Kuzul

A few Texas Rangers fans have brought up the idea of another alternative starting pitcher to Masahiro Tanaka. I’ve already mentioned Ubaldo Jimenez as a possibility, although it’s somewhat difficult to see the club signing him since he has a compensatory draft pick attached to him.

Let’s go back over international waters and take a look at Korean-born starter Suk-Min Yoon. There has been no word concerning the Rangers’ interest in Yoon, but he is no doubt one of the better pitching prospects outside of Tanaka. 

Matt Sullivan over at MLB Daily Dish has much more detail on Yoon.

Additionally, Steve Sypa of Amazin‘ Avenue, the New York Mets‘ blog on SB Nation, has a full breakdown on Yoon. Here is some of what he had to say about the potential Korean star:

Yoon is on the small side, standing at an even six feet and weighing 180 pounds. He throws in the mid-90s, though, and complements his fastball with a hard, biting slider and a change-up that MLB scouts describe as above average. Though a starter, he has only thrown what we would consider an entire season’s work (~175+ IP) once, in 2011. As best I can gather, the average starter in the KBO throws around 150 to 180 innings, making 25 to 30 starts, per season, often supplementing those starts with relief outings here and there.

Here are some of Yoon‘s highlights from the KBO.

As you can see there, Yoon doesn’t have Tanaka‘s world-class, two-foot-breaking splitter, or an equally dazzling Yu Darvish slider and slow curve. Yoon‘s pitches seem to have a late, sharp break rather than an early, sweeping break. Late movement is tough to hit, no matter how you slice it. 

He does appear to have the making of a James Shields changeup.

Sullivan has reason to believe that Yoon could follow in the footsteps of fellow Korean Hyun-Jin Ryu, who went 14-8 with a 3.00 ERA in 192 innings last season as the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ No. 3 starter.

Ryu‘s single greatest attribute in his rookie season was his control. He posted a 3.14 strikeout to walk ratio.

Sypa points out that Korean players have a history of succeeding in their home leagues but struggling when they jump up to the majors. Obviously, Ryu, at least in his first year with the Dodgers, and the newest Ranger Shin-Soo Choo, are two glaring exceptions. 

As Sullivan and Sypa note, Yoon is a couple years older (27) than Tanaka. He has had a dramatically different role with his team, the Kia Tigers, in the Korean Baseball Organization. Over his nine-year career in Korea, he has moved back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen.

Sullivan says that this has saved a lot of mileage on his arm, compared to the remarkably heavy workloads of Tanaka and fellow Japanese star Yu Darvish before he signed with the Rangers.

Here are Yoon‘s career stats, courtesy of this report from Global Sporting Integration, with a hat tip to myKBO.net. 

2005: 3-4, 4.29 ERA, 53 G, 84 IP, 49 K, 1.476 WHIP
2006: 5-6, 2.28 ERA, 63 G, 94.2 IP, 75 K, 1.141 WHIP
2007: 7-18, 3.78 ERA, 28 G, 162 IP, 104 K, 1.358 WHIP
2008: 14-5, 2.33 ERA, 24 G, 154.2 IP, 119 K, 1.054 WHIP
2009: 9-4, 3.46 ERA, 27 G, 199.2 IP, 117 K, 1.287 WHIP
2010: 6-3, 3.83 ERA, 23 G, 101 IP, 94 K, 1.297 WHIP
2011: 17-5, 2.45 ERA, 27 G, 172.2 IP, 178 K, 1.048 WHIP
2012: 9-8, 3.12 ERA, 28 G, 153 IP, 137 K, 1.000 WHIP
2013: 3-6, 4.00 ERA, 30 G, 87.2 IP, 76 K, 1.357 WHIP

Career: 73-59, 3.19 ERA, 303 G, 1129 IP, 949 K, 1.198 WHIP

2011 was Yoon‘s best year, and he was the MVP of the KBO that season. He then proceeded to hire Scott Boras as his agent. 

