Best on the Block (Pitchers)

Now it's time to take a look at the Best on the Block, Pitchers! Winter Meetings are over and the top Free Agents have found their new homes, let's see what can be had via trade.

Denny Hukata, su, Nashville Studs ($11.6 million / 2 years): Hukata is a LH setup reliever for the Nashville Studs. He has elite control and velocity and is a groundball pitcher. He pitches to lefties better then righties and has 2 solid pitches in his sinker and curve. Up until last season Hukata had been the closer for the franchise for two seasons while they still played in Florida. over those two seasons he was 72/81 for a .889 save percent. Last season he pitched in 60 games and was 15/22 in save attempts, but gave up the most home runs in his career in 15. His career era is 4.73.

Allen Anderson, sp, Pittsburgh Pranksters ($17.7 million / 3 years): Anderson is a solid righty who has fantastic control and velocity with his pitches and good stamina, allowing him to pitch deep into games occasionally. He has a + 4-seam fastball to go along with solid slider and cut fastball but they aren't anything to write home about. His l/r splits are not fantastic but get the job done. In his two full seasons with Pittsburgh he has averaged 8 wins with a 3.65 era and 171.1 innings.

Ramon Hujimoto, sp, Nashville Studs ($1.4 million / 1 year): Hujimoto is a lefty starter who has amazing stamina, he can pitch deep into any game. He has great control of his pitches and many scouts around the league say he has not quite reached his potential yet. He has a ++ 4-seamer to go along with a + slider. The knock on Hujimoto has always been his lack of velocity and mediocre l/r splits. Last season he set a career high in wins with 13 and gave up the least hrs in any full season with 25.

Jerry King, sp, Philadelphia Black Lightning ($12.5 million / 1 year): Coming into last season King was Philly's number two starter but around mid-season the franchise went in a completely different direction with starting pitchers after acquiring Wayne Anderson, Brian Baek and Ted Phillips, which lead King to the bullpen as a long reliever. The club entertained a few offers for him late last season but behind the scene King executed his no-trade clause, leaving the aging starter stuck behind a rotation full of young guns (and one extremely old and overpaid geezer). King still has great stamina, which allows him to pitch deep into games and has good control. His velocity has slipped since his prime but is not poor. In his two seasons in Philly he averaged 14 wins and 201.2 innings and a dazzling 3.85 era, just slightly above his career 3.81.

Galahad Dale, sp, Salem Witch Doctors ($19 million / 2 years): Dale is a great all around pitcher and easily could be the Ace of many rotations. He has great stamina, control and velocity to go with very good l/r splits overall. The knock on Dale is that he is a flyball pitcher and doesn't have any + pitches. He does have a good 4-seamer and slider as part of his 5 pitch selection. After being acquired from the Florida FlyTekks early last year, Dale went 13-11 with a 4.11 era for the Witch Doctors.

Andre Watson, sp, Pittsburgh Pranksters ($360k / 1 year): Watson is in just his third major league year, his stamina is currently lacking but scouts see big room for improvement in that aspect of his game. He has a good control/velocity combo and has a + curve to go with a good 4-seamer. His splits are mediocre but have room for improvement. In his rookie year Watson won 11 games with a 4.36 era.

Goose Sweeney, su, San Diego Zonkeys ($378k / 1 year): Sweeney is a solid left-handed setup man. He has great control over his + sinker and good slider. He pitches much better to lefties then righties and doesn't have great velocity. Last year Sweeney appeared in 25 games for the Zonkeys and was 2-2 with 1 save and a 3.55 era.

Donzell Cosby, sp, Philadelphia Black Lightning ($8 million / 1 year): Another Philly starter who was cast to the bullpen when they made their plethora of moves last summer. Cosby is still a serviceable starter, he has 3 good pitches and still retains his control and good velocity. In the past 4 seasons in Philly he averaged 15 wins, 214.1 innings with 178 strike outs and a 4.29 era.

Al Womack, su, Pittsburgh Pranksters ($1.2 million / 1 year): Womack is a solid setup reliever. He has excellent velocity and good 4-seamer and a still developing change up. He has the potential to be dominant against righties and good against lefties. The knock on him is his lack of control, although some scouts believe he will be able to gain enough control of his pitches by the time he finishes developing that he will be solid. His last two seasons in Pittsburgh have been rough, he has averaged 5 losses and had an ova of .328 and a whip of .203 with a 7.48 era. A change of scenery may be what is in order for Womack to show is talent.