The Winners- the Losers- and the Neutrals of MLB’s Free Agency Period (NL Version)

by Matt Wells

Recently, I analyzed and summarized the moves made by the American League teams in the current free agency period.  Some teams made the “winners” list; the rest were less fortunate.

Now, I analyze the moves made by the 16 National League teams.  Once again, there will be winners, losers, and neutrals.  Let’s see where your team ends up…WINNERS

NEW YORK METS: For the Mets fan who was inquiring where the Mets were, the fact that they end up in the Winners column is no surprise.  They sign Billy Wagner (Phillies) as their closer, they nab Paul LoDuca and Carlos Delgado from the Marlins, and they shore up their bullpen with the additions of not only Wagner, but Chad Bradford (Red Sox) and Jorge Julio (Orioles).  This is a plus, since it has been the Mets bullpen which has failed in the past few years.  The loss of Kris Benson, traded to the Orioles; however, a rotation of Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel, and Victor Zambrano will get along just fine.  Mike Piazza (the face of the Mets) and Mike Cameron are gone to San Diego, but that shouldn’t hold the Mets back.  The biggest loss, in my opinion, is the loss of Jae Seo, a pitcher they could not afford to get rid of.

HOUSTON ASTROS: What’s to say about the Astros?  The defending NL Champs make just a handful of moves in the offseason, the most significant being the signing of Preston Wilson (Nationals).  Having Wilson hit in Minute Maid Park with that short left field could be very beneficial to the ‘Stros.  The two biggest moves are retaining two players on their roster from last year – close Brad Lidge and 3B Morgan Ensberg, who had a breakout 2005.  Roger Clemens and Jeff Bagwell coming back are still up in the air.  If Clemens doesn’t come back, they lose the reigning ERA leader.  If that happens, they won’t be as strong an offseason winner as original thought.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES: Hats off to GM Dave Littlefield for getting some respectable players to come to the Pirates AND filling the holes on the Pirates roster.  They needed a third baseman – enter Joe Randa from the Padres.  First base was open, and Littlefield was able to acquire Sean Casey from the rival Reds.  They needed help in the outfield; no problem – bring in Jeromy Burnitz from the Cubs.  The most underrated moves will be the additions to the bullpen.  Roberto Hernandez comes over from the Mets and Damaso Marte from the White Sox.  These significant additions outweigh the losses, which are minimal.  The Pirates certainly shouldn’t miss the likes of Jose Mesa (Rockies), Rob Mackowiak (White Sox), Mark Redman (Royals), and Darlye Ward (Nationals).  Well done, Littlefield, well done.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: Any team that is able to add a top-notch starter, like the Giants did with Matt Morris, is a winner in my book.  The Giants sign Morris away from the Cardinals, while losing Brett Tomko to the Dodgers.  That’s a tradeoff I’m willing to commit to.  The Giants dump an aged Edgardo Alfonso for an equally aged Steve Finley in a move that might not be beneficial to either team.  The Giants also lose Scott Eyre (Cubs) and LaTroy Hawkins (Orioles) from the bullpen, but they replace them with Tim Worrell (Diamondbacks) and Steve Kline (Orioles).  The Giants seemed to balance out their moves this offseason, but the Morris signing trumps all else.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS: I could not find one significant subtraction from the Dodgers this offesason.  Keyword: significant.  I would say that their two biggest losses are Milton Bradley (A’s) and Jose Valentin (Mets).  Then come the additions.  Nomar Garciaparra comes to L.A. from the Cubs, while Rafael Furcal comes from Atlanta.  The bullpen is upgraded, thanks to the additions of Lance Carter and Danys Baez, who come over from the Devil Rays.  The starting rotation is filled out with the signings of Brett Tomko (Giants) and Jae Seo (Mets).  Starters Kurt Ainsworth (Orioles) and Brian Meadows (Pirates) sign minor league deals.  Last but not least, the Dodgers sign Bill Mueller from the Red Sox.  Yes, the additions outweigh the subtractions by far.  Kudos, L.A.

