The Baseball Exchange

1. Mike Lamb - Lamb will be just 32 next season, and plays passable defense at the corners - 3B, 1B, LF, RF. Three of his past four seasons have been above average in terms of OPS, and he represents a good bargain in that there is little interest in him. He could make for an excellent backup and if needed provides a passable starting bat, and he will probably come pretty cheap.

2. Ramon Castro - Castro will be 32 next season and provides passable defense for a catcher. Though he has mostly been a backup for his career and has never really stood out in his career, there is reason to believe that he could be worth a shot as a starter. Last season he hit 11 homers in 144 AB, and provided a 127 OPS+, 27% better than an average hitter. Though it might be unreasonable to expect him to hit quite so well, he is a good bargain because there is little interest in him, if he does well he could be a good starter, and if not, well he’s a decent backup.

3. Milton Bradley - That’s right. The outfielder with the attitude problem. He’s turning 30, and he’s only had one fully healthy season. However, his 110 OPS+, and his 153 OPS+ in ‘07 mean that he is a good bet to be above average, if not better. Most teams are wary of his attitude and his injury problems, but any team that takes the risk on him has a good chance at a high reward.

4. Jeremy Affeldt - Turning 29 next year, the Rockies reliever posted a 137 ERA+ in the tough environment at Coors after being fully converted into a reliever. He could make for a bargain set-up man.

5. David Riske - If the Royals don’t exercise his option for 2008, Riske, who will be just 31, makes for an excellent set-up man at a good bargain. He posted a 191 ERA+ in ‘07 and for his career has a 131 ERA+. Though he has a below average strikeout rate, he still consistently performs well. I’m not sure what the Royals plan to do, but if he is made available, he could be a great bargain set-up pitcher.