Hudson signing a great deal for Dodgers
Originally Published: February 21, 2009
ESPN.com
Read below for analysis of each major offseason move.
• Links: Hot Stove League | Free Agent Tracker | Rumor Central 
 2B Orlando Hudson |
 Signed: One year, $3.38 million |
| Keith Law says … The Dodgers' signing of Orlando Hudson is easily one of the biggest bargains of the offseason. He's a very good offensive second baseman who in the past was also a plus fielder. … More • Complete story | Team page: Dodgers |
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 OF Ken Griffey Jr. |
 Signed: One year, $2 million |
| Keith Law says … The Mariners' agreement with Ken Griffey Jr. is a nostalgia signing that does very little to push the franchise forward and carries some risk of retarding their recovery from five years of mismanagement by the previous baseball regime. … More • Complete story | Team page: Mariners |
|
 OF Bobby Abreu |
 Signed: One year, $5 million |
| Keith Law says … The Los Angeles Angels typically prefer players who provide more speed and defense than Bobby Abreu does at this point in his career, but he brings them a skill they have sorely lacked the past few years: patience … More • Complete story | Team page: Angels |
|
 OF/1B Adam Dunn |
 Signed: Two years, $20 million |
| Keith Law says … Signing Dunn makes the Nationals somewhat less awful for 2009 and 2010, but given their inability the last three years to convert veteran players on expiring contracts into long-term assets, this doesn't push the franchise forward at all … More • Complete story | Team page: Nationals |
|
 RHP Brandon Lyon |
 Signed: One year, $4.25 million |
| Keith Law says … The Tigers' 2008 bullpen was plagued by, among other things, a general lack of control, and their acquisition of Brandon Lyon addresses that flaw. Lyon is an extreme strike-thrower -- 101 unintentional walks in 416 career innings … More • Complete story | Team page: Tigers |
|
 RHP Derek Lowe |
 Signed: Four years, $60 million |
| Keith Law says … [Atlanta's] rotation doesn't have a traditional power-pitcher No. 1, but Derek Lowe should be more than adequate as the nominal No. 1 for as long as he remains a strike-throwing ground-ball machine … More • Complete story | Team page: Braves |
|
 RHP Kenshin Kawakami |
Signed: Three years, $23 million |
| Keith Law says … Kenshin Kawakami is a solid fit for the Braves despite his propensity to surrender the long ball. … As long as Kawakami continues to throw strikes, he should provide value at the back of the rotation. … More • Complete story | Team page: Braves |
|
 RHP Koji Uehara |
 Signed: Two years, $10 million |
| Keith Law says … Uehara tends to work around the plate with good command of average stuff and, like many Japanese pitchers, throws his fastball in the upper half of the zone, which will make him susceptible to the long ball. … More • Complete story | Team page: Orioles |
|
 1B Jason Giambi |
 Signed: One year, $4 million |
| Keith Law says … Oakland needed bats this offseason, badly. And the acquisitions of Matt Holliday and now Giambi address the A's offensive concerns. … More • Complete story | Team page: A's |
|
 OF Milton Bradley |
 Signed: Three years, $30 million |
| Keith Law says … If Milton Bradley can stay healthy enough to give the Cubs 450 to 500 plate appearances, his signing will prove outstanding for Chicago. The question is whether his body will permit him to play that much. … More • Complete story | Team page: Cubs |
|
 OF Pat Burrell |
 Signed: Two years, $16 million |
| Keith Law says … The Rays took advantage of the market glut in sluggers with bad defensive profiles and scored a major bargain in signing Pat Burrell. … More • Complete story | Team page: Rays |
|
 LHP Brian Fuentes |
Signed: Two years, $17.5 million |
| Keith Law says … The Angels' pickup of Brian Fuentes is a bargain relative to other recent closer/reliever contracts, and a great addition to their bullpen. The former Rockies closer is close enough to Francisco Rodriguez in stuff and performance … More • Complete story | Team page: Giants |
|
 INF/OF Mark DeRosa |
RHP Jeff Stevens |
| Keith Law says … The Indians didn't quite get Mark DeRosa for free, but they got him on clearance in a post-Christmas sale. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Indians | Cubs |
|
 RHP Brad Penny |
 Signed: One year, $5 million |
| Keith Law says … The Red Sox have made a minor habit of picking up a once-good, broken-down starter on a one-year deal, reaping modest returns but never quite hitting the big score they were hoping to land. Brad Penny's contract would fit that pattern. … More • Complete story | Team page: Red Sox |
|
 LHP Randy Johnson |
 Signed: One year, $8 million |
| Keith Law says … With the signing of Randy Johnson to a one-year deal, the Giants made another move toward 2009 respectability, if not outright contention in a weak division, without doing any damage to their long-term rebuilding plan. … More • Complete story | Team page: Giants |
|
 1B Mark Teixeira |
 Signed: Eight years, $180 million |
| Keith Law says … Give the Yankees credit: They're not some nouveau riche team throwing their money around on whatever shiny baubles they come across in free agency. Signing three of the top four free agents on the market is a sign that they have excellent taste, even if they don't seem to have a credit limit. … More • Complete story | Team page: Yankees |
|
 2B Felipe Lopez |
 Signed: One year, $3.5 million |
| Keith Law says … Despite his up-and-down (mostly down) history, Lopez has ability and I like the chance this signing gives Arizona to catch one of his up periods. … More • Complete story | Team page: Diamondbacks |
|
 RHP Kerry Wood |
Signed: Two years, $20.5 million |
| Keith Law says … Cleveland takes a risk by signing Kerry Wood to a two-year, $20.5 million contract, but they acquire the best closer on the market if he stays healthy … More • Complete story | Team page: Indians |
|
 RHP A.J. Burnett |
