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We have rolled over to Season 25 in Cobbfather and the bidding wars for this season's top free agents has begun. This class features some good starting pitching and a handful of solid bats. Overall, it is a slightly above average class, although not spectacular. Without further adieu, here are the top free agents available as rated by the Gazette! Good luck with your bids!
1. Don Monahan, 32, SP
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: 2.99 Career ERA, 2 Cy Young Awards
Salary Over/Under: 5 years, $99 million
Possible Destinations: Pawtucket, Louisville, Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Boston
Signed with Las Vegas - 5 years, $110 million
Monahan is the clear top prize in this season's free agent class. He is a two-time Cy Young award winner, has a fantastic career ERA and winning percentage, and his ratings are outstanding, it's difficult to find any flaw in his arsenal. At age 32, he should still be solid at the end of a 5-year deal. He's the ace on most pitching staffs instantly, it just may take a max contract to get him.
2. Pepe Guillen, 31, 3B
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: .300 career AVG, .896 career OPS
Salary Over/Under: 5 years, $80 million
Possible Destinations: Houston, Louisville, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, San Francisco
Signed with Houston - 5 years, $92.5 million
Guillen rates as the top offensive player in this season's free agent class, as he swings a mean bat and still has excellent fielding skills. He has outstanding contact and doesn't strike out much, along with a fair amount of power and good splits. Add his fielding prowess into the mix, and you've got a player who can be very valuable for a lot of teams.
3. Yuniesky Nieves, 32, 3B
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: .775 career OPS
Salary Over/Under: 4 years, $48 million
Possible Destinations: Charlotte, Los Angeles, St. Louis, New York (AL)
Signed with Boston - 3 years, $24 million
Nieves has a quality, yet not spectacular bat, but definitely above average for a typical 3rd baseman. He has very nice contact, batting eye, and RH split to go with a decent amount of power. His fielding ability is what pushes him up in value, as having that kind of bat at 3rd base is an upgrade for most teams. Age is a slight concern, but he looks like he'll still be solid for the next few seasons.
4. Eduardo Trevino, 32, SP
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: 3.70 Career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 4 years, $60 million
Possible Destinations: Houston, Pawtucket, Los Angeles, Buffalo
Signed with Pawtucket - 5 years, $84 million
For those that lose out on the Monahan sweepstakes, Trevino might be a nice consolation prize. He probably doesn't have staff ace type stuff, but would make a nice #2 starter on most teams. His effectiveness vs. RH is just good, not great, and that's about his only weakness. Whoever lands Trevino will have improved their pitching staff for sure.
5. Rolando Gomez, 29, 3B
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: .766 career OPS
Salary Over/Under: 4 years, $42 million
Possible Destinations: Las Vegas, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Florida
Signed with Philadelphia - 5 years, $56.5 million
Gomez, the youngest player on this year's list, is a nice power bat who again has excellent fielding skills. The downside is that the rest of his offensive skills are mediocre to slightly above average. Still his fielding abilities and plus speed warrant a spot on the list, and his age probably bumps him up a few spots.
6. Geronimo Johnson, 31, 3B
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: .852 career OPS
Salary Over/Under: 4 years, $40 million
Possible Destinations: Jacksonville, Boston, Buffalo, Santa Fe
Signed with St. Louis - 5 years, $74.5 million
Johnson swings a powerful bat, has excellent splits and an above average batting eye. His contact is below average, resulting in a lot of strikeouts, but he has proven that he is capable of putting forth a solid stat line over several seasons. He may be more suited for right field, as his fielding abilities are below average to average compared to most 3rd basemen. But his bat may be able to make up for it.
7. Will Maxwell, 32, 1B
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: .825 career OPS, 374 SB
Salary Over/Under: 3 years, $27 million
Possible Destinations: Houston, Louisville, Charlotte, Boston
Signed with St. Louis - 4 years, $39 million
Maxwell is a highly efficient hitter, with great contact, nice splits and very good power, with a good enough batting eye. He also has good speed, and has stolen at least 26 bases the past 4 seasons. He is coming off some excellent seasons in Houston above his career line. He isn't that great in the field, but could probably play LF in a pinch. Still, it is worth it to have a hitter with his skills in the lineup.
8. Wayne Roskos, 33, SP
Type B Free Agent
Key Stat: 4.19 Career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 3 years, $30 million
Possible Destinations: Charlotte, San Francisco, Syracuse, New York (NL)
Signed with Boston - 1 year, $7 million
Roskos is a hard throwing righty who would make an excellent #3 or #4 starter on most staffs. He has great control and velocity, and a nice arsenal of pitches. His splits are above average, but not great, which limits his effectiveness to a certain extent. His career ERA and winning percentage is not dazzling, but that could change if he lands in the right spot.
9. Welington Melendez, 32, SP
No Designation
Key Stat: 3.79 career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 3 years, $23 million
Possible Destinations: Louisville, Philadelphia, Arizona, Buffalo
Signed with Charlotte - 4 years, $29 million
Melendez is a solid lefty who can handle a hefty workload rather effectively. He doesn't rate out as a superstar, but he can make a solid contribution to most rotations. His biggest strength besides his durability is his excellent array of pitches. He could be a lower end option for strong pitching teams, or a good, affordable start to upgrading a weaker staff, and not having to forfeit a draft pick to get him is a plus.
10. Homer Butler, 37, RP
Type A Free Agent
Key Stat: 3.03 Career ERA
Salary Over/Under: 2 years, $14 million
Possible Destinations: Pawtucket, San Francisco, Arizona, Colorado Springs
Signed with Colorado Springs - 1 year, $5.4 million
Butler comes in as the top reliever on the list. Even though he is getting up there in age, he can still be very effective for a couple of more seasons. His ratings are pretty solid across the board, and he looks capable of tossing 100+ innings for a team that needs to shore up their middle relief. The Type A designation may scare some teams away, given his age, so there is a potential bargain to be had here, if you are willing to give up the draft pick.