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Free Agent Profile: A.J. Pierzynski

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A.J. Pierzynski cashed in on a surprising career year with the White Sox at age 35 to sign a one-year, $7.5MM contract with the Rangers that paid him nearly as much in one season as he'd earned via his previous two-year, $8MM contract. Pierzynski's contract was a straight one-year deal without any kind of option, so he'll hit the free agent market once again after another season of plus power behind the plate.

Strengths/Pros

The only catcher in all of baseball with more home runs between the 2012-13 seasons than Pierzynski is Colorado's Wilin Rosario, and he's not hitting the free agent market for another four years. If you're looking for a power-hitting backstop, Pierzynski is only rivaled by Brian McCann, but he won't require the lengthy multiyear commtiment that McCann will.  Pierzynski-AJ

He's also more durable than McCann, and just about every other catcher in baseball for that matter. Pierzynski has averaged more than 130 games per season dating back to 2001 — a staggering testament to his durability. In fact, Pierzynski already ranks 19th all-time in baseball among games as a catcher, and he leads the next-closest active player, Ramon Hernandez, by more than 200 contests. He's spent a total of 35 days on the disabled list over the past decade.

Pierzynski is hitting .273/.296/.428 with 17 homers this year. He topped his previous career-high of 18 homers when he belted 27 last season, and his 17 bombs this year suggest that there's still plenty of power in the tank. He doesn't strike out that often either, as his 14.2 percent strikeout rate and 83 percent contact rate are both better than the league average.

Weaknesses/Cons

Pierzynski has never been one to draw many walks, but his 2.1 percent walk rate in 2013 is the lowest of his career. It's also the lowest among qualified Major League hitters. If Pierzynski gets on base, it's almost always going to come via base hit. When he's on base, it should come as no surprise that he's a slow runner that will clog the basepaths to an extent.

His durability is one of his greatest strengths, but it also causes concern. Pierzynski will turn 37 years old in December, and at some point, conventional wisdom suggests that the sheer bulk of innings he's spent behind the dish is going to catch up to him. Some might look at his second-half swoon in 2013 and think that it's already happening, though there's not necessarily any evidence to suggest that's the case. Still, Pierzynski has followed up a strong .284/.317/.448 first half with a .260/.272/.405 second half. 

Personal

Pierzynski and his wife Lisa have two children: Ava and Austin. He is active within the community and was named one of the 25 "Heroes of Hope" by the Illinois chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation — an organization with which he has been very active. Pierzynski's reputation is well-known; he is often booed by fans and has been voted the "meanest" player in baseball in a poll of 215 players conducted by Sports Illustrated. His teammates, however, will tell a different tale. "Until you play with him, you have a misperception of what he is," former White Sox teammate J.J. Putz told SI's Ben Reiter last year. Putz, Adam Dunn, David Ortiz and Chris Sale are among the former teammates who defend Pierzynski to Reiter, with Sale flatly stating that he never once shook off a pitch selection from his former catcher.

Market

Catching is as scarce a commodity as there is in baseball, and Pierzynski's durability and power will drum up plenty of interest despite his age and declining on-base skills. He makes his offseason home near Orlando, so it's possible that he'd prefer a team in the southeast portion of the country, though that's admittedly my speculation and hasn't dictated where he's signed in previous years.

He's still a clear starting catcher and will likely be compensated as such, but he and agent Steve Hilliard of Octagon might be wise to wait until bigger fish like McCann and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are off the market. At that point, Pierzynski and Carlos Ruiz will be the top options remaining. And while Ruiz had a strong track record from 2010-12, he's fallen well short of that pace and been outperformed by Pierzynski in 2013.

Expected Contract

Pierzynski took a one-year deal coming off a career year last offseason. It's hard to imagine him now getting multiple years when he's a year older and coming off a less productive (but still solid) offensive campaign. Another one-year deal looks to be in the cards for Pierzynski, probably at a lesser rate due to the decline in homers and OBP. While a two-year deal can't be entirely ruled out simply due to the dearth of quality catchers in the game, I expect Pierzynski to sign a one-year, $6.5MM contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Marlins Plan To Build Around Stanton In 2014

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While there's been plenty of speculation regarding changes to the Marlins' front office lately, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports that there's little chance the team will make the ultimate change to its big league roster by trading Giancarlo Stanton this offseason. One MLB official told Frisaro he doesn't see "any scenario" where the Fish would trade their prized right fielder, and another source indicated to him that the Marlins would like to build around Stanton next season.

