Joakim Soria, Royals to Rangers. 50 OF 98

With news like Josh Hamilton's tobacco habits, the new postseason format, Mariano Rivera's injury, Chipper Jones' retirement, etc. clogging up the sports pages, lost among the headlines was the season-long absence of one of the game's better relief pitchers.

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Joakim Soria racked up 115 saves with an ERA below 2.00 from 2008-10 with the Kansas City Royals—which is why the average fan has never heard of him. He ran into trouble in '11 and was demoted from closing temporarily, then underwent Tommy John surgery that cost him all of 2012.

Not re-signed by KC, Texas brought the 28-year-old in for 2Y/$8M, obviously confident he can return to his old form. He finally returned to the mound on July 7 and has thrown three shutout innings for the Rangers.

 

Juan Pierre, Phillies to Marlins. 51 OF 98

He's back! One of the heroes of Florida's shocking 2003 championship team, Pierre returns to the franchise after stops in Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia. Needless to say, nothing is as it was during Pierre's initial stint—not even the team name and colors.

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But after gutting the roster of practically all notable players save for Giancarlo Stanton and Ricky Nolasco during the final six months of 2012, Miami needed veterans. Pierre returned on a 1Y/$1.6M deal in search of his 600th career steal—which he achieved on May 2. Pierre was a .218 hitter entering June but a 13-game hit streak helped bump his average.

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He has lost playing time to Justin Ruggiano in recent weeks.

 

Ervin Santana, Angels to Royals. 52 OF 98

In some ways Santana's career has almost mirrored the aforementioned Francisco Liriano's—electric stuff, a no-hitter to his name, and rough periods mixed in with dominant ones.

Overall, Santana's had the more successful career (three 16+ win seasons and 96 lifetime wins by age 30) and the Royals traded for him hoping that pitching in a contract year elicits the "good" Santana, not the one who coughed up 39 home runs in 2012—one behind the all-time Angels club record.

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Santana enjoyed a strong first half in '13 and could have repped KC as an All-Star if shoddy run support hadn't impinged his win-loss record. Santana's 3.37 ERA would be a career low if it holds up, and his 1.114 WHIP leads the KC starting staff by far. Furthermore, the nine-year vet has only plunked three batters as of the All-Star break—no small feat for a man annually among the league leaders in that department.

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Alexi Casilla, Twins to Orioles. 53 OF 98

Casilla cracked the game-winning hit in one of the greatest games ever played—the 2009 one-game playoff for the American League Central division title between his Twins and the Tigers—but the diminutive middle infielder has had few moments in the spotlight since as the Twins regressed into mediocrity and Casilla was bounced between second base and shortstop.

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Still just 29, Baltimore snagged him off waivers as insurance for middle infield starters Brian Roberts and J.J. Hardy; he got plenty of run during Roberts' latest injury-related absence but has accrued only 26 at-bats since the start of June.

Overall, Casilla is hitting .233 in 44 games, and his lone home run was a three-run game-winner off Indians ace Justin Masterson on June 25.

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Jordan Walden, Angels to Braves 54 OF 98

In 2011, Walden was one of the most talked-about rooks in the game; the massive 24-year-old settled in as the Angels' closer following the departures of incumbents Fernando Rodney and Brian Fuentes, saving 32 games and making the All-Star team.

Though he pitched well for the most part in early '12, he was displaced as closer by the even-more effective Ernesto Frieri and dealt in the off-season to Atlanta. Owner of one of baseball's most unconventional deliveries, Walden has been very effective as a setup man for the Braves in 2013—if you omit a tough, injury-plagued May.

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Entering the All-Star break, Walden had allowed a single earned run in his past 16 games (that June 29 run, a homer by Miguel Montero, gave Arizona a late lead but Walden's offense immediately dropped a seven-spot in response).

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Rafael Soriano, Yankees to Nationals. 55 OF 98

Soriano is living proof of the imbalance between the haves and have-nots of Major League Baseball. Fresh off a record-setting season closing games for Tampa Bay in 2010, the New York Yankees signed the veteran righty to a 2Y/$21M contract—to set up Mo Rivera.

Obviously they had no way of knowing Rivera would blow out his knee in May 2012, increasing Soriano's value ten-fold from that point forward. He wound up nailing down 42 contests in '12 but then opted to join Washington for two years and $14 million.

 

Soriano is 25-of-29 in save opportunities for the middling Nats; recently, he allowed a game-tying, ninth-inning homer to Miami's Stanton in Washington's penultimate game before the All-Star break—but re-mounted the horse and nailed down an extra-inning win the next night. 

 

Jeff Keppinger, Rays to White Sox 56 OF 98

If you are a team that strikes out too much, you need a guy like Jeff Keppinger, a former "utility guy" who's since established himself as a solid hitting semi-regular for several teams over the past five years. (The strikeout-plagued Houston Astros did have Keppinger and let him go. Suppose he wasn't pulling his weight in that department.)

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After batting .325 with nine homers for the Rays in 2012, the White Sox locked up the 33-year-old veteran for 3Y/$12M; he's started over 70 games at four different positions after being projected as Chicago's primary third baseman—a role since filled by Conor Gillaspie.

