FREE AGENT REPORT* FOR 2008-2009-----BATTERS

As the 2008 season ends, and we wait for the 2009 season to begin, obviously the biggest thing that happens in-between the two is the signing and releasing of players. Who will make that blockbuster signing to turn their team from dumpster-dwellers into contenders? Who will make that trade that looks good for now, but screws them in the long run?

There are many, many good players available in Free Agency this off-season, and the pool of them have a lot to offer. There is a ton of power, lots of speed, many good fielders, and much more, and I am here to let all you General Managers (as well as anybody else who is interested) know who is out there to fill that gap in the infield or that need for a big slugger. To start off, here is a look at all players in Free Agency (alphabetized by last name) by position:

Catchers:

M. Barrows

J. Candy

N. Caruso

J. Cvetko

J. Garrity

P. Guiney

L. Jones

J. Klock

F. Lascala

S. Lowell

S. McGoo

J. Murar

J. Parrott

S. Rey

J. Russell

J. Smith

R. St. Rose

V. Vargas

M. Vernall

D. Wade

J. Walker

J. Wall

J. Weisfield

P. White

First Basemen:

J. Atwell

W. Blame

C. Bravely

T. Bullet

A. Fisher

G. Graham

N. Godfrey

J. Gunns

C. Hill

M. Holliday

P. Howard

M. Hurtya

M. Kesiki

S. Lednum

B. Manning

R. Nestrud

B. None

B. Ordonez

C. Phillips Jr.

J. Rhiner

M. Rotch

M. Smith

M. Thompson

J. Wickman

G. Wiggins

Second Basemen:

M. Ahrens

J. Bubba

S. Durazi

B. Easley

C. Furcal

S. Guzman

A. Hockenberry

B. Hyll

H. Johnson

J. Jordan

G. Kowzlczyk

B. Lemassny

D. May

K. Marcel

G. McGibney

D. McMamare

B. Roberts

B. Sizemore Jr.

T. Slattery

M. Starns

T. Terwilliger

D. Wallace

Third Basemen:

J. Beacorn

C. Bowden

J. Brown

M. Eisenberg

C. Heqiaunu

D. Johnson

J. McKinney

W. McGee

C. Moss

T. Pryor

J. Ridnour

D. Self

J. Sirbeepalot Jr.

J. Van Hee

J. Vargas

S. Ward

B. Weathers

A. Zito

Shortstop:

M.

J. Berkavich

A. Brown

T. Buie

C. Connell

R. Creed

P. Feltini

V. Hayes

O. Hunter

V. Koshnov

B. Larkin

S. Lavendeira

J. Lewis

J. Medino

B. Meretzky

S. Morgan

A. Myers

Q. Newcomer

E. None

J. Owens

R. Padowstri

A. Rodriguez

F. Rodriguez

J. Smith

S. Springfield

M. Stein

E. Toombs

S. Valdez

E. Voldness

J. Wiggins

Left Fielders:

N. Amutulli

B. Carson

C. Castillo

M. Castillo

J. Feliciano

J. James

E. Johnson

T. Johnson

Y. Kairo

E. McFee

F. Miller

S. O’Neill

J. Piedra

G. Shumate

J. Smith

M. Smith

K. Wesley

N. West

C. Wilkerson

Center Fielders:

B. Abrams

D. Allgood

M. Bazinet

A. Beasley

E. Besson

B. Bonds

J. Briggs

S. Cameron

J. Conway

R. Crombie

N. DiLallo

B. Doll

S. Donovan

A. Hayden

M. Hayden

K. Jones

R. Maple

R. Miller

E. Perez

M. Priesmeyer

B. Rosen

B. Ruth III

S. Sampat

G. Siegfriedt

M. Unknown

J. Vish

Right Fielders:

R. Costanza

C. Davis

J. Gambrell

B. Green

J. Izaguirre

B. Jones

M. Miller

L. Nuno

R. Pierce

J. Riley

R. Schmidt

R. Smith

D. Trinh

G. Torlone

S. Walker

W. Williams

One of the biggest things General Managers look for in the off-season is a guy with a big bat who can hit a bunch of home runs. Here is a list of all Free Agents this off-season who hit 20 or more home runs in 2008, ranked in order by how many home runs they hit in 2008:

1) Shawn Walker (91 HR in 2008))

2) Jason Rhiner (79 HR in 2008)

2) Blake Roberts (79 HR in 2008)

4) James Sirbeepalot Jr. (78 HR in 2008)

5) Shammond Guzman (73 HR in 2008)

6) Alex Zito (47 HR in 2008)

7) Smitty Springfield (25 HR in 2008)

8) Kip Wesley (22 HR in 2008)

Probably the next big thing General Mangers look for is players with good fielding. There is no point in having good pitchers if all your fielders give up more and more hits than they should. This year’s Free Agents pool has a very large amount of players with good fielding. Here is a list, in order by Fielding Percentage, of all the Free Agents with a .980 or better Fielding Percentage:

1) James Conway (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) Shammond Guzman (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) Quint Newcomer (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) James Sirbeepalot Jr. (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) Dante Trihn (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) Jon Vish (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) Shawn Walker (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) Brock Weathers (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) Kip Wesley (1.000 FP in 2008)

1) Niel West (1.000 FP in 2008)

11) Bucs None (.996 FP in 2008)

12) Pierce Feltini (.995 FP in 2008)

12) Victor Vargas (.995 FP in 2008)

14) Jason Rhiner (.994 FP in 2008)

14) Smitty Springfield (.994 FP in 2008)

16) Gregg Torlone (.992 FP in 2008)

17) Glenn Wiggins (.992 FP in 2008)

17) Ethan Perez (.991 FP in 2008)

