Ricky Nolasco Signs With The Twins

Ricky Nolasco and the Twins have agreed to a 4 year $49 Million deal, with an option for the 2018 season. He will earn $12 Million a year with a $1 Million buy out, and the 2018 option can turn into a player option if he pitches enough innings in 2016 and 2017.

Nolasco will join a Twins team that is currently rebuilding. Before being traded to the Dodgers in 2013, Nolasco played his entire career with the Marlins. Nolasco has a 4.27 ERA for his career, but he found more success in 2013 by putting up a 3.70 ERA. Although Nolasco gives up his fair share of runs he consistently pitches enough innings every season. Every season since 2008 he has pitched at least 150 innings and more than 185 innings every season except 2010.

Nolasco has pitched below average for his career by holding a 94 ERA+ meaning he is 6% below league average. League average is by no means an insult. In baseball to be average an average team is to have 81 wins. Every team needs average players to find success. Nolasco may not be the main piece for the success of the Twins, but he sure will be an important piece  moving on.

2014 Hall of Fame Ballot

The 2014 Hall of Fame Ballot has been released and some very notable names are appearing for the first time, and some for the second time. The ballot is listed as follows: Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Jeff Kent, Greg Maddux, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGuire, Jack Morris, Mike Mussina, Rafael Palmeiro, Mike Piazza, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Lee Smith, Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, Alan Trammell, Larry Walker. The decisions will be hard, but luckily, you get a summary of each players accolades.

Jeff Bagwell

Jeff Bagwell:

Bagwell played his entire career with the Houston Astros, collected 2314 hits, 449 home runs, 1529 RBIs, and 202 stolen bases, over 15 years. On his shelf is a Rookie of the Year award for 1991 and an MVP award for the shortened 1994 season. Bagwell was a stud in the lineup for the Astros and definetly desevres to be induccted into the Hall of Fame. Bagwell also has no connection to steroids.

Craig Biggio:

Biggio also played his entire career with the Houston Astros, and he collected 3060 hits, 291 home runs, 1175 RBI, and 414 stolen bases. Biggio was one of the most well rounded players collecting 4 gold glove awards and 5 silver slugger awards. Biggio played at least 140 games in 17 of his 20 seasons making him one of the most consistent players of a generation. I like many others was shocked Biggio did not get inducted last year, but he will definitely be inducted in 2014.

Barry Bonds:

Barry Bonds

Bonds played 22 seasons collecting 762 home runs, 2935 hits, 1996 RBI, and 514 stolen bases. He also has 7 MVP awards for both the Pirates and Giants, several All Star appearances, silver sluggers, and gold glove awards. Barry Bonds could be the greatest player ever, but he was found guilty for use of performance enhancing drugs. He denied evidence that obviously proved that he did take the substances, and made his situation worse. Bonds disappointed generation, and he will never be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Roger Clemens:

Clemens split time between the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Astros, and Yankees over 24 seasons. He has 354 wins, a 3.12 ERA, and 4672 strikeouts. Stats like those earned him 7 Cy Young Awards, 1 MVP, and 11 All Star Game appearances.Clemens was in fact found guilty for performence enhancing drugs and also continued to deny it. Although he was found not guilty in one of his many trials, everyone knows the truth. Clemens will also never reach the Hall of Fame.

Tom Glavine:

Tom Glavine

Glavine pitched 22 seasons for the Braves and the Mets and collected 305 wins with a 3.54 career ERA and 2607 strikeouts. He has two Cy Young awards, one in 1991 and one in 1998, 10 All Star Game appearances, and 4 silver slugger awards for a pitcher. Glavine was part of the terrifying trio of Maddux, and Smotlz that led the Braves to several post season births. Glavine would get my vote this election.

Jeff Kent:

Kent played 17 seasons split between the Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Astros and half a season with the Blue Jays and Indians. He collected 2461 hits, 377 home runs, 1518 RBIs, and hold the record for most home runs by a second baseman. Kent has just 1 MVP award for the 2000 season, but 4 silver slugger awards. Kent was a really good player, especially at second base, but he wasn't among the greatest. Kent would not get my vote this time around.

