How much would you pay...

[Sports Guy]

However, having some guys (like Gibbons, Roberts and Markakis and 4 of the 5 starting pitchers and closer) who are very underpaid allows you to overpay a few just as long as they are gone or in the last year of their contracts when you have to start paying the other guys.

It won't happen but besides a couple smart relief pickups (maybe), I would sign two of those players, if available:

Aramis Ramirez for 5/$75

Nomar Garciaparra for 2/$16 with a chance with incentives and an option to make it 3/$30 or 3/$33.

I would also sign Zaun for a year or two.

I would also sign Jose Cruz jr. to platoon with Patterson.

Roberts-2b

Markakis-rf

Tejada-ss

Ramirez-3b

Nomar-1b/dh

Mora-lf

Gibbons-dh/1b

Hernandez-c

Patterson/Cruz-cf

I would trade for Kotchman and sign ARam(if he was available)...Sign Williamson and Rhodes and trade for Farnsworth, Wuertz or Valverde.

Sign Zaun or another solid back up and bring in Cruz and probably a guy like Marrero.

Pretty strong team IMO.

I would also like to trade Benson and sign Schmidt but i doubt that happens.

[SteelerG]

Here are my 2 priority targets:

Soriano - 5/65.

At age 30, and in phenomenal shape, I am willing to go 5 years. He has the ability to play both the IF and OF positions. I sign him and plug him in the #3 hole w/ Roberts and Markakis ahead of him and Miggy behind.

Mulder - 3/25.

May be the overlooked guy with ZIto and SChmidt on the market. The guy has #1 stuff. I like his veteran leadership and the fact he has been on winning clubs (A's and Cards).

Adding these two guys would be a huge improvement for our outlook for next season.

My priority over these 2 would be if either Tex or Oswalt becomes available. Both Tex and Oswalt receive a 5/65 offer/extension.

[Fan4Life]

....for each of the top tier free agents(i will assume ARam at least tests the waters of FA and that Smoltz's option gets picked up..my answers in bold)

Lee: 4/36

Soriano: 4/52

ARam: 5/75

Zito: 3/36

Schmidt: 4/50

Mulder: 2/18

Pettitte: 1/6

Huff: 2/14

This is the major FA's...If i am forgetting someone, go ahead and add them. Guys like Cat, Lidle, et al need not apply in this thread.

Lee / Soriano/ ARam 5/$75

Zito / Schmidt / Pettite /Mulder - not intersted

You made a proposal awhile back I think is still the best idea... you proposed signing one of Lee or Soriano for whatever it takes with your preference beng Soriano, then trade for either Chris Carter / Huber / Shealy for 1B. I think you had Schmidt on your radar then as well, I can go for that. But I think those offensive upgrades and some bull pen upgrades will put us in the hunt. If Benson stays, we can evaluate trading him or others to get Kotchman.

[Sports Guy]

Lee / Soriano/ ARam 5/$75

Zito / Schmidt / Pettite /Mulder - not intersted

You made a proposal awhile back I think is still the best idea... you proposed signing one of Lee or Soriano for whatever it takes with your preference beng Soriano, then trade for either Chris Carter / Huber / Shealy for 1B. I think you had Schmidt on your radar then as well, I can go for that. But I think those offensive upgrades and some bull pen upgrades will put us in the hunt. If Benson stays, we can evaluate trading him or others to get Kotchman.

No i didn't...I wouldn't go after these guys unless they go way below what they want and what we think. As you see by what i would offer them, there i sno chance they take those deals.

[Fan4Life]

No i didn't...I wouldn't go after these guys unless they go way below what they want and what we think. As you see by what i would offer them, there i sno chance they take those deals.

Ok, I could be wrong but I thought you had intentions of over-paying for one of them and you seemed to have liked Soriano better at the time. IMO, If we can't get one of Lee / Soriano / ARam, we won't compete next year. We need one more Tejada type player that drives in runs, without that, there's little chance for us. I see some platooning options that seem to look good by the stats, but if we try to win by again fielding the best-cheapest team we can, we will not compete in our division. Platoon type players should be the guys on our bench. Spending moneny on one of those guys and maybe a pitcher, trading for Kotchman and/or those other options listed, would be reasonable payroll increases IMO.

[davearm]

My understanding is Lee and Soriano are targets 1A and 1B. We'll go at least 4/$50 for either.

I'd almost bet you'll see Lee in an Orioles uniform next year.

I'm having a hard time reconciling the two comments above, bb.

If 4/50 was enough to satisfy Lee, the Brewers would've ponied up the extra couple mil and this whole discussion would not be happening.

JMHO, but that 5th year is going to be the key. Any team that won't offer it, won't be in the ballgame.

