Free Agent Frenzy

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 1:52 PM CST in Chicago Cubs News

Oh, you guys are gonna love this.

Head over to mlb.com. They are sponsoring a contest where you can pick 15 free agents, decide where you think they are going to sign, assign a "confidence level" to your pick (i.e. how sure you are that signing is going to happen).

Picks have to be in by next Tuesday. Winner gets free Opening Day tickets.

Have at it!

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Comments

Tried to pick where I think Farnsworth is headed

But "Nippon Ham Fighters" didn't seem to be an option. Neither was "AAA non-roster invitee."

by bison on Nov 11, 2005 3:29 PM CST reply actions

LOL!

Too bad Sosa wasn't on the list. We could have had fun with that.

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 3:55 PM CST up reply actions

He is on this list

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/listranker?id=381

ESPN.com's top 30 free agents.

by dmlichte on Nov 11, 2005 8:34 PM CST up reply actions

Right, but...

... he wasn't one of the 15 in the MLB contest.

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 8:41 PM CST up reply actions

Sosa

Contrary to some of our discussions earler this year, I now think that Sammy WILL end up in Japan, for at least a year. He can make $4-5 million there guaranteed.

People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for Al's latest post on BCB!

by Dan @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 11, 2005 5:29 PM CST reply actions

Possibly....

... though that wouldn't feed Sammy's media ego here in North America, and it wouldn't add to his HoF stats.

(Love your sig, BTW!)

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 5:40 PM CST up reply actions

That was my reasoning too.

When the subject first arose (was it May?), I thought that Sammy would stay in the US for the attention he gets here. After his poor season, he's pretty much dropped off everyone's radar. I'd wager that he's still a superstar in Japan though. When I was living there he was THE MLB star in the post-series MLB vs. Japan exhibition games.

Glad you liked the signature - its funny, cause its true! You're the first on my morning reading list.

People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for Al's latest post on BCB!

by Dan @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 11, 2005 6:56 PM CST up reply actions

Further...

... he had that same popularity when I was in Japan for the Cubs/Mets games in 2000. They were giving away cellphone straps with a tiny Sosa figurine attached to them. Still have one, somewhere.

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 7:08 PM CST up reply actions

Sosa has an opportunity in March

in the World Cup of Baseball, or whatever they're calling it. My guess is that he starts in right field for the Dominican Republic, and if he plays well, he gets a contract offer in the U.S. If he doesn't, it's off to Japan.

By the way, anybody think Sammy might have a future in the movies? Not as a fighter, a la Dennis Rodman or Brian Bosworth, but as a comic presence, akin to how Kareem used to show up every once in a while? So, it could be Spanish language movies--same deal.

by cubzfan on Nov 11, 2005 6:25 PM CST reply actions

Mr. Sosa Goes to Washington!

Oh wait, that one's been done already. Seriously, Sammy would excel at a role like that. I can picture him as the co-pilot in Airplane 4 already! "Timmy, you ever been in a Major League clubhouse?"

People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for Al's latest post on BCB!

by Dan @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 11, 2005 6:53 PM CST up reply actions

Dan,

Please come here and wipe the Diet Coke off my monitor!

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 7:05 PM CST up reply actions

I doubt

that Sammy can even crack the lineup for the Dominican Republic for the WBC. Manny Ramirez and Vlad Guerrero will play the two corner OF spots and David Ortiz will DH. Where would Sammy play? Moises Alou and Jose Guillen would want playing time too.

Maybe they can "find" some Italian great-grandfather for him and he can play with Mike Piazza for Team Italy.

Besides, the WBC won't be over until late March. If he wants to go to Japan, they'd want him before then and most MLB rosters will be set.

He may have to go the non-roster invitee route if he wants to play in the US. He might have a decent rebound next season, but he'd have to prove that before anyone gives him a contract. And it seems unlikely that his ego would permit that.

I never travel far without a little Big Star

by Josh Timmers on Nov 11, 2005 7:31 PM CST up reply actions

The only team...

... I could see taking a chance on him might be Tampa Bay.

If he has any sort of comeback, he'll hit his 600th career HR next year. I don't expect that to happen, but if it does, it could sell some tickets in Tampa.

Otherwise, I think his MLB career is over.

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 7:33 PM CST up reply actions

Tampa Bay

No GM in their right mind is going to bring in Sosa. Tampa Bay is a young team and I cannot see Gerry Huntsicker, a very smart baseball man by all accounts, wanting the youngsters down there anywhere near Sammy.