19) Alex Zito (.990 FP in 2008)

20) Jerry Owens (.985 FP in 2008)

21) Greg Kowalczyk (.984 FP in 2008)

22) Tim Johnson (.980 FP in 2008)

23) David May (.980 FP in 2008)

Another big thing to look for in a batter is if they can get on base. If batters never get on base, what is the point in having them? Here is a list of all the top batters, each having a batting average of .300 or higher:

1) Smitty Springfield (.370 Avg in 2008)

2) Shawn Walker (.327 Avg in 2008)

3) Christopher Heqaiunu (.322 Avg in 2008)

4) Larry Jones (.314 Avg in 2008)

5) Jeff Candy (.312 Avg in 2008)

One of the other "Five Tools" of baseball, which is not nearly as important in the World Baseball League than in Major League Baseball, but still important regardless, is speed. Here is a list of the top base stealers in 2008, each having gotten 20 or more Stolen Bases last year:

1) Pierce Feltini (40 SB in 2008)

2) Smitty Springfield (36 SB in 2008)

3) Christopher Heqaiunu (26 SB in 2008)

4) Quint Newcomer (24 SB in 2008)

5) Emanuel Toombs (23 SB in 2008)

For all of the General Managers out there who think looking for good home run hitters is a priority (which is a lot of them), probably equally important is the ability for them to drive in runs. Here is the small list of all Free Agents who drove in 100 or more Runs Batted In in 2008:

1) Shawn Walker (165 RBI in 2008)

2) James Sirbeepalot Jr. (145 RBI in 2008)

3) Jason Rhiner (141 RBI in 2008)

4) Shammond Guzman (132 RBI in 2008)

5) Blake Roberts (110 RBI in 2008)

The last and probably least important in the World Baseball League, of the "Five Tools" of baseball is a good throwing arm. Good arms are important in the infield, but are even more important in the outfield and especially at Catcher. Here are two lists pertaining to good arms. First is the short list of Catchers who threw out 25% or better runners in 2008. After that is the list of all outfielders with five or more Outfield Assists in 2008:

1) Alex Zito (Threw out 33% of runners attempting to steal in 2008)

2) Victor Vargas (Threw out 29% of runners attempting to steal in 2008)

3) Pierce Feltini (Threw out 26% of runners attempting to steal in 2008)

1) Gregg Torlone (16 OA in 2008)

2) Shawn Walker (13 OA in 2008)

3) James Conway (9 OA in 2008)

3) Dante Trihn (9 OA in 2008)

5) Jon Vish (8 OA in 2008)

6) Niel West (7 OA in 2008)

7) Christopher Heqaiunu (5 OA in 2008)

7) Tim Johnson (5 OA in 2008)

7) Kip Wesley (5 OA in 2008)

Now that we have gone through a lot of the major stats and ranked players to them, I am now going to rank all players by position in order of how good I think they are. The lists I just went through are just for quick reference for the major stat categories, but many General Managers are probably looking for certain positions and would like to see some info on all players at each position (the first lists by position were just to say who is out there at each position, but didn’t give any info on them). So now I am going to go over each position with my own rankings system, ranking all players at each position, also including stats for some of the top players at each of the positions. All players who were not on a team at the end of 2008 (ranked by total attribute points, not by my rankings) will have three key attributes listed with them—average, home runs, and defensive range.

Catchers

  1. Victor Vargas. $5,000,000. Victor not only performed the best of all Free Agent Catchers in 2008, but he has also been the best statistically for many years (of this year’s Free Agents class). In 2008, Victor hit 8 HR, drove in 62 RBI, and got 11 SB, all while batting .270. On the field, Victor had an amazing .995 Fielding Percentage, and threw out an outstanding 29% of runners who tried to steal on him. Victor is also just 22 years old.

    2. -Some of Victor’s career achievements: Was selected to the 2006, 2007, and 2008 All-Star Games; Won the Slick Fielder Award twice (at Catcher in 2006 and in 2008).

  2. Jeff Candy. $3,000,000. Jeff did quite well in 2008, and only takes up 3mil in the salary cap. In 2008, Jeff hit 2 HR, drove in 40 RBI, and got 11 SB, all while batting an amazing .312. On the field, Jeff had a .912 Fielding Percentage, but threw out just 10% of runners who tried to steal on him. Jeff is 26 years old.

    3. -Career Leader Board appearances: #14 All-Time Batting Average (.308), #23 All-Time Hits (628), #20 All-Time Doubles (151).

  3. Larry Jones. $5,000,000. Jeff had a down year in 2008, but was good enough in the beginning part of the season to make it to the All-Star Game. In 2008, Larry hit 4 HR, drove in 25 RBI, and had no SB, all while batting a very good .314. On the field, Jeff had just a .890 Fielding Percentage, but did manage to throw out an impressive 21% of runners who tried to steal on him. Larry is just 22 years old.

    4. -Some of Larry’s career achievements: Was selected to the 2006, and 2008 All-Star Games.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #11 All-Time Walks (268).