Miami controls Stanton through 2016, and his salary figures to skyrocket this offseason, as he is eligible for arbitration for the first time. Frisaro speculates that a salary north of $7MM is attainable, and notes that such a number is "highly affordable" for the Marlins.

Ideally, the club would like to extend Stanton, writes Frisaro, but they have some concerns about his durability. Those concerns would seem to be justified, as Stanton missed more than 40 games this season due to injury — most of which was the result of a hamstring issue that landed him on the disabled list. In 2012, he underwent knee surgery to remove loose bodies — a procedure that cost him a month of action. Stanton's raw power is arguably unmatched, but his total of games played has declined in each of the past two seasons. Assuming he plays all three games this weekend, he will have averaged 130 games per season from 2011-13.

If they decide to pursue an extension, one way the Marlins could increase Stanton's interest in remaining with the organization would be to bring in the fences, according to Frisaro. The slugger recently told Frisaro he thought Marlins Park cost him multiple home runs this season, adding: "I want the normal ones, too. Where I don’t have to crush it 500 feet all the time."

Frisaro notes that the team's payroll is likely to be around $37MM in 2014, which could make it difficult to supplement Stanton's bat with other solid hitters. However, the club currently has just $8.2MM committed to the 2014 payroll: $1.5MM to Jeff Mathis, $1.7MM to Greg Dobbs following yesterday's somewhat questionable extension, $4MM of Heath Bell's remaining salary and a $1MM option on Jacob Turner that is a lock to be exercised.

Steve Cishek, Ryan Webb, Logan Morrison, Mike Dunn, Justin Ruggiano and Chris Coghlan are eligible for arbitration in addition to Stanton. Even if all those players are retained and given raises, however, the team should have a bit of money to work with in free agency. One thing working in their favor is that the Marlins likely don't feel a need to spend heavily on starting pitching; Jose Fernandez, Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez each posted an ERA and FIP under 4.00, while Turner had a 3.74 ERA and 4.42 FIP.

Mexican League Working To Lease Cuban Players

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There could be significant changes on the horizon for Cuban players, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. The Mexican League is working with the Cuban government to work out an agreement that would allow Mexico to import Cuban players to play in the Mexican League in the spring and summer. Those players would still be able to return to Cuba to play in Serie Nacional — Cuba's top professional league — over the winter.

The change would be significant, as the Mexican League could offer Cuban players significantly more in terms of salary than they are currently receiving to play in Serie Nacional. In addition to benefiting players, it would benefit Cuba, as the government would stand to profit by leasing player rights to Mexican teams.

Former Cuban stars German Mesa and Omar Linares have joined the Veracruz Red Eagles of the Mexican League, one of the two teams expected to be most active in recruiting Cuban imports, according to Badler. Veracruz is the same team that sold right-hander Luis Heredia's rights to the Pirates three years ago. Heredia is now one of Pittsburgh's top prospects, but Badler cautions that the new arrangement would not allow Cuban-born players to be sold to Major League organizations, even though the Mexican League is technically an affiliate of Minor League Baseball.

Mesa and Linares will work with Mexican-born players to develop them for the Red Eagles' top team and to be sold to big league clubs. Other examples of big league teams purchasing the rights to Mexican League prospects include Manny Banuelos of the Yankees, Roberto Osuna of the Blue Jays and Julio Urias of the Dodgers.

Major League teams would benefit from the arrangement by being able to scout Cuban players with much greater ease. As it stands right now, the only time MLB scouts can see Cuban players live is during international tournaments; the rest of their scouting has to come via video footage from Cuba. Major League teams would be able to freely scout Cuban talent in Mexican League competition, however.

