Next up for our guest blogging is Jordan (AKA Jigga J). Jordan hails from the 914 and his sports loyalties lie like WFAN's lineup used to: Mets, Jets, Knicks and Rangers. His real passion lies with the Metropolitans who he's suffered with from the Butch Husky days through the past two Septembers. For college Jordan got to choose between the NCAA finals competitors from 2002 March Madness, but ended up going with Bloomington and the Hoosiers. While doing a Glendale Run, Jordan likes to listen to the latest song from Beanie Sigel or Rick Ross on Hot 97 (but only with two Suburbans and a hearse) and spitting out lines like "money ain't got no owners, just spenders" or "money ain't a thing". While he's not eBaying it, you can find Jordan watching some of his favorite shows on TV like Lost, The Wire, Entourage or Baseball Tonight. In the spirit of the last show, he's going to give you his top 5 MLB Free Agent Singings. Without further ado, here's Jigga J's guest blog:
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5) Mark Teixeira (Yankees, $180 million, 8 years) – Although the Yankees paid a steep premium for Teixeira, it will probably prove to be well worth it. He already has won a gold glove and his defense will be far superior to Giambi. Baseball is beginning to value defense much more than it has in the past. Teixeira is known to be a notoriously slow starter, which he will get grief for from the New York media. Even more than his performance for the Yankees was the fact that they prevented him from landing in Boston.
4) Bobby Abreu (Angels, $5 million, 1 year) – While making $16 million last year, Abreu hit for a .296 average, 20 home runs, and 100 RBI’s. The Yankees were very smart to not offer arbitration, which Abreu would have ended up with another $16 million. The Angels played the offseason well. They knew they needed a big bat to replace Teixeira and waited for the market to where they expected it to. Other than Manny Ramirez, Abreu was the last very good outfielder available in free agency. Abreu is known to be a soft outfielder, afraid of colliding with wall, but he won’t have to worry because he and Vladimir Guerrero will split duties in right field and DH. Abreu also is very patient at the plate unlike his new teammates. The Angels also signed Brian Fuentes to replace K-rod at half the price.
3) Orlando Hudson (Dodgers, $3.38 million guaranteed with $4.6 million in incentives, 1 year) – Hudson must realize how stupid he was to decline the Diamondbacks 3 year, $24 million extension last year. Now he is guaranteed only 14% of the contract he should have signed. Hudson has established himself as one of the top five second baseman in the game over the past few years. The Dodgers’ GM, Ned Colletti, who I think is one of the worst GM’s in baseball has made a very good transaction. The Dodgers were set to start the season with Blake Dewitt at second base, but he can end up being a disappointment like Andy LaRoche. This does however question the Casey Blake signing. The Dodgers are already eating Juan Pierre’s and Andruw Jones’s salaries.
2) CC Sabathia (Yankees, $161 million, 7 years) Carsten Charles Sabathia has signed the largest contract for a pitcher in baseball history. The Yankees have locked up one of the best five pitchers in all of baseball. If you are wondering, the other four are Johan Santana, Jake Peavy, Brandon Webb, and Roy “Doc” Halladay. The Yankees are guaranteed an average at least 15 wins from Sabathia over the next seven years. Had he been a Yankee last year, they would have been in the post season. The Yankees were desperate for starting pitching and they got the best available.
1) Francisco “K-rod” Rodriguez (Mets, $37 million, 3 years) Baseball is all about making the post season to ultimately win the World Series. The New York Metropolitans have missed the post season by collapsing at the end of the past two seasons due to a horrible bullpen. K-rod, who landed in the record books for recording the most saves in a season, will be closing out games for the Met s for the next three years. In addition the Mets traded for JJ Putz, one of the ten best closers, to become their set up man. I would have loved the Mets to sign Manny Ramirez to a one or two year agreement, but after Mets owner, Fred Wilpon lost between $500 and $600 million in the Bernie Madoff Scandal, I wouldn’t fork out that money either.
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Really nice work there by Jordan. That actually would probably be my top 5 list as well. By the end of the season, I'm sure we'll have a few more surprise ones on there like maybe Garrett Anderson (just for the value), Adam Dunn (if they can get him some protection), Jason Giambi (because back in BALCO land and with no NY media; he could hit 40 HRs again), Pat Burrell (for what he'll bring to that already-stacked lineup), one of the Red Sox free agents (like Smoltz, Penny, Baldelli or Saito), or some guy like Manny or Orlando Cabrera who hasn't signed yet. The smell of spring in the air gets one excited for the baseball season to come back again (and the fantasy baseball season, too), so with a 50 degree day today and spring training games going on, I'm ready to get started. Thanks again, Jordan.
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