It's time for some players to make the Andre Dawson play

[M2]

I don't know if there's collusion or not going on right now. Time and an army of lawyers will determine that. What I do know is MLB teams seemingly can't be bothered to help themselves at this moment. The quality of players still unsigned is ridiculous.

Once upon a time Andre Dawson got stuck in a fix like this and he handed the Chicago Cubs an open contract, telling the team to fill in whatever number it liked. He took a serious pay cut, but he picked the right spot, won an MVP and went on to make millions in subsequent contracts.

Players like Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Bob Abreu, Orlando Hudson, Orlando Cabrera and many of the pitchers ought to pick a team that presents a good situation and hand it an open contract. If they thrive, hopefully there will be more money for them next year. The question becomes, which teams should they target?

Here's my suggestions, but feel free to add your own.

Bob Abreu - Mets

This one is glaring. Abreu hitting behind Reyes and in front of Wright would make that lineup scary beyond belief. Chase a ring Bobby.

Manny Ramirez - Yankees

First off, the Yankees are likely to fill in a larger number than most. Second, it will make heads explode in the Red Sox front offices.

Adam Dunn - Giants

San Francisco is desperate for a power bat. The club might have reservations about Dunn at 1B, but it would get over those reservations if it could snag him cheap. As for Dunn, it would be a big market in which to show off the impact of his offense.

Orlando Hudson - Dodgers

Or maybe the Mets. Either club would be a good fit, but I figure O-Dog deserves a crack at Hollywood.

Orlando Cabrera - Red Sox

It worked out well for all involved the last time he played for that franchise.

Ben Sheets - Mets

The Rangers have been hot after Sheets, but only a fool would go to that park on a make-good contract. The Mets need him. They'd probably give him some tasty innings incentives too.

Juan Cruz - Angels

He's going to cost the club a draft pick, but it's a team that could use (and one that normally appreciates) a power arm in the pen.

Randy Wolf - A's

The club seems to want to make a splash this season and Billy Beane won't be able to say no to a lefty with a decent K rate.

Jon Garland - Indians

Cleveland needs somebody to eat innings. That's what Garland does. Perfect union.

[PuffyPig]

Dunn in San Fran.

He may never get another contract.

Large park. No one for him to knock in, no one for him to knock in.

Dunn needs to play for a good hitting team. Any hitter does, if he wants to maximize his value. look at Hamilton. His OPS was basically the same as it was for the Reds. But look at those RBI's.

[Spitball]

Very good projections. I've wondered about Abreu to the Mets, Hudson to the Dodgers, and Dunn to the Giants (if Manny goes to the Dodgers) myself.

I'm not sure about Cabrera to the Red Sox. There were rumors that they were not happy with him in 2004.

[Mario-Rijo]

Dunn in San Fran.

He may never get another contract.

Large park. No one for him to knock in, no one for him to knock in.

Dunn needs to play for a good hitting team. Any hitter does, if he wants to maximize his value. look at Hamilton. His OPS was basically the same as it was for the Reds. But look at those RBI's.

Very true and my initial thought as well.

Dunn to the Yankees hitting behind Jeter and in front of A-Rod & Tex would give everyone a real good indication of what Dunn truly is at the plate.

Abreu to the Mets does feel like a real sound plan.

Manny to the Reds, Nats, Pirates or O's would prove once and for all that he is worth what he's asking. If he can make the downtrodden contenders he's worth it.

O-Dog to the Cubs, hey make the rich even richer why not and he fills a need for them.

Cabrera to the Marlins so they can do the inevitable and make Hanley a 3B/OF.

Juan Cruz or Brandon Lyon to the Cards, they can turn that potential into reality.

Randy Wolf to the Braves makes a lot of sense.

[redsmetz]

I'm not inclined to think we have collusion going on, but I think players will need to move off their marks (as some already have). These are strange times (and that sounds too glib for how serious the situation is) and I'm guessing players will need to lop at least a third of their asking price off (and I'm just pulling that number out). One and two year deals will be the likely length.

[M2]

Dunn in San Fran.

He may never get another contract.

Large park. No one for him to knock in, no one for him to knock in.

