The free-agent slop

When choosing a pitcher to pick up recently, my best two options were John Lannan and Jordan Zimmermann. Not exactly the cream of the crop. And the hitting field isn't any better, either.

With 12 teams, the free-agent pool is not deep. Sure, in April - and even May - there were plenty of options. But as we reach the summer months, it's clear that it's slim pickings.

"Trying to pick up a pitcher is like trying to find a wife in a school for the deaf and blind," Chris said Tuesday, a day after picking up Zimmermann. "Bottom line, we are all (expletive) out of luck."


The question looms, then, do you pick up someone who's had a good week, a good month, a good season? Or do you go with a recent call-up, someone unknown to most.

One person who has done the latter is Richie. We've seen him snag Tim Lincecum, Justin Upton and Jay Bruce very early in their careers. This season, he's taken chances on Chris Coghlan, Andrew McCutchen and Ryan Hanigan. Obviously, it hasn't exactly worked out for Richie, who is 1-11, will miss the playoffs for the second straight season and is in danger of finishing in last place.

When contacted to comment on his method, Richie didn't offer much of an explanation.

"My free agents have not helped much (this season)," he said with a laugh.

Bob has also had his hits (Michael Bourn) and misses (Emilio Bonaficio) through the hot player route. In a league with a 45 max pickup, selecting free agents to add is a crucial part of managing your team. Richie and Bob have combined for 28 and 26 moves, respectively, which are the two most amounts in the league. Bob has had success with it in the past, as he's been one of the league's most consistent managers in the standings.

Some, like Chris and Jack, usually aim for success on draft night. They have combined for just 31 moves and are the top two teams in the Brad Lidge division.

The free-agent field will improve in September, obviously, but by then it will be too late for some teams. Right now, the top free agents are Adam LaRoche and Virgil Vasquez. That, Chris says, just goes to show how important early free-agent success is.

"This will be the time," he said, "where those managers who put time and effort into their draft and early pickups really pays off and separates the contenders from the pretenders."