The second base position is currently undergoing some renovations. For the longest time, keystone cornermen were primarily thought of as defense-first players, making any and all offensive contributions bonuses. With the emergence of power bats like Jeff Kent, and, more recently, guys like Chase Utley and Dan Uggla, the reputation of the position simply isn’t the same. Otherwise, an all-defense player like Mark Ellis would garner as much attention as the all-offense player Uggla.

Many second basemen these days achieve the middle ground, with a solid bat accompanied by decent fielding skills. Below are the win values, from 2006-08, for four different mystery second basemen:

2B #1: 28 yrs old, +1.6, +4.9, +3.2
2B #2: 31 yrs old, +2.3, +3.1, +1.9
2B #3: 31 yrs old, +4.5, +3.6, -0.6
2B #4: 26 yrs old, +2.7, +3.6 +0.5

The bookends are the youngest of this group, with #1 appearing to be the most productive in this three-year span. Nobody comes anywhere near Chase Utley’s +22.7 wins since 2006, but Utley is practically in an elite league of his own. Before the names of these players are revealed, I will let it be known that both #1 and #2 have reputations as being top-tier second baseman. Additionally, players #2 and #4 both missed significant time in 2008, leading to their lower win values that season.

In fact, let’s continue with the discussion of #2 and #4. #4 produced about a half-win better than #2 in each of 2006 and 2007, but played half as many games in 2008. In equal amounts of playing time, the gap in 2008 closes a bit. Regardless, since injuries are real and should not be automatically discounted, #2 has produced just +0.6 wins more than #4 throughout the last three seasons. Who are these players?

#1 = Brandon Phillips and #3 = Freddy Sanchez. #2 is current free agent Orlando Hudson, who, as I previously mentioned boasts the reputation of a top-tier second baseman. That leaves #4… Aaron Hill of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Yes, over the last three seasons, Hill has produced +6.7 wins to the +7.3 of Hudson, outperformed Hudson in two of the three seasons, and failed to repeat the feat primarily due to playing in just 55 games last season; Hudson logged just 107 himself, which amounts to two times the playing time of Hill. Why is it then that Hudson has such a prestigious reputation yet half of the baseball fandom could not point out Aaron Hill in a lineup surrounded by famous cartoon characters? Okay, maybe he could be pointed out in that lineup, but you catch my drift, right?

This is not meant to be a knock on Hudson, because an average of +2.5 wins/yr from a second baseman is still very good. However, his reputation seemingly elevates him past that mark. The major differences between the two are where the bulk of their value stems from. Outside of positional and replacement level adjustments, Hudson has an aggregate +24.8 batting runs and -12.7 defensive runs. Hill is largely the opposite, with -5.6 batting runs and +17.7 defensive runs. Fans tend to place a premium on offense so it makes sense that Hudson is more well-known.

Still, a run is a run is a run. Tom Tango likes to emphasize this point whenever possible: a run saved on defense = a run produced on offense. Hill might not swing a sexy bat but he sure knows how to use his glove. He is also five years the junior of Hudson. The O-Dawg is a very good player and will make whichever team signs him a bit better, but he is not necessarily an elite second baseman of the Utley or Roberts ilk. Even Phillips, three years his junior, looks better by comparison.

The second base position may be gradually inching closer to an offensive-heavy area, but league average hitters with very solid defensive skills are still extremely valuable, which seems to get lost in the Hudson-Hill comparison.

Though it may feel ages away, Spring Training is fast approaching, and for the first time in 11 seasons, Bobby Abreu has no idea where he will be playing. Abreu’s case has been documented numerous times here: his defense is poor and his bat, though still solid, is in decline mode. Add in that he turns 35 in March and Abreu just does not seem as attractive of an asset as he once did.

Factoring in the current scope of the economy it is not terribly surprising that his asking price was scoffed at, but the issue now deals with the depths to which his asking price will sink. On top of the factors mentioned above, something else is apparently contributing to his dearth of suitors and potential landing spots: teams are getting smarter.

As Dave discussed earlier, Peter Gammons wrote that teams are learning to value defense much moreso than before, leading them to worry about the potential number of runs guys like Abreu, Adam Dunn, and Manny Ramirez give back with the glove. I don’t think each and every team has suddenly hopped on the defensive bandwagon but rather that they recognize $16 mil/yr for three seasons is excessive for a 35-yr old with a declining bat and poor glove in the current market.