Eventually, it's possible that Japan and Korea could become involved in a similar arrangement, writes Badler. For now, the hope is that the additional salary earned by Cuban players in the Mexican League will curb some of the desire to defect to America. Cuba has seen several of its top players defect in recent years, including Aroldis Chapman, Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes, Leonys Martin, Jose Iglesias, Jose Dariel Abreu and Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, among many others.

Mets Unlikely To Go Past Four Years For Choo

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The Mets have already been linked to Shin-Soo Choo, but ESPN's Adam Rubin writes that their interest appears to have a limit. The Mets are interested in Choo for something similar to Michael Bourn's contract but aren't likely to go beyond that level to sign the 31-year-old. Rubin emphasizes the four years that Bourn signed for as opposed to the $48MM, so perhaps there's some leeway in terms of average annual value (though that's merely my speculation).

Additionally, Rubin notes that Choo appears to be the lone free agent for whom the Mets would be willing to surrender a draft pick. The Mets aren't likely to pursue other free agents that turn down qualifying offers, even if they end up with a protected first-round pick.

Choo, in his first and likely only season with Cincinnati, is hitting .286/.424/.466 with 21 homers and 20 steals — the third 20/20 campaign of what has been a strong big league career to date. His defense has graded out as a negative, but that's in part due to the fact that he's being played out of position in center field. However, both UZR and DRS pegged his glove as a negative in his final season with the Indians in right field as well.

If agent Scott Boras' recent comments are any indicator, four years won't even be in the ballpark, at least not early on. Boras recently stated that he feels $100MM is on the low end of what Choo deserves in his first big free agent contract.

Even if that's more a negotiation tactic of starting high, it does seem that Boras will be able to find a deal that tops Bourn's contract for Choo, though it's not a guarantee. Boras himself represents Bourn and began last offseason seeking a five- or six-year commitment for the speedster before settling for a four-year deal with Cleveland in February. Of course, that was a unique situation, as two of Bourn's biggest suitors acquired speedy center fielders from the Twins via trade. The Nats landed Denard Span, and the Phillies picked up Ben Revere, effectively removing each deep-pocketed club from the Bourn sweepstakes.

If the Mets aren't willing to surrender a draft pick to acquire any other free agent help, that will significantly reduce their list of targets — particularly in the outfield. Choo, Jacoby Ellsbury, Hunter Pence and Curtis Granderson all seem likely to obtain qualifying offers from their respective clubs. Carlos Beltran and Nelson Cruz could also receive qualifying offers.

The Mets currently project to pick 12th in the 2014 draft, which would leave their first-round selection unprotected. The results of this weekend's series could net them a Top 10 selection, but GM Sandy Alderson prefers winning games to ending up with a protected pick.

Quick Hits: Commissioner, Rollins, Diamondbacks

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Now that Bud Selig has announced he will retire following the 2014 season, speculation has already begun about who will be Major League Baseball's next commissioner.  ESPN's Jayson Stark thinks it would be "a monumental upset" if MLB doesn't go with an internal candidate, and the favorites are league executive vice-presidents Rob Manfred and Tim Brosnan, and MLB Advanced Media CEO Bob Bowman.  Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan hears that Manfred is the safest and most well-rounded pick, though some sources consider Brosnan to be the better candidate.  Stark and Passan list such names as Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, Mets GM Sandy Alderson, Indians president Mark Shapiro and Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall as other possible choices.

