| Ladies and gentlemen, your top-ranked free-agent third baseman. (Getty Images) |
Our jaunt through the largely uninspiring 2012-13 class of free agents continues. Now it's time to run down the third basemen who are hitting the market.
Why just eight names ranked below? Because we have just eight names classified as third basemen. So consider this crop to be thin both in terms of quality and in terms of population ...
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1. Kevin Youkilis | 2012 team: Red Sox, White Sox
2012 stats: .235/.336/.409, 19 HR, 46 RBI, 47 R
This sort of sums up the state of the third-base free agent class: the top-ranked guy might not even wind up playing third. Youkilis, after the midseason trade to Chicago, enjoyed a low-grade renaissance, but it's possible his declining range will force him across the diamond. Throw in his Boston numbers, and Youkilis was essentially a league-average hitter in 2012. Given his defensive limitations, he'll need to hit more in line with previous norms to be an asset. He'll turn 34 before opening day.
2.Brandon Inge | 2012 team: Tigers, A's
2012 stats: .218/.275/.383, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 33 R
Yes, your second-ranked third baseman was released by his first team before the end of April. Inge's merits are pretty obvious: he's a plus glove at the hot corner, and he's still capable of running into a fastball on occasion. The overall offensive numbers, however, figure to be pretty dismal.
3. Placido Polanco | 2012 team: Phillies
2012 stats: .257/.302/.327, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 28 R
The 37-year-old Polanco rather quietly topped 2,000 career hits this past season, but, not surprisingly, his offensive numbers continued a downward trend. His defensive indicators, however, remained strong. If he can overcome the back problems that plagued him last season, he can still be a useful stop-gap for a contender.
4. Scott Rolen | 2012 team: Reds
2012 stats: .245/.318/.398, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 26 R
It's entirely possible -- likely even -- that Rolen will opt for retirement. If he doesn't, then he'll probably be able to land a job somewhere. Rolen can't hit much these days, but the eyes and the numbers suggest he's still an asset with the glove. Health, of course, is a concern for the 37-year-old.
5. Eric Chavez | 2012 team: Yankees
2012 stats: .281/.348/.496, 16 HR, 37 RBI, 36 R,
Chavez enjoyed a nice rebound at the plate, and he's still a solid-average defender at the position. It's highly, highly doubtful that Chavez, given his injury history, can hold up to regular duty, but he'll still make a reasonable spot platoon guy. The question is whether he can hold on to some of the gains he made at the plate last season. Mostly, he succeeded because of a huge spike in his HR/fly-ball percentage, which almost certainly isn't sustainable. Adjust accordingly.
6. Drew Sutton | 2012 team: Rays, Pirates
2012 stats: .254/.292/.393, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 12 R, 12 2B
Sutton has positional flexibility (he manned six different spots in his career), and, although the sample-size is lacking, his numbers against left-handed pitching have been strong. He's certainly a reserve, but Sutton has his uses.
7. Mark DeRosa | 2012 team: Nationals
2012 stats: .188/.300/.247, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 13 R
The 37-year-old, 15-year vet saw his production crater last season, but a troublesome abdominal strain was partly to blame. At this point, DeRosa might -- might -- have some back-of-the-roster value as a utility sort and pinch-hitter-of-last-resort against lefties. In other words, not much value at all.
8. Miguel Cairo | 2012 team: Reds
2012 stats: .187/.212/.280, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 9 R
Cairo, who will turn 39 next May, probably isn't as bad as his .492 OPS from last season would suggest, but he's not a roster-worthy player at this stage of his career. He can occupy multiple positions, but that's about it.
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