Had we just listed the attributes as opposed to the attached name, eliminating all aspects of reputation, the proposed deal would, without a doubt, seem ludicrous. With Abreu gradually decreasing his expectations, the last piece of news on the matter pegged him at 1-yr/$8 mil. At such a little commitment and a drastically lower salary, one could easily reason that a wide array of suitors would line up. This is yet to be the case. Abreu has been linked to the Braves, Mariners, Dodgers, White Sox and Mets, but a Mets official apparently reported that the deal would need to be for a maximum of 1-yr/$4 mil for the Mets to pull the trigger.

I cannot speak for the validity of that statement or how the remaining interested parties value Bobby’s skills, but 1 yr/$4 mil would be the same value, with one less year, that Jeremy Affeldt received from the Giants. The deal would be half of Pat Burrell’s average annual value, which itself was largely depressed. The deal would be $250K less than Brandon Lyon received from the Tigers and equal to the amount Abreu’s former employer, the Yankees, will give to Damaso Marte. I ultimately expect Abreu to sign for a bit more than $4 mil but it has been nothing less than fascinating to watch his asking price potentially end up at 1/4 of its original total.

Lost amongst the CC Sabathia frenzy in Milwaukee last season was the under the radar acquisition of Ray Durham. While Durham in no way provided the same spark as Sabathia, he did produce for the BrewCrew and played a part in the team’s Wild Card run. In 41 games while donning the Brewers uniform, Durham hit .280/.369/.477, a .363 wOBA. Combined with his +2-run defense at second base, Durham produced exactly one win for Milwaukee in limited action. On the whole, he played +2.7 win baseball, production worth $12.5 mil on the open market.

It then comes as a surprise that not only has he failed to sign with any team this year, but his name has barely been mentioned. At 37 years old he might not be an everyday player but he still has value. I pegged him as one of the top non-Type A or B free agents available not too long ago but it seems as if Durham may actually more closely resemble something mentioned in an earlier post of Dave’s this offseason about players who were forcibly retired. If you recall, Kenny Lofton was the subject of that post, since he played +3.1 win baseball in 2007 yet couldn’t find a home last season.

Durham’s projections are a tad skewed in my eyes, primarily because they heavily count his 2007 campaign that, when stacked up against the rest of his career, was clearly a fluke among flukes. From 1998-2006, his lowest wOBA was .343, his lowest BABIP was .292, and his lowest OPS was .785. And keep in mind that these are the lows and by no means the averages, which are significantly higher. In 2007, his BABIP plummeted to .238, leading to an abysmal .282 wOBA and .638 OPS.

I would peg Durham as capable of posting a .340 wOBA in 450 PA, with league average defense. Factoring in the adjustments for replacement level and position, Durham would produce exactly +2 wins next season, the definition of league average. Even if that wOBA is a bit too high for your liking, if we make him a league average hitter, keeping everything else constant, he is still a +1.7 win player. The only way Durham’s production doesn’t fall within that general vicinity is if he completely forgets how to play defense, for whatever reason reverts to his fluky 2007, or simply does not accrue enough playing time.

Outside of potential fits for Durham, the issue of money looms large. He has already stated his lack of desire for a non-roster invite or a minor league deal. Durham has hinted at retirement if he cannot garner a respectable deal. I highly doubt he expects to earn the fair market value commanded by +1.5 to +2 win production, but he clearly wants more than say $1-2 mil.

What’s really interesting is that a healthy Orlando Hudson projects to around +2.6 wins next season, which is in no way substantially better than Durham. And, to top it off, since 2002, Durham has produced +19.1 wins to the +15.2 of Hudson. Teams that miss out on Hudson with a need for either a second base platoon or spark off the bench would serve themselves right by signing Durham to a one-year deal. Ray-Ray cannot possibly expect to receive a long-term commitment at this stage in his career, but as a one-year stopgap before a prospect joins the big show, or as a bench player and occasional starter, he does not cost anyone a draft pick, will not cost a ton of money, and still projects to produce between +1.5 and +2 wins.

Should his asking price lower, you better believe a plethora of suitors will line up, but the ball is firmly in Durham’s court. In the current economy, teams just are not willing to take risks assuming those risks involve $4-5 mil given to a 37-yr old part-time player. Ray Durham may join the Lofton ranks as a solid veteran who hung up his cleats due to very odd circumstances.

