What's cooking for pitchers
RH Daisuke Matsuzaka
2006: 17-5, 2.13 ERA, 200 K's, 50 BB, 186 1/3 IP
Notable: Was this the guy Curt Schilling was talking about when he said financial constraints would not hinder the Red Sox' offseason plans? Could be, because Matsuzaka is going to cost a small fortune to import to the United States. Bidding for the Japanese star, who will be posted shortly by the Seibu Lions, could reach the $20 million-$30 million range, and that's just for the right to negotiate with him. Factor in his contract, and the total package might approach $70 million for the 26-year-old righthander.
RH Roger Clemens
2006: 7-6, 2.30 ERA, 102 K's, 29 BB, 113 1/3 IP
Notable: He turned 44 in August, his name surfaced in steroid accusations, and he cost $12 million to pitch just over three months last season. Still, it wouldn't be the Rocket or the Red Sox without another round of speculation that Clemens will return to Boston for the final chapter of his storied career. Under the new labor agreement, his current team, the Astros, won't be facing a deadline this winter to offer him arbitration, which should keep them in talks until Clemens makes a decision. But he filed for free agency, and if he can be persuaded to leave home, the Sox should have interest in a pitcher who has baseball's best ERA (2.02) among starters since the start of the 2005 season.
RH Jeff Weaver
2006: 8-14, 5.76 ERA, 107 K's, 47 BB, 172 IP
Notable: Anyone could have had him at the end of June, when the Angels designated him for assignment, his 3-10 record a sorry return on the $8.125 million they'd given him. But with a magical October for the Cardinals, Weaver has made himself a valued commodity again, much as Derek Lowe did with his postseason in 2004. The Sox scouted Weaver extensively last season before deciding to pass, but if the money doesn't get ridiculous, they could create a spot for him at the back of their rotation. Cardinals teammate Jeff Suppan also is a free agent and has a more reliable track record, but a third go-round in Boston seems highly unlikely.
LH Barry Zito
2006: 16-10, 3.83 ERA, 151 K's, 99 BB, 221 IP
strong>Notable: The Sox would love a lefty, especially to neutralize all those big lefthanded bats on the Yankees, and Zito is the biggest free agent prize out there. But do the Sox want to invest the $15 million-$16 million per annum it's going to cost for a guy who hasn't pitched particularly well in Fenway (2-2, 4.65 ERA) and has been dreadful against the Yankees (3-9, 5.20 ERA)? Both New York teams are expected to go hard after Zito -- his former pitching coach is the Mets' Rick Peterson -- as well as the two LA teams. A more palatable (and cheaper) option may be Ted Lilly, but he's been awful against the Bombers, too (5-10, 5.03 ERA).
LH Dontrelle Willis
2006: 12-12, 3.87 ERA, 160 K's, 83 BB, 223 1/3 IP
Notable: The Sox turned to the Florida market last winter, landing Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell at a dear price -- Hanley Ramirez may have been the National League's best rookie and Anibal Sanchez threw a no-hitter. But if the Marlins decide they have enough young pitching and elect to part ways with Willis, who could command an $8 million salary in arbitration next season, the Sox should seriously consider revisiting John W. Henry's former team. Willis is young, charismatic, and intensively competitive, a great fit in this market. While most teams aren't looking to unload arms, the White Sox may use Freddy Garcia and Javier Vazquez as possible trading chips.
