effort to rebuild. They are also coming off a season in which a majority of their young staff was out with injuries. The positive is that there is some upcoming talent and they are all making nearly the minimum. The Jays will pay approx $3 million for their rotation in 2010.

• Ricky Romero: Romero has the daunting task of heading up the staff in only his second season in the big league. He posted a 4.30 ERA, 141 K’s, 178.0 IP and 79 BB near the minimum. 
• Shaun Marcum: Marcum was one of the injured players last season, missing the entire 2009 season. In 2008 he posted a 3.39 ERA, 123 K’s, 151.1 IP and 50 BB. He is signed for $850k in 2010.
• Brandon Morrow: Morrow came to the Jays in the Roy Halladay trade. He posted a 4.39 ERA, 63 K’s, 69.2 IP and 44 BB at near the minimum for Seattle last season.
• Marc Rzepczynski: Rzepczynski did an admirable job for the Jays with a 3.67 ERA, 60 K’s, 61.1 IP and 30 BB for the minimum.
• Dustin McGowan: McGowan had shown great strides in becoming an important pitcher for that Jays until he too went down with an injury and missed the 2009 season. In 2008 he had a 4.37 ERA, 85 K’s, 111.1 IP and 38 BB for $500K.

There are several others vying for a spot in the Jay’s rotation as well. Among them are Brett Cecil, Scott Richmond, David Purcey and recently acquired Dana Eveland. They are all making about the minimum.

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles wound up in the cellar in 2009 and are hoping to pull themselves out with an improved pitching staff. They have seen a lot of talent leave the nest but they have also acquired a new ace and have some promising young talent to back him up. The Orioles are spending approximately $17 million on their 2010 rotation with the majority of that wrapped up in Kevin Millwood.

• Kevin Millwood: Millwood was acquired from the Texas Rangers to head the rotation in 2010. He posted a 3.67 ERA, 123 K’s, 198.2 IP and 71 BB while earning $12 million.
• Jeremy Guthrie: Guthrie was the ace last season and didn’t fair as well as he has in the past. He posted a 5.04 ERA, 110 K’s, 200.0 IP and 60 BB. Guthrie is arbitration eligible and will earn as much as $3.625 million.
• Brad Bergesen: Bergesen what a diamond in the rough in 2009. In his rookie season he threw for a 3.43 ERA, 65 K’s, 123.1 IP and 32 BB for the major league minimum.
• Brian Matusz: Matusz had cruised through the minors last year only to get roughed up in his first few starts. He settled down and did well at the end of the season. He posted a 4.63 ERA, 38 K’s, 44.2 IP and 14 BB at the minimum. 
• Chris Tillman: Tillman had a rough start and what really hurt him was the long ball. If he can keep the ball in the park he may see quite a few starts this season. He posted a 5.40 ERA, 39 K’s, 65.0 IP and 24 BB at the minimum.
• David Hernandez: Hernandez’s season went well up until August last year when gave up 23 homers over his last 12 starts. He posted a 5.42 ERA, 68 K’s, 101.1 IP and 46 BB for the minimum.
• Jason Berken: Berken was less then stellar in his debut last season. He posted a 6.54 ERA, 66 K’s, 119.2 IP and 44 BB for the minimum.

After running through the numbers of all the AL East teams you can see how large a distance there is on spending between the clubs. Do not feel sorry for everyone those. Teams like the Orioles have the money to spend on free agents but have either chosen not to or cannot convince top tier starters to join their club. As this point I am torn. I want to give the Rays my vote for best overall rotation (considering money as a factor) but the Red Sox keep must be given the award. Though they are out spending the majority of their division they have acquired top tier talent without completely over spending like the Yankees have. They are also doing a much better job at managing and growing their in house talent. The Joba Chamberlain debacle in the Bronx is really hurting the Yankees in my opinion.  So what do you think?

Hudson seems to be an anomaly the past few years. He has always put up good numbers while playing good defense yet he seems to have great difficulty in finding a job. At 32 years old he is obviously not getting younger and he does play a physically demanding position. But, his numbers don’t seem to show any slide in defensive prowess. Yet last season Joe Torre benched Hudson in favor of Ronnie Belliard at the end of the season. Is there something they are telling us? Does Hudson have a poor attitude? Does he not get along with his team mates in the locker room? Why does Hudson always seem to be the red headed step child of the baseball world?  I’m stumped. It seems as though Hudson may have to repeat the process again next offseason having only signed a one year deal.

Cabrera has bounced around a lot as of late playing for the Expos, Red Sox, Angels, A’s, White Sox and Twins which makes you wonder if there isn’t a slight attitude problem with him because his numbers are good. He had a run in with the White Sox managerial staff when he allegedly called the official scorer during a game to have an error he committed changed to a hit.  That doesn’t sound like much of a team player but he will be playing for Dusty Baker who is one of the best known players managers in the game. Baker definitely know how to stroke a players ego and douse fires when the erupt in the clubhouse having dealt with Barry Bonds all those years in San Francisco.

This signing is another positive step in the right direction for the Reds. Walt Jockety is putting together a very competitive team in the Queen City and I would not be surprised to see the Reds stick with pack in the National League Central this season. Cabrera by no mean puts them over the top but he does add an upgrade to the offensive without hurting the defense up the middle.

