Questions....And Not Many Answers....

[DOUGHBOYS]

Here it is the first week of March, and there are still so many questions to be answered.
This off season did little in filling in the blanks. In fact, it probably raised more questions leading into the season.
Here are a few....

1. What does Milwaukee do with their embarrassment of riches in the outfield?

Their backup outfield of Domingo Santana, Keon Broxton, and Hernan Perez could be a starting outfield for some other teams.
We all know a trade will come sometime.
Until then, each of the three fall further in DC Leagues.

2. When and where do Arrieta, Lynn, Cobb, and Holland sign?

If trying to outlast teams with higher pay demands, it's foolhardy.
Most pitchers have a 10 year window to make a lifetime of money.
Turning a nose up at a three or four year contract at many millions?
Seeing owners and GM's 'settling' for Colon, Tillman, Vargas, DHolland, MGonzalez, Cashner, Liriano, AnSanchez, Fister, Kazmir should send the message that baseball life can go on without three Starters whose futures can be seen as slightly better than run of the mill.

3. What happens to the lesser free agents?

Do they just fade away?
John Jay, Adam Lind (Edit- Lind signed by Yankees), Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera, Trevor Cahill, etc have never distinguished themselves as difference makers.
Chase Utley signed to play for two more years at a million each year.
That contract screamed that Utley did not want to miss out on playing baseball in 2018.
Non-difference makers should heed that contract.

4. There was a HUGE advantage to signing early, wasn't there?
Remember at the beginning of the off season when JD Martinez was going to get 30 million a year?
He got 22 million.
That is two million a year more than...wait for it....wait for it.....
CARLOS SANTANA!
That's right. Carlos Santana got a three year contract for 60 million dollars.
Yes, that is more per year than Eric Hosmer receives.
Wade Davis will also be making almost 18 million per year. He signed early.
How much do you think Greg Holland ends up with?
Word is, he turned down the same money that Davis received.
How's that working out for Holland?
Holding out has not helped the ball player this year.
And it may be a career halter for some.

5. Are there headscratchers among free agent deals?

Heck yeah.
Jay Bruce signed for the same money as Tyler Chatwood.
Eduardo Nunez signed a two year deal with Boston.
Zack Cozart got a three year deal with the Angels....For 30 million more dollars!
Tommy Hunter got an 18 million dollar deal over two years...Jose Reyes signed for two million.

Carlos Santana won the off season.
I believe that Jake Arrieta, relying on a past history and an agent building him up too much, may be the biggest loser.
Oh, and there is one name not signed that I would sign in a New York minute for a million bucks.
Ichiro Suzuki.
Forget about the player that he is now.
If the Nationals could sign him, he could coach Bryce Harper and Adam Eaton in how to play the outfield without harm.
Nobody is better at that part of the game.
It's a part of the game lost on baseball management.
I don't feel that it was a coincidence that the Marlins outfielders who all had great years last year, all stayed healthy with Ichiro as an influence.
Besides, 3,000 hit players should leave on their own terms.