FanPost

The FA CF market is terrible, and we have a couple to spare. Who fits where?

With the re-up of the surprisingly excellent Coco Crisp (who took it back to his awesome Indians days last season) and our corner spots severely lacking good hitting, Rajai and Ryan seem primed to be traded, as there is next to no FA market for CF's this year. Rajai, for all he's gets hated on around here, is really no worse than any number of quick-footed/OK CF defenders, its just a fact: players like him get regular roles on teams. Sweeney is just too weird a player, he clearly is awful at hitting in Oakland, but is great on defense and would probably excel in the NL, so lets replace him too. A quick peek at mlbTR's free agent CFs looks like this:

Rick Ankiel (31) Willie Bloomquist (33) Melky Cabrera (26) Jim Edmonds (41) Jody Gerut (33).

Thats, uhh....it? Um, yeah. Strangely enough both Rajai and Swingles are MUCH better CFers than any of those "options". So, what teams are actually looking to upgrade at CF this year?

Dodgers: Sadly for the pro-"get Matt Kemp to Oakland!" posters on here, the Dodgers dont have options other than Kemp & Ethier in the OF next year. Kemp was never really a true CF and it showed this year, he's going to a corner spot next year and LAD now has a huge need for a CF. Rajai or Ryan would fit in very well in LAD.

Padres: Gwynn Jr is most excellent with the glove, but is a 4th OF bat at best. Do you really think they will go with Chris Denorfia? I dont. Raj and Ryan are both upgrades here.

Brewers: Explain how Carlos Gomez is an upgrade over Raj Davis or Ryan Sweeney. Go on.....

Braves: McLouth/Melky/Ankiel might have been the most underperforming trio of outfielders on any one team. 2 of those are gone and I'm sure McLouth will be nontendered. They could feasibly take both Raj&Ryan and upgrade their OF substantially. They have already thrown their name into the C. Crawford race.

Pirates: McCutchen proved this year he was no good in CF and more suited in a COF. Tabata is the LF so they are going to be needing a range-y CF. Raj & Ryan are both better options for CF than anything they have ready.

Marlins: Will probably be going with Maybin, but are going to need a backup plan that can actually play CF (read: is not Chris Coghlan).

Nationals: Raj Davis > Nyjer Morgan. All day, every day.

Red Sox: No one really knows what Boston is going to do, Im guessing they make a run at Crawford. Their OF is kind of in transit: they have okay prospects like Kalish, Ellsbury is still around, and Cameron is in his last year of his deal. Depending on whether they make a serious run at Adrian Gonzalez (Kalish would be a nice coup for SD in CF), Beane might try and sell them on R&R.

Blue Jays: Vernon Wells time in CF looks all but over and its time for him to move over. Early rumors have already linked Raj to Toronto.

Royals: Mitch Maier is not very good and either Raj or Ryan would be a nice addition to this team. They might bite on Raj harder because of their apparent love of similar players like him, such as Posednik.

There you go, have at it AN. I'd love to see some trade scenarios involving these two (perhaps even part of a larger deal), what do you think? How much more valuable are these two players in a non-existent FA market than they would be in a stacked one?