Baseball: Brandon Morrow, Miguel Sano, Jorge Soler, Prince Fielder

The Toronto Blue Jays, however, decided to give their 27 year old starting pitcher Brandon Morrow a two year contract worth $20 million. Morrow is guaranteed $4 million for 2012 and $8 million in 2013 and 2014. The Blue Jays hold a club option for $10 million in 2015. Morrow, the starter turned reliever turned back to starter again, is that pitcher with the 10-11 record and 4.72 ERA. The Blue Jays would never be confused with the Yankees or other big market teams. While the organization has systematically locked up their talent such as Jose Bautista and Rickey Romero, the idea of throwing $20 million to a pitcher who has some injury history and hasn’t produced anything more than league average results seems a bit of a stretch. http://www.baseballdigest.com/2012/01/28/morrows-time/

Miguel Sano (3B) -  The Twins surprised many with a massive bonus to sign Sano out of Latin America. He has lived up to expectations thus far and has a chance to be one of the best offensive prospects in the game after his full-season debut in 2012. He has tremendous raw power that earns easy 8’s from scouts. He has enough hitting ability for his power to play to that level in games and he should be an elite level power hitter. The Twins insist he can stick at third base and he has shown good actions there so far, leading to some optimism. His timetable to the big leagues could be accelerated after the 2012 season. Continue reading  →  http://baseballprospectnation.com/

Jorge Soler, OF. A younger version of Cespedes is going through a similar situation. I might prefer his potential to Cespedes but he would probably begin in Low-A or maybe High A ball as a 19 year old. A cautious team may even place him in their complex level team in the Gulf Coast or Arizona league before sending him to a full season league next year. Timing will also be a large part of this. Whoever signs him will need some patience http://www.minorleagueball.com/

Prince Fielder's over-the-fence power received what is approximately an 18% boost thanks to his home park in recent years. Comerica Park is much less forgiving though; the homer park factor for lefties is just 88, so it suppresses long balls by lefties approximately 12%. Now we can't just add the 18% and 12% and say that Fielder's homer total will drop 30% because of the ballpark switch, it doesn't work like that. Prince isn't your average home run hitter, he has arguably the most power in all of baseball, so it's not like he's just barely clearing the wall on his way to 35+ homers each year. Petco Park and Tropicana Field didn't stop Adrian Gonzalez and Evan Longoria from hitting all those homers, and Comerica is unlikely to do the same to Fielder. Heck, just look at his new teammate Miguel Cabrera, who still continues to rank among the league leaders in long balls every year. Park effects don't always apply to great hitters.  http://www.rotoauthority.com/

Hot Stove – Prince Fielder, Mark DeRosa, Hideki Okajima, Cody Ross, Alexander Carreras

This morning, Peter Gammons reported that Prince Fielder that some front office executives believe that Prince Fielder could sign a 3 year 78 million deal. Fielder's agent Scott Boras later said that idea was inaccurate and delusional. If I were Fielder, i would want to be locked up for a long-term deal for extra security. However, if he did sign a three year deal, he would hit free agency again at thirty. Prince Fielder's contract negotiations have been very "hush hush" so far, but even with the lack of interest teams have shown in Fielder, he should sing in the next couple of weeks - http://www.facebook.com/mlbreports/posts/280273362021089

Nationals signed INF-OF Mark DeRosa to a one-year contract. Terms aren't yet available. DeRosa, who turns 37 in February, has appeared in just 73 games over the past two seasons due to a left wrist injury, so he jumped at the chance for a guaranteed major-league deal. The Nationals are expected to use him in a utility role http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/347306/baseball-headlines?r=1

The New York Yankees have signed left-handed reliever Hideki Okajima to a minor league contract, general manager Brian Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com on Wednesday morning. The terms were not disclosed but Okajima will be in spring training as a non-roster invite. The 36-year-old Okajima, a member of the 2007 Boston Red Sox championship team who spent most of 2011 in Triple-A, is expected to compete with Cesar Cabral, acquired by the Yankees in this year's Rule 5 draft, for a spot as a second lefty out of the bullpen with Boone Logan.

Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post was told by a Rockies' source that there is "absolutely no truth" to the rumors that the club is in contract talks with Cody Ross. Buster Olney of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that the two sides were in talks, but the source told Saunders that while they like Ross, they have "no fit" in their outfield right now. Things could change if the Rockies deal Seth Smith and Ross is suddenly willing to accept a one-year deal, but with Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer projected to start in the club's outfield next season, he could probably find more playing time elsewhere  http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/347308/baseball-headlines?r=1

Cuban lefthander Alexander Carreras, who turns 22 on Sunday, has signed with the Diamondbacks for $400,000. At his best, Carreras has shown a solid delivery and athleticism, touched 93 mph and mixed in a hard cutter/slider, which some scouts believe is his best pitch. His velocity has been inconsistent, though, and some scouts said they saw him sitting around 86-89 mph. The 6-foot lefty also mixes in a breaking ball and a changeup. Carreras had been training in the Dominican Republic with Edgar Mercedes over the last year and pitching in winter ball for Aguilas in the Dominican League, where in four starts he had a 4.20 ERA with 12 strikeouts and 10 walks in 15 innings

Hot Stove: - Yoenis Cespedes, Jose Reyes’ Contract, Prince Fielder, Anthony Rizzo, Kasey Kiker

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the Marlins "are being very aggressive" on Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported Friday that the Marlins might not pursue Cespedes as hard as originally thought, but Cafardo evidently is hearing differently. Cafardo adds that the Nationals are "right behind" the Marlins, the Phillies "are always sneaky" and the Cubs, Red Sox, and Yankees "appear intrigued by his tools." Cespedes is expected to be granted free agency in the early part of January.

12:$10M, 13:$10M, 14:$16M, 15:$22M, 16:$22M, 17:$22M, 18:$22M club option - Do you see what I see? The Marlins are paying him a fraction of what the contract is worth over the next two years when they’re likely to get the best production from Reyes at age 29-30; then the salary jumps significantly to $16 million, then to $22 million for three straight years. This is eerily similar to the backloaded contract they gave to Carlos Delgado in the winter of 2004-2005. The Marlins only paid Delgado $4 million in 2005. They didn’t win and without a no-trade clause, Delgado was traded to the Mets—the team he’d spurned as a free agent the prior winter—and said negative things (there should be a club for this) about the way he was approached by Mets assistant Tony Bernazard. The Mets were on the hook for the remaining guarantee of $41 million after the Marlins kicked in $7 million in the trade. http://paullebowitz.com.previewyoursite.com/blog/?p=3299

Morosi lists the Cubs as a possible destination for Prince Fielder but doesn't think the Cubs will get too heavily involved because they aren't desperate to win a World Series in 2012 and could focus on prospect Mike Rizzo instead.  Personally, I prefer a long-term solution like Rizzo who should be at his peak at about the same time the Cubs should (will) be peaking.  The only question with Rizzo is finding a match with the Padres in terms of teams of dealing players that makes sense for both sides. http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2011/12/re-heating-the-cubs-hot-stove-rizzo-lahair-marmol-garza-cespedes

Anthony Rizzo has long been on the prospect radar, having been selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 6th round and 205th overall pick of the 2007 amateur draft. Rizzo should have gotten a full season of professional ball in 2008 to begin his career, but that was cut short after only 87 plate appearances and 21 games. He was diagnosed and began treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma in April of 2008. After undergoing chemotherapy, Rizzo was determined to be cancer free and was able to resume his baseball career in 2009. Upon returning to baseball, Rizzo began to show promise very quickly. His 2009 season demonstrated that he could make decent contact posting a commendable .297 batting average. Additionally, he showed good patience at the plate with 50 free passes and a nice bb/k ratio of 50/99. In 2010, his offensive game began to change by showing a sharp increase in power production. The home run total of 12 in 2009 jumped to 25 in 2010. Likewise the 2009 rbi total of 66 was then dramatically increased to 100 rbi’s in the 2010 season. That power production came at the expense of a drop in batting average to .260 and a sharp increase in 132 strikeouts from the previous years 99. The success of 2010 caused the prospect world to take notice and we put him at   #46 on our 2011 top prospect list . http://baseballinstinct.com/2011/12/26/prospect-instinct-anthony-rizzo-1b-san-diego-padres/#more-16927