Greg Maddux:

Greg Maddux

In my opinion Greg Maddux is the greatest pitcher of the live ball era. He dominated an entire decade and represented the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves over 23 seasons. Maddux has 355 wins, a career 3.16 ERA, and 3371 strikeouts. You can find 4 Cy Young Awards, and 18 Gold Glove Awards in Maddux's possession. Elected to 8 All Star Games and being extremely durable his entire career, Greg Maddux will get the highest vote percentage in the ballot. If he does not get elected the first time eligible, I will eat my hat.

Edgar Martinez:

Edgar Martinez is understood to be one of the greatest designated hitters ever. He played his entire 18 year career with the Seattle Mariners. He collected 2247 hits, 309 home runs, and 1261 RBIs. Martinez was often overlooked by playing along side names like Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, and Ichiro Suzuki, but he has always been a consistant bat in the Mariners lineup during his career. He never won an MVP nor a gold glove, but was part of 7 All Star Games, and collected 4 Silver Slugger Awards. Martinez was a very good player, and consistent, but I do not know how being a DH will effect him. I would not vote for Martinez on this ballot.

Don Mattingly 

Don Mattingly:

Don Mattingly does not have many more chances to get into the Hall of Fame. He was a great leader, and one of the best players of the 80s and early 90s. He played 14 seasons, collected 2153 hits, and hit 1099 RBIs. Mattingly may not have the numbers to get into the Hall of Fame, but thousands of young fans looked up to Mattingly and that is something to honor, he must have been a great player to have such a strong fan base. I would vote Mattingly in.

Fred McGriff:

McGriff played 19 seasons split between the Devil Rays, Braves, Blue Jays, Padres, Cubs, and Dodgers. Over those 19 seasons he hit 493 home runs, 2490 hits, and 1550 RBIs. McGriff never won an MVP or a Gold Glove Award, but was elected to 5 All Star Games and won 3 Silver Slugger Awards. McGriff played a complete seasons every year from 1988-2002 making him a relieable player. McGriff has the stats to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but I am unsure how I feel about the bouncing from team to team. I would not vote for McGriff this first time.

Mark McGuire

Mark McGuire:

McGuire was not inducted into the Hall of Fame last year for the same reason that Clemens and Bonds weren't. McGuire openly admitted to steroid usage, but because he came out and did so, makes his chances of getting in better. McGuire has 583 home runs, 1626 hits, and 1414 RBIs over 16 seasons with the Athletics and Cardinals. McGuire will not be elected this time around, but I think he
may be the first player convicted of steroid usage to get into the Hall of Fame, due to his sportsman ship and open confession.

Jack Morris:

Morris played 18 seasons mostly with the Tigers collecting 254 wins with a 3.90 ERA and 2478 strikeouts. He never won a Cy Young Award, and was selected to just a few All Star Games. This is Morris' last year to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, but that is no reason to induct him. His ERA is way to high for a Hall of Famer. He has a significant amount of wins, but when you think of great, you don't think about giving up 4 runs per game. I would not vote for Morris, nor do I think he will get in the Hall of Fame.

Mike Mussina

Mike Mussina:

Mussina was one of the players that I liked to watch growing up, but I realize he isn't one of the greatest players ever. He pitched 10 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles and 8 seasons for the New York Yankees. He acquired 270 wins in that time period and held a 3.68 ERA. He had 7 gold glove awards and pitched his first 20 win season in the last year of his career. Mussina will always be considered on the better pitchers of the 90s and early 2000s, but will not make the Hall of Fame this time around. He might make it 5 years down the road.