Keppinger didn't get his average over .200 to stay until late May and still lags in the .240's, but has not committed an error since the season's first week—a fact not lost on a team with the third-highest E total in the American League.

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Fausto Carmona, Indians to Rays. 57 OF 98

(No, I'm not calling him "Roberto Hernandez". Roberto Hernandez was a closer for the White Sox and D'Rays in the '90's as far as I'm concerned. He is still Fausto Carmona to me.)

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Carmona survived for years on the strength of his 19-8 sophomore season with the 2007 division champion Indians; he is 34-63 lifetime if you exclude that year (albeit with a 2010 All-Star nod during a brief rebound).

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The huge righty, who was out most of 2012 while dealing with his identity issues in the Dominican and serving an MLB suspension, signed with Tampa for 1Y/$3.25M. Though he was only 5-10, 4.90 entering the break, Carmona has given Tampa innings (he's averaging exactly six per start) and entered the All-Star break on a streak of four quality starts.

Coincidentally, the other veteran MLB pitcher sidelined by identity issues in 2012—the former Leo Nunez; now officially Juan Oviedo—became a teammate of Carmona's this year, though he has yet to pitch while recovering from elbow surgery.

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Mike Aviles, Red Sox to Indians. 58 OF 98

 

Who?

The question almost always heard upon mention of a player established as a Kansas City Royal. Aviles has a little game, though—his rookie season average of .325 ranked third in the A.L. among players with 400+ plate appearances—and though he's had some setbacks since then, Aviles is a guy who cracked 13 homers as Boston's primary shortstop (123 starts) in 2012.

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Cleveland signed the 32-year-old for two years at just under $6 million, with a club option. Aviles returned to a backup role at the season's outset (the Tribe had Lonnie Chisenhall, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jason Kipnis and Nick Swisher around the infield) but has gradually accumulated over 50 starts in the wake of injuries and demotions. 

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Eric Chavez, Yankees to Diamondbacks. 59 OF 98

At the end of the 2006 postseason, Eric Chavez already laid claim to an impressive MLB career, one which had just begun its prime. He was the franchise face on a perennial contender and while his offensive numbers didn't quite rival those of Mike Schmidt, they were right there with any other third baseman of his era not named Rodriguez or Jones. He won defensive hardware annually.

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In fact, had he maintained consistency and health throughout the '00's—and the process for induction wasn't tainted by PED's—Chavez could have been a dark horse Hall-of-Fame candidate by now. Sadly, a spate of physical setbacks limited him to 64 games and 230 at-bats from 2008-2010. He hit exactly three home runs during that span.

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Chavez has managed to re-discover health since then, and even smoked 16 home runs in a part-time role for the Yankees in 2012. Now 35, the D'backs signed him for 2013, at $3M. He is slugging a robust .531 in a part-time role—only 11 other National Leaguers with over 150 plate appearances rank higher—and enjoyed a four-hit game on May 17.

Overall, Chavez stands at .303 with seven home runs in just 145 official at-bats. 

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James Loney, Red Sox to Rays. 60 OF 98

Loney is a solid hitter overall, but not all that powerful for a first baseman (career high in home runs: 15). The Dodgers started him at first base for several years hoping their #1 pick in the 2002 draft could blossom into that slugger, but when he actually regressed in 2012, the new Dodger management wasted little time in upgrading to Adrian Gonzalez via trade with the Red Sox.

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Loney finished that season with lowly Boston before signing a 1Y/$2M deal with Tampa Bay for 2013—a signing that will go down as one of the year's biggest bargains. Loney has played every one of Tampa's 96 games and is batting a solid .315 with a .466 slugging percentage, which would be his highest in seven years if it holds up.

The 29-year-old has only six fewer hits at the All-Star break than he had in all of 2012; he leads the Rays in that category as well as average and on-base percentage. 

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John Buck, Marlins to Blue Jays to Mets. 61 OF 98

A solid catcher primarily for the Royals and Marlins during his eight-year career, Buck became a casualty of the latter's latest fire sale, packaged to Toronto in the Jose Reyes trade. The Jays quickly shipped him to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey deal (which likely generated a sigh of relief), returning him to the NL East. Buck, 33, is good for double-digit home runs annually and was a 2010 All-Star.

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Out of the gate, Buck's hot bat turned many heads—thru 10 games, Buck was ripping .351 with six home runs, including four-baggers in four straight games. Buck's average dipped but he owned 10 homers by May 3. Over the next two months, however, the veteran catcher hit .190 and quashed any shot he had at another All-Star berth.

An encouraging sign for Buck and his team: he entered the All-Star break on a seven-game hit streak that has upped his average 14 points. An oddity: in 2013, he's hit three home runs in the bottom of the ninth without any of them winning or even tying the game—something he's done six times in his career without a single walk-off.

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Delmon Young, Tigers to Phillies. 62 OF 98

Dmitri's little brother made a bit of history last fall when he became the Tigers' all-time postseason home run hitter (the old mark was five; Young advanced it to eight), although it wasn't enough to bring the World Series title back to the Motor City. The 27-year-old Young, who's also played with Tampa and Minnesota, has come a long way from his infamous bat-throwing incident as a minor leaguer, and developed into a dependable major leaguer. 