Here are some notes as Yankee Stadium says goodbye to Mariano Rivera…

  • Jimmy Rollins is confident that the Phillies already have the pieces they need to succeed thanks to their emerging youth, CSNPhilly.com's Corey Seidman writes.  “That old window's closed," Rollins admitted. "This is a brand new thing. You've still got the pieces, but this is a brand new thing going forward. Obviously we would love to have that right-handed bat, but Darin Ruf has come up and done that so far. We're going to get Ryan [Howard] back, hopefully a healthy Ryan back on his legs and strong."
  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers will recommend to ownership that manager Kirk Gibson be retained for next season, Towers told reporters (including MLB.com's Steve Gilbert).  Gibson has a 289-277 record since taking over as Arizona's manager halfway through the 2010 season and he led the team to an NL West title in 2011.  Both Gibson and Towers are only under contract through the end of the 2014 season.
  • While Brad Ziegler has enjoyed being the Diamondbacks' closer, he tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that it doesn't matter if he's closing or in his usual set-up role next season.  Ziegler has a 2.28 ERA and 12 saves over 71 IP and a league-best 76 games this season.  He's going into his third and final year of arbitration eligibility though there has been talk that Arizona will try to work out a contract extension.
  • Jack Zduriencik's mistakes as the Mariners' general manager are recapped by Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times in a piece that chronicles the team's strategies and major transactions over the last several years.  While Baker holds Zduriencik accountable for his own mistakes, he also points the finger at the club's upper management for the larger issues surrounding the Mariners' lack of recent success.
  • John Danks is "embarrassed" by his performance since signing a five-year, $65MM extension with the White Sox before the 2012 season, the southpaw tells MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  "The goal is always to throw 200-plus innings, take the ball every day and give us a chance to win. I've got three years to make everyone believe it was worth it," Danks said.  "That's part of my motivating factor. I want to be the productive player I'm expected to be."
  • "The Cubs are the last-place team poised to contend the soonest. The Astros are the one with the brightest future," Jim Callis writes for MLB.com in his analysis of both teams' young talent.

MLBTR's Zach Links contributed to this post

California Links: Lincecum, Zito, Wolff, Ellis

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Tim Lincecum could be making his last start with the Giants tonight and he tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he would like to remain a Giant but is open to other options.  "I've always said I'd like to see the relationship go further. But until I know what's on the table, I can't really dismiss anything else. I try to take advice from my agent and do something that's going to make me happy as well," Lincecum said.  He also noted that he is open to pitching anywhere, be it away from the west coast or in a warmer climate.  Lincecum has an edge over at least one other notable free agent hurler, as over 62% of MLBTR readers polled would prefer to sign Lincecum over Ubaldo Jimenez.

Here are some more news items from baseball's California squads…

  • Speaking of last starts with the Giants, Barry Zito pitched five innings of two-run ball on Wednesday to earn a win in what was very likely his final outing in the orange-and-black.  The veteran southpaw told reporters (including MLB.com's Chris Haft) that his time in San Francisco was "95 percent great and the other 5 percent terrible," and Zito was widely praised by his teammates.  Zito posted a 4.62 ERA after signing a seven-year, $126MM deal with the Giants that is widely regarded as one of the worst contracts in baseball history.  At age 35, Zito says he has "no idea" if he'll try to continue his career next season, saying a decision will come later.
  • Athletics owner Lew Wolff discussed how the A's have (again) rebuilt themselves into contenders, how he works with general manager Billy Beane, and the Oakland stadium situation as part of a wide-ranging interview with MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom.
  • Mark Ellis' excellent second base glove and his veteran leadership have made him an underrated part of the Dodgers' success, ESPN Los Angeles' Mark Saxon writes.  Ellis turned 36 in June and has a .264/.317/.343 batting line in 466 PA, so it's questionable if the Dodgers will exercise their $5.75MM team option on Ellis for 2014.  Whether L.A. keeps him or not, Ellis said he intends to play next season.
  • Earlier tonight, we collected a batch of Angels-related notes.

Marlins, Greg Dobbs Agree To One-Year Extension

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10:18pm: Not only did Loria negotiate Dobbs' contract himself, Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and general manager Michael Hill didn't even know the deal was being struck, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.  Rodriguez thinks this just adds to the speculation that Beinfest and Hill (and possibly team president David Samson) will be fired.

9:41am: Dobbs will receive a one-year, $1.7MM extension, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The extension was actually agreed upon back in June, he adds (Twitter links).

9:04am: The Marlins are re-signing infielder/pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs for the 2014 season, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Dobbs, a client of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, is currently wrapping up a two-year, $3MM deal with the Fish. According to Jackson, Dobbs said a deal was struck between his agent and owner Jeffrey Loria.

The 35-year-old Dobbs batted .229/.305/.301 with a pair of homers in 226 plate appearances for the FIsh this season. He's spent the past three seasons with Miami, posting an overall batting line of .267/.310/.366. Capable of playing both corner infield and corner outfield positions, Dobbs appeared almost exclusively at first base when he took the field this season, totaling 423 innings at the position but also making a brief, five-inning appearance in right field. Ultimate Zone Rating and The Fielding Bible both graded his first base defense as a positive.