Rafael Palmeiro:

Palmeiro split 20 seasons between the Orioles, Rangers, and Cubs and put up some big numbers. He gathered 3020 hits, 569 home runs, and 1835 RBIs. Although he has 3 Gold Glove Awards and 2 Silver Slugger Awards, he never won an MVP. Palmeiro's Hall of Fame campaign is stained by the usage of steroids. He too was part of the steroid era, but his name does not come up as often as others. He fulfilled both the 3000 hits and 500 home run bench marks, but the steroids blemish his resume.  Palmeiro will not make the Hall of Fame this year.

Mike Piazza

Mike Piazza:

Mike Piazza played 16 seasons with mostly the Mets and Dodgers, and is considered one of the best catchers of all time. He won the Rookie of the Year in 1993, 12 All Star Game appearances, and 10 Silver Slugger Awards. He wasn't quite known for his defense, but he could swing a mean bat. People like to connect Piazza
with steroid usage, but he was never accused and his record is clean. Piazza deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and won't get in this year but will in the future.

Tim Raines:

Raines is a speed demon that played for The Expos, White Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Athletics, and Marlins over 23 seasons. He has 808 career stolen bases along with 2605 hits and 170 home runs. With Just 7 All Star Game appearances and 1 Silver Slugger Award Tim Raines wasn't among the great players. He was a very good player, but there are several other players I would take over him. I would not induct Raines into the Hall of Fame.

Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling:

When someone says Schilling you think of the post season, but the post season doesn't have much of an effect on my decision to vote someone in, because it is a team effort to win. Schilling sported 216 wins, a 3.46 ERA and 3116 strikeouts. Schilling had some dominating seasons, but not a dominating career. He eclipsed 300 strikeouts two times, and won 3 World Series, but Schilling would not get my vote the first time around.

Lee Smith:

Smith collected 478 saves with 8 different teams in an 18 year career. He holds a 3.03 ERA and 1251 strikeouts and will represent the modern closer in the Hall of Fame ballots. Elected to 7 All Star Games, Smith was one of the best relief pitchers in the game. If he gets into the Hall of Fame then players like Trevor Hoffman, Billy Wagner, and Mariano Rivera should get in without a doubt. I would vote for Smith to get into the Hall.

Sammy Sosa:

Sammy Sosa

Sosa also convicted to steroid usage played 18 seasons, 13 with the Chicago Cubs, and slugged 609 home runs, collected 2408 hits, and drove in 1667 runs. Sosa won the MVP award in 1998 along with several Silver Slugger Awards and All Star Game appearances. Sosa has a lot of accolades, but he did take steroids and it is understood that much of his success is attributed to the usage. Sosa will never get into the Hall of Fame.

Frank Thomas:

Thomas played 19 seasons, 16 with the Chicago White Sox. He hit 521 home runs, 2468 hits, and 170 RBIs in his career. He racked up back to back MVP awards in 1993 and 1994, 5 All Star Game appearance and 4 Silver Slugger Awards. The Cubs had Sosa juicing on there team and The White Sox had Thomas juicing on their side. Thomas another steroid user, will not get into the Hall of Fame.

Alan Trammell:

Trammell does not have blow you away stats, but was slick in the field. He collected 2365 hits, 185 home runs, and 1003 RBIs, but also found his way to 4 Gold Glove Awards. Trammell had no connection with steroids and played his entire 20 year career with the Detroit Tigers. He has been eligible to be inducted for a while, and there is a reason why he hasn't been yet, he doesn't have the stats to go with the Hall of Fame. I would not vote for Alan Trammell.

Larry Walker

Larry Walker:

Walker played 10 seasons in Colorado and 6 in Montreal out of the 17 in his career. Walker is just one of the players everyone loves. He put up 2160 hits, 383 home runs, and 1311 RBIs. Most shockingly he also had a career 141 OPS+, meaning for his career he was 41% better than average. Walker is a special kind of player. He has just one MVP in 1997, but he has 7 Gold Glove Awards and 3 Silver Slugger Awards. Walker would get my vote in the induction.

Dodgers Sign Dan Haren

Dan Haren has signed a 1 year $10 Million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2014 season.

How does Haren look in a Dodgers uniform? 