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After the 2012 season, Philadelphia signed the 2012 ALCS MVP for the low price of 1Y$750K; he'd just undergone bone spur surgery on his ankle which lowered his price and delayed his Phillies debut until April 30. Slow initially, Young has batted .300 over the past two months while settling in as Philadelphia's right fielder and No.5/6 hitter.

His most recent home run turned around a two-run, eighth-inning Padres lead and keyed a Phillie comeback win on June 26.

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Yunel Escobar, Blue Jays to Marlins to Rays. 63 OF 98

The 30-year-old Escobar gained notoriety for all the wrong reasons as 2012 drew to a close. From a strictly on-field standpoint, however, he's been an above-average shortstop for the Braves and Blue Jays for several years since coming north from Cuba. He was acquired by Miami from Toronto in the Jose Reyes megadeal, then quickly sent to Tampa for a prospect.

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Escobar didn't get his average over .200 to stay until mid-May but has hit capably ever since, batting mostly ninth for the Rays since late April. He sank the Tigers with a walk-off single on June 30, and ripped a two-run double (up Tal's Hill in Houston, a home run anywhere else) in the 11th to down Houston on Independence Day. 

The hamstring strain suffered by the veteran shortstop just before the break isn't considered serious.

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Scott Hairston, Mets to Cubs. 64 OF 98

Having spent most of his career with the Padres and Diamondbacks, I've seen a lot of Hairston killing my Giants over the years (once even watched him get ejected in person during his rookie season). He appeared to be headed for stardom during said rookie season but instead spent most of the next two years in Triple-A, transitioning from second base to the outfield.

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Since then, the 33-year-old veteran has re-defined himself as one of MLB's best role players. In 2012, he tallied a career-high 20 home runs in a career-high 134 games played for the Mets, parlaying his effort into a 2Y/$5M deal with the Cubs.

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Hairston never got it going in Chicago. Whether his struggles cost him playing time, or his lack of playing time led to his struggles, the fact is Hairston only accumulated 99 at-bats with the Cubs. Though he smacked an impressive eight home runs—one of which was a May 31 grand slam—his average never topped .200 and he was traded to Washington just before the All-Star break.

The third-generation big-leaguer smoked a pinch-hit home run against the Pirates in his final Cubs at-bat.

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Tommy Hanson, Braves to Angels. 65 OF 98

Hanson came up in mid-2009 for Atlanta and dazzled down the stretch (11-4, 2.83). But by 2012 he'd lost his mojo; though he won 13 times, he averaged well under six innings per start and recorded a WHIP nearly 0.3 higher than in any of his previous three seasons. With arbitration looming, Atlanta opted to deal the 26-year-old to the Angels.

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It's been a difficult '13 for Hanson on-and-off the field; he was twice out of action while dealing with the death of his stepbrother in April/May, then he hit the DL in late June with a forearm injury. The Oklahoma native has given Los Angeles nine starts and 47.2 innings this year.

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Raul Ibanez, Yankees to Mariners. 66 OF 98

Ibanez' tale is reminiscent of former teammate Rickey Henderson: reach the bigs and make your name with one team, leave the nest for awhile, return "home", pack up once more, lather, rinse, repeat. 2013 represents Ibanez' third stint with the Mariners after mostly successful runs in Philadelphia and New York (Yankees). 

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Now age at 40, it's unlikely Ibanez will record three consecutive 100+ RBI seasons for Seattle as he did for them from 2006-2008. The Mariners signed him for 1Y/$2.75M, simply hoping he could out-produce the last outfielder/DH they brought back to end his career—which wouldn't be difficult.

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Instead, Ibanez has reached deep into the fountain of youth. He enjoyed a binge of six homers in seven games in early May and thru the All-Star break, is hitting .267 with team-highs of 24 homers (fourth in the AL), 56 RBI and a .578 slugging percentage (also fourth in the AL). Despite his offensive prowess, the Florida native did not come close to making the All-Star team as an outfielder or DH.

One of Ibanez's bombs extended a game from 11 to 13 innings (Seattle eventually won) and his fifth one of the second half will represent career Big Fly No. 300. 

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Shaun Marcum, Brewers to Mets. 67 OF 98

Marcum has long toiled in obscurity; only Toronto and Milwaukee fans are aware that he won 13 games for them in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Although on the disabled list for a third of the 2012 season, the Mets imported the veteran right-hander for 1Y/$4M after the Brewers severed ties. 

It was not been a smooth year at all for Marcum. Between season-opening (neck, bicep) and season-closing (shoulder) disabled list stints, Marcum racked up an ugly 1-10 record and only five quality starts out of 12. 

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Placido Polanco, Phillies to Marlins. 68 OF 98

As a vastly underrated but critical second/third baseman for the Cardinals, Phillies and Tigers, Polanco racked up over 2,000 hits, claimed a LCS MVP award, won three Gold Gloves, once finished second in the majors in batting average and accumulated a lifetime average just under .300. 