A ten-year Major league veteran, Dobbs has also spent three seasons with the Mariners and four seasons with the Phillies.

Angels Notes: Scioscia, Dipoto, Pitching, Trout

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Mike Scioscia is as committed as ever to the Angels, the manager tells MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom.  Scioscia discusses such topics as his relationship with GM Jerry Dipoto and owner Arte Moreno, his frustrations over the Angels' disappointing season and things he'd like to change on the team in 2014. 

Dipoto also met with the media today, and MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez has the details…

  • The Angels will look to add starting pitching to next year's roster, with an eye towards obtaining young arms, if possible.  "Really what we need is organizational starting pitching. We need starting-pitching depth; we need options from within," Dipoto said.  "We need young, controllable starting pitching. Essentially guys that when something goes wrong at the Major League level — inevitably an injury will occur, somebody's going to struggle for a period of time — guys that can step in and guys that you can build toward. It's gold in the game."
  • Third base will be an area of concern for the team this winter.  "In an ideal world, we’ll come up with what we believe is a combination of players" to play the position, Dipoto said.  Chris Nelson, Grant Green, Luis Jimenez and Andrew Romine are some of the Halos' current third base options.
  • Dipoto will look to add bullpen depth but Ernesto Frieri is expected to continue closing.
  • Dipoto offered no comment on any extension talks with Mike Trout, though "obviously, we'd like him to be here long-term."  Craig Landis, Trout's agent, said yesterday that there have been no negotiations of a multiyear contract with the team.  Trout is under team control through the 2017 season and Dipoto declined to comment on whether the team had altered its policy on pre-arbitration contracts given the controversy surrounding Trout's 2013 salary.
  • Dipoto didn't comment on whether or not the Angels would non-tender Tommy Hanson or Jerome Williams.  Hanson is a "slam-dunk" to be non-tendered, Gonzalez opines (Twitter links), but Williams is a tougher decision since he could return to Japan rather than re-sign with the Angels at a lower price, plus the team likes his "flexibility" as a swingman.  Hanson is entering his second year of arbitration eligibility while Williams is entering his third.

AL East Notes: Price, Longoria, Ortiz, Helton

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We've already shared a Nate McLouth free agent profile, some Blue Jays notes, Yankees notes and the news of Robinson Cano's contract demands today, so let's take a look around the rest of the AL East…

  • This could be David Price's last season and playoff run with the Rays, as CBS Sports' Danny Knobler figures that this offseason (when Price has two remaining years of team control) is the perfect time for the Rays to maximize their return on a trade.
  • Rays third baseman Evan Longoria looked up to Derek Jeter as a kid, yet he didn't emulate Jeter by playing for the Yankees but rather by staying with one franchise for his career, Harvey Araton of the New York Times writes.  Robinson Cano has the opportunity to be a one-franchise player if he re-signs with the Yankees this offseason and Longoria believes Cano will stay because the Yankees are always looking to contend.  “I’m sure Robby realizes that his organization is never going into a year saying they are rebuilding,” Longoria said. “You can’t not like that, or respect that.”
  • Unless David Ortiz goes on the DL over the next four days, the Red Sox slugger has stayed healthy enough to add an extra $4MM to his 2014 salary, ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes writes.  Ortiz the first 20 days of the season on the DL with his right Achilles injury but hasn't returned, so he is now guaranteed $15MM in the final year of his two-year contract with the Sox.
  • The Red Sox were Todd Helton's last opponent at Coors Field, and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe notes that the Sox twice tried to acquire Helton from the Rockies.  A proposed 2002 blockbuster would've seen Helton and Larry Walker go to Boston in exchange for a trade package headlined by Manny Ramirez, and then in 2008 the Rockies turned down an offer of Mike Lowell for Helton straight-up.
  • The time has come for the Orioles to increase payroll and add the necessary remaining pieces to their contending roster, Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun argues.

