Top 34 Free Agent Starting Pitchers

[Thegrin]

Drek. Overpriced Drek. and more Drek. Somebody may get lucky with one or 2 of them, but this is as sorry a group of pitchers that anyone could imagine.

[Guest USAFChief]

Drek. Overpriced Drek. and more Drek. Somebody may get lucky with one or 2 of them, but this is as sorry a group of pitchers that anyone could imagine.

We know. That's why we're hoping TR replaces at least 2, if not more, of them in the offseason.

[snepp]

We know. That's why we're hoping TR replaces at least 2, if not more, of them in the offseason.

 

Perfect.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Bored at work so I was checking out what else the Japanese leagues have to offer. Forget Tanaka, when does this kid get posted?

 

Shintaro Fujinami Japanese League Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com

 

A 6'5" Japanese pitcher?! Wow, and only 19.

 

I say if Ryan losses the posting fee bidding war on Tanaka, he puts a team together and starts rebuilding the pitching staff with a little extrodinary rendition.

 

Not for a while... I think at that age, he'd have to enter the regular draft. Doesn't he have to be 23 or something like that to be a FA?

[ThePuck]

We know. That's why we're hoping TR replaces at least 2, if not more, of them in the offseason.

 

What a fantastic post!

[Physics Guy]

I agree that 2 are signed, this thread is eerily similar to last off season in what people think the Twins may realistically sign in the potentially higher class (Johnson, Jimenez, Hughes) types.

 

My bet is one of Saunders/Pelfrey type and one of Baker/Marcum/Santana as the annual reclamation pick.

 

Tanaka? In the immortal words of President George H.W. Bush, "Not gonna do it".

 

Similar sentiments on this thread as we are seeing on Nick Nelson's article. Many WANT to see one from the top 5, one from the next 15 and another flier. Sadly, after last year, I think you may have nailed what actually happens. I hope Nick is right and the financial situation has changed from last year and Ryan opens the purse strings.

 

I keep dreaming that somehow Ryan will pull off a trade and go after somebody else who is already signed for a few years that is better than what is out there. Names like Price, Lee, Hamels, ... who have contracts that teams may want to get out of. And then I wake up and realize it won't happen. Is there a non-zero chance of this happening? The Twins certainly could afford to take on such a contract.

[cmb0252]

Mlbtraderumors profiles FA starting pitcher to be Ricky Nolasco. Here is the writer had to say about what possibly could be his next contract:

 

"An agent recently told me he focuses much more on years than average annual value, because teams and agents generally know the likely AAV range before they even begin negotiating. Nolasco should have no problem finding three years; the big question is whether the Dodgers or another team will offer four. Sosnick will probably begin there, explaining why his client is on par with Edwin Jackson and Mark Buehrle, and one of the best in a weak market. Jackson, Buehrle, and Nolasco are all durable 200 inning types, but Jackson hit the market at 29 and brought the allure of a 93-94 mile per hour fastball. Buehrle was two years older than Nolasco, but also had better career numbers. Plus, Buehrle's four-year, $58MM contract was something of a fluke -- the Marlins were reportedly the only team offering the fourth year, as they were in the midst of a new ballpark spending spree. Then again, it only takes one team to guarantee that fourth year, making the Jackson contract Nolasco's likely ceiling.

An innings guy these days will probably require an AAV in the $10-13MM range. Ultimately I believe Nolasco will sign a three-year, $36MM deal."

 

Full article here:

Free Agent Profile: Ricky Nolasco: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

[StormJH1]

Actually, when I looked at the full list, I think there's more halfway decent pitchers that could actually be in range for the Twins than last year's list. Last year had more high-end talent, but there's a lot of injury guys in there or guys that have aged (Halladay) or otherwise slipped from a higher level (Lincecum, Josh Johnson).

 

I guess one thing that's concerning is that except for Lincecum and maybe a guy like Ervin Santana, there aren't a lot of guys on that list you could see being effective 3 or more years down the road, even in a best-case scenario.

 

Paul Maholm certainly looks like a Twins pitcher, doesn't he?

 

A lot of people will look at giving a guy like Phil Hughes a shot, but I was surprised when I looked at his numbers and realized that other than 2010 (which was by no means "elite") he never really put together a "good" full MLB season as a starter.

 

I'd take Baker back, but are the Cubs really going to let him walk? He'll make all of 3 starts this year, what if he looks okay? (He went 5 and was okay in his first one).