Ben Sheets – The former Milwaukee Brewers right-hander signed a one-year deal worth $10 million plus incentives with the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. Sheets is looking to prove to the A’s that he is fully recovered from elbow surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2009 season. The A’s were in attendance for Sheets throwing session last week and came away impressed enough to offer a large base salary for this season. Sheets is expected to be the Opening Day starter for the A’s and is a great mid-season trade candidate for a contender, if healthy, as he could net some quality prospects that A’s GM Billy Beane is notorious for looking to find.

Miguel Tejada – The former 2002 AL MVP recently signed a one-year deal worth $6 million with the Baltimore Orioles, a team in which he previously played for from 2004-2007. During his first stint with the Orioles, Tejada was one of the premier hitting shortstops in the game, but now is expected to shift over to third base in his second go-round with the team. While not the power hitter he once was, Tejada is still an above average hitter as his 2009 season of 14 HR, 83 RBI, and a .313 AVG with the Houston Astros shows. The Orioles hope Tejada can provide veteran leadership and play to a lineup filled with some exciting young hitters in Matt Wieters (C), Adam Jones (CF), Nick Markakis (RF), and Nolan Reimold (LF).

Jason Giambi – Another former AL MVP found a one-year deal to his liking, as Jason Giambi (1B) will return to the Colorado Rockies this season as a power bat off the bench. Giambi struggled last season as a member of the Oakland A’s as he hit only .193 in 83 games as he battled knee injuries before eventually being released. However, Giambi had success in limited duty with the Rockies as he was a solid contributor in the Rockies playoff run last season. In 19 games with the team, he hit .292 with 2 HR and 11 RBI. In 2010, Giambi will be regulated mostly to pinch-hitting duties and part-time work at first base as his days of being an everyday player are done.

Jim Thome – After his brief flirtation with a return to the South Side of Chicago for 2010 fell through, the future Hall-of-Famer signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with the Sox’ division rival, the Minnesota Twins, on Tuesday. Like many other sluggers on the market, Thome had a hard time finding a deal to his liking before finding the Twins to be his best option for 2010. Thome is expected to get roughly 250-300 at-bats this season as a part-time DH and occasional first base option for the Twins. The Twins potential lineup against right-handed pitchers is arguably the most dangerous in all of baseball with reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer (C), Justin Morneau (1B), Jason Kubel (DH/OF), Michael Cuddyer (RF), Thome, and Denard Span (CF).

Xavier Nady - The Chicago Cubs have added some much-needed power and depth to their outfield with the signing of Xavier Nady to a one-year deal on Tuesday. Nady only played in seven games with the New York Yankees last season as he had to undergo the second Tommy John surgery of his career last July. The surgery is typically done on pitchers and has an estimated recovery time of anywhere from 10-12 months. However, Nady is reportedly ahead of schedule and is looking to make a big contribution in 2010. In 2008, Nady had the best season of his career as he had a .305 AVG, 25 HR, and 97 RBI, all career highs. The Cubs are hoping Nady is healthy as they expect him to be the right-handed form of a platoon in right field with current outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. If healthy, Nady should provided solid numbers as a fourth outfielder.

Jon Garland – The San Diego Padres added another arm to their rotation with the signing of Jon Garland to a one-year deal worth $4.75 million with a mutual option worth $6.75 million for 2011. While not a top-of-the-rotation starter, Garland is a reliable work-horse who has pitched at least 191 innings a season since 2002. Last season, Garland was 11-13 with a 4.01 ERA with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres are ecstatic to add a pitcher of Garland’s caliber to their host of young arms as he is expected to ease some of the load off of the young pitchers and give them some more seasoning. If nothing else, the Padres are getting a guy that will provide quality starts and eat up some innings.

Jim Thome will be 38 this season and has been limited to exclusively playing designated hitter due to his bad back. However he has been productive at the plate and affords protection to all those around him in the lineup. Thome is a career .277 hitter with 564 home runs and 1565 RBI.

Jermaine Dye who is 36 has been rumored to be in consideration for the fourth outfielder spot on the Chicago Cubs roster. Even though Dye had a horrendous second half last season he isn’t completely washed up and I doubt his talent just shut off completely. Dye is a career .274 hitter with 325 homers and 1072 RBI.

Carlos Delgado at 37 is also having issues finding a job. Delgado was injured last season and has been showing some signs of lingering issues while he has been playing in the Puerto Rican Winter league. It looks as though Delgado will be a DH candidate only. He has hit .280 with 473 homers and 1512 RBI for his career.

Gary Sheffield is also on the market. Though not putting up near the number the previous three candidates have in recent years. The 41 year old Sheffield has and is still a feared hitter when ever he steps to the plate. For his career he has hit .292, 509 homers and 1676 RBI.

There is no question that each one of these men could contribute to any team in baseball but they also pose a great risk to which even team does sign them. Most of them are strictly DH candidates or serious liabilities in the field. Should they consider hanging up their spikes? Will they find a place to contribute regularly or will they be signed to tip the caps to the crowd and pinch for the pitcher on a regular basis? Would you want any of these guys as an intricate part of your team at this stage in their careers?