With Spring Training set to kick off in about a week, the storylines involving several high-profile free agents will only grow increasingly more dramatic. Based on the headlines, the market for pitchers seemingly dwindled down to the extremely risky right arm of Ben Sheets and the questionable skillset of lefty Randy Wolf. I have already covered how Braden Looper is realistically just as talented at Wolf while simultaneously costing a fraction of the money, but another pitcher has flown under the radar: Odalis Perez.

Perez’s name was recently withdrawn from the list of available hurlers, though, as he inked a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals. The deal is interesting given that it comes in the non-guaranteed form with a maximum potential salary well under the eventual deals that will be signed by Wolf and Looper. If Odalis makes the team, he can earn $850,000, which seems a bit off. Granted he played for the Washington Nationals last season, but he still produced to the tune of +1.5 wins.

He also does not carry the inconsistencies of the other pitchers. His win values over the last four years: +1.6, +1.4, +1.5, +1.5. Last season, he produced a 4.62 FIP in 159 IP. Marcel has his 2009 pegged at a very similar 4.59 FIP in 151 IP. There really is no reason to think Perez could not be equally as valuable as last season. Perez has somehow managed to garner a reputation for being old despite the fact that he won’t turn 32 until June.

Tim Redding is one year younger than Perez, and over the last four seasons has an aggregate win value of 1.0. Despite a minimal age discrepancy and the performance differences pointing very favorably in Perez’s direction, Redding signed a guaranteed $2.25 mil contract while Odalis will have to settle for one third of that salary once he makes the actual major league roster.

Why the Mets didn’t spring for Perez is beyond me, especially given that they apparently valued a consistent 5th-starter type quite highly. And, on that note, why did Perez have to settle for the Nationals anyways? He isn’t as attractive as the top-tier free agent pitchers but teams could do much worse than he as a back of the rotation starter, especially on a low risk, high reward contract. Perez should easily make the big league team and the current contract values him at +0.2 wins, under one seventh of the win values he has produced in each of the last four seasons. A good deal for the Nationals even if it won’t make any difference whatsoever.

Yesterday we took a look at the best and worst offenses and defenses to make the playoffs since 2004. Perhaps the most interesting discoveries involved the Yankees, who produced the top three offenses as well as the bottom three defenses in this span. In 2005, however, their defense plummeted ten miles south of abysmal towards incalculable, unfathomable depths.

That season, the aggregate UZR in the Bronx was -130 runs. -130! Despite a tremendous offense worth +139 runs, only nine runs remained due to defensive ineptitudes.

How were they that bad? Not only is it the worst team defense of playoff teams, it is the worst team defense of anybody since at least 2002. The next worse mark belongs to the 2003 Brewers at -75 runs. Essentially, the Yankees defense in 2005 fell 5.5 wins below the next worse defense in the same seven year span.

Of players with at least 70 games played at a position, only Alex Rodriguez’s third base performance of +1.4 runs surpassed the league average mark of zero. After Rodriguez came Tino Martinez, with a -1.3 mark at first base, and Hideki Matsui, with -1.9 run defense in left field. Jason Giambi logged 78 games at first base as well, with -3.2 run defense. So far, things don’t look that bad, but we’re just getting started.

Every stathead’s favorite whipping boy, Derek Jeter, is next with a -12.5 rating at shortstop. Jeter won a gold glove for his “stellar” defense. His partner up the middle, Robinson Cano, played even worse defense, at -18.4 runs. The poor defensive performances of both Bernie Williams and Gary Sheffield dwarf that figure, however. Williams played -28.6 run defense in centerfield, which was almost equally as poor as Sheff’s -29 UZR in right field.

So there you have it: the worst defensive team in the win values era. I would venture a guess that their reign would extend even farther back as well. Luckily, they were able to hit, but the team could have been even better with more solid defenders. Everyone is quick to point fingers at A-Rod or concoct other reasons for their dearth of recent championships, but perhaps much of it has to do with how offensive production looks sexier than defense, and the Yankees have trotted horrible defenders out, time and time again.

In the midst of recording data for the playoff teams in the win values era, I came across something extremely interesting: since 2002, the best bullpen of any team, playoff or not, belongs to the 2006 Minnesota Twins. Johan Santana and his second Cy Young Award garnered much of the attention that year, but the Twinkies relief corps was far and away the best in the league. In fact, in this seven year span, the next closest bullpen fell almost a full win behind.

