Dave Carroll - TSN.ca
Pedro Martinez turned some heads at the World Baseball Classic before the Dominican Republic was eliminated and Ivan Rodriguez is still turning heads for Puerto Rico. Chances are the pair of veteran free agents won't be available for long.
Starting pitching is always in short supply, but on Friday Pudge offered MLB teams a rare bonus for signing him, he'll gladly play other positions.
"Trust me, I would love to catch, but I can play another position, and I'm willing to play another position, because I'm a player and I love to play," Rodriguez told MLB.com.
"That's the most important thing for me. I'm a winner. I love playing this game. I would love to be on a team and help it win. Whatever it takes to win ballgames, I'd do anything."
He said all the right things.
Sure, he'll cost and he's getting on in years, but he's looked very good at the World Baseball Classic (.545 2 HR, 5 RBI). He has a little MLB experience at first (seven games with the Tigers in 2006) although he has not logged any time at third in the Majors.
The Mets and Marlins are the teams most often mentioned when his name comes up, but with the conditions of Jorge Posada (shoulder) and Alex Rodriguez (hip) maybe the Yankees would be interested. Posada should see some time behind the plate this weekend.
Having a player offer to play out of position doesn't happen too often. He can still hit and having a guy who can fill in, very well, at the most physically draining position is a good idea.
Seems like a sound investment.
The 2009 Classic has turned out to be the perfect showcase for veteran players looking for a gig.