  4. John Murar. $1,000,000. John didn’t play much at all in 2008, but will probably get more playing time in the future, since he is just 23 years old.
  5. F. Lascala. AVG- 9. HR- 11. Def Range- A. 22 years old.
  6. R. St. Rose. AVG- 10. HR- 5. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  7. J. Parrott. AVG- 10. HR- 8. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  8. S. Rey. AVG- 9. HR- 8. Def Range- C. 28 years old.
  9. J. Klock. AVG- 10. HR- 1. Def Range- A. 25 years old.
  10. D. Wade. AVG- 10. HR- 0. Def Range- E. 21 years old.
  11. P. White. AVG- 7. HR- 9. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  12. P. Guiney. AVG- 9. HR- 0. Def Range- B. 23 years old.
  13. S. Lowell. AVG- 10. HR- 0. Def Range- B. 22 years old.
  14. M. Barrows. AVG- 8. HR- 6. Def Range- C. 25 years old.
  15. M. Vernal. AVG- 6. HR- 8. Def Range- D. 25 years old.
  16. J. Weisfield. AVG- 10. HR- 2. Def Range- C. 22 years old.
  17. J. Cvetko. AVG- 10. HR- 3. Def Range- C. 22 years old.
  18. J. Wall. AVG- 10. HR- 0. Def Range- A. 21 years old.
  19. J. Rocker. AVG- 4. HR- 13. Def Range- C. 22 years old.
  20. J. Smith. AVG- 7. HR- 3. Def Range- D. 26 years old.
  21. S. McGoo. AVG- 4. HR- 6. Def Range- B. 24 years old.
  22. J. Garrity. AVG- 6. HR- 6. Def Range- E. 27 years old.
  23. N. Caruso. AVG- 4. HR- 5. Def Range- D. 26 years old.
  24. J. Russell. AVG- 6. HR- 2. Def Range- E. 25 years old.

First Basemen

  1. Jason Rhiner. $12,000,000. Jason had an amazing year in 2008, both at the plate and on the field at First Base. In 2008, Jason hit 79 HR, drove in 141 RBI, and had 7 SB, all while batting a respectable .283. On the field, Jason had a .994 Fielding Percentage and was involved in 76 Double Plays. He is also just 24 years old.

    2. -Some of Jason’s career achievements: Was selected to the 2006, and 2008 All-Star Games. Jason is also a four-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #12 All-Time Home Runs (166), #21 All-Time Runs Batted In (471), #15 All-Time Triples (25).

  2. Glenn Wiggins. $5,000,000. Although his numbers don’t come close to Jason’s in many aspects, Glenn also had a good year in 2008. He hit 19 HR, drove in 71 RBI, stole 10 SB, and batted .251. On the field Glenn did well, with a .992 Fielding Percentage. He was also involved in 60 Double Plays. Glenn is 27 years old.

    3. -Some of Glenn’s career achievements: Was selected to the 2006, and 2007 All-Star Games.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #21 All-Time Batting Average (.291), #16 All-Time Home Runs (144), #16 All-Time Runs Batted In (524), #20 All-Time Triples (20), #19 All-Time Stolen Bases (104).

  3. Bucs None. $5,000,000. Although Bucs had a down year at the plate, he is still very attractive to any General Managers out there looking for a good fielder. In 2008, Bucs hit just 3 HR, drove in just 21 RBI, had 1 SB, and batted .252. On the field, however, he had a nearly-unbeatable .996 Fielding Percentage. He was also a part of 62 Double Plays and is 26 years old.

    4. -Career Leader Board appearances: #7 All-Time Batting Average (.329), #9 All-Time Hits (733), #16 All-Time Home Runs (144), #11 All-Time Runs Batted In (591), #10 All-Time Walks (279), #15 All-Time Runs (585).

  4. M. Rotch. AVG- 10. HR- 10. Def Range- C. 21 years old.
  5. A. Fisher. AVG- 10. HR- 4. Def Range- D. 25 years old.
  6. C. Phillips Jr. AVG- 8. HR- 12. Def Range- C. 21 years old.
  7. P. Howard. AVG- 8. HR- 12. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  8. B. Ordonez. AVG- 9. HR- 4. Def Range- B. 20 years old.
  9. M. Thompson. AVG- 8. HR- 10. Def Range- E. 21 years old.
  10. J. Gunns. AVG- 8. HR- 6. Def Range- C. 24 years old.
  11. R. Nestrud. AVG- 7. HR- 6. Def Range- C. 27 years old.
  12. M. Hurtya. AVG- 7. HR- 2. Def Range- C. 22 years old.
  13. T. Bullet. AVG- 8, HR- 6. Def Range- E. 23 years old.
  14. C. Hill. AVG- 5. HR- 9. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  15. M. Smith. AVG- 7. HR- 7. Def Range- E. 33 years old.
  16. N. Godfrey. AVG- 6. HR- 3. Def Range- A. 25 years old.
  17. D. Graham. AVG- 6. HR- 5. Def Range- C. 26 years old.
  18. J. Wickman. AVG- 5. HR- 8. Def Range- D. 25 years old.
  19. C. Bravely. AVG- 6. HR- 5. Def Range- D. 26 years old.
  20. S. Lednum. AVG- 5. HR- 6. 22 years old.
  21. J. Atwell. AVG- 5. HR- 7. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  22. M. Holliday. AVG- 6. HR- 3. Def Range- C. 21 years old.
  23. B. Manning. AVG- 6. HR- 3. Def Range- D. 22 years old.
  24. M. Kesiki. AVG- 5. HR- 5. Def Range- D. 24 years old.
  25. W. Blame. AVG- 5. HR- 2. Def Range- C. 23 years old

Second Basemen

  1. Shammond Guzman. $12,000,000. Shammond had an amazing year in 2008, but surprisingly, his high numbers were about average with his typical output. At the plate, Shammond had 73 HR, drove in 132 RBI, had 15 SB, and batted .285. On the field, Shammond was statistically perfect, having a 1.000 Fielding Percentage. He was also a part of 75 Double Plays. Shammond is 26 years old.

    2. -Some of Shammond’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 All-Star Games. Won the Slick Fielder Award once (at Second Base in 2008). Shammond is also a two-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #8 All-Time Batting Average (.325), #13 All-Time Hits (726), #10 All-Time Home Runs (197), #15 All-Time Runs Batted In (541), #10 All-Time Doubles (206), #11 All-Time Triple (11), #11 All-Time Walks (268), #4 All-Time Runs (738), #7 All-Time (184).

