This part of 2008 Players To Watch will focus on players who will be free agents for the 2009 season. We all know what pending free agency will do to a player’s statistics and baseball card value. Just think of A-Rod’s 2007 season.
Jim Thome
507 homers in 17 seasons. He’s 36 years old. Is there a chance he’ll retire in the not too distant future? Maybe
. Is there a chance he’ll play four more years and hit 700 homers for his career? Yup. In a contract year, next year, when he could provide big value for a World Series contender in 2009 (think Jim Thome playing in the Yankees ballpark in 2009 as a DH,) look for Thome to put up close to 50 dingers in 2008 if he’s healthy.
Mike Mussina
Mussina is a competitive guy. In a contract year, he will not give less than his best. With 250 wins over a 17 year career, you know that Mussina wants 300. Bad. He’ll get it. Whether it’s with the Yankees or not depends on who wants to the pay the most. Will he wind up on the Dodgers with Torre? On the Mets with Randolph? Only time will tell. But he will give his all. And it will impact both his statistics and his baseball card value.
C.C. Sabathia
This young guy has played only seven seasons in the bigs and already has 100 wins. Can you imagine how many wins he’d have if he played for the Sox or Yanks? Unbelievable. He will be one of MLB’s all-time great pitchers if he can stay healthy. Look for the Indians to keep him at almost any cost. He is that good and has that much upside. Again, IF he’s healthy.
Jim Thome
Mike Mussina
C.C. Sabathia
Baseball Cards
The idea of Thome hitting 700 is pretty terrible considering that when he wore an Indians uniform he was the third best player on his team and the other two guys won’t even get to 600.
Belle, and Ramirez.