1.
Kenley Skinner -
San Francisco Lockdown - SP, age 28, 6 ML seasons. Asking $26M/4 years,
signed for $110M/5 years. Just entering his prime, the workhorse was a contender for the Cy Young Award last season when he won 18 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 230 innings. He should put up monster numbers with the move from Philly to San Fran.
2.
Joe Cooper -
Colorado Surf Riders III - CF/2B, age 34, 15 ML seasons. Asking $16.2M/3 years,
signed for $50.5/5. Hard to believe the slugger has only one All-star appearance, as he owns a career .891 OPS and plays well at defensive positions. Needs 44 home runs to reach 500 for his career, and will almost certainly accomplish the feat this season playing at Coors.
3.
Kevin Hatteberg -
Anaheim Arte Morenos - 1B/DH, age 32, 8 ML seasons. Asking $16.8M/3 years,
signed for $42.4M/4. Three time All-star, four time Silver Slugger. Career .322 average, has never hit below .300. Has a career .971 OPS, and has three 40+ homer seasons.
4.
Alex Berry -
Scranton Rail Riders - SP. age 31, 7 ML seasons. Asking $15M/3 years,
signed for $70M/5. The reports are that he's fully recovered from last season's elbow injury. The three time All-star is 85-50 for his career with an amazing 1.16 WHIP and 3.28 ERA. An extreme fly ball pitcher, he was protected in spacious PNC Park up until now.
5.
Max Thompson -
Scranton Rail Riders - 3B/OF, age 30, 6 ML seasons. Asking $30M/5 years,
signed for $34M/5. Probably would have won ROY back in 33 when he hit 40 bombs and drove in 138, but he was beat out by Stefan Redondo (who also won MVP.) His OPS has dipped below .800 each of the past two seasons, but the bet is that he gets back on track and becomes the 40 HR guy he's destined to be.
6.
Jerrod Jones -
Tampa Bay Don Cesars - SP, age 30, 6 ML seasons. Asking $30M/5 years,
signed for $60M/5. Pretty consistent over the course of his career. The hope is that his by moving to a pitcher-friendly park, his future numbers will mirror his season 36, in which he won 15 and posted a 3.21 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP.
7.
Rogers Nevin -
Durham Bulls - INF/OF - age 29, 6 ML seasons. Asking $29M/4 years,
signed for $75.5M/5. Won the last three Gold Gloves in RF, but is capable of playing in the infield. His offensive production has been below what you would expect from a corner outfielder, but his defense has been stellar. His OPS dipped below .700 last season, but he had three consecutive 20+ HR seasons before that, and has knocked in 90 runs twice in his career..
8.
Sid Reed -
Philadelphia Phoenix - 1B, age 28, 6 ML seasons. Asking $30M/5 years,
signed for $45M/5. Will continue to be a staple in the middle of the Philly line-up for another five seasons. He's averaged 33 home runs and 96 RBI, and is still in his prime.
9.
B.C. Bolivar -
New York Blues - COF, age 31, 5 ML seasons. Asking $16.4M/3 years,
signed for $6.8M/2. Late bloomer is coming off his best season so far, hitting to a .282/.334/.479 slash line. Added 19 steals and played above average defense in left.
10.
Slade Rehfield -
Tampa Bay Don Cesars - RP, age 30, 6 ML seasons. Asking $18M/3 years,
signed for $18M/3. Has not fared well when asked to be his team's closer, but has pitched better as a set up man, including last season's career best 1.28 WHIP over 127 innings of work. Averages 8.23 strikeouts per nine innings.
11.
Anthony Clark -
Cincinnati Dawgs - SP, age 32, 11 ML seasons. Asking $23.2M/4 years,
signed for $23.4/4. A two time 20 game winner, with a career mark of 159- 116. His peripherals are inflated because he's pitched primarily in hitters' parks for his entire career, but he's been effective wherever he's gone. Nine seasons with at least 13 wins.
12.
Ralph Hamlin -
Durham Bulls - COF, age 28, 4 ML seasons. Asking $30M/4 years,
signed for $30M/4. Had a poor season 37, but has been pretty consistent otherwise. His OPS hovers just below .800, but plays great defense for a corner, and can run a little bit too.
13.
Ross Rogers -
Jacksonville Minutemen - 1B/COF, age 30, 8 ML seasons. Asking $21M/3 years,
signed for $23M/3. Coming off a career low dreadful .679 OPS, and at Wrigley Field no less. Does have 8 seasons with 20+ home runs, including 34's career best 31 with 94 RBI at spacious Burlington.
14.
Al Piedra -
Pittsburgh Parrott Heads - RP, age 29, 6 ML seasons. Asking for $4.4M/1 year,
signed for $12.3M/3. Had a disastrous season 39, but he went 52-13 as a key member of the Fargo bullpen before then, including season 33's stellar 8-1 mark with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.19 Whip.
15.
James Barker -
Detroit Chippewas - RP, age 32, 11 ML seasons. Asking $10.8M/2 years,
signed for $10M/2. Struggled last season, especially after coming over to Texas, but he had put together a nice string of successful seasons before then. He's a killer on lefties, and tends to keep the ball in the park. He should thrive in Detroit.
16.
Pedro Roque -
Iowa City Johnsons - C, age 30, 8 ML seasons. Asking $8.8M/2 years,
signed for $8.8M/2. Coming off the two best seasons of his career, including 37 when he raked to a .923 OPS, earning him his first full-time position in season 38.
17.
Sammy Elster -
Las Vegas Bookies - SP, age 36, 13 ML seasons. Asking $10M/2 years,
signed for $10M/2. Went 39-17 in his first three season in Colorado, which included an All-star berth, but dipped to 21-20 over the last two. Has three other 13+ win seasons in his career, and he should provide a steady rotation presence for the improving Bookies.
18.
Santos Dali -
New York Bombers - RP, age 36, 13 ML seasons. Asking $3M/1 year,
signed for $1.4M/4. A three time All-star closer, has 335 career saves. Fives seasons with 30+, including season 33's monster season; 38 saves with a 0.94 WHIP.
19.
Carlton Hines -
New York Blues - C/DH, age 36, 16 ML seasons. Asking $4.2M/1 year,
signed for $5.2M/1. Two time All-star, two time Silver Slugger, two time World Series winner. 510 career HR's, including last season's 30 with Burlington at age 35. His days as a catcher may be coming to an end, as base stealers ran all over him last year, to a 72% success rate.
20.
21.
Sandy DaVanon -
Colorado Surf Riders III - SP - age 33, 7 ML seasons. Asking $10.4/2 years,
signed for $5.2/2. A sub-.500 pitcher in his career, but he had two stellar seasons in St. Louis before last seasons down-year. He went 18-9 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in season 36.
22.
Miguel Gutierrez -
Jacksonville Minutemen - C, age 36, 14 ML seasons. Asking $3.6/1 year,
signed for $2.4/1. Although his Gold Glove winning days are behind him, he can still throw out baserunners, as witnessed by his 34% caught-stealing mark last season. Returns to Jacksonville after his one year hiatus in Montreal, where he earned his second ring.
23.
Dale Benjamin -
Texas Wildcats - RP, age 36, 12 ML seasons. Asking $3.6M/ 1 year,
signed for $7.9M/2. Has always had filthy stuff, but has never really put long stretches of success together. His season 33 with Iowa was legendary. He held opponents to a .169 average in 64 innings.
