If I were to build a starting rotation going straight from the free agent market this season, who would I go with? Well, there are some great pitchers to choose from this off-season.
#1: C.C. Sabathia
This is the one I have been looking forward to doing. WHY? Well, this is the player the Rangers said they would pursue like a bear searches for honey. Well, they didn’t really say it like that, but they did say they would be MAJOR players in the Sabathia-thon. Sabathia went to the playoffs with the Brewers this season. He made $11 Million, but it should take more to sign him, a good deal more, to sign him this off-season. He went 17-10 with a 2.70 ERA, but got hammered in the playoffs. Still, he pitched a WHOPPING 253 innings, which I would doubt he could do if he pitched in Texas (the whole “Texas Heat” thing). His career numbers are 117-73 with a 3.66 ERA. This season, he also had 10 complete games with 5 shutouts. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him raking in $18-20 Million next season. Question: Would 20+ victories be worth it? Most teams would say yes.
#2: Ben Sheets
He started 31 games for the Brewers this season, completing 5 and shutting out 3. He had a record of 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA, as opponents hit .241 off him and connected on 17 HRs in 198.1 innings. He had a low 1.15 WHIP, but didn’t appear in the playoffs. He’s at the top of his career and this will probably be his only “BIG” contract, based on his age and timing.
#3: Ryan Dempster
Dempster helped his team go to the playoffs this season, throwing a 2.86 ERA and posting a 17-6 record. Expect him to demand some $$$. He pitched 4.2 innings of playoff baseball, taking the loss, but the fact that he got there should still demand some change. He was also an All-Star this season, pitching an inning and striking out everyone he saw.
#4: Derek Lowe
I like the cut of this boy’s jib. I really am not sure what the heck that means, but I like Derek Lowe. He pitched to a 14-11 record and had a 3.24 ERA. This is a guy I wouldn’t mind the Rangers signing. He is up in age, and the Rangers want to focus on youth… but it would still be nice. Playoffs mean payoffs in the land of professional sports. He won’t come cheep.
#5: John Lackey
There is a $9M club option for '09 with a $0.5M buyout. He had a 3.75 ERA this season with a 12-5 record for the Angels. He struck out 130 in 163.1 innings, yielding 161 hits and 40 walks, including 26 HRs. That’s a 1.23 WHIP. Opponents hit .260 off him. I think it would be a bad move to not take the option.
And what is great about this free agent market, is there is still plenty of others to pick from, with the likes of Pedro Martinez, Mike Mussina, Oliver Perez, Andy Pettitte, Curt Schilling, Mike Hampton and Jon Garland.
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