Additionally, the 37-year-old Dominican did all of this while usually being the smallest man on his team, and often bouncing back and forth between infield positions. Polanco, who hit .257 in 90 games for Philadelphia in a 2012 season derailed by back problems (which disabled him twice), signed for 1Y/$2.75M deal with Miami in the 2012-13 off-season.

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Polanco started hot for Miami, but after taking a 1-for-8 in their 20-inning win over the Mets on June 8—which was sandwiched around a week-long illness and a back injury suffered falling over a dugout rail—his average stood at .227 (an 0-for-7 in a previous 15-inning marathon didn't help).

Polanco has lost playing time in July, starting only five times after racking up 60 starts from April-June. Given his 2013 statline (.251 average, one homer, 15 RBI) and his age, the 16-year vet might not be long for the big leagues.

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Vance Worley, Phillies to Twins. 69 OF 98

In 2011, Worley was one of the pleasant surprises of baseball. The beefy right-hander began 11-1 for the Phillies (ultimately finishing 11-3) but his encore season was marred by bone chips in his elbow that he attempted unsuccessfully to pitch through.

Still only 25, the Phils sacrificed Worley in order to acquire CF Ben Revere from Minnesota. He made 10 starts—including Opening Day for Minnesota in 2013, winning one and posting a WHIP just under 2.0 (with an ERA over 7).  He was demoted to Triple-A in May, where he's won six of nine starts and drastically curbed the home run ball that so badly plagued him with the Twins.

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Worley was recently disabled with shoulder inflammation. Before his injury, the Twins offered no timetable on a potential return to Target Field.

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Ty Wigginton, Phillies to Cardinals. 70 OF 98

Once upon a time, "Wigs" was the Mets' everyday third baseman. Then a guy named David Wright came along and...yeah. Not to suggest Wigginton is a scrub—far from it.

He's a poor man's Matt Stairs, only with more versatility and less swing. Every year he'll land somewhere for one or two years, mostly start, and usually finish the season with around 15-20 homers and 50-70 RBI, depending on how many AB's he's granted.

The Cardinals imported him from Philadelphia for 2Y/$5M, but Wigginton barely lasted half of year one. Younger, cheaper Matt Adams and Daniel Descalso absorbed most of the playing time usually reserved for Wigginton; he managed only 63 PA's under Mike Matheny and hit .158 with no home runs.

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For his part, Matheny—who regularly played against then-Pirate Wigginton in 2004 when still a Cardinals catcher—was quick to praise the veteran, whose July 9 release cost him his best shot at his first postseason appearance.

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Jason Bay, Mets to Mariners. 71 OF 98

Holy Denny Neagle! It's easy to forget that three short years ago, Jason Bay's name was among the most mentioned in MLB. He was among the league's top free agents that winter of 2009 and landed a four-year megadeal from the New York Mets.

It never came together for Bay in New York; by 2012's end Bay was a forgotten man. After that 70-game, .165 catastrophe, the Mets opted to eat the last year of his deal. At the cost of $1 million to them, Seattle landed the 34-year-old, who as recently as 2009 whacked 36 homers and drove in 119 runs (at Fenway, but still).

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Bay has had an, uh, interesting year for the M's. Starting about half the time at both corner outfield spots, Bay is somehow batting 100 points higher at pitcher-friendly Safeco Field than on the road. After batting third or fourth in 60 percent of his career starts prior to '13, he has not batted in either spot all year—instead making the first dozen leadoff appearances of his career. All 11 of his homers thru the All-Star break were solos.

But most importantly, Bay's healthy, and playing closer to his British Columbia hometown than ever.

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Philip Humber, White Sox to Astros. 72 OF 98

In the mid-2000's, Humber was among the Mets' top prospects, eventually traded to Minnesota (with others) for Johan Santana. But it wasn't until hooking up with the White Sox in 2011 that he made any major league impact. The 30-year-old threw the 22nd perfect game in MLB history (I count Armando Galarraga's), shutting down the Mariners on April 21st of 2012.

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By year's close, however, Humber had pitched his way out of the rotation and eventually, out of the Chicago organization entirely. Houston signed him for 1Y/$1.3M for 2013. Sadly, the  30-year-old's career continued its accelerated descent—on an Astro team that only asked for innings, not domination, Humber failed to win a single one of his seven starts.

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In fairness, he started decently enough, with 18.2 innings and a 2.89 ERA after three starts. Then Humber coughed up seven or more scores in three of his next four starts, sparking a demotion to the 'pen. That lasted two games until a May 11 massacre against the Rangers cost him his roster spot.

Outrighted to Oklahoma City, Humber's aggregate W/L record with the Astros and Redhawks is 0-12. All I can say is...wow.

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Scott Baker, Twins to Cubs. 73 OF 98

After quietly going 38-22 over a three-year (2008-10) period for the Twins—and before that, barely missing a perfect game—the veteran right-hander underwent major reconstructive elbow surgery in 2012, and Minnesota cut ties. Undaunted by his full year off the diamond, and after any quality arms they could get, the Chicago Cubs signed Baker to a $5.5 million deal for 2013, with the opportunity to up that to $7 million in performance bonuses.