[Fan4Life]

Originally Posted by bigbird

My understanding is Lee and Soriano are targets 1A and 1B. We'll go at least 4/$50 for either.[/Quote]

I'm having a hard time reconciling the two comments above, bb.

If 4/50 was enough to satisfy Lee, the Brewers would've ponied up the extra couple mil and this whole discussion would not be happening.

JMHO, but that 5th year is going to be the key. Any team that won't offer it, won't be in the ballgame.

Seems to me the word "least" could mean a beginning point, not an end point.

[DrungoHazewood]

I'm having a hard time reconciling the two comments above, bb.

If 4/50 was enough to satisfy Lee, the Brewers would've ponied up the extra couple mil and this whole discussion would not be happening.

JMHO, but that 5th year is going to be the key. Any team that won't offer it, won't be in the ballgame.

Good Lord, if we give a 5-year, $65M deal to a guy who'll be lucky to be a league-average DH in three years... ugh.

[rolliefingers]

Good Lord, if we give a 5-year, $65M deal to a guy who'll be lucky to be a league-average DH in three years... ugh.

Tell me about it. Cat/Byrnes for 2 years each is such a better option in so many ways.

[DrungoHazewood]

I fear that you were right about Mora, so I'm going to put a lot of stock in your opinions on this one. I'm sure you've said it already, but do you see any major FA's being a decent buy?

I don't know... the best buys are guys like Beltran a few years ago. Yet to turn 30, and even if they're a disappointment they're not a huge disappointment. You can justify paying $13M a year for a good defensive centerfielder with above-average offense even if he's not MVP-level every year. I just don't think you can justify $13M a year for the healthier, lefty-mashing version of Jay Gibbons. It looks for all the world like Lee peaked at 28, but we'd be paying for that peak and getting his 31-36 decline seasons.

I'm probably not the best pretend GM for the messageboard crowd - I'd be quite conservative in free agent signings. I'd go either cheap (platoon guys, tons of minor league signings) or blockbuster (Tejada, Beltran type deals), but almost never anything in the $4M-$10M range. IMO the middle of the free agent bin is a wasteland of far, far more failures than successes.

[Sports Guy]

I don't know... the best buys are guys like Beltran a few years ago. Yet to turn 30, and even if they're a disappointment they're not a huge disappointment. You can justify paying $13M a year for a good defensive centerfielder with above-average offense even if he's not MVP-level every year. I just don't think you can justify $13M a year for the healthier, lefty-mashing version of Jay Gibbons. It looks for all the world like Lee peaked at 28, but we'd be paying for that peak and getting his 31-36 decline seasons.

I'm probably not the best pretend GM for the messageboard crowd - I'd be quite conservative in free agent signings. I'd go either cheap (platoon guys, tons of minor league signings) or blockbuster (Tejada, Beltran type deals), but almost never anything in the $4M-$10M range. IMO the middle of the free agent bin is a wasteland of far, far more failures than successes.

What are your thoughts on Aramis Ramirez?

[DrungoHazewood]

Tell me about it. Cat/Byrnes for 2 years each is such a better option in so many ways.

Agree completely. Shorter committment, shorter term, two players... all hedges against risk. With Lee if he tanks you're out truckloads of money, you're paying him until 2011 or 2012, and it's just him - no other half of the platoon to give you some satisfaction.

There isn't much worse in the baseball world than desperately shopping a 35-year-old DH with a .750 OPS and a $14M pricetag.

[DrungoHazewood]

What are your thoughts on Aramis Ramirez?

Not bad at all. He's young enough and consistent enough that his decline over his new contract shouldn't be too bad. His defense is something like average, if you believe a consensus of numbers and opinions, and at third that doesn't hurt so much.

He'd be a guy I'd target... if they hadn't just signed someone in his late 30s to play his position.

[Sports Guy]

Not bad at all. He's young enough and consistent enough that his decline over his new contract shouldn't be too bad. His defense is something like average, if you believe a consensus of numbers and opinions, and at third that doesn't hurt so much.

He'd be a guy I'd target... if they hadn't just signed someone in his late 30s to play his position.

Well, we could move Mora to LF.

If it took 5/75 to get ARam here, is that a contract you would give him(even if you felt it was overpaying)?

[DrungoHazewood]

Ok. Good stuff. I guess we know where you stand on Craig Wilson who'd probably a middling FA. Is Soriano in the same class as Lee? The defense is probably not much better, but he's more athletic and the career year is this year. Going with your theory about blockbusters. Is there a blockbuster player or pitcher out there this year?

Soriano is much closer to the blockbuster than Lee. He seems, superficially, like a guy who'd age better. I'd have much less problem with them breaking the bank for Soriano. I worry about the defense, but a pretty much guaranteed 30 homers and an .850 OPS for three, four years makes up for a lot.