Read the arguments from Loyal Homer and Babe Ruthless about which still unsigned player is the best remaining on the hot stove in major league baseball.
It may be hard to believe, but there are still over 100 well (enough) known major league baseball players that still do not know what color hats they will wear this Spring. For a complete list, check out one of my favorite websites, mlbtraderumors.com. There is a smattering of big names in the list, too. Jim Thome, Jason Giambi, Hank Blalock, Jermaine Dye, Brian Giles, Johnny Damon, Randy Winn, Miguel Tejada, Orlando Hudson, and the list goes on for a while. My guess is that many if not all of these players will be in a camp somewhere on March 1st.
In identifying the one, true, best unsigned talent still simmering on the hot stove, I nearly unveiled first baseman/right fielder/catcher Ryan Garko. Garko, a former member of the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants (and Stanford grad), is no slouch and was never really included by the Eric Wedge administration in Cleveland. The truth is, the righty can flat out hit with a career .279 batting average in five seasons. The more consistent playing time Garko received, the better his numbers were (including a .314 batting average in the postseason). Garko compares favorably to players like Conor Jackson and Randell Simon, yet seems to be forgotten. More than anything, he is at least a good platoon player with a lifetime .308 batting average against left-handed pitching.
Ultimately I chose to forgo Garko mostly because my hunch is that pitching is largely ignored right now – especially Ben Sheets.
Sheets did not play in 2009 in order to have enough healing time after surgery for a torn flexor tendon in his pitching arm. Sheets claims to be back to full health and ready for a big comeback in 2010. I believe him.
It seems strange, but many have forgotten just how good of a pitcher Ben Sheets is. He finished 2004 with a 2.70 ERA, has a career ERA of 3.72. He is always around the National League lead in strikeouts, usually over 150 a season when healthy. In 2008, his supposed last healthy season, Sheets still pitched 198.1 innings with three shutouts. He has pitched in four all-star games.
Sheets should be a priority signing for any team that wants to win in October. He has a career 3.46 ERA in September and October, making him a reliable pitcher down the stretch.
The Chicago Cubs are in the process of remaking their pitching staff. Carlos Zambrano is still the centerpiece with Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster starting in the number two and three spots respectively. Yup, the Cubs must upgrade. Oh, and Carlos Silva is currently slotted to start fourth. Yikes. Again, the Cubs need a major pitching staff upgrade without breaking the bank, and Ben Sheets fits the bill.
The main knock against Sheets was his durability, never his stuff or stamina. Peculiar injuries (which the Cubs majored in during college) are common and dealt with reasonably in Chicago. Chicago Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild has gained a great deal of experience working with pitchers like Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Rich Harden. He understands when a player should be pushed, and when a player must shut it down. Rothschild also coaches to strike outs, a real strength for Ben Sheets.
Rothschild is also coming off a season where he had to nurse Rich Harden a bit, with more days between starts to preserve health. Sheets may need that type of attention. And, he may perform best with it. For his career, Sheets is 21-17 and five days rest and 10-8 with a 3.20 ERA on six days rest.
Bottom line, Rothschild is the right pitching coach for Sheets right now. The Cubs are the right team for him, since Sheets pitched within the division and has intimate knowledge of the hitters in baseball’s biggest division. Plus, there is mutual interest.
The asking price from the Sheets camp is $10M-$12M for two years. It may seem steep, but there is little reason to believe he is unable to deliver. I am guessing the final deal will have a few incentives layered into it.
I think the Cubs begin Spring training with Ben Sheets. They may not win the division, but they will be a better team with Sheets on staff.