Haren pitched with the Washington Nationals last year and found a new career high in ERA at 4.67 in 169 innings pitched. Moving to a much bigger ballpark will probably benefit Haren because he found much success from 2005-2012 pitching for the Athletics, Diamondbacks, and Angels. In that period Haren held a 3.58 ERA with an average of 220 innings pitched per season. The Dodgers are getting a very valuable piece for their team given the depth in their rotation.

Haren is one of the players I like and have much faith in to have more successful seasons. In his contract rests a vesting option for 2015 that depends on if he pitches at least 180 innings. Haren has completed the task every year 2005-2011, so he is more likely to do so in 2014. In a bigger ballpark, in a weaker division, you can expect Haren to have a much better season in 2014.

Haren will join a rotation with Clayton Kershaw (1.83 ERA), Zack Greinke (2.63 ERA), Hyun-jin Ryu (3.00 ERA), and a 5th starter who will likely be either Josh Beckett or Chad Billingsly, both of which battled injuries in the past year.  One more starter may make the Dodgers the best rotation in baseball.  

Cardinals Sign Peralta and Angels Sign Smith

The St. Louis Cardinals make the move of the day by signing free agent short stop Jhonny Peralta to a 4 year $53 Million deal. The Angels were the minor news by signing free agent reliever Joe Smith to a 3 year $15.75 Million deal.

How does Peralta look in a Cardinals uniform? 

The Cardinals were on a hunt to acquire a short stop this off season whether if be through trade of the free agent market. They finally made that move and got Jhonny Peralta. His name was misspelled on his birth certificate, but his parents decided to keep it, but Peralta made the mistake last season. Peralta was caught in the Biogenesis scandal along with several other players and received a 50 game suspension. Before the suspension Peralta had a .303 avg, .358 OBP, with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs in 107 games. The batting average and on base percentage are well above his career average, but his power numbers are below his career average even without the suspension. Peralta's career numbers are a .268 avg, .330 on base percentage with 17 home runs and 75 RBI per season. Peralta will be 32 next season and the Cardinals probably will not see power numbers like that anymore. The possibility for Peralta to consistently hit for average and get on base is also unlikely.

Peralta will slot in the number two hole behind Matt Carpenter and in front of Yadier Molina. In my opinion Peralta was not worth the money the Cardinals spent on him and will definitely be a problem for them in the second half of the contract.

Smith doing his thing

Joe Smith has found much success in the past few seasons. As generic as his name sounds, his stats are the opposite Smith has pitched 197 innings over the past 3 seasons and has put up a 2.42 ERA for the Cleveland Indians. He will be leaving the Bullpen Mafia in Cleveland and be joining the Halos as it seems they are interested in strengthening their bullpen. After acquiring Salas, keeping Frieri, and now signing Smith, the Angels are making their pitching priority obvious.

   

Yankees Sign Brian McCann

The Yankees made the big news of the day by signing free agent catcher Brian McCann. The deal is worth $85 Million over 5 years with a vesting option for a 6th year $15 Million. McCann was the best catching option on the free agent market and the Yankees needed to improve their catching depth the most. The two were a match made in heaven for one another.

How does McCann look in a Yankee uniform? 

McCann will probably find success in New York. McCann has played at least 100 games in every season of his career and at least 120 games in all seasons except 2013. Health hasn't been much of an issue for McCann, but may become one as his contract continues. McCann will be 30 years old in late February and 35 years old when the contract is completed, so the transition to the American League will benefit McCann given that he can DH on occasion.

Of course McCann will not only be heading to the American League, but Yankee Stadium, the left handed hitter's Heaven. The heavy hitting catcher has hit at least 20 home runs every year since 2006 except 2007 where he hit 18, over those 8 seasons McCann has average 131 games played, .277 avg, .350 OBP, 21 home runs, and 80 RBI. His numbers have dropped the past 2 seasons only reaching a .230/.300/.399 and .256/.336/.461 slashline in 2012 and 2013 respectively. It seems as if McCann is trending back in the direction of his career average after his terrible 2012 campaign. Since he will be playing in Yankee Stadium, you can expect at least a 20% increase in his power numbers. Meaning since he has an average of 21 homers and 80 RBIs per season, you can expect McCann to hit close to 25 home runs and drive in 96 RBIs in 2014.