  2. Blake Roberts. $15,000,000. Blake was a very, very close second place for Free Agent Second Basemen. He has done better in previous years than Shammond, but in 2008, his stats were just slightly below Shammond’s, although still very good. In 2008, Blake hit 79 HR, drove in 110 RBI, and stole 13 SB, but batted just .242. In the field, Blake had a .980 Fielding Percentage, and was a part of 81 Double Plays. Blake is just 24 years old.

    3. -Some of Blake’s many career achievements: Was the 2006 Most Valuable Player. Was selected to play in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 All-Star Games. He won a World Championship (with Santo Domingo in 2007). He has been a two-time Batter of the Month (in June of 2006, and in July of 2007). Blake is also an eleven-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #13 All-Time Batting Average (.310), #10 All-Time Hits (728), #1 All-Time Home Runs (378), #1 All-Time Runs Batted In (874), #13 All-Time Doubles (198), #3 All-Time Walks (412), #2 All-Time Runs (850), #9 All-Time Stolen Bases (154).

  3. Greg Kowalczyk. $3,000,000. Greg didn’t have a very impressive year at the plate in 2008, but he still made it on the list at number three. He hit 6 HR, drove in 39 RBI, had 9 SB, and batted .239. On the field, Greg had a .984 Fielding Percentage, and was involved in 74 Double Plays. Greg still has time to improve though, being just 23 years old.

    4. -Some of Greg’s career achievements: Won the Slick Fielder Award twice (at Second Base in 2006, and at Second Base in 2007).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #23 All-Time Home Runs (115), #6 All-Time Triples (33).

  4. David May. $12,000,000. The race for the number three Second Baseman was just as close, if not closer, than the race for the top Second Baseman. Even though David has been better in past seasons, this year he did not do very well at all. He hit 6 HR, drove in 44 RBI, stole 17 SB, and batted an embarrassing .214. On the field, David had a .980 Fielding Percentage, and was a part of 53 Double Plays. David, too, has time to improve though, since he is just 22 years old.

    5. -Some of David’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006 All-Star Game. He has also won a World Championship (with Montreal in 2008).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #19 All-Time Doubles (160), #17 All-Time Walks (213), #18 All-Time Runs (526), #19 All-Time Stolen Bases (104).

  5. Duke Wallace. $3,000,000. Duke did not play at all in 2008, but he is a safer bet and a much better player than any of the Free Agent Second Basemen who were not on a team in 2008. Duke is 24 years old.

    6. -Career Leader Board appearances: #25 All-Time Doubles (129).

  6. B. Sizemore Jr. AVG- 10. HR- 6. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  7. B. Hyll. AVG- 10. HR- 1. Def Range- D. 26 years old.
  8. B. Easley. AVG- 8. HR- 5. Def Range- A. 22 years old.
  9. R. Terwilliger. AVG- 8. HR- 7. Def Range- E. 25 years old.
  10. J. Bubba. AVG- 8. HR- 4. Def Range- E. 23 years old.
  11. M. Starns. AVG- 7. HR- 2. Def Range- B. 26 years old.
  12. H. Johnson. AVG- 5. HR- 9. Def Range- D. 24 years old.
  13. K. Marcel. AVG- 7. HR- 4. Def Range- E. 19 years old.
  14. J. Jordan. AVG- 6. HR- 3. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  15. T. Slattery. AVG- 7. HR- 0. Def Range- E. 21 years old.
  16. B. Lemassny. AVG- 5. HR- 5. Def Range- B. 23 years old.
  17. A. Hockenberry. AVG- 6. HR- 3. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  18. D. McMamare. AVG- 6. HR- 3. Def Range- E. 28 years old.
  19. S. Durazi. AVG- 5. HR- 4. Def Range- E. 26 years old.
  20. C. Furcal. AVG- 5. HR- 2. Def Range- E. 26 years old.
  21. G. McGibney. AVG- 2. HR- 8. 32 years old.
  22. M. Ahrens. AVG- 4. HR- 1. Def Range- D. 20 years old.

Third Basemen

  1. James Sirbeepalot Jr. $12,000,000. James was clearly the best of the Free Agent Third Baseman in 2008, both at the plate and defensively at Third Base. He hit 78 HR, drove in 145 RBI, had 2 SB, and batted .258. In the field, he was statistically perfect. He has a 1.000 Fielding Percentage and was involved in 13 Double Plays. All of this and he is just 23 years old.

    2. -Some of James’ career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006 All-Star Game. Was a Batter of the Month twice (in July 2008, and in August 2008). He is also a six-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #18 All-Time Batting Average (.297), #7 All-Time Hits (738), #6 All-Time Home Runs (238), #5 All-Time Runs Batted In (714), #3 All-Time Doubles (257), #2 All-Time Triples (46), #11 All-Time Runs (651), #13 All-Time Stolen Bases (143).

  2. Alex Zito. $8,000,000. Alex has played Catcher the last few seasons, but it primarily a Third Baseman. In 2008, Alex hit 47 HR, drove in 89 RBI, had 9 SB, but batted just .235. Behind the plate, Alex had a .990 Fielding Percentage, and threw out an amazing 33% of runners who tried to steal on him. Alex is 25 years old.

    3. -Some of Alex’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006, and 2007 All-Star Games. He also was a part of two World Championships (with Montreal in 2006, and with Santo Domingo in 2007). Slick Fielder Award winner twice (at Catcher in 2006, and at Catcher in 2007). Three-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #9 All-Time Batting Average (.321), #18 All-Time Hits (675), #11 All-Time Home Runs (187), #7 All-Time Runs Batted In (646), #3 All-Time Triples (36), #20 All-Time Runs (508).

