Now that the 2009 MLB season is history, baseball fans will have to turn to rumors, free agent signings and trades to give them their baseball fix until next spring. Here are the three biggest stories to watch out for this offseason.
The arrival of Aroldis Chapman
If you have not already heard of Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban lefty who has a fastball that has been clocked at over 100 miles per hour, then get ready to hear constant updates on where he will land this offseason. Chapman, who is only 21-years-old, is somewhat of a wild-card despite his impressive skill set. That fear stems from the performance of another Cuban pitcher, Jose Contreras. Contreras signed a huge deal with the Yankees in 2002. He ended up being more or less of a bust and a cautionary tale to any team looking to sign unproven pitchers. The leading candidates to sign Chapman are the usual suspects — the Yankees and the Red Sox. Look for these two clubs to battle it out for the lefty, just as they did seven years ago for Contreras.
The future of the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers were one win away from reaching the playoffs this October, but lost to the Minnesota Twins. Recently, there have been rumors of trading key parts of the Tigers’ club. Some players who have been mentioned are centerfielder Curtis Granderson and pitcher Edwin Jackson. The Tigers would be insane to lose those players. Trading Granderson and Jackson makes little sense for the Tigers. This squad is a playoff caliber team that has the ability to stack up against any team in the American League. There is no reason to weaken a rotation that would be devastating in a short series. Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello and Edwin Jackson would be a scary sight to opposing teams for years to come. To trade Granderson would be losing a player who is far from perfect but provides many tools including great speed, some power and solid defense. Tigers fans better hope that their front office knows something everyone else is missing.
Free Agency of Jason Bay and Matt Holliday
This year’s big free agent players, Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, both happen to be left fielders. Since their position is the same and they both have around the same ability at the plate, it will be interesting to see teams decide which player is worth dropping the big money on. Many scouts feel as though Holliday has a slight edge over Bay because he is better defensively, but a team cannot go wrong adding either of these solid veterans. The most logical place to look when figuring out where these players will end up is where they each played last year. Bay seemed to be an excellent fit with the Red Sox and provided the power in their lineup. Holliday seemed to really start hitting the ball once he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and that was largely due to the offseason help from the recently named Cards hitting coach, Mark McGuire. If the pair of outfielders do not sign with those clubs there will be many other offers coming their way. The Yankees are always in the mix, but they will likely end up bringing back left-fielder Johnny Damon. The San Francisco Giants would hugely benefit from either of these players, since the Giants could use a powerful bat in the middle of their lineup.
You can reach this staff writer at slindauer@theeagleonline.com.
