Thinking Its Not All Bad Cowboys Lost, NFL FREE AGENTS 2010...

No, Brett Favre is not a free agent nor would the Cowboys need a QB.  Tony Romo was not to blame for the Cowboys 2nd Round loss to Minnesota.  Is 2010 going to be an uncapped year?  How would Jerry handle it if 2010 ended up being uncapped?  The purpose of this post is to list free agents at certain positions of need that the Cowboys should take a look at.  The draft will hopefully provide upgrades as we've seen through the developments made this year, but free agency is a different deal because of the ability to grade players based on professional performance.

Restricted Free Agents in Italics
Won't Be Able To Get in Strike Through

WR:  **TOP PRIORITY** Mile Austin (26) **TOP PRIORITY**, Brandon Marshall (26), Lance Moore (27)

OL:  Jahri Evans (27), Logan Mankins (28), Jared Gaither (24), Donald Penn (27), Jermon Bushrod (26)

DB:  Nick Collins (27),  Antoine Bethea (26), Roman Harper (27), O.J. Atogwe (29), Darren Sharper (34), Gerald Sensabaugh (27)

More to Come

Colby Lewis, Who?

The first time I heard this name associated with the Rangers I thought nothing of it but perhaps a player of the Jason Jennings caliber.  But as the Colby Lewis train pulls into the station, rearing to load up for the 2010 baseball season, I start to hear what kind of train he is although I have not seen it.

Colby Lewis was drafted in the 1st round (sandwich pick) of the 1999 draft, 38th overall by the Texas Rangers out of North High School in Bakersfield, CA.  He made his Major League debut in 2002 going 1-3 with a 6.29 ERA in 15 games, 4 starts.  His career did not progress any better as he spent time up and down from the Majors and Minors with the Rangers, Tigers, Nationals (minors), A's and Royals (minors).

Lewis then made the decision to go play in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp taking the spot of ace which had been vacated by now Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda.  NPB Tracker Patrick Newman writes:

"Nikkan Sports and others are reporting that Hiroshima Carp ace Colby Lewis has turned down the team’s offer and will return to MLB for 2010. Lewis cited family health problems as his decision to leave the Carp.

Lewis leaves big shoes for Hiroshima to fill. He stepped in to the ace role that Hiroki Kurodawas not his strength at the MLB level. In Japan, Lewis only walked 46 over 354.1 innings pitched. Somewhat weirdly however, he did hit 14 batters in 2009. vacated, and in some ways outperformed the current Dodger. In 54 NPB games, Lewis went 26-17 with a 2.83 era, and led the Central League in strikeouts in each of the last two seasons. More impressive was his command of the strike zone, which

Lewis looks like an interesting back-rotation MLB starter to me, and could be very effective if his command makes the trip back. Please see our data site to get a feel for his arsenal."

 Craig Calcaterra of Circling the Bases writes this bit about Lewis's decision:

"Colby Lewis, a former first round draft pick for the Rangers, had an undistinguished stint in the majors.  OK, that's putting it a bit lightly.  He had a 6.71 ERA, splitting time between starting and relieving over five seasons. He then went on to Japan for a couple of years where he seemed to find himself:  He went 15-8 with a 2.68 ERA and a 183/27 K/BB ratio in 178 innings in 2008 and went 11-9 with a 2.96 ERA and a 186/19 K/BB in 176 1/3 IP last season."

So after spending two seasons with Hiroshima it seems that Lewis has found the command he had lacked in the States and could be on the cusp of a big comeback if you want to call it that.  One problem is that I have a hard time finding MLB players that made the trip from Japan to the States that aren't Japanese.  Since 2001 there have been seven Japanese players to play in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.  That is seven out of 41 players that have played at least one game in the bigs though.  Pretty good percentage considering some didn't play that much.  Obviously Japan has great players as seen in their World Baseball Classic showings.  Most Japanese players that come to the States don't make the trip until they've played considerable time in Japan as well.

What are the chances Lewis succeeds.  I'd say a former first rounder that struggled to put it together until the age of 28 while bouncing around in the Major League Baseball and then finding comfort across the world has as good of chance as any.  He is now 30 years old and signed a two year deal that will put him on the Texas Rangers' 40-man roster.

Rob's NFL 2010 Mock Draft (1-10) Research

1.) 2008:  Chris Long (DE) - 2009:  Jayson Smith (OT)

Team Needs:  Everything!... QB, DE, DT, OG, CB, WR

The New NFL Draft Pick:  Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Football's Future Pick:  Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

2.)  2008:  Gosder Cherilus (OT) - 2009:  Matthew Stafford (QB), Brandon Pettigrew (TE)

Team Needs:  DT, CB, DE, LT, OG, WR, O-line, O-line, O-line

The New NFL Draft Pick:   Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Football's Future Pick:  Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma St.

3.)  2008:  Aqib Talib (CB) - 2009:  Josh Freeman (QB)

Team Needs:  DT, DE, WR, CB, S, O-line

The New NFL Draft Pick:  Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma St.
Football's Future Pick:  Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

4.)  2008:  Glen Dorsey (DT), Branden Albert (OT) - 2009:  Tyson Jackson (DE)

Team Needs:  OT, OG, OLB, WR, NT, C, S

The New NFL Draft Pick:   Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
Football's Future Pick:  Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee

5.)  2008:  None - 2009:  Brian Orakpo (DE)

Team Needs:  OT, QB, SLB, RB, OG, C

The New NFL Draft Pick:  Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Football's Future Pick:  Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame


6.)  2008: None - 2009:  Alex Mack (C)


Team Needs:  RT, DE, ILB, WR, S, TE

The New NFL Draft Pick:  Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Football's Future Pick:  Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St.