  3. Christopher Heqaiunu. $12,000,000. Christopher might not have impressive power numbers, but he has excelled in his entire career at being a great lead-off man. In 2008, Christopher hit 5 HR, drove in 41 RBI, stole 26 SB, and had an amazing .322 batting average. On the field, Christopher had a .982 Fielding Percentage and was a part of 11 Double Plays. All of this, and Christopher is still just 23 years old.

    4. -Some of Christopher’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 All-Star Games. He also has won the Slick Fielder Award (at Third Base in 2007), and he’s a one-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #2 All-Time Batting Average (.376), #3 All-Time Hits (827), #21 All-Time Home Runs (116), #14 All-Time Runs Batted In (573), #1 All-Time Doubles (289), #9 All-Time Triples (31), #6 All-Time Walks (374), #7 All-Time Runs (692), #4 All-Time Stolen Bases (204).

  4. Brock Weathers. $8,000,000. Brock didn’t have a bad year in 2008. Actually, he statistically was perfect on defense. The only reason he is down as far as number four is just because there are several really good Third Basemen ahead of him. In 2008, Brock hit 6 HR, drove in 46 RBI, had 12 SB, and batted .254. On the field, Brock had a 1.000 Fielding Percentage, and was involved in 25 Double Plays.

    5. -Some of Brock’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006, and 2007 All-Star Games. He also won the Slick Fielder Award (at Third Base in 2008), and he’s a one-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #6 All-Time Batting Average (.330), #5 All-Time Hits (761), #13 All-Time Home Runs (147), #12 All-Time Runs Batted In (588), #6 All-Time Doubles (214), #12 All-Time Triples (28), #23 All-Time Walks (184), #17 All-Time Runs (542), #22 All-Time Stolen Bases (100).

  5. Chris Moss. $1,000,000. Chris played in just a few games in 2008, but he is a safer bet and a much better player than any of the Free Agent Third Basemen who were not on a team in 2008. Chris is 27 years old.
  6. W. McGee. AVG- 10. HR- 15. Def Range- C. 28 years old.
  7. S. Ward. AVG- 9. HR- 8. Def Range- E. 23 years old.
  8. J. Van Hee. AVG- 10. HR- 5. Def Range- A. 21 years old.
  9. T. Pryor. AVG- 10. HR- 0. Def Range- A. 21 years old.
  10. C. Bowden. AVG- 9. HR- 3. Def Range- C. 22 years old.
  11. J. McKinney. AVG- 8. HR- 7. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  12. D. Johnson. AVG- 6. HR- 8. Def Range- D. 28 years old.
  13. J. Vargas. AVG- 5. HR- 5. Def Range- A. 22 years old.
  14. J. Brown. AVG- 6. HR- 6. Def Range- D. 22 years old.
  15. M. Eisenberg. AVG- 6. HR- 7. Def Range- D. 24 years old.
  16. J. Beacorn. AVG- 5. HR- 7. Def Range- C. 24 years old.
  17. D. Self. AVG- 4. HR- 7. 24 years old.
  18. J. Ridnour. AVG- 5. HR- 3. Def Range- E. 23 years old.

Shortstops

  1. Smitty Springfield. $12,000,000. Smitty had an awesome year in 2008, hitting 25 HR, driving in 75 RBI, getting 36 SB, and hitting an amazing .370. Roaming Short, he was good as well, with a .994 Fielding Percentage. The 27-year-old was also a part of 55 Double Plays

    2. -Some of Smitty’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 All-Star Games. He was also a one-time Batter of the Month (July of 2006), and a one-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #18 All-Time Home Runs (133), #22 All-Time Runs Batted In (463), #24 All-Time Doubles (132), #21 All-Time Triples (23), #21 All-Time Stolen Bases (102).

  2. Quint Newcomer. $12,000,000. Quint’s numbers at the plate were decent, but the thing that stands out with him are his numbers on the field. In 2008, Quint got 16 HR, drove in 51 RBI, and had 24 SB, all while batting just .232. On the field though, Quint had a 1.000 Fielding Percentage and was involved in 59 Double Plays. Quint is 28 years old.

    3. -Career Leader Board appearances: #9 All-Time Doubles (207), #5 All-Time Triples (34), #1 All-Time Walks (548), #6 All-Time Runs (725), #3 All-Time Stolen Bases (223).

  3. Pierce Feltini. $5,000,000. Pierce is a speedy base runner who needs help in the batting department, but is an amazing athlete on the field, playing several positions quite well. Not only is Pierce a good Shortstop, but he is also a solid Catcher, where he mainly played in 2008. In 2008, Pierce had 8 HR, 43 RBI, and an amazing 40 SB, all while batting just .237. Behind the plate, however, Pierce had a .995 Fielding Percentage and threw out an impressive 26% of runners who tried to steal on him. Pierce is 26 years old.

    4. -Some of Pierce’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2007 and the 2008 All-Star Games. He is also a two-time winner of the Slick Fielder Award (at Shortstop in 2006, and at Catcher in 2007).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #12 All-Time Batting Average (.312), #8 All-Time Hits (737), #11 All-Time Doubles (203), #22 All-Time Triples (22), #14 All-Time Walks (264), #16 All-Time Runs (553), #2 All-Time Stolen Bases (231).

  4. Emanuel Toombs. $3,000,000. Emanuel had a below-par season both at the plate and at Short. He got 6 HR, 37 RBI, and 23 SB, and batted .241. At Shortstop, he had a .923 Fielding Percentage and was involved in just 26 Double Plays. Emanuel is just 24 year old.

