Starting Pitching Market
Now that the Mets know that LHP Johan Santana will not be available for the start of the season, the Mets really need to add an established starting pitcher from outside the organization, even if young Dillon Gee joins Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, and Jon Niese.
Below is a list of available free-agent starters, sorted by their 2010 salaries. Remember that GM Sandy Alderson has already told us that the Mets will not be aggressive bidders, so take away some of the bigger names:
Jeremy Bonderman, 28, Detroit, $12.5 million
Aaron Harang, 32, Cincinnati, $12.5 million
Kevin Millwood, 35, Baltimore, $12 million
Andy Pettitte, 38, NY Yankees, $11.75 million
Javier Vazquez, 34, NY Yankees, $11.5 million
Ben Sheets, 32, Oakland, $10 million
Brandon Webb, 31, Arizona, $8.5 million
Cliff Lee, 32, Texas, $8 million
Carl Pavano, 34, Minnesota, $7 million
Chris Young, 31, San Diego, $6.25 million
Brad Penny, 32, St. Louis, $6 million
Jeff Francis, 29, Colorado, $5.75 million
Jorge De La Rosa, 29, Colorado, $5.6 million
Jon Garland, 31, San Diego, $4.7 million
Doug Davis, 35, Milwaukee, $4.25 million
Dave Bush, 31, Milwaukee, $4.215 million
Vicente Padilla, 33, LA Dodgers, $4.025 million
Kevin Correia, 30, San Diego, $3.6 million
Justin Duchscherer, 33, Oakland, $1.75 million
Erik Bedard, 31, Seattle, $1.5 million
Freddy Garcia, 34, Chicago Sox, $1 million
Kris Benson, 36, Arizona, $650,000
Bruce Chen, 33, Kansas City, $650,000
Rodrigo Lopez, 34, Arizona, $650,000
Mike Hampton, 38, Arizona, $400,000
Jeff Suppan, 35, St. Louis, $400,000
Aaron Harang, 32, Cincinnati, $12.5 million
Kevin Millwood, 35, Baltimore, $12 million
Andy Pettitte, 38, NY Yankees, $11.75 million
Javier Vazquez, 34, NY Yankees, $11.5 million
Ben Sheets, 32, Oakland, $10 million
Brandon Webb, 31, Arizona, $8.5 million
Cliff Lee, 32, Texas, $8 million
Carl Pavano, 34, Minnesota, $7 million
Chris Young, 31, San Diego, $6.25 million
Brad Penny, 32, St. Louis, $6 million
Jeff Francis, 29, Colorado, $5.75 million
Jorge De La Rosa, 29, Colorado, $5.6 million
Jon Garland, 31, San Diego, $4.7 million
Doug Davis, 35, Milwaukee, $4.25 million
Dave Bush, 31, Milwaukee, $4.215 million
Vicente Padilla, 33, LA Dodgers, $4.025 million
Kevin Correia, 30, San Diego, $3.6 million
Justin Duchscherer, 33, Oakland, $1.75 million
Erik Bedard, 31, Seattle, $1.5 million
Freddy Garcia, 34, Chicago Sox, $1 million
Kris Benson, 36, Arizona, $650,000
Bruce Chen, 33, Kansas City, $650,000
Rodrigo Lopez, 34, Arizona, $650,000
Mike Hampton, 38, Arizona, $400,000
Jeff Suppan, 35, St. Louis, $400,000
…I already suggested pitchers like Aaron Harang and Chris Young, but you need to remember that less expensive pitchers hit the market December 2nd, at the nontender deadline. Those pitchers have between three and six years of major league service time, making them arbitation-eligible, and their clubs do not want to pay those salaries and cut them loose. That is what the Mets plan to do with John Maine who is arbitration-eligible…
Flushing's Finest 