Intriguing Players left on the Market

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Dec 23, 2008

Intriguing Players left on the Market

Jason Giambi

Since signing with the Yankees before the 2002 season, Giambi's numbers have fluctuated wildly. He's hit as many as 41 home runs, but also turned in batting averages of .208 and .236. Although he has battled injuries and was ensnared in the BALCO case, Giambi is still a legitimate power threat, as evidenced by his 32 home runs and 96 RBIs last season for New York.

Milton Bradley

Bradley has been involved with his share of controversy, including confrontations with managers, fellow players and even broadcasters, during a career that's seen stops with six different clubs in nine seasons. An All-Star for the first time last season, Bradley led the American League in OPS (.999) and finished third with a .321 batting average.

Adam Dunn

A prodigious power threat, Dunn is also strangely consistent with his home run numbers. Since hitting 46 round-trippers in 2004, Dunn has hit exactly 40 in each of the past four seasons. Always among the league leaders in strikeouts and walks, Dunn can also be a liability in the field, and might be a good fit at DH.

Orlando Hudson

A three-time Gold Glove winner, Hudson is also a career-.282 hitter with some pop, having hit double-digit home runs in each season since 2004 (with the exception of his injury-shortened 2008). Hudson has been a sparkplug for the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks, and would solidify any team's defense up the middle.

Jake Peavy

The 2007 NL Cy Young award winner has been at the center of trade rumors throughout the offseason. First linked to the Braves, and then to the Cubs (both of whom later complained about Kevin Towers' handling of negotiations), Peavy would be an instant ace on any club willing to pay the hefty price tag in prospects.

Manny Ramirez

Despite carrying Los Angeles to the postseason and an NLCS berth in his first season in Dodger Blue, Manny Ramirez hasn't found a team yet. According to a Newsday article from Dec. 12, Ramirez is "growing extremely upset about the lack of suitors for his services, so much so that he has told friends he would contemplate retirement if a suitable offer doesn't arrive soon."

Derek Lowe

Another Boras client, Derek Lowe is a proven horse who's thrown more than 200 innings in five of the last seven years. Even at 35, the righty is looking for a four- or five-year deal. As other pitchers fall off the board, look for a handful of teams to turn their attention toward Lowe.

Ben Sheets

The former Olympian removed himself from the Brewers' playoff drive as he dealt with another round of injuries late last season. Sheets did start 31 games, and won a career-best 13, but teams will take a hard look at his medical reports before inking the righty to a lucrative long-term deal.

Bobby Abreu

Abreu just wrapped up his sixth consecutive season with 100 or more RBIs, but with the Yankees focused on upgrading their rotation, the right fielder is exploring other options. He might have to wait for other dominoes to fall -- Manny Ramirez, for one -- but at 34, the lifetime .300 hitter will fit nicely in any number of lineups.

Randy Johnson

At 45, the five-time Cy Young award winner is five victories away from the 300-win plateau, meaning he could give an attendance boost to whichever team he signs with as he chases that milestone. The Big Unit, who's second on the all-time strikeouts list, notched 10 wins last season for the Diamondbacks, and fell just short of averaging a strikeout per inning.

Trevor Hoffman

Major League Baseball's all-time saves leader, Hoffman has played his entire career in a Padres uniform. San Diego president Sandy Alderson recently said the door isn't closed on Hoffman's return, but the big righty is exploring a number of options, including set-up jobs that could bolster the bullpens of a number of contenders.