Should MLB just hold a big job fair? Seriously, it seems like every team is still looking to fill a spot or two, and they just can’t quite come to terms with who they want at whatever price they want to pay. Why draw this thing out all winter? This process should work something more like a Barrett-Jackson auction and be over in a couple of days at the most. At worst, there should just be a few want ads on a board somewhere. Consider the following possibilities:
A) Experienced switch hitting middle infielder with career .282/.321/.354/.675 line seeks bench role with opportunity to spot start. Hit .281/.311/.317/.627 in 2010. Relatively low mileage in 8 years of service. Low cost to operate and maintain. Priced at $2.7M in 2010. Many years away from being on the scrap heap.
B) Dependable SS/2B combo player has averaged 570+ plate appearances a year for 10 seasons. Modestly boasts a career line of .280/.345/.355/.701, and is a perfect plug-in at any point in your line-up.
C) Corner infielder can also play some corner outfield as well. Closing in on 150 hr and 600 rbi. Career line of .250/.288/.410/.698 does not tell the whole story for player with career dWAR of 6.8.
D) Older model outfielder seeks ideal setting for reaching 400 hr and 1200 rbi plateaus. Performance in recent years has not fallen off dramatically from career line of .284/.376/.527/.903, although routine maintenance can be an issue. May be ideal fit in AL where offense-only approach would be most agreeable. Team garage must be large enough to house 8 Gold Glove awards, though.
E) Former premium name brand corner infielder (has undergone major repairs) is available after solid rebound year. Definitely miles left in this one. Career .254/.358/.489/.847 with 320 hr and 950 rbi in only 6355 plate appearances. Turned into a reasonable 1 year rental in 2010 at $1.75M.
Have you already put a name with some of these ads?
Wait for it.
Okay…
A) Aaron Miles, B) David Eckstein, C) Pedro Feliz, D) Jim Edmonds, E) Troy Glaus
At just age 34, I have a hard time imagining that Aaron Miles is done, especially coming off a season in which he hit almost right at his career average. It just seems like he’ll land somewhere with a cushy backup job. The same might be said for David Eckstein who just turned 36. As for Feliz, he probably didn’t help his stock much by the way he finished 2010 in St. Louis, but he could still help a team in 2011. The real curiosities for me are Edmonds and Glaus. Edmonds is only 7 hr shy of 400, and he could really help an AL team as a DH. Glaus has been around so long (13 seasons) that it’s almost hard to believe that he’s only 34. He would also make a lot of sense as a DH, especially for a team desperate for some offense at a reasonable price. With Vlad Guerrero still on the market, Glaus is probably on the outside looking in for now, but he’s still got some good swings left in him.
TIDBITS: I appreciate every player who has worn the Birds on the Bat, but Troy Glaus is one I wish I had been able to see play more. I realize that it’s likely that Edmonds will retire, but it sure seems like he was hoping to latch on to the right job up until recently. If he was really set on retiring, he could have done so months ago. As for Miles, he makes a lot of sense in Colorado, although he makes a lot of sense for a lot of teams as well.
Like it? Wonder why I didn’t mention Felipe Lopez? Find me on Twitter, and we’ll discuss the finer points of the #RallyFeFe hashtag!
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