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Baker has not pitched in the majors yet in 2013, but has begun his minor league rehab.

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Casey Kotchman, Indians to Marlins. 74 OF 98

Miami makes it seven teams in the past six seasons for the veteran Kotchman, who (on the strength of his record-setting fielding) continues to find work in the big leagues despite 71 lifetime home runs in 10 years from the first base position. A .306 hitter for Tampa in 2011, "Kotch" fell all the way to .229 with Cleveland in '12 and was let go.

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The 30-year-old joined the Fish on a 1Y/$700K contract, but 2013 is shaping up to be a lost year. Kotchman shredded his hamstring in the Marlins' second game and missed two months. Less than a week after returning, he returned to the DL with an oblique injury (June 10) and hasn't played since. 

Kotchman is 0-for-20 in six games this season.

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Jason Frasor, Blue Jays to Rangers. 75 OF 98

It's rare that a non-closing reliever spends all, or even most, of a significant career with one team. Other than Scot Shields, I'm drawing a five-minute blank on examples. But Frasor bucked the trend, toiling eight-and-a-half of his first nine seasons as a Toronto Blue Jay. There were periods where he was asked to slam the door but for the most part, Frasor's role was middle and setup relief.

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Originally traded out of Toronto in 2011, the 35-year-old was quickly re-acquired after that season, but landed in Texas for 2013 on a 1Y/$1.5M deal. Used more-or-less as a righty specialist—Frasor has 26 innings over 35 appearances—he's enjoyed a good year down south. Frasor has been especially tough lately, with only two earned runs allowed since the end of May.

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Frasor is the latest to prove that dismissing short guys in the draft (the 5'9" veteran was a 33rd-round pick) can be unwise.

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Jason Vargas, Mariners to Angels. 76 OF 98

If asked who was Seattle's winningest starter in 2012, any casual fan instantly assumes Felix Hernandez. On the no-brainer scale, the answer seems to rank right up there with the Orioles' career games leader and the Braves' career home run leader.

However, King Felix stood one behind lefty Jason Vargas in this category. Vargas, in his third full season as an M's starter, went 14-11, 3.85 in 2012. One reason Hernandez only won 13 games—not enough thump in the Seattle lineup; addressing the problem, they sacrificed Vargas to bring in Kendrys Morales from the Halos in an uncommon intra-division swap.

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Vargas was a deserving AL Pitcher of the Month for May 2013; he went 5-0, 2.30 in six starts. When he hit the disabled list with a blood clot in his pitching armpit, he was 6-4, 3.65 overall. Vargas' rehab from surgery is reportedly on course and the team hopes for an August return, per the Los Angeles Times.

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Key Non-Roster Adds. 77 OF 98

They're dimmed stars who no longer put up the huge numbers that once made them indispensable. They're established veterans coming off tough seasons. They're guys trying to prove they're healthy enough to contribute to a major league squad. They're youngsters fighting hard just for a shot at being the 25th man.

They're the non-roster invitees: they're not on the 40-man roster, they're not guaranteed anything financially or otherwise, and unlike the Fielders and Stantons and Cains and Sabathias of the league, they're not afforded the luxury of "working on a pitch" or "playing their way into shape"—they have to make an impact, or they're gone by Opening Day.

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Every team has multiple NRI's but on average, only one to three win spots (many because of injuries to rostered players) per club, if that. Following is a rundown of the more familiar names to win spots in 2013 and how they've fared so far.

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Miguel Tejada, Royals. 78 OF 98

I'm opinionated, but I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong. And I was dead wrong about the wisdom of my Giants hiring Tejada to be their 2011 shortstop. I felt that, even at 37 and no longer the superstar who won the 2002 AL MVP award, registered four 30-homer seasons, and didn't miss a game for seven years, Tejada would make an adequate stopgap.

Again, dead wrong. No baseball insight I've ever offered has ever strayed further from reality. Miggy had a great career—had he enjoyed it in any other era without questions surrounding its legitimacy, it might have earned him a plaque in Cooperstown. But the Tejada who wore the Giants uniform didn't resemble the one who dazzled in the A's and O's unis in any way. After being cut in August '11 and unsigned afterward, he seemed done.

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Tejada never expressed anything but a desire to continue his career, however. The Royals gave him a shot this spring, he capitalized, and through the All-Star break was batting .278 in 35 games for KC.

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Chad Qualls, Marlins. 79 OF 98

Qualls made his name as a key bullpen contributor to the 2005 NL Champion Astros, and has gone on to make 70+ appearances in six of the past eight seasons, most notably for Houston and Arizona. In fact, he was the D'backs  closer in 2009 before injuring his knee.

Since then, he's been a traveling man, having made stops through seven organizations—including three in 2012 (Philadelphia, Yankees and Pittsburgh), none of which he fared particularly well for any stretch.

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Age 35 in August, Qualls still has a rubber arm and loads of regular-and post-season experience; those guys don't grow on trees, and Qualls won a roster spot in the depleted Miami 'pen for 2013. He owns a 2.89 ERA in 2013 and is unscored upon in July (as of the All-Star break).

