Offseason movement: Free agency

“While You Were Sleeping …”

Since Sandra Bullock has reclaimed her place as America’s movie darling - and I heard four billion references to The Blind Side while attending Super Bowl functions in Miami - I thought I’d start this piece with a nod to one of her breakthrough roles.

Sorry to all you Speed or Demolition Man aficionados out there. I just wasn’t feeling Keanu or Wesley as I started mulling this piece.

I use this reference as the introduction to a rundown of the free agency activity this offseason. Once the sun set on the World Series (the Yankees won, in case you forgot), our attention shifted to the glory of the National Football League and the Saints’ run to supremacy. As such, you probably missed a few of the following transactions.

That isn’t to say this list is exhaustive. There are more than a few minor league deals that were struck and are to be watched during spring training. We’ll save the review of those signings for our Cactus and Grapefruit League coverage.

John Lackey became the latest entrant to the battle for supremacy in the AL East when he inked a deal with the Red Sox. He’s posted seven consecutive double-digit win seasons, and there’s no doubt he’ll do so again batting an injury. His ERA and WHIP probably rise from facing a steady diet of AL East lineups, but he’s still a top-notch performer on the whole.

Randy Wolf parlayed his best season (3.23 ERA and 1.10 WHIP) into a new deal with the Brewers. He’s a solid control pitcher, but generally surrenders a lot of hits. Happily, he'll see some of the weaker NL Central lineups regularly to keep the overall numbers down. Still, owners shouldn’t buy into a repeat performance.

I’ve already ranted about Joel Pineiro’s two-year, $16 million deal with the Angels. The Cardinals’ staff, particularly Dave Duncan, should receive a kickback. Pineiro had struggled with ERAs near 5.00 for the better part of half a decade and still pulls in a huge deal off one strong season. Well done. Just don’t bank on a repeat in Los Angeles.

He’s not the most exciting of hurlers, but the Nationals signed Jason Marquis to eat innings and give them a chance. Marquis has won double-digit games in six consecutive seasons. He’s a drag on the ERA and WHIP columns and doesn’t offer much in the strikeout category. Still, owners will sell their souls in the fifth starting slot to earn a few more wins.

The A’s placed a $10 million bet on the right shoulder of Ben Sheets. He’s coming off his best season since 2004, but there’s a lot of risk here. He's reportedly been throwing in the low 90s and is expected to step into the top of the rotation. He’s a high-risk, high-reward option in 2010.

We generally say the same about Rich Harden, and he’s on the move following a season and a half in Chicago. He dominated NL batters after joining the Cubs in 2008, but regressed terribly last year. What happens when facing potent AL lineups in a hitter-friendly park?

Brad Penny was impressive in his 41 2/3 innings of work for the Giants in 2009, and the Cardinals are banking that they can parlay that performance into a repeat of his 2006 effort (16 wins and 3.03 ERA). Of course, his resurgence upon rejoining the National League could be a mirage, as he’d been lit up like a Christmas tree in 2008 (Dodgers) and the early part of 2009 as a member of the Red Sox.

Rich Hill makes my list because of his new association with the LaRussa/Duncan machine in St. Louis. They got a huge year out of Joel Pineiro, so perhaps they can work some magic on Hill and bring him back to some semblance of his former dominant self.

The closer carousel was running on full steam this offseason as well.

• Mike Gonzalez takes the reins in Baltimore. Can the starters take advantage of the offensive output and get him opportunities?

• Billy Wagner will be the new closer in Atlanta. Can he avoid the disabled list and bring the mid-90s heat for Bobby Cox?

• Octavio Dotel pitched out of middle relief for the White Sox in 2009 and posted weak overall numbers. He assumes the closer role in Pittsburgh that was vacated by Matt Capps (Washington).

• Fernando Rodney saved 37 games for the Tigers in 2009 despite posting bloated ERA and WHIP totals. He’ll compete for the Angels' closer role with Brian Fuentes in spring training.