Free Agent Profile: Nate McLouth

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Outfielder Nate McLouth signed a one-year, $1.75MM deal to return to the Pirates in December 2011, with a fourth outfielder role in mind after several years of struggles in Atlanta.  He hit a low point at the end of May last year, as the Bucs released him.  McLouth quickly signed a minor league deal with the Orioles, and played 47 games for their Triple-A affiliate before earning a call back to the bigs.  At just 236 plate appearances, the sample was limited, but McLouth helped the Orioles reach the postseason and was their best hitter in the division series.

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McLouth focused on a one-year deal on the free agent market, avoiding an option year but re-signing with the Orioles for just $2MM plus incentives.  He's served as the team's primary left fielder and leadoff hitter in 2013, and has put together a solid campaign over a larger sample.

Strengths/Pros

McLouth is respectable at drawing walks, with a 9% rate this year that is a tick above average for a left fielder.  This year it has led to a .332 on-base percentage, also better than average for the position.  A left-handed hitter, McLouth hit righties pretty well this year at a .275/.346/.416 clip.

McLouth also adds value on the basepaths.  He has an 84.9% career success rate in stolen bases, and is tied for ninth in the AL with 30 swipes this year.  Among those with at least 800 plate appearances and 30 stolen base attempts since 2012, McLouth's 84% success rate ranks ninth in baseball.  More importantly, FanGraphs' baserunning statistics, which cover more than just steals, suggest McLouth has added 6.2 runs on the bases this year.  That's tied for the 11th-best baserunning contribution in the game this year.

McLouth has spent most of his time in left field the last two years, but he can handle center in a pinch and even won a somewhat controversial Gold Glove for his play there in 2008.

Overall this year, FanGraphs pegs McLouth at 2.4 wins above replacement.  That's fifth among free agent outfielders, assuming Coco Crisp's option will be exercised.  McLouth is earning about 15% of Carlos Beltran's salary, but if you agree with the penalty given to Beltran by defensive stats, the two players have been roughly equally valuable in 2013.  The free agent market still veers toward baseball card numbers, so Beltran's 24 home runs and 84 RBI will serve him well and could result in a qualifying offer.  McLouth's value is less obvious, creating a potential free agent bargain even with a raise.  And a qualifying offer will not be a factor.

Weaknesses/Cons

McLouth does not hit left-handed pitching well, with a .196/.287/.304 line since 2011.  The Orioles have benched him accordingly against some southpaws, so he's faced lefties in only 21.7% of his plate appearances this year rather than the typical 26-30%.  A team signing McLouth will need to have a right-handed hitting left fielder on hand as a platoon partner.

McLouth should be used sparingly in center field, as his defensive numbers suggest he's well below average at the position.  The average left fielder has a weighted on-base average of .317 this year, not far from McLouth's .325.  He has a little bit of pop, but doesn't fit the power profile of a left fielder.  A team might have to find power at an atypical position to compensate.  

McLouth has been worth more than two wins above replacement this year, the first time he's been worth even one full win in a season since 2009.  His sample as a productive outfielder has grown, but he has to shake off an even larger sample of being replacement level.  And this may be cherry-picking, but since a huge April, McLouth has hit just .245/.309/.382.    

Personal

Born in Michigan, Nate resides with his wife Lindsay in Knoxville, Tennessee.  McLouth is a deeply religious person who has overcome adversity in his career, as explained in this article a year ago by Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.

Market

The Orioles aren't brimming with alternatives to replace McLouth, and will have to turn to the free agent and trade markets if they don't re-sign him.  Nolan Reimold has been hampered by injuries for two years, and may be non-tendered.  Prospects L.J. Hoes and Xavier Avery were traded this summer, leaving Henry Urrutia as the main internal option.  Since McLouth could assume more of an above-average, oft-used fourth outfielder role, he could boost the depth of many clubs. 

Expected Contract

As a short-side platoon bat with little defensive ability, Jonny Gomes set the bar last winter with a two-year, $10MM deal.  Part-timers such as Scott Hairston, Ty Wigginton, and Jack Hannahan also received two years.  Another good example is David DeJesus, who was signed to a two-year, $10MM deal with a club option by the Cubs as an outfielder who would be benched against many southpaws.  Ultimately I think McLouth will land that same two-year, $10MM deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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