"Boom, Bust, or Bobby Bonilla" takes a look at MLB's Free Agents and the teams who need them in 2008.My first child is due at the end of January. My wife and I don't know the kid's gender yet but if it's a boy I'll get a chance to implement a child rearing strategy I've long wanted to try. I'd tie his right arm behind his back for as long as it took to make him a lefty and then spend the next 18 years teaching him to pitch. Baseball changes over time but I can't imagine it will ever change so much that there won't be a desperate need for lefthanded pitching.
Carlos Silva has me thinking that might not be necessary, though. Silva's going to become a very rich man at some point in the next month and that's got me thinking maybe the boy wouldn't absolutely have to be a lefthander. I mean, I'd still do everything in my power to assure my son grew up with the ability to drop a nasty bender and own the inside of the plate but if he's righty we can work with that. I thank Silva for opening my eyes.
It's not that Silva's a bad pitcher who I think any schlub could impersonate without much trouble, it's just that he isn't exactly a staff ace, either. He has a 5.01 ERA over the last two seasons and strikes out 3.8 batters per nine innings so he isn't going to be confused for Jake Peavy anytime soon. On the plus side he almost never gives up walks and rebounded from an awful '06 with a very nice 2007 season. He's also got impeccable timing. As the best starter under 30 on the free agent market which could net him a yearly wage of at least $10 million for the next four years.
The suitors are lining up at Silva's door. He debuted as a member of the Phillies and they could use a reliable arm behind Cole Hamels and Brett Myers. The Mets and Cubs don't shy away from spending good money in the rotation nor do the Tigers in the American League. The Royals aren't usually big spenders although they made Gil Meche wealthy this time last year and could use a pitcher of Silva's skills. The Mariners, Angels, Reds and probably a half-dozen other teams could use Silva if the price is right but that many bidders means that it probably won't be.
I'd put my money on the Mets or Phillies, especially if Aaron Rowand signs elsewhere. Their battle atop the NL East is going to make some pitcher or another a lot of dough. The Royals could be a dark horse, though. No one expected them to pay up for Meche last year and if they added Silva to him, Brian Bannister and Zach Greinke they'd have their best rotation in quite some time.