Overall, Yoon has had a solid career in Korea, but he is obviously not on the same level as Tanaka. Those are nice numbers, but the biggest question surrounding Yoon is if he’ll be able to hold his own in a major league rotation for any length of time. But because of that uncertainty, he could be available at a very affordable price.

Sypa projects that Yoon, even with Boras as his agent, would get a contract similar to the three-year, $10.7 million—with a $4.75 million option for a fourth year—that Wei-Yin Chen signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 2011. Considering he has been pitching in the AL East, Chen has done alright with the Orioles over two years for that contract. He has a career 19-18 record with a 4.04 ERA and a career opponents’ batting average of .259.  

So, Yoon seems like the cheapest rotation option available. According to these reports, Yoon is believed to be able to slide into a No. 4 or 5 rotation spot. No. 5 on a good team. But he has experience in the bullpen and could perhaps help out a major league team in that area. 

Again, I’m not advocating for the Rangers to sign Yoon, just throwing out some additional potential options for rotation or pitching depth in general. He is one of those low-risk, at least medium-reward pitchers. 

* All stats, unless otherwise noted, are courtesy of ESPN.com

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The blockbuster trade that sent Prince Fielder to the Rangers and Ian Kinsler to the Tigers was one of the offseason’s first landscape-changing transactions. There have been relatively few swaps since then, with the Diamondbacks-Angels-White Sox three-way deal leading the way, but perhaps the winding down of the free-agent market will spell the re-opening of the trade market.

Certainly, there’s no shortage of name-brand players out there who could be on the move. Here’s a look at five of them who have surfaced in reports at various times throughout the offseason, and where they might be headed.

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The MLB offseason will jump back into the swing of things once the calendar flips to 2014. For now, the rumor mill has slowed down during the holidays, serving as a lull between a wild December and a January that also figures to feature plenty of high-profile moves.

In recent days, rumblings regarding some of the top free agents on the market like Stephen Drew and Ubaldo Jimenez have circulated, while Johan Santana’s comeback attempt is a full-go. Here’s a look at the latest rumors with these trio of players.

Stephen Drew, SS

The New York Mets have long been viewed as a logical landing spot for Drew this offseason. The free-agent shortstop is still looking for work weeks after Jhonny Peralta, the other top available player at the position, signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

While Drew comes with injury concerns after missing a combined 197 contests in the past three seasons, he provides a lot of pop to a premium defensive position. The Mets could use some more firepower in their lineup after last year’s starting shortstop, Ruben Tejada, batted .202/.259/.260 with no homers and 10 RBI in 57 games while dealing with injuries and a lengthy demotion to Triple-A.

According to Marc Carig of Newsday, the Mets are leaning toward Tejada to be their everyday shortstop in 2014. But Carig also notes that the team is staying in contact with Drew’s agent, Scott Boras, leaving the door open for a possible free-agent agreement.

The Mets remain in contact with Scott Boras, the agent for shortstop Stephen Drew, according to a person with knowledge of the talks. But the source likened the situation to the Mets’ pursuit of outfielder Michael Bourn late last winter. Bourn ultimately landed with the Indians, but not before the Mets made a serious run at signing him, mostly because he had lowered his asking price as the season drew near.

It sounds like New York is playing a waiting game and hoping that Drew’s contract requests will become more palatable. 

While recent comments from Mets special assistant J.P. Ricciardi to WEEI 93.7FM also suggest the team is content with watching Tejada develop, keep an eye on Drew and the Mets as possible partners.

Ubaldo Jimenez, RHP

The market for marquee starting pitchers has been slow to develop this offseason as teams awaited the fate of Japanese righty Masahiro Tanaka, who was officially posted for MLB bidding by the Rakuten Golden Eagles on Dec. 26.

Expect the rumors on guys like Tanaka, Jimenez, Matt Garza and Ervin Santana to pick up in the coming weeks as the top right-handers available engage in negotiations. In a wide-ranging notebook, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe recently reported that multiple general managers told him the New York Yankees seem like a logical landing spot for Jimenez.