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Yorvit Torrealba, Rockies. 80 OF 98

This one wasn't a shocker. Torrealba was one of the leaders of the infamous 2007 NL Champion Rockies (and 2009 Wild Card Rockies) whose stock had fallen in the years since departing Denver. He'd played on the 2011 AL Champion Rangers but drew serious scorn for slapping an umpire in the Venezuelan league during that off-season. Three MLB clubs let him go in 2012.

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Colorado, known for bringing past heroes back into the fold, gave the 34-year-old Torrealba a shot at a part-time role. He won it, and is ably teaming with young Wilin Rosario. Thru the All-Star break, Torrealba was hitting .287 and has erased 34 percent of attemtped base stealers.

 

Jason Giambi, Indians. 81 OF 98

This move? One of the off-season's most surprising, at least to me. What surprised me most? That Giambi wanted to continue playing, that anyone made him an offer or that he ended up making a roster (Cleveland's)? Answer: all of the above.

Don't get me wrong; I'm happy for the Giambino, the popular and productive A's and Yankees superstar of the 2000's who was knocked down by health and PED issues. Rather than fade away, he re-invented himself as a valuable reserve over the past three+ seasons in Colorado (even enjoying a three-homer game as a 40-year-old in 2011). 

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The now-42-year-old Giambi, who actually did interview for the Rockies' managerial position before signing with the Tribe (Walt Weiss got the Rox job), has smacked six home runs 115 at-bats (thru the All-Star break) after opening 2013 on the disabled list. His career total stands at 435.

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Jonathan Sanchez, Pirates. 82 OF 98

As a member of my beloved Giants in 2009, he no-hit the Padres (on a very sad day for me personally; I could not join in on the celebration). In 2010, his 13-9, 3.07 performance helped the Giants to a World Series title. Yet Sanchez continues to be one of the most frustrating players in the league not named Liriano.

When the lean lefty is on, he cannot be hit. But command and focus escaped him throughout his Giants tenure, and after a highly disappointing 2011 season, they swapped him to Kansas City for an unnamed left fielder—a trade which ranked as the steal of the year until said left fielder failed a drug test.

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Sanchez completely fell apart in Kansas City and was eventually cut. Next, Colorado unsuccessfully tried to restore his confidence and mechanics. After the season, the 30-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Pirates, winning a rotation spot in the spring. Sanchez was 0-3 in five games, with an ERA nearing 12 and a WHIP nearing 2.5; the Bucs quickly sent him back to the unemployment line. 

 

The Dodgers took Sanchez on a minor league deal in May. He has not returned to the majors as of the All-Star break.

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John Maine, Marlins. 83 OF 98

 

The Mets' primary return in the Kris Benson (remember him? Or at least his wife Anna?) trade with Baltimore, Maine was perpetually on the Mets' radar but only in 2007 (15-10, 3.91 in 32 starts) was he a season-long contributor. Injury after injury set the big right-hander back; he totaled 49 starts over the next three years.

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New York finally ran out of patience and let Maine go after a (not surprising) injury-shortened 2010; he was out of the majors until winning a spot with Miami this year. Sadly, he didn't last three weeks with the Fish, cut after posting a 2.7 WHIP three weeks from his 32nd birthday.

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Scott Kazmir, Indians. 84 OF 98

Kazmir was the greatest pitcher in Devil Rays history, which on its face isn't much of an achievement when you recall the hordes of stiffs (Delvin James...Ryan Rupe...Dewon Brazelton...Rick Gorecki) trotted out during that era.

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Scott Kazmir, however, was very good by any measurement. He was cut from the bantam Billy Wagner mold: lefty with fire-breathing fastball known to be confused for his team's batboy (Kazmir attended high school in his native Houston while Wagner was busy becoming the Astros' all-time saves leader nearby.)

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From 2005-07, Kazmir won 33 games for a D-Rays squad that finished dead last all three of those years, averaging nearly 100 losses per. He chipped in 12 wins for the revitalized Rays of 2008—then simply fell apart. It wasn't quite a Dontrelle Willis-level fall, but close.

Out of the majors for basically all of 2011-12 as he re-learned how to pitch in the minors and independent leagues, Kazmir—still just 29—sought and won a spot in the '13 Indians rotation. Disabled until 4/20 by a ribcage strain, he lacked immediate consistency (3-4, 5.89 ERA thru June 15) but has gone 2-0, 4.06 in his last five starts entering the All-Star break.

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Leo Nunez, Rays. 85 OF 98

(Legally, he is Juan Oviedo; personally, he is indefinitely Leo Nunez) Nunez was a mostly effective under-the-radar fireman for the Marlins from 2009-11, saving 92 games in that stretch. He spent the first half of 2012 dealing with the identity fallout; upon re-gaining eligibility to pitch in the majors, he blew out his arm while on minor league rehab.

Cut loose by Miami (inevitable with or without his health/identity issues; these are the Marlins we're talking about), Tampa took a flier on the 31-year-old, who is expected to spend most if not all of 2013 on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John surgery.