The Texas Rangers have released LHP Kasey Kiker, according to ESPN's Richard Durrett. He was Texas' first-round pick, 12th overall in 2006. Kiker had impressive seasons from 2007-2009 as he ascended from the Class-A Midwest League to Double-A, but the wheels then fell off and he's posted an ERA over 7 in two consecutive seasons pitching mainly out of the bullpen. His command completely deserted him, as he walked more batters than he struck out over his last two seasons. Another team will likely take a chance on the pedigree and hope they can solve his command issues. He was a Double-A midseason All-Star in 2009, and one can only think there might be some health issues that have contributed to Kiker's demise.  http://www.mlbprospectportal.com

Hot Stove: - Andrew Bailey, Yasmani Grandal, Prince Fielder, J C Romero, Michael Cuddyer

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Red Sox are still pursuing other relievers, including Andrew Bailey of the Athletics. The Red Sox acquired right-hander Mark Melancon from the Astros on Wednesday, but they could still go in another direction for the ninth inning. While a trade for Bailey is still a possibility, it's not known whether they still have interest in signing Ryan Madson. The Red Sox have also been linked to left-hander Darren Oliver in recent days, though he would pitch in the middle innings. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/346959/baseball-headlines?r=1

It’s only mid-December. Opening Day is 3½ months away. A number of quality starting pitchers – Gio Gonzalez, Wade Davis and John Danks in the AL; Matt Garza, Jair Jurrjens and Wandy Rodriguez in the NL – remain available in trade. The Reds can dangle two especially attractive prospects, first baseman Yonder Alonso and catcher Yasmani Grandal, and they’ve got other chips as well. Jocketty, while acknowledging that other teams like his players, added, “They just want too many of ’em.” No question, trading for pitching isn’t easy. But Towers just did it, and his perspective on the Diamondbacks’ competitive position is similar to what the Reds’ view should be of their own chances

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Cubs are "not major players" for Prince Fielder. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported on Thursday afternoon that the Cubs were "increasing the intensity of their pursuit" for the 27-year-old first baseman. But Cafardo is now hearing something completely different. Fielder has also drawn interest from the Mariners, Rangers, Blue Jays, Nationals and Dodgers, so he should have no trouble finding a monster deal even without the involvement of the Cubs. He owns a .929 career OPS and slugged 38 home runs in 2011  http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/346989/baseball-headlines?r=1

Cardinals signed LHP J.C. Romero to a one-year contract. No word yet on the financial terms of the deal. Romero posted a rough 4.01 ERA and 19/15 K/BB ratio in 24 2/3 overall innings this past year for the Phillies and Rockies, but he's still dominant against left-handed hitters and should fit nicely into the St. Louis bullpen. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/346987/baseball-headlines?r=1

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Rockies have reached an agreement with free agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer. The specifics of the deal aren't available yet, but previous reports have indicated that the Rockies offered Cuddyer a three-year, $27 million contract. If that number is accurate, it's a little surprising that he would wind up signing for just a couple million more than the Twins offered. The 32-year-old corner outfielder batted .284/.346/.459 with 20 home runs and 70 RBI over 584 plate appearances this past year for Minnesota. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/347002/baseball-headlines?r=1

Pujols/Wilson Fallout

The Cardinals enter the POST-Pujols era today and I'm betting they just have Berkman move over to first and focus on other areas (Heck, sign Carlos Betran to play RF) . There are other teams that are directly affected by the signings. Here are some of those teams that are affected by the moves and how I think they might react.

The Chicago Cubs: Prince Fielder is no longer so extremely essential as the Angels are adding Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales to the mix of 1B candidates. Now... the Cubs don't have a lot of trade chips to offer but a three team deal with Texas and LA involving Garza and Morales/Trumbo could work for everyone. However... I betting Fielder lands in Chicago anyway.

The New York Yankees: Pujols doesn't matter but C.J. Wilson going off the market that leaves the Yankees with a SINGLE impact pitcher available. What makes this worse is that I foresee in my crystal ball that Boston and their Japanese speaking manager will be signing Yu Know Who (I think it would also be a great sitcom if Darvish and Valentine were roommates). What does that mean? Well... it means the Yankees will probably need to make a trade or be left behind. The Mets are a viable option on two fronts: 1) The Yankees could move Burnett away in a deal that involves Jason Bay (Maybe Mike Pelfrey too) or 2) They can go after Jon Niese. The rub? The Mets will want Montero... and Montero... and Montero.

The Florida Marlins: The rumors about them and Fielder... just don't make sense. UNLESS they were planning to move Gaby Sanchez for a big-time pitcher... which I can't see. I'm betting that the Marlins are pretty much done with Bell, Reyes and Buehrle. Frankly is a lineup of: Reyes, Sanchez, Ramirez, Stanton, Morrison that much worse than: Reyes, Ramirez, Stanton, Fielder, Morrison?