A few GMs I spoke with recently feel the Yankees may wind up with Jimenez, even if they land Masahiro Tanaka. “He had an excellent second half, has great stuff, and he has the type of personality that would fit New York,” one GM said. “He doesn’t let things get to him. He’s good at shrugging off things and turning the page.”

On the surface, it certainly makes sense. The Yankees need some rotation help behind CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova, and they have made a habit of signing big-name free agents.

While Jimenez has been largely inconsistent since his banner year in 2010, he wrapped up the second half of 2013 strong (6-5, 1.82 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, .223 opponents’ average and 10.7 K/9). Jimenez has arguably the biggest upside of any MLB-proven pitcher available and would be a nice addition to the rotation in the Bronx.

Johan Santana, LHP

Johan Santana is set to turn 35 years old during spring training and hasn’t thrown an MLB pitch since 2012, but that hasn’t stopped teams from kicking the tires on the two-time Cy Young winner.

Per Darren Wolfson of ESPN1500 in Minneapolis, the former Minnesota Twins great has generated interest this offseason:

Cafardo also weighed in on the Santana situation recently, pointing to the Twins as a logical destination.

Santana is getting closer to making a decision on a minor league deal with a team. There’s been some speculation about the Twins since Santana still resides in Fort Myers, Fla., where the Twins have spring training. The Red Sox, who also train in Fort Myers, passed. But a small-market team such as the Astros could also have some interest. Santana is just trying to get back pitching and prove himself again.

The Twins have been very aggressive in trying to shore up their dismal starting rotation from 2013 that didn’t feature a single 10-game winner. The club has already signed Ricky Nolasco (four years, $48 million), Phil Hughes (three years, $24 million) and Mike Pelfrey (two years, $11 million) to respective deals this offseason, and Santana represents another low-risk option.

According to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Santana is expected to try out for teams in the near future:

Santana has dealt with major injuries in recent years that completely wiped out his 2011 and 2013 seasons, but his sterling career numbers (139-78, 3.20 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 8.8 K/9 ratio) is enough to warrant a look in spring training.

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As the year that saw the Boston Red Sox win their third World Series Championship in 10 years winds to a close, fans and analysts are wondering what the franchise will do to back up their crown in 2014.

Boston has been relatively quiet this offseason, as shown by the team’s transactions provided by CBS Sports.

The heart of Red Sox Nation primarily has focused on the departures of a number of key figures from the 2013 championship team—most notably Jacoby Ellsbury and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Still, the Red Sox’s relative silence thus far into the offseason does not mean the team will remain inactive until Opening Day next year.  There is still plenty of time for general manager Ben Cherington to make some moves.

Let us take a look at some of the recent rumors surrounding the Red Sox and cash in on whether they are fact or fiction.

Trading for Outfielder Matt Kemp

There was a time, not so long ago, where the Red Sox were rumored to be involved in discussions with the Los Angeles Dodgers regarding a potential trade for All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp.

Perhaps it is time to put these rumors to bed once and for all.

While it would have been nice for Boston to add a vaunted offensive presence to their lineup—as well as a two-time Gold Glove recipient—a deal for Kemp is virtually out of the question at this point.

For starters, Kemp’s injury concerns have hampered any serious discussions with a number of teams that have reportedly been interested.

This aspect is elaborated upon by Ricky Doyle of NESN who states:

The 29-year-old has missed time in each of the last two seasons with a shoulder problem and an ankle issue, so there’s obviously going to be some concern about his health status for whichever teams consider making a deal.

That alone is reason enough to thwart any potential deal.

In addition, Kemp’s agent Dave Stewart stated that Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti informed him that the team has no intentions of trading Kemp this offseason per Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

If you were hoping to see Kemp in a Red Sox uniform in 2014, you may want to back away from those prospects.  It is not going to happen.

Status: Sell

Re-signing Shortstop Stephen Drew

Unlike the aforementioned deal for Kemp, the retaining of shortstop Stephen Drew is a little tougher to disseminate.

