Second Basemen

Orlando Hudson (Dodgers) - Up until early September, expectations were that the Dodgers would make a push to re-sign Hudson this winter. But the All-Star suddenly lost his job to Ronnie Belliard down the stretch and didn't start any of his team's nine postseason games. Now he's sure to exit Los Angeles and his chances of landing the big multiyear deal he craves have diminished.

Besides the Dodgers, the Mets, Cubs and Diamondbacks are the teams most likely to target second basemen in free agency. The Twins, Tigers, Marlins and Mariners could also dip their toes into the market.

Hudson has stated his preference for playing in New York several times in the past, and the Mets would have a spot for him if they could find a taker for Luis Castillo's contract first. Hudson is overrated defensively at this point of his career and he's had trouble staying healthy, but he'd still be a decent enough investment on a short-term deal. Prediction: Mets - two years, $14 million

Placido Polanco (Tigers) - Between Hudson and Polanco, both of this year's Gold Glove second basemen are available in free agency. Polanco is the game's steadiest defender at second base, having committed just 10 errors over the last three seasons. He still has pretty good range as well, though now that he's 34, it remains to be seen how much longer than will last. His OPS has dropped from a career-best 846 in 2007 to 768 in 2008 to 727 last season. Like Hudson, he only makes a lot of sense on a two-year deal. Prediction: Dodgers - two years, $12 million

Felipe Lopez (Brewers) - Ben Zobrist, Chase Utley and Luis Castillo were the only second basemen to best Lopez's .383 OBP last season. The disastrous 2 1/2-year run in Washington may still have some skeptical, but Lopez has been a terrific second baseman since the Nationals let him go. He's no longer a basestealer, but he still has well above average range and he's proven quite durable. Also, he's just 29 years old, giving him a significant advantage over the rest of the free agents here. He's likely looking at a two-year deal at a nice raise from the $3.5 million he made last season. Prediction: Cubs - two years, $11 million

Adam Kennedy (Athletics) - After back-to-back poor seasons in St. Louis, no one was interested in giving Kennedy a chance to contend for a starting job as a free agent last winter. Fortunately, he caught a break when the A's needed infielders to cover for their injuries and he saved his career by hitting .289/.348/.410 with 20 steals in 129 games. Kennedy could always re-sign with the A's now, but he wouldn't be guaranteed a starting job with Eric Chavez perhaps on the way back. Odds are that someone else will give him a chance to play second. Prediction: Diamondbacks - one year, $2 million


Other free agents: Juan Uribe (Giants), Jamey Carroll (Indians), Ronnie Belliard (Dodgers), Jerry Hairston Jr. (Yankees), Alex Cora (Mets), Mark Loretta (Dodgers), Edgar Gonzalez (Padres), Josh Barfield (Indians), Danny Richar (Reds), Nick Green (Red Sox), Miguel Cairo (Phillies), Alex Cintron (Nationals), Mark Bellhorn (Rockies), Tony Graffanino (Indians), Pete Orr (Nationals)

Uribe probably isn't a starting shortstop these days, but he hit like a legitimate second baseman last season, coming in at .289/.329/.495 in 398 at-bats for the Giants. San Francisco wants him back as a utilityman. … Carroll finished with identical .355 OBPs in his two seasons in Cleveland. It's just too bad he's no longer anything more than an emergency option at shortstop. … Belliard has been underrated practically forever, so it was nice to see him get a chance to shine with the Dodgers at the end of the year. There should be some team out there willing to pencil him for 300 at-bats between second, third and first.


Trade candidates: Brandon Phillips (Reds), Jose Lopez (Mariners), Dan Uggla (Marlins), Alberto Callaspo (Royals), Kelly Johnson (Braves), Mike Fontenot (Cubs), Alexi Casilla (Twins), Kevin Frandsen (Giants), Joaquin Arias (Rangers), Aaron Miles (Cubs), Hernan Iribarren (Brewers), Elliot Johnson (Rays), Brian Bixler (Pirates)

The Reds should be able to reduce payroll without moving Phillips, but if they don't see him in their long-term plans, now is the time to make the move. He'll be a lot more attractive this winter than he will be in 2011, when his salary jumps from $6.75 million to $11 million. … Lopez collected 25 homers and 96 RBI as a 25-year-old last season, but he doesn't get on base and his best position is probably third base. If the Mariners see a chance to sell high, they'll probably go for it. … I just addressed the Uggla situation on Friday.

Callaspo broke through with a .300/.356/.457 season in 2009 and he's going to make the minimum for another year, so it's surprising that the Royals seemingly have him up for bids. However, his defense at second base does leave a lot to be desired. … Frandsen and the Giants both seem fed up with one another, and there's little chance that the 27-year-old will last the winter in the organization. He'll be a decent fallback option for a team with a question mark at second base.