COLORADO ROCKIES: This is a stretch, I know.  However, if the Rockies can survive an offseason without letting anyone significant go (think Todd Helton), they’re succeeding.  They actually perform well this offesason by signing closer Jose Mesa and starter Josh Fogg, both ex-Pirates.  They add to their bullpen by signing Brett Prinz (Angels) and Ray King (Cardinals), while getting a relatively solid bat in Eli Marrero (Orioles – minor league contract).  They’re able to lose minimal role players, such as Larry Bigbie and Aaron Miles, both of whom went to the Cardinals, and Dustin Mohr, who went to the Red Sox.  Good work on the pitching this offesason….of course Colorado is where pitchers go to die…

LOSERS

FLORIDA MARLINS: What?  The Marlins are losers in this offesason?!  What a shocker!  It’s post-1997 all over again.  The Marlins add a core of young players, among them Hanley Ramirez (Red Sox) and Mike Jacobs (Mets).  But, come on….just take the team out of baseball if you’re going to dismantle them.  Hold on to your hats – Josh Beckett (Red Sox), A.J. Burnett (Blue Jays), Carlos Delgado (Mets), Paul LoDuca (Mets), Mike Lowell (Red Sox), Guillermo Mota (Red Sox), Todd Jones (Tigers), Juan Pierre (Cubs), and Luis Castillo (Twins) are just SOME of the names that won’t be wearing Marlins uniforms next year.  Can you say….Marlins losers in 2006?  I sure can.

ATLANTA BRAVES: I never thought I’d be saying this when John Schuerholz was still GM in Atlanta…but the Braves lost this offseason.  They had a good closer in Kyle Farnsworth that they let get away to the Yankees.  All would have been forgiven if the Braves had signed a top-notch closer.  They didn’t.  Oscar Villareal, acquired from the Diamondbacks, looks like he’ll be the closer to start the season.  Rafael Furcal signs with the Dodgers, and the Braves replace him with Edgar Renteria (Red Sox), who is slower and worse defensively than Furcal.  Johnny Estrada, the team’s top catcher, is traded to the Diamondbacks in the Villareal deal, and now the Braves have no top-notch catcher.  In addition, the top prospect in Atlanta, Andy Marte, is traded to the Red Sox for Renteria.  Is this the year the Braves do not win the NL East?  My answer: yes.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Troy Glaus?  Gone to the Blue Jays.  In come Miguel Batista and Orlando Hudson, who I don’t see filling Glaus’s void.  Javier Vasquez?  Gone to the White Sox.  Starter Orlando Hernandez and reliever Luis Vizcaino are the players coming over from Chicago to fill the void.  With two trades, the D-Backs lost their best offensive player in 2005 and their best starter in 2005.  Hopefully, Batista, Hudson, Hernandez, and Vizcaino can help fill the void.  However, Orlando Hudson won’t be hitting 37 home runs next year.  The acquisition of Johnny Estrada (Braves) was nice; however, the bullpen will be depleted next year, as Oscar Villareal (Braves – Estrada deal), Lance Cormier (Braves – Estrada deal) and Tim Worrell (Giants) will not be in Arizona next year.  Things could get hairy in the desert in 2006.

NEUTRALS

WASHINGTON NATIONALS: They balance the losses of Esteban Loaiza (A’s), Brad Wilkerson (Rangers), Preston Wilson (Astros), Junior Spivey (Cardinals), and Vinny Castilla (Padres) with the additions of starter Ramon Ortiz (Reds), starter Brian Lawrence (Padres), Alfonso Soriano (Rangers), and Daryle Ward (Pirates).  They also shore up the bullpen with Felix Rodriguez and Mike Stanton, both one-time Yankees (Stanton comes over from the Red Sox).  A balance in the moves earns the Nats a “neutral.”

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: My original inkling was to put the Phillies in the loss column.  On further inspection, I think neutral suits them more.  Sure, they lose closer Billy Wagner (Mets), first baseman Jim Thome (White Sox), and OF Jason Michaels (Indians).  However, Thome was expendable with the emergence of Ryan Howard last year.  The Phils get Aaron Rowand from the White Sox, and replace Wagner with the tandem of Tom Gordon (Yankees) and Arthur Rhodes (Indians).  Ryan Franklin (Mariners), Julio Santana (Brewers), and Ricardo Rodriguez (Rangers) will offset the loss of Vicente Padilla, who was traded to the Rangers in the Rodriguez deal.