    5. -Some of Emanuel’s career achievements: Won the Slick Fielder Award (at Shortstop in 2006) and is also a one-time winner of the Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #23 All-Time Batting Average (.283), #25 All-Time Hits (618), #8 All-Time Doubles (208), #22 All-Time Triples (22), #21 All-Time Walks (189), #11 All-Time Stolen Bases (147).

  5. Adam Brown. $5,000,000. Adam also had a very down year, both at the plate and in the field. In 2008, Adam got 4 HR, 37 RBI, and 11 SB, while batting a pitiful .208. On the field, Adam had a .962 Fielding Percentage, but was involved in 59 Double Plays. Adam is just 24 years old.

    6. -Some of Adam’s career achievements: Won the Slick Fielder Award (at Shortstop in 2007).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #23 All-Time Stolen Bases (96).

  6. Jon Wiggins. $1,000,000. Jon saw limited playing time in 2008, which partially explains why his numbers are so low. He got 2 HR, 13 RBI, and 1 SB, all while batting .290. On the field, Jon had a .967 Fielding Percentage, and was involved in just 11 Double Plays. Jon is just 23 years old, so he still has plenty of time to develop.

    7. -Some of Jon’s career achievements: One-time Player of the Week.

  7. Jerry Owens. $5,000,000. Jerry also saw limited playing time in 2008, and it also affected his numbers. He had 4 HR, 22 RBI, 9 SB, and batted a horrific .162. On the field, Jerry had a .985 Fielding Percentage and was involved in 28 Double Plays. Jerry is also just 23 years old, so he too, has some time to develop.

    8. -Some of Jerry’s career achievements: Won a World Championship (with Montreal in 2006) and is a one-time winner of the Slick Fielder Award (at Shortstop in 2007).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #4 All-Time Walks (393), #25 All-Time Runs (459), #9 All-Time Stolen Bases (154).

  8. Alex Rodriguez. $1,000,000. Alex didn’t see much playing time in 2008, but he is a safer bet and a much better player than any of the Free Agent Shortstops who were not on a team in 2008. He is 26 years old.
  9. F. Rodriguez. AVG- 10. HR- 11. Def Range- B. 23 years old.
  10. E. None. AVG- 10. HR- 5. Def Range- C. 26 years old.
  11. O. Hunter. AVG- 8. HR- 11. Def Range- B. 22 years old.
  12. E. Voldness. AVG- 7. HR- 11. Def Range- C. 24 years old.
  13. A. Myers. AVG- 10. HR- 5. Def Range- A. 21 years old.
  14. M. AVG- 8. HR- 10. Def Range- C. 24 years old.
  15. R. Padowstri. AVG- 7. HR- 8. Def Range- B. 26 years old.
  16. J. Smith. AVG- 7. HR- 4. Def Range- B. 24 years old.
  17. S. Morgan. AVG- 9. HR- 1. Def Range- E. 20 years old.
  18. B. Larkin. AVG- 10. HR- 0. Def Range- C. 21 years old.
  19. V. Koshnov. AVG- 7. HR- 6. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  20. R. Creed. AVG- 6. HR- 8. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  21. J. Berkavich. AVG- 7. HR- 3. Def Range- C. 22 years old.
  22. T. Buie. AVG- 7. HR- 4. Def Range- D. 24 years old.
  23. V. Hayes. AVG- 8. HR- 0. Def Range- D. 27 years old.
  24. S. Lavendeira. AVG- 5. HR- 5. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  25. J. Lewis. AVG- 6. HR- 4. Def Range- D. 24 years old.
  26. J. Madino. AVG- 3. HR- 10. Def Range- E. 22 years old.
  27. B. Miretzky. AVG- 6. HR- 3. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  28. C. Connell. AVG- 5. HR- 4. Def Range- C. 27 years old.
  29. S. Valdez. AVG- 5. HR- 5. Def Range- E. 22 years old.
  30. M. Stein. AVG- 5. HR- 2. Def Range- E. 22 years old.

Left Fielders

  1. Kip Wesley. $12,000,000. Kip had a down year in 2008, but it was still rather good. It was good enough, at least, to put him on top of the Free Agent Left Fielders list. In 2008, he got 22 HR, drove in 77 RBI, and had 14 SB, all while batting .275. On the field, Kip was statistically perfect, with a 1.000 Fielding Percentage and he also had 5 Outfield Assists. All of this and he is still just 24 years old.

    2. -Some of Kip’s career achievements: Was elected to play in the 2006, and 2008 All-Star Games. He is also a one-time Slick Field Award winner (at Left Field in 2007), and a one-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #3 All-Time Batting Average (.347), #2 All-Time Hits (837), #19 All-Time Home Runs (121), #17 All-Time Runs Batted In (505), #18 All-Time Doubles (183), #15 All-Time Triples (25), #14 All-Time Runs (588), #16 All-Time Stolen Bases (125).

  2. Niel West. $1,000,000. Niel made number two on the list for Left Fielders, with consistent batting and fielding numbers. In 2008, he got 7 HR, drove in 59 RBI, had 4 SB, and batted .254. On the field, Niel was also statistically perfect, with a 1.000 Fielding Percentage and 7 Outfield Assists. He is also just 24 years old.

    3. -Some of Niel’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006, and 2008 All-Star Games. He is also a two-time winner of the Slick Fielder Award (at Left Field in 2007, and at Left Field in 2008).

  3. Tim Johnson. $3,000,000. Tim didn’t see too much playing time in 2008, and it greatly affected his numbers. He got 1 HR, 12 RBI, 15 SB, and batted just .230. On the field, he had a .980 Fielding Percentage and had 5 Outfield Assists. He, too, is just 24 years old.