Non-tender candidates: Kelly Johnson (Braves), Mike Fontenot (Cubs), Esteban German (Rangers), Joe Inglett (Blue Jays), Jarret Hoffpauir (Blue Jays), Tug Hulett (Royals), Mike McCoy (Blue Jays)

Johnson won't be back with the Braves, and now it's just a question of whether Atlanta will get something for him or if the club will have to non-tender him because of his likely $3 million-$3.5 million salary. Some of the teams that aren't sure whether they'll pursue second basemen -- Minnesota and Detroit come to mind -- would be smart to get into the mix if he becomes a free agent. … Fontenot's OPS slipped from a remarkable 909 in 243 at-bats in 2008 to 677 in 377 at-bats last season, and he turned out to be the final player to qualify for super-two arbitration. The Cubs are expected to go in a different direction at second.


2010-11 free agents: Mark Ellis (Athletics)*, Akinori Iwamura (Pirates), Maicer Izturis (Angels), Omar Infante (Braves)*, Kaz Matsui (Astros), David Eckstein (Padres), Aaron Miles (Cubs)

2011 options: Ellis - $6 million ($500,000 buyout), Infante - $2.5 million ($250,000 buyout)

2011-12 free agents: Robinson Cano (Yankees)*, Aaron Hill (Blue Jays)*, Brandon Phillips (Reds)*, Jose Lopez (Mariners), Dan Uggla (Marlins), Rickie Weeks (Brewers), Kelly Johnson (Braves), Freddy Sanchez (Giants), Clint Barmes (Rockies), Luis Castillo (Mets), Esteban German (Rangers)

2012 options: Cano - $14 million ($2 million buyout), Hill - $26 million club option for 2012-14 (if exercised after 2010), Phillips - $12 million ($1 million buyout)


Third Basemen


Chone Figgins (Angels) - Viewed by most as the No. 3 position player on the board behind Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, Figgins is in position to get a four-year deal worth at least $10 million per season. It helps that he's not limited to third base. He's probably no longer an option as a full-time second baseman, but he can handle center or left without much trouble. The Phillies are known to want him as a replacement for Pedro Feliz, the Mets appear to like him as a left fielder and the Cubs could use him in center field. It's possible that the Angels will keep him, but they do have Brandon Wood ready to take over at third base if the bidding gets out of control. Prediction: Cubs - four years, $48 million

Adrian Beltre (Mariners) - While Figgins is getting all of the attention, Beltre might well be the better bet going forward. He's the younger of the two by a year, and he's arguably baseball's best defensive third baseman. His 2009 season was a mess because of injuries, but he's still played in more games than Figgins over the last six seasons and he has the superior career OPS even though playing in Safeco has held him back (he's a career .287/.338/.488 hitter in road games). He'd be an outstanding choice for the Twins if they could come up with the money, and the Red Sox would likely pursue him if they could find a taker for Mike Lowell's contract. As is, his market is cloudy. Prediction: Phillies - three years, $27 million

Mark DeRosa (Cardinals) - DeRosa shouldn't be viewed as a starting second baseman at this stage of his career, but because of his increased power production the last couple of years, there will be several teams in on him. The Cardinals, Phillies, Mariners, Angels and Twins may have interest in him as a third baseman, while the Cubs, Braves and Mets could use him in the outfield. Perhaps that will be enough to land him another three-year deal. Prediction: Cardinals - three years, $18 million

Troy Glaus (Cardinals) - Shoulder surgery, followed by some back troubles, limited Glaus to 29 at-bats last season, but he still thinks he can play third base regularly. He was able to start 151 games and hit .270/.372/.483 in 2008, so it's too early to write him off. Still, it'd be best if he landed in the American League, giving him the DH spot to fall back on just in case. Time will tell whether the steroid taint causes him any difficulty. Seattle, Oakland, Minnesota and Baltimore make sense as possible destinations. Prediction: Athletics - one year, $4 million plus incentives

Joe Crede (Twins) - A third straight season with fewer than 100 games played guarantees that Crede is going to have to accept another incentive-laden deal. Despite all of his back problems, he remains exceptional defensively at third base when he's in the lineup. However, he didn't impress with his .225/.289/.414 line at the plate in 333 at-bats last season. If the Twins want to keep going cheap, they'll probably re-sign him. Prediction: Twins - one year, $2.5 million plus incentives

Pedro Feliz (Phillies) - At least you know what you'll get from Feliz; he's finished with OPSs between 694 and 717 each of the last five years. He's also played in 150 games four times in those five seasons (133 in the other). Feliz will turn 35 in April and he has lost a step defensively, but he's still well above average. He likely has one or two years left as an adequate starter. Prediction: Astros - one year, $2.5 million

