The Best Baseball Team Money (and/or Prospects) Can Buy: Part 1

Let's say that Major League Baseball decided that they wanted another team in the American League and that they were starting right away. You, the general manager, decide to only take prospects in the expansion draft and then the only players you can get for your team are free agents or trade candidates (I've used MLBTradeRumors Trade Market Series to determine who's available via trade). You have an open checkbook to spend (the owner is trying to make a splash with the new team) but you're a new GM so you need to spend wisely to keep your job. Who do you get for your team? Here's my picks:

C: Kelly Shoppach and Jose Molina. Shoppach should be available this offseason as a guy who will make $2MM+ and had a down year. I'd vote for a bounceback year and take him to be my starter. For my backup, I'd take Jose Molina who, MLBTradeRumors points out, is John Dewan's top defensive free agent catcher in The Fielding Bible II.

1B: Adrian Gonzalez. Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera may be better, but they're going to cost you many, many more dollars and, for Cabrera, maybe more prospects as well. Gonzo is locked up for two more years for a ridiculously low $10.25 MM and he's a plus player on offense and defense. Put him in a better park with a better lineup and see the results. This is where I put most of my big trade chips.

2B: Luis Castillo. Listen, if the Mets really, really want to get rid of him, I'll listen. The guy had a .387 OBP last year in a pitcher's park. If they'll pay $8 MM of the $12 MM owed to him over the next two years, I'll gladly take him off their hands--and instruct him how to catch a pop up with two hands. I would love Dan Uggla or Chone Figgins but you're talking about a lot more money with either one.


SS: Bobby Crosby. Call me crazy, but I think that Crosby just screams "change of scenery". This was a guy who was a former Rookie of the Year, a guy who was a plus player in his sophomore year and he must have made Peter Gammons MVP pick about 3-4 years in a row. He was a good defender (according to UZR) when playing everyday at SS and I think you can sacrifice the bat to get the glove here and hope that he remembers how to hit again. And he would be really cheap. And yes, I would want Marco Scutaro but he's not worth a 1st round pick. And since I don't think Hanley Ramirez is yet available, I sadly can't pencil him in here though he'd be a franchise player to build this team around.

3B: Adrian Beltre. He was ranked as the best defensive third basemen by The Fielding Bible and 3 of his last 5 seasons he's been a plus hitter. I don't think he'll ever be the same hitter he was in 2004, but I think in a good lineup he can give you an .800 OPS with 25+ HR and give you Gold Glove defense. And Beyond The Boxscore lists him at 2.9 WAR for next season which is just slightly under the much more expensive Chone Figgins's 3.0 WAR.  I'm just going to put in his contract that he needs to wear a cup.

LF: Matt Holliday. I did say the best team money can buy. And Holliday will cost a lot. But I think he's better than Jason Bay on offense and defense and is younger as well. We're building a good defensive team and despite his drop in the NLDS this season, Holliday is regarded as a plus defensive leftfielder. If I'm building a team, he's a good fit. According to Beyond The Boxscore, no one is even close to Holliday in terms of WAR.

CF: Mike Cameron. Another guy who is plus on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Don't be scared by his strikeouts. He may be 36 but he can still play ball at a high level and will cost you less than putting Chone Figgins or Curtis Granderson out there. B.J. Upton intrigues me but I doubt the Rays will sell low there. The CHONE projections aren't good for Mike Cameron's bat, but I think I'll take a chance that he keeps up near his current production, especially with Beyond The Boxscore predicting a WAR of 2.0 which is the highest among the free agent CF.

RF: Milton Bradley. Like Castillo, this will have to be a pure contract dump. But this guy is an OBP machine when healthy and can flat out hit when he's not being suspended. He may be a clubhouse cancer but for a flyer, he's worth it and much better than anyone on the free agent market.

DH: Hideki Matsui. This came down to three guys: Matsui, Nick Johnson or Jim Thome. I'd go with Matsui. He's not going to cost very much and the guy is nothing if not a "professional hitter". I love Johnson's OBP but he'd scare me because of his injury history and he may want to play 1B. Jim Thome has been great, but I have more faith in Matsuikeeping up his power than Thome. CHONE predicts Matsui a bit lower than Johnson but with more power. I'll take that and the assurance he'll be in the lineup a bit more, especially from my DH.

Bench: Craig Counsell, Eric Hinske, Scott Podsednik, Placido Polanco. I'm going to take 11 relievers and I've already selected a back-up catcher so I'm going to only take 4 bench players. Counsell provides me insurance in case Crosby can't cut it at SS (I'd think about platooning them if necessary) and is a plus defender according to Beyond the Boxscore's UZR predictions. Eric Hinske is a perfect bench bat from the left side and can play the corner infield and corner outfield positions (or DH). Hinske can also fill in for Bradley if he gets suspended/injured. Scott Podsednik brings the speed and can play all three OF positions. And Polanco, if he'll accept a utility role is a perfect bench player to fill in at 2B and 3B and is predicted at 2.3 WAR which, amazingly, is the same as Jason Bay.

The lineup:
1. Luis Castillo
2. Milton Bradley
3. Matt Holliday
4. Adrian Gonzalez
5. Hideki Matsui
6. Mike Cameron
7. Adrian Beltre
8. Kelly Shoppach
9. Bobby Crosby

The next post on this will be the pitching is where I spent the bulk of my money (pictures from the Chicagoist and LA Times)