In 2006, the Twins bullpen produced +99.7 runs above replacement. +99.7! Second place that season was over 20 runs behind. Of playoff teams, only the 2004 Angels at +89.1 and the 2004 Twins at +88.0 came close. The Gardenhire Gang produced +30 runs with the bat and +19 runs in the field, but boasted much of their success thanks to the rotation and bullpen.

Joe Nathan led the ‘pen with +32.2 runs, +3.1 wins. As R.J. pointed out not too long ago, non-closer relievers generally do not sport solid runs or wins above replacement marks, primarily due to the lack of innings. Many relievers fall below the +1 win mark, making it incredibly remarkable that the Twins bullpen in 2006 featured five different relievers at +1 win or better.

After Nathan came Juan Rincon (+1.8 wins), Jesse Crain (+1.2 wins), Dennys Reyes (+1.1 wins), and Pat Neshek (+1.0 wins). And Francisco Liriano even pitched a bit in relief, racking up +0.8 wins. Here are some of their other statistics that season:

Joe Nathan     64 g   1.58 ERA   1.68 FIP   12.5 K/9   2.1 BB/9
Juan Rincon    75 g   2.91 ERA   2.84 FIP    7.9 K/9   2.8 BB/9
Jesse Crain    68 g   3.52 ERA   3.38 FIP    7.0 K/9   2.1 BB/9
Dennys Reyes   66 g   0.89 ERA   2.87 FIP    8.7 K/9   2.7 BB/9
Pat Neshek     32 g   2.19 ERA   2.88 FIP   12.9 K/9   1.5 BB/9

Nathan has continued to be very successful, putting him on a very small list of closers successful for a relatively extended period of time. Unfortunately, the others are yet to experience as much success. Rincon last pitched for the Indians in 2008, and Reyes is a Type B free agent still on the market. Crain and Neshek are still members of the Twins bullpen. By nature, relievers are a fickle bunch, but the 2006 Twinkie relief corps was the best of the last seven seasons.

One of my favorite new features here is the win value section of the team pages. Instead of looking at the components for each individual player we now have the capability of checking which teams produced the highest batting runs total. Or which teams played the best overall defense. While scanning through the numbers I suddenly became interested in the value components for teams that made the playoffs. After all, much of the Rays success last year was attributed to their defense, and sure enough, their +70.6 team UZR rating led all of baseball. Were they the best defensive playoff team in recent history? And how did their offense rank amongst playoff-bound teams?

Our win value metrics currently date back to 2002, but I chose to look at the playoff teams from the last five years, setting 2004 as the starting date. The batting runs and defensive marks were recorded for each team that played into October and there were some very interesting results.

For starters, yes, the 2008 Rays were the best defensive team to make the playoffs over the last five years. In fact, their +70.6 UZR almost dwarfed the second place 2004 Dodgers, with +53.2. That Dodgers team featured Adrian Beltre’s +24.5 and Cesar Izturis’s +11.9. The only player on their roster with a UZR below -2 was Jason Grabowski, in 30 games, in left field. Amongst those with more than 80 games at a position, the low happened to be Shawn Green at +0.2. They were followed by the 2006 Padres, at +51.0, who were led defensively by Brian Giles, Dave Roberts, and Adrian Gonzalez. The Friars defense that year was more evenly split up, with nine different player positions recording ratings exceeding +3.5.

How about the flip side? Which playoff teams over the last five seasons have been the worst with the glove? This may or may not be surprising, but the bottom three teams are the Yankees… the Yankees… and the Yankees. To be more specific, the Yankees from 2004-06. In 2006, the Bronx Bombers posted a -58.6 UZR. Two years earlier they were about one win worse with the glove, at -68.9. In 2005, however, they received an absolutely abysmal -130.9 UZR. The 138.9 batting runs recorded that year were almost completely wiped away by defensive ineptitudes.

Speaking of the 138.9 batting runs posted by the 2005 Yankees, that team and figure comes in third place amongst the top playoff offenses of the last five years. Ahead of thhem are the, um, 2006 Yankees at 146.1 , and the 2007 Yankees at a whopping 170.1. To put this in perspective, the Yankees made the playoffs from 2004-07, with a minimum of 127 batting runs coming in the 2004 season. A minimum of 127 batting runs. The highest such total for a senior circuit team since 2004 belongs to the Phillies, at 103.6 runs in 2007. Despite their offensive prowess, the Yankees have given plenty of runs back due to poor defense. Their best defensive season in this span came in 2007, at -27.2. Basically, the Yankees position players were at their best in 2007, with an aggregate batting runs total that exceeded the previous three seasons, and defensive ratings that bested their 2004-06 totals as well.