The Yankees will have McCann until he is 35 years old, which is after his prime. McCann will have to maintain roughly an average WAR of 3.0 in order for the contract to be worth it in the end, but one can only consider that in 2019. McCann is very capable of making a big impact for the New York Yankees, and you can expect big things from him in 2014.

Freese to the Angels and Bourjos to the Cardinals

The Angels and Cardinals swapped these two players in a four player deal today. The deal involved third baseman David Freese going to the Angels with relief pitcher Fernando Salas and outfielder Peter Bourjos going to the Cardinals with outfield prospect Randal Grichuk.

How does Freese look in an Angels uniform?

Freese was the hero of the 2011 post season for the Cardinals in their championship year. After a successful 2012 season in which he hit 20 home runs with a .293 average, 2013 followed with a down year. Freese's home runs were cut in half to 9 and his average dropped 30 points to .262 along with his on base percentage. The Angels are hoping for the clutch David Freese to help the murderous lineup that just cant perform.

How does Bourjos look in a Cardinals uniform? 

Peter Bourjos is most known for his defense, the player that traversed Mike Trout to left field. Bourjos has plenty of speed, which adds to his defense, but he swiped 22 bags in 2011 and 6 in 55 games in 2013. His batting average along with his on base percentage has fluctuated from 2011-2013 where his down year was 2012. You can expect a .270 average and a .333 on base percentage from Boujos.

As for Fernando Salas, he has found success in the past, 2011 to be exact. In the magical year for the Cardinals, he had a 2.28 ERA, but since then he has pitched consistently to ERAs above 4. The Angels may be getting a steal for Salas who can make a big difference in the bullpen.

The Cardinals are definitely up to something this off season. It has been understood that the Cardinals are in search of a short stop this off season. The names Tulowitzki, Andrus, Hardy, Aybar, and Profar have fluttered around, but now with trade for Bourjos, third base is open along with $3 Million. Remember that Chris Carpenter retired, his $10 Million is off the books, and Carlos Beltran is searching for a now home with his $13 Million. Matt Carpenter can move to third base, and Kolton Wong can move to short stop, leaving second base open. The Cardinals may very well go for big fish Robinson Cano, especially in their handed heavy lineup. Cano is just one possibility, but the Cardinals are on the ticker to make a big splash.

Tigers and Rangers Trade Fielder for Kinsler

This trade has  been the most surprising move of the off season so far. Two all star caliber players are swapping teams, everyone knew the Rangers wanted to trade Ian Kinsler to accommodate Jurickson Profar, but no one expected the Tigers to trade Prince Fielder.

How does he look in a Rangers jersey?

The trade was made official last night with Prince Fielder going to the Rangers with $30 Million and Ian Kinsler going to the Tigers with a possible pla
yer to be named later. Both Kinsler and Fielder had down years in 2013, but are expected to have bounce back seasons in 2014. Fielder had a .279 avg, .362 OBP, with 25 home runs, and 106 RBIs. While Kinsler had a .277 avg, .344 OBP , with 13 home runs, and 72 RBIs. Kinsler has battled injuries for a few years and is definitely not the player he was when he was in his 20s, and Fielder has been more than healthy his entire career and continues to hit well.

How does he look in a Tigers jersey? 

The Rangers obviously did this deal to add offense to their team and to open a spot for the young Profar who will be playing at league minimum. The Tigers are trying to free up salary to sign Max Scherzer to a long term deal and possibly sign another bat. The move will also allow Miguel Cabrera to move back to first base. The Rangers are expected to use the $30 Million in the deal to try to sign a free agent, perhaps an outfielder such as Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, or Shin-Soo Choo.