[old nurse]

Mlbtraderumors profiles FA starting pitcher to be Ricky Nolasco. Here is the writer had to say about what possibly could be his next contract:

 

"An agent recently told me he focuses much more on years than average annual value, because teams and agents generally know the likely AAV range before they even begin negotiating. Nolasco should have no problem finding three years; the big question is whether the Dodgers or another team will offer four. Sosnick will probably begin there, explaining why his client is on par with Edwin Jackson and Mark Buehrle, and one of the best in a weak market. Jackson, Buehrle, and Nolasco are all durable 200 inning types, but Jackson hit the market at 29 and brought the allure of a 93-94 mile per hour fastball. Buehrle was two years older than Nolasco, but also had better career numbers. Plus, Buehrle's four-year, $58MM contract was something of a fluke -- the Marlins were reportedly the only team offering the fourth year, as they were in the midst of a new ballpark spending spree. Then again, it only takes one team to guarantee that fourth year, making the Jackson contract Nolasco's likely ceiling.

An innings guy these days will probably require an AAV in the $10-13MM range. Ultimately I believe Nolasco will sign a three-year, $36MM deal."

 

Full article here:

Free Agent Profile: Ricky Nolasco: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

 

Although you never know, why wouldn't the Dodgers re-sign Nolasco? He is pitching better than he ever has for them. Billingsly might take a while to get back to form so they do have a need. What the Dodgers gave up for Nolasco the Twins could have found in their system last winter. This kind of situation is why I had said the Twins should have traded for him last winter. At worst by tendering him you would get a prospect back better than what you gave up.

[Oxtung]

I think the Twins are very weak at lefty starters. Albers is here on pure guile, Diamond is pretty shaky, Hernandez is borderline and that leaves ... ? Darnell? He doesn't seem to be much of an upgrade. The next guys down are were in A+ ball this year and they both seem like fifth starters as well. IMO you have to get all the way down to Cedar Rapids and Elizabethton to find lefties with even moderate upside.

 

So who is the best lefty available this year? Who might be available for trade? Something is going to need to be done there before long.

[Otto von Ballpark]

At worst by tendering him you would get a prospect back better than what you gave up.

 

The new CBA says you can't make a qualifying offer to a guy you traded for mid-season. (Or at least that you can't get compensation after making such an offer.)

 

So unlike deadline deals of the past, there is literally no way for Nolasco, Morneau, etc. to bring back anything to their new teams after the 2013 season.

[old nurse]

The new CBA says you can't make a qualifying offer to a guy you traded for mid-season. (Or at least that you can't get compensation after making such an offer.)

 

So unlike deadline deals of the past, there is literally no way for Nolasco, Morneau, etc. to bring back anything to their new teams after the 2013 season.

 

Sorry, didn't make it clear, I said last winter they should have traded for him. before the season started. After the big 2 I didn't see anything much to build around and said they should look to trade for an impeding free agent like Nolasco. IIRC I was shot at pretty hard for bringing up Nolasco as a potential Twin.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Ah, that makes more sense.

 

Even Nolasco's durable but middling pre-2013 would have looked good in a Twins uniform, even at $11.5 mil. I'm guessing that salary figure did not appeal to the Twins, though.

 

I also wonder if the Marlins were holding on to him to boost his value a bit (although it evidently wasn't boosted much). Or if the Twins even had the quantity of minor league arms to send to Miami in return -- the cupboard here is pretty bare.

[cmb0252]

Sorry, didn't make it clear, I said last winter they should have traded for him. before the season started. After the big 2 I didn't see anything much to build around and said they should look to trade for an impeding free agent like Nolasco. IIRC I was shot at pretty hard for bringing up Nolasco as a potential Twin.

 

Rumors had it that a lot of teams inquired about Nolasco and Stanton last off season but were turned away. Some experts pointed to the fact the Marlins couldn't take another PR hit after trading half their team. Obviously a few months later they traded him so I'm not sure how valid the reports were. He defiantly would have been a solid get though if they were looking to trade him.

[Cc-twinsball]

It's time to throw some money around or the future. for a team looking torwards the future I think Tanaka is what we need. We have the financial resources. Him and Dariel Abreu should be the twins 2 top targets.

[Monkeypaws]

What about Roberto Hernandez? I noticed TB has him pitching from the pen. He'd probably be happy to have a chance at starting.