7.)  2008:  Lawrence Jackson (DE) - 2009:  Aaron Curry (OLB


Team Needs: LT, OG, QB, RB, S, DL

The New NFL Draft Pick:  Bryan Bulaga, T, Iowa
Football's Future Pick:  Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma


8.)  2008:  Darrenn McFadden (RB) -  2009:  Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR)


Team Needs:  NT, OT, OG, CB, LB, QB

The New NFL Draft Pick:  Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Football's Future Pick:  Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

9.)  2008:  Leodis McKelvin (CB) - 2009:  Aaron Maybin (DE), Eric Wood (C)

Team Needs:  QB, OT, DT, OLB, WR

The New NFL Draft Pick:  Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
Football's Future Pick:  Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

10.)  2008:  Derrick Harvey (DE) - 2009:  Eugene Monroe (OT)

Team Needs: DE, OG, S, DT, C, WR

The New NFL Draft Pick:  Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Football's Future Pick:  Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech


*  The New NFL Draft (http://newnfldraft.com/)
*  Football's Future (http://www.footballsfuture.com/2010/nflmockdraft.html - Robert Davis)

If I Were the Pirates, What Would I Do?

Image 1: Pittsburgh Pirates Logo (thatnbalotterypick.com)

Besides completely overhauling scouting and management positions a lot more needs to be done - although I did hear they opened up a training facility in the Dominican recently.  So let's take a quick look at one of the sorriest franchises... the Pittsburgh Pirates. (italics below, denotes prospects)

Positives:  Garrett Jones, Ryan Doumit, Andrew McCutchen, Zach Duke, Pedro Alvarez


Upsides:  Iwamura, Milledge, LaRoche, Hanrahan, Crosby, Gorkys Hernandez, Jose Tabata, Brad Lincoln, Tim Alderson, Tony Sanchez


Negatives:  They have been so bad for so long and continue to be a team in desperation.  Their team payroll is the lowest in the league at around $32 million.

Salaries:

C:  Ryan Doumit (29) - $3.55m
1B: Jeff Clement (26) - $0.42m
2B:  Aki Iwamora (31) - $4.85m
3B:  Andy LaRoche (26) - $0.44
SS:  Bobby Crosby (30) - $1.0m
LF:  Lastings Milledge (25) - $0.54m
CF:  Andrew McCutchen (23) - $0.42m
RF:  Garrett Jones (28) - $0.42m

Image 2: Pedro Alvarez (vandymania.com)

C: Tony Sanchez
IF:  Pedro Alvarez (23) - $0.89m
OF:  Gorksy Hernandez (22) - $0.03m
OF: Jose Tabata (21) - $0.65m

P:  Zach Duke (26) - $4.5m
P:  Paul Maholm (27) - $4.5m
P:  Ross Ohlendorf (27) - $0.44m

Closer:  Joel Hanrahan (28) $0.44m

RHP: Brad Lincoln (24) - $0.33m
RHP: Tim Alderson (22)

Obvious needs:  Pitching, pitching, pitching...  and oh ya... an impact bat or two.

The Pirates have a solid 1, 2, 3, 4 once Alvarez is ready.  McCutchen, Iwamura, Alvarez, Jones could be too left handed though for some to live with leaving the possibility to slide Iwamura down to the 8 hole and perhaps move up a guy like Milledge to 2.

I'm sure all Pirates fans loved watching Garrett Jones pound the ball like he did last year but his bat alone is not going to scare a pitcher.  An impact bat needs to be added, preferably a 1st basemen.  Jeff Clement is a low risk-high reward 1st basemen but I know there is a better bat to be had there.

My lineup would go:

CF: McCutchen (R)
3B: Alvarez (L)
LF: Milledge (R)
1B/RF: Jones (L)
1B/RF:
C: Doumit (S)
SS: Crosby (R)
2B: Iwamura (L)

Free Agents that could fit (italics below, denotes 2011 free agents):

1B:  Jermaine Dye (36), Hank Blalock (29), Carlos Delgado (38), Derek Lee (35), Adam Dunn (31), Carlos Pena (33)

OF:  Rick Ankiel (30), Johnny Damon (36), Jayson Werth (32), Andruw Jones (34), Pat Burrell (34), Eric Byrnes (34) *if released

SP:  Pedro Martinez (38), Mark Prior (28), Ben Sheets (31), Bronson Arroyo (34), Jeremey Bonderman (28), Aaron Harang (33)

RP:  Kevin Gregg (32), Octavio Dotel (36), Joaquin Benoit (32), Will Ohman (31), Frank Fransisco (31), Juan Cruz (30), Jeremy Affeldt (32)

Notable Pennsylvania Baseball Players: great list...

Mark DiFelice, Taylor Bucholtz, Khalil Greene, Ryan Garko, Kyle Banks, Nolan Reimold

References:  mlbtraderumors.com, baseball-reference.com, mlb.com


Note:  I do understand the importance ot trades and strategery that goes into them.  Perhaps I'll dig a little deeper next time.  Thanks!