These two teams are definitely not done making additions to their teams, but as of now the Tigers' lineup seems a bit more bleak and the Rangers' lineup looks incredible. Observe the effects Prince Fielder had on Miguel Cabrera's stats in 2012 and 2013, you can expect the same thing to happen to Adrian Beltre in 2014 and for as long as Fielder and Beltre will man the 3-4 hole in Texas.

An additional note is Prince Fielder had a limited no trade clause in his contract with the Tigers, and the Rangers were in fact on that list. Fielder waived his no trade clause to complete the trade.

The 1-5 for both teams is pretty much set, but still very much subject to change. As we observed last night. Anything is possible in baseball.

Jackson                                        Andrus
Hunter                                          Profar
Cabrera                                        Fielder
Martinez                                       Beltre
Kinsler                                         Moreland

Josh Johnson and David Murphy Sign

One of my top 25 free agents signed and I'm 0/1 on the predictions so far, but close in the salary. I'm talking about my number 25 free agent, Josh Johnson. Johnson signed an interesting deal with the San Diego Padres initially 1 year $8 Million, but can change based on the amount of starts Johnson starts. David Murphy found his new home with the Cleveland Indians on a 2 year $12 Million. Both will be great additions to their new clubs.

A young Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson has battled injuries throughout his career, after the blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins, he landed with the Toronto Blues Jays. Expected to perform big, Johnson found only failure and injury. In 16 games for the Blue Jays in 2013 Johnson racked up 81 innings and a 6.20 ERA. Johnson only had 4 seasons under his belt with 150 or more innings pitched, those years are 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2012. His ERA in those seasons was 3.10, 3.23, 2.30, and 3.81 respectively. Johnson's trends seem to be in the wrong direction, combined with injury, the Padres scored a deal for a potential ace.

The contract Johnson signed with the Padres is for 1 year and $8 Million, but he can earn an additional $1.25 Million if he makes at least 26 starts, but if he makes fewer than 7 starts the Padres have an option for $4 Million for the 2015 season. The Padres are obviously working on their starting pitching, by adding Ian Kennedy during the 2013 season and now signing Johnson, but they will accompany Andrew Cashner and Cory Luebke  in the rotation for 2014. Rumors have fluttered around that the Padres are contenders for Ricky Nolasco.

The Indians acquire a new outfielder after trading Shin-Soo Choo last year. David Murphy has performed right around average his entire career, collecting a 104 OPS+ meaning he is better than average by 4%, but not by much. In 2013 Murphy's stats plummeted. Murphy put up a .304/ .380/ .479 slashline in 2012, but in 2013 that went down to a .220/ .282/ .374. Nearly a 100 point drop in average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. Although Murphy stayed healthy and hit his usual amount of home runs, he lost his patience at the plate, but he will be a good fit in Cleveland, following a lineup of high on base percentages such as Nick Swisher, Carlos Santana, and Jason Kipnis.
 

Tim Hudson and Carlos Ruiz Sign

They were not in my top 25 free agent signings, but they have both found homes. Tim Hudson is heading back to the Bay Area with a 2 year $23 Million deal from the San Francisco Giants and Carlos Ruiz is returning back to Philadelphia on a 3 year $23 Million deal.

Tim Hudson returns to the Bay Area

Tim Hudson was injured for a large portion of the 2013 season, so the Giants scored a bargain. Hudson had a 55% ground ball rate which is below his career average, but is still great for any pitcher. His 26% fly ball rate is great for AT&T park and even if that rate were to go up, Hudson would continue to find success.

The Giants lead the league in signing free agents named Tim in this off season. Hudson and Lincecum will make up a rotation that may find much success in 2014. Bumgarner, Cain, Lincecum, Hudson, and the mysterious fifth starter will take the mound in San Fran all summer long. Josh Johnson personally reached out to the Giants and the Padres, because he wanted to pitch there, and was willing to take a one year deal to rejuvenate his career. Josh Johnson, Bronson Arroyo, or Ryan Vogelsong may get the role of fifth starter for the Giants.

