Bay Area Baseball

This year’s class of free agent catchers is a collection of players past their prime as the youngest on the list is Miguel Olivo at 30. Photo: AP

Brad Ausmus (40) – Ausmus is done.
Paul Bako (37) – Could find a backup role somewhere.
Rod Barajas (33) - $2.5MM club option for ‘09 with a $0.5MM buyout – Underrated swing could draw some interest from a National League club.
Michael Barrett (32) – Career has really fallen off, will likely be looking for a one year deal.
Henry Blanco (37) - $3MM mutual option for ‘09 with a $0.3MM buyout – Backup.
Johnny Estrada (33) – Still has some left but will likely be starting only for a non-contender.
Toby Hall (33) - $2.25MM club option for ‘09 with a $0.15MM buyout - Backup
Jason LaRue (35) – Done.
Paul Lo Duca (37) – He should be done, but always seems to find someone willing to take on his slowing bat.
Miguel Olivo (30) - $2.7MM mutual option for ‘09 with a $0.1MM buyout – Should be able to find a starting role somewhere.
Mike Redmond (38) - $0.95MM club option for ‘09 with a $0.1MM buyout – Done.
Ivan Rodriguez (37) – Small chance of returning to New York, could get some looks, possibly back in Detroit.
David Ross (32) – Backup.
Javier Valentin (33) – Backup.
Jason Varitek (37) – Would expect to see the Captain resign with Boston, but probably only for a one or two year deal.
Gregg Zaun (38) – Veteran who could backup and tutor a young catcher.

In perhaps the finest single player performance in a team sport since Vince Young carried Texas to the National Championship, Milwaukee’s CC Sabathia put the Brewers on his back and carried them to the playoffs, one pitch at a time. Photo: Getty Images

In a weekend where so much was decided, from the National League East champion to the Wild Card, a trio of aces took center stage with a series of remarkable performances. On Saturday, with his Mets facing possible elimination, free agent signing Johan Santana showed why he was for years considered one of the best in the game by throwing a complete game shutout on three days rest. Although the Mets would fall Sunday spoiling Santana’s efforts, Johan moved into first in the NL in ERA and entered the Cy Young race as a possible dark horse whose September heroics pulled him within site of two of the favorites who would respond in kind on Sunday.

CC Sabathia in perhaps one of the most memorable two week spans in baseball history took the ball consecutive starts on three days rest and put together performances that become things of legend. His complete game on the last day of the season sealed the Wild Card for the Brewers with the New York’s loss. His is a story of the hired gun who switched leagues and ran over the competition. Similar to Randy Johnson who went 10-1 in 1998 with Houston, Sabathia pitched his new team into the playoffs with gutsy power from the left side.

The last ace to take the hill Sunday was not pitching in a playoff race, but his personal quest for the Cy Young has been a building ride over the past couple of months. After perhaps vaulting into the lead behind back to back complete games, Tim Lincecum came into Sunday after his worst loss of the season where he allowed 6 earned runs. Lincecum knew following the performances of Sabathia and Santana that he would have to make a statement against the hated Dodgers. He was more than up to the task, striking out the first nine outs of the game in the most dominant (strikeout-wise) three inning stretch since Sid Fernandez in 1986, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

While the Cy Young Award race will take a back seat to the playoffs for now, the efforts of these three men this final weekend will without a doubt have a profound impact on the outcome.

Reynolds had a run producing year, but also set the Major League record in strikeouts. Photo: AP

Arizona’s collapse is complete. A 23-28 record with a six game losing streak in September doomed the team that came into the month with their destiny in their own hands as the odds on favorite to win the National League West. Instead of finishing strong, the folded in the mold of the 2007 New York Mets, losing as many as six consecutive games. Their 10-13 finish presents plenty of blame as does their equally weak August performance when they went 13-14. Losing records in the closing months of the season is a sign of poor management as well as tight play.

Their major collapse started with the Florida series on the 22^nd of August when the bullpen and acquired Jon Rauch blew a late inning lead. The team would win the next day behind Yusmiero Petit then lose four straight including back to back losses in starts for aces Brandon Webb and Dan Haren. Heading into Los Angeles with a small lead, Arizona decided to skip Petit’s next start in order to get Haren and Webb starts against the Dodgers. The plan backfired completely. Both Webb and Haren were shelled, and Petit lost his groove and finished with an ERA nearly double his ERA at the time.

Closer Brandon Lyon showed why he has been traded so many times by faltering so badly that he lost his closer’s role. The team’s inability to score runs for budding star Max Scherzer was also a major issue, while he pitched well all season posting a 3.05 ERA, he did not record a single victory, including in his last four starts when he allowed just nine runs.

Arizona has some major decisions to make, and there has to be serious question about whether or not they have the right management in place. While they looked strong for most of this season, much of their collapse can be attributed to poor offseason planning. They traded closer Jose Valverde who has now posted 40+ saves in consecutive season. He would have helped greatly in the place of Lyon. They let Carlos Queintin go and he led the American League in home runs. He could have been used when Eric Byrnes went down for the year. They acquired Jon Rauch, who was horrible and offered nothing at the end of games. They will have to make a decision on Adam Dunn and determine if there is a spot for him or Conor Jackson in the outfield since Byrnes was resigned to a big contract. A team that once looked so promising now has big problems and a long offseason ahead.