[Wilson8]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

If the Bluejays arent going to sign Erv, then who will at this point?

From USATODAY.COM from about 20 minutes ago…

Story is where they think Stephen Drew, Nelson Cruz and Ervin Santana will sign –

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/02/nels...b-free-agents/

Nelson Cruz – Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles just signed Ubaldo Jimenez, so they’ve already given up their first-round pick for the June draft. And with Chris Davis, Nick Markakis, J.J. Hardy and Matt Wieters approaching free agency, the Orioles should work to contend in the next couple of seasons.

Bringing on the slugging Cruz would mean fewer at-bats for DH Nolan Reimold, who struggled heftily in 2013, and outfielder David Lough, a useful player but not one capable of Cruz’s offensive production. Plus he would provide a hedge in case Markakis struggles as he did in 2013, and keeps the club from having to use Delmon Young in any capacity.

Stephen Drew – New York Mets

Drew and the Mets have been linked in rumor throughout the offseason, but the Mets keep downplaying the possibility they’ll actually sign him. After Matt Harvey’s elbow injury, the club appears unlikely to transition from rebuilding to contending in 2014. But the Mets’ stable of young arms other than Harvey mean they can reasonably hope to compete in 2015.

Adding Drew would give the team a good defender and solid hitter that’s supposedly open to playing multiple infield positions. Though his reported demand for an opt-out after Year 1 of any deal does not make sense for the Mets, bringing him in on a two- or three-year deal they find palatable would give them some flexibility and another steady hand in an infield that currently features question marks at shortstop and first base. And since the club’s first-round pick is protected and second-rounder went to sign Curtis Granderson, the Mets would only need part with a third-round pick to add Drew.

Ervin Santana: Chicago White Sox

OK, this one seems like a long shot, since most seemed to agree the White Sox were done with big-ticket purchases after the signing of Cuban defector Jose Abreu to a 6-year, $68 million deal. But the Sox’ first-round pick in 2014 — the third overall — is protected, and GM Rick Hahn quietly had what looks like a very good offseason.

Crazy as it might sound for a team that finished 63-99 in 2013, adding Santana would shore up a Sox rotation that includes young ace Chris Sale, unheralded but very good 25-year-old lefty Jose Quintana, and Erik Johnson, a 24-year-old righty who made five successful big-league starts in 2013 after a minor league campaign that saw him go 12-3 with a 1.96 ERA across Double- and Triple-A.

In the past seven months, the Sox have added four very promising young position players in Abreu, Adam Eaton, Matt Davidson and Avisail Garcia. Bringing in a solid starter like Ervin Santana could make them an unlikely Wild Card contender despite their 2013 finish.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/02/nels...b-free-agents/