    4. -Some of Tim’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2007 All-Star Game. He also won a Slick Fielder Award (at Left Field in 2006).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #17 All-Time Batting Average (.302), #19 All-Time Hits (653), #24 All-Time Home Runs (109), #21 All-Time Runs (476).

  4. Greg Shumate. $3,000,000. Greg, also, saw limited playing time in 2008, and it also clearly showed in his number. He got 0 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, and batted .274. In the outfield, Greg did well though, with a 1.000 Fielding Percentage and he had 1 Outfield Assist. Greg, like all those listed before him in Left Field, is also just 24 years old.
  5. Jonathon Games. $1,000,000. Jonathon did not play in many games in 2008. The 25-year-old is a safer bet and a much better player than any of the Free Agent Left Fielders who were not on a team in 2008 though.

    6. -Some of Jonathon’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006 All-Star Game. Won a World Championship (with Santo Domingo in 2007).

  6. M. Castillo. AVG- 9. HR- 11. Def Range- A. 23 years old.
  7. J. Feliciano. AVG- 8. HR- 6. Def Range- D. 24 years old.
  8. C. Castillo. AVG- 10. HR- 1. Def Range- D. 21 years old.
  9. J. Smith. AVG- 8. HR- 6. Def Range- D. 21 years old.
  10. N. Amatulli. AVG- 6. HR- 6. Def Range- C. 24 years old.
  11. C. Wilkerson. AVG- 7. HR- 3. Def Range- C. 26 years old.
  12. Y. Kairo. AVG- 6. HR- 7. Def Range- D. 22 years old.
  13. S. O’Neill. AVG- 6. HR- 6. Def Range- D. 22 years old.
  14. B. Carson. AVG- 5. HR- 8. Def Range- C. 22 years old.
  15. E. Mcfee. AVG- 6. HR- 7. Def Range- C. 25 years old.
  16. E. Johnson. AVG- 7. HR- 5. Def Range- E. 22 years old.
  17. J. Piedra. AVG- 6. HR- 6. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  18. M. Smith. AVG- 5. HR- 5. Def Range- E. 22 years old.
  19. F. Miller. AVG- 5. HR- 6. Def Range- E. 23 years old.

Center Fielders

  1. James Conway. $5,000,000. James had a mediocre year offensively, but was statistically perfect on defense. He hit 11 HR, drove in 46 RBI, had 4 SB, and batted .241 in 2008. On the field, James had a 1.000 Fielding Percentage, and also had 9 Outfield Assists. He is also just 23 years old.

    2. -Some of James’ career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2006, and 2008 All-Star Games. Won a World Championship (with Montreal in 2006). Won the Slick Fielder Award (at Center Field in 2007).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #19 All-Time Batting Average (.296), #14 All-Time Hits (721), #20 All-Time Runs Batted In (486), #15 All-Time Doubles (196), #21 All-Time Runs (476).

  2. Jon Vish. $12,000,000. In 2008, Jon was very much like James. He had a mediocre year batting, but was nearly an unstoppable force in Center Field. In 2008, he hit 6 HR, drove in 34 RBI, stole 18 SB, and hit .276. On the field, he had a 1.000 Fielding Percentage and also had 8 Outfield Assists. Jon is 25 years old.

    3. -Some of Jon’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2008 All-Star Game. Won the Slick Fielder Award (at Center Field in 2008).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #4 All-Time Triples (35), #13 All-Time Walks (265), #23 All-Time Stolen Bases (96).

  3. Ethan Perez. $3,000,000. Ethan played Shortstop in 2008, but is mainly a Center Fielder. His offensive numbers were slightly better than James’ and Jon’s numbers, but he didn’t have the amazing defensive number that they did, though he did pretty well on defense himself. In 2008, he hit 9 HR, drove in 47 RBI, stole 14 SB, and hit .249. On the field, he had a .991 Fielding Percentage. He also has involved in 56 Double Plays at Shortstop. Ethan has plenty of time to continue to improve, as he is just 24 years old.

    4. -Some of Ethan’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2007 All-Star Game. Won the Slick Fielder Award (at Shortstop in 2008).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #22 All-Time Triples (22), #17 All-Time Stolen Bases (124).

  4. Richie Maple. $1,000,000. Richie had a disappointing year in 2008, both offensively and defensively. In 2008 he hit 6 HR, drove in 33 RBI, had 2 SB, and batted a low .218. On the field, he had a .962 Fielding Percentage and has 9 Outfield Assists. He is just 23 years old though, so it is not to late for him to improve both on offense and defense.

    5. -Some of Richie’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2007 All-Star Game. Three-time Slick Fielder Award winner (at Center Field in 2006, and Right Field in 2007, and at Right Field in 2008).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #15 All-Time Batting Average (.304), #6 All-Time Hits (757), #13 All-Time Home Runs (147), #19 All-Time Runs Batted In (502), #24 All-Time Runs (461).

  5. Matt Priesmeyer. $1,000,000. Matt saw little playing time in 2008, but he is a safer bet and a much better player than any of the Free Agent Left Fielders who were not on a team in 2008. He is 30 years old, though.

    6. -Some of Matt’s career achievements: Won a World Championship (with Montreal in 2008). Won a Slick Fielder Award winner (at Center Field in 2006).