The situation is relatively simple—if Drew signs elsewhere, Boston will roll with the upcoming Xander Bogaerts at shortstop and two-year veteran Will Middlebrooks at third.  The Red Sox will also receive a compensatory first-round draft pick if Drew signs with another team.

If Drew re-signs with Boston, there will be a slight logjam on the left side of the infield with Bogaerts and Middlebrooks competing for time at third.

Fortunately enough, the Red Sox are in a position to be patient.  Drew’s market has not been that hot as of late, and he remains a free agent.

If the Red Sox elect to go with the former option, they will be relying on a very young core of players, especially on the left side of the infield.  This facet is further described by Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

Should Cherington re-sign Drew?

Marc Normandin of SB Nation does not think so.

Middlebrooks is likely the player who would suffer the most from Drew’s potential signing.  Normandin argues that Middlebrooks, at 25 years old, should receive at least a full year of everyday playing time.  This will at least give him the chance to showcase his potential.

If Middlebrooks flourishes, that puts Boston in a good position.  If not, the Red Sox could look towards having prospect Garin Cecchini eventually taking over at third.

Normandin writes:

This is true whether the Red Sox envision [Middlebrooks] as their third baseman of the future or not.  Giving him a full season in 2014 to show off what he can do—something he hasn’t had the chance to yet—could raise his stock enough that Boston could benefit from a huge trade in which they sell off his pop to the highest bidder, making room for Cecchini at third in 2015.  Having this option is something they can only do if Middlebrooks plays for the Sox in 2014, while Drew plays for someone else.

That is an interesting perspective to say the least.

In conclusion, the Red Sox appear to be in a much better position by letting Drew go than they would be if they re-signed him.  The fact that no deal has been made by this point suggests that Cherington is considering options outside of Drew’s services.

Status: Sell

Red Sox Interested in Left-Handed Pitcher Mark Mulder

According to a report from Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, veteran lefty Mark Mulder has drawn interest from the Red Sox, as he attempts to make a comeback in the majors.

Mulder has not pitched since 2008 after a shoulder injury ended his major league tenure.

The report, which was also listed by Al Melchior of CBS Sports, suggests that Boston might be interested in Mulder’s services to some regard.

Yet, the Red Sox already have a plethora of starting pitching, as well as young prospects in the folds, so signing Mulder makes little sense.

Cafardo also suggest that Boston will not likely make a deal.

Status: Sell

Boston Signing Japanese Right-Handed Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka

Let the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes begin.

Biddings from MLB teams on Tanaka‘s services began on December 26, per Drew Silva of NBC Sports.  The Cubs, Yankees, Angels and Diamondbacks were all reported to have interest in the same article.

Yet Cafardo also makes the claim that Boston should get in on the bidding.  He writes:

The 25-year-old Rakuten Golden Eagles right-hander, who was 24-0 in the regular season in 2013, was posted and teams have begun to bid the new maximum $20 million fee.  The Red Sox are the least mentioned big-market team, but don’t be surprised if they quietly slip into this.  One American League scout suggested it’s the perfect time for the Red Sox to strike.

This is backed up by the fact that Boston has a number of pitchers with either one- or two-year deals left on their respective contracts—Jake Peavy, Ryan Dempster and Jon Lester most notably.

Tanaka could easily slide in as a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starter for a Red Sox rotation that could see some significant changes in the next couple of years.

Yet, there are plenty of problems with this potential deal.

First, would Cherington be weary of an expensive deal that could thwart Boston’s future much like the deal the team struck with Daisuke Matsuzaka some years ago?

That is a legitimate possibility.

In addition, there is an argument that the Red Sox’s priority should be upon signing Lester to a contract extension after his current contract expires at the end of 2014.

Doyle backs up this claim and also states that the Red Sox, who currently have a surplus of starting pitching, don’t need to make a sizable financial commitment to an unknown commodity.

This is true in a number of ways.  There is a surplus of starters already.  In addition, Boston has some talented prospects waiting to make debuts.

From that vantage point, signing Tanaka makes little sense.

Status: Sell

The Red Sox look poised to enter the 2014 season with the team they currently have on paper.