CHICAGO CUBS: They replace Jeromy Burnitz (Pirates) and Nomar Garciaparra (Dodgers) with Jacque Jones, an ex-Twin, and Juan Pierre, an ex-Marlin.  The little used Corey Patterson was traded to the Orioles and young pitcher Sergio Mitre was traded to the Marlins in the Pierre deal.  The signing of Wade Miller (Red Sox) will offset the loss of Mitre, and the signing of reliever Scott Eyre (Giants) will bolster the bullpen.  Sorry Cubs fans, the division is still just too tough for the Cubs to finish on top.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: The Cardinals, like the Nationals, balance out their gains and losses.  The departure of Matt Morris to the Giants opened the door for ex-Oriole Sidney Ponson to sign with the Cards.  The loss of 2B Mark Grudzielanek to the Royals is apparently offset by the signing of ex-National Junior Spivey.  The retirement of Larry Walker enabled the Cardinals to pursue, and sign, Juan Encarnacion (Marlins).  The Cardinals  have lost relievers Gabe White (Twins), Julian Tavarez (Red Sox), and Ray King (Rockies).  Those losses are offset, and perhaps surpassed, with the signings of Braden Looper (Mets), Ricardo Rincon (A’s), and Jeff Nelson (Mariners – minor league contract).  The loss of veteran Reggie Sanders (Royals) may hurt, but the Cards are hoping that Larry Bigbie (Rockies) will help fill the void.  The Cardinals are vastly changed, but they’re still the favorites to win the division.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS: The Brewers were a surprisingly good team in 2005.  They follow that up with a mediocre offseason.  They trade Lyle Overbay to the Blue Jays and get Corey Koskie in return.  They lose pitchers Victor Santos (Pirates), Julio Santana (Phillies), and Wes Obermueller (Braves).  They’re able to come out of this with the acquisition of Danny Kolb (Braves), who they hope can pitch the way he did two years ago in Milwaukee.  They acquire OF Gabe Gross from the Blue Jays and they’re able to re-sign Brady Clark and Carlos Lee, two key components of last year’s surprising team.

CINICNNATI REDS: They lose one of the faces of the organization in 1B Sean Casey.  However, with the excess number of outfielders, and the fact that Adam Dunn can play first base, the departure of Casey was almost inevitable.  The Reds also lose starter Ramon Ortiz (Nationals).  The additions for the Reds aren’t overly significant; however, they shore up the bullpen with the signings of Chris Hammond (Padres) and Rick White (Pirates).  They also add infielder Tony Womack (Yankees) and they get a starter to replace Ortiz in Dave Williams (Pirates), acquired in the Casey deal.

SAN DIEGO PADRES: The Padres make a slew of moves this offesason, and they still earn a “neutral” in my book.  Let’s start with the additions, shall we?  The signing of ex-Met Mike Piazza sent daggers through the hearts of Mets fans.  Certainly, this is a good move, but will Piazza hold up for the entire year?  The Padres are able to add another catcher in Doug Mirabelli, who spent his last few years catching knuckleballs in Boston.  Mike Cameron (Mets) and Vinny Castilla (Nationals) are two veteran hitters who will be wearing Padres uniforms in 2006.  The Padres sign Shawn Estes (Diamondbacks) and acquire Chris Young (Rangers) to help fill out the rotation.  The bullpen will have new additions Alan Embree (Yankees – minor league deal) and Doug Brocail (Rangers).  Now, come the losses.  They lose catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Orioles, and they wave goodbye to starters Adam Eaton (Rangers) and Brian Lawrence (Nationals).  The bullpen takes a hit with the losses of Akinori Otsuka (Rangers) and Chris Hammond (Reds).  Infielders Mark Loretta (Red Sox), Sean Burroughs (Devil Rays), and Rob Fick (Nationals) are gone, as is OF Xavier Nady (Mets).  All in all, the Padres seem to have come out even this offseason.