• The Tigers signed Jose Valverde to replace Rodney following his strong three-season run with the Astros. He should at least see 12-15 opportunities off the arm of Justin Verlander alone.

Miguel Olivo joins the Rockies following a strong power display in Kansas City (23 home runs). He doesn’t normally offer much in the batting average department, but regular at-bats in Colorado should help that somewhat. He’ll battle Chris Iannetta (the presumed favorite) in training camp. I suspect he’ll see ample playing time after inking a $2.5-million deal.

Ivan Rodriguez isn’t a power broker behind the plate any longer, but he still gets behind the dish every day and should post overall stats. The Washington lineup is stronger, thereby creating more potential for the veteran backstop. I’m just stoked to find a catcher who qualifies for the batting title.

Chone Figgins stays in the AL West and joins Ichiro as a firestarter in Seattle. He’ll continue to hit for a high average while generating a sizable stolen base total. The re-tooled Seattle attack is interesting, and Figgins’ ability to jumpstart the offense will be paramount to the team’s success.

Nick Johnson and his high OBP join the veritable run-scoring conga line in the Bronx. He’s not a huge power contributor, but a healthy Johnson will rap out a ton of doubles, score runs and hit for a high batting average.

Orlando Hudson joins the Twins to shore up the middle infield. He routinely posts solid numbers across all five categories to aid fantasy owners. He's batted .283 or better in four consecutive seasons and sets the table nicely by slapping hits into the gaps.

Adrian Beltre posted a fairly insignificant final season in Seattle. He joins the run-scoring machine in Boston now, where his warning track flies become doubles. He's been one of the leading power producers at the third base position for a decade. He won’t blow up the batting average category (although a move to Fenway should help), but Beltre will offer three-category production this season.

Placido Polanco returns to Philadelphia following a five-year stint with the Tigers. He remains a potent batting average contributor (.284 or better in every season since 2000) with good gap power and RBI production. He'll be a solid contributor in the strong Philadelphia lineup.

One player to watch on draft day is Khalil Greene, who's missed a ton of playing time the past two seasons because of injuries. If sound, he could make an impact in Texas. Think about it, he was a 15-home run player in PETCO for several seasons. He won’t offer much in the batting average department, but regular at-bats in Arlington could offer fantasy owners solid value in the middle infield.

The Astros added Pedro Feliz to play the hot corner and offer some pop in the bottom half of the lineup. He didn’t light up the power numbers during his two years in Philadelphia, but he still possesses good gap power (30 doubles last year) and has 20-homer potential. I’m intrigued to see how the heart of the Houston order bounces back in 2010 and what type of production Feliz can generate in Minute Maid Park.

The well-traveled Orlando Cabrera remains a solid four-category producer for fantasy owners. He won’t hit for much power, but he's a solid .275 batter who routinely swipes double-digit bases and sprays the ball around the field (72 or more RBI in three of the past four seasons). He’ll enjoy batting in Great American Ballpark.

Melvin Mora is an intriguing player to watch in spring training. The veteran third baseman joined the Rockies this offseason and will compete for playing time following the departure of Garrett Atkins (Baltimore). He hasn’t replicated those big-time batting average numbers of the middle of the decade, but he’s remained a solid RBI man and home run hitter when healthy. Dig the Coors air.

As for Atkins, he’ll play first base for the re-tooled and mighty interesting Baltimore squad. His power numbers waned last year and his batting average fell off a cliff, so there’s obviously room for concern. Still, he might just represent a decent value selection late, as owners will stay away from him following the uniform exchange.

The Braves are trusting that Troy Glaus can bounce back from a career-low 14-game season in 2009. In fact, he’s missed extensive time in two of the past three seasons (115 games in 2007). He's the classic big-power, low-batting average option if he’s sound, but there’s a lot of risk associated with his selection.