Maybe Omar Minaya will be willing to give Sosa a chance, but according to Ken Rosenthal's report from the GM's meetings:
-----
Outfielder Sammy Sosa, another player in need of a revival, is attracting zero interest as a free agent. Sosa, 37, likely will need to sign a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training if he wishes to remain in the majors. He is 12 homers short of 600.
-----

DmL

by dmlichte on Nov 11, 2005 8:37 PM CST up reply actions

Going to share

your picks with us, Al?

In fact, why don't we have everyone post their picks here on BCB within 48 hours after the deadline. Then we can pick a BCB Free Agent Frenzy winner and award him or her some sort of lovely but ultimately worthless prize.

I never travel far without a little Big Star

by Josh Timmers on Nov 11, 2005 7:34 PM CST reply actions

OK...

... I'll share mine with you guys, under the same conditions that Josh just laid out. Let's all post our picks Wednesday & Thursday of next week, after MLB's website deadline. It is, of course, possible that players on their list might sign by then.

We can do this in a diary -- Josh, want to take charge of this?

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 7:42 PM CST up reply actions

And...

... tell you what. To make it more interesting, I will offer a prize to the winner from Al's Big Collection Of Baseball Stuff.

Like MLB, we won't award a prize till all 15 free agents have signed, or until March 1, whichever comes first.

Sound good?

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 7:49 PM CST up reply actions

Sounds good Al

For the confidence, I think I'm literally just going to take numbers out of a hat and for the teams, pick the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets for all the players!

by SoBlueCal on Nov 12, 2005 2:31 AM CST up reply actions

Good idea

Man like it's not hard enough to just pick where a FA will land, that confidence thing is TORTURE!!

I'll be amazed if I get more than 2 right.

by SoBlueCal on Nov 12, 2005 2:28 AM CST up reply actions

Well..

... that's what makes this a fun contest!

by Al Yellon on Nov 12, 2005 4:06 AM CST up reply actions

Looks like Furcal wants $50 Million

according to ESPN.com over 5 or 6 years.

by LT on Nov 11, 2005 8:38 PM CST reply actions

The article

I'm not sure which way to take the comments from his agents. To be honest, though, I don't know if I've ever seen someone so eager to cash in no matter what. Maybe the article struck me the wrong way, but basically, they're saying that Furcal is willing to play SS, 2B, CF... the money just has to be right. I dunno, I just wish that Furcal's agent would conduct his business with the teams, not the media. This all is just making Furcal look like a total whore.

Here's the link for those who want it:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2221393

DmL

by dmlichte on Nov 11, 2005 8:43 PM CST up reply actions

That's why...

... I hate agents.

Obviously, the agent has a vested interest, because the more money Furcal makes, the more the agent makes.

What he's saying is that Furcal ought to take the maximum money, damn the situation, team, position, etc.

That's not the way a baseball player should approach playing the game. I

by Al Yellon on Nov 11, 2005 8:48 PM CST up reply actions

While I'm not a fan

of most agents, they are employees of the player, not the fans nor the team. If Furcal didn't wish to put money above all else, the agent wouldn't be peddling him that way.

How would you like to have that player on your team for 5 or 6 years? Not me. Forget Furcal. Go with Cedeno and Perez. We don't need any more prima donnas now that Sosa is history.

Players win awards but teams win championships.

by tharr on Nov 11, 2005 10:45 PM CST up reply actions

Furcal

Ok Ok Maybe it is not a done deal. I still would like to see him at top of the order though. This does make Juan Pierre or Johnny Damon look better and makes resigning Nomar a possibility.
I still think Hendry can pull it off. Maybe with a 5th year option and incentives. I'd hate to see a guy cash in and then become a lazy ballplayer.

Madog93. There is only one good season of the year -- BASEBALL SEASON!

by madog93 on Nov 12, 2005 7:08 AM CST up reply actions

Furcal

I'm sure most of you will see it on espn.com but Furcal's agent believes furcal is worth at least 50 mil for 5-6 years. Still worth it?

by hateembutloveem on Nov 11, 2005 11:22 PM CST reply actions

Not a surprise

Look at what Renteria (10x4), Cabrera (8x4), and Rollins (8x5 + option) signed for. Furcal is better than any of them, maybe on par with Renteria. Maybe he asks for $50/5 and gets 10x4 plus an option that vests easily as long as he's not severely injured. Or maybe he accepts 9x5.

by cubzfan on Nov 12, 2005 7:53 AM CST up reply actions