Monday, December 11, 2006

Pitching still on the board

Here's a rundown of FA pitchers still available, from Eric Simon at MetsGeek.com:

Cream of the crop

Roger Clemens: may follow buddy Pettitte back to the Bronx
Barry Zito: looking for six years, Mets only want to go five

Decent options

Mark Mulder: might not be ready for spring training, but eats innings and is a groundball machine
David Wells: old and fat, but still eats innings and doesn’t walk anybody, which has value
Miguel Batista: poet, can start or relieve, 35 in February is a concern for a multi-year deal
Jeff Suppan: Mets fans hate him. So do Sox fans. Far from terrible, far from great.

Could be worth a shot

Tony Armas: turns 29 in April; might have some potential with the right guiding hand.
Tomo Ohka: far from awful, might be a bargain on a one- or two-year deal
Jeff Weaver: pitched okay down the stretch and into the playoffs, but a definite gamble for more than one year.
Brad Radke: will probably return to Minnesota if he doesn’t retire, but could benefit from the NL; rarely walks batters.

Roster fodder for non-contenders

Steve Trachsel: was far from awful until 2006, when he was just plain awful.
Ryan Franklin: suspended for steroids two years ago, stunk for Philly one year ago.
John Thomson: former Met, former Brave, former mediocre pitcher, currently lousy.
Mark Redman: lefty, will eat some innings.
Chan Ho Park: hasn’t had an ERA under 4.80 since leaving L.A. in 2001.
Ramon Ortiz: could handle a long-relief role, but little else.
Aaron Sele: had some good seasons 50 years ago with the Red Sox.
Jason Johnson: never was good, never will be good.

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