Monday, May 7, 2018

Season 45 Top Free Agent Signings


  1. J.O. Balboa – RP. Colorado Surf Riders III - Age 36. Asking $5.2M/1 year. Signed for $7.1M/3. Has won 14 games in one season and saved 14 in another. A career record of 91-59 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.
  1. Tom Siddall - Salt Lake City Dead Bunnies - SP/ RP, age 32. Asking $25M/4 years, signed for $27.6M/5. Has had an up and down career, but went a combined 26-9 with 4 saves in as many opportunities during the last two seasons.

  1. Kareem McCullum Colorado Surf Riders III – 2B, age 30. Asking $18.8M/3 years, signed for $31.7/5 Great fit for Colorado, where he should be able to get back to his .800+ OPS days from early in his career.

  1. Ken DreseTampa Bay Don Cesars - RP,/SP, age 34. Asking $8.8M/2 years, signed for $.7M/2. Has been a valuable 100+ inning pitcher for all eleven of his ML seasons. Posted a WHIP of 1.23 or lower in six of them, including season 42's sick 0.95 to go with 1.73 ERA in 89 innings.

  1. Edgmer Bazardo - Cleveland Lake Monsters – SP, age 29. Asking $21M/3 years, signed for $21M/3. Workhorse has pitched over 200 innings five times in his career. Has only one decent season on his resume, season 40 when he went 18-5 while making the All-Star team.. He is only 29 and is just entering his prime.

  1. Rigo Fernandez Florida Marchadors – RP, age 32. Asking $20.8M/4 years, signed for $20,8M/4. Last season's NL Fireman of the Year had a tremendous comeback season in saving 45 games in 48 chances. Has another season with 30 saves and another with 29.



  1. Brian Moreno Santa Fe Brooks - SP. Age 32. Asking $13M/2 years, signed for $8.8M/2. Won 16 games twice, 15 once and has a lifetime win-loss record of 101-73. Has posted an ERA under 3 in four of his nine seasons.

  1. Doug Shannon St. Louis Sano - Asking $11.6M/2 years, signed for $6.8M/2. Even though his Gold Glove days are behind him (he has four,) he is still a plus defender at several key positions. The two-time All-Star has nine seasons in which he scored 90+ runs and seven in which he stole 20+ bases.

  1. Warren Henry Houston Wildcats – LF, age 31. Asking $17.6M/3 years, signed $25.7M/4. Five seasons with an OPS of .800 or better, including last year's stellar .929. He hit .341/.415/.514.

  1. Samuel Merrick Tampa Bay Don Cesars – LF, age 36. Asking $7.2M/2 years, signed for $7.2M/2. Eleven-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger. 557 home runs, 1564 RBI, 390 SB's, and a slash line of .297/.374/.565 for his career. A sure bet first-ballot Hall of Famer.

  1. Rolando Jacquez Aneheim Arte Morenos – C/DH, age 29. Asking $8.4M/2 years, signed for $57M/5. What he lacks in durability is made up in production. Three seasons with an OPS of .900 or better. Averages 32 home runs and 90 RBI per 500 at bats for his career.

  1. Kosuke Sakomoto Houston Wildcats - SP, age 30. Asking $31.3M/5 years, signed for $88.5M/5. A double-digit winner in seven of his nine seasons. As an All-Star in season 43, he went 15-4 with a 2,62 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Last season's 28 homers allowed is an aberration, as he generally does a good job of keeping the ball in the park.

  1. Todd Sanders St. Louis Sano – 3B/2B, age 31. Asking $28.5M/4 years, signed for $31M/5. Four seasons with an OPS of .800 or better, and eight seasons with at least 20 SB's. All while being a plus defender at both second and third.

  1. Manny Iwazaki Salt Lake City Dead Bunnies. SP. Age 32. Asking $30M/4 years, signed for $90M/5. Has won at least 11 games and pitched 200+ innings in each of his 10 seasons since his rookie campaign in 34. Has been named to two All-Star teams, including season 41 in which he went 16-11 with a 2.56 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.

  1. Fausto Villarreal Los Angeles Colemans - SP/RP, age 36. Asking $17.4M/3 years, signed for $5.8M/1. . Has been an All-Star in each of the past five seasons, and has been selected a total of seven times. The two time Cy Young Award winner went 19-1 in season 30, 18-4 in 42, and 18-2 in 43. Has 194 career wins to go with his 2.59 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Another sure bet for the Hall of Fame.

  1. Glendon Gibson - Santa Fe Brooks - SP/RP, age 32. Asking $15M/2 years, signed for $73M/5. The former ROY has won two rings during his tenure in Iowa. Career record of 101 – 47 with 43 saves, 1.07 WHIP, and 2.06 ERA. Averages 130+ innings per season.

  1. Sammy Castillo Salt Lake City Dead Bunnies - SP, age 35. Asking $20.3M/3 years, signed for $44M/5. Averages 210 innings per season, Has a career 222-159 won/loss record. Is a two time 20 game winner, a two time 19 game winner, and a two time 18 game winner.


  1. Elmer Fasano Helena Hermits - INF/OF, age 31. - Asking $30.5M/4 years, signed for $65.6M/5. Six-time All-Star, four time Silver Slugger., two time World Series Champ. Has scored more than 100 runs in each of his 9 seasons, has stolen 409 bases during that span. Career slash line of .300/.386/.459