Third Base targets for 2011 and beyond?

[Tony-OH]

Ok, I'm working off the assumption that Buck is not going to be comfortable with going into 2011 with Josh Bell penciled into the lineup. Saying that, who are the options or possible options for 2011. We've heard about Beltre and even about Aramis Ramirez, but who may be available via trade or who should the Orioles target via trade. What 3B prospect is blocked or who might be available due to the emergence of a 3B prospect?

According to Cots, these are the 3B free agents this off season:

Adrian Beltre BOS *

Jorge Cantu TEX

Eric Chavez OAK *

Pedro Feliz STL

Bill Hall BOS *

Brandon Inge DET

Mike Lowell BOS

Melvin Mora COL

Nick Punto MIN *

Ty Wigginton BAL

Besides Beltre, who I'm leery of outside of contract years, not much there to be excited about including the return of Wigginton in anything other than a utility-type role.

In the end I'll take the top five candidates and we'll vote on who's the guy the Hangout would most likely want to target for 3B in 2011.

[Sports Guy]

Alex Gordon is at the top of my list.

The Padres have a few guys although I haven't tracked what progress they made this year.

[wildcard]

This list on COTS is wrong. Maicer Izturis will be in the 2nd year of the two year contract with the Angels next year.

[Frobby]

Maicer Izturis is now signed through 2012. If we were able to pry him away from the Angels, I'd be more inclined to put him at SS than 3B. I think that's what I'd do if we got Punto, as well (the Twins have an option on him for $5 mm with a $500 k buyout).

As discussed in other threads, a trade for Aramis Ramirez may be possible.

I'd go after Beltre really hard, and if we can't get him, pursue Inge. I think Inge is a Buck-type player who does a lot of good things that don't show up in the box score. Past those two, I might just stick with Wiggy and Bell.

In some thread, a poster said he has it on good authority that Buck is interested in Joe Crede. Crede has had back issues for several years and wasn't signed by anyone last offseason. I don't know if he's been rehabbing and what his health situation is. If healthy, he's another Inge-type guy who will be cheaper and probably gets only a year.

Another vague possibility is Eric Hinske, who hasn't played regularly at 3B in several years, but has 400+ games at the position and isn't that old (32 next year I think).

[Tony-OH]

Alex Gordon is at the top of my list.

The Padres have a few guys although I haven't tracked what progress they made this year.

Well then go track them. This is a working thread my friend.

[Tony-OH]

This list on COTS is wrong. Maicer Izturis will be in the 2nd year of the two year contract with the Angels next year.

Thanks, I fixed the list.

[Sports Guy]

Well then go track them. This is a working thread my friend.

Ok, Forsythe didn't have a good year and appears to have been moved to second base?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=2B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=523253

James Darnell was better but not all that impressive either:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=3B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=543083

Darnell was ranked 3rd in their system entering the year by BA..Forsythe was 5th.

They also have Chase headley in the majors, who they have moved around in the OF...He was a very good prospect a few years ago for third base. His overall numbers aren't great but he has been hurt by his home park.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=28809

[Methodology]

Not that it makes a difference but Mike Lowell has said this is his last year of baseball and will be retiring after the season.

[Sports Guy]

Ok, Forsythe didn't have a good year and appears to have been moved to second base?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=2B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=523253

James Darnell was better but not all that impressive either:

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=3B&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=543083

Darnell was ranked 3rd in their system entering the year by BA..Forsythe was 5th.

They also have Chase headley in the majors, who they have moved around in the OF...He was a very good prospect a few years ago for third base. His overall numbers aren't great but he has been hurt by his home park.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=28809

Nevermind on Headley...It appears the Pads settled on him at third this year..140 GS there this year...he has been a 4 win player, driven mostly by great defense.

He would be a great target for us but hard to believe SD would deal him with the other 2 MiLers struggling this year.

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4720&position=3B/OF

[weams]

I was told Joe Crede is on Buck's list.

Reportedly, Crede isn’t retiring, and is remaining active and hoping for a job offer.

All the projection systems we have on site here project Crede as a -5 to -9 hitter over 600 plate appearances. Despite his injury issues, he still seems to be an excellent defender – his UZR/150 is 10.8 and his best fielding numbers have come in the most recent years. Putting that all together, Crede projects as a slightly above-average player, and even with an assumed injury limited season of 300 plate appearances, that’s 1.0-1.5 WAR.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/joe-crede-still-available/

[Sports Guy]

Not that it makes a difference but Mike Lowell has said this is his last year of baseball and will be retiring after the season.

Well, thanks for being Debbie Downer...Threw a monkey wrench in the whole offseason planning!

[Moose Milligan]

Well, thanks for being Debbie Downer...Threw a monkey wrench in the whole offseason planning!

Well it kind of does...I mean, who are we gonna get to be our token fartknocker FA this year instead?

[Sanfran327]

Not that it makes a difference but Mike Lowell has said this is his last year of baseball and will be retiring after the season.

Well, thanks for being Debbie Downer...Threw a monkey wrench in the whole offseason planning!

What an amazing tool marketing/spin can be. When the Marlins we trying to trade away Beckett, they pretty much insisted that the buyer would have to take on Lowell and his crappy contract. I can't figure out if they did themselves a favor a disservice by painting Lowell the way they did, but the Red Sox were willing to take a risk on Lowell, figuring that at the bare minimum, he'd be a good glove over at 3rd, and look how it paid off.

I would have loved to have those two guys for the past several years. And we wouldn't have had to sign him to the dumbass contrac that Boston just did. Instead, we'd be planning what awesome supplementary picks we'd be in for.

[Ruzious]

One (of many) reasons I'd make a lousy GM - I thought Andy LaRoche was a real good 3Bman to target (what with Alvarez on the cusp) - and he was horrible this season. Is there any reason to believe he's salvagable?

[Sports Guy]

One (of many) reasons I'd make a lousy GM - I thought Andy LaRoche was a real good 3Bman to target (what with Alvarez on the cusp) - and he was horrible this season. Is there any reason to believe he's salvagable?

I think he would be worth a shot.

I would love to know what happened to him.

Everything pointed at him as being an elite guy and he just never developed.

He had power, plate discipline, good average and I believe he played pretty good defense...He just never carried it over.