Signed: Five years, $82.5 million |
| Keith Law says … On paper, the Yankees have one of the best rotations in baseball, perhaps the best if you feel optimistic and are willing to gift them with 30 starts apiece from A.J. Burnett and Joba Chamberlain. … More • Complete story | Team page: Yankees |
|
 LF Raul Ibanez |
 Signed: Three years, $31.5 million |
| Keith Law says … Raul Ibanez will turn 37 during the first year of his three-year deal with the Phillies and finish it at the age of 39. He's very similar to the player he's replacing, Pat Burrell. … More • Complete story | Team page: Phillies |
|
 RHP J.J. Putz |
OF Franklin Gutierrez | RHP Joe Smith |
| Keith Law says … If the Mets get the healthy J.J. Putz -- he missed time with rib and elbow injuries in 2008 -- they might actually have acquired the best closer of their offseason, one even better than their new capital-C closer, Francisco Rodriguez. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Mets | Mariners | Indians |
||
RHP Edwin Jackson |
OF Matt Joyce |
| Keith Law says … The Tigers get a potential upside play in Edwin Jackson, albeit one who's shown a lot of downside in his career, while the Rays get a partial solution to their right-field hole in Matt Joyce. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Tigers | Rays |
|
 LHP CC Sabathia |
Signed: Seven years, $161 million |
| Keith Law says … The Yankees used their financial advantage wisely this time. They acquired the best pitcher available in free agency, a welcome change from the philosophy earlier this decade … More • Complete story | Team page: Yankees |
|
 |
INF/OF Ryan Freel |
| Keith Law says … The problem with Hernandez is that his defense has gone in the tank the past two years, and he doesn't play with much energy at a position that demands it. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Reds | Orioles |
|
 RHP Francisco Rodriguez |
Signed: Three years, $37 million |
| Keith Law says … The signing of Francisco Rodriguez addresses one of the Mets' biggest weaknesses, adding probably three wins of value over the Mets' in-house options for late-game relief. … More • Complete story | Team page: Mets |
|
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 RHP Guillermo Moscoso |
| Keith Law says … The trade of Gerald Laird to the Tigers gets Detroit an inexpensive everyday catcher, but one with limited upside, and at a pretty significant cost in minor league pitching. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Tigers | Rangers |
|
 SS Edgar Renteria |
Signed: Two years, $18.5 million |
| Keith Law says … The signing of Edgar Renteria makes the Giants more competitive in 2009 and probably 2010, but at no cost to the generally bright long-term picture in San Francisco. … More • Complete story | Team page: Giants |
|
RHP Javier Vazquez |
 INF Brent Lillibridge |
| Keith Law says … Javier Vazquez comes to Atlanta for one good prospect, a wild-card arm, and some filler. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Braves | White Sox |
|
 LHP Mike Hampton |
 Signed: One year, $2 million |
| Keith Law says … It's a good fit for both sides; Houston just needs some starting pitching depth, and while Hampton is, at best, a back-of-the-rotation starter, if he can stay healthy … More • Complete story | Team page: Astros |
|
| RHP Junichi Tazawa |
Signed: Three years, $3.3 million |
| Keith Law says … Signing Tazawa was a no-brainer for the Red Sox. If he was an American college player eligible for next June's draft, at worst he'd be taken in the top two rounds, and I think it's likely he'd go in the back half or third of the first round. … More • Complete story | Team page: Red Sox |
|
 CF Coco Crisp |
RHP Ramon Ramirez |
| Keith Law says … This looks like the sort of trade in which both teams may end up disappointed with the results. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Royals | Red Sox |
|
 LHP Jeremy Affeldt |
Signed: Two years, $8 million |
| Keith Law says … [The Giants] get one of the best free agent relievers on the market for a contract below the typical length for high-end relievers. Two years is nothing for a quality relief pitcher. … More • Complete story | Team page: Giants |
|
RHP Kevin Gregg |
 RHP Jose Ceda |
| Keith Law says … Getting Jose Ceda for one year of Kevin Gregg is a heist for Florida, and could really end up as a disaster for the Cubs, given how they intend to realign their pen. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Cubs | Marlins |
|
1B/OF Nick Swisher |
INF Wilson Betemit RHP Jeff Marquez RHP Jhonny Nunez |
| Keith Law says … There's a chance that [the Yankees] got a good offensive player, while the White Sox get rid of Swisher but don't get anything valuable in return for their trouble. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Yankees | White Sox |
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 OF Carlos Gonzalez LHP Greg Smith RHP Huston Street |
| Keith Law says … His power is big enough to play even in a tougher hitting environment like Oakland's home park, but he's likely to strike out more often and see his average drop. Even if he drops to something like .310/.370/.520, Holliday will be an enormous upgrade in Oakland's lineup. … More • Complete story | Team pages: A's | Rockies |
|
LHP Scott Olsen |
2B Emilio Bonifacio RHP P.J. Dean 2B Jake Smolinski |
| Keith Law says … The Marlins move two players in a salary dump, trading them to the Nationals, who are in a perfect position to roll the dice on left-hander Scott Olsen while receiving a big upgrade offensively from outfielder Josh Willingham. It's an easy win for Washington. … More • Complete story | Team pages: Nationals | Marlins |
|
1B Mike Jacobs |
RHP Leo Nunez |
| Keith Law says … Jacobs should not get regular playing time from a major league club, period. The fact that the Royals looked at him and thought, "Wow, everyday first baseman!" is terrifying. … More  • Complete story | Team pages: Royals | Marlins |
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