Free Agency Super Market

So many top level talents are still free agents this offseason. Andy Pettitte finally signed an incentive laden deal with the Yankees yesterday, which can be worth as much as $12 million, but as little as $5.5 million. With under 3 weeks until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, have a look at the big names who are still available.

Catchers-

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez- an eventual Hall of Famer

Jason Varitek, a mainstay with the Red Sox for, well, ever...still remains unsigned

Outfielders-

Bobby Abreu, a steady numbers guy and former all star

Adam Dunn, 40 or more homers for 4 straight years

Ken Griffey Jr, more HoF names on the list

Manny Ramirez, another Hall of Famer with a monster bat

Garret Anderson, .296 career avg. and 84 RBI last year

Jim Edmonds, 20 homers last season is worth consideration

Starting pitchers-

Livan Hernandez, former world champ & all star racks up innings

Tom Glavine, surely another HoF lock

Ben Sheets, has talent but is an injury concern

Oliver Perez, lefty has big K potential

Jon Garland, multiple 18-win seasons in this guy's career

Pedro Martinez, yes ANOTHER sure Hall of Famer on this list!

Randy Wolf, solid lefty and a former all star with our Phillies

Infield/DH-

Nomar Garciaparra- former all star, versatile fielder

Frank Thomas- 500-HR club member, still has power

What does this weak market mean for players? Some insiders have proclaimed it's collusion by teams to drive down the values of players. I can't say I disagree with that sort of collusion. When the guy (Ryan Howard) who set the record for highest salary awarded in an arbitration case, just last year, at $10 million, comes back the very next season and asks for 80% MORE than that record, it's very telling that some players' concepts of their own values are way off.

Waiting it out for discounts is smart for the teams and owners. With just a few teams suited as fits for a guy like Manny Ramirez, there are even less teams who could actually afford him. Possibly the only one on that list is the Dodgers. The Dodgers offered Manny a contract at the winter meetings (2 yrs, $45 million), which was rejected, and now a newer offer would likely be lower than, considering the dwindling options for Ramirez.

When asked, executive director of the players' union, Donald Fehr, won't comment about collusion, but says he'd be surprised if a market advantageous to the players didn't develop.

Players listed above who don't sign with teams in the coming weeks probably won't feel pressure to sign on for bottom dollar deals in order to get a pay check either. These are mostly guys who've gotten huge deals in their pasts, and are already millionaires. An in-season free agent market could be something that develops in 2009, like it never has before. Starting pitcher Paul Byrd has already announced his intentions to take the first half of the season off, and then make himself available to sign mid-season and help a contender. This is the way that Roger Clemens operated in the final years of his career. We could see more than a few guys using this strategy to their advantages this year. If the right market doesn't develop for players such as Bobby Abreu, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine and Manny Ramirez, before April, these free agents could be setting their own prices once again as the playoff races develop during the 2009 season.

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

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