Red Sox Agree To Terms with Lackey and Cameron: The Boston Red Sox made two big moves yesterday signing John Lackey, the top starter on the market to a 5-year $85 million deal. After adding another top flight starter, Boston moved quickly to fill their hole in LF by signing OF Mike Cameron to a 2-year $15.5 million deal. I like both moves for the Red Sox and I also liked how they moved quickly to sign these players to fill their needs. Let’s look closer at these deals for a minute, and what it means for the teams involved.

Signing John Lackey was great move for the Red Sox considering their other options for adding a starting pitcher. None of the other top free agent starters were nearly as good as Lackey and all of them are looking at $10 million a year salaries. While I’m not usually a fan of 5-year deals for starting pitchers, Lackey was one of the younger starters on the market and has been reasonably healthy throughout his career. Lackey gives the Red Sox the best rotation in baseball, joining Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Dice-K, Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield.

The signing makes even more sense considering the impending 3 team trade involving Seattle-Philadelphia-Toronto, and includes top pitchers Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Yes Halladay might be a better pitcher, but the Red Sox would have to shell out 3-4 top young players and $20 million a year to keep Halladay in the mix. And While the price for Lee (in prospects), might have been cheaper, extending him (which might not be possible) might have been more years or money. Now the Red Sox can have Buchholz and Lackey instead of just Halladay, and they can use their other prospects (and maybe Buchholz as well) to trade for a big bat. Boston does have to give the Angels their first round pick (the Blue Jays now get their 2nd round pick for Marco Scutaro) 29th overall for signing Lackey, but that’s not a big loss. The Red Sox already received the Braves 1st round pick (2oth) for Billy Wagner, and will get an additional 1st or early 2nd round pick for Jason Bay when he signs. In addition the Red Sox get a supplemental 1st round pick for each Bay and Wagner, meaning they will be pretty set when next year’s draft rolls around.

If signing Lackey wasn’t enough Boston made another smart move yesterday by inking Cameron. While Cameron is getting up there in age (36) he’s still been a fairly productive outfielder, and well worth the 2 year $15.5 million dollar investment. Cameron will shift over to LF, but does give the Red Sox plenty of flexibility having him back up Ellsbury in CF (not to mention maybe giving him a few pointers). Cameron loses a little value in moving to LF, but gives them a top notch defender to play balls off the Green Monster. While Cameron’s skills have declined some, he still routinely posts OPS numbers in the .800′s and has hit 20 or more home runs in each of the last 4 seasons (including 2 in San Diego). While he is no longer a threat on the base paths, he is by no means a base clogger. Cameron still has the wheels to take two bases on a single and steal an occasional base. While he might not have the profile of a Bay or Holliday, he signed for half of what they will make next year and for a third of the years it will take to sign them.

The Red Sox couldn’t afford to bring in both a top pitcher and a top hitter, Cameron now gives them a lot of value in the outfield at a very reasonable price. While the offensive numbers may be lower, defensively Cameron should save a lot of runs in the outfield. With Lackey and Cameron on board, the Red Sox will limit their opponents (the Yankees) chances for getting into a slugfest. The moves also keep the Boston farm system in tact to make a move or two at the trade deadline.

Angels Sign WS MVP Matsui: As the Red Sox made two moves the Yankees watched one of their own stars slip away. What makes it even worse, is that he went to another one of their A.L. rivals. The Angels did well signing Hideki Matsui to a one year $6.5 million deal. Matsui on a multi-year deal is a huge risk, he is injury prone, lacks any defensive value, and will be 36 next season. But Matsui at one season, for half of what he made last year is brilliant. When he’s healthy Matsui is a great DH; he hits both lefties and righties very well, offering moderate power and great plate discipline. The Angels need to just keep him out of the field…where he is awful defensively and is more prone to injury. The only downside to this move is it puts Bobby Abreu back out in the field every day, which comes with its own defensive limitations. But it does give Los Angeles depth and a solid offensive core. Between their outfield, 1B and DH, the Angels have 5 players who have 20+ home run power (Abreu is pushing it) and all capable of an .800 plus OPS. Matsui alone doesn’t make up for the losses of Figgins and Lackey that the Angels have suffered, but it does dull the blow a little bit.  Overall its a good move by Los Angeles as they look to finally overcome the Yankees and Red Sox.

1. Matt Holliday LF:  Holliday is one of the best hitters to reach the free agent market in the last few years. He is a legitimate  3 or 4 hole hitter on any team. He also offers solid defense out in left field for any team that wants him. Expect the Yankees and Red Sox to be interested, with the Giants, Braves and Mets as long shots.

2. Jason Bay LF:  Bay brings everything to the table that Holliday does with the exception of defense. Bay’s lack of defense and being a year older will make him a bit cheaper on the market. I’d expect all the same teams to be in on Bay, (obviously with the exception of whoever lands Holliday) and I’d add the Mariners to the list.

3. John Lackey SP:  Lackey is the top arm on the market this year, and a frontline starter on any team. He’s not an “ace” in the sense of CC Sabathia, but their isn’t a team in this league that wouldn’t like him in the top 3 of their rotation. Its interesting that the Angels seemed inclined to let Lackey walk. He has dealt with some injuries the last few years, bringing him down a notch or two. Dodger blue might make sense, the Mariners are another team that makes sense out West looking for top pitcher. If Lackey heads east the Yankees and Mets will be very interested, and the Red Sox will do their due diligence as well.  Two extreme dark horses are the Nationals and Orioles. Both teams have plenty of money to spend and need a top pitcher, but probably won’t overpay if the Yankees and Red Sox are involved.