The Tampa Bay Rays: Look at all the available 1Bs... I think they can find a match for Trumbo or Morales. I also think that might keep them ahead of the AL East in terms of overall talent. Adding a switch hitting bat like Morales to the middle of their lineup would be huge.

The Milwaukee Brewers: If/When Fielder signs with the Marlins or Cubs... Mark Trumbo looks like a good fit to replace the Prince in the kingdom of Beer and Cheese. Not exactly sure who gets traded to LA but I'm thinking that the Angels will sort it out.

Crystal Ball Projections:

Prince Fielder: Goes to the Chicago Cubs For 6+ Years and $160+ Mil

Kendrys Morales: Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Prospects

Mark Trumbo: Traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Prospects

Yu Darvish: Signed by the Boston Redsox

Yankees & Marlins: Don't do anything

Hot Stove: - Grady Sizemore, Magglio Ordoñez, Freddy Garcia, Prince Fielder

The Cleveland Indians re-sign Grady Sizemore- So i guess this is a good deal if he’s healthy. He probably won’t be healthy though. The last time he played a full season was 2008. Even when he returned last year his legs didn’t seem to work as he went 0/2 on SB attempts. Sizemore’s value came from his speed/power balance. With no speed all he has is power. The power is still there though. He did hit 10 HR’s in 71 games. That’s 22 HR or so over a full season. But again, he won’t play a full season. Did I mention he’s always had a below average average? So bad batting average, no speed, and just power. That sounds like a modern day Jason Bay to me. Good thing he didn’t cost nearly as much and his contract is incentive laden. I guess I would take a late chance on Grady in fantasy. I would not invest highly on him. I would also probably prefer most middle-tier options over him.  http://baltimoresportsreport.com/the-fantasy-gods-mlb-hot-stove-report-1124-21468.html

Magglio Ordoñez: 37 years old; 2011: .255/.303/.331 5 HR 32 RBI 2 SB -1.0 WAR   Ordoñez is coming off two seasons that were cut short due to injury and will be 38 years old once the 2012 season starts. Although it was speculated that Ordoñez may end his baseball career, he recently said he would like to play again in 2012. He can no longer be counted on as an everyday corner outfielder and with his health and power in decline he may not receive very much interest this offseason. He must prove he has fully recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of the 2011 playoffs to earn interest.

New York settled for security in bringing back the innings eater on a one-year pact for a backend rotation spot. The 35-year-old sticks with an ideal offense to buoy his mound time, which is often nail-biting given how hard opponents hit him. For someone who throws plenty of split-finger fastballs, he yields plenty of flies, even if a decent portion of them comes in the infield; his home park aids lofts. The soft-tossing Garcia's bloated 2011 rate of runners stranded (77.1 percent) helped him pitch above his means. If you're looking for bland pitching depth for AL-only leagues and occasional deep mixed use, Freddy's ready, but heed the warning signs and handle him with care ... and plenty of skepticism   http://www.kffl.com/a.php/129133/192/fantasy-baseball/Fantasy-Baseball-Hot-Stove--Freddy-Garcia--Bruce-Chen#ixzz1ekSGrfRe

In all of our forecast scenarios, Prince Fielder maintains an elite level of production only for the next two years.  Thereafter, he is projected to be a 3-win player, at best, with gradual declines pushing him down to a 1-win level in the latter years of the contract.  In the best-case scenario, Fielder’s total value over 8 years is around $120M; in two of the other four scenarios, his value hovers in the $100M range. The Pujols analysis suggested that the ideal suitor would be a team that is built to win right away, and thus ideally positioned to take advantage of the remaining elite years at the front of the contract.  This seems absolutely imperative in Fielder’s case, since this analysis illustrates the potential for a drop-off that is both earlier, and more pronounced. http://www.northsidebaseball.com/articles/nsbb-features/63-feature-articles/7338-what-is-prince-fielder-worth