The issue here is that the pitchers are being counted on the National League teams, which actually makes the 2007 Phillies offense look all the more remarkable. With that in mind, here are the top three NL offenses in this span, of teams that made the playoffs: 2007 Phillies (103.6), 2004 Cardinals (87.8), 2008 Cubs (74.5).

Lastly, we have the worst, or most anemic offenses to play more than 162 games. Ironically, the worst two both played their way into October in 2007. The 2007 Diamondbacks, who have become the posterchildren for W-L records besting Pythagoras, put together a -85.2 run offense. Just three players amassed batting runs of +10 or more, with Eric Byrnes leading the way at +15. Almost half as bad were the 2007 Cubs, at -45.9 runs. Oddly enough, the Cubs actually received three separate +20 or more run contributions, from Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano. The problem is that everyone else ranged from +7 to -14. The best of the worst were the 2005 Astros. With Pettitte, Clemens, and Oswalt ranging from +5.8 to +6.1 wins, and Lidge at +2.5 wins, it is easier to see why their offensive production was not necessarily imperative. At -34.9 runs, though, they fell into third place.

Tomorrow we will take a look at NL and AL pitching staffs in this same span.

When the free agent classifications are issued at the end of the season, of immediate interest are the players who garner the Type A and Type B status. After all, these players comprise the tops of their respective positions. Additionally, signing and/or losing them may result in draft picks acquired or lost. For the most part, teams have been much less willing to spring for the Type A free agent this season given the current economic climate and the fact that they will lose a draft pick. Otherwise it makes little sense that players like Orlando Hudson and Orlando Cabrera still do not have a place to call home.

There are other free agents, however, who do not receive much attention. These players clearly did not have as great of a 2008 season as others, but still have some potential value. Let’s take a look at a few unranked free agents who might be able to help teams next season.

Joe Crede played just 97 games for the White Sox last season, mostly due to an injured back. In that time he hit 17 HR with a .330 wOBA and posted a +5.5 UZR rating. Even though he missed significant time, he still produced +1.8 wins, right around the mark of a league average player. If his injuries are healed and he can regress to somewhere between 2006 and 2008, there is no reason why Crede could not be a +2.5 win player.

Ray Durham, 37, is one of the elder statesmen of this group. Still, in 41 games with the Brewers to end the 2008 season, Ray hit .280/.369/.477, a .363 wOBA. He even played +2 defense at the keystone corner. He might not be able to handle a full season’s workload, but teams could do much worse than he as a pinch-hitter/spot starter. Of course, if Durham feels he should be starting then some contract issues will arise.

Cliff Floyd spent last season with the Tampa Bay Rays, serving as their designated hitter. The 36-yr old hit to the tune of a .349 wOBA, resulting in +0.6 wins. While it doesn’t seem like much, Floyd managed just 80 games. With Pat Burrell now slated to be their everyday DH, Floyd needs to find some new digs. He might be a liability in the field but can still hit. If he signs with a senior circuit team, a similar role to that of Daryle Ward’s would make the most sense.

Chuck James is the most interesting of this group. His strikeout rate has hovered around the 6.7 mark for the last three years, but in 2008, his walk rate skyrocketed to 6.1. Suffice it to say, he and his 8.36 FIP struggled to stay in the major leagues. James is just 27, however, and he is a lefty who has experienced past success. Sure, Oliver Perez has a better reputation and more “proven” results, but he, himself, is a 27-yr old lefty who has yet to establish the combination of quality and consistency. Maybe James needs to utilize a pitch other than his fastball or changeup but it strikes me as odd that nobody has signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation.

Lastly, we have Pedro Martinez, one of the most dominant pitchers of all time. The issue is that his dominance has faded, but he doesn’t realize that. Well, at least to some extent he doesn’t. Realistically, Martinez is now a #4 or #5 starter on a very good team, perhaps a #3 on a bottomfeeder. His ego likely projects him as a #2 who will rebound from a crappy 2008 campaign. He very well may put together a solid season but there just are not teams out there who are that willing to pay a #5 pitcher #2 money. He eventually will sign somewhere and I would expect him to be better than last year, but the last year or so are ones you kind of wish never took place, so we can keep his dominant years in mind.

