1) Adrian Beltre to the Angels
Amassing a grand total of -1.0 WAR, the Angels’ third basemen in 2010 were a step above useless, contributing even less than a replacement level player would. They can fix that by signing the best available free agent third baseman in Adrian Beltre, a defensive stalwart coming off a very impressive season that saw him post a .321/.365/.553 batting line, and 7.1 WAR. As a Scott Boras advisee, he won’t be cheap, and there is some concern that his offense was more Fenway Park-aided than legitimate, but the potential upgrade is too much for the Angels to pass on. As an added bonus, it also keeps him away from Oakland and Texas, two of the Angels’ division rivals rumored to be pursuing him.
2) Rafael Soriano to the Angels
In a winter when the market for free agent relievers has gotten out of control (see Benoit, Joaquin and Downs, Scott), the number one reliever on the market, Rafael Soriano, is still unsigned. His former team, the Rays, lacks the financial resources to bring him back, and none of the high payroll Eastern juggernauts need a closer. This leaves the Angels as the one logical solution, and it is a perfect fit on both ends. The Angels, who saw their bullpen post an awful 1.58 K/BB ratio and 4.51 xFIP in 2010, badly need bullpen help, and while relievers are usually a poor investment (for the purposes of this post, we are assuming that SOMEONE is going to sign Soriano and therefore the usual advice against signing such a pitcher is being temporarily ignored), Soriano is a quality reliever and could make a difference in such a tight division. Soriano, meanwhile, can get the kind of money he desires and still have the opportunity to close in SoCal.
3) Jim Thome to the Rays
The Rays’ free agent exodus of 2010/’11 is in full swing, with the club having lost Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena already and possessing a number of other free agents (including Rafael Soriano) likely to change addresses in 2011. However, with a quality starting rotation and creative front office, the Rays are down, but not out in a very tough division that becomes tougher each day. Replacing the production of Pena and Crawford will be difficult, but one place to start would be improving on the DH spot. In 2010, the Rays’ DHs had the lowest OPS against RHP of any team. Enter Jim Thome, the aging slugger who blasted right-handers in 2010 to the tune of a 1.154 (!) OPS. Thome, 40, is only likely to seek a one year deal, and doing so could bring him into a price range that’s feasible for the Rays.
4) Carl Pavano to the Rangers
The Rangers are still reeling from the loss of Cliff Lee and could use a boost in their rotation to help them compete in the increasingly even-matched AL West. Carl Pavano is still jobless. This makes sense. The Rangers rotation is talented but does lack depth after C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis, neither of whom are particularly established. Pavano is not an elite pitcher by any stretch, but has been an above average innings eater during the past two seasons. Further, his groundball tendencies (51.2% in 2010, 46% career) should be helpful in a launching pad such as Ameriquest Field. Barring a move to the rotation for Neftali Feliz, the Rangers are unlikely to have a true ace in 2011, but adding Pavano would give them three solid arms to front the rotation, and contributions from one of the game’s top farm systems can certainly fill in some of the gaps and help them repeat as AL West Champions.
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