Hot Stove: - Prince Fielder, Tampa Bay, Mark Buehrle, Rod Barajas, Joe Nathan

Prince Fielder – .299 BA, .566 OPS, 38 HR, 120 RBI  - Unlike Pujols, there seems to be little chance in Fielder returning to his team. In 2010, Fielder reportedly rejected a deal similar to Ryan Howard’s five-year, $125 million deal. Then the Brewers made a long-term commitment to Ryan Braun and now don’t appear to have the resources to make a larger offer. If he does leave, the Cubs could lure him using the allure of 81 games at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are a team that could use a big bat anywhere, but especially at first base. Their 654 runs were their worst in a 162-game season since 1992 and it marked the third straight year they have finished in the bottom half of the NL in runs scored. Also helping Fielder’s representatives in negotiations with the Cubs is that first baseman Carlos Pena hit .225 in his one-year deal. http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1019347--mlb-free-agency-fire-up-the-hot-stove

Offseason agenda: Without making a move, the Rays' offseason already is off to a strong start for this reason: Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon haven't gone anywhere. Because of the club's success since reaching the World Series in 2008, Friedman’s and Maddon’s names likely will come up every time a big-money team is shopping for a GM or manager. After being courted by the Los Angeles Angels, Friedman has begun his quest to improve an offense that in 52 games this past season couldn’t muster more than two runs. http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/feed/2011-10/hot-stove-league/story/hot-stove-report-tampa-bay-rays#ixzz1dJYaNduc

Joe Cowley of the Chicago-Sun Times reports that Mark Buehrle has told the White Sox that he will not accept a hometown discount to stay in Chicago. Buehrle, who turns 33 in March, already met with Marlins earlier this week while Cowley writes that about ten teams have expressed interest. The market for free agent starters is especially thin this winter, so this could be his last chance for a big payday. The White Sox are still in the mix, but they could be priced out of the bidding. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/345099/baseball-headlines?r=1

Pirates signed C Rod Barajas to a one-year contract with a club option for 2013. No word on the specifics, but Barajas earned $3.25 million in 2011. The 36-year-old backstop batted .230/.287/.430 with 16 homers, 47 RBI and a .717 OPS over 336 plate appearances with the Dodgers this season while throwing out 25 percent (20-for-80) of would-be basestealers. With Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder free agents, he'll be the primary catcher in Pittsburgh next season http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/345102/baseball-headlines?r=1

In his first 17 appearances — from the start of the season until he went on the DL — Joe Nathan simply could not get hitters out. He allowed 13 runs in his first 15.1 innings of work, posted a WHIP of 1.70, and allowed opposing hitters a .274/.370/.500 line. He recorded a few strikeouts along the way, but with Matt Capps getting the save opportunities, he couldn’t possibly strike out enough hitters to make him worth playing. Following a month on the disabled list with inflammation in his elbow — though in all likelihood, the inflammation was as much in his ERA as in his arm — Nathan looked much better than he did in the early part of the season. He still wasn’t nearly the dominant reliever the Twins had hoped he would be, but he held hitters to a much more reasonable .193/.239/.367 line with a 3.38 ERA and a 28/5 K/BB ratio. http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=4788&position=P

Hot Stove: - B.J. Upton, Grady Sizemore, Prince Fielder, Jimmy Rollins, Yoenis Cespedes

B.J. Upton: Here's the thing about Upton: He's not a free agent, at least not yet. He's still got one more year of arbitration eligibility with the Rays. That said, there has been serious speculation that Tampa Bay might elect not to tender him a contract next month, which would put him on the open market. The question is whether Rizzo is willing to wait it out, perhaps losing one of the other guys in the process. If not, he could always try to trade for Upton, though his disappointing numbers the last three seasons (not to mention the fact his current team is thinking about dropping him altogether) suggest he may not be worth giving up much of consequence. http://www.csnwashington.com/blog/nationals-talk/post/Whom-might-Nats-pursue-in-free-agency?blockID=587468&feedID=6358

I’ll admit it; I am biased when it comes to Grady Sizemore. I still think of him as the player who just a couple of seasons ago was playing as well, if not better, than anyone else in the game. His combination of speed and power along with his defense made him one of the most complete players in the game. Injuries have sidetracked what looked to be a Hall of Fame career. From age 22 through age 25, Sizemore hit .281/.372/.496 with an average of 41 doubles, 8 triples, 27 homeruns, 81 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. He was the game’s brightest young star and a reason to believe that the Cleveland Indians had a special player to lead them for the next decade or so. http://thebaseballscribe.com/2011/11/05/quick-hits-early-hot-stove