While there may be continued rumors and stories that surround Boston in future weeks and months, all signs point to Cherington and the Red Sox front office being content with what they have moving forward.

As indicated, the aforementioned rumors have been classified as “sellers” and should not be given much credence regarding whether or not a deal will take place.

This author could be wrong of course, but that has yet to be determined.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.  Contractual information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the Boston Red Sox.  Follow him @PeterMcShots on Twitter.

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Even though there are still a few big prizes left on the free-agent market, most Major League Baseball teams have done the bulk of their winter shopping already and are making final preparations for the 2014 season.

What better time to take a look back at what has happened on the hot stove?

It’s time to hand out grades for all 30 teams based on what they have or haven’t done this winter. Keep in mind that some of these marks can still move up, depending on what happens with key players like Masahiro Tanaka, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana.

Grades are based on a variety of factors, including quality of player signed, how well the player is likely to hold value over the duration of the contract signed, how well teams have filled needs and trade/financial value.

Just because a team has signed/traded for two or three marquee players does not automatically generate an “A” grade.

Now that you know the formula, it’s time to dive into the offseason grades for all 30 teams.

Note: All stats courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.

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It’s safe to say that Oakland A’s outfielders struggled in 2013. In fact, they ranked 28th in the majors with a collective batting average of .236.

Yoenis Cespedes was perhaps the biggest disappointment. Cespedes, the Cuban sensation who batted .292 with an .861 OPS in 2012, fell off in almost every major category in 2013. His home run total jumped from 23 to 26, but he posted an alarmingly low .294 OBP, and his OPS fell by 125 points to .736. Additionally, his WAR was cut in half, from 3.4 to 1.7.

Josh Reddick was actually worse than Cespedes. Reddick, who won a Gold Glove in 2012 and hit 32 home runs, also fell off in most statistical categories. His home run total fell by 20, he hit .226 and his OPS was a dismal .686.

Reddick figures to start the season behind newly acquired Craig Gentry on the depth chart, but he should still see plenty of playing time throughout the season. The A’s will need him to step up when he gets opportunities, as his inconsistency at the plate is a serious detriment to the lineup.

Luckily, the A’s shipped Chris Young and his .280 OBP to the New York Mets, so his ineptness at the plate will not be a problem in 2013. Also, the addition of Gentry (.373 OBP in 2013) is a huge improvement offensively.

Despite their struggles at the plate, A’s outfielders are tremendous defensively. Gentry is their second best fielder, as he ranked 10th in the majors in UZR in 2013, according to Fangraphs. Reddick, who was seventh in UZR, is their best defensive outfielder and provides value as a late-inning defensive replacement.

It wasn’t all bad for A’s outfielders offensively though. In fact, they ranked third in RBI and sixth in runs in 2013. Coco Crisp had a solid year, especially with his late-season resurgence. (He hit .287 with 12 home runs in the season’s final two months.)

The outfielders’ high RBI total was mostly a product of the success of other position players. Third baseman Josh Donaldson was an on-base machine (.384 OBP, sixth in the AL), first baseman Brandon Moss had 30 home runs and 87 RBI and shortstop Jed Lowrie hit .290 with 80 runs.

In short, the outfielders’ RBI and runs totals aren’t indicative of good performances because they were made possible by the solid hitting of the infielders. With that being said, if the A’s outfielders can keep doing what they typically do defensively while making a jump back to 2012 levels of production, then 2014 will be a fun season indeed in Oakland.

All statistics courtesy of ESPN, unless otherwise noted.

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Every season, there are a number of players in the MLB who put up disappointing numbers. They are coming off of strong seasons and either their power numbers, batting average or ERA fails to match what they did in the previous year.

Players regress for a number of reasons, and there are some key indicators which may hint at the fact that a player will fail to replicate his numbers from the previous season. A very high batting average on balls in play is one such example.

This coming season, there will be at least a few big-name players who cannot replicate their success from the 2013 season. The following players have a strong chance to be on that list.

