Let the bidding begin

Baseball executives like the depth of this winter's free-agent pitching contingent.

Originally Published: November 9, 2004
By Jerry Crasnick | ESPN Insider
Baseball executives like the depth of this winter's free-agent pitching contingent. It's the guesswork they can do without.

The list of starters available includes several pitchers who can slide into the middle of a rotation and help a team. The question is, does it include a real difference-maker?

"I don't know if there's anyone here that you look at and say, 'He has a chance to carry us through the postseason,' '' said a National League executive at the general managers meetings in Key Biscayne, Fla. "There's no equivalent to what Carlos Beltran is to position players.''

Or as an American League official put it, "In March, this looked like a great group. But there are a lot of guys with serious question marks now.''


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Jerry Crasnick | email

ESPN.com MLB Sr. Writer
  • ESPN.com senior writer
  • Author of "License to Deal"
  • Former Denver Post national baseball writer

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