2013 has just about come to a close and spring training is 41 days away and the MLB free agent list still has numerous serviceable players looking for work. The plums of the free agent market have pretty much been plucked but there are still a few decent players out there. The fact that Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka was dangling in the wind probably has a lot to do with some of the top rated free agent starters still on the market not signing but now that he has been posted thing may start to break free. If you look at the available free agents you can see how some positions have been stripped bare and others still have innumerable free agents still in the unemployed corner. Strangely enough with everyone looking for starting pitching there seems to be plenty of arms still on the market, sure, they are not aces but they can certainly fill a spot in many teams rotations.
I thought it would be interesting to compare some of what I deem to be top free agents still looking for work to what might be the 2014 Twins team when they head to Chicago to open play in 2014. If you compare the free agent and the corresponding Twins player, who would you rather see in a Twins uniform? Don’t forget what it might cost to sign this free agent versus the player the Twins currently have because you don’t have an unlimited checkbook. This is just a fun little exercise to help you get through these cold snowy days in Minnesota as you wait the hear that “play ball” call once again. Are any of these free agents possible Twins in your eyes?
| Position | Free Agents | Twins |
|---|---|---|
| Catcher | John Buck | Josmil Pinto |
| 1B | Mark Reynolds | Joe Mauer |
| 2B | Chris Getz | Brian Dozier |
| SS | Stephen Drew | Pedro Florimon |
| 3B | Michael Young | Trevor Plouffe |
| LF | Chris Coghlan | Josh Willingham |
| CF | Reed Johnson | Aaron Hicks |
| RF | Nelson Cruz | Oswaldo Arcia |
| DH | Kendrys Morales | Chris Parmelee |
| SP | Matt Garza | Ricky Nolasco |
| SP | Ervin Santana | Phil Hughes |
| SP | Masahiro Tanaka | Kevin Correia |
| SP | Ubaldo Jimenez | Mike Pelfrey |
| SP | Bronson Arroyo | Sam Deduno |
| CL | Grant Balfour | Glen Perkins |
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I don’t know how much it would take to sign Stephen Drew but I wouldn’t mind seeing him play some short here in Minnesota. I also would like to see Michael Young play some 3B instead of Trevor Plouffe while waiting for Miguel Sano to slide into that 3B position. Both probably looking for more than the Twins want to spend but if I was Mr. Ryan I would open my checkbook and get Drew’s John Henry on a Twins contract, he would be a huge upgrade and there is no prospect beating down the shortstop door in Minnesota. Tanaka would be a slick addition but I can’t see him wanting to play here plus the financial risk of paying that much for an unproven MLB player is more than I would like to do. There are a few relief pitchers that I did not include on this list that would be nice in the Twins bullpen too.
I used the ESPN MLB Free Agent tracker to determine who was still available, are there players on the list you would like to see in the home dugout at Target Field that I did not mention here?