With Fielder surely gone, putting together an offer to keep him is not at the top of the list. The priority is improving defensively, particularly on the left side of the infield where third baseman Casey McGehee and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt were among the worst defensive tandems in the game. However, the shortstop market isn’t too deep outside of the stars – Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins – and those guys are likely out of Milwaukee’s price range. So declining Betancourt’s $6 million option and re-signing him to a cheaper deal is probable. And McGehee will have to fight off Jerry Hairston Jr. to keep his starting job. http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/feed/2011-10/hot-stove-league/story/hot-stove-report-milwaukee-brewers#ixzz1cxqkkbNE

So the Phillies may have to bite the bullet and re-sign Jimmy Rollins, who hasn't been a star since 2008, to a deal that has a dangerous back end. They'll want to lay in some help on the corners to insure against Howard's return and Polanco's continued decline -- Wilson Betemit and Kelly Johnson might be interesting in this role. John Mayberry Jr. may be important to next year's team as a fourth outfielder who gets nearly-regular playing time platooning with Brown and spelling Shane Victorino at center and Howard at first. The Phillies' payroll is high enough, and the market thin enough once you get past the positions where the Phillies are strongest, that this may not be a year of big moves. The Phillies have committed to their current roster, so it's about putting players around the core who can do a better job of scoring than the '11 team did. Without Howard, this team is vulnerable. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/joe_sheehan/11/02/nl.east.hot.stove.preview/index.html#ixzz1cxrpYUPf

The Marlins have identified their center fielder of the future. Now all they have to do is sign him when he’s declared a free agent. Yoenis Cespedes, a 26-year-old Cuban who defected last summer, should get the go-ahead to begin negotiating with major league teams later this month. According to an American League source who attended his showcase Friday in the Dominican Republic, the buzz is the Marlins have the inside track. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus both profiled Cespedes, who could command a deal in excess of $30 million, along the lines of what Cuban fireballer Aroldis Chapman secured from the Reds. The Marlins made an unsuccessful run at Chapman when he was declared a free agent. http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_baseball_marlins/2011/11/source-miami-marlins-considered-favorites-to-land-cuban-cf-yeonis-cespedes.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+marlinsblog+%28Florida+Marlins+%7C+Sun-Sentinel+Blogs%29

Spending Other People's Money

How Much Money Do The Mets Have?

If you trust the Wilpons... none. The Wilpons claim to be losers in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme and... frankly... I think they probably were (overall). Do I think that they'll get off paying NOTHING? No, they'll need to pay. Picard had to have some sort of evidence to try the suit in the first place. They won't be giving back $1 Billion, the won't be giving back $300 Million, they'll be giving back something, but I'm pretty sure David Einhorn's money will cover it.

So the Mets have? Listen, it's not like I have access to their books. It seems to me that the Mets should be able to field a team at or above $120 Million simply based on geographic location AND having their own network. That isn't so far above what I would call the poverty line for major market teams ($100 Million). The Wilpons and Alderson know that they cannot field a team below that point without risking severely negative fan response.

Why They WON'T Spend Money: Beyond Jose Reyes, there aren't a lot of players the Mets could uses. They aren't going into the Pujols derby, (as much as I'd like them to) they aren't going to pay the posting fee for Darvish, they aren't going to over-pay for Wilson, so... who are they planning to spend the money on?

Why They WOULD Spend Money: How do you energize a fan-base who are frustrated and disillusioned? You sign someone who would (just by putting on a uniform) bring fans to the ballpark. Jose Reyes is one of those guys but it's not the same when you're bringing him BACK. There are only two other "Wow Factor" players hitting free agency: Albert Pujols (32) and Prince Fielder (28). The issue, as we all know, is that there is nowhere to play them. So... unless you sign Albert and trade Ike Davis that doesn't make sense. Think you can make a splash that would get the fans excited? I would love to see another solution to get the fans excited. If they can't get someone really good, I don't think Alderson wastes time and money with too many people in between.

Impact Free Agents:
Albert Pujols (32)
Jose Reyes (29)
Prince Fielder (28)
Brandon Phillips (31) [If his $12 Mil option is declined]
Yu Darvish (25)
C.J. Wilson (31)
Carlos Beltran (35)
Grady Sizemore (29) [If his $8.5 Mil option is declined]
Lance Berkman (36)
Heath Bell (34)
Jonathan Papelbon (31)
Francisco Rodriguez (32)