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You might consider the Oakland Athletics to be winners this offseason. You might say the flurry of moves they made were average. But each move had major implications—some good, some bad—for the individual players involved.

For example, certain guys held on to their role while others lost theirs. One guy in particular made out like a bandit with the money he’ll make, while another essentially lost out on millions.

Then there’s a certain piece of offseason news that affects the fans.

So who comes out of the A’s offseason looking like a winner, and who heads to spring training wishing there was better news? Continue reading to find out.

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The New York Yankees have been on a shopping spree this winter, committing $300 million in new contracts to players such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Kelly Johnson and Brian Roberts among others as well as re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and Derek Jeter. 

What’s notable in it’s absence is that the Yankees have failed to address their biggest area of need this offseason—the pitching staff. Other than re-signing the excellent Kuroda to another one-year deal, New York has been surprisingly slow when it comes to addressing the team’s many pitching needs while focusing almost entirely on the offense to this point. 

New York’s offense scored only 650 runs in 2013, more than 200 runs fewer than the world champion Boston Red Sox. For a team that prided itself on its offensive stars like Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, it was a startling fall for the franchise and sign of things to come. 

It seems New York has now focused all of its attention on Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka, having already made contact with the pitcher’s agent Casey Close according to Newsday‘s Marc Carig.

Tanaka represents everything New York needs and lacks right now—star power, potential and youth. The 25-year-old Tanaka would be the bridge on the Yankees staff, transitioning the staff from older Yankees groups to a newer generation. 

New York has many holes to fill on the 2014 pitching staff due to the retirements of Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte. The Yankees have also lost starter Phil Hughes and reliever Joba Chamberlain to free agency. Both Hughes and Chamberlain were once projected as the future of the Yankees pitching staff. Now both players will find themselves trying to salvage their careers in the AL Central. 

What remains of the Yankees pitching staff is in a constant state of transition and potential decline. CC Sabathia comes saddled with serious signs of decline and a minimum remaining $76 million on his contract through 2016.

Sabathia had a career-high ERA of 4.78 in 2013 with the highest WHIP of his career at 1.37. Sabathia takes the ball every fifth day and is a workhorse in every way imaginable. He may simply be showing signs of pitching 200-plus innings in each of the past seven seasons. 

Kuroda would serve as the perfect mentor for the young Tanaka. Kuroda would be able to cushion Tanaka’s immersion into MLB through his own experience of coming to America in 2008.

The downside to Kuorda is that he will turn 39 before he even throws a pitch in 2014, and he has shown signs of fatigue over the past two seasons. Kuroda has been a model of consistency for the Yankees, posting virtually identical numbers during his two seasons in New York. 

Ivan Nova has been something of an enigma over the past three seasons, but he finally seemed to find himself last season, giving the team a 9-6 record with a 3.10 ERA while pitching out of the Yankees rotation.

He finally started to resemble the pitcher who burst onto the scene in 2011 and posted a 16-4 record with the Yankees. The 26-year-old Nova is a crucial piece to the Yankees pitching staff moving forward. 

Looking at the Yankees immediate landscape, Tanaka is a crucial potential piece to the team’s future. New York needs to add a high-end starter who could potentially supplant Sabathia as the team’s ace and give the team the type of performance that Yu Darvish has given the Texas Rangers since his posting. 

The amount that the Yankees have spent this winter won’t mean much if they don’t seriously address the pitching staff, whether it is making a full-court press for Tanaka or making a push toward Matt Garza, a veteran of the AL East. 

Plenty of closer options remain on the market, allowing New York to protect David Robertson in the bullpen. New York could bring in a veteran like Fernando Rodney or Grant Balfour to augment the back-end of the bullpen. 

Adding quality pitching is the way to get the Yankees back up on top of the AL East. So far, the Yankees seemed to have forgotten that fact.

Stats and relevant information provided by Baseball-Reference.com and Marc Carig of Newsday. 

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As the MLB offseason winds down and the pickings get slimmer and slimmer for every team, each club figures to have a couple of more players on their Christmas wish list that didn’t quite make it for the holiday season. For the Chicago Cubs, there are two remaining players that could land in Chicago by the time the snow melts in the spring. 