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Cesar Izturis, Reds. 86 OF 98

In the early-mid 2000's, Izturis was among the top defensive shortstops around, earning and sustaining the starting gig with the Dodgers for four seasons until blowing out his arm in 2005. He was traded out of Los Angeles not long after recovering.

Since then Izturis has made the rounds in mostly regular roles, most notably Baltimore (where he started at SS for two years) and most recently a pit stop in Washington. Still just 33, the Reds brought Izturis in on a minor league deal; he won a spot and though he hasn't hit much, he is errorless in 28 defensive games for Dusty Baker.

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On April 22, his walk-off single in the 13th capped a miracle comeback win for the Reds over the division rival Cubs.

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Marlon Byrd, Mets. 87 OF 98

Three years ago, he was an All-Star, making a memorable defensive play to help preserve the NL's streak-busting win. That day initiated a long stretch of misfortune for Byrd—he was viciously beaned, cut twice, and suspended for illegal PED use between then and 2012's close. 

35 years old and unemployed, the New York Mets agreed on a minor league deal with the outfielder. He secured the Mets starting right field job on the strength of his hot bat (15 homers, 51 RBI, .502 slugging thru the All-Star break), evidence of which includes a two-homer game on June 5 and an eighth-inning clutch grand slam on July 9. 

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Byrd has only gone hitless twice in July 2013.

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Jayson Nix, Yankees. 88 OF 98

The three most shocking discoveries of my adult life: George Peppard and Mr. T didn't care much for each other, unrefrigerated mashed potatoes are hard on the nose and the Nix brothers have combined for over 1,100 major league games and over 100 career home runs.

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Laynce has been around longer and has the more impressive resume; 31-year-old Jayson seems to be cut every other week but stuck with the Yankees in 2012, and won a spot with the '13 club (didn't hurt that three-fourths of their starting infield opened the year on the DL). 

As one soldier in the small army of substitute third basemen used in Alex Rodriguez's absence, Nix was hitting .236 with two homers thru the All-Star break. He currently resides on the disabled list with a bad hamstring.

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Brandon Inge, Pirates. 89 OF 98

Inge spent over a decade as a Detroit Tiger, during 119-loss seasons and pennant-winning seasons. By 2012, however, it was clear change was needed—and Inge joined the surprising Oakland A's. Though he hovered around .200 all year, Inge came through with several big hits for his new club (many of them clearing the fence) before his season ended prematurely due to injury.

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Said injury dropped his stock and he settled on a minor-league deal with the Bucs. After a disabled list stint, the 36-year-old Inge made their roster as a reserve and though his overall numbers are unimpressive, he did poke a pinch-hit single to break up a Julio Teheran (Braves) no-hitter in the eighth inning in early June. 

Inge cracked his first NL home run June 26, ending a nearly-year-long drought.

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Derek Lowe, Rangers. 90 OF 98

 

He's pitched in eight postseasons. He's thrown a no-hitter. He's saved 40 games. He's won two of the most memorable playoff games in MLB history. He's had one of the most interesting, unconventional careers of his era and in early 2013, Derek Lowe brought his sinker to the Lonestar State.

Lowe had signed with Cleveland prior to 2012 after seven years chewing up over 1,420 innings for the Dodgers and Braves; his year started off well enough but when the Tribe found themselves losers of 11 straight games, Lowe—who'd been slumping—became a casualty. Signing with the Yankees, Lowe returned to full-time relief, which he hadn't done since 2001.

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The 16-year-vet, who turned 40 in June, auditioned for (and won) a spot in the Rangers' bullpen for 2013. He threw four emergency shutout innings when starter Nick Tepesch was injured April 20 but eventually lost his roster spot. Lowe, in so many words, retired during the All-Star break.

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Austin Kearns, Marlins. 91 OF 98

It's always been a matter of health for the big outfielder, who wet his feet with the early-2000's Reds—even once jacking 24 home runs for them (2005)—but had difficulty staying on the field. Ex-Red GM Jim Bowden brought him to DC in an eight-man trade the following year, but dumped him following a two-season stretch of DL stints and non-productivity. 

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Following stops in Cleveland and the Bronx, the former 7th overall draft pick spent 2012 in a reserve role for the Fish, and after winning a spot on new manager Mike Redmond's roster, becomes one of few veteran Marlins to return in 2013.

Now 33, he's been forced off the field due to an irregular heartbeat and personal matters; Kearns has just 27 AB's so far this season thru the All-Star break but remains in Miami's employ—though their team president doesn't expect him back on the field this year.

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Jon Garland, Rockies. 92 OF 98

A former back-to-back 18-game winner for the White Sox (for whom he pitched eight seasons), Garland spent 2008-12 blowing through the nation's southwestern-most MLB teams (Angels, Dodgers twice, Padres, D'backs) like a tumbleweed—and recovering from major shoulder surgery. The tall right-hander made 32-plus starts for nine straight years before his operation.

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Out all of 2012, Garland signed a minor league deal with Seattle for '13 but wound up with Colorado instead when the Ms opted not to promote him. Now 33, he started very strong for the Rox but hit a losing streak and was let go by the Rockies in early June, finishing 4-6, 5.82 in 12 starts.