I know about all of the Miguel Tejada jokes. He’s put in for social security. He’s confused steroids for Geritol. There are one million jokes being bandied about the sporting landscape. The fact of the matter is he can still hit. He’s not a 30-HR, 100-RBI machine anymore, but he remains a virtual lock for 15-20 home runs and 80-90 RBI in an intriguing Baltimore lineup.

Jason Bay parlayed his career year (power-wise, anyway) into a sizable contract with the Mets. Which runners will be there for Bay to drive in other than David Wright remains to be seen, as injury questions swirl in the Big Apple. I do have to ask this question for my Mets fans among you. Can he pitch in a relief if needed?

Mike Cameron returns to the American League following a six-year absence and will be a part of the Red Sox outfield rotation. He remains a strong power threat (21 or more home runs in five of the past six seasons) who'll be a drag on your batting average (.250 career mark). He might also provide some thefts if his hamstring issues are behind him, as he'd swiped 17 or more bases in 11 of 12 seasons prior to 2009.

Are the glory days gone for Vladimir Guerrero? He’ll try to shake off questions of injuries and age by joining the potent Rangers lineup in Arlington. He appeared in only 100 games and generated his lowest power total (15 home runs) since becoming an everyday player in 1998. He likely assumes the DH role to help lessen the wear and tear on his body. Owners in your league might be scared off by the myriad of injuries and give you a potential bargain. I can’t wait to see that violent swing in the heat of a Texas summer.

Coco Crisp was once a five-category performer for fantasy owners. Injuries have slowed his performance, but he remains a solid speed contributor when healthy (13 thefts in 49 games last year). The power numbers just aren’t there any longer, and he clearly won’t be aided by playing in the Oakland-Alameda County Stadium.

Xavier Nady joins the Cubs after missing virtually all of the 2009 season with an elbow injury. He slammed 20 or more home runs in back-to-back seasons prior to last year’s injury-shortened campaign. He’ll be interesting to watch as part of the Cubs’ outfield rotation and could serve as a nice, cheap, bounce-back option.

Hideki Matsui demonstrated that his bat is still mighty potent when he’s healthy. He slammed 28 home runs and drove in 90 runs in his final year in the Bronx and will now be counted on to be an offensive leader in the overhauled Angels lineup. He's almost exclusively a DH at this juncture, and his injury history is certainly daunting. We can almost certainly anticipate a dip in performance following the change of uniforms.

Following two injury-shortened seasons in Chicago and Colorado, Scott Podsednik returned to the White Sox in 2009 and demonstrated that his wheels were sound. He swiped 30 bases in 43 attempts while batting .304 with 25 doubles. He’ll now start in left field for the Royals and warrants consideration for a third or fourth outfield slot because of the speed element.

The Royals also came to an agreement with pitcher-turned-slugger Rick Ankiel. He'll look to rediscover his power stroke (25 home runs in 2008 to 11 in 2009) while working to cut his strikeout rate to boost his batting average.

One of the game’s great utilitymen, Mark DeRosa, joins a re-tooled San Francisco lineup. He’s a well-traveled veteran player who just finds at-bats. He's topped 20 home runs in back-to-back seasons while driving in a total of 165 runs. He’ll definitely get enough at-bats to warrant a fantasy roster slot.

The White Sox are conducting a test of the WDYBG (Where did your bat go?) to see whether former slugger Andruw Jones has anything left in the tank. OK, so he can still put a charge in the ball when he connects (35 extra-base hits in 281 at-bats last year), but that’s such a rare occurrence these days. Jones had batted a collective .207 in the past three years. He’s signed to a minimal incentive-based deal.

Jones’ arrival precluded the retention of “Mr. Incredible,” Jim Thome, who signed with the division rival Twins. He strikes out a ton, but still possesses tremendous power. He ripped 38 extra-base hits and drove in 74 runs in 345 at-bats for the White Sox before getting dealt to the Dodgers.