With most of the hitters off the open market, there are two arms that President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer are upset weren’t in their stockings on Wednesday. 

The relief pitcher that could land in the Windy City in the coming weeks is former South Sider Jesse Crain. 

Reliever Jesse Crain 

While he only appeared in 38 games last season due to a shoulder strain, Crain had a sterling ERA of 0.74 a season ago. For that reason, several teams are going to be in the running for the shutdown right hander. 

A key competitor for Crain‘s services could be the Colorado Rockies. The 32-year-old grew up in Boulder, Colorado. According to the Denver Post‘s Troy Renck, the Rockies were interested in trading for the set-up man last summer, and he recently tweeted that they could easily pursue him as winter rolls on. 

Due to health concerns, it could be a few more weeks until Crain signs with a team. That will allow ample time for teams to assess his health situation and see how live his arm looks. If his arm looks nearly as good as it did last season, several teams will want to ink him to a deal. 

For the Cubs, as long as Crain appears healthy it seems like he will get an offer from the North Siders, according to Bruce Levine on Twitter. 

Adding Crain would solidify an already drastically improved bullpen for the Cubs. Having a back-end of the bullpen consisting of James Russell, Pedro Strop, Crain and Jose Veras would instantly impact the Cubs’ win total in 2014 and beyond. 

Crain made $4.5 million a season ago, finishing the final year of a three-year, $13 million deal. Based on his injury situation, Crain will likely take a pay cut. However, it’s also likely that Crain will seek a short-term, one- or two-year deal while trying to prove his health and effectiveness. 

Starting Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka

The sole big-name free agent that the Cubs have expressed interest in this offseason is Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka. 

Based on his stat line of 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA a season ago playing for Rakuten in the JPPL, a bidding war is brewing for the 25-year-old righty. In the bidding war, traditional powers such as the New York Yankees will be preparing their biggest weapons: their pocketbooks. 

According to Marc Carig of Newsday, teams figuring to be serious contenders for Tanaka‘s services are the Yankees, L.A. Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Cubs. 

Unfortunately, it may be tough for the Cubs to compete with those teams for Tanaka on a number of different fronts. 

The Yankees may be able to outbid the Cubs if they want Tanaka badly enough. They’ve already been frivolous, signing catcher Brian McCann and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran and probably aren’t done yet. Deep pockets in New York may prevent Tanaka from landing in Chicago. 

Playing on the West Coast, the Dodgers have a clear geographical advantage over the other teams in the running for Tanaka. Simply because of their proximity to Japan and the population of Asian-Americans on the West Coast, the Dodgers may have an advantage over other suitors if the amount of money involved is equal. 

One thing that the Rangers have that other suitors don’t is a pitcher that recently came over from Asia to the United States. Yu Darvish, who finished second in American League Cy Young voting in 2013, was signed by Texas in the offseason before the 2012 season. 

By being frugal with their money the past couple of seasons, the Cubs have put themselves in a position to go toe-to-toe with the likes of the Yankees and Dodgers in a bidding war. Signing Tanaka could come down to just how much the Cubs front office wants the young pitcher. 

Should the Cubs sign Tanaka, it could have a trickle-down effect on the Jeff Samardzija situation as well, according to Bruce Levine on Twitter. 

If Tanaka ends up in Chicago, both sides could see things differently. For one, Samardzija will see that the club is committed to contending sooner rather than later. Based on past contract discussions, the ability for the Cubs to contend has seemed like the most important thing to Samardzija, assuming the sides can agree monetarily. 

Clearly, adding either Crain, Tanaka or both would be beneficial for the Cubs in 2014 and beyond. Signing Crain could be a low-risk, high-reward move, and winning the bidding war for Tanaka could speed up the contention timeline for the Cubs. 

Only time will tell where these two and other free agents land as the offseason comes to a close. The Cubs front office and fans alike are holding out hope that their Christmas wish lists get a few more check marks by winter’s end. 

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