Melvin Mora (Orioles) - Mora is just a year removed from a terrific .285/.342/.483 season, but he lost 150 points of OPS in 2009, and since he's turning 38 this winter, there's little reason to think he'll bounce back. That he remains above average defensively means he's still worthy of a roster spot, if not a starting job. He's another potentially cheap option for the Astros or Marlins. If he wants to stay close to home, then perhaps the Yankees, Phillies or Mets would take him on as a bench player. Prediction: Mets - one year, $1 million


Other free agents: Aaron Boone (Astros), Dallas McPherson (Giants), Mike Hessman (Tigers), Brian Barden (Cardinals), Joe Thurston (Cardinals), Joe Dillon (Rays), Brian Buscher (Twins), Rich Aurilia (Giants), Chris Woodward (Red Sox), Pablo Ozuna (Phillies)

There isn't a lot of help here. Boone and Aurilia are expected to head off to retirement, and McPherson and Hessman are more likely to receive opportunities in Japan than in the U.S. … Barden deserves another look as a utilityman after the Cardinals gave up on him quickly last season. He's an excellent defender at third and adequate at short.


Trade candidates: Mike Lowell (Red Sox - NTC), Edwin Encarnacion (Blue Jays), Kevin Kouzmanoff (Padres), Garrett Atkins (Rockies), Ty Wigginton (Orioles), Mat Gamel (Brewers), Brandon Wood (Angels), Jeff Baker (Cubs), Brendan Harris (Twins), Andy Marte (Indians), Neil Walker (Pirates), Greg Dobbs (Phillies), Jeff Keppinger (Astros), Matt Brown (Angels), Adam Rosales (Reds)

With Lowell's hip slowing him down, the Red Sox would like to go in a different direction at third, either by shifting Kevin Youkilis to the position or by signing a free agent. Lowell, though, has a no-trade clause that he could choose to wield. His $12 million salary won't make him easy to move anyway, though the Red Sox could help out with that. … The Blue Jays have seemingly wanted to be rid of Encarnacion since the day they picked him up for Scott Rolen. My feeling is that they should install him in right field and see what happens. He has very little trade value at the moment.

The Padres should play up Kouzmanoff's sterling fielding percentage and his numbers outside of Petco Park and move him now. His dreadful approach at the plate isn't getting any better, and they have Chase Headley capable of stepping in at third base. … It'd be quite a waste for the Brewers to send Gamel back to Triple-A, but that's what they'll probably do with Casey McGehee expected to start at third base at the beginning of next season. Maybe someone will step up and offer a quality starting pitcher for him.


Non-tender candidates: Garrett Atkins (Rockies), Jose Bautista (Blue Jays), Brendan Harris (Twins), Jeff Keppinger (Astros), Eric Bruntlett (Phillies), Andy Marte (Indians), Freddy Sandoval (Angels), Brooks Conrad (Braves), Andy Tracy (Phillies), Andy Green (Mets)

The Rockies could have gotten something for Atkins at midseason. Now they'll probably have to cut him. It's hard to imagine someone acquiring him when he'll almost surely come cheaper in free agency than in arbitration. He'd be due about $7.5 million next season in arbitration. … Bautista is a useful part-timer, but not at the $3 million or so that he'll make in arbitration. … Harris will only make about $1.2 million, so he should be safe. The Twins might trade him, though. … Keppinger will probably earn about $1 million. That's a fair number for an infielder who is pretty useful against lefties. The Astros, though, wouldn't have room for him if they went out and got a Feliz or a Mora.


2010-11 free agents: Aramis Ramirez (Cubs)*, Jhonny Peralta (Indians)*, Mike Lowell (Red Sox), Scott Rolen (Reds), Brandon Inge (Tigers), Garrett Atkins (Rockies), Eric Chavez (Athletics)*, Ty Wigginton (Orioles), Bill Hall (Mariners)*, Ramon Vazquez (Pirates), Geoff Blum (Astros)*

2011 options: Ramirez - $14.6 million player option, Peralta - $7 million ($250,000 buyout), Chavez - $12.5 million ($3 million buyout), Hall - $9.25 million ($500,000 buyout), Blum - $1.65 million mutual option,

2011-12 free agents: Aramis Ramirez (Cubs)*, Edwin Encarnacion (Blue Jays), Casey Blake (Dodgers)*, Mark Teahen (White Sox), Jose Bautista (Blue Jays), Greg Dobbs (Phillies)

2012 options: Ramirez - $16 million vesting mutual option ($2 million buyout), Blake - $6 million ($1.25 million buyout)

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