There's a limit to how much 38-year-old utility men can earn, and Melvin Mora is doing everything within his power to push that limit as he heads for another round of free agency. He's hitting well and playing all over the place as the Rockies make their annual charge towards the postseason. Here's the outlook for Mora this winter:
The Pros
- Mora is batting .286/.363/.404 this year, a significant improvement from the 2009 line he posted in Baltimore (.260/.321/.358).
- The Rockies called on Mora to be their everyday third baseman when Ian Stewart hit the DL on August 26th and Mora has responded by posting an .873 OPS since then, proving that he can still play every day if necessary.
- He has played first, second, third and left field this year.
- He won't cost a draft pick, since he doesn't project to be a ranked free agent.
The Cons
- Mora turns 39 before the season starts, so his chances of winning another Silver Slugger or clubbing 27 homers in a season again are slim. He's a role player at this point in his career.
- His batting average on balls in play is the highest it has been in five years, despite a career-low line drive rate. Those numbers suggest Mora has benefitted from some good luck on balls in play.
The Verdict
Mora is not getting a multi-year deal this winter, barring a major surprise, but he has likely earned himself a raise from his current $1.275MM salary. It seems like Mora's in line for another one-year deal this winter, but he could earn $2-3MM this time around.
I’d be curious what exactly his BABIP is. When it goes over .300 I’d be wary, but anything short of that would be reasonably possible to see a comparable set of numbers in ’11. He’s a pretty good overall athlete who doesn’t has as many miles because he’s a late-bloomer MLB player. He may be able to follow a Vizquel-esque career path in terms of tailing off into a solid role player/bench player for a few years, which is much better than many players who typically fill out that role, like, say, young guys who are trying to stick but doesn’t quite cut it so you have to live with their struggles.
I like Basemonkey’s analysis. He’s better at being a role player at this point and at least seems comfortable in Colorado. I’d like him to resign their to back up Stewart at third and the outfield occassionally.
Maybe the reds because with all of our injuries he would be a good utility man for next year . I have to give props to Miguel Cairo he’s been very good for us. And i also see Reds signing John Buck for 2 years.