Dunn needs to play for a good hitting team. Any hitter does, if he wants to maximize his value. look at Hamilton. His OPS was basically the same as it was for the Reds. But look at those RBI's.

AT&T Park rates as a slightly above average hitting park in recent years. Jeff Kent and Rich Aurilia had big years in that park. Ray Durham, Marquis Grissom and Randy Winn have played a more muscular brand of baseball with AT&T as their home park.

Winn and Lewis can set the table. Dunn's OB naturally turns hitters behind him into better RBI men (due to more opportunities). Most importantly, he'd have a chance to transform what was the weakest club in MLB last year. The Giants have some pitching and they play in a weak division. It's a golden opportunity for a power hitter to come in and make the case that he can be an impact player. On top of that, Dunn is built to do something iconic at At&T Park, namely lose some balls into McCovey Cove. That's national exposure.

Big market and a chance to be the main man on what could be a surprise team, that's why I'd be targeting the Giants if I were Dunn. Think of it as a re-branding exercise.

[osuceltic]

Dunn to the Yankees hitting behind Jeter and in front of A-Rod & Tex would give everyone a real good indication of what Dunn truly is at the plate.

Am I the only one who thinks this is funny?

[Mario-Rijo]

Am I the only one who thinks this is funny?

What is so funny about it?

[15fan]

Abreu, Ramirez & Dunn ought to think about the Braves.

Figure you'll be hitting ahead of McCann and Chipper Jones. You'll get plenty of exposure and you'll get to tee off on Washington / Florida pitching on a regular basis.

Of course, after the whole Furcal fiasco, I'm not sure that Frank Wren or John Schuerholz would even take a call from Boras on Manny's behalf...

[Chip R]

Of course, after the whole Furcal fiasco, I'm not sure that Frank Wren or John Schuerholz would even take a call from Boras on Manny's behalf...

Boras wasn't Furcal's agent.

[osuceltic]

What is so funny about it?

The idea that putting Dunn between Jeter, A-Rod and Texeira will FINALLY show his true value. If that's what it takes, just how valuable is he really?

[*BaseClogger*]

The idea that putting Dunn between Jeter, A-Rod and Texeira will FINALLY show his true value. If that's what it takes, just how valuable is he really?

I suppose he's saying Dunn could finally be displayed as an elite on-base guy because he would have some decent--or beyond that--hitters driving him in behind him. With the Reds they would hit him fifth and bat garbage behind him...

[Mario-Rijo]

The idea that putting Dunn between Jeter, A-Rod and Texeira will FINALLY show his true value. If that's what it takes, just how valuable is he really?

I think you are missing the point, the topic at hand is what team Dunn (and others) should target on the cheap to ensure they improve upon on their $$$'s next year. At least that's the way I took it. Now if you are Adam Dunn what better place to play to show your worth than the most competitive division and biggest media market in baseball. Sure he has an ideal cast around him (who wouldn't want that) but he also would have to hit against a lot of the better pitching in baseball as well. Do well in that scenario and you can prove a lot of doubters wrong I would think, despite being surrounded by greatness.

If I were him I would offer to sign a 1 yr deal and like Dawson they can fill in the monetary end of it in themselves assuming they hit him 2nd behind Jeter and ahead of A-Rod and played him a majority of time in LF. He could argue that putting him between those 2 could also disprove he is "the man" as he would be viewed as the lesser threat of 3 big bats so ideally he would get pitched to more often than not unlike a place where he will likely be worked around to the extent the baseball world still won't get a fair read on him.

[TOBTTReds]

What is so funny about it?

He shouldn't have to bat inbetween two Hall of Famers and perennial All-Stars to figure out what he is really like. Probably .1% of all players get to do that, even for a day. So do we not know what 99.9% of all players are really like?

[Mario-Rijo]

He shouldn't have to bat inbetween two Hall of Famers and perennial All-Stars to figure out what he is really like. Probably .1% of all players get to do that, even for a day. So do we not know what 99.9% of all players are really like?

Dunn is more unlike any other player I have ever seen. Placing him between those 2 could go a long way in showing his true worth. It doesn't have to be those 2, but those 2 combined with all the other challenges that would come with playing for the Yankees would go a long way in answering a lot of questions that Dunn seemingly needs to answer, that is if he cares to.