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LaTroy Hawkins, Mets. 93 OF 98

Hawkins is one of those guys who has enjoyed three different careers: he began his career as a high-ceiling, low-output starting pitcher, developed into a reliable closer and for the past few seasons has worked as an effective set-up man for several clubs—most notably the 2007 NL Champion Rockies, and most recently the 2012 Los Angeles Angels.

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Now 40, the 18-year vet won a spot in the Mets bullpen despite not signing until about two weeks before camp opened. His first appearance notwithstanding, he's been mostly productive in a middle relief role, though he allowed runs in each of three appearances leading up to the All-Star break.

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Lyle Overbay, Yankees. 94 OF 98

Fifteen years from now, unless he A) splits his pants on the field, B) somehow plays until he's 60, C)  becomes MLB's first designated fielder or D) some other absurd accomplishment, only the hardest of die-hards will remember that Lyle Overbay ever existed—even quite possibly in Toronto and Milwaukee, where he's enjoyed the most success in his career.

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The 2004 NL doubles champ, Overbay's career high in homers is 22 and he has never enjoyed a 100-RBI season in seven years as a regular—atypical for first basemen of his era. He's batted exactly four times in the postseason, with zeroes across the board. Unless you're discussing failed megatrades of the 2000's (as a youngster he was part of the 2003 Richie Sexson deal), there's practically no reason to mention Overbay's name ever again once he quits.

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For now, though, he has value to the depleted Yankees. Starting regularly in place of injured Mark Teixeira, the 36-year-old has had ups and downs but in 86 games thru the All-Star break, hit as many home runs (11) as he did in 186 games from 2011-12.

The 36-year-old enjoyed a four-hit, five-RBI game May 10, ripped an 11th-inning solo jack to down division rival Tampa on May 25 and smoked his first grand slam in seven years on July 10. 

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Rick Ankiel, Astros. 95 OF 98

We can all recite Ankiel's story from memory now: among MLB's top rookies in 2000 for St. Louis. Falls apart and can't throw a strike in 2000 postseason. Blows out arm; heals. Still can't throw strikes. Switches to outfield. Blows out knee. Plays exactly 11 MLB games from 2001-2006 before finally returning to majors in 2007; takes MLB by storm down the stretch. Linked to PED's. Now a journeyman.

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Ankiel hasn't come close to duplicating that magical 2007 run (although he did rope 25 jacks for St. Louis the following year) but continued to find work in the majors. He won a job with the lowly Houston Astros in '13, but their team-wide outbreak of K's afflicted Ankiel worse than anyone (62 AB, 35 K) and led to his May release. He was briefly a New York Met, but they also cut him loose.

Now 33, Ankiel may have run out of teams.

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Ryan Raburn, Indians. 96 OF 98

Raburn, overmatched in his initial 2004 MLB exposure, had to toil in Triple-A for two full years before getting another shot in Detroit. From 2009-11, he was a valuable Chone Figgins type, starting extensively at second base and both corner outfield spots (plus a handful of games at third). 

Raburn averaged 116 games and 15 home runs annually over that period (one of those games was the classic Game 163 of 2009; Raburn was a defensive goat and hero in the 10th inning of that memorable affair, which his Tigers lost).

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The 32-year-old had a very rough 2012, and Detroit opted not to re-sign him. Cleveland acquired their former division rival, who made the club and is batting .267 with 10 homers in 150 at-bats, basically in the same role he played across Lake Erie.

In his past three games against his former Detroit teammates, Raburn has clobbered three homers and driven in six of the nine total Indan runs.

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Erik Bedard, Astros. 97 OF 98

A top lefty starter for the Orioles in 2006-07, Bedard was swapped to pitching-starved Seattle prior to 2008. While the O's continue to reap the benefits of said swap (Adam Jones, Chris Tillman), health limited Bedard to 30 starts in his initial three Mariner seasons (including an entire one spent sidelined).

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The 34-year-old Ontarian began '12 pitching well for resurgent Pittsburgh, but when they swooned, Bedard—who'd also fallen into a deep slump—became a casualty in August. He made the Astros as a non-roster invitee this year, didn't eclipse four innings in any of his first five starts, but enjoyed a 3-1 June with five quality starts out of six.

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Bedard's season ledger reads 3-6, 4.61—not all that terrible for an aging lefty pitching at Minute Maid Park.

 

Kevin Slowey, Marlins. 98 OF 98

Though never topping 160 innings in any season, Slowey won 35 games for the 2008-10 Twins before completely falling apart in '11. Dealt first to Colorado, then Cleveland in the months to come, the 29-year-old didn't see MLB action in '12 as he sandwiched a handful of Triple-A starts around two DL stints.

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Miami gave Slowey an audition for their '13 rotation; he passed and posted a 3.30 ERA in his first 10 starts—with a deceptive 1-5 won/loss record. Then he hit a wall, leaving him ripe for a rotation spot takeover by top prospect Nate Eovaldi.

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Since then he's alternated between starting and relieving; in Miami's laborious 19-inning win over the Mets in early June, Slowey tossed seven scoreless innings...in relief.