Carlos Ruiz played 92 games for the Phillies in 2013 and secures a very valuable position as a right handed bat in their lefty heavy lineup. Ruiz's batting average was .325 in 2012 and plummeted to .268 in 2013. His OBP also followed a 70 point drop. The Phillies maintain a catcher that could handle their rotation, but they have a huge question mark for what offense Ruiz could provide.
 

Top Free Agents and Predictions with Contract

1. Robinson Cano- New York Yankees 6 years $144 Million

2. Jacoby Ellsbury- Seattle Mariners 6 years $108 Million

3. Shin Soo Choo- Texas Rangers 4 years $76 Million

4. Brian McCann- Boston Red Sox 5 years $95 Million

5. Masahiro Tanaka- New York Yankees 5 years $105 Million

6. Ervin Santana- San Diego Padres 4 years $70 Million

7. Matt Garza- Atlanta Braves 5 years $94 Million

8. Hiroki Kuroda- Los Angeles Dodgers 1 year $16 Million

9. AJ Burnett- Pittsburgh Pirates 2 years $28 Million

10. Mike Napoli- Colorado Rockies 3 years $50 Million

11. Ubaldo Jimenez- Cleveland Indians 2 years $26 Million

12. Carlos Beltran- Baltimore Orioles 1 year $18 Million

13. Curtis Granderson- Cincinnati Reds 3 years $42 Million

14. Stephan Drew- Washington Nationals 3 years $45 Million

15. Jarrod Saltalamaccia- Texas Rangers 4 years $48 Million

16. Scott Kazmir- Baltimore Orioles 2 years $14 Million

17. Nelson Cruz- Philadelpia Phillies 3 years $33 Million

18. Omar Infante- Los Angeles Dodgers 2 years $20 Million

19. Joe Nathan- Detroit Tigers 1 Year $14 Million

20. Ricky Nolasco- Minnesota Twins 5 years $90 Million

21. Jhonny Peralta- Detroit Tigers 2 years $21 Million

22. Bronson Arroyo- San Francisco Giants 2 years $22 Million

23. Grant Balfour- New York Yankees 2 years $20 Million

24. Kendrys Morales- New York Yankees 1 year $12 Million

25. Josh Johnson- Kansas City Royals 2 years $16 Million

The Off Season

Hayes Craze Baseball is returning better than ever. The off season has begun and with a dull free agent class, this off season will be one of the hottest off seasons in the past decade.

The awards for Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Manager of the Year were announced this past week and the recipients were pretty obvious.

Cy Young Award
National League: Clayton Kersha:1.83 ERA, 16 Wins, 232 K, 236 IP
American League:Max Scherzer:2.90 ERA, 21 Wins. 240 K, 214 IP

Rookie of the Year
National League:Jose Fernandez 2.19 ERA, 12 Wins, 187 K, 172 IP
American League: .293 avg, 13 HR, 53 RBI, 5 SB

Most Valuable Player
National League: Andrew McCutchen .317 avg, 21 HR, 84 RBI, 27 SB
American League: Miguel Cabrera .348 avg, 44 HR, 137 RBI. 3 SB

Manager of the Year
National League: Clint Hurdle 94 wins, National League Central Division Title
American League: Terry Francona 92 wins, American League Wild Card

The free agent pool this year is looking bleak with just a few big names, such as Robinson Cano, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Shin Soo Choo, and Masahiro Tanaka. Several veterans are also featured in this free agent class, such as Roy Halladay, Hiroki Kuroda and Tim Hudson. This off season will be very reliant on trades. Names like Matt Kemp, Elvis Andrus, David Price, Matt Weiters, Shelby Miller, and Mark Trumbo have already been labeled as available, so be sure to look out for those big names along with plenty of others to be on the move.

I will be underlining every major acquisition this off season with new lineups and pitching rotations incorporated with the new additions.