4. Chone Figgins 3B, UTL:  Here we see a drop off in the market. While Figgins is a good player he’s hardly someone you build your team around. He doesn’t fit the typical 3B profile as his speed is his biggest asset. If the Angels can’t retain him, the Phillies will be the top team calling. Orioles, Giants, and Cardinals could all be interested as well.

5. Nick Johnson 1B:  Johnson has an injury history that will keep him from getting a long term deal, but when he’s healthy he’s one of the most productive players in the game. His power numbers and defense fell off some last year hurting his value, but he was still an on base machine. I’d expect the power numbers to rebound this season and for him to post around a .900 OPS. The Giants, Braves, Orioles, and Mariners should all be in on Johnson. I think the Mets will be interested as well, and I’d never count out the Athletics on anyone who gets on base as often as Johnson does.

6. Johnny Damon LF:  Damon isn’t a long term answer for anyone, but for the next 2 years there are few safer players out there on the FA market. Damon year in year out produces a solid OPS, whether its sometimes with a bit more power (20+ hrs) or a higher obp Damon is always a big cog in the offense. Damon also still has speed as a part of his game, and has always been a smart base runner. I think the Yankees will retain Damon, but if they go in another direction there will be a few teams interested. Giants and Cardinals make the most sense.

7. Randy Wolf SP:  Wolf had a great year for the Dodgers last season and helped them reach the NLCS. Wolf isn’t a true “ace” and is a few steps below Lackey. I think the Dodgers will retain him (unless they sign Lackey). If he does leave, the Mets, Nationals, and Astros (if they decide to fore go rebuilding) make the most sense. Some AL teams could come calling, but the NL seems like a better fit for Wolf.

8. Rich Harden SP:  In terms of stuff, Harden is the best pitcher on the market unfortunately he can’t find a way to stay healthy. As a result he can forget about any deal longer than two years and his price tag will be well below Lackey’s and Wolf’s. I think a number of teams will be in on Harden trying to catch lightening in a bottle. In addition to the usual suspects, I think the A’s, O’s, Nats, and Brewers will all be in on Harden.

9. Jose Valverde RP:  Valverde is the top closer on the market this season, but faces a few road blocks. The first being the glut of closers on the market, and the second the lack of legitimate openings among teams. Valverde is a good closer but is far from the supreme status of Rivera and Papelbon. The Phillies will be interested, but I don’t think they will overpay. The Nats, Rays, and Rangers all could use some help at the back end of their bullpen, but probably will look at cheaper options. The Cubs could be an interesting team to watch.

10. Aroldis Chapman SP:  Chapman is a 21-year old Cuban defector with a 100 MPH fastball, but also 100 questions that need answered as well. Is he truly major league ready? How are his command, control, and off speed pitches? These are just a few of those questions that teams will be asking. His age and fastball will get him a big time deal, but he is not without risk. The Yankees and Red Sox are the favorites in this race, everyone else has to be a long shot. The Orioles could get serious, especially if the Yankees sign Lackey (more or less taking them out of the race).

11. Joel Pineiro SP:  Pineiro is a solid mid rotation arm. He’s been inconsistent throughout his career, but a great 2009 will give him a nice deal. The Cardinals will look to retain him, but expect a lot of teams to get interested in him. The Nats, O’s, Astros, and Brewers should all be at the top of the list.

12. Orlando Hudson 2B:  Hudson has lost a step defensively (though he still won the Gold Glove), but is still a pretty productive player at 2B. Hudson would be a nice fit for the Nationals and a solid 2 hole hitter for them. If the Mets can dump Castillo’s contract they could get involved as well.

13. Adam LaRoche 1B:  LaRoche struggled with the Pirates and Red Sox last season, but was on fire with Braves the last two months. Atlanta will look to keep LaRoche, but if they can’t the O’s, Mets, Giants and Mariners will be interested.

14. Mike Cameron CF:  Cameron is still a solid center fielder and offers both defensive and offensive upside. Athletics and Yankees could make sense. Also the Padres could bring Cameron back to patrol their spacious center field.

15. Marco Scutaro:  Scutaro is the top short stop on the market. He has always been solid defensively, and had a breakout offensive year. The Astros and Red Sox make the most sense.

16. Adrian Beltre 3B:  Beltre is a great buy low candidate this offseason. He had a pretty bad and injury filled walk year, but prior to that was the model of consistency, 20+ home run power, around an .800 OPS, and excellent defense at third. His offensive numbers should be helped by getting out of Seattle as well. The Twins and Phillies will be the most interested. I’d imagine the O’s will get involved as well.

17. Marlon Byrd CF, OF:  Byrd is very much under the radar, but one of the better outfielders on the market. Not too many teams need center fielders so I could see him landing in a spot like St. Louis or possibly with San Francisco.

18. Jon Garland SP:  Garland is another mid rotation candidate, who offers little upside but can be a great addition to most teams rotations. I think he’s a perfect fit in Washington. If the Cards lose Pineiro, he makes sense there, or would be a solid addition for the Brewers.

19. Andy Pettitte SP:  Part of the reason he is so low on this list is the fact that he is almost sure to resign with the Yankees. Also I don’t know how much you can trust him to put up another year like he had in 2009. He could easily have another 2008 down year. If he for some reason left the Yankees, the Dodgers or Astros make some sense.

20. Eric Bedard SP:  Bedard is very similar to Harden, a pitcher with amazing stuff, but has been too injured to make a long term investment in. Plenty of teams should be interested in him. And it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see the Orioles bring back their former staff ace.