  6. Babe Ruth III. $1,000,000. Babe saw little playing time in 2008, but he is a safer bet and a much better player than any of the Free Agent Left Fielders who were not on a team in 2008. He is 26 years old.
  7. Andre Beasley. $3,000,000. Andre saw little playing time in 2008, but he is a safer bet and a much better player than any of the Free Agent Left Fielders who were not on a team in 2008, even if he is 31 years old.
  8. B. Rosen. AVG- 10. HR- 7. Def Range- A. 23 years old.
  9. M. Unknown. AVG- 10. HR- 10. Def Range- B. 27 years old.
  10. S. Sampat. AVG- 9. HR- 4. Def Range- A. 26 years old.
  11. K. Jones. AVG- 6. HR- 9. Def Range- A. 23 years old.
  12. M. Hayden. AVG- 10. HR- 0. 23 years old.
  13. R. Miller. AVG- 10. HR- 1. Def Range- A. 23 years old.
  14. R. Crombie. AVG- 10. HR- 5. Def Range- E. 22 years old.
  15. B. Doll. AVG- 10. HR- 2. Def Range- B. 21 years old.
  16. A. Hayden. AVG- 6. HR- 8. Def Range- B. 24 years old.
  17. M. Bazinet. AVG- 10. HR- 0. Def Range- A. 22 years old.
  18. N. DiLallo. AVG- 9. HR- 2. Def Range- D. 25 years old.
  19. B. Abrams. AVG- 10. HR- 2. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  20. B. Bonds. AVG- 5. HR- 10. Def Range- C. 24 years old.
  21. E. Besson. AVG- 8. HR- 3. Def Range- C. 27 years old.
  22. J. Briggs. AVG- 5. HR- 5. Def Range- D. 23 years old.
  23. D. Allgood. AVG- 6. HR- 3. Def Range- C. 21 years old.
  24. S. Donovan. AVG- 6. HR- 1. Def Range- C. 23 years old.
  25. G. Siegfiedt. AVG- 4. HR- 5. Def Range- D. 24 years old.
  26. S. Cameron. AVG- 3. HR- 4. Def Range- E. 21 years old.

Right Fielders

  1. Shawn Walker. $12,000,000. Shawn is one of the biggest Free Agents this off-season, if not the biggest. In 2008, he had nearly-unbeatable numbers both on offense and defense. In 2008, he had an amazing 91 HR, drove in 164 RBI, had 9 SB, and batted an awesome .327. On the field, he had a 1.000 Fielding Percentage and an impressive 13 Outfield Assists. All of this, and he is just 24 years old.

    2. -Some of Shawn’s many career achievements: 2008 Most Valuable Player. Was selected to play in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 All-Star Games. He is also a three-time Batter of the Month (in June of 2006, July of 2007, and June of 2008), and an eight-time Player of the Week.

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #5 All-Time Batting Average (.346), #10 All-Time Hits (728), #4 All-Time Home Runs (255), #6 All-Time Runs Batted In (670), #5 All-Time Doubles (226), #6 All-Time Triples (33), #22 All-Time Walks (185), #8 All-Time Runs (659).

  2. Gregg Torlone. $8,000,000. Gregg had a fairly decent year himself in 2008, even if it is nothing in comparison to the numbers Shawn put up. In 2008, he had 17 HR, drove in 56 RBI, got 18 SB, and batted .247. On the field, he had a decent .992 Fielding Percentage and had an impressive 16 Outfield Assists. He is just 23 years old, too.

    3. -Some of Gregg’s career achievements: Was selected to play in the 2008 All-Star Game. He had also won the Slick Fielder Award (at Right Field in 2006).

    -Career Leader Board appearances: #24 All-Time Batting Average (.275), #16 All-Time Hits (683), #25 All-Time Home Runs (107), #14 All-Time Doubles (197), #22 All-Time Triples (22), #15 All-Time Stolen Bases (130).

  3. Dante Trinh. $5,000,000. Dante had a down year in 2008 on offensive, with horrendous numbers, although he still was a very good defender. In 2008, he had 3 HR, 19 RBI, 9 SB, and batted just .202. On the field, however, Dante had a 1.000 Fielding Percentage and had 9 Outfield Assists. Dante is 27 years old.

    4. -Career Leader Board appearances: #25 All-Time Batting Average (.265), #24 All-Time Runs Batted In (436), #5 All-Time Stolen Bases (201).

  4. W. Williams. AVG- 10. HR- 8. Def Range- A. 20 years old.
  5. R. Pearce. AVG- 10. HR- 8. Def Range- E. 23 years old.
  6. J. Gambrell. AVG- 10. HR- 2. Def Range- D. 22 years old.
  7. J. Izaguirre. AVG- 8. HR- 8. Def Range- A. 27 years old.
  8. M. Miller. AVG- 7. HR- 10. Def Range- A. 21 years old.
  9. R. Smith. AVG- 8. HR- 6. Def Range- E. 21 years old.
  10. B. Jones. AVG- 10. HR- 0. Def Range- E. 23 years old.
  11. L. Nuno. AVG- 8. HR- 0. Def Range- A. 25 years old.
  12. J. Riley. AVG- 5. HR- 10. 21 years old.
  13. C. Davis. AVG- 5. HR- 10. Def Range- D. 22 years old.
  14. R. Costanza. AVG- 7. HR- 3. Def Range- D. 22 years old.
  15. B. Green. AVG- 2. HR- 6. Def Range- A. 23 years old.
  16. R. Schmidt. AVG- 1. HR- 5. Def Range- A. 28 years old.

I hope all of you General Managers, or anybody else interested in seeing who is out there, learned a lot about this years’ Free Agents. I hope that you all will use this as a guide in the off-season to help you in making your decisions, because that’s what it was made for. Enjoy.

 

 

*All rankings (except for Free Agents who were not on teams at the end of 2008, as I mentioned earlier) are my own based on the key stats given, not all stats, total attributes, careers stats, or anything else. Also, this is based on ALL Free Agents, whether they have their own team, are getting their own team, have signed to a team (in the time it took me to write this), or anything like that. In a realistic situation, players would not also be owning a team, so I added every Free Agent listed so-as to make it more realistic.