I will guarantee one of those is wrong. Rafael Soriano is not re-signing with the Yankees. He wants a multi-year deal, and they do not want him on the books for 2014.

I will guarantee one of those is wrong. Rafael Soriano is not re-signing with the Yankees. He wants a multi-year deal, and they do not want him on the books for 2014.

I have very little handle on where Hamilton might end up. I don't see Texas, I've heard Milwaukee but they probably can't afford him. The Dodgers and Nats can't fit him, the Yankees won't pay him, the Angels need to focus on pitching. Baltimore looks like the best spot, but I don't think they'd pay him either which might leave him with Boston as the only realistic destination.

Assuming Rivera is back in 2013 his value won't be any better next year than it is right now.

I think you're underestimating both the amount of money floating around baseball right now, the continued irrationality of baseball executives in pursuit of proven closers, and the skill of Scott Boras in beating market prices for his clients

I'm guessing Soriano gets 3/30 or so from, let's say, the Dodgers?

Didn't the Dodgers just re-sign League to close? And is 3/30 really that much different from 3/27? My point is he's not getting multiple years at the rate he made the past two years or at the rate of the qualifying offer.

I think the market for closers is correcting.

I have very little handle on where Hamilton might end up....the Yankees won't pay him.

I see the Nats going after Upton, not Bourn. Local kid.

They won't. They can only spend about $175M on their 2014 payroll.

The Dodgers could have brought back Jonathan Broxton for 1/5 of that price.

AFAICT, they think Dirks is good enough, and are going to give Boesch another year to prove he can hit

They won't. They can only spend about $175M on their 2014 payroll.

why?

The Yankees have made clear over the last year that they intend to get under the luxury tax threshold in 2014. The penalties for continually running over the threshold are significantly larger in the new CBA. (Plus there's the whole revenue sharing "rebate" issue.) The tax threshold for 2014 is $189M, which after subtracting some of the extraneous costs that make up the threshold, translates to about $177M in major league payroll. I assume the Yankees will need in-season flexibility, so really they can't spend much more than $170M on their opening day payroll.

General manager Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday afternoon that the Tigers will tender a contract offer to Boesch, who is eligible for arbitration for the first time....

"I think it's the case that he still has ability, he can still hit the ball out of the ballpark," Dombrowski said. "We still see some untapped potential, and he has struggled some. He hasn't made the strides we'd like him to make. However, sometimes power hitters take longer to come about, too."

Shane Victorino - Braves

Shane Victorino - Braves

Wow. No, thank you.

It'll be a wide market for Victorino but his price will be low?

If the Nats go after a CF I think it will definitely be Upton, they've been hard after him in trade talks a couple different times. Before Harper established himself well in CF last season I assumed Upton was a lock to end up in Washington as a free agent and he's still very likely to be their top target if they want to add an OF.

There's a wide market, but it's a bit of a buyer's market. If you want an outfielder with a solid bat whose value depends on plus baserunning and plus fielding, you'll be interested in BJ Upton or Angel Pagan. Victorino's the consolation prize if you miss out on them. So the clubs remaining are likely to be those who don't want to spend too much money on this type of guy.

Jason (St Louis)
So by all accounts several teams are flush with cash and at the same time the next two free agent classes are very weak. On top of that you can't spend more in the draft or in the international market. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Klaw
Are you kidding me? This is going to be *hilarious*.

I thought it was Berry who kept Boesch off the roster.

General manager Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday afternoon that the Tigers will tender a contract offer to Boesch, who is eligible for arbitration for the first time....

"I think it's the case that he still has ability, he can still hit the ball out of the ballpark," Dombrowski said. "We still see some untapped potential, and he has struggled some. He hasn't made the strides we'd like him to make. However, sometimes power hitters take longer to come about, too."

Also it took until October for me to realize that Carlos Guillen had retired. Venezuelans, they're all the same.

It'll be a wide market for Victorino but his price will be low?

I'm sticking with my desire to dig up a prospect corpse like Brandon Wood, Andy Marte, or something like that for 3B.

I'd like to see the Cubs go after Sanchez; how many years you figure he gets? Five?

Blanton for a one-year deal? Meh, but OK, I guess.

EDIT: Blanton's worse than I thought--he's not nearly as good a risk as Maholm was. Pass. I agree with you on Marcum.

On the non-pitcher side, I'd like to see them make a play for Upton, but I suppose they haven't convinced themselves Brett Jackson'll never learn to make contact yet.

So, Hamilton to Seattle? If you can get him for eight figures, the bat is craved.