These five free agents did not garner Type A or Type B classifications, will not result in draft picks lost or acquired, but could still potentially help a team next season.

One of the first articles I wrote for this site involved Brian Shouse and his ability to strand runners. In 2007, Shouse, then 39 years old, stranded 60 of his 78 runners inherited. That 77% rate was actually much higher through September 15, when 85% of such runners failed to score. His strand-skill regressed this past season to 67%, but the 40-yr old late blooming lefty specialist put together a 2.81 ERA in 69 games.

Granted, his FIP rose from 2.90 to 3.93, but Shouse improved upon his 2007 WHIP, LOB, and K/BB. Facing so few batters per game likely extends his baseball life expectancy, making him an appealing commodity to several teams. The Rays bit, signing him last week. The exact terms of the deal are still unknown, but it appears to be a 1-yr, $1-2 mil deal with an option for a similar fee.

In 2007, Shouse produced +1.1 wins, worth $4.6 mil. Last season, his +0.4 wins translated to $1.8 mil. His three-year weighted projection calls for somewhere between +0.4 and +0.6 wins next season. At $4.5 mil/win, fair market value falls between $1.8 mil and $2.7 mil. If Andrew Friedman signed Shouse for $2 mil, he is banking on the artist formerly known as strandmaster to repeat last year’s production, if not slightly exceed it.

If the deal pays Shouse $1 mil, then Friedman will be valuing him at around +0.2 wins. Suffice it to say, Shouse should easily surpass that win value, making this contract very reasonable for both sides. A 40-yr old lefty specialist, in this economic climate, simply should not be signed for anything above $2 mil. Even if Shouse’s production completely drops off the table, the Rays have built such a deep and solid bullpen that some may not even notice.

One of the most interesting aspects of transactions, for me at least, involves finding out how much money certain teams will give to others in order to unload the player. For instance, the Orioles were realistically only able to get rid of Ramon Hernandez by sending a cool $2 mil to the Reds in addition to his services. We see this sort of thing happen all the time, making it somewhat commonplace in the business of baseball.

Last year, over at StatSpeak, I took a look at the players who would earn a pretty penny from their former employers. With pitchers and catchers due to report in just under two weeks, it seemed appropriate to post the second installment of the series: The 2009 All Paid By My Former Employer Team. Some of the players no longer play major league baseball, but find their way onto the roster to fill up positions.

C:  Ramon Hernandez    $2.0 mil  Orioles
C:  Dave Ross          $375K     Reds
1B: Scott Spezio       $100k     Cardinals
2B: Pablo Ozuna        $200K     White Sox
SS: Juan Castro        $100K     Reds
3B: Mike Lamb          $3.1 mil  Twins
OF: Andruw Jones       $5.0 mil  Dodgers ($16 mil from 2010-14)
OF: Jay Gibbons        $6.2 mil  Orioles

Okay, so we don’t have a perfect alignment, and with just two outfielders, it would be very tough for Jones and Gibbons to succeed defensively. Dave Ross seems like the Russell Branyan-type who can play 1B and 3B, but so far he only has experience behind the plate. Had he been able to play first, Spezio could move to the outfield and we would have a team of eight hitters assembled. They might not compete but that is a whole different story. How about the pitchers?

SP: Jason Marquis      $875K      Cubs
SP: Esteban Loaiza     $375K      Dodgers
SP: Matt Morris        $1.0 mil   Pirates
RP: Oscar Villareal    $1.6 mil   Astros
RP: Scott Schoeneweis  $1.6 mil   Mets
RP: Mike Stanton       $500k      Reds

Interesting to note that the Reds have three players on this list, and the Orioles have two. Jay Gibbons will earn the most money from his former employer next season, at $6.2 mil. Kind of wacky given that he hasn’t played since August 2007. Andruw Jones contract made headlines this offseason but he actually comes in second place to Gibbons at an estimated $5 mil owed this season.

Morris, Stanton, and Loaiza are all done, and in terms of effectiveness, so too is Villareal. Marquis posted slightly below average WAR marks the last two seasons and Schoeneweis is still serviceable as a lefty specialist. This team would not frighten anyone else, but they might be able to give Dave’s Freely Available Talent team a run for its money.