Six-Suitor Ohman

With the marquis free agent relievers all reporting to their new digs and Juan Cruz figuring out exactly what the heck is going on with his status, much attention has been turned to three lefty relievers: Will Ohman, Dennys Reyes, and Joe Beimel. While Reyes and Beimel have been linked to a couple of different teams, both apparently pale in comparison to Will Ohman, who now has six teams vying for his services. Ohman, 31, spent last season with the Atlanta Braves after four years with the Chicago Cubs.

In 58.2 innings spread over 83 games, Ohman posted a 3.17 FIP that proved good enough to add +0.9 wins to the Braves. This mark isn’t too far off his three-year average of +0.7 wins, which is close to his projection next season. At fair market value, +0.7 wins would command between $3 and $3.2 mil. If that fee seems a bit on the high side, perhaps the more realistic fair market value for such production falls in the $2.2-$2.6 mil range. Being able to sign an effective lefty like Ohman for somewhere in that range of salaries would be a relative steal, yet the teams interested in acquiring the quirky lefty do not feel the same.

In fact, several are reported to be unlikely to go past $1 mil with Ohman. Ohman currently has offers on the table from the Pirates, Padres, and Marlins, but is waiting to hear back from the Phillies, Mets, and Dodgers. The Phillies would be a nice fit for Ohman given the suspension to JC Romero, but Ruben Amaro Jr does not seem too keen on paying $2-$3 mil to a pitcher who will realistically just fill in for two months of the season. The Mets seem to feel the same way given the upgrades made to their bullpen. Adding Ohman would be nice but they aren’t going to “break the bank” to bring him in.

If the reports that the Pirates, Padres, and Marlins—teams that have made Ohman offers—are not willing to go past $1 mil on a 1-yr deal are true, and that the contending teams with interest do not want to “overpay” it becomes quite possible that Ohman’s salary in 2009 might decline by 40 percent following the best season he has put together.

And if Ohman signs first, does that then increase the value of both Reyes and Beimel given the lower supply of available and effective relievers? Perhaps Ohman would like to see Beimel or Reyes sign first and use those contracts as leverage. Unfortunately, while teams have expressed interest, it is halfway through February and negotiations have not even begun for several of these suitors. These are certainly strange times and it is even odder to consider a 40% forced paycut on only a 1-yr deal to someone like Ohman coming a year after Francisco Cordero received his ridiculously lucrative 4-yr deal.