There aren't many options for teams looking to sign a dependable starter, but the free agent market isn't completely barren yet. Of all the free agents remaining, only three pitchers logged more than 100 innings last year. Here's the latest on all eight starters to pitch as many as 40 innings last year (or what Roy Halladay logs in an average month):
- Braden Looper, 194.2 IP – The Dodgers are interested on a minor league deal and the D'Backs aren't likely to pursue him, despite Brandon Webb's questionable status for Opening Day.
- Jarrod Washburn, 176 IP – The Twins and Mariners seemed to lead the way for Washburn early on, but the Scott Boras client said yesterday that he doesn't expect to return to Seattle. The D'Backs don't appear likely to pursue Washburn and we haven't seen the Orioles connected to him for a month.
- Mike Hampton, 112 IP - He will miss the 2010 season after undergoing rotator cuff surgery.
- John Smoltz, 78 IP – Smoltz hasn't ruled out the Braves, but the Cardinals don't appear to have the money to sign him and the Nationals haven't spoken to him recently. Jon Heyman of SI.com says Smoltz is content to wait for the right deal, which may mean a mid-season signing.
- Bartolo Colon, 62.1 IP - The former Cy Young Award winner wants to pitch, but wasn't publicly linked to any teams this winter.
- Sidney Ponson, 58.2 IP - There has been no reported interest in Ponson this winter.
- Adam Eaton, 49 IP - There has not been interest in Eaton, either.
- Pedro Martinez 44.2 IP – The Phillies have been linked to Pedro throughout the offseason. Pedro may wait to sign in-season, as he did last year.
Although I’m not too concerned about getting Smoltz unless it’s for the bullpen. I’m not really sure how you come up with the Cardinals not having the money. They had about 7 mil to spend and then signed Felipe Lopez to basically a 2 mil deal. That would leave 5 mil which I would imagine is plenty to bring back Smoltz!
I still can’t see Mike Hampton’s name without cringing. Dude makes Harden and Bedard look like Juan Marichal durability-wise.
More like, he’s pretty much the only pitcher who can make Barry Zito’s contract look good. Or at least decent. The Hampton deal was so freaking bad for Colorado.
“There has been no reported interest in Ponson this winter.”
Shocking! He’ll wash up on the shore somewhere.
I’m not a Mets fan, but living in the NY area, you can’t help but hear about their lack of pitching depth. Wouldn’t a minor league deal to Looper make a ton of sense? Not that a minor league signing would be the solution they need to win the NL East, but it could possibly alleviate one of many issues they are facing.
As far as Ponson, I’m sure there is definitely interest in him. Granted, it’s probably from Aruban law enforcement, but still…
Looper won’t take a minor league deal, several teams have tried to get him on board
Picking on Sidney “I Can Haz Cheeseburger?” Ponson is just mean.
The Mets would have already gotten Looper since he is kind of good, if they hadn’t already had him and he didn’t do well there.
Kind of good?
His ability to induce groundballs has faded away as a starter, he doesn’t miss bats, and he gets absolutely destroyed by lefties in spite of the fact that he’s right-handed.
If Looper’s in your rotation, that’s not a good thing.
Wow to think only two seasons ago Ponson was in the back of the Yankees rotation with such venerable stalwarts as Darell Rasner.
Not hard to imagine how they missed the post season in 2008 when the staff had 3 gaping holes in the rotation
Compare that awful rotation in which Wang was hurt and out the whole 2nd half of the season
Mussina – R – 20-9, 3.37 ERA
Pettitte – L – 14-14, 4.54 ERA
Rasner – R – 5-10, 5.32 ERA
Ponson – R – 4-4, 5.85 ERA
Chamberlain – R – 4-3, 2.60 ERA
vs 2010 Rotation
Sabathia – L – 19-8, 3.37 ERA
Burnett – R – 13-9, 4.04 ERA
Pettitte – L – 14-8, 4.16 ERA
Vazquez – R – 15-10, 2.87 ERA
Hughes or Chamberlain – R – 8-3, 3.03 ERA or 9-6, 4.75 ERA
Like they said pitching wins, you certainly can’t without it no matter how much you hit the ball.
As for Ponson dude is trash of the highest order, a team would have to be in desperation mode to touch him.
ha! adam eaton? please. what a waste of space